BMW 5-Series Sedans

peccles

Will there be a 545i for '03?

Paul

riez

Just came back from 2nd business trip of week. Went 460.2 miles on less than one tank, only 17.528 gallons. Worked out to 26.26 mpg. About 2/3 time on interstate at 74 mph and 1/3 on 2-lane county roads at 64 mph. Mostly on cruise control and using A/C. Great comfortable cruiser that can mix it up with darn near anything on road.

Interetingly, the low fuel light came on with the computer showing 72 miles left and about an 1/8 tank remaining. Light usually comes on with about 50 miles remaining. When I fuelled up the computer showing 66 miles remaining (after 460 travelled).

riez

bimmer12... I own a 540i6 and a 323iA. While I love both, and both are great cars, if I had to get a car with an automatic, you can't beat the 540iA, Sport or non-Sport. If you can afford a $50,000 loaded 530iA, you likely can afford a $55,000 540iA. Maybe even a $60,000 540iA Sport? Are you buying or leasing???

The engine is amazing. Great torque. Great horsepower. Magnificently useable power band. Nothing wrong with the 530iA, but the 540iA is just so much more car. Once you get within about a 10 percent difference, why not splurge and spoil yourself? You won't regret it!

And have you ever thought about going CPO? If you do that, you might be able to get a nice 740i. I've never driven one.

But regardless, you won't go wrong with any 3, 5, or 7 Series!

nyccarguy

are selling relatively cheap as compared to the same year CPO E39 and their $70,000+ stickers. I'll have to check the BMWUSA website to confirm. If you're willing to go CPO and can find a 740i with SP, you might find a greta deal on them.

snagiel

No way for 2003, but it'll almost certainly be one of the new E60 models in 2004 (using the same 4.5 liter valvetronic V8 from the new 745i).

klingon540

Hi Bimmer12 (I hope this message didn't post twice)
I went through exactly the same quandary as you: 530i vs. 540i. However extended test drives of both cars with an enthusiast salesperson settled the issue decisively. The 530i is a wonderful car but the 540i is a memorable car that you'll never forget. I had a previous 528 and have a recent vintage 911, but the 540 is my favorite drive. The SP is firm but not uncomfortable and the power and handling are phenomenal for the size of the car. IMO the best thing about the SP/steptronic is lower ratio rear differential. I hardly ever row manually, I just put it in sport mode and the tranny usually shifts exactly when I would. Spectacular automobile. Only faults are: 1) useless cupholders 2) sucks gas.
Big deal. Go for the gold!

yhchu

I called BMWUSA, their answer is MAYBE. If there is new design for 2003 5er, they will be available by beginning of 2003. If not, they will be Oct. 2002.

Anyone hear anything from reliable source?

hssahu

Hi everybody,
I am new to this group.
I am also new to BMW world (currently driving a '94 Acura Ingegra). I have ordered a '02
530i manual pp. Getting it beginning of July.
Didn't order a "sports packege"! But, from reading
some postings here, thinking may be I should have
gone for it! Any comments?

nyccarguy

The general consensus on this thread is that The Sport Package is the "must have" option for this car, especially since you're getting a stick:)

john01

I also have an Integra, a 95, as well as the 530. Coming from Integra with original shocks and 130,000 miles, SP does not feel stiff at all. You should test drive for yourself, but it really makes the car more fun.

snagiel

Yup, I wouldn't have the car without it. If it's too late to change your order, see if the dealer can swap production slots with another local dealer and make the trade.

multiplechoice

To me, just the sport seats alone more than justify the added cost of the SP (if they fit you). The other items are just "icing on the cake"--upgraded wheels, sport steering wheel. Unless you drive on terrible roads, I think the SP is a must have.

bimmer12

Klingon 540i, I appreciate the advice regarding the 540i. I am about to order the car but am waiting for a month as the new '03's will be available to order. The initial pricing I'm getting from the dealer is about $1700-$2000 off the MRSP with options... So esentially, a $47k car for $45k.. Is this because I live in a big city or are these the prices you're getting? Anyone know of dealers that are giving good deals w/o going through the European Delivery program?

Thanks in advance..

jonnyj

I was pleasantly surprised when I drove a friend's '01 525 w/ manual, SP and PP. It seemed to have adequate power, and, of course, the handling was fantastic. As I consider moving from my '00 328 PP, auto, no SP, do you think I'll be happy with the smaller engine?

nyccarguy

what big city do you live in so maybe we can give you more info on what dealers will work with you for an ED discount?

john01

I just bought a pair of European spec. outside rear view mirror glasses. It has a curvature on the outside edge to help with the blind spot. Side by side, objects in the US spec. mirrors are slightly larger. Down side is that it is a bit pricy at 52 euros each. If you are interested in picking them up, the part number is 51 16 8 250 438 (same for both sides)

royalred

Edmunds has the new 5 Series coming out in Summer of 2003.

http://www.edmunds.com/future/2004/bmw/5series/4drsedan/preview.html

stl540

Tires on my 540 are Dunlop SP2000, 235/45ZR17 front and 255/40ZR17 rear. I am very pleased with the performance.

I have a general idea of the RPMs at the different speeds, but to make sure I am accurate, I will get the RPMs the next time I am out. I am always looking for an excuse to break the spead limit.

I am not a conservative driver and I average 19-20 MPG in normal driving. I averaged 22.5 MPG on a 250 mile trip, with normal speeds around 85-95 MPH. I had less than 1500 miles on the car during the trip. I suspect it will get a little better, but not quite as high as the 6-speed.

hssahu - I agree with the other posts....the SP is a must have.

bluewater5

hssahu and others:

While this board heavily prefers the SP, let me give a few of the reasons I did not get it, even with a 5-speed, on my 530 I pick up next week.

I am 6'3", and contoured seats of any kind (comfort and sport) are less comformitable since my contours do not seem to line up. My shoulders are curved in or my thighs are wedged.

The sport tires wear quicker and are more expensive, and you may need to hassle of winter tires, depending where you live.

I would like the sport suspension, but a non-SP BMW is already a big improvement for me in handling, compared to what I drive now.

Given the above and the price, I opted not getting the SP. The 5 series is a compromise, a sporty sedan that can seat 4 reasonably comfortably. If you want a sports car, get one. If it meets your needs, a 3 series is sportier.

Would I like the performance of a 540 6-speed over my 530? Probably. Will I get that much more over driving my 530 in rush hour traffic to/from work and other trips? Not enough for me to warrant the expense. I may have less money and time than some on this board, but I do think that this board represents an enthusiast point of view, not necessarily that of the average 5 series buyer.

kirkd1

i took delivery of my 02 530ia(sportpremiumdsp) on wednesday. i cant find the beef(s). i love this car, it is everything i wanted it to be. okay so the v8 would have been nice but i can justify not being able to afford it by saying that well it doesnt have that neutral balance of the 6 so well i wouldnt want it anyway so there.

okay im back. i want the garage door opener to. i have the roaming type at home and ive followed the prescribed procedure butt i cant get it to work. i can get as far as losing the code to my hand transmitter. i clear the car's transmitter. i set the car's transmitter with the hand transmitter. i climb the ladder to the receiver and hold the button for 2 seconds. i go back to the car and press the number i want on the transmitter there 3 times. nothing, accept now the hand transmitter wont till i press it's button 3 times when it starts working again.

an aside about european delivery: you folks blasted me when i suggested that maybe 4500 rpm for 1200 miles would be a hard thing to do in europe, doing the bahnburning thing. someone wrote to me and said well if 103mph isnt fast enough for you well. hell there was a post or two with the exact mph for the gear ratios of the different models. i have to tell you that you are full of it. because the answer is hell no, 103mph is not fast enough.

finally, the day after i picked the car up i had the speedo checked for accuracy. it shows 104% both speed and odometer. what to do?

jim52

I too have the type of garage door opener that changes the code each time. I followed the instructions and it seemed to work. One thing that took me a while to get used to was that you have to press and hold the button for at least a second or two to operate the opener. At first I didn't think it was working.

kirkd1

thanks ill try it when my wife gets back with my car.

rwmii

I have a '02 530i with 8000 miles (took delivery in Nov. '01). I know what the dealership and BMW say about first oil change and maintenance at 15,000 miles. However I am getting conflicting info from other import mechanics. Does anyone have any further information about having an oil change done sooner. I plan on keeping the car for 5-6 years and I purchased the 4/50 maintenance plan.
I have been following the Board for the last month and appreciate the informative and entertaining discourse.
Thanks to all.

joseph830

yea i've been reading some sites about this too and they do say 7500 oil changes....but i am not sure if that applies to new or old bmw's... i think i am going to call bmw and ask them about that. But i have a feeling that they will say to just do 15000 changes...

snagiel

What do you mean by "I had the speedo checked for accuracy"? Are you talking about setting cruise control at, for example, 100 mph, and then resetting the average speed in the trip computer and seeing it read 96 mph?

If so, this is typical of BMW's speedometer systems. The are several reasons for it (European regulations, enthusiasts' propensity for getting larger tires/wheels, etc.), but rest assured your odometer is not affected by this error and should be far more accurate.

snagiel

First, 15,000 miles isn't an exact number, it's a ballpark average. I've heard people have gotten the notice for the first service anywhere between 12k and 18k miles; the OBD determine when it should be based on several calculations of refuel stops as well as actual sensor measurements of oil impurities (how this works exactly I'm not sure).

I, too, have read countless posts from people who see this very high-mileage oil change interval as a BMW trick to save on maintenance costs, and insist on changing their oil nevertheless every 3k, 5k, or 7.5k miles.

Personally, I think there's no harm in replacing the oil more often, but I don't think BMW is doing anything shady here. Since replacing oil is very cheap insurance against future problems, I'm sure BMW errs on the conservative if anything. With manufacturing techniques' extremely high level of tolerances nowadays, and synthetic oils' huge superiority over the plane jane 10w-30 from 20 years ago, swapping out the oil in these cars every 3k or 5k is overkill in my opinion.

But, hey, it's your peace of mind...

bluewater5

There are 2 main things to worry about: 1) will the oil break down (change its chemical composition) and 2) will it be contaminated by impurities.

The first is not much of an issue at 15,000 miles. You do not have the amount of undesired compounds (e.g. hydrocarbons outside of the desired size) as you do with conventional oil. The main gain with synthetics is purity of the desired compounds as opposed what gets through the distillation process.

The second is the main concern. I do not know for sure, but I assume that sensors mentioned by snagiel are monitoring impurities. The filter catches larger impurities until it becomes full. After a while, impurities that are too small for the filter to catch may become an issue.

As noted previously on this board, driving solely short trips can result in water (from condensation) in the oil that does not burn off since the engine and oil never reach a high enough temperature. So if you do not run your car at speed every once in a while, you should probably change oil more frequently.

Now some have suggested swapping the oil filter and replacing the same oil at 7500. A full filter would be an issue, but I would worry about potential contaminants from this process.

In the end, I would hope BMW is suggesting the right thing and you do not have enough impurities to worry about until the service indicator goes on.

hssahu

hi all,
thanks for your views on the sports package. the main reason i did not go for it was cost and firmness in ride. i thought travelling with my wife and 6-month old baby may be little more comfortable without it. but, surely, i myself would have liked added handling to a large extent.

In any case, can somebody elaborate how much difference it makes. since I am new to BMW, how different is the handling without sports package over other cars (e.g., Integra - that I have now) and with sports package.

thanks guys - this really is a good discussion forum.

cameraman1

Hi all! I'm new to the town hall and have a question. I currently lease a 2000 Olds Intrigue. When the lease is up, I'm interested in buying a '97 or '98 BMW 528i. Reliability info has been tough to find. Anybody have any info on these two years? Are they worth it to buy? Any help will be much appreciated!

musafir

Just signed papers at the dealership. Am going to pick-up 530i on July 4th weekend. Can someone tell me when the lease starts. Is it when you take delivery in Germany or is it from the time you sign papers in US.

riez

cameraman1... Check out Consumer Reports data. Either in their Buying Guide or Annual Auto issue. Personally, I wouldn't get the MY '97. That was the first year for E39 5 Series. That is why I went CPO on a '98 instead. I just don't like to buy 1st year's model if I don't have to.

And do check out BMW NA's CPO locator information. You might exactly just what you are looking for.

patelli

I opted not to get SP on my 530i 5-sp, pp, cwp, comfort seats.

I drove both at the dealer before making an order for ED. While i did notice a little difference around corners goint very FAST, for the normal driving I do.. mostly on freeways.. the non-SP was just fine.

ewoq

There's no doubt the 5 series is a marvellous car but the SP just sharpens all responses with a slightly firmer ride. It is not uncomfortable. I drive often on the freeway and do not find the ride any less comfortable than on my older BMW (non sport) or on my older Mercedes 300E. The discomfort is felt usually on poorly maintained road surfaces in the city. When I test drove a non-SP version, it handled more like a Buick and I, for one, would never have purchased my BMW over a Mercedes had it not been the SP version.

riez

ewoq... While I think the Sport Pkg is well worth it and something I'd want, not sure it is so necessary that buyers who don't have it have shortchanged themselves. I love it in my 540i6. Couldn't imagine not having it. But when I compare it to my wife's non-Sport 323iA, I'm surprised at how much I also enjoy driving her car. Sure, it isn't quite as sharp or precise, but the ride quality on rougher roads is also slightly better.

But I would never mistake my wife's 323iA's handling or ride with a Buick! There is no comparison between a non-Sport BMW 3, 5, or 7 Series and any Buick!!! The chassis, weight distribution, and suspension set up are very good. Great balance. Fun to drive and drive hard, regardless if you have the Sport Pkg.

patelli... I agree with you. Test drive both and get what works best for you and your specific situation. Enjoy your great car!

snagiel

Shipo will be able to step in and correct me if I'm wrong (since he just did this), but I'm fairly sure the lease on a car begins at delivery, not when you sign paperwork (regardless of ED or not). The painful part, of course, is that you cannot "suspend" the lease period for the 6-8 week period that you car is in transit from Europe to the US after you take delivery.

nyccarguy

While you cannot suspend your lease for the 6-8 week period that your car is in transit, there are a few good points about this. 1. You'll have an extra 6-8 weeks worth of padding as far as mileage goes when you tuen the car in. 2. Even if you make 2 lease payments while your car is on the boat, you still come out on top because of the savings offered by ED because the "capitalized cost" of the vehicle is significantly lower therefore making your lease payments lower.

erickpl

I have the Universal Transceiver in my 3er. It should be the same as in the 5, at least functionally. I have the Genie system at home with rotating codes. The instructions were a bit vague, so I got both my Genie instructions AND the UT instructions. Here is what I did, keep in mind, with Genie, you can only have 8 transmitters total. I am at near limit.
1 - by door to garage (inside) for opening
2,3,4 - in each of my cars
5 - one fob for my daughter (from school)
6 - Keypad on outside in case we get locked out

Okay, here goes:
Step 1. Program your UT to be like your Genie system.
Put your UT and your fob close to each other, press both the Genie and the UT button to be programmed for about 3-5 seconds (your light blinking pattern should change).
Step 2. Press the Learn button on your garage door receiver so that it is blinking. Once you do that, press the UT button from Step 1 once, twice, then the third time. That third time, it should go off and open/close the door.

I too have noticed that the button/transmission isn't as sensitive as I'd like, but it does work.

Hope this helps some.

-Paul

snagiel

I just posted a thread on another board about my recent tint job, if it interests anyone...

bimmer.org thread.

nyccarguy

and a very nice car you got there yes indeed:)

bimmer12

I actually live in the new york metro area and getting a deal is nearly impossible here. I don't know if it's my approach which has been successful in the past, the area where I live, or the fact that BMW sales have been at record highs.. What do you guys suugest? Should I: 1) Call or email another dealer outside of NY? Any suggestions of a dealer? 2) Go for the E.D.? I'll have to read up on this program a bit more as I know the program has changed since the last time I looked at it...I've seen people suggest that this is the best option and that $1500 over ED is possible...Do you then have to pay for airline tickets, hotel, and shipping?

As for car- thanks for the feedback on the 540i but I just don't have the roads around here to really utilize that engine. Therefore, I'm going with a 530i pp, sp, xenon, fold down rear seats..colors- i'm debating between sterling gray, silver, and toldeo blue...and any other new additions for 2003...

vk4

Does anyone know what new features will the 2003
model have? Anything interesting there?

snagiel

ED is definitely the best way to get a low price, and Shipo (either do a search or peruse threads from the last few weeks) has a dealer in northern NJ area that's willing to do $1500 over ED invoice. Yes, you're on your own for airline tickets and hotel (and other travel-related costs), but BMW covers both shipping the car to the US (to your dealer) and even throws in comprehensive insurance while in Europe. To get maximum savings, you can just fly in for a couple days, but it's a great opportunity to go to Europe if you've been planning that anyway, and the savings can pay for the whole trip.

Great choice on the car...sounds almost exactly like what I have. I went for the Toledo Blue, since it's new and therefore rare (I see a ton of gray/silver versions), but then again dirt and scratches will appear more readily with a darker color than the silvers.

snagiel

Nobody knows for sure yet (probably another month or so), but good guesses are bi-xenons options (which are already available in Europe), some new exterior color options, perhaps some package re-shuffling, a Sirius satellite radio option, and, according to one guy on the bimmer.org forums, the 540i6 will now come standard with the M5-style front and rear bumpers.

Stay tuned...

nyccarguy

Where in NY do you live and what dealer do you go to?

bimmer12

I actually live in the new york metro area and getting a deal is nearly impossible here. I don't know if it's my approach which has been successful in the past, the area where I live, or the fact that BMW sales have been at record highs.. What do you guys suugest? Should I: 1) Call or email another dealer outside of NY? Any suggestions of a dealer? 2) Go for the E.D.? I'll have to read up on this program a bit more as I know the program has changed since the last time I looked at it...I've seen people suggest that this is the best option and that $1500 over ED is possible...Do you then have to pay for airline tickets, hotel, and shipping?

As for car- thanks for the feedback on the 540i but I just don't have the roads around here to really utilize that engine. Therefore, I'm going with a 530i pp, sp, xenon, fold down rear seats..colors- i'm debating between sterling gray, silver, and toldeo blue...and any other new additions for 2003...

john01

DVD navigation system is supposed to be on the way, or so the rumor says.

shipo

Leasing a car ordered through the ED program:

The lease inception date is normally two months to the day prior to ED pickup; however, it can vary by a few days either way. A good deal (probably not the very best, but is in my opinion fair none the less) in the NYC area for ED is $1,500 over, and my salesman (Mike Weber) at Park Avenue BMW in Maywood, NJ has agreed to extend the $1,500 over ED invoice to anybody who asks for it.

As for shipping times, my car was ready for delivery 4-weeks and 1-day after I dropped it off in Munich. I have heard that you can knock as much as a week off the transit time if you drop your car off in Bremerhaven, however, you then need to arrange for your own transportation back to Munich (assuming that you bought a RT ticket to Munich).

Sorry for my lack of activity, been a little busy recently.

Best Regards,
Shipo

bluewater5

I going out on a limb contradicting the all-knowing shipo :-), but isn't payment due one month before ED pickup, not two? You might need to add a few days so your dealer can get the money to the BMW USA. Now, I purchased and did not lease, but I thought the timing would be the same, since the key was when BMW USA gets its money.

BTW, my ED 530 is still "Awaiting Transport" on the Owners Circle, 1 week before pickup. Does it stay this way until after ED pickup and dropoff? I did not know if "En Route" only means en route to USA, not the delivery center.

shipo

Regarding ED and financing, BMW requires payment in full for the car two calendar months prior to taking delivery of the car in Munich. That said, when you finance a car using a conventional car loan, the first payment is not due until one month after the inception of the loan, however, with a lease, the first payment is due up front. As such, with a loan, your first payment is due one month prior to ED delivery, and with a lease, your first payment is due two months prior to the delivery.

That was a long way of saying we are both right. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

musafir

I am picking up my 530i on July 3rd, however, my dealer just requested the payment which I made this past saturday.