BMW 5-Series Sedans

tylern

Help? - I just confirmed with BMW Canada that they are not offering the 2007 550i with the SMG in Canada while you can clearly order it as a N/C option in the US (BWM.COM) then look at BMW.CA... - anyone have any word or information of hope that the SMG is coming to Canada but perhaps I need to wait a few months? - no idea why they would deny us the SMG on this wonderful car..

div2

anyone have any word or information of hope that the SMG is coming to Canada but perhaps I need to wait a few months? - no idea why they would deny us the SMG on this wonderful car...

Well, maybe it's because the non-///M SMG is not a very good transmission. The six-speed would be my first choice, and I'd take the Step before the SMG.

markcincinnati

Another review hits the newsstands: July Automobile. Wow, they say the SMG is "a drag."

The review concludes that both the Audi S6 and the new MB E63 are preferable to the M5 which [due to the SMG] has fallen so far so fast.

Why would anyone want the SMG when the manual is offered, especially since it is tough to find an encouraging word about the M5 so equipped?

erickpl

Any word on colors available on the 5 Series for 2007? I'd sure love to see the Barbera red or Indianapolis Red available on a non-M 5er.

-Paul

tylern

The research and feedback are in and clearly the SMG is not the way forward...tough decision now...living in Canada with our weather (really only 6-7 months of dry weather discounting rainy days) I'm now considering the S6 along side the 550i...trying to get CDN $ pricing from my dealer is painful - around 115K CDN, spot on the M5 price so I think the dealer is guessing at this point...

330blast

Hi,

Does anyone know what is the tire tread requirement on a CPO car? I have the impression for 50% or higher, but would appreciate a confirmation.

In addition, how is the tire tread measured? I recently bought a CPO car (03 530i), all 4 tires have more wear on the center than the side (seems like an overinflation issue) so that the certer tread has not much rubber left but the tread close to the side are in very decent condition. I have lowered the tire presure based on the info I read from several forums, but wonder if I will have to replace the set soon (in which case I will try to go back to the dealer now and see if I can get some replacement).

Thanks.

shipo

IIRC, last year when I turned my 530i in the inspector told me that the minimum depth was 4mm, measured at the shallowest point. As it turned out my "worst" tire was 5mm so I was good to go.

Interestingly enough, had I opted not to buy winter wheels and tires for that car ($1,007.00, including shipping), given how "close" I was to minimum, I would have certainly had to replace my factory Michelin Pilot-Primacy tires at a (current, I think it was higher last year) TireRack cost of $855.48 (including shipping). Then I would have had to spend another $120 or so to have them mounted & balanced and have the old tires disposed of. Hmmm, $855.48 plus $120 is $975.48, meaning that the winter tire set only cost me $31.52. But wait, there's more! Even though I sold my winter set to a friend for a discounted $400, I still actually saved $368.48 by spending the money on the winter tires.

Best Regards,
Shipo

markcincinnati

I purchased a "used" car from my Audi dealer some time back -- the car had the OEM tires on it and they had, perhaps 22K+ miles on them.

I said, after the deal was made, as is, "what would be the cost to have the car delivered with new Pirelli UHP tires?

Long story, short -- for $500 total, I got the car with the new tires on it, a savings over even the best deal I could have made of some $300+.

My point is, the new tires made my "young" used car feel virtually brand new -- these days, I guess I would not buy a used car (CPO'd or not) and NOT put four new shoes on it.

Piece of mind. . .priceless.

bargamon

Saw some pic floating around a few weeks ago with a new front end of what may be the new 2008? The 2007 model came a bit early and perhaps they will do similar again next spring?

Any ideas as to the life cycle?

I would expect a "freshening" of the front, rear and maybe inside just a bit.

I hated the 5 at first but it has grown on me. Bangle gets hell but bmw sales keep climbing!

lovemyclk

Oddly, when I turned in my leased '03 530SP to have it CPO'ed for my repurchase (loved it so much, could not part with it!), I found a brand new set of Dunlop SP Sport2000's mounted instead of my 9-month old Pirelli PZero Nero's! I thought there was plenty of tread left... certainly more than 4mm.

Dunlops were the original brand of tires on the car and had no problems with them, but also enjoyed the Pirelli's. My Dealer did a beautiful job of CPO'ing my car - detailed top to bottom and any stone nicks were painted. Could not have touched it as a used car buyer for my purchase price and received 3.9% financing from BMW Credit.

So far, every bit as enjoyable an ownership experience as any "Lexican" could have with their car... plus I get the added driving satisfaction!

cmybimmergo

So...I've been driving without incident for thirty(!) years. I've had my 5er for just about a year and a half. Last September, I was rear ended, in February I was grazed in a parking lot, and just yesterday I was broadsided in what turned into a hit and run when the other guy (who was probably DUI and definitely at fault) stopped but left without leaving any information.

Now there's this awful blue stripe in the dent in my front passenger door.

The good news is that it happened on a residential street, so the impact was minimal owing to both cars moving slowly. And my daughter, who is old enough to sit up front, prefers the back seat, so even though she was sitting on that side, she was not directly affected.

But the bad news is that I have even more damage to repair (I haven't fixed the previous problems; I've been out of town and planned to take it in when I got home in July), and this one will set me back for the deductible because you know the moron who hit me isn't insured (if they can find him).

shipo

I'm thinking that you forgot to switch off that middle button down there under the cup(ish) holders. If you read the instruction manual you'll find that that is the engagement button for the cloaking device. ;-)

All seriousness aside, I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune. :-( Even still, I'm glad that you and R and J weren't hurt. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

div2

If it makes you feel any better, my wife's 5er got tagged numerous times. Here's the synopsis fom another topic:

1.Stopped in traffic, guy behind me lets his foot slip off clutch. Bang! Bumper cover gouged and cracked. Perp wants me to take it to his uncle's garage to have the cover "buffed out". I laugh. Bumper cover replaced.
2.Uninsured moron is driving his live-in girlfriend's uninsured Sunbird. Moron throws cigarette butt out window. Butt flies back into car. Moron begins search for butt, neglecting to notice 5er stopped at traffic light. BIG BANG! Moron offers to pay $100/month restitution if I don't file criminal charges for driving uninsured. More laughter. 5er can be driven away. Pontiac sits by road for ten days before it is towed off by police. Total damage over $9K-all but $500 paid by MY insurance :mad:
3.Soccer mom arguing with her kid rams her new Accord into a Celica stopped behind my wife who is-you guessed it-stopped at a light. Airbags deploy in both Accord and Celica(no injuries). 528i is driven away. Another bumper cover.
4.528i is-all together now-STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. A guy adjusting the radio in his Tundra rams the car which is third in line behind my wife, causing a chain reaction. Multiple airbag deployments, only minor injuries. The 5er is-once again-the only car that can be driven away. Bumper cover #4...

My wife isn't normally superstitious, but she swears that she will NEVER own another silver car. :surprise:

cmybimmergo

My wife isn't normally superstitious, but she swears that she will NEVER own another silver car.

Methinks she ought to desist stopping at red lights. :P

(FWIW, you can tell your wife that my first Celica was silver, and no one ever hit it.)

manybmws

I upgraded to PS2s as well. So you like them?

manybmws

It appears there will be a 4-door 335. So I would imagine that a 535 is on the way as well. But 2007 is the 4th model year for the E60, and based on past 5er model history I would expect a slight makeover for 2008 with engine changes and some new body trim. This may delay the intro of 535 till next year

cmybimmergo

out there :shades:

shipo

Hey Thanks! ;-)

Even though it's Father's day, apparently my "Lead Chef" status is fully in tact. This morning's menu includes:

1) Scrambled eggs (with shallots sautéed in butter and a little bacon fat
2) Lemon zest-blueberry-sour cream-cinnamon-walnut coffee cake
3) Bacon
4) Macerated strawberries with a squeeze of lemon juice
5) Various buttered toasts (sourdough, cinnamon raisin, caraway rye and hearty pumpernickel)

Well, I need to get the coffee cake out of the oven. Later gang.

Best Regards,
Shipo

pat

Mmmm, sounds good to me! Are you saying you're cooking your own Father's Day breakfast?

shipo

Yup! :shades:

cmybimmergo

Where's my invitation?

PS--check your email.

springs4

I am serious about a 2007 530i. I was at the dealer yesterday taking my final test drive. I drove a 2007 530i, hit a bump and the light fixture and controls for the sunroof that are roof mounted between driver and passenger, fell down, hanging by only the wires. The dealer also said the color I wanted was available since he just did a search to replace a new 530i that had a steering problem when they went to deliver it to the buyer. What is the truth about these $50k+ cars? Buy or pass?

cdnpinhead

Pork fat rules!

shipo

Shhhh! Don't tell my wife, she loves the taste, she just doesn't "want to know about it." ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

cmr530i

Uh oh, I remember the last time I got rear ended. It was a week after you had just gotten rear ended. Please don't send your Karma this way!
Seriously, sorry about your latest accident. I feel your pain in terms of the $$ it will cost and the amount of time and energy it will steal from you until your car is repaired.

hpowders

I've had 3 BMW's since 1993- 2 325i's and now a fabulous 545.
Never any problems.

Quality has improved. CR has upgraded all BMW's to average from below-average except for mine (545 V-8).
I didn't care. Nothing drives like BMW in my price category and I was willing to chance the reliability thing for the incomparable performance.
It's all covered under a great 4 year warranty anyway.

erickpl

Got my first Roundel in the mail last week! YAY!

Div, when can I expect to read up on some of your articles?

-Paul

cmybimmergo

I've had 3 BMW's since 1993- 2 325i's and now a fabulous 545.
Never any problems.

OTOH, you've had three in 13 years, which means you don't keep 'em for much longer than four years. You *might* be ditching them before they hit the mileage at which the infamous problems start.

Full disclosure: I bought my 02 530i 5 spd spt with 45,000 miles on it, and I intend to keep it for a very long time (provided the crash gods don't decree otherwise). So far, I have replaced, under the extended warranty I bought, the auxiliary fan and the ABS module. These are well-known and expected failures. Other known failures I will have to deal with at some point are the pixels (they've already started disappearing although it's not bad enough to do anything about it yet), and the small matter of popping out of second gear (known mostly in I believe the e36, but not altogether unknown in the e39 [regardless of what the dealer would have me believe]). There is a laundry list of known problems with the e39, most of which escape me at the moment. This doesn't mean it's a guarantee that they'll happen to every e39 out there, but the odds aren't good based on what I have read elsewhere.

cmybimmergo

Uh oh, I remember the last time I got rear ended. It was a week after you had just gotten rear ended. Please don't send your Karma this way!

Ouch. I guess I deserve that remark. But if you can hide under a rock until Saturday, you should be fine. :P

div2

Div, when can I expect to read up on some of your articles?

I should have one or two published in the last half of the year.

bdkinnh

Do you have to own a BMW to get a subscription, or can anyone sign up?

dabimmer

Absolutely ! The best tire I have ever had.Mind you I thought the Primacys were very good even though conventional wisdom was against them. But the PS2's are great in every respect. I carry 34 F and 37 R and it drives and handles well, no issues like hard riding, squirrly and NO tramlining which for me is a must. It is a pleasure to drive with these tires. Made my 2001 brand new again.

Karen_S

A national personal finance magazine is looking to interview consumers who have recently purchased (within the past year) a new 2006/2007 BMW 5 Series and would like to talk about your new car. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Thursday June 22, 2006 by 2:00 PM PST/5:00 EST containing your daytime contact information with the year of your 5 Series.

Thanks,
Chintan Talati
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

div2

Do you have to own a BMW to get a subscription, or can anyone sign up?

Unlike some other clubs, membership in BMW CCA is open to all. Check out the CCA home page.

cmr530i

So your aux fan had to be replaced? Interesting. I had to replace mine under a recall from BMW within the first year of purchase (2001) due to failure. The new fan has never given me any trouble. I wonder if your car came under a similar recall, or if for your model year the problem was supposed to have been fixed. Do you know if the original aux fan had ever been replaced before you bought it?

nyccarguy

I own a Honda and a Mazda and I just paid up for my 3rd year as a BMWCCA member. I'm an aspiring BMW owner :P ROUNDEL is a fabulous magazine! The BMWCCA membership gets you ROUNDEL (which is worth the $40 per year), discounts off many parts & accessories as well as a rebate when you buy BMWs as long as you're a member for at least a year.

cmybimmergo

Oops. My bad. Yup, I had to have my fan replaced but it was done under the original warranty, not the extended. The other part I had replaced under the extended warranty was the (climate control) blower motor, also a known failure.

bdkinnh

Thanks for the info and the link. After reserching and test driving for six months, my decision came down to the 06 530xi and another car. I bought the wrong one.

Well, maybe not: now I can wait to see if there is a mid-cycle refresh on the 5er, I can get an 530i instead of the xi, and get a manual.

nyccarguy

I saw this ad in the NY Times Classified from this past Sunday and thought it might help in your quest for a new used E39 5er. Host, I am not selling this car just passing along information to a fellow poster who's looking for a specific used car.

BMW 2003 530i Sports. Titanium Gray w/ Dark Grey Leather Interior. Manual trans, Sports/Premium/Cold weather packages, Xenon lights. BMW factory warranty till 1/09 or 100,000mi. Maint Free till 1/09 or 100,000 mi. Excellent Cond. Ask $26,400. 914-391-1360.

Doesn't list the mileage.

shipo

Thanks for the "Heads-Up"! ;-) Sounds like a nice car; I do wonder how many miles are on it though.

Given the number of miles I expect to drive over the next three to four years, any used car I buy for that duration will be essentially worthless as it will most likely have something north of 200,000 miles on it by then. With that in mind, I'm thinking that a somewhat less expensive car is probably a much better financial decision.

Best Regards,
Shipo

pen101

Maybe I am just slow, but how many times must it happen before I learn.

#1: Coffee mug is in E39 cup holder. Went around turn, coffee mug (with coffee) goes flying on passenger seat and floor (lost count as to how many times this has happened)

#2: In parking lot, drove car up to parking block. It got caught under car. When I tried to free car, cracked front bumper and tore bumper cover (has happened twice now - $600 repair cost each time).

lovemyclk

Can't help you with #2, but I just installed the all aluminum cupholder designed for the e39 center console storage bin. Fits behind the sliding tambour door perfectly and will hold that cup of coffee... even in a spirited turn! BMW now owns the rights to this, but you can see here: link title. Can be had at your local BMW Parts Counter.

Sounds like getting bitten by the same dog again is going to get expensive;-)

markcincinnati

#2 - I hate when that happens, and it seems to happen with way too much frequency with many cars, not just Bimmers.

It does NOT happen on the X3, however.

Small consolation, if any, I know.

pen101

#2 - it also happened on my wife's new Honda Odessey. But instead of cracking the bumper like the BMW, all that was required to be replaced was the plastic underbody plate at about $50. The BMW also has scratch marks under the front spoiler lip where I have scraped other parking blocks in the past and was lucky to get the car off them without significant damage. I told you I must be a slow learner.

530ir1150r

We picked up our 2002 530i, sport package, 5 speed in Munich on July 4, 2002. No warranty or maintenace issues have occurred. Still drives like a new car.

Information update: 68379 miles
26.4 MPG
50.7 MPH

designman

Sorry to hear your problems.

If a genie came out of a lamp and granted me one wish I would eliminate parking blocks from the face of the earth. OK, maybe I’m not being forthcoming… I would have him disconnect the beepers from the forklifts at Home Depot.

Surely you know the cupholders on the E39 are useless… BE CAREFUL!

Karen_S

A reporter aims to speak with anyone who has owned a vehicle and found its controls to be complicated. Please respond to jfallonedmunds.com by Monday, July 17, 2006, and be sure to include your daytime contact info and a few words about your experience.

Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

jabrolta

I know that BMW issued a press release stating a new iPod interface (July) for all newer models. Has anyone already purchase the interface and how much? And if so, how is the functionality and sound quality? Thanks for the input.

housley

Sorry for the late response.

I have had the tires "road force balanced" on several occasions now. The problem doesn't seem to be with the wheel tire combinations. My concern is that BMW says that the current vibration is as good as it's going to get, quote "it's within their specs". However the ride is consistent with a wheel being out of balance. I took the run-flats off and put on Michlens which have improved the issue but not eliminated it.

I am having a high performance shop look at the rotors, drive train etc to see if something is out of balance.

At this point I am recommending people stay away from the xi until this get's resolved

sbrown8244

I'm in my 40's and looking to buy my first BMW (pre-owned).
I have for the last several years admired the 525i and in looking on some internet auto sales sites at least it appears that there is very little if any difference in the body style and extras between the 2004 and 2006. Any reason not to try and get a 2004 in excellent condition with low mileage (approx.25K) in the $35K range as opposed to the 2006 at a higher price? Just out of curiosity is the body style changing in 2007, or anytime soon? The car will be used primarily for business travel, mostly in town, but some on the road. Are there any maintenance considerations between the 2004 and 2006? Finally, from a practical standpoint what is the difference in the quality/extras,spaciousness and comfort of the interior, etc. of the 525i when compared to say, the 325i...a big difference? Obviously, I'm just getting started here, but any advise you all have for a hopeful BMW neophite in trying to decide on what to buy, would be appreciated.