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What is an ECM?
Interesting. . none of you mentioned Lexol and/or Zymol? Why?
I do use Lexol products for the interior: the leather cleaner and conditioner, as well as their vinylex vinyl cleaner/polisher. And, while Zymol makes some excellent products, they're extremely overpriced. Check out http://www.carcareonline.com. They're a very knowledgable group, and sell all this stuff. They know the products well, and from my experience--and others' opinions I've read--their recommendations are right on. They have good how-to articles, and their product descriptions are candid about which products they like the best. You can get as good--or better--than Zymol results, while spending a fraction.
On a new 530 using US Pricing - what discounts below MSRP are people seeing? Is $1500 below MSRP crazy to expect? It may be, as I paid MSRP for my Honda Minivan a year ago!
Purchasing a new BMW - anyone know what it would cost to extend the warranty to 100K miles, or after lets say the first yr, can an extended warranty be purchased?
Because these cars hold their value so well (as people are actually paying 40-44K for a 2001/2002 530), it only makes sense to buy new - finance over 5 or maybe even 6 yrs to keep the payment down (can you finance over 6 yrs)and sell them in 2 yrs. I already did the amoritization figuring, and after 24 months of payments - with $600 (minimum)of each payment going to interst = 15,000 in principal paid. So the car you paid 45K for, and now owe 30K for, could be sold for a conservative 38K and may be even 42K in two years!
Anyone see any mistake in that angle? Think I am buying new, and planning to hold for 2 years, maybe 3 - and then getting a new one. I am not interested in leasing!!
As for the used car pricing, many dealers' used inventories are misleading. It's not reasonable to buy a $45k car and expect to sell it in 2 years for $42k. (Only high-end, rare cars enjoy that sort of resale value.) When you see an '01 or used '02 530i on the lot for, say, $42k, realize that 1) the original owner was given far less for the trade-in, and 2) the dealer is inflating their asking price. My guess is, a dealer will probably buy a 10k mile '02 530i (originally sold for $45k) for about $38k, and a 20k mile '01 530i for maybe $34-35. You could, of course, probably do better selling privately.
You can extend the BMW service plan (the 3/36 plan which covers pretty much everything but tires) to 4/48 or 4/50 (can't remember which) for either $400 or $800 (sorry, I can't recall which it is). And there are dozens of places that sell extended warranties, but it's a waste of money to buy one until you need it; i.e. you should wait until the factory warranty nearly expires (same goes for the extended BMW service plan).
Good luck....JL
I did buy a Honda S2000 last fall with the intent of keeping it 2+/- years. However, even with it's exceptional resale value as a limited production car, I expect a 15-20% hit after two years.
On your payment mathematics, I'm not sure how $600 per month adds up to $15k in principal after 2 years unless you have a 0% interest rate loan. I've always paid cash for my cars so as to avoid the mental anguish of writing checks month after month. It's not the wisest thing to do, but given how my stock portfolio has done over the last year, my S2000 was my best performing asset.
Bottom line - I do not think it is financially prudent to buy a 5-series with the idea of selling it in 2-3 years. I believe a 330i, M3 or even, heaven forbid, Mercedes E320, will net you a better resale in 2-3 years. If I go with a 5-series as my next sedan, it will be with a "buy and hold" strategy. And there is almost nothing out there that I would rather "hold" than a 530i.
My thought process was this: Rather than put 5-10K down on the car, why not put that money in the market (as we are coming back right?) -so I then figured a 45k loan over 5 years at 5-6% - about 600.00 of every payment goes to principal. Give or take, after 2 years the pricnipal paid off will be 15K. So even keeping the car, it is nice to know your car is worth more than you owe owe on it, albeit for a short time.
Regarding resale value - I agree - you are both correct!
Thanks for the input.
Habitat - find me a Diplomat and I'll fly to DC to pick up a car at that price!! I'll buy you a beer on the way as well.
For small parking-lot dings to the doors, however, waiting usually is more cost-beneficial, even if it is painful to hold off and look at those unsighly blemishes. Most ding-repair shops (like Dent Wizards) either charge a fee for up to several dings, or offer discounts for dings subsequent to the first one.
srfast: I disagree--to an extent--that chipping stones are a way of life. True, you can't prevent all damage, but you can go a long way by protecting your car with either a traditional fabric bra or an "invisible" one like Xpel or Stongard (which can protect the headlights, foglamps, hood, bumper, lower and side fender, and other forward-facing parts). I've been extremely pleased with my XPel system since I've installed it.
JL
hear you weren't hurt. Sometime ago I was driving on 101 in San Mateo County with the
drivers window open on a warm day when an object hurled through the open window
grazing the very top of my hair, not my head ! It was a 3 inch diameter ROCK either thrown or
sent through the air from the tire of another car. If it had been just 4 inches lower it would have killed me. Needless to say, I never drive with that window open ever. Windows are always closed. The car was not my bimmer and there wasn't any damage except some plastic that was broken.
Thanks for your input....JL
Questions: Is my concern over the commuter-car use well founded? New paint is no big deal, but what about getting smoke smell out of leather? Are original struts normally gone by 50K miles or 7 years? Would you pay 11K for this car?
Just checking
1) Like most things, you--the obsessive and enthusiast owner--will be most likely to notice it, since you know it's there.
2) Considering the alternatives--a big fabric bra with the "Toblerone" triangles or an unprotected front-end with lots of stone chips--a clear bra isn't that bad.
To keep the film as invisible as possible, be sure to curtail wax build-up. When you wax, it'll accumulate up alongside the edge of the hood and fender. If left to dry, it forms a distinct white/yellow line along the edge which is annoying. So, after waxing, use a Q-tip to run alongside the edge and clean up excess wax, or later do the same with a good wax removal agent.
I wouldn't discount the extent of the car's injuries. A new quality paint job runs $2000-3000, including some minor bodywork sanding and ding removal. And if the leather is cracked, dried out, and smells of cigarettes, it may be time for a re-upholstering the seats, which will probably cost $1000-1500. If you're still seriously interested in it, take it to a good BMW mechanic and have them check out the fluids, the suspension, brakes, belts and hoses, and anything else they might think of. That $11k--while tempting now--will be a distant memory once expensive repairs start to add up.
Interior options are Black or Gray - think I like black!
You're right tho, the price is the temptation, and I have to keep that from clouding my judgement.
dabimmer: Sounds like you experienced an equally freakish event with that rock. This sure has made me think twice about having the window down completely. I am also very thankful it didn't hit the window. Good to hear you only had singed hair. ;-)
The 540i is more expensive than the 530i because of the V-8 and in the case of the 540i/6spd., the "standard" Sport Package.
Hope this helps...JL
Rack-and-pinion employs a pinion gear at the lower end of the steering column that engages a rack or a toothed rod that connects to the steering arms. When the gear is rotated by the steering wheel/shaft, it moves the rack from side to side: turning the wheels.
With recirculating-ball, the steering shaft turns a worm gear that, in turn, causes a toothed metal block to move back and forth. Ball bearings in a recirculating track reduce friction between the worm gear and the block. As the block moves, its teeth rotate a gear connected to a steering arm, which then moves the steering linkage and turns the wheels.
srfast is right: R&P is inherently a simpler and more direct system, which is why many think it offers better road feel/feedback. RB systems are mainly found in trucks and in heavier cars. I read an explanation somewhere that RB is better suited for heavier cars/trucks because it's a more sturdy mechanism by design. I'm not sure about that, but most of the discussions I've read about it in the 5-series have indicated that the 540's and M5's larger engines prohibit the use of a R&P system.
Also, what is the concentrated reservoir for?
The concentrate bottle is for "extra strength" fluids. The following excerpt is from the 2002 5 series owner's manual:
Fill with intensive-cleaning washer fluid.
It resists freezing to approx. –177
(–276) and is available from your BMW
center.
Hope this helps...JL
Wife's car, '98 528ia sport, stock stereo, with 52,000 miles, out of warranty. Wife came back today saying the car is possessed. She started the car and the airbag light remained on, she noticed that as she tried to control the radio from the steering wheel controls, nothing happened, however, the indash radio controls worked fine. Stereo wouldn't raise/lower volume, wouldn't change radio station from the steering wheel. She turned the car off then moved the steering wheel up/down, telescope in/out, then started the car again, this time the airbag light went off, steering wheel radio controls worked. She repeated the process, turn car off, play with steering wheel, turn car back on, notice that sometimes the airbag light remains on, sometimes it's off. When airbag remains lit, the radio controls on the steering wheel do NOT work. When the airbag light turns off, the radio controls on steering wheel work fine. Does this sound like a short? Airbag sensor? Any help would be appreciated before I take it to the dealer.
TIA,
Hayawan
More to come I guess,
Spyderred,
Mechanically, I believe very little--if anything--changed between those two model years. The 5-series did receive a minor facelift for the 2001 MY, however, with the "angel eye" headlights and clear tails that, in my opinion, are certainly sharper than the now-antiquated look of the pre-2001's.
But either way you'll enjoy the car. I recently drove a 540iT, and it was awesome for a wagon. (It really made me wonder why anyone would consider the X5, or any other SUV for that matter.)
Thanks.
I had considered a new BMW 5-series last fall and several dealers I talked to said that the "new" 540i (i.e. 1997 on) was a more reliable V8 than in the previous generation.
You may want to look into the reliability and maintenance costs of the previous 4.0 liter V8 vs. the current 4.4 liter. I didn't pursue it because I postponed the purchase and likely would have gone with the 530i anyway. BMW's 2.8/3.0 liter I6's were almost universally praised (even by a competitive MB dealer) as highly reliable and sturdy.
Q: How do you adjust the Low Beam?? vertical?
As this car replaced a two-year-old 323i without SP, the sport package and larger engine were the most compelling reasons for the upgrade. The SP is fantastic...the best feature of the car, without a doubt. I can't imagine owning a Bimmer without it. My wife has finally stopped asking why I select hilly, twisting back roads when there are perfectly serviceable freeway alternatives. She's gotten pretty good at reaching up and grabbing the little handle above the door, too, as soon as she sees that 'look' in my eyes, as I bear down in anticipation of an upcoming set of curves. She's even stopped asking why I won't buy a car with an automatic transmission!
I'm happy to report that there have been no problems with the car so far. No defects or breakdowns, and everything works as it should. At ~6K miles, the OBC told me I was low on oil. I ended up adding 1/2 quart of Castrol all-synthetic. This didn't happen during the 27K miles I put on the 323i, but no matter. If adding a little oil is the extent of my unplanned service, I can live with it.
Mileage, both mean and peak, has been a pleasant surprise. I'm averaging 21 mpg and can get ~28 on freeway trips, even when cruising at 90 mph. This is about what I got with the 3er and it's 2.5l engine (also a 5sp), and I'm certainly not holding back when it comes to acceleration.
My only complaint (and the 323i suffered from this, too) is an irritating resonance when the rear windows are down at any speed higher than 20 mph. In fact, the front passenger window exhibits this tendency on the 530i, although it's not as bad as the rears. Friends with Audi's and Lexus' have told me they've got the same problem. I haven't asked the dealer about it, but assuming it's a known issue, I'm surprised that BMW hasn't been able/willing to fix it.
In conclusion, this is a car that I expect to own for a long time. With a 9-year-old son, perhaps I'll consider turning it over to him in eight or nine years and checking out the '11 or '12 models. In the meantime, though, I've got a smile on my face every time I grab my keys. I just installed winter wheels (Blizzak LM-22s on alloy rims), so I'm ready for the first big dump of the season and a work-out for the DSC system!
http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/classifieds/cars/detview.php?view=10209
I wish you continued good luck with your 530i and hoping I am as lucky.
JL