Perks/downsides of the 06-07?
 

I still haven't picked a wagon up yet, and for the longest time I've wanted boost boost boost - but, to give the N52 a fair shot, what are the pro's and con's of the earlier years - beyond the seats/older infotainment?

Pro: things attached to the engine are less likely to break

Cons: no N54 engine...when running well, it's a sweet engine. But turbos wastegate rattle, fuel pump failure, injectors leaking, and carbon buildup are reasons to check out the 06-07 if you want a bit more reliability

early N52s had problems with a casting flaw in the cylinder head resulting in abnormal amounts of valve 'tick', basically the bores for the HVAs weren't machined properly. The cylinder head was redesigned for the N52, but by then the E60 was out of production. Not every N52 has this problem, but a decent number of them do. google 'N52 valve tick' to see what I'm talking about.

Dang...still thinking about an e61?!?! You're welcome to drive mine again if'n you want another feel for it.

-r

^This! But I wouldn't trade the fun of the tuned n54 for a moment of extra reliability. And the LCIs have several other nice perks that can be retrofit or found as stock... CIC, SAT, Msport, and nicer exterior lighting to name a few.

Broken wires in the rear door?