Alphmac - you are in the same boat as I was. I was dreaming about BMW for 3 years, and just before New Year's I took a plunge and did it! I love my 2002 530i. My opinion - lumbar is great, although I don't have it. I bought only PP and CWP. I test-drove 530i with SP, and it was nice, but still, it's miserable to drive in Chicago on 17" tires during winter(trust me, I did it on my 3000GT for almost 5 winters). I suggest you test-drive them both, but if you are willing to spend the money, I'd rather put it in the SP and extra set of winter tires than in the Premium sound system. Unless you are VERY picky about your equalizer settings, standard BMW system is way better than most others, including one in my wife's '01 Lexus RX300.
As far as finding deals on them, I highly recommend Patrick BMW. I shopped around everywhere(even Wisconsin), and Patrick was the nicest to deal with(no PUSHING and willing to do many things to earn your business). Basically, they were able to discount more than anyone else(best discount in Chicago I found was $1500 off MSRP, they did $2000 off MSRP). If you buy a fairly loaded 530, I'm sure they can do the same for you, too. Call and ask for Joel, and tell him that Michael that bought Silver 530 from him just before New Years referred you. I can guarantee you a very pleasant buying experience. Let me know what happens, and good luck!
Agreed; If I lived in Chicago, I'd get 16" wheels and snow tires regardless of Sport Package or not, since even the all-season treads on the standard model aren't ideal on a rear-wheel drive car in a northern winter. Doing so not only saves the wheels from damage, but it's an important safety investment (about $800-$2000, depending on how fancy you want to get with the wheels and tires), and will of course prolong the longevity of your summer/all-season tires.
I put Michelin Artic Alpines with Borbet wheels on my 540i for the winter season. Since we have had zero snow(it figures, if I wouldn't of put snow tires on, it would of snowed 3 feet by now) I haven't been able to test them. However, I have driven on plenty of dry pavement with these snow tires, and I must admit, I am surprised at the lack of grip. The traction control comes on much more often than the 17" tires. I felt there would be a difference, I'm just surprised at how much.
Thanks for the input. I'll definitely check out Patrick BMW. I'll think about the sport package also, but due to the winters, may avoid the tire hassle.
My understanding is that when you put money down (down payment) on a lease lowering your capitalized cost (or price of your car). This lowers your lease payments since it lowers the amount to be financed over the life of your lease.
Conversely, multiple deposits are used to lower your money factor (or interest rate) and not applied to lower your capitalized cost. The effect is the same in that it lowers your monthly lease payment.
A big difference would be if you total your car. If you put money down on your lease, that just evaporated with your car since that's the amount you have already paid on the car. Just as BMW FS wouldn't refund your lease payments, they wouldn't refund your down payment. On the other hand, BMW FS would return your multiple security deposit if you totaled your car (assuming your insurance is in order) since that was never applied to the cost of your car. Another way to look at it is that you are in effect "lending" money to BMW FS over the life of your lease and the interest they pay to you is in lower monthly lease payments. If your lease ends prematurely, BMW FS still has to return the money they "borrowed" from you.
Not sure if it's the most clear explanation, but hope this helps.
I leased my 1999 528i from Park Ave BMW and recently leased 2001 X5 from DiFeo BMW. I chose DiFeo this time since it is closer to my home and more convenient for servicing, but I found price and service at Park Ave to be better. I may have gone back to Park Ave if the dealer I leased my 528i was still there. Also try Prestige...when I was shopping around, they had the best price, but they are a bit too far from me.
What and where is the shadowline trim that comes with SP in 530, does it only come with SP? Even though I think it is an indented line on the outside that runs from front to rear of the car. If this is wrong, please tell me aht it is.
The shadowline trim is the 'blackout' trim around the side windows. With the non-sport 5-series there would be chrome trim. The shadowline cannot be ordered independently from the sport pkg.
I just started to notice a high pitched but not loud fan noise on my 2002 530 (I've had it since October 2001). Anyone else notice this and is it normal? Does not seem to be related to the ventilation system. I am taking the car in tomorrow for service and thought I'd mention it to the advisor.
I was wondering whether or not the 2002's would have the loud aux. fans that the 01's were getting due to the two recalls. Are you sure you can't hear your fan come on and off while your driving? I already told my dealer that if BMW is installing a different fan in the 02's that is quieter, I want one. I will even pay for it!
Hi. With the help of many on this board, I've become comfortable with seriously considering a 2002 530i (God, I pray for no reliability nightmares!) and could benefit from your thoughts on this deal from a local NYC dealer...
'02 530i 3 Years, 15,000 miles/yr cold package, sports package, prem package, auto/Step, no Xenons Monthly payment: $650 including tax and interest.
What is the MSRP, Cap Cost, money factor, residual %, tax rate, and upfront payments. For me, it's hard to evaluate a lease deal without knowing the individual components of the payment calculation. On the surface it doesn't look bad unless you had to put down a sizable cap cost reduction.
Regarding the grip on the snow tires, I have an '01 530, no sport package. I put a set of 4 Michelin Pilot Alpins on the 16 inch wheels and also noticed traction control coming on more frequently on dry pavement than with the all season tires. Not a big deal, but it definitely bothered me for the first few days. Now that we've finally had a few snowy mornings, I'm glad I've got the snow tires on. The car seems to be doing quite well in the snow, actually better than the car it replaced, which was a 92 Camry with all season tires.
The particulars of the 530i lease opportunity are the following...
3 yr/15,000 mi/yr sports, premium, cold, xenons auto/step Dealer offering lease @ $650/month, including tax and interest. Price is $45,500, Invoice is $43,500, so $2,000 over invoice.
The 2002 530i's fan connects directly to the engine via a belt(like my previous 540i). This, however, makes the engine work harder. Possibly, BMW tuned the software (and others) to increase hp to compensate and coming out even at 225hp rating (my theory ? ) This new fan setup may be the permanent fix to the recall problems on 2001 model.
I also noticed that the new 2002 530i steptronic gear box has a different shifting direction (push= "-" and pull="+" in manual mode compare to my 2001 540i.
My new 2002 530i (2 days old) runs well but it does not have the low end torque like my 2001 540i. It is a downgrade for me (my 540i got into a bad accident -- rear ended badly -- I have no choice: trade it for the 530i ; cheaper to operate in the current bussiness condition) Next move may be the 2005 540i with new V8 (valve tronic / double VANOS -- hopefully things will get much better and BMW may fix all minor bugs with this new engine).
jls21- Thanks for the feedback on snowtires/traction control. I still have no snow to test my tires, but there is still alot of winter left. I keep telling my self the $1100 is well worth it just to give the BMW rims/Dunlop tires that came on the car a break, especially from the winter driving conditions.
hnn- Sorry to hear about your accident. I have a 2001 540i 6-speed/sport suspension. I have never driven a 530, but find your comments regarding low-end torque interesting. There has been some debate as to how much noticable difference there is in acceleration between the two models. I feel there has to be a considerable difference based on the large difference in torque between the two engines, even with the 540 weighing more than the 530. The different gearing in a manual vs. an auto can also make difference.
First, you shouldn't be surprised by how the 530 drives--I'm assuming you had an opportunity to test drive it first. Second, my 530 is a month old, and it genuinely feels faster now than it did the first day. Other new owners have had similar experiences. Third, if you wanted to extract the most performance out of the 530, you should've bought a stick without a doubt. I drove the 530iA and it felt MUCH slower than the stick. I'm surprised the torque converter seems to sap so much power and causes gearshift lagtime, but rowing through the gears up to 5500 rpm, the car accelerates very briskly (granted, I'm not accustomed to driving a 540, but it's far more than adequate and plenty fun).
And indylowflyer, I won't dispute there's a noticeable difference in power between the two, but I've driven both and honestly didn't feel the difference in acceleration was commensurate with the difference in power ratings for the two. Since the 530's got a smaller engine, you basically have to rev it more when accelerating and passing, but it's such a joy with that engine and the transmission, it's almost silly to complain about it.
I think it sounds like a pretty good deal. 2K over invoice is about as good as I've heard in the Northeast and it doesn't appear that they marked up the money factor at all. I'm assuming you didn't put down any cap cost reduction. Where did you get this deal?
looking to replace tires (235 front 255 back) was wondering what others were buying? tirerack has Yokohama AVS dB's for $144/$144 and Firestone Firehawk SZ50EP's $178/$188 that have pretty good survey results. input would be appreciated.
The board 5'er board on www.roadfly.com is of the general opinion that there are NO good dealers in the Bay area. I did a few test drives from Allison, and then solicited quotes from ten dealers. East Bay BMW came in the lowest, but lower sill was Cutter Motors in SB, where I finally purchased. There is a huge number of Internet buyers that end up purchasing from Cutter because of their low price and good sales service.
thank you, pgill, for your careful and thourough description of why the company returns the security deposits. I was thinking of a car that was damaged while your explanation clearly points out that it applies to a car that is totaled.
indylowflyer Thanks for your sympathy comment regarding my 2001 540i (loaded except cwp and nav. system) . I drove it for 11 months before traded it in. My wife could not drive stick shift so that I had to settle for a steptronic for the 540i (I did test drove and loved the 6 speeds though).
snagiel, I test drove both 2001 530i manual and steptronic with the dealer's test cars and knew how they behaved on both. I can feel (after owning the 540i for 11 mths) that accelrating at around 3700rpm and getting out of a corner hard, my 540i pushed me back into the seat more than the 530i . I had to kick it up to 5500rpm to get the feeling of the speed acceration but does not feel the same "pushing back to the seat" feeling like my 540i. The 530i acceleration at 5000rpm+ is good but still; the low end torque does it for me. Again, this is my personal observation between 540i and 530i on steptronic gear box and in MANUAL mode (not sport or std auto. mode).
cheeks, I do not know how 2001 fan setup so that I cannot comment on it. You can check with your dealer.
I'm thinking of leasing a 530 or 540I any thoughts on this it will be appreciated. I would also like to know if a new re designed model is coming out in September the dealer says in a couple of years but I do not trust dealers, all they want is the sales. I have an Infiniti I30T and love it, but I think is time for a change. I'll appreciate all the comments and suggestions, good and bad. thanks
I have them on my Lincoln LS, 245/45/17. I LOVE them. They are quiet and quite responsive. In my 1k experience on them, the survey results seem accurate.
Good choice--you'll love either the 530 or the 540. Which one to get depends on your priorities and your willingness to spend. I recently bought a 530i sport with many options, and couldn't be happier with it. It handles amazingly well, and the engine is incredibly smooth, eager, and powerful. And the cabin is an absolute joy to sit in and pilot the car.
As for the replacement (code-named 'E60' by BMW), the latest consensus is that it will make its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September 2003, rolling out en masse in Europe shortly thereafter, and arriving on US shores in early 2004. It most definitely won't be at your dealer September 2002.
I know it may be somewhat unnerving buying a model towards the end of its life-cycle, but a) like I said it'll still be another couple years, b) the new styling (nothing official yet but spy pictures and educated illustrations have abounded) is controversial, and, most importantly, c) we're talking about a car that's not so disputedly the best sports sedan on the planet. It's driving dynamics are literally years ahead of the competition, and in my opinion its styling is relatively classic and timeless, so I wouldn't worry about buying something on the verge of antiquity (or worse, obsolescence).
Good luck, and feel free to ask more specific questions.
I have been waiting several months but the wait, for my new 530ia, is almost over. The car is scheduled to arrive in port (New Jersey) by Tuesday. If there are no problems I should be driving it by next weekend.
530ia (Sterling Gray w/ Black leather) Premium pkg, Steptronic, Cold pkg, Heated Wheel, DSP Sound and Xenons.
If I had to order a 5-series again, I would have gone with the Sport Pkg. Oh well perhaps next time. Still should be fun to drive.
If you have the chance, please goto #1845 and about 20 posts before that for lively views on 530 vs 540.
IMO, if you're looking at 530M vs. 540M, I would recommend the 540M if the $7k-$8k is not too big an issue. The 110 lbs torque advantage is not something that can be easily ignored. But you'll need to test-drive both and see if you can use (or need) the additional power.
I'm not so sure about 530A vs 540A, both with Sports Package, though.
Plina- I have a 2001 540i 6-speed/sport suspension and haven't stopped smiling since I took delivery in May. For my situation, this was the best choice. My daily commute of about 25 miles one way consists mostly of rural highways and interstate driving. IMO, the sport suspension makes this car. My three most valued options/features: Sport Suspension, V-8, 6-speed manual. Now have about 14,000 trouble-free miles, and just had my first scheduled service. Bottom line: 528,530,540, sport/non-sport, or manual or auto, it does not matter as the 5-series is a great car.
I'm looking to lease my first BMW (530ia) and have been reading about how to get a good lease. Many experts suggest it's possible to get these fees waived if the dealer wants to play ball: acquisition fee, bank fee, destination fee, end-of-lease disposition fee, all of which add up to a nice chunk ofchange that's mostly profit for the dealer. I don't want to see dealers put out of business, but they seem to be doing well. Has anyone been successful getting these fees waived? Thanks.
hmm, I don't know, destination fee is not profit, it's the same amount on the window and the invoice.
Bank fee and acquisition fee are the same thing, and they are payed to the leasing company, so I don't see how that could be 'dealer profit'.
disposition fee is charged by the leasing company, again not profit for the dealer, and it is charged at the end of the lease, after you turn your car in.
I'm sure if the dealer is selling the car at a substantial profit maybe you can get him to absorb the cost, but if he's looking at a minimal profit, I doubt he's going to lower his margin even more to absorb costs that he has no control over.
I'm looking at an automatic car I live in NYC and a 6 speed doesn't make sense to me. I want the car with premium, sports package,premium sound, cold package, and xenon. Can any of you tell me if the premium sound system, navigation , and 16 way comfort seats worth the money?
I believe that the present 5 series was introduced in 1997 so I think that the new 5 series will be out in September any Ideas? I hate to buy the car an a new re designed model comes out a couple of months later. Mercedes new re designed E class comes this summer so I figured BMW would try to do the same.
I'm in Washington DC and have two quick questions for the board:
1) I'm looking at purchasing a 2002 530 with the following packages: sport, premium, cold and xenon - any feedback? Does the sport package make that much a difference?
2) Colors - I have the option of two types of black - the new saphirre and jet - let me know what you think - the dealer believes that jet black is harder to maintain.
I think only you can decide what value to put on those things.
I have a 2001 530i with the navigation system and the premium sound system. The navigation system has come in handy a few times and allowed me to travel to new places without worrying about looking at maps while I was trying to drive. Still, it's basically a toy and one that could easily be eliminated if you are bumping up against your maximum budget.
The premium sound system is great, and whether it is worth it or not to you depends upon the value that you put on good sound.
I don't know whether I am right or not, but I bought my car with ultimate resale in mind. I plan to keep it a long time, but I want it to hold its value as well as possible. Looking into my crystal ball (which is sometimes cloudy) I thought that by the time I wanted to sell the car, things like the navigation system may be expected in a car that level, and might therefore give the car a good edge in resale. It would probably be more important if I planned to sell the car sooner, but there were a few factors that led me to get the extra options, including the fact that I simply wanted them.
Premium sound: I'm not an audiophile but I've heard from some on this board that it's not worth the $.
Navigation: It's a very neat toy that is hard to justify unless you do a lot of driving when you don't know where you are going. I always get it on rental cars when out of town but would need it infrequently at home.
Comfort seats: Never tried them but I think the 530's Sports package seats are very comfortable and you'd be paying for them with the SP anyway (assuming you get a 530). I doubt you can get that amount credited towards the cost of the comfort seats (or substitute them all together).
I know a couple of guys who have the sport package, and while it's great under good conditions, cars with the sport package perform very poorly in snow and even rain.
I have a 2001 530i without the sport package, and I had no problems driving in the snow up Killington Mtn. in Vermont last winter. The guy with the sport package couldn't make it up the hill. He had the same problem again closer to home in a more recent snowstorm.
Right now, he is looking into winter tires to help with the situation. They are expensive and hurt performance, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting the sport package, so he will have to change tires in the fall and spring.
I would say, see if you can test drive the car with and without the sport package, and see if it makes that much difference for your driving style and the type of driving that you do. I decided against the sport package because I don't generally whip around turns anyway, and I didn't think it was worth the price I would have to pay in terms of performance in the snow.
Hey all BMW fans, All I can say is that my 2002 525i is going to be in New Jersey on Wednesday. I cant wait for the car to come. You cant mess with a 5 series. I got a question do you guys know if the CD Changer plays burnt CD's. Im only 17 and my friends are use to making our own CD's.
I disagree completely. First, the sport tires (I have the Continentals) handle extremely well in the rain. I haven't done a side-by-side comparison between my tires and the all-season flavor in the rain, but they stuck like glue this past weekend during one long rainstorm.
Second, if you're going to be driving in snow, even the all-seasons aren't ideal for a rear-wheel drive car. I'd recommend dedicated snow tires (which make a huge difference in snow for both sport and all-seasons).
Third, snow tires do not defeat the purpose of the sport package. That package includes far better seats, steering wheel, wheels, and suspension components, as well as the tires. The car handles markedly sharper and more precisely, and is far and away the most important option--in my opinion. You buy snow tires to maximize traction in winter driving; obviously they aren't ideal for maximum dry-road performance, but the safety edge they offer more than outweight that, not to mention they prolong the longevity of your other set of (performance/summer) tires.
I do agree, though, that people should test drive the different options and decide. I extensively drove both the non-sport and the sport, and the difference was huge. Not only in abrupt maneuvers, but the car feels much more planted and precise through regular handling scenarios.
This seems to come up every other day. BMW will introduce the new model (E60) at the Frankfurt show in Sept. '03, and it'll arrive in the US in early 2004. It will continue relatively unchanged until then, most likely.
I've got a '98 540i 6-speed and a '00 323iA. 540iM has Sport standard along with Premium Sound Pkg and Comfort Seats. 323iA has Prem. Pkg along with optional single disc in-dash CD and regular seats, but not Sport, nor Premium Sound or Comfort Seat.
1. In many ways I actually prefer the sound the 323iA over the Prem. Pkg in 540i. It just sounds clearer and cleaner. 540i seems a bit muddled and flat, no matter how you adjust it. I'm not a big fan of base. I like crisp highs with contrast. Don't think the optional sound is worth the price.
2. I drove 540iM's with standard Sport Seat and optional Comfort Seat. I like both. Wish you could get the lower forward seat extenders that are standard on the Sport Seat on the Comfort Seat. Both are comfortable, but I don't think the Comfort Seat is worth it. I'd stick with Sport Seat.
3. Sport Packages come with summer-only high performance tires. They are NOT made for winter conditions. Have to get dedicated winter tires or garage your car. I do the latter.
4. I think the Nav Systems are gimmicky expensive toys. And ones that won't age well technologically. Will the system still be supported very well in 5 years? Accurate maps? What about new technologies that make it obsolete? The old analog turns into digital issue. Or 8 track turns into cassettes turns into CDs turns into CD-Rs/DVDs turns into MP3 turns into who knows.
5. Be careful loading options onto a 530iA. If you start adding too much you quickly push price near $50,000. I'd rather have a base, no-options 540iA than a $50,000 loaded 530iA.
Comments
As far as finding deals on them, I highly recommend Patrick BMW. I shopped around everywhere(even Wisconsin), and Patrick was the nicest to deal with(no PUSHING and willing to do many things to earn your business). Basically, they were able to discount more than anyone else(best discount in Chicago I found was $1500 off MSRP, they did $2000 off MSRP). If you buy a fairly loaded 530, I'm sure they can do the same for you, too. Call and ask for Joel, and tell him that Michael that bought Silver 530 from him just before New Years referred you. I can guarantee you a very pleasant buying experience. Let me know what happens, and good luck!
Conversely, multiple deposits are used to lower your money factor (or interest rate) and not applied to lower your capitalized cost. The effect is the same in that it lowers your monthly lease payment.
A big difference would be if you total your car. If you put money down on your lease, that just evaporated with your car since that's the amount you have already paid on the car. Just as BMW FS wouldn't refund your lease payments, they wouldn't refund your down payment. On the other hand, BMW FS would return your multiple security deposit if you totaled your car (assuming your insurance is in order) since that was never applied to the cost of your car. Another way to look at it is that you are in effect "lending" money to BMW FS over the life of your lease and the interest they pay to you is in lower monthly lease payments. If your lease ends prematurely, BMW FS still has to return the money they "borrowed" from you.
Not sure if it's the most clear explanation, but hope this helps.
Chris
'02 530i
3 Years, 15,000 miles/yr
cold package, sports package, prem package, auto/Step, no Xenons
Monthly payment: $650 including tax and interest.
Thanks guys!
thanks
3 yr/15,000 mi/yr
sports, premium, cold, xenons
auto/step
Dealer offering lease @ $650/month, including tax and interest. Price is $45,500, Invoice is $43,500, so $2,000 over invoice.
Overall, decent deal or just so-so?
The 2002 530i's fan connects directly to the engine via a belt(like my previous 540i). This, however, makes the engine work harder. Possibly, BMW tuned the software (and others) to increase hp to compensate and coming out even at 225hp rating (my theory
I also noticed that the new 2002 530i steptronic gear box has a different shifting direction (push= "-" and pull="+" in manual mode compare to my 2001 540i.
My new 2002 530i (2 days old) runs well but it does not have the low end torque like my 2001 540i. It is a downgrade for me (my 540i got into a bad accident -- rear ended badly -- I have no choice: trade it for the 530i
Hnn.
hnn- Sorry to hear about your accident. I have a 2001 540i 6-speed/sport suspension. I have never driven a 530, but find your comments regarding low-end torque interesting. There has been some debate as to how much noticable difference there is in acceleration between the two models. I feel there has to be a considerable difference based on the large difference in torque between the two engines, even with the 540 weighing more than the 530. The different gearing in a manual vs. an auto can also make difference.
And indylowflyer, I won't dispute there's a noticeable difference in power between the two, but I've driven both and honestly didn't feel the difference in acceleration was commensurate with the difference in power ratings for the two. Since the 530's got a smaller engine, you basically have to rev it more when accelerating and passing, but it's such a joy with that engine and the transmission, it's almost silly to complain about it.
was wondering what others were buying?
tirerack has Yokohama AVS dB's for $144/$144 and
Firestone Firehawk SZ50EP's $178/$188 that have
pretty good survey results.
input would be appreciated.
Take care.
Joe w.
Thanks for your sympathy comment regarding my 2001 540i (loaded except cwp and nav. system) . I drove it for 11 months before traded it in. My wife could not drive stick shift so that I had to settle for a steptronic for the 540i (I did test drove and loved the 6 speeds though).
snagiel, I test drove both 2001 530i manual and steptronic with the dealer's test cars and knew how they behaved on both. I can feel (after owning the 540i for 11 mths) that accelrating at around 3700rpm and getting out of a corner hard, my 540i pushed me back into the seat more than the 530i
cheeks,
I do not know how 2001 fan setup so that I cannot comment on it. You can check with your dealer.
I have an Infiniti I30T and love it, but I think is time for a change. I'll appreciate all the comments and suggestions, good and bad. thanks
As for the replacement (code-named 'E60' by BMW), the latest consensus is that it will make its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September 2003, rolling out en masse in Europe shortly thereafter, and arriving on US shores in early 2004. It most definitely won't be at your dealer September 2002.
I know it may be somewhat unnerving buying a model towards the end of its life-cycle, but a) like I said it'll still be another couple years, b) the new styling (nothing official yet but spy pictures and educated illustrations have abounded) is controversial, and, most importantly, c) we're talking about a car that's not so disputedly the best sports sedan on the planet. It's driving dynamics are literally years ahead of the competition, and in my opinion its styling is relatively classic and timeless, so I wouldn't worry about buying something on the verge of antiquity (or worse, obsolescence).
Good luck, and feel free to ask more specific questions.
530ia (Sterling Gray w/ Black leather)
Premium pkg, Steptronic, Cold pkg, Heated Wheel, DSP Sound and Xenons.
If I had to order a 5-series again, I would have gone with the Sport Pkg. Oh well perhaps next time. Still should be fun to drive.
Chris
IMO, if you're looking at 530M vs. 540M, I would recommend the 540M if the $7k-$8k is not too big an issue. The 110 lbs torque advantage is not something that can be easily ignored. But you'll need to test-drive both and see if you can use (or need) the additional power.
I'm not so sure about 530A vs 540A, both with Sports Package, though.
Either way, both are great machines.
Take care.
Joe W.
ball: acquisition fee, bank fee, destination fee, end-of-lease disposition fee, all of which add up to a nice chunk ofchange that's mostly profit for the dealer. I don't want to see dealers put out of business, but they seem to be doing well. Has anyone been successful getting these fees waived? Thanks.
Bank fee and acquisition fee are the same thing, and they are payed to the leasing company, so I don't see how that could be 'dealer profit'.
disposition fee is charged by the leasing company, again not profit for the dealer, and it is charged at the end of the lease, after you turn your car in.
I'm sure if the dealer is selling the car at a substantial profit maybe you can get him to absorb the cost, but if he's looking at a minimal profit, I doubt he's going to lower his margin even more to absorb costs that he has no control over.
Can any of you tell me if the premium sound system, navigation , and 16 way comfort seats worth the money?
Mercedes new re designed E class comes this summer so I figured BMW would try to do the same.
1) I'm looking at purchasing a 2002 530 with the following packages: sport, premium, cold and xenon - any feedback? Does the sport package make that much a difference?
2) Colors - I have the option of two types of black - the new saphirre and jet - let me know what you think - the dealer believes that jet black is harder to maintain.
Cheers.
I have a 2001 530i with the navigation system and the premium sound system. The navigation system has come in handy a few times and allowed me to travel to new places without worrying about looking at maps while I was trying to drive. Still, it's basically a toy and one that could easily be eliminated if you are bumping up against your maximum budget.
The premium sound system is great, and whether it is worth it or not to you depends upon the value that you put on good sound.
I don't know whether I am right or not, but I bought my car with ultimate resale in mind. I plan to keep it a long time, but I want it to hold its value as well as possible. Looking into my crystal ball (which is sometimes cloudy) I thought that by the time I wanted to sell the car, things like the navigation system may be expected in a car that level, and might therefore give the car a good edge in resale. It would probably be more important if I planned to sell the car sooner, but there were a few factors that led me to get the extra options, including the fact that I simply wanted them.
Premium sound: I'm not an audiophile but I've heard from some on this board that it's not worth the $.
Navigation: It's a very neat toy that is hard to justify unless you do a lot of driving when you don't know where you are going. I always get it on rental cars when out of town but would need it infrequently at home.
Comfort seats: Never tried them but I think the 530's Sports package seats are very comfortable and you'd be paying for them with the SP anyway (assuming you get a 530). I doubt you can get that amount credited towards the cost of the comfort seats (or substitute them all together).
I have a 2001 530i without the sport package, and I had no problems driving in the snow up Killington Mtn. in Vermont last winter. The guy with the sport package couldn't make it up the hill. He had the same problem again closer to home in a more recent snowstorm.
Right now, he is looking into winter tires to help with the situation. They are expensive and hurt performance, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting the sport package, so he will have to change tires in the fall and spring.
I would say, see if you can test drive the car with and without the sport package, and see if it makes that much difference for your driving style and the type of driving that you do. I decided against the sport package because I don't generally whip around turns anyway, and I didn't think it was worth the price I would have to pay in terms of performance in the snow.
All I can say is that my 2002 525i is going to be in New Jersey on Wednesday. I cant wait for the car to come. You cant mess with a 5 series.
I got a question do you guys know if the CD Changer plays burnt CD's. Im only 17 and my friends are use to making our own CD's.
I got
sport/premium/navi/zenon
Peace
T
Second, if you're going to be driving in snow, even the all-seasons aren't ideal for a rear-wheel drive car. I'd recommend dedicated snow tires (which make a huge difference in snow for both sport and all-seasons).
Third, snow tires do not defeat the purpose of the sport package. That package includes far better seats, steering wheel, wheels, and suspension components, as well as the tires. The car handles markedly sharper and more precisely, and is far and away the most important option--in my opinion. You buy snow tires to maximize traction in winter driving; obviously they aren't ideal for maximum dry-road performance, but the safety edge they offer more than outweight that, not to mention they prolong the longevity of your other set of (performance/summer) tires.
I do agree, though, that people should test drive the different options and decide. I extensively drove both the non-sport and the sport, and the difference was huge. Not only in abrupt maneuvers, but the car feels much more planted and precise through regular handling scenarios.
Oh, and it's xenon (as in the gas), not zenon.
Enjoy the car, and drive safely.
1. In many ways I actually prefer the sound the 323iA over the Prem. Pkg in 540i. It just sounds clearer and cleaner. 540i seems a bit muddled and flat, no matter how you adjust it. I'm not a big fan of base. I like crisp highs with contrast. Don't think the optional sound is worth the price.
2. I drove 540iM's with standard Sport Seat and optional Comfort Seat. I like both. Wish you could get the lower forward seat extenders that are standard on the Sport Seat on the Comfort Seat. Both are comfortable, but I don't think the Comfort Seat is worth it. I'd stick with Sport Seat.
3. Sport Packages come with summer-only high performance tires. They are NOT made for winter conditions. Have to get dedicated winter tires or garage your car. I do the latter.
4. I think the Nav Systems are gimmicky expensive toys. And ones that won't age well technologically. Will the system still be supported very well in 5 years? Accurate maps? What about new technologies that make it obsolete? The old analog turns into digital issue. Or 8 track turns into cassettes turns into CDs turns into CD-Rs/DVDs turns into MP3 turns into who knows.
5. Be careful loading options onto a 530iA. If you start adding too much you quickly push price near $50,000. I'd rather have a base, no-options 540iA than a $50,000 loaded 530iA.