The Elusive Manual E53
 

Hey guys,

I am new here and come from the E30 world. I have been on the hunt for a manual X5 for a few weeks now, checking craigslist/autotrader/autotempst from California to the Mississippi, as well as putting out WTB threads on all the BMW forums I can think of. Unfortunately I have come up with squat.

I did find the perfect one in California. It was an 02 3.0 5spd. Only option was the sport package, had 80k miles, service records, clean title, and was just under 10k. I was ready to fly down there with his full asking price asap but he changed his mind about selling. That was pretty disappointing and I haven't found one like it since.

My only requirements really are that it has less than 100k miles, clean title, and be asking roughly around 10k. I'd like the sport package but that stuff is easy enough to add on later. I'd prefer to not have the SLS, nav, or panoramic sunroof (did the 3.0 even have those as options?). I'd also prefer the pre-face lift as it is more in my budget than the face lifts. And no gold, but any other color is okay.

So what do you guys think? Am I chasing a wild goose? I know 100k is pushing it for an 11-14 year old car. Other than that I think I am rather reasonable. There just doesn't seem to be much out there manual wise. Should I just suck it up and get an auto?


And since threads are worthless without pics, here is my E30 and the reason I am on the hunt for a X5.

(89 325is)
http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps11cd0d97.jpg

Archer, Rottweiler and Border Collie Mix. This was roughly 10lbs ago
http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psmbrlji4a.jpg

Needless to say, the E30 is getting pretty cramped pretty quickly.

This might help Xoutpost.com - Xoutpost.com x5tips.htm

First of all, I love Archer! So handsome!

There is a manual transmission registry thread I started in late 2011 in case you do get to join "the club", but as you've found, finding the "right one" will take time, in my case it took me 6 months and I was lucky to find it within an hour.

My wish list at the time was no Silver, under 80-90k miles, Sport Package, and under 17k. I would have preffered a facelift so I could have the 6th cog on the freeway, and the updated front end, but it wasn't required.

I ended up with an '03 Topaz, 59k miles with Sport Package and EHCII, for just over 15k. Little more than I wanted to pay at the time but as you'll find, these aren't the type of X's that you can just "go find another one", so the pricing is in the hands of the seller for the most part.

You most likely will not find one locally (unless you are extremely lucky like me) so plan on a 1 way plane ticket, an out of state PPI done, or a decent road trip with Archer and your significant other to find the right one.

Keep your search nationwide, cars.com/autotrader, search the key word "manual" and be aware that you actually have to physically see the stick in the pictures, most of these idiots putting listings up put it in the description that it is a Manual but it is not correct.

If you're lucky you may have 5-10 choices at any given time on those websites, could be less. But us manual X5 guys tend to have spent a while to find ours, and most of us tend to keep them, so that's why its not as easy to find.


Good luck, as a manual owner I'm here to help

There was a manual one forsale here recently from a used car dealer. He dropped the price because most soccer moms didn't want a manual X.

Too funny. That's what happens when you glance at a thread and become no help to someone. Sorry......:rofl:

Go to autotrader dot com and do the advance search for "Manual".
There are some for sales now in the US, but as Ricky Bobby said, you have to see the stick in the photo!

2001-2003: search for transfer case issues
2004-2006: X-drive system

Make sure you know how to wrench lol...

Also, as mentioned, most car salesmen (non-BMW) don't even know the difference between Auto (Shiftable) vs true Manual and therefore list Auto (Shiftable) as "Manual" lol...

2004-2006 models have 6-speed MT, go for it. The 5-sp MT (2001-2003) engine rpm is noisy at highway speed!

Joshdub, I second Ricky Bobby's advice. I looked for a couple of months last year, and paid for a remote PPI on one in Colorado, before mine popped up in Cincinnati. You will likely have to travel and, at this stage, up your maximum mileage and/or price point. Aside from the big internet sites [kbb, cars, etc.], I suggest checking the craigslists in a few big fair weather cities, including SoCal, and be prepared to travel/inspect on short notice. On the internet sites: it is amazing how ofter autos are described as 'manual'. You really do have to look at interior pictures to eliminate all those PRNDLs out there!

Example; higher mileage than you want, but a possibility, with a thorough ppi:
2002 BMW X5 STICK!.

And a second, also perhaps worth a look -
2003 BMW X5 3.0

I purchased my MT x5 last November. I got pretty lucky to find almost exactly what I wanted for the price I wanted in less than a month and 12 hours away. As mentioned you need to look for the shifter in the pictures because more often than not they are mis-identified. It is very true that many owners have no idea of what they have. People like us research a vehicle, know everything about it and then go look for it. I have realized that there are some people that just go to a dealer and buy something they like. What I am saying is that there are more out there than we think but those ones are hard to find.

I can say that if you have come this far than it is worth the wait. These are extremely unique and fun vehicles to own. Since I have owned mine (close to a year and way more miles than I care to admit) she has been very reliable. BMW's are meant to have inline 6's and manual transmissions and I think that makes our x5's a totally different animal than those with an AT and v8. . . In a good way. It just is and does everything you want. I really enjoy peoples surprise when they find out it is a manual.

Roger that, MCurcio. I have yet to pick up my X5 from a restaurant valet [common in parts of ATL w/limited parking] that the driver didn't come back with a big smile on his face and a comment about the stick shift. If the OP or others lurking here are seriously interested in either of the two I id'd on the ATL craigslist, check on their availability and I can perhaps take a look or point you to a good shop for a thorough PPI ......

That is a great resource that I hadn't found yet. Thanks!

Thanks! he is a total blast and is growing into a pretty well mannered dog (6 months now).

That is really cool that you setup that registry. I did find it before and was trying to get a rough estimate on how many enthusiast owners had a stick, the total tally left me a bit worried about the availability of one of these with a 3rd pedal.

I am used to the hunt, and mine ended roughly the same way for the E30. It took me ~3 years to find the right one after looking all over the country, and it ended up being in Portland (2 hours away) and had it held after 30 minutes of the ad being posted.

It sounds like (and looks like) you got a nice one. What is funny is most of the ones I have seen so far are silver, with only one being white, and one being black. Luckily for me I do not mind a silver one. And you are right about not being able to walk away over the price. Comps are almost non existent for negotiation, and it isn't like I can just turn around and pick a different one.

I am keeping my search most of the nation wide. I haven't looked too much on the east coast yet as that adds a considerable amount of time and cost to the whole deal and I have never purchased something like this from so far away. Shoot, I haven't been anywhere on that side of the country other than Florida. But PPI's are a must for me, and I see a 1way plane ticket in my future.

And by far the most annoying thing of this entire process is seeing the "manual" box ticked on ads that are autos. Having to find a good center console picture is a real time suck when you are looking through so many X5 ads. At least I am able to eliminate anything other than a 3.0.

Was that in the SAV for sale section? I am still not sure whether to expect them to sit due to the typical SUV driver not expecting/wanting a manual or for them to go fast due to rarity.

It is beyond annoying having to look through the pictures to find the truth. Not to mention you can't help but get a little excited when you see an ad with "manual", only to be let down when it's an auto.

Thanks for the info on the problems. I knew the AWDs were different, I was not aware that the pre face lift had Tcase problems. And luckily I do know my way around a wrench, and I'd much prefer the simplicity of the manual and M54 over the auto and V8. I'd also love to have that 6th gear, but I think it'll push the car out of my budget. But I do not know for sure as I have yet to see one for sale.

I will absolutely get a PPI, especially if I am driving it home over any distance. You are right on probably having to up my price/milage. It is just something I would like to stick roughly around. Luckily I don't need this, I just want it. So I don't want to spend much more than I am totally comfortable with. And time is on my side so hopefully I can find something around what I am looking for.

I am lucky in that I am usually able to travel with little notice. That should help with swooping the right one. Thanks for the Cars suggestion, I haven't used them yet.

Also thank you for the links and the offer of potentially checking out those two. I may end up having to take you up on that. The silver one looks very clean, but it would be higher up in my budget after factoring in air fare, lodging, and the whole trip home. It is also higher in miles than I would like for the price, but it isn't too bad. The white one looks a little rougher, but good photos and a nice detail can go a long way. The miles are high, but not significantly more than the silver one and for the price it is a lot easier to work with. Ill look further into those two for sure, thanks.

It does sound like you got lucky with yours. And I think you are right about it being worth the wait. I haven't had the pleasure of driving one with a stick, but I can't see myself really being that engaged with the auto. I do love the BMW stick/6cyl combo. Thats why I drive an E30. I love the noise BMWs I6's make. I feel much more connected with the car when it has 3 pedals. Not to mention I have never really had good luck with higher milage autos.

kbb shows an 06, manual, blue/truffle brown sportseats at a Toyo dealer in Mamaroneck, NY for $10k, might be worth a look - telephone 855-572-7902

I just looked it up on the dealer website.

CONFIRMED 6-speed, Toledo Blue, SPORT package, 127k miles.

You better jump on it for 10k and get out to the East Coast!

Agree with you, RB. Maybe the OP can convince you to drive across the Tappan Zee and check it out! I think a late-summer cross country drive from NY to Seattle if it checks out would be nice - stop in Cleveland for baseball, maybe Chicago, hike in the Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, Little Big Horn, Missoula ..... I could dig it!

The pano sunroof won't be an issue if you find a pre-face lift X5...they didn't arrive until a few months into the face lift models.

The SLS may be hard to find especially with the optional sport pkg...most 3.0 X5s with the sport pkg probably came with either the EHC I (rear axle SLS) or EHC II (dual axle SLS).

Here's some more information to put under your hat (in case you weren't aware of the various changes from 2000-2006):

:wow:

And I was excited when I found this last night

Cars for Sale: 2002 BMW X5 3.0i in Mooresville, NC 28117: Sport Utility Details - 375209196 - AutoTrader.com



That Teldo blue one is awesome. Thank you guys. I am talking with the significant other right now.

Are the panoramic sunroofs thats hard to deal with? I have read that they leak and when they do the entire assembly has to be replaced. I will do some more digging.

Also, there is one accident on that carfax right after it was purchased in 06, so I'd like to try to figure out what that was, but it may even be too small to find.

Is there anything to really look for when buying a car from that area? I know there is rust on the east coast, but how bad are these impacted?

I have never dealt with a dealer before when buying something not CPOed, do you guys think it'll be possible to have a local shop do a PPI is is it SOP for dealers to tell you to jog on?

Now I am just too excited :excited:

You can certainly have it PPI'd elsewhere, I have when looking at dealer cars, and you should, and get the details on the reported accident. NE cars do face salt issues - RB can explain to you how that effected his install of a UUC short shift kit. These puppies are rare, worth a closer look when you see one like this. My pano has had no problems, but search here for the usual problems and fixes. The pano is very nice to have on a sunny day [when its not too hot].

The Mooresville [Charlotte] one looks nice, too. Locating these suggests that relatively low mileage ones are out there, if you look hard enough. I expect one of our NY/NJ area members can help you identify a shop for a PPI, same in Charlotte. From my own experience [2 E53s, one for me, one for the stepson in law] buying long distance last year, you can find a good local indy bimmer shop to give it a thorough inspection for a reasonable price [$125-200?] and report back before you make a flight/offer. Just educate yourself to ask the right questions: CV boots, leaky steering column, oil leaks, doors/regulators, suspension/control arms, pano roof, etc.

The "official" pano sunroof leaking issue was only up to the 11/2005 build date (see "inadequate draining" in common malady info below).

As far as the PPI...make it known upfront that this is something that you will require to have performed. If the seller is a BMW dealership...then you'll probably be stuck with having them do the PPI. If it's a used car dealership...then still let them know...and YOU'LL need to set-up the PPI with the local BMW dealership or local INDY...and iron out the details & make sure that YOU get the final results (which is why you should make it known that you'll be paying for this service). If they pay for the PPI, then all the information actually belongs to them.

The 2004-2006 has "better" transfer case.

Xdrive transfer case may be better per se as in its more advanced, but the NV125 transfer case is not unreliable by any means. Driveshaft problems are well documented here on the NV125 for higher mileage vehicles.

ATC500 has actuator gear issues and needs the "BMW magic fluid", it has its own set of problems trust me, I don't think one is better than the other when it comes to reliability.

I agree each system has its own problems.

However, the xDrive issues are easy fix:
- The BMW fluid is expensive $38/qt for the GL4 fluid! But I only do this once every 50K, so not that bad.
- The plastic gear is easy fix.

The NV125 repair is more involved, mechanically speaking.

That Moresville, NC car is not sport: those are 17s on the car.
"Sport" was a few cosmetic items, but also included different suspension.

Our '01 3.0 5 spd Sport is getting softer at 13+ years and ~96k miles; I would think that NC car is as soft as an old minivan by now, but yes suspension is replaceable, and dumping those 17s is easy, or save them for winter tires.

If our X was for sale, it would fill nearly all of your req's...however I still like ours and am keeping it another few years I suspect.
G
L on your search. The very rare 6 spd is even more of a goal, imo.
BR, mD

That is good to hear about the PPI. I am looking for a reputable shop close to there. Ill try to find some posts by Ricky Bobby about his SSK install. I have to worked on my buddies A4 which he picked up from the rust belt and it wasn't too bad. Mostly just the suspension bits and exhaust were rusty. That is also good to hear about your pano.


Oh that is good. I missed that part when I read through that the first time.

I will for sure make the PPI desire known. It is a dealer but not BMW, maybe they will be helpful. Looking at their reviews online leaves a bit to be desired in rating but I have never known a dealer to get very good reviews.

So the ATC500 is the tcase for the newer ones? I am not too scared about getting in there and fixing things. I read through the tcase chain thread and while like CN90 was saying, it is mechanically involved, it looks very straight forward and not something I could not handle.

You are absolutely correct. That white one looks to be pretty much the base of bases, but I liked the price and the miles. Now though after seeing the other one for the same price, but more miles, this white one seems kind of meh. And I bet it is very squishy to drive around. Suspension is usually one of the things I go through when getting a new car so that doesn't worry me too much. But that one just doesn't get me going like the Toledo ones does. Thanks for the luck.


So now I am on the hunt for a good local indy shop for a PPI, and figuring out the logistics of getting over there and back. Unfortunately (or fortunately from a behavior stand point) Archer (my pup) is going under the knife tomorrow to get his manhood removed. So that ads some difficulty schedule wise.

The one thing that does worry me is that it is a fair amount under book price. I am hoping that it is just having a hard time selling a manual one.

motordavid, those do look like 18" wheels on the 2006 blue with truffelbroun sportsitze, as mine has. Agreed, the Mooresville [Charlotte] white five speed rides on 17s.

I'm not as excited as the OP, but it is kinda fun to find these hidden treasures! We can always use more members in the three-pedal E53 mafia ...

Hey man mamoraneck is about an hour from me why not just have me do the ppi? I can scan the car and see if it's throwing codes and go over it with a fine toothed comb for you if needed.

I appreciate you fixing Archer as my wife and I are dog people ourselves, I don't know if you called the dealer yet but they might want a hold on the car until I can get up there if you're serious about it

It's probably at 10k bc it's at a Toyota dealer, and has 127k miles.

Sport package equipped facelift 6 speeds are rare as Riggo can attest to, I am noting in the pictures I've looked at is that the passenger front inner door panel has a bit of loose leather (fixable, just need to tuck it and hot glue from inside), seats look in good shape and all pixels are intact on cluster.

Probably all highway miles, have you ran a VIN check yet?

Well, I can share with you fellas how I stumbled on my X5. I had my heart set on a manual transmission 2011 328i xdrive wagon. I wanted under 50k miles, leather, xenon, just a mint vehicle. Well, they came up for sale from time to time, but sold quickly for $30-35,000. So, I have a baby and 3 pugs and knew it wasn't even really big enough, then Istarted looking at manual transmission X3's mainly 2010's. But even then they didn't do anything for me, and were still a bit smallish.

I looked almost every day on bmwusa.com certified pre owned nationwide, carsdirect.com, autotrader.com, and cars.com. I must have been looking for at least 6 months. You can search say category wagon or suv, manual transmission and make bmw. So one day I was searching bmwusa, under suv and manual checked, nationwide search and low and behold there was my little beauty, I couldn't believe it:

2003
X5
Born 9/25/2003
Entered service 1/08/2004
titanium silver
grey leather
loaded with premium package, rear climate package, and cold weather pkg
totally mint not even a scratch, unreal lack of wear on exterior or interior
45,000 miles
5 speed manual transmission
no accidents
1 owner
bought at the same dealer where it was being sold at
serviced every year at same dealer, brake fluid flushes, fuel injection serviced, power steering flushes, just every preventative service done according to factory schedule all at the dealership
even brand new Michelin tires

So, btw it had only been for sale 1 lousy day. I just looked at it on the computer and I was like OK, I have to buy this. Tried calling my wife at work, she wouldn't answer her phone for 3 hours. Finally she answers and says OK, you should buy it. Then I decide OK, let's get a pre purchase inspection done, so arrange that. Then call the dealership to say I want to get a ppi done. Guess what, the salesman tells me it's already sold but will take my name and number. So I call back wife, pissed, and tell her it's her fault and next time answer the f@#king phone when I call you. Not very nice. Baby crying. I stay at home all day wondering if maybe, just maybe, he'll call back. And he does. The salesman tells me the guys credit application fell through and that I was his next in line guy, but that as we were speaking, other salesmen were on the phone with people about this very car. I believe him. I believe him since I had a different car ( 2011 rwd, manual wagon with 48,000 miles, 1 owner for $22,000) also fall though my sweaty fingers so this time I was itching to buy it. OK, I said fine I'll buy it but contingent on passing ppi. The man said OK, b/c it would pass the ppi. So I bought it. Just got it street legal a week ago. LOVE this car or truck or sav. I love driving it and love the manual transmission and the silky smooth motor and the lovely ride and the hulking svelte look of it. The guy at the inspection station said he'd never seen a manual x5 before, my doormen said it was clean, clean, clean, just one question: how much did I pay for it. $13,000 was my answer, but really I paid $12,851. Plus $1,100 to ship it from Newport Beach, California.

Panning for gold my friends, look hard, look often, check the bmwusa.com site b/c you never know. Check the other sites too. Don't settle you'll find your dream ride, then you'll be happy as a clam.

:thumbup:

Great story man and one to remember for sure! I was lucky enough to find mine private sale with 59k miles (74k now) and let me tell you these trucks age well, first off people all the time think I make a lot of money bc it's a BMW.

They go "I didn't know those came in stick" (no one does), say how clean and nice it is, and the kicker? When I tell them it's almost 11 years old!

Find me a Hyundai, Toyota Lexus Nissan etc at 11 years old that looks as good as these trucks I dare you.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/30/e4y2y3ym.jpg

Terrible garage shot but amazing what tail lights and exhaust tips along with sport suspension and wheels can do to the rear of these cars.

I am sending you a PM soon.

By the way, the X5 is looking pretty nice! I really like that color and those wheels. That blue was on our want list.

That is crazy. I know that exact feeling too when you call and just missed it. Luckily it worked out for you in the end. It sounds like you bought it sight un seen. That is pretty ballsy! Congrats on the new truck. I don't want to settle. This current one looks pretty damn good.

Mine was similar, but not as interesting, as NY X5 guy's story. Mine was posted on a Cincy BMW 'M' specialty shop website; I called the same or next day and they already had a local buyer, who fell through on sale of his existing vehicle, or credit, or something. When they called back I said I'd take it 'so long as it checked out' and put a deposit on credit card. Flew to Cincy the next Friday, they picked me up at the airport, and I was driving south in time to make the horse races at Keeneland, happy as a clam. Sometimes you gotta strike when the iron is hot ...

If the X5 has spent it's life in NC., there is nothing that would cause exception wear and tear and rust won't be any issue either.

I think the OP is focused on the 2006 6 spd for sale in NY, not the Mooresville (Charlotte) white 5 spd. Of course, the vehicle registration history might tell you where the NY version 'lived.' Mine, for example, was originally in FL before moving at age 2.5 [26k miles on the odometer] to the Cincinnati area ......

For what its worth the 6 speed Toledo in NY is a 1 owner car, awesome advantage if you ask me.

I PM'ed him earlier today and wanted to go check it out and just reimbursed for time gas and tolls, I did however recommend he call the dealer and ask how much the local BMW dealership in White Plains or Rye would charge for a PPI, as I've heard of rates ranging from as little as $100-120, if that is the case it would be more advantageous to have a dealer do it, with myself being 80 miles/ 1.5 hours away.

I still am willing to check it out for the OP if he wants though, I think it looks to be a great buy for the price, especially knowing its a 1 owner car.

RB, you are a generous man whose conduct is a credit to the 3 pedal E53 Mafia. The OP would be wise to take you up on your offer. I expect you can eyeball an E53 with the best of them and, if you have the electronics to read code history, can do a mighty fine PPI. I'd scrounge the glove box and pockets for service records, too .......

Yeah RB is awesome and super generous.

Unfortunately some else has deposit on that X5. So I have to keep looking and maybe that sale will fall through.

I am really disappointed as that one looked pretty sweet.

But on the plus side the vet called and Archer made it through surgery perfectly and I get to pick him up in a few hours.

Daytona Beach FL

2006, BSM, 6-speed manual, 111k miles

2006 BMW X5 3.0i, $8,950 - Cars.com

Thanks. That one is nice. Although I would prefer it to have the sport seats over nav, but it's not a deal breaker. I do like the price and there shouldn't be much rust in Florida.

I did just find this one

2003 BMW X5 3.0i Sport | Sacramento, CA | Lions Auto Sales

It is modified and looks to be at a rinkadink dealer. But it is a hell of a lot closer. And I would have to paint the wheels silver and change out the tail lights. The black interior looks nice and the sport seats (what I am really starting to lean towards look nice. Any thoughts? Typically I try to buy stock cars, but wheels and taillights aren't a big deal.

Rear bumper is dinged up pretty bad on that, the tails are horrible and the wheels I'm not sure of make on them but they look to be some kind of reps.

Honestly the Black one in FL looks cleaner, like it wasn't parked in city streets all its life, has the 6th gear which is clutch, and listed for a grand cheaper.

Also flying to Daytona Beach isn't the hardest thing to do, one way to Orlando and 30 mins drive.

Just my opinion, I love my pre-facelift, but if I could do it over again I would get a facelift 6-speed, newer T-case, extra highway gear, and the LCI front end do amount to a lot in my opinion.

For 1k less than the '03 you just posted, that FL black 6-speed you could buy a set of sport seats for if you are really wanting them. For what its worth and what really grinds my gears is that I have sport package but don't have sport seats, sucks!

I can't imagine have black leather seats in Fla, hard to judge that all black interior, but it is presented well. If I lived in WA, I could live with black dakota leather interior. Worth a further look at that mileage and appearance .....

So among the obvious, that one in CA has reported frame/unibody damage on the Autocheck I ran. I am going to go ahead and pass on that.

That black one in Florida does present well. That is just a long journey. Literally one corner to the other. I am going to look into it a bit more. RB you are certainly right on about buying the sport seats separate. It might be tough though to find them in similar condition to those stock ones. But that is a different deal for a different day.

On a side note, I am not entirely sure which body style I prefer. I do like the rounder head light look of the pre facelift, but for whatever reason the face lift version looks wider. Maybe its the grills. But the 6th gear would be nice for the highway as I go to the mountains a lot for snowboarding.

The FL car is non-sport, but I'm sure all you model maven spotters noticed that, too. ;)

Black seats in FL ain't the end of the world, imo; all of our cars have black seats and 2 of the 3 cars spend ~5 months in FL, albeit in 'winter'. There may be more wear on that car's seats if the owner parked it outside frequently, and from its age.

An FL car does not necessarily mean it lived in a pristine situ: huge sun/radiation exposure, heavy morning dews from Nov to April, salt air is ubiquitous along any coast, and a few idiots drive theirs on the beach, catching salt water spray/waves, fwiw...Daytona has that kind of beach.

Looking for a 5 or 6 spd is like looking for that poifect but rare situ: when one ain't looking, they are around. When on the hunt, it is slim pickings. :(

GL, mD

You are absolutely correct. I have spent enough time down around that area to see how the saltyness can destroy things. Thanks for the heads up about driving on the beach. Ill have to get someone to look it over the paint closely if I decide to go for it.

Josh I just found you a 6-speed facelift in Utah with 90k miles

Cars for Sale: 2005 BMW X5 3.0i in Salt Lake City, UT 84107: Sport Utility Details - 374824903 - AutoTrader.com

Sterling Gray 6-speed LCI in Pompton Lakes NJ with 84k miles (30 mins from my house!)

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...78146191&Log=0

The Sterling Gray car has a terrible set of sunshades and tail lamps, but it does have the hugely desirable Piano Black trim!

RB I sent you a PM.

I have found this one. It has sport seats but the bolsters look a bit worn. Maybe they are not yet too far gone, better detailed pictures are needed. And is it just me or does the carpet look rather stained by the rear doors? Vacuuming the carpet like that does wonders when trying to hide worn/stained carpet. I am not a big fan of the interior/trim color combo but for the right price things can be swapped out.

2003 Used BMW X5 3.0i at Premier Auto Haus Serving Downers Grove, IL, IID 12399675


Edit:
I think I was being a little negative about that one. I do like how clean the exterior looks. There are a couple blemishes but doesn't look like too many. Looks like it had PDC which is cool, although I do know how to park, having it in something much bigger than I am used to would probably be nice. I like that it does have the sport package, so black headliner and sport seats. I think I would swap out most of the interior with black stuff, but leave the grey seats and grey door card inserts. Kind of like how that Toledo Blue's Toffee interior was. Might look good, might not, I am just thinking out loud. I am just waiting on an auto check now.

Gotta love the ads: even that AutoHaus car joint calls that 2003 a "6 speed".
I guess it is technically a '6 speed', if one counts reverse as a 'speed'. :D

All the '03s were 5 speeds, IIRC. The pic of the gear shift is also 5 speed.

Nice color and looks nearly identical to our '01, and probably is 'sport' with those style 69 18" wheels.
GL, mD

Isn't it annoying? I have seen many of the LCI's with "wonder full 5-speed transmission" in the add that are clearly 6-speeds. How hard is it to get the facts straight when making an ad for the car? I know they burn through any cars but come on.

Yeah It does have the sport wheels, sport seats, and black headliner (which I think was part of the sport package), but no sport steering wheel. I don't understand the sport package on these cars, unless owners swap out parts a lot. I have seen many combinations of mixed and match sport and non sport stuff on "sport packaged" cars. Like RB was saying, his sport package doesn't have sport seats, which I would imagine would be one of the most important parts of the sport package.

Correct me if I'm wrong regarding sport seats...

2000-2003 optional feature 3.0i with sport package
2000-2001 optional feature 4.4i with sport package
2002-2003 4.4i standard with sport package
2004-2006 standard with sport package

Black-chrome trims, sport wheels, black headliner and black A,B,C pillars, and sport steering wheel are standard in sport package for all years...

RB, you the man finding E53 stick shifts. Personally, I like the Sterling Grey color. As we know from the frequent rear light issues, many of these now 8-14 y/o cars have replacement backlights, and, as RB has noted, you can get a nice set of replacement LEDs for them for maybe $250 or so plus capacitors, an easy DIY. Joshdub, RB will have you driving in style before you know it!

Well that makes sense. Thanks for the info. It could also be people mislabeling packages too I suppose since they can't even get the transmission right.

RB is on fire. I just wish I had more to spend as he has found some really nice ones that are just out of reach. You are right about the tails, and they would be on my list of things to upgrade anyway.

I just got off the phone with that dealer in Chicago. The auto check looked good and they still have the car on the lot. The salesman I spoke to was nice enough and seemed eager to help me out even though I am out of state. as well as up for having a PPI done. Muy possible. I don't want to get too excited as I still have some questions before we go forward with a PPI, but so far I think this one looks pretty good. Any objections?

Hey man I just checked that silver one in Chicago, it looks good for the price!

As far as the carpet, it could be stained but $150 in new mats will take care of that. The wood trim can be painted or swapped as well, and like you said, nice sport seats in there and 18" style 69!

Not bad on the miles as well, if it's in your range I'd get the wheels turning....

I'm studying the pictures that we have closely. It's looking good. There is nothing to do now but wait until everyone opens again tomorrow. He said I can put a deposit and they will hold the car. I forgot to ask if it was refundable. I am also looking for someone local to swing by and check it out or a good euro shop.

Edit: Looks like there is a BMW dealership on the same road. Hopefully their service department will be more helpful than the other one.

If you're looking for black interior, you should just buy one with black interior. You'll end up spending more money trying to swap interior. Don't buy because it is the best price you found, buy because it is exactly what you want (options, color combo, condition, etc)...

Looks like this dealer is located just 15 minutes from my work. I can stop by and take a look.

In looking at the pictures more closely, I noticed the following about the gray one:

-Drivers sport seat bolster is yellowed and faded/shot, passenger seat looks ok
-Typical yellowing/stains on the gray carpet floor (ALL gray carpet takes on this type of coloring, no matter how well you clean it, again $100 worth of fresh floor mats will hide most of it)
-Peeling trim on lower steering wheel
-The picture of the Style 69 wheel shows something near the inner barrel, almost like the paint is rippling or peeling?


That is just from my watchful eye on these pictures that I can barely expand upon, but like you said, its in your budget, so its worth a shot. What is the carfax history like on this one?

Don't forget to use cargurus dot com.

If you narrow down to 2004-2006 6sp MT, there are quite a few for sales with 80K-120K range with asking price $10K-$14K.

You may have to increase your budget a bit to get a better car.

I agree with this statement, I'm finding the sweet spot price range for a premium example MT E53 is about 11-13k

Normally I would. But at this point I am not going to be so picky. I have torn apart enough interiors to know that I'd rather get one that ticks most of the boxes but with a less desirable interior color and spend an afternoon swapping stuff out than getting one with stuff thats not so easy to change like worse condition paint or just more general wear.

If you could check it out that would be awesome. Ill PM you.

That is what I was noticing as well. The pictures are pretty crappy but I am guessing it is really worn in that spot. It kind of looks like the passenger side is starting as well. As far as trim peeling, I have noticed it on a few others and I am assuming that is pretty common. It does look like the paint is peeling and from what I have seen in the past it looks pretty similar to peeling from corrosion. With the carpet, that is what I was thinking too. With any luck maybe removing it and doing a deep clean will help. I have had good luck with that in the past.

It is worth checking into for sure. The autocheck I ran came back clean, but carfax has says it has more results so I will run one of those as well.

I am always a dollar short and a day late. I would be able to spend more on a car that is closer. I was telling RB earlier that with the added costs of flying out there, lodging, and getting home, I didn't want to stretch the budget that thin considering I will still probably need to do maintenance items and who knows what could happen with the unknown car on the way home.

Thanks for the cargurus, I hadn't used that one yet. Do you need to sign up to search more than 100 miles? It is not letting me do so.

Josh, I stopped by during lunch and checked it out. I've sent you info to your gmail account.

Thats what this place is about, awesome work Jungerishere!

Glad to help out fellow enthusiast. :beerchug:

After talking with Jungerishere we have decided to pass on that X5. It turned out to be in rougher shape than the photos led on. I am really thankful Jungerishere took the time to check it out.

I was suspecting he may have found that out. Keep the hunt alive man,

Don't forget aol.com (basically linked to cars.com):

BMW X5 for Sale

Currently, there is a 2005 X5 MT with 90K in Salt Lake City, which is somewhat closer to your home town of Seattle:
2005 BMW X5 3.0i, $12,995 - Cars.com

They list this as 5-speed, but I believe all 2004-2006 MT have 6-speed.
Call them to be sure it is 6-speed.

Seems like a good car with 2 owners. You can always fly down to Salt Lake City and drive it back to Seattle.

BTW: I have a 2006 X5 6sp, black on black. And don't worry, I am writing some DIYs, so you can keep the beast going lol...

Nice find cn90! It's def a 6sp (all facelifts are), looks clean!

Thanks for the AOL tip. I just found one on there that was only 30 minutes away and "newly listed". Called the dealer and it was already sold.

That one in Utah is nice, but it is a little out of my budget once you factor in all the other expenses unfortunately.

The car in Salt Lake City...

Kelley Blue Book lists it (2005 X5 with 6sp MT and 90K) for $11,500.
You may want to borrow someone some money as this is very difficult to find.

Would you rather spend less on a car and more money bringing it up to standard or a little more on a better maintained and looking example is the question? The Mormon state find is a good one IMO

Beehive State car is nice...it isn't Sport, however.
Not that the OP is vectored on Sport only, fwiw.

When one isn't searching for something, it pops up underfoot in my experience on the planet, lol!
GL, mD

That is a tough question. As long as there is nothing wrong with it, I would probably rather spend less and do some work, providing it isn't body work and the car still drives fine. So maybe maintenance things like brakes, tires, suspension, lighting, ect.

Ideally, I would like a pre facelift in either grey, silver, white, or blue, possibly green, with black being my last choice and no gold. Interior color, I'd prefer black, but really anything other than tan. I'd like the sport package, and would pay more for one with it but I can always add the bits later. Heated seats are preferred but not required. I am not going to be picky about the trim, it just clips in and can be changed later. Nav, the upgraded climate control, and the pano sunroof are things I don't care about. Don't get me wrong, they are nice to have but they aren't a selling point to me. Also the 6th gear would be nice, but I am fine with the 5 speed. My E30 has short gearing and it doesn't bother me.

The black one in Utah does look nice. But like I said before the price just isn't there for me. Please don't get me wrong, it is a very nice looking sav, it just doesn't do it for me for the price.

Let me explain why I feel that way. For the sake of argument lets say I walk out with keys in hand for their asking price of 13k. It is going to cost just over 2k to get it inspected, to get there, to stay one night, gas to drive home (one day, 13hr drive), tax, an register it. The bulk of that being tax (nearly 10% for Seattle). So far I am into it for 15k and some change. I'm hoping nothing happens on the drive home through the middle of nowhere. Breaking down out there would not be cheap nor fun. And I still haven't put anything into for any deferred or preventative maintenance. So I am not very comfortable with it from that aspect. And while it does look to be in very nice shape, it has under 100k miles, It has a black interior, and it is actually a manual X5, there are things I am not too thrilled about. For example I am not a very big fan of the wheels, I'd rather have any of the other steering wheels, and while the black is nice I would still prefer almost any of the other colors.

If the car were in Seattle I would go and give it more of a consideration. But at the cost I just can't do it

This is the problem when you post a thread like this and don't clearly state your budget BEFORE DM registration, tax, hotel, flight costs etc.

People try to help you but have a very vague idea what your budget is.

What are you talking about? I said at the start that i'd like the asking price to be about 10k. Then multiple have been found with things that I want at that price or below, most being 8-9, with a couple at 10. So by now I'm not going to get very excited about one that is 5-3k higher and doesn't really have what I want plus I have to travel for it. Im sorry but i think that is pretty reasonable and I thought I gave an approximate for the budget at the start. It was hard to set a definite number as I wasn't finding much of anything worth while to study prices.

Just to give you an idea on the current market.

In June this year, I bought my 2006 X5 3.0 6sp MT with 115K, black on black, for $11,300 before tax, DMV, insurance etc. I used Kelley Blue Book and it was a fair price.

So, if you hang on tight and keep looking, you may find something nearby to save you travel costs (flight, hotel, meals etc.).

The name of the game is: patience.

6speed for sale
 

Might be listing my '05 6speed, dark grey, 93k in Chicago. Found the next 6speed german SUV that I might purchase. Let me know if you want details

Thanks

Aka Porsche Cayenne? Only thing I'd get rid of my E53 for

Is yours modded at all? If you part out I might have some interest in mods

Sorry no mods, and yes to the Cayenne

Thank you but I found a X5 a while ago. Good luck with the sale. I also almost bought a 6spd Cayenne before the x5.

AMAZING

Again, the only vehicle I'd get rid of the E53 for. And I thought looking for a manual trans X was hard to find, the Cayenne is even harder!

2004 BMW X5 3.0 For sale

is this a good price? It seems really good to me, but.. i dunno, I'm in the market, but I don't have an established relationship with these things.

It looks perfectly good and priced entirely too low to make sense to me. Can someone who knows these things look over the post and let know if there's anything to look out for or anything that's obviously wrong?

Seems to be good price. But why would you say the price is entirely too low to make sense to you? Because it is facelift and stick? I see deals on Craiglist all the time. You should check history (Carfax, etc.) first and if the history looks good then go and look at the car. From the photo, the car has temporary plates; maybe the seller is just flipping the car…? Get PPI (pre purchase inspection) done on the car. Cost anywhere from $100-200.

Initially it seems a bit low. But that thing has zero options.

Looks clean and has Style 132s.

Probably priced low because the Latin broads in Miami don't drive a stick

Low miles, owned in the South, go check it out. With a different steering wheel and some minor exterior mods it would be sharp

I did not look up this particular car, but I'm actively shopping for an X5, and my target is an '05. I'm finding that the Private Party value on Official Kelley Blue Book New Car and Used Car Prices and Values is pretty much in line with the price in the ad you posted.

The whole one-man's-treasure-is-another-man's-trash argument there is much to be said about the relative condition, but it is difficult to argue that a feature has no value just because you don't have it now and don't care about it. The Premium Package has value whether you appreciate it or not, so you need to plug it into KBB along with other features, and then you can arrive at a value from which you can negotiate the final price.

I appreciate the Jones that some of you get for the manual transmission, but this is a feature that deducts from the final value. The fact that you cannot find a car with a stick just proves the point that a stick is not desirable and that the price has to be dropped to attract a buyer. DON'T ARGUE AGAINST THE LOWER VALUE, especially if you are the buyer. Even if your Jones grows so long that you can put it into your ear, you need to mask your excitement and hem & haw about a lifetime of working another pedal and yanking on a lever. The professionals that know this sort of stuff say that the automatic is the preferred option, and the manual is a deduct from value. Back in the olden days, the automatic was an add to value if so equipped. Today, automatic is assumed and the manual is a deduct.

For the record, I am in the camp where the stick is an attractive option so I get it that what YOU and I prefer goes against the tide.

- From the car mfg standpoint, the automatic costs more to make simply because of the solenoids, clutch packs, and the computer to run the AT. The MT technology is old, just a whole bunch of gears, synchros and counter-shafts etc., therefore it is cheaper to make the MT.

- In the US, only 9% of the cars sold are MT.

- So, if you are looking for the joy of the stick, go for it. Bargain a little bit but don't push too much to anger the seller.

The listed price is good.

I fell deeply in love... so now it's mine. Now to collect an IS interior. That gray interior, despite being in very good shape, is just such a poor color.

The engine compartment belongs to a brand new car. The lights (all of them) look like they underwent a failed restoration (goes completely unnoticed in the cl ad), I'm hopeful I can save them. Everything works great. The 132s have great tread michelins. Which x5 do style 132s belong to? Being pretty much a stripper, I don't think these 19s originally came on this thing. This thing doesnt even have heated seats nor panoramic sunroof. I didn't know facelift x5s came without big sunroofs.

Do the halogen lights steer? I can't tell.

Ok, now I feel like I lied about the entire everything is perfect thing. There's one thing that's kind of driving me insane. I noticed it about 30 minutes after buying the car. Not a dealbreaker by any means, I can crudely fix this very quickly. The mpg needle and the tach have a cluster swordfight with their asses. I have a picture I don't know how to post on this board of it idling at "4k"rpm and like 9mpg. It's actually idling low, but the tach is stuck. This happens with shocking frequency. I think this might be a manual facelift x5 thing, maybe a early year MPH US-only cluster issue. I googled but couldn't find anything about this.

Did someone try to fix the cluster pixels and mess the needles up?

The gray interior is fine, if anything just update by wrapping the wood trim and putting a sport steering wheel in.

I have no clue about what's going with my cluster. http://s10.postimg.org/lnijlggl5/tachwin.png
this is it idling

Easy for you to say "gray is fine" from the perch of your perfect color combo e53.

It's not ok.

If it were ok, I'd toy with e46M gray seats... but... it's not ok. It's the greatest shortcoming of this truck.

The IS interiors are so sexy, though, i was looking at the prices the parts go for on here and it's a bit terrifying. I might need to find it in a yard.

The idle speed is a tad high, I think, and your panel is out of focus. I hate it when they make stuff out of focus. You can fix the idle speed easily enough, but the focus is a problem you will have forever. Sadly.


(Sorry, I must be a sick SOB...)

I would not expect your cluster problems to be related to the 5 spd.

The needle has a return spring that is not very robust, for obvious reasons, and my guess is that the needle just gets stuck.

That's the approach I would take if I was faced with this. My instinct, wrong as it is sometimes, is that the cluster has been serviced with WD40, and now it is "glued shut". One test for this would be to push the engine above 4K and then observe if the needle falls back slowly or quickly. If slow then the mechanism is gooey and a cleaning is in order. Consider that the lamps burn out and the display goes dark as a result. A previous owner went in to replace some bulbs and decided, "this would be a good place to spray something." Then you bought the result. That's my guess.

lol, look... see the mpg needle? the tach only gets stuck when it binds against the mpg needle.

The Fuel Demand needle is the wrong one. The needle should not go all of the way across the hub. The hub is supposed to be flat, and the needle protrudes from one side. There should not be a tail that comes out of the opposite side.

I missed that part.

I went out and looked at my needles, they are different. The tach needle is the same, but the fuel demand needle is different. Your tach needle is catching on the part that is different, therefore the needle is the wrong one.

But you still have troubles with focus that will dog you forever.

Here is my econometer needle.

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psx8qjalfs.jpg

That's it. Knew something didn't look right.

Looks like a fuel gauge needle was put on there?!?

This is the right needle.

:iagree:

Looks like my vacuum gauge needle, too...
That, and my Tach needle work fine.
'01 3.0 98k miles.
GL, mD

Atleast 4 in my area for sale.
5 speed manuals.
I have one that ive owned for about 2 years