BMW 5-Series Sedans

tentwalker · January 2004

I'm looking to buy a 2003 530iA or 540iA in Philadelphia PA area. I am looking for brand new or very low miles (like a demo car) Was interested in peoples opinions about the relative benefits/drawbacks between the two engines, relative to gas mileage, acceleration, etc.

Also, any opinions or advice on pricing. Drove an 03 540iA w/ sport and premium packages with 6k miles priced at $52,000.00. Seems high to me but the dealer doesn't seem willing to deal, thoughts?

karmikan · January 2004

The choice probably boils down to how much you value the extra power - and there's a lot more in the 540. Here's my take:

The 530 feels better balanced IMO (less weight in the front so it feels more nimble) and better gas mileage. The 540 has much more grunt.

I'd suggest that you go for a spirited test drive in a 530 and see if the performance gives you what you want. If it does buy it, if not go for the 540. Either way you'll be getting one of the best sedans on the planet. I can't comment on current US pricing but if the E60 continues to receive somewhat indifferent press and sales slow down you might see late model E39 prices firming up. Good luck.

crete · January 2004

I bought a new 2003 540 after driving the 530. I don't regret it at all, the 540 has more standard features that were options on the 530. It has better acceleration and the gas mileage is not that much less than the 530. I thought the 530 was fine but once I got in the 540 and took off, i was sold.

Don't know where you are going to find any more new 530 or 540 around, as i looked all over the west. Finally found mine with 16 miles on it as it just came off the truck at the dealer.

Good luck.

cmr530i · January 2004

Here's the scenario: The left rear tire on my 530 was not holding the correct pressure.(I have Michilin Primacy Pilots.) I noticed a nail embedded in the tread and took it to a tire store to repair, where it was discovered that the tire actually had two nails in it. After the repair and remounting, a bulge in the sidewall was noticed. Not wanting to drive with a tire in that condition, I had the spare put on instead. My questions: At this point should I buy a new set of tires since the ones I have now are originals with almost 30K miles on them? Or just buy one new tire and put it on the spare? My BMW dealer told me the tires looked good at about 25K back in August. Thanks in advance for your advice.

div2 · January 2004

Tire life is subject to several variables-ambient temperatures, inflation pressure, driving style, road conditions, etc. Assuming that your tires are wearing evenly, I'd measure the current tread depth and compare it to that of a new Pilot Primacy-even if they are 3/4 worn you would still have @10000 miles of useful life remaining.

kyfdx · January 2004

If I bought one more new tire, I'd put it on the right rear, and then put the used tire on the right rear back on the spare. That way, you'd have a matched set on the rear as far as wear, and a used spare.

regards,
kyfdx

dabimmer · January 2004

Firstly, I'm amazed that you've gotten almost 30 K miles on Pilot Primacys. I'm assuming that your spare had very little or no mileage. Therefore, I, too, would buy one new one and put in on the right rear.You would have two comparable tires on the rear. The only problem you would then have is that the two front tires have 30K miles and would have to wait till those tires need replacement.

cmr530i · January 2004

I very much appreciate your responses. I too am amazed with the mileage I've gotten from these tires, and had expected to replace them many miles ago. Guess I need to live a bit more dangerously and burn more rubber.;-) I agree with the idea of buying a new right rear tire and putting the used one on the spare. Thanks again. You make this a board a great resource.

randomthought · January 2004

I understand from my local dealer that you cannot get both Sirius and the new DVD Navigation system installed due to an issue with the antenna? Its either one or the other. Anyone hear of this?

sdg380 · January 2004

I think the above suggestions to have the 2 new tires on the back wheels make sense, but you will be looking to replace the fronts in 10k or 15k miles. Amazingly, modern tires can return great mileage (I got 40k+ out Pirelli's on my old 525), but tires are the last thing to scrimp on. Why not take the opportunity to upgrade all 4 corners, buy 3 new ones to go with the new spare, put the best of the old on the spare, and not worry about it again for 40k miles (or just pop for 4 new ones, since even un-used tires age). Last time I bought, tires were one of the LEAST expensive items on my 5.

srfast · January 2004

That is the key to your answer.

Regards...JL

randomthought · January 2004

The 2004 5 series. The DVD navigation can be ordered now from the factory but not with the satellite radio (and vice versa). Or at least that is what I have been told. The sales guy did say that you could order the DVD Nav with the Satellite radio prewire and then get the system installed later but that sounds like BS if there is an antenna sharing/interference issue.

dabimmer · January 2004

After 3 years of driving this car, 530IA with sport and premium packages, I find that I still have the same enthusiasm as I had the day I took delivery. Just about everywhere I go someone will notice or ask about the color or how much I like the car.But the best thing is when I've been at a shopping center and I'm walking toward my parking space and I see that Anthracite beauty just waiting there for me.Believe me, this is what it is all about.

dabimmer · January 2004

I only have 17 K miles on the Michelin Pilot Primacy 235-45-17 tires but I'm seriously considering getting Michelin Pilot Sport A/S in the same size. Also think the Bridgestone Turanza LS-Z would be a good choice. Any one out there have any ideas about these selections? Any input is appreciated.

manybmws · January 2004

I have used 17" Pilot Sport A/S tires as a 3-season tire in the Boston area for 2 years. Very nice ride, quiet, good handling, although pure "summer" tires will be a little more edgy when pushed. Great in the rain! Marginal in snow.

dabimmer · January 2004

Thanks for the input, the Pilot Sport A/S does sound like it would be perfect for me. Snow is not a concern here but we get a lot of rain and a great rain tire is an absolute necessity.

pen101 · January 2004

With less than 12 months left on my lease, I am already thinking about the possibilities of whether to buy my car at the conclusion of the lease or lease another.

To guess what the future value of the car might be, I checked the value (trade-in) of a 530i on Kelly Blue Book with the same equipment as on my car. One thing I've noticed is that the value drops significantly between the third and forth year and 36K miles and 48K miles (2000 vs 2001). I also noticed that the 530i (528) has almost the same trade-in value as a 330i (328) for MY 2000 and 1999. Why? The numbers are based on a 5-speed with sp and pp at 12K miles a year. This troubles me, and from a financial point of view, if this trend is consistent, makes it not a good idea to buy out my lease just to hold on to the car for a few more years. Interesting to notice also that against the 330i, the 530i retains a higher value after the first couple of years and then drops significantly after that.

The numbers (the approximate percentage of retained value is in parenthasis, based on purchase of new 530i at $43K and new 330i at 37K, which of course is probably on the high side, especially for the 1999's and 2000's):
530i:
1999-60K miles, $19,225 (44.7%)
2000-48K miles, $22,575 (52.5%)
2001-36K miles, $30,150 (70.1%)
2002-24K miles, $34,125 (79.4%)
330i:
1999-60K miles, $18,880 (51.0%)
2000-48K miles, $21,975 (59.4%)
2001-36K miles, $24,500 (66.2%)
2002-24K miles, $28,200 (76.2%)

The biggest change from MY2000 to 2001 was the bigger engine (530 vs 528) and some minor body changes, but why should the value drop off so much, especially when the same changes in the 330 (328) did not result in such as drop off in value? Any ideas? I also expect the 530 to continue to drop in value compared to the 330 because of the 2004 new body style (no significant changes to the 330 until 2006).

srfast · January 2004

the NAV signal. The BMW Sirius SAT radio has always been a dealer (not factory) installed "option." You will need to order the "Sirius Ready" option for it to work in 2004. I am sure the Sirius system will have a dedicated antenna. BTW, I don't think SAT currently available, but will be in 3/2004.

Hope this helps...JL

habitat1 · January 2004

I have a couple of thoughts:

The 530i was a big improvement in power over the old 528i. The extra weight of the 5 series needed that extra displacement IMO. With the 3-series, the relative difference of going to the 330i from the 328i was less pronounced.

The 3-series continues to be an "entry level" BMW and there seem to be more young people chasing them. A friend of mine sold his 1999 328ci privately last summer and his phone didn't stop ringing (mostly by 20 somethings). Another friend trying to sell his 1999 528i ended up trading it in due to relative lack of interest. Both were in the DC area and both were in mint condition.

tlmmhowell · January 2004

I have a '99 540iTa and I have always gotten around 19mpg on the computer. In fact, I have never reset the consumption2 reading and it shows 18.9. My current mileage is 15 on the cons1 readout, which I reset now and again. This alarming devolpment has occurred over the last month. Can anyone shed some light on this? Should I plan a visit to the dealer? I don't care as much about the mileage; I fear this is symptomatic of another problem.

riez · January 2004

Was looking over the latest issue of R&T, Feb. 04. The '04 530i is one of the Readers' Choice Award winners. $44,300 base MSRP. Add options and the price will quickly approach $50K or more. Their profiled one has 6-speed AT, 225/40R17 ContiTouringContact all-season tires. 0-60 mph in 7.2 secs. 1/4 mile in 15.4 secs. and 92.1 mph. Brakes from 60 mph in 119 ft and from 80 mph in 214 ft. EPA is 18/28 mpg.

Then flipped a few pages further. Road Test of the '04 Cadillac CTS-V. Base MSRP of $50,690 (includes destination). Car can be had with only one option ($1,200 sunroof). Standard built-in g-meter, 6-speed manual, massive Brembo brakes, with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar EMT run flat P245/45ZR18 96W tires. 0-60 mph in 5.0 secs (with no speed shifting). 1/4 mile in 13.4 secs. at 109 mph!!! Brakes from 60 mph in 115 ft and from 80 mph in 202 ft. EPA is 18/26 mpg.

If you had $50K, which one would you buy? Think I'd have the CTS-V. BMW 525i and 530i really not offering that much over competition FOR THE MONEY.

cdnpinhead · January 2004

for Sports Sedans is generally accepted as being the BMW 5 series, it's nice to see some competition. At the moment the Lexus GS crowd is not too pleased.

I bought a car ~four years ago from an American company that I thought wanted to play. Turns out they didn't, but Cadillac does.

Go figure.

billbrox · January 2004

we can wait, right?

riez · January 2004

billbrox... Are you talking about the 545i6? M5? Won't suprise me if next M5 costs $80,000 or more. Rise in Euro isn't helping. And BMW is adding every electronic doo-dad they can think of. Price rises and reliability falls?

kdshapiro · January 2004

"Price rises and reliability falls? "

Same thing has happened in the past to Japan Inc. What happened once can happen again.

billbrox · January 2004

Riez, I'm with you on that one.....I chose the '03 530 for that reason. Am quite content where I am....."price rises, reality falls".

nyccarguy · January 2004

Did anybody read the roundel editorial that talked about new auto technology in the high end segment and how some people buy new cars just because they say they have more power, more gagets...but don't really get use out of it. It cites a guy who bought an E500 (traded in what sounds like a lovely E420) and another guy who bought an SL500, likes it, but wishes it were less complex.

Hopefully there will be some nicely worn (not used or driven) E39 M5s on the market once the new V10 version comes out just to get the latest. I'm infatuated with the E39 M5. I saw one today that was Dark Green with a tan interior. This is my least favorite color combo for any car (Reminds me of 1994-1995), but I liked it on the E39 M5!

div2 · January 2004

Get an E28 M5; you can find a nice one for around 15K. Stick a Conforti chip and a high flow cat into it and you'll see @310 bhp-good enough for 0-60 in the mid fives and a quarter in the thirteens. Aside from a fiddly valve adjustment procedure, the car is much, much easier to service than an E39. Much lighter as well. It's also one heck of a sleeper...;)

riez · January 2004

nyccarguy... I read that one with interest. Dave Farnsworth's "The Navigator" column in the January 2004 issue of Roundel (p. 20). One section really hit home:

"You're going to pay for the technology whether you want it or not, and this trend is not going to change any time soon. The only choice is to pay for bells and whistles you don't understand, pay for bells and whistles you don't want, or move way down the automotive food chain."

I concur with Farnsworth. My next new car might be a 1 Series (though even that will likely have too many bells and whistles) or something like a Miata (unless Mazda messes it up with bells and whistles).

pap5 · January 2004

(As Maynard G. Krebs would say, "You rang?")

Riez, your fears about the 1-series are probably well-founded. When you're ready, look at the Miata. Mazda is well attuned to what their constituency wants, and will not muck up the Miata with unnecessary baggage. They've refrained for two generations, and I believe they will for the next one as well. That's the advantage of being a marque with two sports car lines - they can hang all the technology on the RX-8 and appeal to two distinct sets of buyers.

Bells and whistles gone awry: Last week, I noticed a strange odor in my 530i. Turns out an element in the butt warmer had shorted out (I suppose) and burned a hole through the seat cover and my coat. The only thing that kept it from burning a hole through my butt was my wallet. And if the car had been out of warranty, it would have burned a hole through that, too.

cdnpinhead · January 2004

rules.

Earlier BMW's were built on this concept, but now we're here.

I've owned an MGB (off-topic) and two Miatas. Mazda has kept their eye on the prize, and continues to produce a simple roadster that works almost every time.

I've alienated any number of people by bringing the Miata standard to several discussions. One hopes such exchanges of ideas will eventually improve the breed or, as Charles Shultz once said, we could all flap our arms and fly to the moon.

It turns out that the twelve (or fifty) people who really want a simple but well-executed car that handles well and has a manual transmission will all die. This appears to be the business model of most manufacturers. "Surely you jest" is what Maynard would have said. It remains to be seen what will actually happen.

I want a manual. I don't want every bell and whistle known to man. I want a car with good fore/aft balance and a good suspension.

I'm screwed.

shipo · January 2004

When I order a car, I order it with most, if not all, of the options available, EXCEPT an automatic transmission. Call me a hypocrite, but I want my car to control the temperature, the brightness or the rear-view mirror, determine when the wipers should wipe, auto-up and auto-down my windows and keep track of a whole host of data regarding how and where I drive. That said, I still want to stir my own gears. Go figure.

Best Regards,
Shipo

riez · January 2004

Will be interesting to see how many recent BMWs will be seen on the road in 10, 15, 20, or more years. Will they be in good shape? Or beaters? Will they be too expensive to own and maintain, as you have to spend a small fortune fixing one electronic doo-dad or another over the years? Guess only time will tell. Know I chickened out on my '98 E39 540i6. Wasn't willing to gamble after 5 years and 80K miles. Only way I would is if I had a great independent BMW garage nearby and really trusted the technicians. Don't have that in my area.

nyccarguy · January 2004

E28 M5? Is that the one from Ronin (or is that an E34). Both cool cars! Even a CPO E39 M5 is way out of my league (as are any shot at a new car) and will be for quite some time (as all of my finances are currently tied up in the condo I'm closing on Tuesday).

I know this is the 5er board, but my parents are finally adding a BMW (I've always been pro-BMW) to our family of cars. My Dad (also my boss) and I ordered an '04 X5 3.0iA (Sterling Gray, Black Leather, SP are the pertinent stats) for him today. We're very excited. Hopefully if all goes well (with the X5) my Mom will replace her '02 A6 (ridden with problems and an awful dealer service department) with an E60 (my Dad digs the styling, I'm not thrilled with it).

div2 · January 2004

Here's a pic of all three generations of the M5(E28, E34, and E39): http://bmw.hlabs.spb.ru/pics/m5-s.jpg The only downside to the E28 model was that it was only offered in Black in North America. I also have a friend who special ordered a beautiful Avus Blue E34 M5 in the early 90s-it even had Motorsport cloth seats instead of leather. Congratulations on the X5! I really, really, like the X5; I've put several thousand miles on a 4.4 and a 4.6is. Can't wait to try the 4.8is. I also had a chance to check out an X3 3.0. No I-Drive(Yay!) and a conventional BMW Business Radio. My wife already told me that she wants a CPO X3 in a few years. Fine by me; I'll just take the 5er, Shark it, throw some Bilstein HDs on it, and end up with a nifty work hack.

riez · January 2004

Loved the following quote in the latest issue of Bimmer magazine (April 2004, p. 71):

"We don't need 600 'features and benefits' that can only be controlled by computer menus--we need positive manual control over systems that have a function for the serious driver. I know this is a losing argument, but it needs to be made anyway." Mike Miller (who is also Bimmer's Tech Q&A person)

Interestingly, this appears in a review of a Euro-spec 850CSi (really an M8 in all but name). As Miller puts it,

"Perhaps the best thing about the 8 Series interior is that it's not saddled with iDrive. It has a reasonable number of systems that perform reasonable functions with a switch--switches that capable drivers have no problem using. Incapable drivers have no business in a BMW in my opinion, nor are they likely to do any better with 'whyDrive' than they do with individual switches."

shipo · January 2004

While I have not seen the article, apparently a publication called "Auto Express" (a weekly rag from the UK) published an announcement in their current issue (page 19) that states that Chris Bangle will be leaving BMW this fall following the debut of the 1-Series. From my perspective this news comes rather too late for the 5-Series, however, maybe it means salvation for the new 3-Series.

Can anyone gain access to this publication and confirm?

Best Regards,
Shipo

warthog · January 2004

The UK publication Auto Express is at http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/

May Allah be praised!

shipo · January 2004

I've tried that a couple of times, however, I never get to the site. :-/

Best Regards,
Shipo

kyfdx · January 2004

I just pulled it up with no problems..

regards,
kyfdx

pat · January 2004

Here is a direct link to the article on the Auto Express site: Bangle On Way Out.

Shipo, the original link works for me - can't imagine why you can't get there. I hope this one will work for you.

shipo · January 2004

This seemed to be one of those unexplained "Internet Exploder" anomalies. I simply cleared the IE cache and the page started loading properly.

Best Regards,
Shipo

billbrox · January 2004

I thought it might be the i-drive on your computer that was interfering with the link....: ) Sorry, couldn't resist....

shipo · January 2004

Nope, I do my navigation with Mark I fingers hitting Mark I keys and using a Mark I mouse. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

pat · January 2004

You folks will want to read the latest in Edmunds' Generations series. It's been placed into the Helpful Links box on the left side of the page, but here is a direct link to it as well: BMW 5-Series - The Best Car in the World?

Share your thoughts!

joatmon · January 2004

shipo · January 2004

"Then in 1968 BMW introduced the large "E21" (its designation inside BMW) sedan powered by a new range of inline six-cylinder engines and sold as the 2500 when equipped with a 2.5-liter version of the six and the 2800 with a 2.8-liter displacement."

Ummm, I am no authority on older BMWs; however, I always thought that the E21 model designation was assigned to the 3-Series range of cars between 1975 and 1983. As for the old 2500 and 2800/Bavaria, I thought that they were designated E3.

Yes, no?

Best Regards,
Shipo

designman · January 2004

According to this site you are right on both counts:

http://www.bmwinfo.com/

shipo · January 2004

Thanks for the confirmation, I was wondering if I was totally crazy. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

pat · January 2004

Please tell 'em by using the "Help" link at the very bottom of this page. And then let us know what you hear back.

BMW 5-Series Sedans

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