My test drive was between 45 minutes and an hour. And I could have had it longer, but by that time my mind was pretty well made up.
The standard warranty on the car is 4 years/50,000 miles I believe. This would cover major problems not related to regular maintenance. In addition, routine maintenance is covered for the first 3 years/36,000 miles. BMWs use synthetic oil, and the car lets you know when it needs an oil change. It is about every 15,000 but can vary depending upon the type of driving that you do. The maintenance warranty covers oil changes when the car says they are necessary (you have to pay if you want more frequent oil changes).
It is possible to extend the maintenance warranty to 4 years/50,000 miles for about $560 at this point. This may be worth it because there will probably be some major work between 35,000 and 50,000 miles, like the brakes, that would cost more than the price of extending the warranty.
I know it is possible to extend the regular warranty, but I don't know what that costs.
joseph830... Read all the fine print. Will they let you use geninue BMW parts and new parts. Or are any old parts OK with them. And see who the real insurance company is standing behind the product. Won't do you any good if that company goes bankrupt or stops paying claims due to insolvency. (I'm not a fan of 3rd party extended warranties.)
... please forgive me -- I'm a newbie here. Apologies in advance if I miss any etiquette nuances.
I have a Saab 9-5 coming off lease in June. I've started test driving and love the Lexus ES300 ... except it only comes with automatic. My girlfriend loves her 2001 530i automatic. I have driven her car only occasionally -- love the ride -- but would prefer a manual.
Can anyone here offer direct comparison advice?
Also, does anyone here lease? You all sound like very proud owners!
... sounds like you test drove on three different roads I was on today. How far north did you get on Route 7? I live about 75 minutes north of the Merritt. Do you have a dealer recommendation? Greenwich? Darien? North Haven? The two closest to me are Ridgefield and Watertown ...
On Route 7, I only traveled the stretch between I-95 and the Merritt Parkway. I know that if you go much further up on Route 7, the highway ends and it becomes a nice country road.
You must live above Danbury, or at least in the Ridgefield area.
The dealer where I bought was car was BMW of Darien, and I was very happy with them. I don't know anything about the other dealers that you mentioned.
I drove the Saab, the Lexus and the BMW when I was looking for my car. I think you'll find both the Lexus and the BMW to definitely be a cut above the Saab when it comes to the quality of the drive. The both will have more consistent power, better handling, more solid feel, etc. as compared with the Saab. I didn't think that the Saab really drove any better than an average car like the Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima, etc. They drive well, but nothing spectacular.
In my opinion, you really can't go wrong with either the Lexus or BMW. It depends on whether you want the ultimate emphasis on sportiness or luxury. The fact that if you want the manual transmission, you'll have to go with the BMW, gives you some indication of the fact that the BMW has an overall sportier emphasis than Lexus, both in image and in reality. Lexus likes to pamper their buyers to death - you can even get a free car wash at the Lexus dealer any time you want. They want to create a relationship for life. I don't think BMW goes quite as far in this respect.
It really comes down to what you like better, and what better suits your needs. And while you're deciding, you can get a few really fun test drives out of the whole thing too.
My wife fell in love with the interiors to both the '02 ES300 and A6. They look and fell marvelous! Almost too beautiful to get dirty or use. We loved the cherry-woodish ES300 wood. But there was no comparison between driving the ES300 and a 3 or 5 Series. The ES300's FWD platform is not designed for sustained serious driving and its engine and transmission seemed designed for sedate highway or around town driving. If you want to be seen in a nice car, the ES300 can't be beat. But it can if you want to really experience driving a great car. If you get a 3 or 5 Series and want luxury, make sure to get whatever luxury items you have to have. For example, get the Premium Pkg.
And if you want a manual, you have limited choices. ES300 is only automatic. But the choices are expanding a bit. Check out Cadillac's new CTS. RWD, 3.2L V-6. Price in the $30-40,000 range. Or Jag X-type. etc. Have fun looking and find the one that meets your wants and needs. And keeps her happy, too!
Wow, I'm back from a weeks vacation and there are a lot of posts. When I was shopping last month it was a quiet board. I got a 530i 5 speed, pp, cw, xenons, Sterling gray with gray. I got about $2200.00 off of list from F & S motors in the Pelham section of the Bronx last month. It was the last place I tried, but they had the best price and swapped for a car that was at Westchester BMW, but for $1000. better discount. I live in Northern Westchester but it will not be a big deal since I drive down the Hutch to work every day and F & S is only a mile off of the Hutch. So far I have 2000 miles on it and love it. The dealer reccommended that I change the oil for the 1st time at 5000 miles. It won't be free for the 1st change. Does anyone think it should be done earlier? So far it has not used any oil. My last 2 Audis used about a quart every 500 miles for the first 2000 or so miles, then never burned a drop. Thanks, sb55
Thanks very much for the quick, and enlightened, responses. I appreciate your insights ...
One more quickie -- it seems all the BMW 5's require premium gasoline. I've been spoiled with my Saab pumping in only 87 octane. Can using lower quality gas damage the car? Or just hurt performance?
I am looking at a 1997 540 in excellent condition, low mileage and CPO and wonder if anyone has any comments about the car. I note that Consumer Reports recommends the 98-99's as good used cars, but they noticeably leave out the 97.
This would be my first BMW and I just want to go into this knowing what to expect. Thanks for any information.
geirm... Don't forget that the current 5 Series E39 platform came on in '97 model year. Thus it was a new platform with all the associated bugs, gremlins, and poltergeists. That was one reason I went with a '98 540iM (an went CPO).
mcq7159... Use the recommended fuels and follow the manual. You won't go wrong.
The owner's manual to my '98 540iM says it clearly: "BMW engines are equipped with knock sensors and automatically adapt to operate with fuels of different octane ratings, as long as the minimum octane requirement is met." The minimum is unleaded 89 AKI (anti-knock index).
Interestingly, the minimum is 91 AKI on my wife's '00 323iA.
Manual goes on to say "Higher octane fuels will provide increased performance and fuel economy, while use of gasoline wiht a lower octane rating will have an adverse effect."
You can use 10% ethanol or 15% MTBE or 3% methanol.
I've been running 92 octane Amoco/BP Ultimate in both our cars.
Yes, there were some bugs in the early cars but nothing really serious. My wife bought a CPO 1997 528ia(6/96 build). The service history on the big sled shows a couple of recalls and software reprogramming and thats it. I put a thermostat and water pump on it at 61000 miles but that's pretty much typical for every 6 cyl. BMW I've owned since 1983. Make the dealer show you the FULL service history; that should tell you a lot about any problems on that particular car. I'd wager any problems have been sorted by now.
It is a pleasure to read so much entheuisism about your new car. i almost bought one myself last spring. But I was a little hesitant of my first stick car being an expensive one,so I got a Passat. But the 5 series is a wonderful car. Happy motoring,Pen101!
Does anyone with 530i think that automatic climate control is a bit weird? I drove to work 8 miles this morning, and despite having everything set to auto and temperature set to 73 degrees, I still felt cold in certain places. For some reason, I feel that it doesn't work as well as my wife's Lexus RX300.
How long did it take you to drive the 8 miles? Have you taken your wife's RX300 over the same route in the same length of time with the same outside temperature to see how her's feels?
Make sure all of the vents are in the fully opened position; sometimes people close one or two dash vents (say on the passenger side) and forget to re-open them later. If I want to get warm quickly (and 8 miles seems like a short drive) and it is really cold outside, I've got my heated seats on and set the inside temperature to 80 degrees. Then later lower the temp to the normal temperature I want. I do that in all my cars.
I've been driving RX300 for a year now, so I went through it in one winter, and know how it feels. My trip to work is about 12-15 mins, and it was 16 degrees outside(pretty cold). I had heated seats on, obviously. I'll try setting inside temp to 80 and see how it goes. Thanks again.
Would you mind sharing any of details of your transaction? How much over invoice or under MSRP did you get the car for? Did you lease or buy? What did the payments work out to be? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Less than 25k miles on a 1997 540i (under 5k / year) would cause me to want to check how the car was driven.
Specifically, I would be concerned if the car sat for long periods of time, or was driven predominantly very short distances. That can actually be much harder on a car's engine and mechanicals than 10-15k miles per year of predominantly highway driving.
I would have the car checked out by a mechanic for non-obvious things like carbon build up, etc. I recently purchased a new Honda S2000 and was educated by an unbiased service manager about the pro's / con's of a used 2000 model with under 5,000 miles that I also considered. He specifically mentioned low milage 8-cylinder Mercedes and BMW's as being susceptible to "lack of exercise" problems, as he termed them.
What was the temperature dial set to in the middle of the dash vents? This fine-tune dial allows you to get relatively cooler or warmer air than the other vents. It seems redundant, but it's a potential safety issue: studies show warm air against the face is more fatiguing than cooler air, so even if it's freezing out and you blast up the heat, you still wouldn't want maximum heat coming at your face (nor would it feel comfortable for very long).
What kind of math are you doing here? The difference in price between a 530iA and a 540iA is significantly more than "a couple thousand dollars." Price it yourself: Similarly-equipped versions are about nine grand apart. And the performance difference is nowhere near commensurate with that price gap.
Can anyone confirm/deny whether you can get the sport seats without ordering the sport package? I'm wondering if the 12/14 way seats are similar to the "sport" seats or do they just have more adjustments (and not additional side bolstering)? Thanks ! metmdx
Unless you're able to swindle a special order through BMWNA (usually a couple thousand $), no, you cannot order only sport seats outside of the sport package. I believe you could've done that last year ('01 models), but no more. By the way, why are you opposed to the sport package? It's a great value, in my opinion. As for the "Comfort" seat option, they are very comfortable, but don't offer nearly the same side bolstering as the sport seats (which I strongly prefer). It's too bad we can't order the M5's seats, which are basically the sport seats plus adjustable lumbar support.
Since it's a CPO, I won't worry too much about it, especially if it comes from a reputable dealer.
I have a '97 540 (6 speed) with no major mechanical problems so far. The only thing I did was switching to Mobil 1, as recommended by my mechanic, after noticing some noise from the 'lifters'. Before this one, I had a '90 535 and again it was a fine car.
I'm sure you will enjoy yours. BMW cars are really a blast to drive.
snagiel... Didn't he say his 530iA was "loaded"? Thought I asked him what the MSRP was on his LOADED 530iA. Didn't he say about $50,000. That compares to an MSRP of $51,845 (includes destination) for a base, no-options 540iA.
Using Edmunds numbers for 2002 MY. Take the 2002 MSRP for a 530i of $40,095 (including destination). Then add just automatic transmission ($1,275), Premium Package ($3,300), Comfort Seat ($1,200) and Premium Sound ($1,200). Just these four options take the MSRP up to $47,070. That wouldn't include a host of other options he might have. For example, rear airbags, cold weather package, Xenon HID headlights, split-fold rear seat, and many more. These could quickly push the MSRP up OVER the base no-option 540iA.
So that initial almost $10,000 price difference can evaporate really quickly. Now which car one would rather have for the same MSRP is up to each person. Me, I'd rather have the 540iA. But that is my own preference.
I can get you a complete answer next time because I don't have the paper work in front of me. However, here are the essentials:
I leased. Was debating on doing ED, but decided against it because I could not wait (I am going to be in Germany in June anyways, which would mean I would get the car state side only in August, and I needed a new car sooner).
Negotiated price was $1,000 over invoice + $400 MACO. Residual for 36 month, 36K mile lease was 62%. Money factor was .0023, but can buy down to .0013 with 10 security deposits ($550 each). My monthly payments are about $525. All maintenance is included during the period, including the brakes. Only the tires are excluded. I picked up the car with 5 miles on it. It had just been delivered to the dealership the day before. Negotiated the price over the phone. Just came in and signed the paperwork.
Sorry not to answer quicker, jim, but was away from the computer for a couple of days.
The xenon lights are brighter and 'clearer' -- halogen lights have a slight yellowish cast that seems to dull the edges of objects. Xenon light is pure white and looks like daylight. The edge of your light is quite distinct. I imagine that the high beams are not xenon to avoid any risk of blinding on-coming drivers -- a good idea, I think.
Ask your dealer to try them some evening before you decide -- drive somewhere that lacks streetlights and where somone could be walking on the edge of the road.
What part of the country do you live in? This is amazing - no dealer in Chicago seemed to discount more than $1500. I got $2000 off mine(and it ended up $2000 over invoice) because the dealer screwed up and got me a car without Xenons. Of course, next time I'll buy a BMW will be in 5 years or so, but still I wanna know.
From what I've read, the sport suspension is too stiff in everyday driving compared to the regular. Combined with the fact that I couldn't drive the car to it's limits in my commute where I live, I can't justify the expense. The seats alone would be nice, but I guess that's not happening. On another note, does anyone have any DEFINITIVE info on the "AWD" 5-series in terms of when it's coming out? Thanks, metmdx
So the rabbit is out of the hat, errr, so to speak. I always thought that the LS was run with Squirrel power, now I understand why some LSs are so fast, Bunny/Hare power. ROTFLMAO!
Thanks for all the replies from everyone. My die is cast - I will be picking up the car on Saturday.
Except for the concerns about 'no exercise' due to low mileage, which I will keep in mind, the general positive comments here helped calm my fears about its age and 1st model year concerns.
Curious leftover - I asked to see the service history of the car. It was short but unintelligible - I had to depend on the sales rep to tell me what the service codes were. ant it was clear he wasn't too sure either.
Is there a way to do this and get the full information? Can I call BMW?
Given the talk about Certified Pre-Owned, private party sales, and extended warranties, thought you might find this interesting... Today's Omaha World-Herald has small article about Iowa Attorney General investigating Warranty USA. AG has about 150 complaints. Company reportedly pushes "b-to=b" warranties to people whose original warranties are expiring. AG quoted as saying that the warranty has so many exclusions that it "may be virtually useless." I couldn't imagine buying a warranty from a 3rd party. IMO, insurance is only as good as the seller is strong and reputable.
Thanks for the info. Where do you live and at what dealership did you get 1,000 over invoice (maybe a stupid question but what is + $400 MACO)? That is much better than anything I've heard on here so far. Was your lease through BMW Finance? How does everyone feel about putting down multiple security deposits? Does it make it more likely that they will end up keeping more money in the end (since possession is 9/10ths of the law)?
Agreed; I just very recently bought a very well equipped 530, which retailed for a hair under $50k (and I paid about $47k for). But comparing a loaded 530 and a stripped 540 is misleading; obviously the price will be close, but then you have a sharp mismatch with respect to features and options. So, yes, in theory one might weigh these two alternatives, but in reality I think most people would rather have a well-equipped 530 and live with the not-so-modest 225hp than a bare-bones 540.
If it's a money issue, that's one thing, but in all honesty I think the Sport package is the most important option on the 5-series. Some cars are faster, more luxurious, whatever, but the 5-series flat-out handles better than any other car out there. By that I don't mean that it'll pull more lateral G's than a Viper or run a slalom faster than a Vette. I mean it offers an unbelievably balanced combination of comfort and performance. It sounds cliched because so many other manufacturers have tried to reproduce it, but I've driven other alternative, and the 5-series is hands-down the best (which most automotive journalists agree with).
That said, if you live in a horrendously pot-holed area, perhaps the Sport package is too tight and bears unnecessary risk of bending a wheel. But I find it's only marginally less posh than the standard setup, yet offers a far better controlled ride in even moderate turns and maneuvers.
Re your question to pen101. Invoice is a somewhat ambiguous term even when just talking about the practicies of one manufacturer. Generally speaking, when a charge to a dealer will differ from one dealer to the next, the charge is broken out as a separate item on the invoice. MACO (which is an advertising charge) is one such charge. Dealers in small communities often pay no MACO at all. In large markets they are generally charged the highest MACO. MACO is a legtimate part of the invoice but it means that invoice for an identical car (and therefore what you pay if you buy a car for "invoice + $nnnn" can vary from dealer to dealer.
At what dealership were you able to get 3K under invoice. I was under the impression, from reading previous posts, that 2K under was about the best I could hope for. From your post and Pen101's, it appears that there are much better deals to be had.
3K under invoice?! I haven't heard of any deals like that anywhere...I said about $3 under retail(MSRP/sticker). I ordered an '02 530 with the following: CWP Premium Sport Xenon PDC DSP Sunshade
Which invoiced for $44,110, and stickered for $49,270. The dealer, Mike Horsman at Athens BMW (GA), was very straightforward and easy to get along with. He suggested $2500 over invoice ($46,610), which I didn't see the need for haggling over since it was less than I was expecting to pay.
I've even heard of some dealers in the mid-Atlantic area selling for $1500 or even $1000 over invoice. But I've been extremely pleased with Athens BMW so far. They even gave me a chauferred ride (in a 330) up to Spartanburg for the delivery there...entirely complimentary.
Like all warranties (new or CPO or 3rd party), it's always prudent to read the fine lines. For e.g. my extended warranty covers the cruise control but not the radio.
But some warranty is always better than none. One would need to do the maths and figure if the extra protection is worth the price. CPO entails more than a simple 2-year/100,000 miles warranty. It includes pre-inspection and replacement of parts measured against a certain standard. For e.g. if the brake pads/rotors were not up to standard, they will have to fix it before they can CPO-ed it. Of course, it is equally important that you select a reputable dealer eventhough, I believe the CPO/warranty is honored by BMWUSA.
I have to agree with snagiel on the Sports Package. IMO, it makes a 5 series ever better. My '97 540i (manual) comes with it(standard) and I have test-driven 540i (auto) with and without sports and came away totally impressed with the sports. It really change the dynamics of the car for the extra grand or so. The ride is firmer but the handling is much better.
Most service records should show both the codes and some text description. I would take some time and go over the records to sync in with the service timeline.
For a 25k mileage car, one shouldn't expect to see much one hopes or else it signals concerns
I would expect to see perhaps 2 oil changes and an Inspection I. It may be due for Inspection II soon (at 35k).
In previous posts I have outlined the Bimmer I purchased Dec 30,2000 . It is a 530I with steptronic, premium sport package with 17 inch alloys and Michelin Primacy tires. I am completely happy with the above combos. I wouldn't trade the sport option for anything. Would I rather have the stick, probably, but since my wife can't drive a stick I am content with the steptronic which I seldom use in "manual mode" but it's nice to have the capability.It also has xenons which again I wouldn't want to do without. I love the color, Anthracite, which is a great color but may not be available for2002. The seats are regular with black leather, also happy with the color and look. It has fold down seats and the pass-through which I've never used, and probably could do without, but all my other cars have had it and I thought I "needed" it. I like the 10 speaker sound system but could get used to the enhanced system. After one short year, the car's driveability, aggressive stance of the low profile tires, the excellent ride and handling leave me longing for the next time and prople wonder why I have a constant grin on my face! This car is the Ultimate. I keep asking myself after this what can possibly be better.
Well, the February 2002 Car and Driver has a comparison test of seven compact sport sedans- all with manual transmissions. The ranking from top to bottom was: 1.BMW 330i, 2.Audi A4 3.0Q, 3.Lexus IS300, 4.Cadillac CTS, 5.Jaguar X-type 3.0, 6.Saab 9-3 Viggen, 6.Lincoln LS(V6). No surprises really, but it gave me an idea; I dug up the August 1996 CD test of a 1997 528ia(non sport), and compared the 5er's test numbers to the new hot shots. Guess what? The four year old 5er was pretty competitive- especially considering it was equipped with a four speed automatic. In the "Street Start" 5-60 mph test, the 8.0 sec. recorded by the 5er put it within a quarter second of all but the 330i and the 9-3- and it beat the Jag and the Lincoln. In the 1/4 mile the 528ia times were within 3/4 second of all but the BMW and Saab. In fuel economy the 5er's 24 mpg was again beaten only by the 3er and the Saab, and equalled by the Lexus. In the 70-0 braking test the five took 15 feet longer to stop, not bad considering the 5er was running H-rated 225/60-15 ContiTourings(YUK!)while all the new kids save the IS300 were fitted with 50 series or better V or Z rated 17 inch tires. The lack of serious rubber also hurt the skidpad and slalom numbers, though the Five still managed to generate a .79 skidpad figure and 61.2 mph slalom speed- within .05g and @2 second of the latest and greatest- while actually beating the IS300. Now, I'm the first to point out that test numbers hardly ever tell the whole story, but we all know the E39 5er is not a "one trick pony"- it excels as a drivers car as well as a luxury cruiser. I just found it interesting that a a four and a half year old automatic 528i shod fitted the worst possible tires could still compete with the young turks. And imagine if the old 5er had been equipped with a five speed and the sport package...
The Lincoln LS and probably the Caddy and X-type (not sure on the last two) is/are definitly NOT compact sedans. The LS is slightly smaller (interior) than the 7-series.
You also need a REALLY BIG bunny to make it work. That, or a cat. You also need to get a Type-S or Type-R sticker for the trunk. That adds at least 10hp and .5G's.
Well, I think CD was looking at manual sport sedans priced under $40K; size was a secondary consideration. The "compact" Audi A4 was one of the heaviest cars, FWIW. I think I'll throw a Shark Injector and some serious rubber on to Mrs. Div's CPO 528ia- I'll run with all but the 330i for a bit less than $30K.
Comments
The standard warranty on the car is 4 years/50,000 miles I believe. This would cover major problems not related to regular maintenance. In addition, routine maintenance is covered for the first 3 years/36,000 miles. BMWs use synthetic oil, and the car lets you know when it needs an oil change. It is about every 15,000 but can vary depending upon the type of driving that you do. The maintenance warranty covers oil changes when the car says they are necessary (you have to pay if you want more frequent oil changes).
It is possible to extend the maintenance warranty to 4 years/50,000 miles for about $560 at this point. This may be worth it because there will probably be some major work between 35,000 and 50,000 miles, like the brakes, that would cost more than the price of extending the warranty.
I know it is possible to extend the regular warranty, but I don't know what that costs.
I have a Saab 9-5 coming off lease in June. I've started test driving and love the Lexus ES300 ... except it only comes with automatic. My girlfriend loves her 2001 530i automatic. I have driven her car only occasionally -- love the ride -- but would prefer a manual.
Can anyone here offer direct comparison advice?
Also, does anyone here lease? You all sound like very proud owners!
Thanks in advance and Happy Y2K+2!
Thanks for any insight ...
You must live above Danbury, or at least in the Ridgefield area.
The dealer where I bought was car was BMW of Darien, and I was very happy with them. I don't know anything about the other dealers that you mentioned.
I drove the Saab, the Lexus and the BMW when I was looking for my car. I think you'll find both the Lexus and the BMW to definitely be a cut above the Saab when it comes to the quality of the drive. The both will have more consistent power, better handling, more solid feel, etc. as compared with the Saab. I didn't think that the Saab really drove any better than an average car like the Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima, etc. They drive well, but nothing spectacular.
In my opinion, you really can't go wrong with either the Lexus or BMW. It depends on whether you want the ultimate emphasis on sportiness or luxury. The fact that if you want the manual transmission, you'll have to go with the BMW, gives you some indication of the fact that the BMW has an overall sportier emphasis than Lexus, both in image and in reality. Lexus likes to pamper their buyers to death - you can even get a free car wash at the Lexus dealer any time you want. They want to create a relationship for life. I don't think BMW goes quite as far in this respect.
It really comes down to what you like better, and what better suits your needs. And while you're deciding, you can get a few really fun test drives out of the whole thing too.
And if you want a manual, you have limited choices. ES300 is only automatic. But the choices are expanding a bit. Check out Cadillac's new CTS. RWD, 3.2L V-6. Price in the $30-40,000 range. Or Jag X-type. etc. Have fun looking and find the one that meets your wants and needs. And keeps her happy, too!
I got a 530i 5 speed, pp, cw, xenons, Sterling gray with gray. I got about $2200.00 off of list from F & S motors in the Pelham section of the Bronx last month. It was the last place I tried, but they had the best price and swapped for a car that was at Westchester BMW, but for $1000. better discount. I live in Northern Westchester but it will not be a big deal since I drive down the Hutch to work every day and F & S is only a mile off of the Hutch.
So far I have 2000 miles on it and love it. The dealer reccommended that I change the oil for the 1st time at 5000 miles. It won't be free for the 1st change. Does anyone think it should be done earlier? So far it has not used any oil. My last 2 Audis used about a quart every 500 miles for the first 2000 or so miles, then never burned a drop.
Thanks,
sb55
2025 Toyota Crown Signia Hybrid, 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 Hemi, 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT
One more quickie -- it seems all the BMW 5's require premium gasoline. I've been spoiled with my Saab pumping in only 87 octane. Can using lower quality gas damage the car? Or just hurt performance?
Thanks again and Happy Y2K+2 !
Thanks !
This would be my first BMW and I just want to go into this knowing what to expect. Thanks for any information.
The owner's manual to my '98 540iM says it clearly: "BMW engines are equipped with knock sensors and automatically adapt to operate with fuels of different octane ratings, as long as the minimum octane requirement is met." The minimum is unleaded 89 AKI (anti-knock index).
Interestingly, the minimum is 91 AKI on my wife's '00 323iA.
Manual goes on to say "Higher octane fuels will provide increased performance and fuel economy, while use of gasoline wiht a lower octane rating will have an adverse effect."
You can use 10% ethanol or 15% MTBE or 3% methanol.
I've been running 92 octane Amoco/BP Ultimate in both our cars.
Or another way, would the service records reflect what got taken care of, or do the poltergeists tend to hang around?
Thank you everyone for all your great posts. They were much help in guiding me to the ultimate car!!
Now I can contribute as an insider.
Happy motoring,Pen101!
Make sure all of the vents are in the fully opened position; sometimes people close one or two dash vents (say on the passenger side) and forget to re-open them later. If I want to get warm quickly (and 8 miles seems like a short drive) and it is really cold outside, I've got my heated seats on and set the inside temperature to 80 degrees. Then later lower the temp to the normal temperature I want. I do that in all my cars.
Specifically, I would be concerned if the car sat for long periods of time, or was driven predominantly very short distances. That can actually be much harder on a car's engine and mechanicals than 10-15k miles per year of predominantly highway driving.
I would have the car checked out by a mechanic for non-obvious things like carbon build up, etc. I recently purchased a new Honda S2000 and was educated by an unbiased service manager about the pro's / con's of a used 2000 model with under 5,000 miles that I also considered. He specifically mentioned low milage 8-cylinder Mercedes and BMW's as being susceptible to "lack of exercise" problems, as he termed them.
I'm wondering if the 12/14 way seats are similar to the "sport" seats or do they just have more adjustments (and not additional side bolstering)?
Thanks !
metmdx
As for the "Comfort" seat option, they are very comfortable, but don't offer nearly the same side bolstering as the sport seats (which I strongly prefer). It's too bad we can't order the M5's seats, which are basically the sport seats plus adjustable lumbar support.
Since it's a CPO, I won't worry too much about it, especially if it comes from a reputable dealer.
I have a '97 540 (6 speed) with no major mechanical problems so far. The only thing I did was switching to Mobil 1, as recommended by my mechanic, after noticing some noise from the 'lifters'. Before this one, I had a '90 535 and again it was a fine car.
I'm sure you will enjoy yours. BMW cars are really a blast to drive.
Using Edmunds numbers for 2002 MY. Take the 2002 MSRP for a 530i of $40,095 (including destination). Then add just automatic transmission ($1,275), Premium Package ($3,300), Comfort Seat ($1,200) and Premium Sound ($1,200). Just these four options take the MSRP up to $47,070. That wouldn't include a host of other options he might have. For example, rear airbags, cold weather package, Xenon HID headlights, split-fold rear seat, and many more. These could quickly push the MSRP up OVER the base no-option 540iA.
So that initial almost $10,000 price difference can evaporate really quickly. Now which car one would rather have for the same MSRP is up to each person. Me, I'd rather have the 540iA. But that is my own preference.
I leased. Was debating on doing ED, but decided against it because I could not wait (I am going to be in Germany in June anyways, which would mean I would get the car state side only in August, and I needed a new car sooner).
Negotiated price was $1,000 over invoice + $400 MACO. Residual for 36 month, 36K mile lease was 62%. Money factor was .0023, but can buy down to .0013 with 10 security deposits ($550 each). My monthly payments are about $525. All maintenance is included during the period, including the brakes. Only the tires are excluded. I picked up the car with 5 miles on it. It had just been delivered to the dealership the day before. Negotiated the price over the phone. Just came in and signed the paperwork.
The xenon lights are brighter and 'clearer' -- halogen lights have a slight yellowish cast that seems to dull the edges of objects. Xenon light is pure white and looks like daylight. The edge of your light is quite distinct. I imagine that the high beams are not xenon to avoid any risk of blinding on-coming drivers -- a good idea, I think.
Ask your dealer to try them some evening before you decide -- drive somewhere that lacks streetlights and where somone could be walking on the edge of the road.
Take care.
Joe W.
http://www.bmwm5.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11064
On another note, does anyone have any DEFINITIVE info on the "AWD" 5-series in terms of when it's coming out?
Thanks,
metmdx
Best Regards,
Shipo
Except for the concerns about 'no exercise' due to low mileage, which I will keep in mind, the general positive comments here helped calm my fears about its age and 1st model year concerns.
Curious leftover - I asked to see the service history of the car. It was short but unintelligible - I had to depend on the sales rep to tell me what the service codes were. ant it was clear he wasn't too sure either.
Is there a way to do this and get the full information? Can I call BMW?
That said, if you live in a horrendously pot-holed area, perhaps the Sport package is too tight and bears unnecessary risk of bending a wheel. But I find it's only marginally less posh than the standard setup, yet offers a far better controlled ride in even moderate turns and maneuvers.
I ordered an '02 530 with the following:
CWP
Premium
Sport
Xenon
PDC
DSP
Sunshade
Which invoiced for $44,110, and stickered for $49,270. The dealer, Mike Horsman at Athens BMW (GA), was very straightforward and easy to get along with. He suggested $2500 over invoice ($46,610), which I didn't see the need for haggling over since it was less than I was expecting to pay.
I've even heard of some dealers in the mid-Atlantic area selling for $1500 or even $1000 over invoice. But I've been extremely pleased with Athens BMW so far. They even gave me a chauferred ride (in a 330) up to Spartanburg for the delivery there...entirely complimentary.
But some warranty is always better than none. One would need to do the maths and figure if the extra protection is worth the price. CPO entails more than a simple 2-year/100,000 miles warranty. It includes pre-inspection and replacement of parts measured against a certain standard. For e.g. if the brake pads/rotors were not up to standard, they will have to fix it before they can CPO-ed it. Of course, it is equally important that you select a reputable dealer eventhough, I believe the CPO/warranty is honored by BMWUSA.
Most service records should show both the codes and some text description. I would take some time and go over the records to sync in with the service timeline.
For a 25k mileage car, one shouldn't expect to see much one hopes or else it signals concerns
I would expect to see perhaps 2 oil changes and an Inspection I. It may be due for Inspection II soon (at 35k).
Does it come with Sports package?
And be sure to first coat the bunny with K&N filter oil. Or Zaino.
And copy while you can. Once the patent goes through, BMW will have to BUY this technology.:)
completely happy with the above combos. I wouldn't trade the sport option for anything.
Would I rather have the stick, probably, but since my wife can't drive a stick I am content with the steptronic which I seldom use in "manual mode" but it's nice to have the capability.It also has xenons which again I wouldn't want to do without. I love the color,
Anthracite, which is a great color but may not be available for2002. The seats are regular
with black leather, also happy with the color and look. It has fold down seats and the pass-through which I've never used, and probably could do without, but all my other
cars have had it and I thought I "needed" it. I like the 10 speaker sound system but could get used to the enhanced system. After one short year, the car's driveability, aggressive
stance of the low profile tires, the excellent ride and handling leave me longing for the next time and prople wonder why I have a constant grin on my face! This car is the Ultimate. I keep asking myself after this what can possibly be better.
Now, I'm the first to point out that test numbers hardly ever tell the whole story, but we all know the E39 5er is not a "one trick pony"- it excels as a drivers car as well as a luxury cruiser. I just found it interesting that a a four and a half year old automatic 528i shod fitted the worst possible tires could still compete with the young turks. And imagine if the old 5er had been equipped with a five speed and the sport package...
You also need a REALLY BIG bunny to make it work. That, or a cat. You also need to get a Type-S or Type-R sticker for the trunk. That adds at least 10hp and .5G's.