Considering used 2004 X5 4.4 AWD

[RickJamesBish]

Never owned a BMW. Heard they are money pits but I see them all the time and am now considering a 2004 X5 4.4. It has 217,000 miles. Seller just put new brakes and rotors. Vehicle overall is very clean inside and out. Looks like it was well maintained but what can I really expect with it at 217k ? Am I opening Pandora's Box ? They wanted $4,000 but accepted $3,500. This is being purchased as my daughters first car. She will likely put about 200 miles a month on it at best. My wife might take it to work a couple times a month so that is another 180 miles total. I might take it to work once a week.. 8 miles total.

Just seeking advise on whether this is ok to consider for a low use vehicle or am I likely looking at catastrophic failure due to the high mileage ?

[Pelican Parts]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Before purchasing the car, get a full PPI report done by a BMW mechanic. This will give you an idea of the car's actual condition. Are you able to work on the car yourself? Since it's going to be minimally used, it may be okay; but that's quite a bit for an X5 - maybe look at other options. Just my 2 cents, other members will likely chime in as well.

[clouse123]

Very expensive to maintain. That's the bottom line. It may run perfectly for you, but then again it may not. Just know you are assuming risk, but you do that with any used car. The big difference between this and something practical is cost of repair. I have a 2003 3.0 that my daughter drove as a new driver and I'm glad she learned in a larger vehicle. I bought it when she was nine...


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[rbelton]

These cars can definitely become money pits if you're not handy with a wrench. If you can do a good amount of DIY following YouTube guides and so on, you'll be fine. If you bring to the shop for every little thing, then be prepared for the worst (financially). I bought one of these for my wife, it's a great AWD car for New England and relatively safe compared to your run of the mill economy car like a Civic. The pro's outweighed the con's for us, but I DIY most of the repair work myself.