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Let's say the tires would normally last 25k miles, a new set costs $500 ($125 per tire), and mounting/balancing costs $25/wheel.
By 125k miles:
Option 1--Don't rotate:
New tires: $500 x 5 = $2500 (at 25k,50k,75k,100k,125k).
Mounting & balancing: $25 x 4 x 5 = $500
Total: $3000
Option 2--Rotate every 10k miles:
(25,000 x 1.25 = 31,250 miles new tire life)
New tires: $500 x 4 = $2000 (at 31,250, 62,500, 93750, 125k)
Mounting & balancing: $25 x 4 x 12 = $ 1200 (10k,20k,30k,40k,50k,60k,70k,80k,90k,100k,110k,120k)
Total: $3200
Not to mention the degredation in performance (while the newly-rotated tire "sits" in its new position), and the time to go get them rotated every 10k miles.
And, even if you follow BMW's recommendations and don't rotate tires on a 5-series, I would think they should still be balanced every 15k-20k miles.
But even at a lower price, my point is you wouldn't save much over the long term, and frankly I'd rather maximize performance and avoid spending a couple hours every 4-5 months doing something the manual recommends against in the first place just to save some money.
Just my opinion.
Just my .02
As Chris (ccotenj) says; ymmv.
Best Regards,
Shipo
DL
I wouldn't be surprised if the ED program can offer suggestions about routes, hotels, trip recommendations, etc. But I'd suggest Frommer's and/or Rick Steve's books to plan your trip.
Have a great time.
have a good knowledge of English.They will except
your Visa and Master card.From Munich you can drive to Salzburg.Then drive to Spitz,a rustic
town along the Donau ( Wachau Region ), stay overnight.Take the boat ride to Krems and return.
You may want to visit Vienna.If you do, take a hotel in the suburbs and take the train to the
center.It's high season, you might see your neighbor.Everywhere you go, you will find friendly
people.The food is out of this world, and you can't beat the scenery. Enjoy the trip.
The best part is driving around in a powerful car on the Autobahn. Most european cars have smaller engines (including BMWs, for example they make a 520i and a 530 DIESEL) due to the cost of fuel. Your American-spec car will be a hot rod compared to most others, and everybody races everybody on the Autobahn.
You will be amazed at how effortlessly you cruise at 100 m.p.h. (the limit before break-in).
Regarding road signs, they are the "international" type which you should generally recognize. Two IMPORTANT differences in Germany: a) a round white sign with three light gray lines through it means "all restrictions (including speed) are lifted", and b) a diamond-shaped white sign with a yellow center and black outline means you are on a "priority road" when coming to an intersection. Think of it as the opposite of a yield sign. THAT was kind of hard to get used to. Just assume you never have the right of way and I guess you'll be fine!
Some great places we particularly enjoyed include Fussen (where the "original" Cinderella's castle is located), and Bamberg, where ther's a hotel literally in the middle of a river: the St. Nepomuk.
For that matter, turn your car back in Munich (generally has be to be on a weekday, though you can make special arrangements for an extra fee) and stay your last weekend there. Be sure to stay near the pedestrian area in the center of the city. Tons to see and you won't miss having a car at all.
We've been to Germany 4 times, and my vocabulary is about 100 words (bier, etc.). They study English in school so everyone knows a little... What's particularly amusing is when you speak to them in German and they respond in perfect English (not like the French!). Have fun!
I suggest you ask further on the 3-series board, though.
I am looking at a 530 5-speed with premium package, rear sunshade, Xenon, and rear airbags in either Silver/Black Leather or Topez Blue/Sand Leather. I would have considered the K. Beige, but I have not seen it.
Anyone have the Lumbar support or Premium sound system and have any comments? I have had back problems and would like the high-end sound, but the budget line has to be drawn somewhere.
-Bob
You will find the comfort seats well worth the price if you have a back problem. They offer more adjustments than just the lumbar support. Even those without back problems should find them worthwhile.
First, I highly recommend the sport package. It doesn't have adjustable lumbar support, but it's more than ample in my opinion. And those seats hug you well, and the suspension tuning is sublime. Go test it out at your dealer to see the differences (and feel free to test the comfort seats as well).
As for premium sound, this is a highly debated topic. I got it and am very pleased with the system. However, others rightly point out you can probably do better for the $1200 (although you'll have to research components and find a good place to install them, and integration with the factory head-unit may not be as clean as it is with DSP). My recommendation: Bring your favorite CD to your dealer and spend some time with both the standard (which you may find more than acceptable) and the DSP systems.
Good luck.
You can get a great deal that way.
At 6'3", I do not like the comfort seats since the extra shoulder support is too low for me, actually making low back support worse. My back has been mostly under control lately, but I would like enough support for 2 weeks touring Europe and some driving vacations in coming years. The standard seats are fairly comfortable, and I have not found many lumbar controls in other makes that help much.
I would like the Sport package, but pricing and dealing with winter tires make me hesitate. I will give the standard sound system a "test drive".
I am in central NJ, and the Freehold dealer has done ED and has one in the works for this May. Today when I brought up ED, my sales person stated "With Euro Delivery, the price is the price." I haven't pushed him yet, and I'll see what I can do on Monday. There are about 3 other dealers I could try, one near my work, the others are less convenient.
I am looking for delivery June 24 and was just able to hold 4 frequent flyer seats to Munich June 22/23 and return from Paris July 9. There should be plenty of time to set this up.
Thanks again, Bob
The dealer near me is trying to tell me that ED is non negotiable.
Thank you,
E. Stone
Comfort seat lumbar support moves up and down as well as in and out. I don't know about the regular seats.
I would try Southbay or Steve Thomas, and stay away from Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, if price, knowledge and service are important. I can't speak to either's experience with Euro delivery. And for everyone heading to Muenchen, try traveling south to Northern Italy - such as Garda. The food and weather are far better than anything in Bavaria or Austria - I know my Deutsch friends would readily agree.
In later discussions, guess what? They countered with a discounted price after I had obtained one elsewhere. I ended up buying from the dealer who was straight with me from the outset (even though he was located farther away).
Remember, there are many salespeople out there who can look you in the face and tell you a bald-faced lie. There's no excuse for that, except that at some "old school" dealerships these behaviors are encouraged if not mandated.
just look at the rear door at http://pc99.detnews.com/autosinsider/sneakpeek/index.hbs?myrec=20
down at the bottom of the page
But stay true to your budget. If you're looking to keep it under 40k, do yourself a favor and don't even look at the 5-series. My 530i--well loaded with almost everything except nav--stickered for a hair under 49k, and I bought it for $46.5. But with taxes, fees, and a couple of accessories, it came to $50k.
If I were you, I'd first drive the 325i. You may find it offers everything you need and want. If you still need more power, look at the 330i, which fails to impress almost no one. I elected the 530i because I found the 330 cramped by comparison and its interior was not as well designed or constructed of as fine materials.
But it's a hoot to drive, and if my cap were 40k the choice would have been easy--the 330.
So, basically, give it a shot.
I think 25% more tread life is easy, because of the front-to-back wear differences ( outside edge vs middle & inside edge.
Of course part of my motivation there is that i'm filling the landfills less.
dave
As for "Pretty much any tire shop will rotate and rebalance for free," I think you're mistaken. Perhaps if you're a regular customer of their's (and then you usually pay more for the tires than you would from Tire Rack or similar) they'd do it, but I highly doubt you could just show up at any tire place and expect a complimentary rotation and balance job as often as you like without buying anything from them.
As for the environmental impact, I concur.
You're right, i should have said "if you get your tires there."
dave
I am not trying to belittle them but based on my experience these folks do not even check the tire pressure when they pump the air into the tires. Everyone gets treated equally!
I believe that BMW suggests that you do not rotate tires, but I'm not sure I agree.
Thanks...George
Best Regards,
Shipo
The entire transaction took about an hour.
“Hello, Park Avenue BMW.”
“Yes, I am looking for a new car, will you folks take a $1,500 over ED invoice deal on a 2002 530i?”
“Hmmm, we don’t normally do that type of a deal, I will have to discuss it. Can I call you back in about 5 minutes?”
“Certainly, here is my number.”
Eight minutes later:
“Mr. Shipo, will you do the deal right now?”
“Yes, I can be there within the hour.”
“Great, give me the equipment that you want, and I will start the paperwork ”
When we finished signing the deal, he said, “I want to thank you for being so up-front about how you wanted to do this deal and for being so prepared.”
“Your welcome, may I give out your name to other folks I know who may want to do a similar deal?”
“Certainly.”
So, here is the info:
Mike Weber
Park Avenue BMW
210 Route 17 North
Maywood, NJ 07607
201-843-7900
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
As for breaking in the car, just be sure to shift and vary your speed periodically.