Well due to an untimely demise of my 1996 Isuzu Trooper, I was suddenly in need of a replacement SAV/SUV. I had been thinking about leasing & buying one of the new X3s, but am sick & tired of having a large chunck of money go to the coffers of BMW financial every month. (Which I do now for a BMW Z4). For years I have also looked at the X5s but they have gotten big & expensive lately. My replacement car budget for the Trooper was about 10 grand (Max) - I was very surprized to find a 2002 X5 3.0i, (130,000Mi) with Prem. Pkg, Sport Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg & Rear Climate Pkg for less then 10 grand. The Vehicle had been been leased for 3 years (original owner) and bought by it's second owner in 2005. All the service receipts were with the vehicle, including receipts for "cooling system replacement", "Valve Cover gaskets", "Brakes" & suspension contol arm bushings & A/C refurbash. I'm thrilled with X5. It handles beautifully (especially in snow) Steering is as tight as a new one. The M54 engine has all the power I need to easily pass semi's & other vehicles I encounter daily on the two lane I take to work. The vehicle is solid as a rock, Quality in fit & materials is excellent. I anticipate many years of of service from this "Ultimate driving machine"
