Any E70 enthusiasts out there?

[RenoHuskerDu]

I've been looking for a F10 535d for months without success. People seem to be holding onto them, even in Deutschland. Most F10s here in France are 4cyl, and I don't much like 4-pot diesels of any ilk.

Recently I started also considering an X5 E70; 35d or 40d. There is a greater choice of 6cyl vehicles out there on the market in France and Germany. The interior space is considerably greater than the F10. I'm a tall guy, and the extra room for our kids would be useful. We also have a long driveway that requires 4wd to get up if it snows much at all. This winter we had no snow but in years past I had to drive our Disco td5 often just to make it home.

So I'm test driving an X5 tomorrow, having read a few reviews stating that it's the closest to a sporty sedan that you get in an SUV. That sounds good to me.

Are there any E70 drivers lurking who might like to share their advice or experiences?

Thanks,
Reno
Alsace, France

[RenoHuskerDu]

Thanks for the information. My test drive today was quite positive. I had the same feeling about the 6spd automatic transmission. I think I will hold out for an LCI with 8spd.

[RenoHuskerDu]

We both used to drive SUVs when we lived in California, and the first thing I did after driving one home from the dealer was to remove the silly running boards. Would that be a viable option for the E70, or would it leave gaping holes etc?

OTOH, I see from a post above (thank you) that they do serve the purpose of protecting the paint from stone chips. The other protection I can think of would be in case some inebriated local drives into the side of my car at low speed (France still has dubious enforcement for drinking drivers). I suppose that the running boards, which look relatively sturdy, might help to a certain extent in that case.

I almost always wear jeans so a little dirt on my cuff is not a big worry. As for the wife, she can learn to 'hop' out!

[RenoHuskerDu]

Where's that 'like' button or 'thank you' for a post? :-)

[RenoHuskerDu]

I found a car that seems interesting. I managed to get a pdf copy of the internal description from the selling dealer in Germany. But some of the options codes are unclear to me. Do we have a decoder/translator available anywhere?

For example!

S3APA Graukeil-Frontscheibe which they translate to "windshield with grey corner" which seems just plain silly.

S522A Xenon-Licht - I wonder if that is both high and low beams?

Any help most welcome

Reno,
Alsace France

[RenoHuskerDu]

Reading further, I see that the car has these also

S855A Sprachversion Italienisch, Italian language version
S884A Italienisch /Bordliteratur, owner manual in Italian

This suggests to me that the car was not originally delivered in Deutschland, but rather in Italy (or preferably in Italian-speaking CH). I've been to Rome on business several times, and based on the driving I saw I would rather not buy a used car from Italy. I remember seeing cars bounce off each other in traffic, and the drivers did not even stop to look at the damage. After some indelicate hand gestures, off they went, each their own way.

[RenoHuskerDu]

Thanks for the offer. Me wife and a kid or two also sprachen that Deutsch stuff.

It turns out that this car is from Milano, which is another kettle of fish as I have vivid memories of Italian driving from my business trips to Rome. How German got into the mix is something I need to take up with the broker tomorrow right after he has his first cuppa joe. I'm perplexed to say the least.

[RenoHuskerDu]

CLOSED. This car did not have keyless entry and start, so I passed on it. What's more, the broker tried to hard-sell me the car anyway, thus dinging our relationship a bit. I'll still work with him, but I really dislike hardball sales tactics. My background is software marketing so I know a bit about selling too.