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Comments
have all given well in excess of 100k life on the clutch, but my 6-speed clutch felt weak off the showroom floor. The dealer replaced the original clutch (UNDER WARRENTY!) at 42k miles. Since then I have really been babying (very little in the way of hills, etc.) the clutch and it's completely gone in another 47k miles. Has anyone had a similar experience? What can I do to get a stronger clutch assembly? The dealer says there are no heavy-duty options.
I've got the navigation system in my 1998 540 and I love it. I always thought that they were a serious waste of money, but have changed my mind since having one. As far as ease of use, I find it very easy to use. You simply roll a knob over the alphabet and click on the letters you want for your destination. As you enter the information, the system only provides the letters that correspond to say a valid entry, once you've entered enough to make it unique the system fills in the rest.
The other day I was in an unfamiliar area of town and needed to go to a branch of my bank. I clicked on current location on the nab system, told it I wanted a list of banks, clicked on mine, and then had it give me instructions on how to get there.
I'm a believer, plus it's a neat toy.
Also, is it worth the stretch & the wait list to get a M5 since in the real world all I will do is drive it to and from work - and on the weekends some road work to stretch the legs on the car. I can't seem to stop obsessing about the M5, but my practical side says I can't use the power on the 540i, why would I need the power on the M5. My only rational justification is that after 10 years the M5 should still be worth about $30k while a 540i might be worth $10k.
Any wisdom would be appreciated: both on '02 540i engines & the M5.
thanks
Looking to purchase my first BMW.
Thanks
1st Car - 84 Chevy Celebrity (Shed a tear when I sold it to a junkyard for $30)
2nd Car - 95 Lumina Z34 (I cryed for joy when I finally got rid of that perversion of engineering)
3rd 'Car' - 99 Chevy Tahoe (Lease is up in 2 months, like it, but I don't haul hay or goats or whatever...don't need an SUV/Truck)
I started shopping for my next (and undecided) car with a 500/mo budget in mind. How much more could cars cost, I thought? Haa. I have learned A LOT about cars in the past few weeks I have been shopping. I have extensivly revised my budget, and am now set between a 525i w/manual, an A6, or an Saab 95 Aero. I hear bad things about the saab,(and great things), but I get the GM employees discount on that one (hard to pass up)
Anyone here driven an A6/Saab and a 525? How do they compare? I test drove the Saab, liked it. Waiting on an A6 Quattro to come in for a test spin.
The saab has as much power, but he BMW's power comes with less lag.
The BMW handles better yet soaks up bumps better. It rattles less, and is quieter.
The saab has more room inside in all areas, and has a few more amenities.
The BMW seems much more able to soak up rough driving.
Overall i's say if you want to lease, it's a tossup or maybe a saab edge with their amazing lease deals. If you want to buy, i'd go with the 525.
As an aside, i got a certified pre-owned loaded 328 for under $500 a month, it would be worth looking into. That was my target figure too.
dave
I have driven the passat, and while it's a darn good car, i don't think i really compares to a BMW. Once again, you have the reliability issues.
dave
I'm going into my fourth Catera year, second Catera, and not one (count them!) not ONE problem. I've often thought about (and shopped) the 5-series, but just can't bring myself to sacrifice the rear-seat room, even though I have a passenger there about once every thousand years....
Cheers and happy motoring!
You may say you've had no problems, but statistically, the catera has been a problematic car--significantly more so than the saab.
I mean, should we take the example of someone who's won the lottery to prove that the lottery is a good investment?
dave
iniaudi - for a reason
just wanted to follow up my earlier post with an update. I took delivery of the 525i on Friday and have thoroughly enjoyed it.
In the few weeks between committing to the car and it's arrival at the dealership, I had many second thoughts about the 525/530, concerned that I should have upgraded to the bigger engine for the approx. $3800 difference. I'm pleased to say that after driving it a while, I don't have any regrets. The performance is great even with the 2.5l engine. I'm mostly comparing it to my previous car, a 99 Accord V6 3.0l with 200hp. While the numbers don't suggest it, the 525 package just comes together so well it seems to perform much better than the Accord did.
I got the premium, convenience, cold weather packages plus CD and Auto trans. Enjoying all the options. Even here in NC the heated seats are nice.
My ONLY complaint at this point is that the climate control does not automatically engage the A/C compressor to cool the car, you have to press another button when you want A/C. The Accord would do that automatically.
Best of luck to you all. I found this board to be of great value in the car search process, hope it is for others as well.
Kevin
applying a wax this weekend. I would like to know what type of wax I should use. What wax would you recommend? Thanks!
They'll have everything you need
Thanks.
Just wondering what your thoughts were on a 525 with 5sp and no options?
Is the power adequate enough with the 5sp? I've read in reviews here at edmunds that the manual tranny was very demanding. Any truth to this?
Also...how is the handling and body roll? Obviously without any sport packages..its probably not great. But with rwd, I would hope its not too bad.
And finally...would you think a typical young chap coming from a sports coupe would regret owning a car like this?
Sorry for my babbling of questions.
any response would be greatly appreciated.
thanks..
~Rob
2001 530i with Sports/Premium, convienence pkg, heated steering, cold weather, xenon lights, Sport seats, in dash CD, fold down rear seats...In a high demand BMW market I paid
$42,330 including the Euro discount(-$2760). $1,330 below Edmunds target price, $2255 below MSRP, $2600 over dealer invoice. $1000 deposit. One dealer in market wanted $3500 over invoice and wasnt really interested in negotiating and another wouldnt even come off of MSRP. One other dealer wanted $2500 over invoice but I settled on the deal and dealer I did for service and convienence. Also talked to Eurobuyers.com and he wanted a $400 fee and said that he could get me a car for no more than $2000 over invoice but by the time I added his fee and travel (which I assume I would have had to do) plus the extra mileage driving the car back to my home town and not having the dealer local after the purchase it wasnt worth the $100-$300 I would have saved.
Car will be ready as soon as June in Munich. Need to make travel plan next I guess. Hope this info helps. Good luck....
I could not agree with you more. I must be your long lost brother IRS 37. ( Sorry, can't help it)
I was in the same boat 3 months ago. 9-5 aero is the most "UNIQUE" among the three. I like it a lot but its dated interior design creeps me out. The interior is still in the Cultural Club era. A6 interior wins hands out; but if you hate color red, then it is not your cup of tea( All its instruments illuminate crispy red). Factoring the Quattro and BMW "image", I bought the A6.
I do not know what your husband's BMW image problem is based on. Mine is based on my experience that, hope I am not offending any person here, quite a number of people buy the BM for the wrong reason. On the whole, Audi owners understand their needs and buy their car accordingly. Whereas BMW has a more prestious name in the US. If you are buying the car, then I recommend 530 because it has the best resale value among the three. ( How ironic that BM was in Audi shoes thirty years ago when compared to Mercedes).
However, if you are living in the snow belt, then Audi is the obvious. On the other hand, if you live in warm climate, may I suggest you the Jaguar S-type. In Europe and other parts of the world, it is more prestious than BMW. You won't lost it in the parking lot. Whether the new smaller X-type will change that remain to be seen. Its dealers are very agressive with its pricing. ( Contrary to stories I heard, My local BMW dealer are courteous as well)
And the S-type's look, its exterior, is, My God, WOW! It is an instant classic. It will remain attractive twenty years from now. This cannot be said on the Audi. Whether the Jaguar engine and electronics parts can last that long is another story. I also dislike the S-type so called "smiling face" interior. Its rear seat and trunk are even worse than the 530's. A6 being the most spacious. In addition, I don't think it comes with mannual. But if looks can kill, Big cat is the one.
To make a already long story short:
If you want to impress your friends, clients, and neighbors, buy the Jaguar ( Ford has done a good job so far with the Volvo and Jaguar). Get the Seafrost color with Ivory interior. My business partner has one and it certainly turns head.
If it is yourself that want to be impressed, get the A6.
530 is in between and surely is a safer bet. No one can criticize you for buying a BM.
Happy Shopping!
Plus...I kind of like the older (boxy) body style better..
I too have heard great things about the Passat..but I've been ignoring them. Their fwd turns me off. And I believe the awd models can only be had with the automatic.
I'll have to start test driving soon..maybe I'll even rent one for the day..
(525 have premium Package, 530 - sport/premium, GS300 - Lexus premium package)
525 530 Gs300
Interior:
Seating Comfort B+ B A
Comfort features B B A
Cabin Layout B B A
Ride:
Comfort B+ C+ A
Responsive steer A- A+ B+
off the line Power B A+ A-
Others:
Cost of ownership B B A-
Reliability B B A
IN MY Opinion the bottom line is,
GS300 - this may be the car for you if you spend your day in heavy traffic and want to be surrounded with comfort and a cabin that feels good or you do a lot of long driving. You will appreciate the comfort that this car offer and it is no performance slush but it is not a BMW 530 with sports package either. The ML Sound system, if you can find one is outstanding.
BMW525 w/premium package - Good car that is very responsive with the 2.5l engine. Comfortable ride but I think BMW cut corners on the interior, (ex. look at the cup holder, Arm rest doesn't open)Cup holder looks like it may break if you touch it. It will hold a small cup or can soda and thats it. You also can't get a cassette and CD player inside the car. If you get a cassette player, the CD player will have to be in the trunk. If you get in dash CD you can't get a cassette. (no books on tapes)
BMW530 w/sport/Prem package - This car feels powerful, steering is very responsive. Feels like a 4 door sports car. BUT if you drive over a lot of rough roads or long drives, I believe you may wish for a softer ride. The ride is ummmmmm firmer (used harder at the dealership and he corrected me) To me this is a beautiful car (exterior) with the sport package. Same comment on this with the interior features as the 525. BMW could have did a better job. If you do a lot of highway driving or city driving and want comfort, drop the sport package and get the premium package.
Now I have to decide this week which one of these cars I will get. Again this is my first impression of these cars. I have monitor this Board and GS300 for 2 months and talked to friends with BMWs and Lexus to get there opinion. Consumer Digest and friends gave me some info on reliability and cost of ownership.
525
auto, sport/premium, cold weather package, xenon, in-dash cd, destination charge
MSRP - 42,520
Quote - 40,825
First payment 3757.
Monthly payment 611/36 months
1st payment includes - 1st month,525 bank fee, 650 sec deposit,113 lux tax, 1914 sales tax.
I'm going to see if I can do better and then decide. I will also probably add a 50% tint on the windows ($500).
Is the montana leather "much" better comfort wise?
Since we have moved to our new platform, we no longer have the requirement to stop and restart discussions after the numbers of posts exceed a certain limit. Since this discussion can continue as long as anyone has anything to say about the 5-Series BMWs, there is no longer a need for the "Part 2" that has been included in the discussion name. Down the road, that could confuse our newer members so I have removed it.
I've altered the name slightly of the original 5-Series discussion in the Archives to differentiate it from this active one.
Please continue...
Pat
Host
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The lincoln Ls looks interesting and will be added to my test drive list.
Alhough..I would splurge an extra 750 for the heated seats and cd player in the dash.
Oh and what the hek...the little kid in me, also thinks those xeon lights are kool too
I am not totally sure what you mean by the weakness of the front end but yes there is definitely a different driving feel for the BMW.
Both these cars are very good cars for different reasons and some of the same reason. Fun may depend on the individual and the reality of your driving experiences. The car a person selects should depend on what their everyday needs are or they will not be happy with it. If I live in the city and very rarely or occasionally go outside the city, I would want comfort and a cabin that feels good to drive around the city over the pot holes. If I do a lot of driving outside the city, the experience and feel of tight and responsive steering may become more important.
I do live in a big city notorious for its pot holes. You need a good suspension to dodge the omnipresent pot holes. Driving in my city can be a miniature le mans.
The GS's don't convey a surety in feel that the BMW steering and total design conveys. Quoting Edmonds, "the BMW is exhilirating to drive." After a short time for the GS's it's getting to point B from point A. It gets rather dull. One has to remind oneself constantly all the reasons one bought a GS. In a BMW it's just zoom, fun, zoom.
I remember once a famous car magazine knocked down a Ferrari in the ratings because of a small trunk. When you but a car some things just don't count unless you are kidding yourself.
I just don't trust any of those so-called "Brushless" Automated Washes.
TIA.
'01 Cosmos/Sand 530i
I agree that for me a car should be some measure of fun to drive. It's just that I moved into the city 14 years ago and I had a sports car. Fun to dirive but I hated driving in on the city streets because of the road conditions and I could felt every bump. I later got a 90 Acura Legend Coupe. It had some what a sport feel but the raod conditions made me wish for a softer ride. I got to enjoy that sport feel in both cars about 5% - 10% of the time. The BMW with a Premium package probably would be a good choice for city streets.
BTW -I leaning towards buying the 530. My only hesitation is that it seems like I am not getting all that I should be for 45K when I sit inside the 530 and look around the cabin, then compare it to the GS300.
The 530 is one of those great cars that comes along once in a decade. It is an instant classic. As for cabin treatment, understand that the European architecture, clothing, and etc. current style is Minimalism. It takes Americans a bit of time to get used to it. But sometimes doing something in a clean, plain, not very impressive straight line can be exceedingly difficult to do. Lexus caters to the present American tastes, plush living room and an interior decorator look. A touch feminine in taste. But Lexus is a step behind here.
When you are enjoying the driving day after day who is looking around the cabin. I only look at the cabin when looking at the pretty woman (my wife) in the passenger seat. By the way in 2 years $45,000.00 will look inexpensive. The euro will rise and all imported cars from Europe will be much dearer.