BMW 5-Series Sedans

msgreen

I've noted a number of people asking questions concerning when the new 5 series (E60) will debut. For those of you who are BMW enthusiasts, I would suggest that you go to bimmer.org and click on E39 (current 5 series model). This is a message board that does a booming business, and features all kinds of info about 5 series BMWs, including some "spy" pictures of the next 5 series which should arrive as an '03 model. Cheers.

monwen

you might also try www.bmw2002.co.uk ... who knows when we'll see a new "5". My guess is at least 18 months

sec1

Thinking of buying the 330XI or the 530I. Love the looks of the 3 series, but the deciding factor will probably come down to the stereo. The Hi-Fi stereo with DSP is not offered in the 3 series. If you have the HI-FI stereo in your 5 series, is it worth the hefty price tag? Any comments would greatly be appreciated. Thanks.

cb44

I would not choose between two very different cars based just on the stereo.

In truth, neither stereo is that great - the 5 series DSP is better than the stock system if set correctly, and the HK system in the 3 series sounds fine. However, neither system compares to the Lexus Nak system or a good aftermarket system. In other words, the HK and DSP are probably fairly close. The real use of the DSP is more power and the ability to use the equalizer to adjust for the poor stock freq settings.

My suggestion is to pick the model based on size, power, price and if needed, upgrade the stereo later if you are not pleased.

530driver

Hey hows every1.... i just leased a 530 about 3 weeks ago and my dealer said it was made and shipped out on the 22 of may...Any1 know how long it takes to get here.. too excited i cant even sleep.

cb44

Get the name of the ship (or ship date) from your dealer (it is on the order info they have). Then go to wlna.com and you can track the ships progress and get ETA's.

albert123

I buy BMW for the driving fun, not stereo. If you want nice stereo, Lexus with Mark Levison is the one to get.

vbnm

this is off topic, but i wanted to mention that i never particularly liked this newer 5-series, as it always looked, like so many other cars today, like a stretched egg. i saw a 5-series yesterday, though, and i was in love. it was a deep blue/purple, and i could have sworn it was an m5. surprisingly, after checking the badge, it was a *lowly* 530i, with a sport package, i presumed. the car was the most gorgeous sedan i had seen in a while, and that includes my 98 jetta ;p. anhow, congrats to all who have purchased a 5-series. i dunno what bmw did to the car in the past 4 years to win me over, but if you see drool on your 530i, it might be mine.

merc1

Well for 2001 they made all the trim body color and they gave it the best headlight surrounds ever put on a car. I too wasn't thrilled at the new 5 back in 1997, but it sure does look good now..

M

GLeen

Can someone explain to me how the 5 rides with the sports package. What is the difference between this and the way it comes delivered? Does the ride go from smooth to rough? Does it just handle the curves better at 100 mph? What does the 17 inch wheels do for the ride?

Thanks.

div2

I strongly recommend that YOU drive a sport and non-sport back to back, then make the decision for yourself. In my experience, BMW sport packages make little difference in the overall ride comfort. Their main drawback is the increased cost of tire replacement as well as the risk of pothole damage to the low profile wheel/tire package. My wife's 5er is her work/family car so the sport package would have been a waste of money based on her driving habits. Me, I'll take the sport package every time.

zeen

I have a '97 528i that I bought as a certified pre-owned about a year and a half ago. I guess I qualify as the old timer here since all the discussion is about new or future BMW's.
I've had some problems with a deteriorating rubber seal on the driver door jamb, cracked front wheel well liners and a worn out rear ball joint which caused me to fail inspection. I also have some serious corrosion on the chrome mouldings around the side windows. Anyone experience any of these problems?

GLeen

Cannot say that I have experienced your problems with my 1998 528i. My issues were/are:

-drivers side door handle broke off one day
-right rear window would not go up one day
-rear cup holders replaced
-i now have a rattling noise coming from thedrivers side door.

GLeen

Is everyone out there leasing their 2001 BMWs or buying them with either cash or bank loan? It seems worthwhile to take out a lone rather then lease. Thanks.

zeen

Glad to see that there are some owners of "old" 5-series.
I had a rattling/crackling noise from the front passenger door. I pinned it down to the vinyl rubbing against the metal door frame where it's folded under near the armrest. It was easy to solve but that may not be your problem.

fdelmonte1

Conflicted over the two - have done the pro's & con's. I will order the vehicle from dealer w/ all the options then add Dinan performance enhacements. Looking at a 10 year ownership period knowing I spend 90% of the driving time in heavy traffic areas. Plus, I have snow (Colorado snow) for a perhaps 30 days.

Any thoughts?

habitat1

fdelmonte1:

My two cents - I'd rather have a 530i 5-speed with sport package than a 540i automatic. If you like to drive, there's really only one way to go. I spent a day with a 2001 M5 and the 6-speed in it would be just fine for me on an everyday basis.

Go with a 6-speed and drop the aftermarket performance enhancements - it doesn't need them.

Good luck.

msingerbmw

I live in DC and bought my car from VOB (530i). The salesman's name was Levant. He was absolutly straight I never got any pitch that even remotely could have been called a curve. I got a good price without any quibbling. He knew what the internet price was and went straight to it. I think he is VOB's internet salesman.

Incidentally, I got the premium package w/o sport package. The roads in DC are murderous on performance rims and tires.

professor4

Yesterday, I saw a 540i (2000) on a BMW dealer's lot with an asking price of $46,700. The only options on the car are the cold weather package and the premium sound system. There is a dealer installed 6 changer CD. The car appears to be mint-13,500 miles, no dings, dents, and/or scratches. It also drives like new, although there appears to be some uneven wear on the continental tires on the front.

Assuming the car is as it appears to be, what is a reasonable price for a no-trade purchase?

Thanks in advance to all you BMW aficionados.

professor4

Re. post number 720. Actually, the asking price is $46,300, and the MSRP for the car when new was $53,370 including freight.

newsguy4

I am looking at a 1990 white 525i loaded. Clean. about 130,000 miles. Asking $6995. How are BMW's when it comes to longevity and breakdowns? Is this a good deal. I don't know much about BMW's. Can I expect to get some more good mileage out of this car? Any experience from other owners would be greatly appreciated.

chesdin3

Just got back from taking Euro delivery on a 530i (5-speed) with sport/premium package. I thought the ride was perfectly comfortable, and we spent a couple of long days driving. Also, I am happy to say that it corners VERY well at 100 m.p.h. Unbelievable! Those cars are truly overdesigned for US highways...

BTW Euro delivery was a great experience. Paid $38,900 for a car w/ MSRP $44,300, and it was great fun driving this car on the autobahns. Highly recommended.

5speed5

I have my own "sport" and a friends non-sport to drive.

In answer to your question regarding "100mph" curves, I doubt that will be an everyday experience, but for average 60-80mph curves, the sport does handle "tighter".

As far as the ride goes, with the 17" wheels, you get "lower profile" tires, thereby, less rubber between you and the road. I notice I feel expansion joints, and rough road surfaces more with the sport.

The 17" rims are more prone to damage. I will admit that I have bent two rims, not from carelessness or rough driving...just hitting potholes in the night driving at highway speed.

I agree with "div2"...you SHOULD test drive both (make it a lenghthy test drive to really get the feel) to see which ride YOU prefer.

GLeen

Thanks for your insight.

akuma1

Can anyone give me a Canadian invoice price on 530? I am wondering what price to start with and what price is good to end with.

As well can anyone give me some opinions on options such as DSCIII and rear side airbags? Thanks

cannondale

My dealer told me that European Delivery discount only apply to the base msrp price, all options are charge full msrp.
Can someone confirm this for me??
According to post #723, that person got more discount than just the base msrp.
Here is my example:
MSRP Euro
525i sedan 2001 $35,400 $32,920
Saleman told me we start at $32,920 and start adding options to this price w/o any discounts.
So I ending up with only $2,480 discount no matter what option I selected for the Euro delivery.
Is he right? or just BS me.

chesdin3

Cannondale: The dealer is not telling you the whole truth and is trying to charge you too much.

It's true that the Euro Delivery discount only applies to the base vehicle (whether you're looking at MSRP or invoice). However, the dealer margin (despite what they will tell you) is only about $100 lower for ED at MSRP than it is on domestic delivery. In other words, the invoice cost to the dealer is discounted about the same dollar amount as the MSRP, so he is NOT taking less margin just by selling to you via ED.

Secondly, there's no reason you can't pay invoice on the OPTIONS with a ED purchase. In the price I mentioned in post #723, about half my saving to MSRP were due to the ED discount, and the other half was the amount of dealer's discount to me below ED MSRP.

Some dealers really get a "smoke and mirrors" thing going with ED pricing. I tried to go to the BMW center closest to me here in Ohio, and the salesman was a caricature of himself. He actually said that they were forbidden by BMW to discount ED below MSRP, and that he wouldn't bargain even if he could because the car comes out of his allocation.

Both lies.

Anyway, there is a Web site "eurobuyers.com" that has full details on 525/530 price and cost, and for the 530 anyway, the numbers are still correct.

I didn't buy through that guy; I went to Kenosha Motorsports (a CarMax no-haggle BMW franchise, (888) 607-9898) and got this deal, no bargaining necessary. Up until a year ago I worked for CarMax corporate, so I know all the games some other dealers play.

Good luck with your purchase!

GLeen

Has anyone out there compared the 525ia to the 530ia? If so, do you think it is worth the $4k for the bigger engine? I have a 1998 528i and feel the HI and tourqe are perfect for me. Thus, I am leaning toward the 525i since it is only about 8 up less then my 528i.

Also, does anyone know of a way to increase the performance on the 525ia if in fact this is the route I go? I bought a K&N filter for my 528i since it would increase the air intake and thus performance.

Thanks ahead of time.

monwen

Read in the July issue of Road & Track that the 5 series will be new for 2004. Anyone else see that the model year would be 2004? Up till now, all information looked like it would be 2003.

akuma1

What about Canadian Prices? Sorry to ask again.

"Can anyone give me a Canadian invoice price on 530? I am wondering what price to start with and what price is good to end with.

As well can anyone give me some opinions on options such as DSCIII and rear side airbags? Thanks"

cannondale

Do you have a particular sales person you recommending from Kenosha Motorsports??
I think you got a great deal for your 530.
thanks again.

5speed5

"Has anyone out there compared the 525ia to the 530ia"

I just went during this week with a friend of mine (a dentist) as a passenger to test drive both the 525 and 530. His "weekend" car is a Honda S2000 w/240HP, and his daily sedan is the older style Maxima, which he wants to replace. He has driven my 528 also. After the test drive (without me influencing his opinion) he did not feel the necessity to spend the large $$$ difference to get the 530....just one persons opinion.

"Also, does anyone know of a way to increase the performance on the 525ia?"

Being that you are looking at the auto version, you might want to think about the Dinan chip which will be available (somewhere in the neighborhood of $400/$600). For a stick, it doesn't do much, but for the auto, it reprogams the shift points, as well as the fuel delivery.
Also, an aftermarket exhaust ($600-$900) will give you 10-20HP. Exhaust hedders are another option ($800).

Or if you want to take that full $4,000 difference, you can get a supercharger for up to a 40% HP gain!!!!

GLeen

Thanks again. I am leaning toward the 525ia sport package in Orient blue with the gray interior. I saw this at the dealer in the show room and man did it look good.

cannondale

Do you have a particular sales person you recommending from Kenosha Motorsports??
I think you got a great deal for your 530.
thanks again.

GLeen

You have to go there and pick it up? WHere do you order from?

chesdin3

To get the full scoop on the Euro Delivery Program, go to www.bmwusa.com. Click on "Virtual Center", then "European Delivery". There is a "FAQs" section, and a full list of savings (at MSRP only, of course!).

In a nutshell, you go to a BMW center (dealer) in the US and negotiate a price and do all the paperwork.

You then schedule a date through the dealer with the factory for when you want to pick up your car. It has to be at least 60 days out because the car is custom-ordered as you want it, and of course there has to be a delivery appointment available. They only deliver about 10 cars per day this way, so it's good to schedule early. I scheduled an April 26th delivery back in late January, as I recall.

You pick up the car in Munich at the factory, where they have a very nice delivery center. The whole process takes about an hour. Then you're off to tear up the autobahns (following the break-in limits on your engine, of course). This is a US-spec car just as if you bought it here.

You then drop off the car at one of something like two dozen locations throughout western Europe. (We were boring and just went back to Munich.) It takes 6 weeks or so to get your car back to the USA, and it will arrive at your selling dealer.

The theory behind why the car is cheaper is that it is imported as a USED car, so BMW saves on import duties. (At least that's what I heard.)

The other beauty of the program is that you can order exactly the car/equipment that you want. It was pretty hard to be choosy about my 530 when nobody had one in stock to begin with!

Anyway, I guess I'm a little long-winded here, but I really enjoyed the whole ED process and if you're considering visiting Europe this year, I'd recommend looking into it...!

chesdin3

The person who handles BMW there is Jan Ipsen (888) 607-9898 x2050.

Yes, I was very happy with my price. Oh, and did I mention they got me 5.9% financing for 60 months thru BMW Financial Services...? (That offer may have expired, though.)

Good luck!

GLeen

Sounds like a lot of work though. I guess if I wanted to take a trip there it would be worth it. Thanks for the info.

GLeen

Does anyone know if I can get the 17 inch rims on a 525iA without getting the sports package?

cannondale

I think that you can get 17" wheels separately from BMW but it will be very expensive.

You might want to try this place, they have reasonable price on BMW wheels.

http://www.thewheelexchange.com

Hey Chesdin3, one last question for you.

You said Kenosha Motorsports is a no-haggle dealer, did you have to haggle some more or that is the price was quote up front?

thanks again.

GLeen

chesdin3

No it really is no-haggle. That price was the first one I got. As I mentioned, I used to work for the company... so I can say they really don't haggle!

Anyway, you decide what model you want, and what options (look in the BMW brochure or on that Web site I mentioned earlier), and they come back with a price. Jan was busy at the time so it did take a day or so for her to get back to me.

cmr530i

I was all set to order the rear side-impact air bags on my 530i as I thought it would be a great safety feature, but as I called different dealers, they all urged me not to because I would be transporting children. They said, and I have confirmed their concerns in the 530i owners manual, that unless a child sits perfectly in the seat, the air bag could be harmful, even deadly. A child may lean on the side panel or fall asleep against it risking injury in case of an accident. So unless you are only going to transport adults or children over 13 years of age, BMW doesn't recommend the bags. If you do get them, they come deflated and have to be activated at the dealership. I was also told that you need to sign a waiver in case of any injury caused by the bags. Hope this helps.

cmr530i

Sorry, I meant to say that the air bags come deactivated and that they need to be activated at the dealership.

akuma1

Thanks cmr530. This board is still confusing me.

Is DSCIII and lumber support worth getting then. Those two and the airbags are my main considerations for options. I plan to keep the price down so I only want to get options that I simply shouldn't live without.

Full maintenence worth it?

lgross

Good input, cmr530i. Even adults might sit in a leaning position or fall asleep in the back. I just ordered a Euro delivery with rear air bags yesterday. I may change that option. The dealer tried to dissuade me, but wasn't too strong about it. Other cars, such as the Audi A6, offer them as standard equipment.

lgross

SC is standard equipment in the US and in 2001 it's called DSCIII. As far as seats go, I tried comfort seats and went for the option. Well worth it IMHO. It includes lumbar as well as an electric adjustment on the upper back of the seat. All 740s have them.

jls21

Picked up my 530ia about 1 week ago. The car is like a dream. It is Aspen Silver/Black with premium package, cold weather pkg, convenience pkg, in dash CD, and xenon lights. My observations, other than generally being thrilled with the car are the following: The Xenon lights are unbelievable - definitely spend the money for these. The center console storage and cup holders stink. I guess if you want good cup holders, you have to buy a Japanese car - but I wouldn't dream of trading with my friend's Infiniti Q45 or Lexus GS 400. This 530i has is all over those cars. FYI - how many Aspen Silver cars have you seen on the road?? probably not many. Virtually every person who has seen my car has remarked positively on the color immediately. There is not a more perfect car for me. The blend of design, handling and acceleration cannot be beat!

akuma1

Finally. I didn't know that before. I've always thought the car came with DSC and that DSCIII was just something better. But it is optional in Canada. Just great. Sigh... so I suppose that is worth getting. But what's ASC+T (Automatic Stability Control + Traction)? It sounds awfully similar to DSC.

Are "comfort seats" not a listed option? I have only found lumbar support to be an option.

As well is full maintence recommended?

akuma1

I was just wondering if you guys will be paying as much tax as we do. Here in BC for any cars over $30,000 we have to pay 17% in tax. Now if the car is $60,000 you can't walk out unless you have $70,000. Is that scary or is it pretty much norm?