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Another point I want to make is that having a knobby tread pattern does not a snow tire make, if it did, my Michelin Pilot Primacy’s would be a decent snow tire, and trust me, snow tires they ain’t. What makes a great snow tire is the rubber compound and all of the fine little cuts made in the tread pattern that can grip the snow. Like all of the best winter tires, the Arctic-Alpin’s have said slices, in this case, six slices per linear inch of tread.
I hope this helps clear up any confusion I may have caused by my previous post. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
I like the cars you mentioned—Miata, S2000—I even considered buying them. Bottom line: they aren’t Porsches, and as well-read as you seem to be on automotive subjects, if you don’t realize this then you’re not as erudite as I had thought. It’s that simple. The only knock on the Boxster is price, an issue that I got past, as do most financially responsible owners of luxury cars.
With regard to the M5 comparison. I like this stealth bomber and seriously considered buying it. Bottom line: I wanted handling and open air more than I did power. On the switchbacks the M5 will roll off the mountain a lot sooner than the Boxster, Miata and S2000... saved myself 15 grand also. BTW, I saved 58 grand by not buying a C4S... pretty frugal I think.
Yes you CAN compare different types of cars when you are considering buying them. What's more, you're crazy if you don't. But go ahead, let’s see how much dust you can find in the pepper shaker now.
If you want to compare Boxsters to BMW sedans, maybe the M3? They share two doors and 6-cyl. engines.
If you want to compare a Porsche to the M5, then maybe the 928 or Cayenne?
And if you haven't noticed, I'm NOT in awe of marques. I don't live in constant need or desire of having to have the right marque. I had no trouble going from BMW to Lexus. I want a fun car to drive that is affordable and reliable.
I love many marques: BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Jaguar, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, etc. Some have more cachet than others and some have been around a lot longer than others. But Porsche are too expensive, too impractical, and too unreliable for my tastes, today; however, wait till my 2 kids (13 and 11) grow up and leave home. I'll finally get a roadster. And will be looking at Miata, S2000, Z4, and Boxster.
Over on BMW tips, you're more likely to see "F--- you" than inter alia.
Thanks, Riez (good comments, too).
Please help; I am totally confused.
FWIW, I got a set of Dunlop Winter Sport M2s for my 530i SP about a month ago and have been quite pleased so far. Handling seems nearly up to par with the stock tires and they aren't noticably noisier. I haven't had to test them yet in deep snow, but Consumer Reports.com rates them very highly for handling in snow. (CR preferred the Michelins for dry handling, as do the previous posts here).
Best Regards,
Shipo
Now 2 options DUNLOP M2 or Blizzak LM22. Since you all have suggested, I would like to have Michelin Artic Alpin.
Any ideas ?
Over on the RoadFly classified board, they have a complete wheel and tire set for a 5-Series that has only been on the ground for 6 weeks. The owner explains that they were bought for his old car prior to trading it in. He states that he has the new receipt dated in November 2003, and that he paid $1,020 for them and is willing to sell them for $800.
So, what's the catch?
The deal is for Borbet Type E wheels with Blizzak 225/55QR16, not the Michelin Arctic-Alpin tires that you wanted. Given that you cannot easily get the Michelin's this year and need a fallback, why not save a couple hundred dollars while you are at it?
You can see the ad via the following link:
http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/classifieds/wheels/detview.php?view=10- 557
Best Regards,
Shipo
I hope I would be satisfied.
Thanks again,
Viz
I hope I would be satisfied.
Thanks again,
Viz
I have two problems I need to fix:
1. The car will not remain idling in weather closer to 50 degrees and lower. It will stay on for about 3 minutes and then try to adjust; finally failing and shutting off. This is a problem now, of course, since it is cold.
2. I tried to start this afternoon (temp 36 degrees) and it made several clicking / grinding noises when I tried the key. The dash lit up and the interior light came on. After I returned the key to the off position, it made the "winding down" sound like a small motor coming to a stop.
The vehicle would not turn over until my husband jump started it and then did not remain on for long. Is this a battery problem or something much larger? Also, the orange light at the gear shift remains on after the vehicle is off. Is this normal?
Also, anyone have trouble with the CD magazine in the trunk not working at temperatures under 32 degrees?
Thanks.
I have these same problems, though on a 1999. Incredible that nearly 10 years did not make a difference. I am also wondering if my car is not getting enough oxygen, making it stall in temps below 50....yesterday was the worse, so i will bring it to the shop (again) to have that checked out. I have noticed the CD magazine did not send info to the radio a fe weeks ago when temps dipped into the 20's.
Any explanation for this would be greatly appreciated!
1. 4/50 bumper-to-bumper warranty.
2. 4/50 free maintenance.
So if you keep the car for 4 years and drive it less than 50,000 miles, you won't pay a thing in maintenance or repairs.
About all you'll have might be a new set of tires, but that will depend upon how you drive. RWD 5 Series really needs dedicated winter tires if you live in the snow belt.
MB, Audi, and other marques also provide free maintenance periods. These can vary in time and mileage so you have to check each one out. The premium Japanese marques like Lexus and Infiniti do not.
If you keep the car more than 4/50, you'll essentially have similar maintenance concerns with any premium European marque.
Correct me if i am wrong but Mercedes' offers free "scheduled" maintenance not like BMW's free "full" maintenance.
did not opt for the hands free phone installtion at the time of purchase.
Called BMW dealer in Fremont, CA today and they said it can be installed at a cost of $1695 (approx.).
Is there any other way to get it added on without going thru BMW?
Thanks in advance for your help.
I say this based on my experience with a '00 528i I purchased almost 2 years ago as a CPO with 29K miles on the odometer. The Schedule 1 service had been performed during the certification process. I purchased the $595 Full Maintenance Coverage thinking that my next service (at about 45K miles) would be a Schedule 2 Service. I even had a service advisor tell me such! Imagine my surprise when I find out it is only an oil change!!
In my case, this was a wasted purchase, especially because the front brakes were already replaced when they certified the car. With my mostly freeway driving, the rear brakes never reached their indicator bars within 50K miles.
Fortunately for me, I was able to get my alternator and A/C belts replaced, and the control arm bushings replaced, at 49K miles. All in all, I am guessing I probably received about $400 worth of services for that $595 purchase, maybe a little more.
I'm no expert, and I expect many others can share more expertise than I, but if you don't have the front brake pads replaced by 36K miles, then I recommend purchasing the Full Maintenance Package. Or maybe consider waiting; inspecting the wear on your brake pads just before 36K miles, and then decide. I recently enquired about my rear brakes, which are finally wearing down after 53K miles, and a BMW service advisor told me their rear brake service typically runs around $545. Ouch. I'm glad I know an independent shop (that specializes in BMWs) that will do this work for $300.
We live in Calif Bay Area and so while snow not an issue do want to take the car to the mountains on occasion and that requires snow cables / chains. The dealer said would be no problem to put snow cables on the car, though they may have to be special ordered. I've checked with several suppliers all they are all recommending against putting cables on this car due to the low clearance. Anyone have experience putting cables on 17' wheels? and suggestions on where to source in SF Bay area (Marin County)?
Thanks
I purchased a CPO '00 528i Sport less than 2 years ago. Both the original Continentals, and my replacement Yokohamas (ES100s), exhibited very loud road noise after ~10K miles on each set. Both were relatively quiet initially, but eventually they sounded like a set of knobby 4x4 monster truck tires! With the original tires, I was told the noise was caused by "cupping" -- irregular tire wear. My Yokos now seem to be experiencing the same problem.
I had the car's alignment checked, and I was told it was within spec. However, I was told that "within spec" for the 5-series Sport Pkg is not a true "neutral" alignment. I was warned that this performance-oriented alignment may cause some irregular tire wear, depending on the tires.
For all of you who have owned a 5-series Sport for a couple years or longer, does this story ring true? Are there any particular tires that you recommend for improved tread life and reduced pavement noise with these cars?
Both times have been after a series of snowstorms when I've had to leave the car in the driveway (regrettably, uncovered) for about two weeks -- so there's been a combination of freezing temperatures, and not starting the car for two weeks.
Last time, I had the dealer check the battery after the obligatory tow-truck jumpstart, and they said it tested out fine.
On a related note, does anyone know whether you can jumpstart the car from the trunk? I think the owner's manual says to use the terminals under the hood, but at this point, my easiest access is to the trunk.
Many thanks.
My '98 540i6 had the same issues. My initial set of Yokohama AVS100 DB became horribly noisy after about 10K miles. Wearing on the inside, especially the two rears. I also had them do a 4-wheel alignment. Kept them for another 10K (with the noise become worse and worse) before replacing them with ContiSportContact 2s. I only put on about 7K miles on these before I traded her in.
You absolutely must keep in mind a couple things. One, BMW does not recommend tire rotation. Though there are many owners that do rotate, for those that can. But the 540i6 comes with staggered tires (bigger in rear than front) so you can't rotate.
Two, BMW's use their own unique (rather aggressive) suspension set up. You have to compare camber/castor, etc. Not kind to tire wear. They tend to wear tires from the inside. That is how my tires wore.
High performance summer tires tend to be "softer" and have less tire life in them than other tires. The suspension set up combines with this.
My replacement Lexus IS300 had about 3 warning stickers on it talking about tire wear, essentially saying you might be lucky to get 20,000 miles.
I agree with riez. These tires definitely seem to wear out along the inside of the tread. However, I can't see putting up with the tire noise for too long. These tires also grew loud after 10K miles, and you can bet I won't put up with this noise level for another 10K miles!
Since this tire wear problem has occurred with two different sets of tires, it's rather difficult for me to take a chance on the expensive Michelin Pilots. What if they also wear out along the inside and provide similar road noise after 10K miles? I'm almost wondering if I should resign myself to buying new tires every 12K-14K miles, and stay with less expensive models?
I might see if some "Z" all-season tires wear any better than the soft "W" performance tires I've used in the past.
By the way, I never had this problem with either of our previous 3-series cars. I'm guessing they didn't have the same situation (negative camber setting?).
Just make sure that you car has proper 4-wheel alignment, ensure the tire pressure is right, and the tires are properly mounted/balanced. Then drive the heck out of 'em!
Best Regards,
Shipo
I should probably try to take Shipo's advice and take harder corners, to help balance the treadware toward the outside of the tread!
I have gotten 3 estimates so far ($960, $650, $300). The first 2 are from body shops "recommended" by the 2 dealers in town and the 3rd one is from a body shop that claims to repair BMW's (among other foriegn made cars).
Here's my question: has anyone had any experience dealing with body shops not recommended by the BMW dealers and what were your experiences? Thanks!
Hope this helps....JL
Over rough roads and speed bumps, I can hear a rattle coming from the rear seats/doors.
I put silicone on the door seals and that did not fix the problem.
Could it be the rear headrests? door panels?
Some of the old messages discussed this issue, but no final resolutions were posted.
Anyone? Anyone?
Thanks!