BMW introduces its products as “The Ultimate Driving Machines” and today’s products Good Price or No Dice The X5 has certainly been driven a lot. Let’s see if its price makes for a great bargain.
The Chevy Malibu 1977 Yesterday we saw the Malibu dressed up as NASCAR racer Bobby Allison. While nicely done, the look didn’t really have much meaning or appeal outside of Bobby’s southern home turf. The $11,999 price tag proved even less appealing, pushing the Malibu to the limit with a whopping 96% loss no dice.
I found a statistic online that suggests less than one percent of all cars sold will eventually reach 200,000 miles, with an even smaller percentage of 0.03 percent possibly 300,000 miles. Those statistics come from Kiss 95.1 FM websitean adult contemporary radio station serving the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, and is uncredited, so consider that with a grain of NaCl.
According to the author, the five vehicles most likely to reach the 186,000-mile mark are all trucks, including the Toyota Tundra and 4Runner, GMC Yukon, Chevy Suburban, and Ford Expedition. No BMW SUVs are mentioned on the list, but according to the company’s advertising, BMW X5 2001 which we are pleased to meet today has traveled a total of 296,750 miles.
Why would anyone drive anything that far? Well, this X5 happens to be the rare beast optioned with the powertrain combination of BMW’s silky-smooth 228-horsepower M54 3.0-liter inline-six mated to a ZF-sourced five-speed manual. Naturally, that combination powers all four wheels, since the X5 was designed by BMW after the company encountered such problems after buying Land Rover.
Amazingly, the highway miles don’t seem to have shown up on this SUV in any truly noticeable way. The body is straight, the black paint is clean and shiny, and the headlight lenses have not yellowed significantly. Even the Style 69 wheels, which appear to be original, show no noticeable wear over the years and miles.
The story is similar in the cabin. The leather upholstery seems to hold up surprisingly well, as do the plastics and bits of burlwood trim. The only real annoyance here is the large, oddly shaped trunk for the five-speed shifter. It looks like a bat mistook the plate-glass window for the entrance to a cave.
From all appearances, it could all use a good cleaning, and there are random pieces of tape stuck on the dashboard, probably to secure the power cord for the radar detector or something. Other than those minor issues, it seems like the perfect place to call home for the extra miles.
The ad also claims the X5 has good mechanical sound and boasts that it “runs and operates very well.” Another benefit described is the “Updated OEM Navigation” system. Unfortunately, no other information is provided. There was no maintenance history, Carfax information or even a Magic 8 Ball “Ask Again Later” to appease us about the car’s current condition. At least we said the title was clean.
Perhaps to compensate for the ad’s brevity and the high odometer readings, the seller has set the asking price for the car at $2,950. That’s pocket change in this day and age — or apparently a few Big Mac Meal Deals, from what I’ve heard. However, is it a wise investment in this X5?
What do you think? Is $2,950 a small enough ask to roll the dice on a relatively rare BMW SUV? Or do the mileage and lack of information in the ad make that small sum seem like a risky move?
You decide!
New Hampshire Craigslist Listor go This if the ad disappears.
Shout out to Bill Rice for connecting!
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