What would you do?
 

My wife and I are debating whether to join the BMW community. We have the opportunity to purchase a White 2004 X5 3.0i Sport/Winter package with 84,000 miles with all the service history, and two sets of wheels and tires for $14,600. Oh and it has clean title and all that jazz.

Love to hear your opinions/advice and what we can expect as we join the community.

that sounds like a pretty good deal!

What do you drive now?

we currently drive a 2001 GMC Yukon Denali.

Oh, I also forgot to mention that the BMW has passed the dealer inspection, but we will be taking it for a second inspection before we would actually purchase.

Well, you'll love driving the X5 that's for sure.

I think your question is a pretty difficult one to answer. Let's start with the easier part; the vehicle you're looking at seems like a fair deal from what I can gather for the US market. The other part is much more difficult because that really depends on your expectations. Maybe it would help if you can tell us what you are looking for in the vehicle and the community.

We are looking for the vehicle to be a safe mode of transportation, get better gas mileage then our current vehicle (2001 GMC Yukon Denali 6.0 V8, a BEAST but drinks gas like an alcoholic), have some luxuries, and of course be fun to drive. It would be driven daily by my wife so I want her to be safe and be surrounded by excellent technology.

From the community I would be looking for old posts that may address issues that arise, and looking to communicate with members on how to get the most out of the E53 (code customizations, upgrades and maintenance.) I like how there is a lot of support for the people who enjoy having a hand in the maintenance of their vehicle. Not only is there the support but encouragement and tips on how to get it done the first time.

Well, I think you've come to the right place.

The X5 3.0 ought to give you better gas consumption than your old Yukon. Although I've never driven a Yukon, if they're anything like a Sequoia I think you'll find the X5 will give you a funner ride. It's still a truck, but it's a fun truck. As a daily driver for your wife, I really can't think of a better vehicle for safety, performance, comfort, and prestige. My wife drove ours for years until she wanted to downsize and passed hers to me. My son and I always joked her about her luxury sport tank.

I've found the BMW community to be exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful. Unlike many of the other premium brands, BMW attracts some pretty sophisticated DIY enthusiasts who have, collectively, put together some pretty amazing support sites. Realoem.com and BMW VIN Decoder - By Mitsuhiko Kanekatsu are two such examples. The community is further supported by a group of suppliers and tuners that could have you surfing for hours on end maintaining and upgrading your vehicles. The on-line community is generally frequented by mature individuals and North America is covered by local BMW clubs. I'd encourage you to look into those as well. I have fun participating in mine, from wine tastings to Father's Day drives.

Although I think BMW's current marketing direction contains a tad too much hyperbole and general marketing mushiness for my taste, there's no doubt they are well engineered vehicles for the drivers who want driving enjoyment from otherwise very practical cars.

All in all, it sounds like you'd enjoy the community and the driving machine.

Cheers.

My wife absolutely loves our X5, it is a 3.0i. There will be some small issues with it having that many miles but nothing you shouldn't be able to do yourself. Especially with Xoutpost. You will also have to switch to premium gas, if you don't already use it.
I, personally, would jump on that deal!

Yep this is the current gas hog we are trying to ditch:

2001 GMC Yukon Denali - 92k miles

I really appreciate all of the feedback and guidance. I can't wait to dig in and really find out what it feels like to be a part of a community and not just owning "another" vehicle. I'll get pictures up of the E53 as soon as we have it!