Are you keeping the e53?
 

How are e53 prices holding up?

Are you keeping yours? Are future maintence issues worrying you?

please discuss.

-mike

Keeping our '01 for awhile...curious to see the X6, but that may be
academic on price and rear "trunk" room. Not a big E70 fan. Have
another year to go on a WarrDirect ext warranty, so not sweating
it.

I would suspect I need a new serpentine belt in future, maybe
rear brakes. All other systems seem ok, knock on wood. Not sure
I'd hang on to it too long, if I had no warranty support net in place;
otoh, it was paid for as new 6yrs ago, and annual costs are minimal.

...:thumbup: keeping my 02 X5 until 100k mi, next purchase will be a E53 4.8is or a Cayenne S turbo? Yes, a little worried about tranny failure etc. at or around 100k (I put $$$ away for that).

X6 is a def curiosity here!

02, 4.4 with 57K miles without warranty and planning on keeping. I'm a buy and hold car owner, like to DIY with access to a very good independant shop for the trickier stuff and tend to maintain vehicles above and beyond the recommended maintenance.

'03 3.0 with 67,000 km, no problems. Selling it next month, as warranty expired in March this year. That, and also four years is about how long I keep cars. I don't like the E70, too big and heavy for me. I am going to a car this time, primarily because I want more performance and a manual transmission in a daily driver. We need one practical/useful vehicle that can carry bike racks and tow a small utility trailer, and my wife doesn't like wagons, so she is getting a new X3 3.0si in two weeks.

Keeping my november 03 4.6, only done 18k from new and this time next year it ill probably only have covered 23k. The e70 is starting to grow on me, I'm curious as to what this M-Sport version will be like as the standard 4.8 e70 doesnt really impress me. But for now I'm really happy with my E53!

Not a big fan of the E70 so will be keeping our '04 4.4i E53.

Keeping my 01 4.4i for a long time. I plan on putting at least another 100k on it. I know about the tranny problems that others have had, but I'm not too worried. My mechanic told me he would rebuild it for 3000.00 dollars. Thats including labor. He just rebuilt one for this other guy. He didn't buy a rebuilt one, he did it himself. Said he puts in better parts and does something else to it, that is a better design then the rebuilt one. The guy said it is better then the original. We will see....

Is her X3 the auto or manual?

Hmm, im only keeping my x5 for a few more years then im going to upgrade to a Cayenne S or the E70 4.8 soon enough

Yo, M...reading comp slipping a lil'? You aren't nearly old enough
to be missing this stuff, :nanana: ...

From JCL's post and car list:

"2007 X3 3.0si, 6MT, PP, White (new for spouse, August delivery)"

6MT. :rofl:

Oh wow! I really am getting old, both mentally......and now my eyesight too! Aite, too old for BMW.........now where's that Merc I've been shopping for :rofl:

Ja. 04 4.4 17k independent mechanic after warranty

MD beat me to it. :rofl:

She has never had an automatic, and doesn't want one, as she feels it is less connected. She considers driving a manual transmission well a useful skill. Great attitude. Me, I just want one because it is more fun.

Haven't decided yet, and haven't bought an extended warranty either. The only thing i'm curious about is the Diesels and even then i might go 535d rather than another X. Just don't know.

Hope no remorse in a few years...
 

02 4.4i with 42000 miles and plan to keep it.
So far the lock freeze and dead pixel problems.

Will look at X6/X5 with 3rd row seats only when BMW put diesel in. Will see.

I'll keep mine until the CPO warranty runs out...then possibly get a newer E53 4.8is with CPO or get a cheaper truck (to tow) and get the 1 series.

I'm keeping my 03 4.4 for a while. It's paid off and I hope to get another 5 or so years out of her (I keep em til they die). I don't like the e70 so that's not even a consideration for me, but the X6 may be at some point.

I was at a dealer the other day (for my 540) and asked one of the sales guys about a price drop of e53's, to my surprise he said they haven't really dropped like a lot of people expected and has been pretty stable. He said that a lot of people just don't like the e70 (sounds familiar) and even some of his typical 'new' car buyers are going used to get an e53. So the used e53 market is still strong.

My guess is that in addition to the people who just don't like the e70, there are other people who are just waiting for 2nd and 3rd production cycles or thinking about an X6 as the next logical alternative. If the e70 and X6 seem to be winners in the next couple years, I think more e53's will start flooding the marketplace and then prices will drop. However, you never know.

'01 with 118K miles, going to keep it until I can afford a used E70!!

Takin' donations for next tranny ;)

I'm keeping mine until maybe the new "is" model is available (if I can afford it) :thumbup:

I am keeping mine for atleast another couple of years. I also, like others, don't like the looks of E70, so far.

Keeping mine until CPO runs out in another 2 1/2 years or so. Paid off so carrying costs are low. Only thing I have to fight against is wanting something different and right now neither the E70 or X3 are doing it for me.

My '01 4.4 (85k miles, purchased in Feb at 79k) seems to have been properly maintained by the previous owners, my intentions is to hold on to it for several years and get it up to 200k plus miles. I do all my own work, so its cheaper for me to put money into the parts than go buy a new or newer one and get hit with $600 month payments and 30-40 grand in depreciation.
I would expect to see prices for the early X5s to continue to drop down to the $10,000 -$14,000 level in the next few years then start to level off. I'm sure in five more years a beater X5 with a bazillion miles on it will be able to be had for a few thousand dollars (parts car!!), but I expect that on the whole they will hold value pretty good.

I'm basing my prediction on e39 values. The X5 is based on the e39 and shares many of the same systems. As the X5 is all-wheel drive and an SUV, I expect that values will remain a bit higher than, or the same as, comparable e39s.

Somebody can look up this thread in five years and see if any of us were correct! :rofl::rofl:

Sold my 2003 X5 3.0 last week with 66K mi on it. No major problems. Ordered 2008 Cayenne S to be delivered in September.
I hear many people shifting from E53 to Cayennes bypassing E70...

+1

even the same warranty length

X5 is paid off and will be kept until it dies(knock on wood a long time from now) Within the next 6 months I plan on getting rid of my 330ci and buying a E70 and a 335ci or a new M5 and a E53 4.8( in imola red) I cannot make up my mind???

2002 4.6is w 63,000 miles. Aftermarket full coverage warranty until 100,000 miles. I love my X5!! I have done a fair amount of mods and I am trying to be vigilant about the maintenance. I plan on driving it until 100,000 miles. I am guessing the value in 2011 for a 9 year old X5 will be fairly low. I may decide to just keep it..... just something special about the 4.6is!

Oh, hopefully BMW comes out with a nice 500hp X5 in 08 or 09 which I can pick up used in 2011!!!! But that is a long time from now!! We might be flying around in Jetsons mobiles by then!! ;)

Prices are BLOWING on E53's big time. My neighbor is a wholesaler and the black book on a 2004 E53 4.4 (my old one) was $28000-$28500. Here are the three quotes we received from trade in (which is basically a call to a wholesaler)

- $25,000
- $25,500
- $27,000 <-- and this guy was hoping we didn't trade it in because he didn't want to have to buy it for that price.

Guess it is different on your coast, E53's are only drawing funds here for BMW dealers. Wholesale/trade and private is low.

All the more reason to keep my '04 a bit longer.

I am keeping it. The prices have dropped a lot. Might as well.

Might pick up a newer one soon (04-05). Right now I have an 01.

Considering I paid ~net $40k for my $60k X5 after the sec 179 deduction in Nov '03, even $25k is not bad depreciation :thumbup:

How is a Cayenne S an "upgrade" over a 4.4i? Probably should be rephrased to "downgrade".

check out the year of the 4.4 (pre 2004), it is an upgrade :)

Wow. Have the prices declined that much since March?

I got $24K for my '02 X5 4.4i 63K 5 months ago, from a BMW dealer no less. I thought was a fair deal back then. It looks a great deal now.

yup, 3 dealers and my neighbor agreed.....just glad I didn't owe more then it was worth.

Wow, that's steeper depreciation than the X3s! :wow:

What is wrong with the Cayenne S?

Pepper S is no faster or better handling the the 2004+ X5 4.4's. Now FI is another story......

I bet I've seen 5 E53 owners in this one thread who have said the E70's not growing on them. It wasn't growing on me either until I actually drove one.

I was considering an Acura MDX or Cayenne for my E53 4.4 replacement but now I don't even think I'll even test drive one. The E70 ride quality and luxury is just that good.

If you haven't driven one, stop by a dealer and take one for a spin. You may change your mind...

I have done - I had one over a weekend, and didn't change my mind.

Different strokes for different folks and all that...I guess

It's my personal opinion more than anything. You can take it or leave it. It's based primarily on the experiences of a close friend who purchased a new '03 Cayenne S at the same time I purchased my '02 4.4i sport CPO. We shopped together for our purchases. Being a Porschephile, he selected his chosen marque, while I, being a died in the wool Bimmerhead, bought an X5.

His CS was certainly no faster than my prefacelift X5, he could not outrun my X5 on an open road from either a standstill or rolling start. Equipped with the PASM option, his Cayenne outhandled my X. Behind the wheel of his Cayenne S, I could push harder through turns than my X5 with alot less body roll and much more adhesion. But for the cost of PASM, could I have upgraded the X5's suspension to be as good as or better than the CS? I think so.

Seating and cargo space was about a wash. I liked my comfort seats over the Cayenne seats, although the quality of leather in the Porsche was superior. I didn't care very much for the circa 2003 Nav system in his Cayenne considering its cost.

The quality in his Cayenne was very questionable, largely because Porsche had completely worked out the issues that plagued the early models. He had problems with his stereo, air suspension, remote mirrors, headlights, and various other miscellaneous and sundry items. His CS spent a significant amount of time in the shop during the entire time he owned it (now replaced with a Carrera 4 and a Sequoia). Worksmanship is the one area that I considered the X5 to be more owner friendly. At least with an X5, you know what is going to break. The problems with an X5 are the same as found in E38's, E39's, etc. Not so with a Cayenne.

My friend paid $72,000 out the door for his Cayenne S in mid '03, including PASM, Nav, leather upgrades, Turbo wheels, and a bunch of other goodies. I paid $38K for my X5 at the beginning of '04.

My point here is that the Cayenne S, at least through '06, does not represent a significant improvement over the X5 4.4i prefacelift or facelift, yet comes in at a price point closer to that of of 4.6is or 4.8is model year to model year. To me, the next jump is the Turbo S or a 4.8is.

Another one bits the dust
 

Test driving an E70 confirmed my decision to stay with the 2004 4.4i sport ... now the X6 may be a different story!

Well we've off loaded both our E53's, and don't regret it for a minute. Whilst we were rapt with one, the other being a lemon didn't change our appreciation of the E53. We had no problem selling the 3.0 privately to the first buyer.

One thing I have to say about test driving the E70, my wife spent a day in one from the dealer and was non plussed about it. I was a bit underwhelmed too. Now she has hers, she reports that it is much nicer to drive than the demo, goes well (she had to plant the foot and was pleasantly surprised to launch across the intersection) and she is loving all the extras that now come with it. I agree that it drives better than the demo and we don't know why ie options difference.

I think it drives far better and smoother than either of our older ones. If I had to choose bewteen an E53 4.8is (non lemon) and an E70 4.8 with all the extras (same price here) then the E70 gets my vote. Only change I would make is larger wheels (20's or 21's). It has a completely different driving dynamic and it feels quite leisurely with the 4.8.

All that being said, the only reason we offloaded the 3.0 was depreciation. It was a really great vehicle...

I think the E70 is a great Sav. I'm just not thrilled with the looks on the outside. The inside can be dressed up a little more but that said, I wouldn't mind the E70 in Black and that rusty color leather. Might look nice with 20 inchers too. We will see if they change the looks a little in the coming years. You never know, might make it a little more beefier.

Currently have an '01 X5 4.4 and love it. However, we bought it used and the extended warranty we purchased with it turned out to be worthless. We are in the search of an '05 or '06 X5 4.4 because we love it so much. We just want to make sure we have some kind of warranty.

We did test drive the E70 and loved the feel but we like the looks of the old body style. Can't convince myself not to think about what the outside looks like when I can't see it from inside.

My 2006 4.4i has 11,000 miles on it at the present time. We will be getting rid of it in Aug 2008 (lease). It will probably have about 21000 miles on it. Thought about keeping it, but it has a naging ticking sound under accelleration (almost like an exhaust leak) that drives me crazy. The dealer said the sound was normal - of course. I am probably going to get an e70, but I am going to make sure I don't hear the damn ticking noise before I take delivery.

I'm with you folks. I drove the E70 at the ride and drive event. Drove it through the slalom and around a portion of the oval at Homestead
Raceway. It does drive well and the interior is nice. But if look you close you can see the cost cutting- i.e. rear power seats - no more (now manual depending on the model - no 3rd row-no recline), headliner appears to be a cheaper material, etc. etc. Oh yeah and the composite front fenders don't impart a sense of added solidity either.

Now I have seen a couple of fully loaded E70's with the updgraded 21's and some other extras, they look mean outfitted that way. To be honest the 20's aren't bad either.

The E53 just just says BMW. It doesn't look like it's little brother (to be honest the X3 has evolved nicely) and being built around E39 platform is noteworthy, they were/are some of the best built BMW's made - IMHO of course:thumbup:

Many? Hmmmm. That's a surprise. I heard the opposite. :confused:

IMO, E70 looks refined, E53 looks like a truck..........personal choices.

In addition to AeroG's post, don't know where my list is but was not attracted to the outside design (or interior color of the black exterior that I drove), then having Diamaris that are taller in the back showcases sport to me in a way the E70 tires do not. I do agree, however, that the E70 ride was smoother on city streets with a lot of potholes so at least the suspension is improved.

Since my post yesterday we have purchased an Imola Red '05 X5 4.4 and are going to pick it up on Saturday. I am very excited because it is a CPO and still has two years under the factory warranty. We plan on driving this one until it dies!!!

A Imola 4.4, very rare :thumbup:

Just imagine the x3 on steriods, thats the e70.

+1

Now I really feel lucky and excited:rofl:

:iagree:

Keeping my 03 3.0 for awhile. CPO expires in 2009. Basic maintenance is easy as long as you have the tools and mechanical skills. I only plan on upgrading for diesel power.

Keeping my 01 3.0 for at least another couple of years. It has 43,000 miles and it's been a great driver. I don't have extended wty but have good independent mechanic. Since I now have the BMW bug I will probably get a CPO E70. I can't stand the Cayenne's looks or the MDX for that matter (my own personal taste). I had a '04 Touareg before and it was crap; great when it ran but it spent each week I owned it in the shop (6 months worth). Sticking with BMW.

I am on the sideline about my 01' E53 since it looks kinda dated when I compare it side by side to the newer SUVs (M class, Q7, MDX and the facelifted E53). The stress on those up and coming repair and maintenance items (transmission, water pump, suspension, freezing door locks, timing belts, brakes, windows and etc.) has also taken away the fun out of owning the X5. When I add up the car depreciation ($8K) and all the repair and maintenance costs for the next three years, it can be as high as $12-18K.

My wife is now thinking to replaced MY X5 with either the new C-class or an E60 (5-series). Both are nice but I am leaning toward the 5-series.

definitely keeping the '06, but will be giving the diesel X5 a real long look when it becomes available here in the USA. Only this group can imagine how much I love my X5(s).

5 series is very nice...

Keeping my X5 E53 :thumbup: , its 9 months old and only has 3023Kms on the clock, yes 2000 mls. tried the E70 and love it apart from the shape!!! Will wait for the X6. I got a good discount €14'000. of the list price so i won't be losing so much by next year, just havent had the time to use it this year.

I have 85K on my 01' 4.4. I plan to keep it for several more years and hopefully another 80K miles. It still looks and drives like new. As for major repairs, transmission, suspension, electronics, etc, I'll repair them as necessary and still be ahead of the cost of a new E70 which will be the eventual replacement. As for depreciation, when I'm done with the 01' I'll give it away. It's hard to live without a SAV (SUV) in the family.

Just bought my 2001 4.4 with 68,000 hope I have it for a long time

I think the new M-class looks like a mom car.
MDX will look like every other SUV out there in a year.

BMW cars still look classy 10 years after they rolled off the assembly line.