What you really need is my '06 X3 MSport, 107K and me yours!!.. :p:

your wife is definitely doing the 4.6 a disservice driving 6 miles a day. Hardly ever gets warmed up.

Sell it on here if its in good shape with a premier membership.

I dont see the disservice - 6 miles is pretty good especially if its freeway miles. The only bad part is the possible build up of water in the exhaust system which can be easily remedied if driven longer on the weekends. Another option is to get a winter beater. Far cheaper than getting a new car payment...


And while were on the subject of significant others and Xs - wife wants to sell the 4.4 because she wants another SUV. I told her that the SUV she wants handles like a ford (body on chassis) and that she can never do sprints on the roundabouts like she does now. Thats keeping her quiet...

Six miles per day will get the water out of the exhaust, but it won't get it out of the crankcase.

I don't think the question was whether to sell the X5 or not, though. It was only whether the OP should rebuild it first before selling it.

Agree with JCL...
Imo, a 6 mile each way commute will be tough on any internal combustion car engine...
Perfect fit for a plug in, a scooter, (not so much in that clime), but no gas/diesel powered car is going to 'like' that short trip.

MPG? Certainly not the reason to dump that car, or any gas car; any theoretical mpg cost savings will take hundreds of years to return, even on paper.
GL, mD

Good plan, could offer one price without the parts you have and another with them and see if is enough to get it done all at once. I agree, I would strip off anything that has been added before trading it in, they won't up the price, may reduce it.

I doubt the water is even getting evaporated, or even condensed enough to build up. It's maybe 10minutes at most of driving on residential streets, never highway. Same reason the battery needs to be charged twice a month during winter. I think a pure electric or Plug in Hybrid would be the ideal car.

I discovered a torn CV boot that I'll replace before selling and its due for an oil change, but I'll leave it at those.

No, gas mileage isn't a good reason to replace an existing vehicle, because yes, the ROI is ridiculously long. I did a cost comparison of the 4.6 vs. a Highlander Hybrid (the two vehicles we were considering) and even with a 10mpg difference, it would have taken 4-5 years before we would start saving money by owning the Highlander, like $40-50/month. But, its not my car, so if she feels bad because of the gas mileage so be it. And I feel bad for the car never getting warmed up. At the time we bought it, she was driving about 40 miles/day but soon changed jobs to the closer location...

I'm trying really hard to figure out how we can afford a Tesla Model S...

It's a 6 mile total commute per day so that will equate to 3 miles one way. Hardly enough time to get the engine warm especially on these teens (f) days that most of the lower 48 were experiencing the past week.

My cousin has a Tesla S. They sold the Volvo and later traded their Mercedes 350e for a Nissan Leaf once they had the charging system installed in their garage. Only dino car he has left is the PORSCHE 996.

3 miles one way, why not ride a bicycle/quadcycle or buy a small scooter? If you want to talk about being environmentally friendly and light on the wallet that's the way to go. Is the 4.6 your main vehicle to use on the weekends for errands and other long trips? If it is, that makes even more sense.

If I lived 3 miles from work I'd never drive lol.

I've tried to work that angle. Scooter, etc won't work with 3 kids to shuttle. And even better, it's 1.5 miles if she only takes the kids to one school, occasionally it is 3 miles if she has to drop one kid off at a different school. They'll walk or ride bikes on nice days, which only accounts for 4 months of the year around here.
We drive my Mini most places, unless we are making a Costco run, or driving further than 200 miles. The Mini is not a fun long distance cruiser like the 4.6.
I just discovered that the Leaf has heated rear seats!! I was thinking the kids would protest any vehicle that didn't have those. That whole 100 mile range thing kinda sucks though. The BMW i3 needs to hurry up and get released already...