Hey guys, I would like your advice on a car issue that we are having right now. WE have a 2003 x5 3.0, that just passed 100K miles and we are starting to see the maintenance costs pile on. After hearing some weird noises from the suspension, the mechanic shop checked it out and said that the rear passenger's side control arm needs to be replaced, along with the rear brake rotors. The passenger's side front swaybar and CV boot also need to be replaced. We are replacing the CV boot asap to avoid having to replace the whole axle. The mechanic, who was a bmw specialist, (and has a dinan supercharged 540i, himself), also said we would be seeing problems with other parts such as the alternator due to normal wear and tear. In general, the car has been bulletproof. We have owned it for over 96K miles and have been more than impressed with the engineering of the car. We have completed every service through a BMW dealership, and the mechanic said other than wear and tear, the engine looks great. I have a few questions:
1)Is it worth it to keep shouldering these costs, or just sell the car?
2)If we decide to sell, should we complete these repairs first?
3)What would be a good replacement car between $17-27K? Should it be a BMW, mabye another used x5, or a 330xi?
Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this and your help.
__________________ '09 335i xDrive
No ///M yet
Last edited by ///m\\\; 14th September 2009 at 03:24.
Hey guys, I would like your advice on a car issue that we are having right now. WE have a 2003 x5 3.0, that just passed 100K miles and we are starting to see the maintenance costs pile on. After hearing some weird noises from the suspension, the mechanic shop checked it out and said that the rear passenger's side control arm needs to be replaced, along with the rear brake rotors. The passenger's side front swaybar and CV boot also need to be replaced. We are replacing the CV boot asap to avoid having to replace the whole axle. The mechanic, who was a bmw specialist, (and has a dinan supercharged 540i, himself), also said we would be seeing problems with other parts such as the alternator due to normal wear and tear. In general, the car has been bulletproof. We have owned it for over 96K miles and have been more than impressed with the engineering of the car. We have completed every service through a BMW dealership, and the mechanic said other than wear and tear, the engine looks great. I have a few questions:
1)Is it worth it to keep shouldering these costs, or just sell the car?
2)If we decide to sell, should we complete these repairs first?
3)What would be a good replacement car between $17-27K? Should it be a BMW, mabye another used x5, or a 330xi?
Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this and your help.
Hey ///m\\\,
I'm not entirely sure what these different replacements cost, so I can't exactly say whats going to be more cost efficient in the long run, but if you/your family WANT a new car, I think this is a fantastic time to do so. If you sell it, I would not do the service, as I think it will cost more to do that then the additional money you would gain on trade in/private sale.
As far as cars for 17-27k, if u need an SUV, maybe get another X5 if you like it. If you could do 27k, you could probably get a good E46 M3 for that money, but it would obviously not offer X5 practicality. Maybe look at a S4 from 2005-2006? lots of good options available. GL with sale/decision
Another car I saw the other day was a 2002 E39 M5 with 32k at Gallery Norwood for $26.9k. However, it just left cars.com today. that could have been cool. maybe try to find another e39 M5
afc1
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I'm not entirely sure what these different replacements cost, so I can't exactly say whats going to be more cost efficient in the long run, but if you/your family WANT a new car, I think this is a fantastic time to do so. If you sell it, I would not do the service, as I think it will cost more to do that then the additional money you would gain on trade in/private sale.
As far as cars for 17-27k, if u need an SUV, maybe get another X5 if you like it. If you could do 27k, you could probably get a good E46 M3 for that money, but it would obviously not offer X5 practicality. Maybe look at a S4 from 2005-2006? lots of good options available. GL with sale/decision
Another car I saw the other day was a 2002 E39 M5 with 32k at Gallery Norwood for $26.9k. However, it just left cars.com today. that could have been cool. maybe try to find another e39 M5
afc1
AFC1, Thanks a lot for your advice!
Just got the quote today from the shop, and the cost isn't as bad as i was anticipating. Everything all together was only about $1500. We are still undecided at the moment. I wish we could get a E46 m3, or an e39 m5, but, sadly, they will not be practical when the winter comes around. (That m5 at the Gallery sounded really nice BTW )
I looked at a couple s4s online, I feel like our 335 will offer better performance...and mileage lol. I was astounded by the mileage that the s4 gets. I've seen a few around though, and they sound very nice.
There's always the option for another 3 series, but we will end up having two then. Ideal car would be an E46. THe 335 is an amazing car for the money, but i feel that the E46 offers similar performance and would be much more rewarding to drive.
we have never driven the M3 in snow, as we got it towards the end of last winter, but with our 06 325 vert (RWD of course), we had snow tires and it was completely fine. You would be quite surprised by what a good set of snows can do for a RWD car.
Some more suggestions. Have u considered a used A6? my dad used to lease those. I believe the 4.2 model is around 355 hp. or maybe an a4 6 speed. those are fun cars, and can be had at great prices. Would help add some variety to the 335.
any way you guys could raise the budget. I know its quite a stretch but I when I took the M in for service a month ago, I saw an awesome 2005 E55 fully loaded with 29k miles for 37k. I believe that could probably be negotiated down to at least $34k, as its been there a while. I've driven one before and while the handling could definitely be better, the power is just insane. Just throwing out a few ideas.
we have never driven the M3 in snow, as we got it towards the end of last winter, but with our 06 325 vert (RWD of course), we had snow tires and it was completely fine. You would be quite surprised by what a good set of snows can do for a RWD car.
Some more suggestions. Have u considered a used A6? my dad used to lease those. I believe the 4.2 model is around 355 hp. or maybe an a4 6 speed. those are fun cars, and can be had at great prices. Would help add some variety to the 335.
any way you guys could raise the budget. I know its quite a stretch but I when I took the M in for service a month ago, I saw an awesome 2005 E55 fully loaded with 29k miles for 37k. I believe that could probably be negotiated down to at least $34k, as its been there a while. I've driven one before and while the handling could definitely be better, the power is just insane. Just throwing out a few ideas.
1 series maybe
afc1
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. Yeah i agree with you that the m3 would probably be fine with a good set of snows.
My friend has an a6 and i like it a lot, and the a4 sounds like a great idea. Have you driven the a4 2.0? If so, how is the engine. I would be afraid it is not powerful enough, with a wimpy tt4.
Te e55 sounds pretty sick, that is a very fast car, and you can definitely get them for good prices...BTW, check this e39 m5 out: http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national Talk about pristine condition.
BTW, that '04 m3 is HOT I bet you could talk him down a few grand too. That is really a nice color combination with some great options. How does the convertible drive? The only convertible ive ever driven was a 24 and i could hear some creaks going up and down the ramps in our parking garage, but other than that it felt pretty tough while driving. I was not driving it too hard though.
BTW, that '04 m3 is HOT I bet you could talk him down a few grand too. That is really a nice color combination with some great options. How does the convertible drive? The only convertible ive ever driven was a 24 and i could hear some creaks going up and down the ramps in our parking garage, but other than that it felt pretty tough while driving. I was not driving it too hard though.
Yes you could definitely get some serious cash off that thing. Its been on the market for a few months now I think. If we were still searching, I would have been interested in that one, despite modestly preferring a 6MT (not to mention i don't think my dad would appreciate the SMG much, as he doesn't completely realize its advantages).
The vert drives very well. There are a few rattles that come up every now and then, but they are completely normal so I do not worry about it. Also when you do go over a large pothole, the car does "shake" a little bit which does remind you that its a vert. HOWEVER, overall it handles wonderfully, and on back roads (and highway sprints), its so much fun. In the vast majority of driving situations, it feels absolutely planted and stable, and it feels very stiff almost all the time, despite being a vert. In the winter, the top is totally insulated. I certainly would not park it outside during a large snow storm, but as far as retaining heat, its as good as any other fixed roof car. And assuming it is as good as the 325 in the winter with snows (no reason it shouldn't be), if you are cautious, it should not be a problem at all.
And most importantly, in the spring and summer, it is absolutely AMAZING with the top down.
I'd take a serious look at that car, and if you could convince your parents that it could be a good possibility, I'd do it in the next few weeks so u can do some nice top down driving.
Btw i forgot to answer the question on the A4. I've taken a very brief drive in one, and it didn't seem too bad. I don't think its much slower than the 3.2 version, because when my dad thought about getting one, the salesman urged us to not spend the extra money and order a 2.0t. So its probably not too bad. However, I think going to an M3 is worth the extra money over a used a4.
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