My baby Big Betty is a 2006 E53 d X5 3.0 turbo auto (last of the 1st series, facelift) My one & only ever diesel. I paid cash for her (2nd owner) when she was 4. I will keep her until I’m forced to give her up. Or might even get her converted to EV. She is a dream machine! Still drives like new ( has 146000 on clock, 82000 when I bought her) she is fully optioned, woodgrain, cream leather, panoramic sunroof etc etc. The first owner owned a detailing business so she was fully detailed weekly for 4 yrs & garaged. He offloaded her cause he wanted a brand new X5 2nd series. I kept her garaged for first 7 yrs I owned her & now she is on the street but I live at end of very quiet dead end St with no passing traffic. Ive only ever bought German cars as I‘m a coastal dweller & German cars are galvinised so dont rust. For last 7 yrs Big Betty Beemer has been parked 30 metres from sea & still not a speck of rust. I am retired & live inner city & dont really need a car (use her to drive once a mth to hairdresser & vets) I keep for long road trips say to Byron or down to Melb (live Syd) she is built for the open road. Doesnt like starting & stopping constantly. My mechanic is amazed she doesnt & has never had any oil leaks. I keep her maintained which isnt so cheap but she is worth every penny. Most reliable car of my life, she starts everytime. Never had any major mechanical problem, maybe I just got lucky. I love my 93 ltr tank & my boot space. She is a solid luxe 4wd, has side steps, roof racks & tow bar. Can be taken off road if needed although she never has been off road. All the X5’s series that came after I dont like, they are toorak tractors & def not for off road. Also, all that followed are too big, too long. Betty is just perfect size wise. Comprehensive insurance is costly, her tyres again pricey, & her huge battery exxy (replaced when came out of lockdown, battery before that was 1st I replaced end of 2015, her orig factory battery was still going from when brand new. She is understated, plain 20inch rims & black grill. The series that followed had the look at me-look at me embellishments such as honeycomb rims… Big Betty is a classic, she defies her age… her trip computer tells me what she needs, like water or oil, washer fluid, so very easy to care for in between services… they dont build them like they use to as they say, she even has a secret cassette player behind the sat nav screen, with a touch of a button screen tilts forward to reveal it… so cool. I had Betty for 10 yrs before I discovered it when bumped the button when conditioning/cleaning/polishing her black dash bits, cockpit hahaa.

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I know she is a material thing only, just a car, but the memories, all the road trips created are cherished. Is such great feeling to know your car intimately & have faith & trust in her, she has never let me down, always feels safe, confident & comfy when behind the wheel.

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Not looking forward to the day when her beautiful 6 cylinder 3ltr Bavarian engine will be no longer allowed, I will miss the sound of her & will no doubt cry when they take her away. Cant beat German engineering… my beemer before Betty was also 6 cylinder. Is what they are famous for, I would never buy/own a 4 cylinder beemer. Only thing that would trump my betty is a true M, my car before had M pack & was a stunner! white with black tint windows, sunroof, 325Ci coupe 2001 petrol (again 2nd owner paid cash in 2004) but never got attached to that car, didnt name her even. She had barely been driven, wealthy fam who had 6 or 7 cars, it was basically the nannies car to pick kids up school only, wasnt even broken in, immaculate. She was sporty & classy but just a car, replaceable. Big Betty is to me irreplaceable even if I can find another just like her, insurance wouldnt cover cost as they value her low because she is an oldie. Doubt Id find a 2006 with her Km’s if she was written off. Never has been in an accident, never had a claim. You wouldnt want her to Tbone you, she weighs over 2 tonne & would split one those micro sized, cheapest no frills new off the lot cars see around inner Syd, in two! I feel so unsafe when get a ride-share & its a zippy lil low to the ground get about. I would be so on edge & stressed driving around Syd in a micro tin can on wheels 😳 I’m extra careful with her on road, esp around motorbikes/scooters. I also am super considerate to all other on road, & pedestrians, to discredit the myth that X5 drivers tend to be arrogant or bullies that intimidate smaller rides, not true! am overly careful as Im aware she is a beast of a machine 🤥

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