Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options

BMW 5-Series Sedans

1…1920222425…248

Comments

  • Options
    ito2ito2 Member Posts: 2
    I'm on the marked for a new car. I have always been a fund of BMW but never been able to buy one; Now I can afford one but a used one. I've found a 97 528i w/ 49k miles for $25000. The car rides and looks new. Is there anything I shoud be awere of in that particular model? Are BMW as reliable as lets say lexus and infin? I would want to put at least 100k miles more on it.OR should I go with 2001 Maxima new?
    please help!!!!
  • Options
    habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    As a current Maxima owner who will likely be getting a BMW this fall/winter, I respectfully suggest that, although your two options might cost about the same up front, it's likely that a (now) 5-year old BMW 528 out of warranty will cost a lot more in maintenance and repairs over 100k miles than a new Maxima. I have 111k on a 1995 Maxima SE and have had absolutely no expenses other than routine service. Didn't have to replace front brake pads until 90,000 miles. Don't get me wrong - the Maxima is surely no BMW. Just make sure you factor in the maintencance costs to your equation.
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    If it were me,I'd wait and look at a new 330 down the road. Don't know if leasing is an option, but you can "get more car". If you have to do something now,I'd go for the Maxima.
  • Options
    ggoudeli1ggoudeli1 Member Posts: 14
    I had the same problem with my windshield. What I did to reduce/eliminate the "gases" was apply Vinylex (made by Lexol) to the dashboard. The dash looks a lot better (i.e., shinier) and the clouding effect seems to have dissipated.
    Hope that helps.

    George
  • Options
    cheekscheeks Member Posts: 67
    Does anyone have any experience driving a 530 in the snow? If so, how did it handle?
  • Options
    rivers5rivers5 Member Posts: 4
    In case your are unaware, by installing Dinan parts in your BMW, you disqualify your car from the BMW owners protection program that guarantees certain years used cars for 100,000 miles. Dinan admits to know of this issue for a long time and still fails to dosclose it. BMW national office admits it is true, but continues to install Dinan parts at their dealerships even though it decreases the value of your car at trade in. Great country or what?
  • Options
    hnnguyenhnnguyen Member Posts: 5
    indylowflyer, I am trying to catch up with this discussion board. I had a sense that things going to get ugly. It was the main reason I tried to stop the sts vs 540 discussion. I hope that Pat message is clear. We are here to discuss cars not each other.

    Anyway, I've had my 540i for six months now. Absolutely love the car. Hit 120mph with the family on the way back from a trip. It felt like only 40mph until my wife made notice and demand to slow down! :) hnn.
  • Options
    dabimmerdabimmer Member Posts: 165
    I wanted to ditto the comments by ggoudeli1 about window film caused by "off gassing"
    caused by the plastic components in the dash and other materials inside a car. I, too, decided
    to use Vinylex and have not experienced any windshield "filming" and that has been at least three months.
  • Options
    sec1sec1 Member Posts: 16
    Hi everyone, love my new 530I but was wondering if the loud fan noise is a common thing or if I should have it checked. Sounds like the engine is revving hard,but its not. Its just, in the past couple days, that I've noticed that the fan is real loud when the car is stopped/parked. Anyone have similar experiences?
  • Options
    sec1sec1 Member Posts: 16
    Forgot to mention that the fan is extremely loud with the air conditioner on. Was in the neighborhood, so I stopped by the dealer and my sales rep says that the fan is quite loud and is normal when the AC is on.
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    This is normal. The fan comes on to prevent overheating. BMWs are made to run at high speeds for hours on end in hot weather.(autoban driving) The fan units are "heavy-duty" and can be heard as you describe. I've been driving with a.c. on in near 100 degree weather and the temp. gauge hasn't moved from the normal position. The fan tends to "kick-on" when I'm stopped and idiling for a while. I can't see these cars ever overheating.
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    I just got my car back from the dealer to have the fan unit replaced in accordance with the recall. The service rep explained that it is the entire fan unit, which also includes the "fan switch". This is the fan cooling unit for the engine. The dealer had to order the part which was shipped from Germany. The entire process took about ten days. Bonus was tossing around the 3-series loaner car for the day!
  • Options
    club_fighterclub_fighter Member Posts: 1
    How much were your license and registration fees? I've never bought a new car before, so I want to be ready for any amounts the dealer throws at me. I live in CA, so I'm assuming the tax will be 7.5% of the price. Is there an equation I can use to compute the estimated license and registration fees?

    Thanks.

    Mike
  • Options
    croberts2croberts2 Member Posts: 3
    Anyone buy the 1 year extended maintenance warranty from the dealer? How much should I expect to pay? Thanks!
  • Options
    davv62davv62 Member Posts: 76
    I got a new BMW 530i in March. I live in Connecticut and have been driving a front wheel drive car for many years, so I was concerned about how rear wheel drive would handle in the snow.

    I have taken it on one trip in the snow - up to Vermont the first weekend in April. I had no problems. Another guy with us has a Mercedes C43 AMG and couldn't get it all the way up the mountain. His car has rear wheel drive, the sport package and extra wide tires, so he had a lot of problems. I had none. I was pleasantly surprised, since I didn't know what to expect.
  • Options
    cheekscheeks Member Posts: 67
    Thanks for the feedback on my snow handling concerns. Did you purchase your car at the Greenwich,Ct. BMW dealership?
  • Options
    davv62davv62 Member Posts: 76
    No, I purchased it at BMW of Darien. I liked the salesman very much. I haven't been back since my purchase, so I don't know how the service department is, but the sales department treated me very well.

    I may have to go for service because I heard something about a recall on 5-series BMW's made in early 2001.
  • Options
    michaelg5michaelg5 Member Posts: 13
    I had owned front wheel drive cars for many years before buying a 2000 528. I have a 40 mile commute to work and was concerned about snow since I live inthe Chicago area. The first heavy snow we had last winter convinced me that my 528 was not up to the task. I had a problem getting the car up the driveway after a perilous drive home. I called Tirerack and spent about $1000 for a set of 4 Michelins along with 4 alloy wheels. It's important to get a slightly smaller tire so new wheels are needed to make this accomodation. The car then performed beautifully in the snow. I would suggest that if you ever have to deal with more than a few inches of snow,and if the ability to stop quickly is at all important to you, start thinking snow tires. I recently read somewhere that 4 snow tires outperform front wheel drive cars without snows. Hope this helps. MG
  • Options
    lgrosslgross Member Posts: 55
    I have no experience with the 530 yet, but my last rear wheel drive car ('93 MR2) was like a snow plow when I had winter tires on it. With Z rated regular low profile tires, it was dangerous in the snow!

    I believe that if you have the low profile sport tires, you will have a problem in the snow. If you have the regular all weather tires, you should do fine. My daughter's '99 328 with the regular all weather tires and DSC does fine in the snow. If you used winter tires you would have absolutely no problems.
  • Options
    kristerkrister Member Posts: 2
    hi. I live in Norway in northern europe. I own a 2000 modell BMW 520i sport wagon and must say that this car is an exellent snow and ice climber. I had a steep hill to my house and it was no problen in the winter. Krister, Norway
  • Options
    kristerkrister Member Posts: 2
    hi. in europe the 5-series has been awarded this and that, time after time. There was also a ranking of the cars people were most satisfied with and the BMW 5-series ranked 9th. out 200. I would say that that is satisfying. Krister, Norway
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    Please give me more details on your driving experience:

    1. Sport suspension on your car; do you have wide, low profile tires?

    2. Do you put snow tires on in the winter? If so, what size?

    3. And finally, how much snow do you get in a season?

    Thanks.
  • Options
    sequoiasaurussequoiasaurus Member Posts: 240
    Does anyone know of any pictures on the net of the 2002 5 series? Can someone provide the changes/improvements expected for '02?

    Thanks
  • Options
    jrc330jrc330 Member Posts: 15
    5 Series
    Designers are thought to be at work on the next
    generation of BMW’s midsize sedan and wagon, but
    that’s a couple years down the road. For 2002, Sport
    Premium and Convenience option packages are gone,
    and an in-dash CD player is newly standard.

    The current 525i sedan and wagon come with a
    184-hp, 2.5-liter six-cylinder engine, while the 530i
    sedan has a 225-hp, 3.0-liter six-cylinder. A 4.4-liter
    V-8 powers the 540i sedan and wagon, which was
    given a boost this year to 290 hp.
  • Options
    vaarkvaark Member Posts: 7
    Called my dealer to ask about the recall and he was unaware. I pushed him and he then said my car (530i/delivered on 12 Jul)has been recalled, but he didn't know why. I then told him about the steering wheel noise and he said it was most likely due to hitting plastic. I told him about the messages I have read in this site and he said I should not believe everything I read. Bottomline: he said drive in and he'll check the steering noise , but I must wait until early Sep to get the other peoblems fixed. Is this the norm for BMW service?Thanks.
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    See my posts #1040 and #1061 on 5-series recall on the fan unit. The response from your dealer was totally different from mine. They knew about the recall and ordered the part right away and replaced in a total of about 8-9 days.

    I have seen steering recall on the 3-series, but not 5-series. Also, why do you have to wait until September? I think your dealer is giving you the run-around.
  • Options
    yanbukenyanbuken Member Posts: 12
    I have read a number of your posts on the 5-Series Board and on the Mercedes E-Series Board, and have always appreciated what you had to say. Recently you stated, in so many words, that you would probably be purchasing by next Winter I believe a BMW (on the 5 Board), while on the E-Board you more or less said the same about getting an E-430. Obviously you have been studying and evaluating both cars for a long time, and I assume you will only purchase one of these great cars. If you do not mind, can you please provide the results of your evaluation of each of these fine cars, the pros and cons etc. I too appreciate both makes, although I really lean towards the pure driving pleasure of the BMW. Thanks, Ken
  • Options
    vaarkvaark Member Posts: 7
    Thanks. I'll call the dealer.
  • Options
    habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Boy, you sure know how to put a guy on the spot!

    I'd be happy to relate my personal and subjective evaluations, but please remember, that's all they are. To each their own. I am still considering the 5-series for late winter/early spring purchase. I evaluated, but have since ruled out the E-calss sedans. I would still consider an E320 4-Matic Wagon, if and when we decide to replace our family SUV. Here are what I believe to be the pros / cons of the 5-series and E-class, in no particular order.

    "Driving enjoyment": All the marketing hype aside, if there is a better handling, more enjoyable mid size sedan to drive than the 5-series, I haven't found it. Test driving a 530i equiped with a manual transmission, sport package and sport seats, I had to look in the rear view mirror to remind myself there really was a back seat. Any car in this price range feels pretty good on a straight highway at 70 mph. The BMW stands out the moment the curves come. Within the 5-series, I found the 530i to have good power and great handling, the 540i to have great power and still great handling, although I could feel the extra engine weight up front. The M5 is a two-ton pleasuredome. I drove one last November and still haven't caught my breath. I absolutely could not believe how well it handled and the acceleration after I was already going 70 in 3rd gear. I believe they could forget to put the 6th gear in the car and very few people would ever find out.

    The E-class is, in my opinion, a nicely refined "luxury" ride. Good power in both the E320 and E430, but no match for the BMW in handling precision. Their sport package is all aesthetic and does little or nothing to improve performance.

    Size: Mercedes beats BMW in back seat room and comfort. A friend has an E420 and my wife and I don't mind being chauffered in the back seat. On the other hand, I'm solo or two person driving 80%+ of the time and the 5-series seems to fit like a glove. I could almost be tempted by the 3-series, but that's cutting it a little too close. We have two young kids.

    Reliability: No difference, as best I can tell from friends, associates and Edmund's Town Hall.

    Resale: Again, in percentage terms, Mercedes may have BMW beat. The 3-series is BMW's resale value king. But, based upon my analysis, if you plan on keeping the car for 5+ years, the difference becomes less significant.

    Deal availability: Who doesn't want a good deal? With planning and patience, one can get a 5-series through (discounted) European Delivery for at or below US invoice. Prior to this year, forget much dealing on the E-class. Now that it's about to be replaced (2003 model), I have heard of some good deals. I am still figuring I can get a very well equiped 530i sport for about $42k, plus tax and tags. Around DC, you could almost pay that for a C320.

    Conclusion: The 530i is the front runner for me at this point, but the finish line is still 4-6 months away. I'm on the list for a C32 and M3, but they are fading as I think more practically. Why not the 540i 6-speed? Who knows, I'll probably test drive it again when the 2002's arrive. But if I can justify $10-$12k more for the 540i, why not add another $18k on top of that for the M5 and get the ultimate sedan. It might be easier to "just say no" than start sliding down that slippery slope.

    Odd Caveat: I really liked the E300 turbodiesel. It accelerated reasonably well, got great gas milage, lasted forever with minimal maintenance and had it's own cult like uniqueness. If you ever wanted to justify spending $45k as a "frugal" investment, this was the car. I'm almost glad I don't have that choice anymore. I might have felt guilty about getting anything else.

    Good luck in your shopping.
  • Options
    ewoqewoq Member Posts: 37
    A good analysis. I'm in full agreement. I have both the 5 and E series (previous model) and agree with all you said except that maintenance costs were higher with the BMW. I believe reliability for the BMW has improved with the E39's. I'm also ready to purchase, for long term, either the 540i (for fun) or the E430-4M (for all season transportation).
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    The 540i 6-speed,sport suspension. You can't beat the feel of V-8 power. If price isn't a consideration, then definately the M5. This is the ultimate sport sedan and really is worth the few extra thousand.
  • Options
    peanut20peanut20 Member Posts: 6
    I have just spent the last nine months planning my purchase of a 530. I knew what I wanted, when I wanted it and where I was going to buy it. Yesterday, when I got ready to order, I learned that the dealership isn't representing BMW any more. I had a great price worked out and now I'm back to square one. I would like some help. I'm trying to find a good dealership that is willing to really sharpen its pencil on a Euro Delivery. I will travel anywhere in the Eastern part of the United States to pick the car up. Mid-west & California are too far. Any suggestions are welcome. E-mail me if you don't want to post on the board. Thanks!

    Talk about ruining my weekend.....

    chesdin2 - Would love to hear from you if you know what happened in Kenosha.
  • Options
    yanbukenyanbuken Member Posts: 12
    That's for the excellent post and evaluation. And it was very well written, which I really appreciate. Somehow I suspected that you would have made a thorough analysis of the two cars. I'm leaning towards purchasing a 530i via ED by next June if I can complete my work assignment in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, by then. I would pick it up on the way back to the States. If my assignment is extended, I may have to defer the purchase until 2003. From what I have seen in spy photos of the new redesigned 2003 5 series (E-60 I believe), I'm not too sure I will like the looks of that car, especially the rear end. What's you take on buying the last year of the current E-39 vs the first year of the new E-60? I would appreciate anwers from any and all board members, too. Thanks, Ken
  • Options
    cheekscheeks Member Posts: 67
    I have a small area of chipped paint on the driver side door molding. This was caused by an elderly woman opening her door next to my car (I actually saw it happen). I was surprised by the chipped paint because it didn't appear that her door hit my molding with any force. Has anyone noticed similar chipping along the door moldings or bumper?
  • Options
    sec1sec1 Member Posts: 16
    Just found my first "knick"/scrath on my new 530I. Anyone have any suggestions on how to clean it up. Could take it to the dealer, but they will probably charge an amount that I probably don't want to hear. Thanks for any input.
  • Options
    scottc8scottc8 Member Posts: 617
    $.02 worth from a Lincoln LS owner: With no prior experience, I have successfully repaired many gravel nicks, some of them real divots. A body shop or touch-up man is running a business, and time is money. We can substitute time and patience for professional skill and equipment. www.paintscratch.com sells excellent products and provides very throrough instructions for the inexperienced. They matched my color perfectly, and other members of our club have had the same experience. One useful tool in addition to what they sell is a sanding block, or pumice block, sold at auto body suppliers. It is a small rectangular abrasive block used for smoothing out paint runs. Terrific for leveling brush-on touch up paint, especially on convex surfaces, and is soft enough that you can "shape" it by stroking on a concrete garage floor. Also, buy a sheet of 2000 grit sandpaper. Perfect last step before rubbing compound.

    It's not magic. You can do it, and you'll amaze yourself.
  • Options
    vincer2vincer2 Member Posts: 97
    Does anyone have a recommendation on a reasonably priced source for BMW shop manuals?
    Thanks,
    Vince
  • Options
    phxbmwdudephxbmwdude Member Posts: 8
    I am interested in knowing the highway gas mileage anyone may be getting on the 2001 525. I have a 2001 525iTa (sport wagon) and although the mileage around town is ok (about 19-21) I was disappointed when I only got 24 at highway cruising speeds (75-80).
  • Options
    g_carg_car Member Posts: 46
    I have a 2001 525i, 17-21mpg around town, mid 20's highway. Only had the car a little over a month still a few miles until broken in. I would expect high 20's driving highway 60-70mph once car has a few more miles on it.
  • Options
    div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    Bentley Publishing plans to have their E39 manual on sale by the 2nd. quarter of 2002.
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    Is the best way to describe my first 6,000 trouble-free miles. The 5er is a blast; I'm so glad this has sport suspension and 6-speed, the ride is smooth and firm. Gobs of power with rock solid chassis. Great sport/luxury combination. Most comfortable seats I ever sat in, and the upgraded stereo is awesome. This is one solid vehicle.
  • Options
    brian525brian525 Member Posts: 21
    I have had my car for almost 12K miles now, and my average MPG is steady at 23.5 mpg

    This is with 65% city / 35% hwy driving, with manual transmission and Sports Package

    Also, in Northern Calif
  • Options
    ggoudeli1ggoudeli1 Member Posts: 14
    With the A/C on in the Auto position, has anyone experienced hot air from the foot wells while the vents are blowing out cold air? Could this be related to the fan switch recall? Thanks.

    George
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    I don't think the hot air from the footwells is related to the fan switch recall. The recall is for the unit that cools the engine which is different from the fan circulating air inside the cabin. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for cool air to circulate when first turning on the a.c. on a hot day, but other than that I have not experienced what you described.
  • Options
    bkassingbkassing Member Posts: 13
    I've heard the convenience pkg and prem/sport is gone. What else? When are 2002 prices coming out? End of the model year...buy 2001 or 2002 5-series.
  • Options
    bkassingbkassing Member Posts: 13
    I'm sorry, I must have mis-read...did somebody actually compare the 525 to an Accord and actually thought the 525 held its own. Whew!
  • Options
    bmwrulesbmwrules Member Posts: 10
    Yup, they bifurcated the prem/sport combo to charge more for same. But finally they made CD standard and tape option (8 years behind the curve). 2002 also offers about 4 new colors, some grey (no anthracite), and three new blues.

    Pricing: I have been calling BMWNA but each time they tell me "definitely by next week" they will have the prices. The fact is BMWNA is totally useless source of info. But it has to be prior to the first week of production in Sept.

    I decided to go with the 2002 - only have to wait a couple more months to get a later model.
  • Options
    shaker58shaker58 Member Posts: 130
    I HAVE A TWO INCH SCRATCH ON MY NEW SILVER 530 IS THERE ANY PRODUCTS THAT WORK ON DEEP SCRATCHES AFTER WAXING IT SOME OF IT CAME OUT WERE IT WASNT DEEP BUT DIDNT HELP IN THE DEEP AREA
  • Options
    indylowflyerindylowflyer Member Posts: 148
    First significant road trip for my new 5-series. Going to be about 1,000 miles round trip with some mountain interstate driving. Can't wait. Engine is broken in, so I will be "streching its legs". I just hope the "bears" are in hibernation!

    Shaker- Sorry to hear about the scratch, if its deep enough, I would have a body shop inspect. You may consider a paint touch-up. The last thing you want is that scratch to turn into a rust spot.
  • Options
    sec1sec1 Member Posts: 16
    This was given to me by another kind person on this board, I too have a scratch on my new 530I. I haven't tried the product yet, but sounds pretty good. go to www.paintscratch.com
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles