Time to Cut Bait? (E70 4.8i Issues)

[Skyline]

Originally Posted by Pushrod

This would be my hope if I do repair my X5. I love the car and if I could go another 70k without having another major repair, I'd be all in.

LOL.

Mine's at just under 130k miles. Some things I've experienced that you will as well are:

A couple of wheel bearings.
Front sway bar ($3,000)
Rear air springs
Front thrust arms.
Front sway bar links, (more than once).
Coolant expansion tank
Pulleys/belt tensioners
Intermediate driveshaft bearing
Valve guide seals ($2,500)
One fr. upper control arm
Entire CCV system
One valve cover (warped)
Battery (it's on it's 3rd)
Alternator
Front strut tower bearing and bump stops.
Plus lots of normal wear and tear stuff like tires, brakes etc. Averaging 14.5mpg on premium isn't too cheap either.

Face it, it's an $80,000 car you're driving, and as crazy as it seems to dump all this money in, it's still a fraction of the cost of driving a new one. Someone else has already paid the price for the $70k of depreciation. Do I wish it would be as reliable as a Toyota? Absolutely. But there's really nothing close to the combined performance and utility in the market except a newer and more expensive X5.

Although I must say, if you don't need to tow anything heavy, I'd really think about a slightly newer 535 xdrive or 535xi wagon. Price $12,000-$15,000 loaded. It's exactly the same internal dimensions as the E70 X5, and the rear seat folds 100% flat. It's as fast with a turbo 6 as the X5 with a NA V8. It's all wheel drive, and handles better. Better gas mileage, and a bit more reliable. The inside and most controls are a carbon copy of the X5. Plus, it's tuneable if you want more power.