If you knew what you know now, Will you buy a X5..!?!?

[cn90]

1+,

These BMWs are undervalued (I own 2 Volvos at home, same issue of undervalued).

These reports list multiple issues of these cars ---> original owner unlikely to keep it long, but since the car is devalued ---> great opportunity for 2nd/3rd/4th owners.

So if one is a DIYer type of person, these are great values. In other words, "best bang for the bucks"...

[PropellerHead]

Drove mine over 500 miles yesterday and will do it again on Saturday. Not even a whisper of a problem. Take good care of your E53 (or any bimmer) and it will take good care of you.

This is my 2nd 2004 E53. I bought the first after picking up for my mother in law an '01 in December of 2000. She still runs it, too. Coming up on 14 years. Some rear airbags from Arnott for her and she's been good.

[ants_oz]

Nope, didn't read either of them. I place very little faith in reports of that type. It is my experience (as a qualified mechanic) that many of them are sensationalised with little basis in fact.

[Joshdub]

I just purchased mine and have been catching up on deferred maintenance. Parts seem to be priced pretty similar to my other European cars. The only difference is I have more room to replace everything. I don't see how it would be any more to maintain than your average A4 to 3er. But then again I have a pretty common and simple 6cyl and a good old fashion manual trans.

[cn90]

Let me clarify the word "undervalue".

Since some ? 85% of the population don't know how to fix cars, they take cars to mechanics, and these are the issues:
- Competency
- Honesty
- Cost

For that reason, many people ditch these Euro (Vlvo, BMW, MB etc.) cars as soon as it is expensive to fix.

So while the word "undervalue" is true for Consumer Reports, Wall Street journals etc., it is a "true value" for DIYers...

In the word, the term "undervalue" is in the eyes of the beholder...

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by cn90

Let me clarify the word "undervalue".

Since some ? 85% of the population don't know how to fix cars, they take cars to mechanics, and these are the issues:
- Competency
- Honesty
- Cost

For that reason, many people ditch these Euro (Vlvo, BMW, MB etc.) cars as soon as it is expensive to fix.

So while the word "undervalue" is true for Consumer Reports, Wall Street journals etc., it is a "true value" for DIYers...

In the word, the term "undervalue" is in the eyes of the beholder...

So true, the value of used euro vehicles are for DIYers.

I dropped $1400 dollars on special tools/parts in the first 6 mos of this year. Powerflex FCABs, waterpump, rotors/pads, VC gaskets, coilpack, found a set of almost new OE Michelin takeoffs to replace front tires ($100 + $120 for BMW dealer mount/balance).

If a dealer had done the repairs, the bill would have been over 6X my cost, EXCEEDING the KBB value of the vehicle. Any sane, non-DIY owner would have sold the X and called the BMW a POS.

[Jungerishere]

Yes, I would. It has been very reliable so far. However, I'm little bit disappointed with some of the cheap plastic parts in the car like center console cup holder. Clips broke and I barely use it. I replaced it at a cost of $200... By examining it closer, it is cheap and poorly engineer part. Most likely the new one will break sooner than later.

[Ricky Bobby]

I like how trader4 cites Consumer Reports as if that is the end all be all of car buying.

If we had it CR's way we would all be driving silver Corollas and Ford F150's.



I agree with TiAg and Prop above, the people that aren't enthusiasts and just your soccer mom with a lease, yes you are probably going to complain about your Euro car ownership, it just goes with the territory and they probably aren't the right people for these vehicles.


However we have many members driving the oldest E53 and other examples at 14 years old now with no hiccups, that in itself is a testament.

[lhordmclain]

Don't get me wrong but it is hard to believe the no hiccup statement in 14 years.

Is being stranded is the context?

Or no major/minor repair at all? Which is hard to believe that nothing happened in 14 years (battery, alternator, cooling system, OFG , Vanos, VCG, door carrier, misc suspension, door actuator, window regulator, panoramic roof)

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

However we have many members driving the oldest E53 and other examples at 14 years old now with no hiccups, that in itself is a testament.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by lhordmclain

Don't get me wrong but it is hard to believe the no hiccup statement in 14 years.

Is being stranded is the context?

Or no major/minor repair at all? Which is hard to believe that nothing happened in 14 years (battery, alternator, cooling system, OFG , Vanos, VCG, door carrier, misc suspension, door actuator, window regulator, panoramic roof)

I'm talking in comparison to other like-age vehicles with proper maintenance performed, when I mean "hiccup" I mean basically taking a vehicle that you know and know well and keep up with maintenance on, the E53 is not going to spotaneously combust and leave you on the side of the road if you keep up on your maintenance, and do some preventative repairs for parts that may wear due to mileage, OR age, which most people don't think of. So yes, I would say its more in the context of leaving you stranded completely unexpected. This is a rare occurrence. For example, my front suspension needed a complete replacement last year, at 70k. Sure, it seems soon due to mileage, but 11 years on those rubber bushings and ball joints in the Northeast winters I will chalk it up to age as well.

Comparing a 5 owner 200k mile 2001 X5 (and the 5th owner just registered here) to a 1 owner 200k mile Toyota Rav4 is not a justifiable comparison when talking about their experiences as new members here.

For the majority of us who have owned our E53's for a couple years or more now (some since new), I don't think any of us would hesitate to drive the vehicle, yet the majority of complaints are from fresh owners (who are 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc) who have not had the time to catch up on a proper maintenance regimen to have their E53 be as "trouble free" as they can be.

Of course I believe in major/minor repairs, most of the items you mentioned are routine maintenance on other vehicles as well, and some are well known BMW maintenance regimen items:

Or no major/minor repair at all? Which is hard to believe that nothing happened in 14 years (battery, alternator, cooling system, OFG , Vanos, VCG, door carrier, misc suspension, door actuator, window regulator, panoramic roof

-Show me a battery that lasts 14 years, or an alternator for that matter

-As we have mentioned here countless times, cooling system should be done prior to 100k for peace of mind, some still do it at 70k. It's a routine maintenance regimen for the most part, the Tstat, water pump, expansion tank etc do have a limited lifespan and should be changed at a regular regimen, they are not lifetime items

-OFHG? Only thing that would create is an annoying oil leak and is an easy DIY or a couple hours for a shop

-Vanos? Does not leave one stranded, and I have yet to see a Vanos unit completely fail on this forum, sure it may give bad running condition if its extremely bad but it won't strand you

-VCG? Again, rough running or an oil leak, and again, if you are over 80k miles or so its probably something that should be tended to due to age and mileage (**I do not have V8 experience but this is my M54 advice)

-Suspension? ---- It's a well known fact on this forum that driving these 3 ton trucks around, you will need suspension overhauled at least every 80k miles, the thrust arm bushings are a 60k wear item, again, on most SUV's and trucks you will need some suspension item servicing by the 13-14 year and mileage marks we have now

-Door carrier? Window regulators? All annoyances. The carrier is again a simple fix, and annoying when fails, Window regulator failure is more about the $2 clips that break, and if you avoid shutting the doors with windows open or cracked open it's not an issue (I havent had a bad regulator in 2.5 years of ownership following this practice)

-Pano roof? TBH most people I've seen just disable the tilt on the rear and don't have problems. For what its worth and I have no experience with it, the ones who have actually properly installed the front/rear repair kits have not had issues, but most don't want to drop the $$$ to do so.




Just my experience and opinions, but yes to answer your question I would never use "without a hiccup" to mean that our E53 can go 14 years without a decent repair to perform. But the notion that the E53 is the worst made and least reliable Bimmer to grace our roads is also a false notion in my opinion, from my own experience and also as a 3rd owner of one.