E53 in Crazy Crosswinds??

Hi all, I'm considering buying a 2006 E53 3.0 with the sport package and need to know how the E53 handles very high crosswinds. I live in New Mexico where we commonly see winds above 50 MPH with gusts sometimes reaching 70. Combine that with our average highway road speed of 80 MPH and, stability in wind becomes an important factor. (I owned an '05 Xterra that blew from lane to lane). What are your experiences with very high winds?? Any info will be greatly appreciated.

Also, how do they do in the snow and high altitude (the 3.0 from a power perspective)?

Thank you.

I've driven our '01 3.0/sport in slashing TStorms and the remnant "arms" of hurricanes. We have skated across hundred yards of ponding water on interstates,
and climbed up and down our winding mtn roads here in the Appalachians, at 5,000+ feet. The ol'X has never blinked; rock steady, amazing car, imo.

Yes, you will feel some of the strong winds but it just keeps on going...

Put on a set of dedicated snow tires/wheels for the winter and while it is not a wall climber, it really goes up and down the snowy roads.
You will love it, imo!
GL,mD

Originally Posted by motordavid

I've driven our '01 3.0/sport in slashing TStorms and the remnant "arms" of hurricanes. We have skated across hundred yards of ponding water on interstates,
and climbed up and down our winding mtn roads here in the Appalachians, at 5,000+ feet. The ol'X has never blinked; rock steady, amazing car, imo.

Yes, you will feel some of the strong winds but it just keeps on going...

Put on a set of dedicated snow tires/wheels for the winter and while it is not a wall climber, it really goes up and down the snowy roads.
You will love it, imo!
GL,mD

Thanks! That's encouraging.

Any vehicle that's tall and basically slab sided will be impacted by cross winds. In cases like this, weight is your friend. The more the vehicle weighs, the more stable it is (all other things being equal). My experience has been that cross wind stability is pretty good.

Now, grooved pavement... that's a totally different issue.

I wonder if anyone can comment on their experience driving a 3.0 at altitudes above 7000 ft (both in the mountains and at highway speeds). How adequate/inadequate is the power? Thanks very much.

I've taken piece of crap rental cars to 9,000 feet on the Big Island of Hawaii, it's fine. YOu're basically down about 25% in horsepower. More than adequate to haul the car around. In normal driving you never use the full potential of your engine anyhow. Who drives at redline all day long?

Originally Posted by JeffVander

I've taken piece of crap rental cars to 9,000 feet on the Big Island of Hawaii, it's fine. YOu're basically down about 25% in horsepower. More than adequate to haul the car around. In normal driving you never use the full potential of your engine anyhow. Who drives at redline all day long?

It's not really a question of max power output at redline. Because, you're exactly right, who can drive like that? It's about whether at 80 MPH in 6th on the interstate, one needs to downshift for every hill or passing maneuver. Or, pulling away from a light in first on a 90 degree day, is the engine gasping for breath? (By the way, I drive a manual). These are not max power output questions but drivability issues.