[vilord]

Noooooooooo!
My x-drive e91 6MT, with 3 stage intake was just declared a total loss due to some ice and a minor impact with a curb.

I just put new tires on it too.

Should I buy an x3/x5? Has anyone else made that switch and been happy? Do they even sell the x3/x5 with a manual transmission?

Should I buy it back and repair it myself? I've done this before, but I was not looking forward to another major repair this winter...

They're probably going to give me about $6000 for it. I doubt I can get anything remotely close for that

[tlow98]

Pics of damage are needed to assess feasibility and likelihood of quality repair for the money.

For $6k there are no X3/5s that will be worth owning.

First gen x5/3s could be had in manual. But at this point those are old maintenance lovers.

[hassmaschine]

We went from an E91 to an X5. It's bigger, but I pretty much hate the stupid thing. The automatic is soooo annoying. Nothing has really gone wrong with it but it's basically a money pit waiting to happen. It also sucks gas like no tomorrow (average is 11-13mpg).

Sounds like you need to fight your insurance. $6000 is way too low for a 6mt E91. How much was the damage estimate? We had a curb incident, had to replace the steering rack, tie rod, control arm, bumper cover, wheel, etc. I think it was about $4,000 in damage. They didn't total it.

[vilord]

Thanks for the heads up about the X5. I forgot about stupid-low MPG.
For a minute I was thinking maybe I should get a B7 S4 Avant... then I saw the articles about replacing timing chain parts to the tune of $3000 *just for parts*.


My E91 *almost* drives straight, I can't tell if it is a bent tie rod/strut/etc, or something else. Hoping the repair shop can send me the detailed estimate, but the total was $5500 of repairs.

The very bottom of the A pillar was partially crushed, and I don't know if that can be ignored, pulled out, or cut out and a new one welded in (i guess that's what it is called? the piece behind the front wheel that the back of the fender/front of the side skirt attaches to)

Front and back wheels were damaged but are serviceable.
Front fender is badly damaged.
Front bumper cracked but serviceable.
Front door getting rubbed by fender so needs a little paint.

I'm okay with it looking imperfect, so maybe I'll just buy back, get it to drive straight, and just deal with it.

[vilord]

Here's how it looks currently. The side skirt attaches back on and hides most of the rocker/pillar damage.

[Efthreeoh]

Before you make a decision, find out what all the numbers are. Value the insurance is going to pay you less the salvage cost to buy it back vs. Repair cost. The delta is what you pay. Then decide whether you want to keep the car for the cost you pay out of pocket.

[rothwem]

I had a 6MT E91 and I had to sell it due to a knee injury. I wanted another E91, but I couldn't find a clean one nearby, but I did find a cheap 2005 X3, which I jumped on. I got a 5-speed automatic, but the E83 generation that I bought was made with a manual transmission. The next generation (F25) was only sold with the 8-speed. I test drove an F25 and was pretty disappointed. It feels really big and numb.

The E83, on the other hand, feels smaller than the E91 actually. It has fantastic steering (better than the E9x AWD cars) and it's the opposite of numb. In fact, the suspension is downright rough. Basically, in order to avoid putting huge swaybars on the car, they bumped the compression damping up and it resulted in a pretty harsh ride. Its up and down harsh though, not the side to side harsh that you get on some SUVs with enormous sways. It still doesn't handle as well as an E91, but it still handles pretty well. I don't think you're allowed to take the X3 autocrossing though, so if that's something you think you might do, be aware.

On the E83s, look out for the usual BMW leaks, since it uses either the M54 or N52 depending on the year. Neither engine is known for being good for keeping oil in, so the oil pan/valve cover/OFHG all need to be checked. The VCG was leaking on mine when I bought it, so I had the shop that was selling it replace the VCG. It doesn't leak anymore, but there's still oil all over the engine...its fucking annoying. Every time the car gets hot, it smells like oil. I'll clean it at some point.

The E83 also has the issue with cracking springs like the E46s do, I know mine had that issue. 2 rear OEM springs cost $400, so I bought a full set of Eibachs for mine for just over $300. It only dropped the suspension about an inch, and I really can't tell any difference in the handling.

The E83s are prone to similar transfer case issues that the E9x cars are susceptible to with the wearing gear. Mine hasn't done it yet, but its a thing, so be on the lookout.

Lastly, the E83 community is pretty sparse. Most of the first and second owners of these cars were for the wives of BMW enthusiasts to replace their E39 wagons. The third and fourth owners are mostly people that want to tell their friends they own a BMW. DIYs are sparse, though you can usually figure out what you need from E46 resources. There's very little aftermarket, though I'm not really sure what people would mod on these other than maybe putting some slightly shorter springs on like I did.

Overall, I wish I had found a clean E91 instead of getting this thing, but this X3 works pretty well for what it is. I also paid very little for it, so that it'll be easy to ditch if I find the perfect E91, though its been a year and I haven't really found an E91 that I think is worth the trouble to deal with.

[tlow98]

Fenders and rocker panels are cheap and easy. The rest is kind of up to you and how perfect you want it. If it’s high mileage I’d look for fenders/rockers at wreck yards (paint matched for e90 pretty easy) replace the the mechanical bits and prolly be back on the road for sub 2k.

[hassmaschine]

I'd swap the fender, zip the the plastic rocker cover back on, fix the suspension and drive it as-is for a beater.

[CTinline-six]

I'd fix it. You won't find another 6MT e91 very easily.

[tcphoto]

If you kept it well maintained, I'd show them the invoices and negotiate the highest payout, prevent it from being totaled or buy it back if it's worthwhile. If you love the vehicle, I'd start looking for another E91.

[ctuna]

x1 maybe its about the same size and shape.

[vilord]

Originally Posted by ctuna

x1 maybe its about the same size and shape.

I do like the look of the x1, but it is not available with a 6MT stateside

[Fritzer]

Is there frame damage? Such a low pay-out you can probably buy back very cheap. I would only do so If there was no seriously substaintial damage. But just the fender, rocker panel, and left suspension assembly wouldn't cost too much too repair, especially if DIY.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by rothwem

I had a 6MT E91 and I had to sell it due to a knee injury. I wanted another E91, but I couldn't find a clean one nearby, but I did find a cheap 2005 X3, which I jumped on. I got a 5-speed automatic, but the E83 generation that I bought was made with a manual transmission. The next generation (F25) was only sold with the 8-speed. I test drove an F25 and was pretty disappointed. It feels really big and numb.

The E83, on the other hand, feels smaller than the E91 actually. It has fantastic steering (better than the E9x AWD cars) and it's the opposite of numb. In fact, the suspension is downright rough. Basically, in order to avoid putting huge swaybars on the car, they bumped the compression damping up and it resulted in a pretty harsh ride. Its up and down harsh though, not the side to side harsh that you get on some SUVs with enormous sways. It still doesn't handle as well as an E91, but it still handles pretty well. I don't think you're allowed to take the X3 autocrossing though, so if that's something you think you might do, be aware.

On the E83s, look out for the usual BMW leaks, since it uses either the M54 or N52 depending on the year. Neither engine is known for being good for keeping oil in, so the oil pan/valve cover/OFHG all need to be checked. The VCG was leaking on mine when I bought it, so I had the shop that was selling it replace the VCG. It doesn't leak anymore, but there's still oil all over the engine...its fucking annoying. Every time the car gets hot, it smells like oil. I'll clean it at some point.

The E83 also has the issue with cracking springs like the E46s do, I know mine had that issue. 2 rear OEM springs cost $400, so I bought a full set of Eibachs for mine for just over $300. It only dropped the suspension about an inch, and I really can't tell any difference in the handling.

The E83s are prone to similar transfer case issues that the E9x cars are susceptible to with the wearing gear. Mine hasn't done it yet, but its a thing, so be on the lookout.

Lastly, the E83 community is pretty sparse. Most of the first and second owners of these cars were for the wives of BMW enthusiasts to replace their E39 wagons. The third and fourth owners are mostly people that want to tell their friends they own a BMW. DIYs are sparse, though you can usually figure out what you need from E46 resources. There's very little aftermarket, though I'm not really sure what people would mod on these other than maybe putting some slightly shorter springs on like I did.

Overall, I wish I had found a clean E91 instead of getting this thing, but this X3 works pretty well for what it is. I also paid very little for it, so that it'll be easy to ditch if I find the perfect E91, though its been a year and I haven't really found an E91 that I think is worth the trouble to deal with.

I agree, they drive and handle well for a SUV. How is the M54 engine, besides the oil leaks? Does it have the fragile cooling system that the E46s had?

[Gamb1t]

from the photo, it doesn't look like structural damages. Just the rocker panels, side marker and fender damage. Surprised it is a write off. How about the suspension bits?
I do think $6000 is a fair salvage value for this genre of 3-series.

I think an e84 X1 either x28i (n20) or x35i (n55) would have similar driving characteristics to the e91. And likely faster too. The e84 is basically a jacked up e91. Not sure about finding a manual version.

[hassmaschine]

They don't exist as a manual. You may as well suggest a Dodge Caravan.

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

I agree, they drive and handle well for a SUV. How is the M54 engine, besides the oil leaks? Does it have the fragile cooling system that the E46s had?

Yes and no. The radiator is a different part number that doesn't seem to fail as often as the E46 cars, but the rest of the system is the same. The coolant hoses on mine were still fairly new when I bought it a year ago, so I'm hoping that the water pump was changed at the same time. If I still have the car in a year, I'll do the overhaul at that point.

I did have my thermostat fail, but it was an odd failure where the heated portion stopped working, so when I drove it hard, it would throw a CEL because it couldn't get the thermostat to open as early as it wanted it to. $48 worth of parts later, I had a new thermostat and thermostat housing. I had a little trouble bleeding the system though. Everyone I've talked to has said something similar--they just keep a gallon of distilled water or premix in the car and watch the temp gauge like a hawk and add water until the temp stops climbing.

[vilord]

Here's a closer view of the real damage that i'm worried about.
rocker is mashed as shown, and the bottom of the A pillar took a little damage too. I can't tell if the weld/seam is damaged/cracked/etc from the photo.

Suspension/etc I might be able to get away with just an alignment, it really is that close to straight. Otherwise I'm not sure what would make it straight.

Amazing what 5 mph will do sideways into a solid piece of concrete.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by vilord

Here's a closer view of the real damage that i'm worried about.
rocker is mashed as shown, and the bottom of the A pillar took a little damage too. I can't tell if the weld/seam is damaged/cracked/etc from the photo.

Suspension/etc I might be able to get away with just an alignment, it really is that close to straight. Otherwise I'm not sure what would make it straight.

Amazing what 5 mph will do sideways into a solid piece of concrete.

What is the repair estimate?

[vilord]

Oh yeah, and they say the car is worth $5014 with 160K miles, minus my deductible and they're only giving me $4K for it. I think this valuation is total BS. There are 200K mile E91/6MTs going for more than that in my area.
Maybe with 5K i could get an e46 wagon...

[vilord]

$5500

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

What is the repair estimate?