Used to be on a poster in my dorm: 2005 M3

[Beej]

Nice JGC! What trim/motor?

Thanks! It's a V6 Limited 4x4. I forget the exact options already - fancy infotainment/nav, sunroof, 20's, tow package, I think? Had it been my car, probably would've gone diesel Overland...but then again, had it been my car, it would've been some sort of German wagon.

We're super pleased with it - I had never pictured buying American, but it's a damn nice vehicle.

What 3/4k maintenance do you mean?

Already have the valve shim kit (actually, maybe you do?). I'll be doing it all myself, but the parts, roughly: diff seal + "while you're in there" just came to $500, redo cooling system is $1k, reinforce subframe mounting points $800-1k (those tubes of foam ain't cheap), preventative VANOS stuff (exhaust hub, intake bolts), $800-1k. And yeah, all the "Inspection" type stuff, which I have all the fluids/parts for and have been doing in bits and pieces.

Overkill? Maybe. But if I'm in it for the long haul, that's the list.

Yeah, s54's end up being a bit more expensive - 4x more to run it though? Man, I remember when s52's were big dough to all of us obsessed with swapping them into our e30's. What year/mileage is your Mom's?

nice jeep btw...those cherokees are the high water mark for that model IMO. truly handsome, capable SUVS and the powertrains kick ass.

Thanks, and totally agree! We cross shopped a lot of stuff - some more fun to drive, some with more space, but as an all-rounder, this didn't have much competition. Thanks, short-lived DaimlerChrysler!