Should I buy a 2001 X5?

Hello All,

For many years I have been a fan of the old Mercedes diesels, and I still am, but I was thinking about selling my pokey '79 240D and at picking up a used 2001 BMW X5 3.0 as I would like something to haul my kids around in - and my wife would like a second vehicle she is willing to drive.

I've had such a great experience on the MB forums, I thought I would jump over here and ask your thoughts on the potential purchase. The vehicle I am currently looking at has 182,000 miles on it. It appears in be in fair (not great) condition. I say this because there are a few things in need of repair - one window will not go down (I suspect broken regulator), one rear door handle not working from the exterior, a leaking washer fluid reservoir and a small coolant leak that the current owner says is originating from the thermostat housing. The asking price is currently at $5300 after viewing the vehicle and discussing these problems.

I would appreciate your honest opinions on this potential purchase. I am also interested in learning about known problems to look out for on this model. I have just started to research and have read a long post about the CCV issue. Should I be running in the opposite direction as fast as possible? The current owner did mention that he has the CCV replaced, but I wasn't aware of this problem at the time. The battery and alternator are also new. I'm a DYI sort of guy, so I am not afraid to fix a few things from time to time, but if there are majo issues here, please let me know.

Thanks!