Thinking of going from an E46 to E53

[Turbo_Bimmer]

Hello,
I've been in lurking mode for a while. But now, I would like to have your opinion.
I have a E46 Touring for the last 7 years. I love the car, runs great, looks good, but, since I have too many cars in my driveway, I'm thinking of selling my E46 and my Econoline (used to tow my racecar) and get a V8 X5 (2004-06).

From what I read, the X5 won't have any problem pulling my trailer/car combo (5000lbs).

I'm just a bit nervous about the reliability of the X compared to the 3 serie. Especially since I always buy manual transmission cars, a X5 of that era, would be near to require a tranny rebuild.

I think I'm due for a change, and would like a E53 X5 since I think they are nice looking.
Any suggestions, warnings etc are welcome.

Thanks.

[JCL]

The E46 was a very mature platform, very reliable. Relatively simple.

The E53 has more systems to fail, and they tend to cost more to fix when they do fail. Transmissions are one example. While it would have no trouble towing, and it is a great vehicle, it can't be directly compared to an E46 in terms of reliability and ease of repair.

If you go into it expecting to have to do typical repairs, as it will be a 5 - 7 year old vehicle, you will be fine.

[Fraser]

I believe that the E53 is a better, more reliable vehicle than its reputation suggests but it still can't match the near bullet-proof E46 in that regard. As ever with buying a second-hand vehicle, research and patience are your best friends.

[FSETH]

Originally Posted by JCL

The E46 was a very mature platform, very reliable. Relatively simple.

The E53 has more systems to fail, and they tend to cost more to fix when they do fail. Transmissions are one example. While it would have no trouble towing, and it is a great vehicle, it can't be directly compared to an E46 in terms of reliability and ease of repair.

If you go into it expecting to have to do typical repairs, as it will be a 5 - 7 year old vehicle, you will be fine.

[fulltilt]

I went from our well used E46 to the E53 for the same reason, to tow a race car. You will not feel the same about the X5 as you do the E46. My wife and I both miss it a lot. But you can't tow a race car with the E46. That is what I have to remind myself every time a hear an interior rattle. It's still a great vehicle, but it doesn't have the 3 series magic.

[Turbo_Bimmer]

Thanks all for the replies.
The X seems to require a bit more love than an E46. Since I'm doing my repairs myself, that translates into more time in the garage to fix stuff. I hope my wife doesn't read this.

Like Fraser said, 'research and patience' is the key in finding a good vehicle. That's where I will have to improve myself, because I easily fall in love with vehicles when I see them and they look good.

Maybe I'll miss the E46 for the occasional access ramps fun, but I won't miss it for the bad roads we have here coupled with the race springs that are on the car.

I think I may have more chances to have a better price for my E46 in springs, with the wide tires/mags installed and a fresh coat of wax than now. In the meantime, I will monitor what is selling around my place.
I find that the prices of X5s move with the seasons. This summer I was seeing 2004s going for 14K, and now approching winter, they are more like 20K! I don't know if it's a normal trend or just because the economy is restarting, but I'll keep an eye open.

[c4racer]

I think in general, used car inventory is on the low side and doesn't seem to be rebounding. One thing I heard from a few dealers that is driving this is there is a lot fewer 2-4 year old off lease cars right now because back then new car sales including leases were way down. All that tends to drive up prices for used cars - purely supply and demand. And sure - seasonally sports car prices go down over the winter and rise in the spring and into the summer, and opposite of that for SUV's / AWD cars. I would think the market for your wagon wouldn't be so affected by the seasons since it is just a normal car not a sports car or SUV. That said, it is generally harder to sell a car going into the holidays and always easier in the spring.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

BTW - my X5 replaced a Audi S4 Avant and I am very happy with the added space in the X5 which fits our families needs better. I went to a sports car DD which is something we can get away with more here in CA. But the X5 is still driven daily during the week by my wife. I get it when I need to haul stuff or go skiing.

[johnnytime21]

I went from a E39 to a E53 and all I can say is this truck,suv,sav,whatever is awesome. It's fun sporty comfy safe powerful I can't say enough about these trucks andas you know if you do some research and do the work yourself its really not that expensive. Good luck.

[Mike V]

Your reason (towing) is the only reason I would move to an E53 from an E46. I pull my E36 M3 and trailer with my X5 and it does great! The Steptronic works surprisingly well when towing. Ours has 122k on it without any major problems so far and the previous owner also used it to tow his trailer and car. I have a feeling that I'm driving the car on borrowed time until something major goes wrong but I feel I got a good enough deal on it to justify the potential repair costs.

[amacman]

bmw make an X3 also , y`know . it can tow stuff .