Time of decision: 2004 4.4 approaches 100K
 

Here's a business/mechanical/probability problem that just stumps me.
My 2004 4.4i has 96,500 miles. Another 1,000 left on paid-in-full extended warranty.
I love it but bought it in April 2008 (with 39,000 miles) - just before gas prices jumped. Consequently, I am underwater on the loan - by $6-$9K net (depending on whether I take the lazy man's route and sell it to Carmax for 12, or try to get 15 for it privately).
So - do I buy my own nearly 100K X5 for 21,000 or do I buy a low mileage used 4WD of some description that costs a total of 31,000 - (car for22,000 + 9000 net loss on X5)?
If I keep it - I see Warranty Direct will sell me a warranty for my next 25,000 miles (about 18 months of my driving) for $5,500. This tells me that they're betting my actual repair costs will be about 2,750. Of course, they could be $11,000. If I didn't buy myself out, I would reduce the payoff amount of my loan by about 8,000 bucks - perhaps resale value would diminish by 6,000 in the same time period.
During my tenure, the car has consumed a new alternator - no other trouble.
Oh - and one other thing - the dreaded "clunk" on re-acceleration has begun. See other threads.
So - if you were lucky enough to trade places with me, what would you do? (Don't laugh - some guys would: my wife is pretty and my tires are new.)

if your wife is pretty, who cares about the car? :)

:iagree:
Keep the car until its paid off, don't get the warranty, and relax

:iagree: Keep the car and don't let the mileage scare you. It sounds like you X has been very reliable. Buy a bentley manual for your X.

thank you
 

Thanks for the advice - it has been good. That thunk sounds exactly like the same sound in the back of my '69 1600, bought new for $2850. I still regret letting it go at 185,000 miles. And the people who sold me the 55,000 mile warranty made a big profit on it - they've paid out a total of some 600 bucks.
The threads here on high mileage problems are very useful too - I wish I'd found y'all earlier.

If you are mechanically inclined and have the ability and tools to work on a late model BMW, I would say keep it and forget the warrantee. there is nothing magic about 100K - it's just a number. You know the history of your X, and it has been relatively trouble free, so why not keep it? It's a great vehicle and better to drive than anything you will replace it for similar money that may or may not end being more reliable than the BMW. Alternator is one weak spot and an expensive one, and that is fixed. If you haven't done the cooling system, plan on replacing it sometime in the next 10K miles or so. Water pump, expansion tank at a minimum and probably not a bad idea to replace the radiator and swap hoses while you are are at it. The water pump was fixed on mine under CPO with 85K or so on it and also replaced the expansion tank and a few of the hoses. Radiator checked out so they did not replace it. I plan to replace that sometime before getting to 120K for sure along with all of the hoses. I will do it myself. It will not be a very fun project, but no way I am going to pay a shop $110 / hour and have them charge me for 150% of the time spent on it, plus jacked up parts costs.

You may consider swapping the trans fluid right now. I decided to let mine ride per BMW's original lifetime fluid policy rather than tempt fate with a high miles swap. If I had the car at 75-80K I would have done it then for sure. Swap the transfer case and both diff fluids at 100K. Flush the brake system with new fluid if you haven't done that recently.

Other than that, enjoy it - just keep up on some of the preventative maint items and you should be OK. Yes - things can break, and they can be expensive, but that is true for all brands of vehicles, and at the end of the day driving what you like is more important than potentially saving a few $K on repairs somewhere down the line.

What does 31k get you in the used SUV market?

Remember - it would cost me 31 to get a 23K car. I can't stand the seats, but there are a lot of Pilots, Highlanders, Rav4s. If I did it, I would be looking at a few V8 Touregs with 30-45k miles, and perhaps a few Saab 9-7s and 9-5 wagons for the price.
No service problems with any of these fine automobiles, I'm sure.

so you would trade a 100K mile X5 for a 40K mile Toureg? No way. Those have worse reliability track record than the X5. I can see getting into a Honda or Toyota, but do you think that is comparable in any way to a V8 X5? Let me give you a hint on that: NOT a CHANCE!! :wow:

As others have smartly posted, keep it...
Find a good Indie, do some DIYs, and a few grand
a year potential cost, is way cheaper than the add-on extension
warranty or, tossing it while upside down, imo.
GL, mD

Agree - and as C4racer points out, the alternatives are pretty dismal.
A Bentley manual is on its way to me. If I can maintain a small John Deere tractor, I can take care of an X5, right?

oh sure - same difference :bustingup

I think you need to be dispassionate re: these decisions.

Ok, 23k puts you into a used MDX, used RXsomething, or a used GX470 (trying to stay in a lux / near lux brand) in a private party sale (good owner, records)

Pluses
1) used Japanese is cheaper than used German generally in TCO
2) a 2004-06 MDX is a nice car if you're soft-roading / need space
3) a GX470 is an awesome car if you can get the KDSS and actually offroad

Minuses
1) switching vehicles involves sales tax / fees (true in VA?) for a private party sale
2) X5 drives better / different than those mentioned

Really need to do an open assessment of what you value / need in a SUV

All nice cars, but not with the same seat-to-floor distance for my back - and there is the little fact that their price has a $8000 tax for me - the cost of disposing of my loan. Still, something to ponder. Thanks!

I also have a high mileage X5 in VA and have contemplated with selling it for something else many times. If you're upside down, trading the car in is just plain dumb. If you're willing to eat the amount you're upside down and tack on another $20k+ loan, then that's all you. Financially speaking - you're much better off keeping the X5 and doing maintenance as necessary.

Jumping ship to another vehicle will eventually put you in the same boat again. Let's be honest, the X5 is still a ridiculously nice mode of transportation. If you feel the need to 'upgrade', do some tasteful mods -- perform a full detail job. It can quickly rekindle the BMW experience.

Excellent and uncommon common sense. Thanks.

:iagree: Perfect. Last thing you will want to do is have fixed all your problems just to start fixing someone else's. Both my cars are 2003 models and I constantly get "is that a new car" from people. I can park my cars next to brand new ones and I outshine them on the outside and have just as clean an interior. That always calm my urges to get a new car :D.

I'm like you, with one difference - I could buy a brand new 2011 and after one afternoon with the kids, dogs, our dirt roads and my tools, make it look exactly like my 2004!

My wife keeps threatening to put a bumper sticker on my X5 that says "My Other Car is a BMW"

I don't get it... Why?

**I do have to vacuum my car 3 or more times a week though.**