Xoutpost.com - Introduction

Hello,

I just wanted to take the time to make my first post an introduction. I've been a reader of this particular forum for about a month. I wanted to get a good picture of my steed before making an intro thread, and now I have a decent one.

I bought my 2005 X5 4.8is September 2011, after shopping around for a "go anywhere" (GA henceforth) vehicle for about 4 weeks. The other options on my list were a few X3 3.0si's and an X5 4.6is. I also considered getting an E39 M5 but after much soul searching, I decided that it wouldn't quite meet my needs, especially of the GA goal.

My other whip is an E36 M3 convertible, and is decidedly NOT a GA type car (you can see now why I needed something else...) So between the two I have a fun weekend/summer/autocross car and a people/stuff/car (with trailer...!) hauler. So far I am happy, though the X5 has not been without its quirks.

I am active on a few other forums, mostly bimmerfest. I am the Secretary of the GGC BMW CCA, and a BMW loyal. I catch myself calling the X5 a truck, much to the dismay of my west coast friends. (I could have sworn we called them trucks on the east coast...)

I love my X5. It's a great vehicle. I still notice small luxurious things that make me smile, like the auto dimming mirrors (even the side views!) and the self leveling suspension, which on Access mode help me through some of the tighter parking garages.

So far, I've fixed a couple of things that bugged me and swapped out a few other things that I wanted to just be different. I re-initialized the panoramic sunroof, thanks to this forum. I swapped out my stock Xenons for some 8000Ks (too blue, really, need to bring it down to 6000 or 7000). I replaced the yellow halogen lamp Angel Eyes with some MTEC v2.1s. I replaced a defective window regulator in the Front Passenger side door, and a few months later, reattached those darn window bolt things. Ordered some replacements, too, on the advice of a thread here. Just last week I performed an oil change (again, thanks to the guides from you folks here).

I dread the day I have to order tires. Those 315s in the back look expensive. I try not to drag race too much, and the best mileage I seem to get (per tank normalized) on normal commutes is 18mpg. I've gotten 26 on long trips (SoCal), and the absolute worst was 14mpg when I was learning that the car can actually take turns like a BMW, but has the HP/Torque to smoke people off the line.

Anyway, I hope to be a semi-regular contributor, and ever always learning. Thanks for reading my crazy long intro.

P.S. The chrome style 87s are great, and look great, but they're not my style. Does anyone want to trade for matte black ones? Should I buy used alloy 87s and have them powder coated, then try and sell the chromes?