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As the regulars to this board probably know, I had been seriously considered getting a BMW 530i/540i. But my current sedan (1995 Nissan Maxima SE) is in such great shape, that I had trouble reconciling selling it for about $8k at best. My accountant has advised me for two years to consider getting something new, simply because the Maxima is "fully depreciated". So, much to his surprise, we went the third car option (we also have an Isuzu Trooper kid-mobile). I'll let him figure out how to justify a convertible as a business expense.
I fully expect to replace the Maxima with a 5-series, when the time is right (i.e when the Maxima begins to show "real" rather than just "book" depreciation). As such, I will likely continue to monitor this board and offer my occassional comments (e.g. the virtues of going European Delivery).
For example, "riez": $33,600 is probably not a bad deal for a 540i 6-speed, but it's within $8,000 (i.e. $41.5k) of what you can get a fully loaded brand new 2002 530i 5-speed through European Delivery (discounted to $1,500 over ED invoice). I test drove a 2001 540i 6-speed and 2002 530i 5-speed back to back a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with how strong the 530i felt. Completely convinced me that it's the way I would go, considering better gas milage and lower long term maintenance costs.
Also, "sb55": If your heart is set on a 530i 5-speed, but you can wait a bit, look into European Delivery. Check out www.eurobuyers.com for invoice pricing. You should be able to find a dealer willing to discount the ED price to $1,500 over invoice, which works out to roughly $1,200 UNDER U.S. invoice. The European Delivery cars do not come off a dealer's "allocation". Therefore, all the profit they make is gravy (i.e. it's not like they are losing the opportunity to sell an allocated car to someone else at a higher price). Good luck.
I want to sincerely thank everyone who has posted here for the valuable insights and information gleened over the past sevaral months. Although I am not joining the ranks of 5-series owners at this time, I still feel a "bond". I am pleased that Consumer Reports named the 530i as the best car tested of all time. It was very well deserved.
Best wishes to all.
You mentioned that you drove the 530i sport-package with the optional 18 inch wheels. On this set-up, do you remember if the tires were staggered, in other words, were the rear tires wider than the front tires (similar to M5)? Also, do you recall the tire sizes that were used?
Thanks for your help and input above. I am contemplating using an 18 inch wheel, but for my wife's purposes, I was concerned about the ride.
Coming out of a Lexus GS300, the Bimmer is a dream ride. Incredible power (fastest car I've ever owned) and studendous handling. The stock tires (225/55R 16's) are a bit wider and more aggressive than the Lexus', and provide a very nice compromise between smooth ride and good handling. I haven't driven the Sport Package, but on the 540i it adds $4100 to the car, which is about $50 per month on a lease. I was trying to fit this car into my budget too.
Mission accomplished. Frankly, after a few days with the car, I think I'll wind up being a BMW owner for life, as long as the cars are reliable. I lease a new one every 3 years or so.
With the lease on my 328i expiring this coming April, coupled with my desire to replace it with a 530i via the ED program, I need to get my ordering options lined up. That leads me to a question for you folks who already have a 2001 or later fiver regarding the headlights.
I live about a half mile from BMWNA here in northern New Jersey and I see MANY 5-Series cars around here. One of the most distinctive things that I have noticed on the latest cars is what I call the "Quad-Solar Eclipse DRLs" (all four headlights work as Daytime Running Lamps and they have sort of a Solar Eclipse look). I have been to my dealer several times looking to find out which cars are so equipped and which option I need to order to ensure that I get them as well (can you tell I like them?). The problem is that not one 5-Series car over at Prestige (Xenon low beams or otherwise) has the "Solar Eclipse" lights.
Do any of y'all have said headlights? If so, how did you order them? If not, could it be possible that these are being tested by BMWNA employees and are not (yet) available for general consumption?
Best Regards,
Shipo
I too will remain a BMW loyalist, as IMO, they are very well made and worth the extra cost.
I may have to walk over to BMWNA and have a closer look. I will let you know soon.
Best Regards,
Shipo
One of those cars is a 1999 528 w/5-speed, can somebody give me the plus's vs. the minuses on this particular vehicle? If you own one are you happy with it? or should I pay the extra cash and settle on a 540i 6-speed(1998 model year).
My other choices are new vehicles 1. Lincoln LS v-6 with 5speed manual or Chrysler 300M special.
Do I buy new or choose the ultimate driving machine?
Local BMW dealers seem to have a slew of lease returns on their lots, how far down in price can I push them. These are c.p.o. vehicles with low mileage.
thanks for the help, ron
However, I am sticking with the 17inches, as I will be taking the car back with me to DC area in 3 years, and can't imagine dealing with potholes there and not bending them. I would not hesitate to get them if I were staying on the autobahn, which is a lot of fun to drive on. I drove a rental MB SLK on a trip a while back, a brand new one, and even with decent rain, the road did not have any puddle on it. I ran up to 240km/h (gradually, and carefully) and still no loss of grip.
Being a BMW novice, I was surprised that the fan would need to go on. After some slow driving it went off eventually but reappeared after exiting the interstate again.
Is this normal? If so, why?
I just pulled the trigger and placed an order for a 530 for $1300 over the dealer's cost, which I thought was a good deal. The dealer insists that the car comes with alarm as std. I have done a lot of research in the past 2 years before buying this car and never saw the alarm as a std equipment. I am 99.9% sure he is wrong but he "guarantees" that it has that.
I appreciate a quick response from anybody on this board, since I intend to talk to him Monday PM and have him put it in writing.
I am in the Chicago area and even 3 hours away, where I just put an order for a 530i, I only got $2000 over the total invoice cost of the car. (works out to be 4.8% over invoice of my ordered car).
Over on the bimmer.org site, all the guys assure me that there is an alarm standard. I asked the same question there as I couldn't find the answer also. Hope this helps!
Your $ deal looks good. I picked up my '01 from the lot for $300 over invoice.
I am talking about burglar alarm.
I was looking for a 2002 330XI, but the dealer was not willing to come down to my price of $1500 over his invoice. He said they get so few of the 330XI and they are so popular that his manager will only accept $500 below the MSRP. But I was shocked when HE offered me $1300 over his cost on the 530, which I could not refuse. For about the same price I got the 530. It is a bigger car and gets same MPG. So I placed the order.
It also acts as the panic alarm when needed.
Appreciate all the help.
Dan
In terms of tire wear, I went back to the Michelin site and discovered my OEM MXV4's were 340 for tread wear vs. the 400 I remembered. So hopefully the 530's tire life won't be off more than about 10%. Besides, the 530 is "my wife's car," so who knows how things will work out.
Final thought. Noticed your passion for cars in general, and BMWs in particular in your profile. There is a BMW Motorsport V12 powered silver McClaren F1 I spotted in the McClaren show room off Hyde Park in London you might consider adding to your dream collection.
Rotor replacement experience varys from replacement concurrent with pad replacment to replacement on every alternate pad replacement. My bmw driving colleagues that replace their rotors with each pad replacement are more careless drivers who try to push the limit on pad life and end up scoring their rotors.
This brake component frequency rate is higher than for the other cars in my small office sample. Other cars from Lexus, Mercedes, acura, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Jaguar generally have half the pad replacement freqency of the bimmers; the rotor replacement frequency is similar to bmw for the Japanese brands and and half the bmw frequency for the domestic brands.
In addition, the caliper design chosen by bmw has some functional disadvantages in exchange for its lower manufacturing cost: among the more noticeable is the need for the use of softer pads in the U.S. market so as to enable the cars to pass the DOT braking saftety standards during power assist failure mode. The use of the harder pads, as suggested by a couple of the posters, is the preferred solution to improving pad life and reducing the messy dust accumulation. Just be prepared to use a little more leg muscle in the unlikely event that you need to bring the car to a stop subsequent to a power assist failure. You'll have noted that most other cars don't suffer from as rapid an accumulation of pad dust on the wheels.
All in all, you'll find the 5 series to be an enjoyable driving experience, at a maintenance cost somewhat higher than for many competing products. As previously suggested, find a good independent mechanic. They can be a real budget saver. An example: one of my relatives has a 93 three series. At 110k miles, the manual transmission failed rather dramatically. Rather than spending 4 figures for a dealer installed replacement, his independent mechanic obtained a 'pick a part' unit from a scrap yard for the unbelievable price of $20, and installed it in the car for another $300. Now he's looking for a fresh engine.... So far so good, the 'new' trans has 5,000 miles on it and is performing well.
My wife loves the car nearly as much as I do. She is thrilled that I didn't pull the trigger on my other potential purchases (Audi A6 4.2/ Volvo S60 T5).
BTW: Previous car was a 1998 M Roadster (Imola Red) w/ Dinan to boost hp to 290. A wonderful pocket rocket - just a little too tight inside for me and I didn't want to drive it in the Winter.
Love my "practical" family car!!
I also read that running your car on recirc a lot (like in a polluted city where the system always does that automatically) can cause odor problems. Try running it with fresh air coming in.
I paid $33,500 from a private seller for a frost silver/gray int 540i 6 speed sport with premium sound, rear shades, and professional tint, all records, and a recent service. It had 59,000 miles, but the in-service date was very late in the model year (December '98!) so it's really a year newer than it seems. The guy just was piling on highway miles driving to his family farm on weekends. He was going into...get this...seminary school and figured the bimmer wouldn't fit his image there. It also came with a top-notch very comprehensive 100K warranty. That's worth about $2,000 or so. And since it was a private sale, no sales tax, which saved me about $2,000 where I live. It did need tires within about 3,000 mi of purchase, but otherwise was especially clean, other than one wheel with a rash mark, but I will switch that out for the full size spare when I get new tires. $33,600 for a black/black(my favorite) at a dealer sounds reasonable, considering the miles. But I would be VERY thorough in having the car checked for problems, make sure the maint. has been done, see what it needs done, and do a carfax report.
These cars can be tricky to value. For example, if it needs tires and front brakes and a Level 2 service really soon, you're looking at maybe $2,000 or more out of pocket right there. If it's over 50K miles or 4 y/o, you can't get an extended warranty on it. I'd guess that's worth at least another $2,000, and the risk of much more expense is always there w/o a warranty on a high end car like this. To me, paying a little more for a less risky car was worth it. I noticed today that my gauge cluster is starting to lose an led and will need replacing eventually. That's $700. Mine will be covered w/ zero ded, thankfully. (My last E39 had the same problem at exactly the same mileage!)
My last '97 540i auto seemed like a "bargain" two years ago at only $30,900, but really wasn't that great. I even had an extended warranty on it, but it still cost me over $1,700 out of pocket in 9 months(deductibles, uncovered items that slipped between the warranty cracks, tires, brakes, service, etc) It sold at $25,500 9 months and 20,000 miles after I bought it. I felt lucky, since very few lookers were interested in a 90K 540i. Not terrible, but no great bargain. I'd have been better off to get a lower mileage version for $5000 more and keep it long term.
Oh yeah, the 540i 6 speed costs me about $200 more a year in insurance than the auto did. Maybe they know the type of drivers it attracts? I'd guess you'd save at least $300/year with a 530i.
You'd probably save $100/month in total ownership costs with the 530i. I frankly find the incredible extra power of the 540i 6 speed to be often unusable where I live, and I'm in the country! I'm usually up on another vehicle and have to slow down by the time I hit 3rd gear, anyway. Then again, I'm not a crazy driver like some here. I hit 100mph a few times on a recent trip w/o even knowing it(the car's speed limit I set to 80mph chime kept going off long before that), it's that fast. It felt like 60mph. Super smooth and stable. Great car, but if I was buying new I'd pick the 530i.
2. Extended warranties. I think that on a BMW you have a good chance of making back your money if you own it to 100K miles. And if you don't, you at least had the peace of mind it provided. One major repair could pay for it. On most cars, I'm sceptical of them, but I would consider it strongly.
You don't have to buy at purchase. There are companies who sell them anytime before 50K miles. Check into them online. The older your car is, the higher the price. You may sell before your reg warranty expires, or you may feel its been a good car and decide to risk it. An extended warranty can be a huge selling tool if you don't trade in and sell it yourself. worth half its price just for that alone. I collected about $1200 in 9 months on the last one I had(got for free when I bought the car from a private seller) and am about to collect $700 just 2 months after I purchased my latest 540i. I would not have purchased the car w/o a warranty, since it had 59K miles and I'm risk averse when it comes to BMW parts/labor rates.
3. 3 series vs. 5 series. Functionally, they're more similar than the price seems. The 3 is a better "value" for drivers. However, I chose the 5 series because it just feels more substantial and heavy to me. (which it is). Also, a fully equipped 330 strikes me as somewhat overpriced, and a 325 was just a little weak. Then again, at about $30K, a less lavishly equipped 325 sport is a relative bargain. I didn't like the 2002 wheel selections(they look like flower petals!) and the new 3 series sedan's nose restyling, plus the hassles trying to deal with salesmen who couldn't seem to find what I wanted (they all seem to come loaded or stripped, nothing in-between), so I passed on the 3. The 3 just looks a little too small for me(it's rated a subcompact) so it was as much psychological as anything. I also value safety, and assume 400lb heavier car with a longer nose and higher seating position might be a little safer. The 5 just seems more tank-like to me. Some drivers of course prefer the lighter, nimbler 3. I like the 5's high speed stability.
I drive a truck also, and nothing but trucks for years, so any "car" seems tight at times, but I was surprised how spacious the legroom was on the 3 series. It felt really good. I think that if you like the 3 as much, go for it. It really is hard for BMW to justify the $8,000 to $10,000 price difference. But if you just have to have just a little more trunk and seat room, I guess the 5 is the one. If I had a family to cart around and was willing to spend $48,000 on a new car, I'd get a really nice used '00 740i sport for $45,00O and spend the difference on a comprehensive 100K extended warranty.
1. What do you think of Toledo Blue and Blue Water colors? Personal preference I know but just wanted opinions.
2. When approx. is the last date to change your order? The build date is mid December. Does a color change at this point seem impossible?
I will ask my dealer when they open Monday but just wanted to ask.
Thanks,
I-Yeh
Any thoughts on the nav system? I ordered it without actually trying it (the dealer didn't have one available).
Got 3.9 percent financing for 48 months. And BMW Finance made the first payment! Shaves off about a 1/4 of the already minimal interest amount due over the life of the loan. (The 3.9%deal expired 11/30/01.)
Drove her back the 590 miles from the dealer. Got about 23.5 mpg at 74 mph. Great driving car on winding roads and interstates!!! I'm in love!!!! Or is it lust? Who cares, she is the greatest driver's sedan excluding the M5 and maybe the M3.
Do you know what stage your car is in. If I remember correctly, stage 112 changes can be made. Stage 111 no changes can made.
After going back and forth I have selected Sterling Gray w/ Black interior for my 530ia. Current build date is the 1st week of January.
What options did you go with for your 530i.
Chris
Well, I actually ordered:
Black Sapphire, Sport, Premium, Steptronic, Upgraded DSP stereo, Xenons, and Fold down rears.
Today, we saw the Toledo blue in person and was quite taken. Our first choice of car color was Orient Blue but they D/C'd this color this year(sob, sob). Like you, we wanted a deeper blue. Topaz blue is too bright, blue water is cool but too light, and so is steel blue.
When we saw the Toledo blue, it was deeper blue than the rest and most importantly, different than all other blues...more character?
I want to now change my order from Black Sapphire to Toledo Blue, but again the build date is in a few weeks (mid december). I don't know the status (put deposit last week and have not got a build number for the car yet, ugh). I really hope I can change it! If not, I love black but my fiance doesn't, oh well.
I-Yeh
I have some questions and wanted the board's opinion on these configuration. (These questions may make more sense after seeing the options for car & key programming.)
1.Does all the vent positions work if the AUTO is on? If you do not have the AUTO on, none of the vent positions work w/o your choosing the vents manually?
2. On the "vents position during warm-up", is that mean that you are idling and not moving, or while driving and the engine is not warm yet? When it is active does that mean you may get the warm/cold outside air into the car while driving? Can you always choose to let outside air in regardless of what is active?
3. What is the board's opinion on the settings for the vent positions, temp correction, A/C on, and the "Automatic blower on"? I think some of them can become annoying after a while?
Has anybody programmed these options? I would appreciate your opinion and comments.
Also, how often the alarm would go off, if you can not disable it?
I went with Premium, XENON's, Steptronic, Cold Pkg & Heated wheel. I wanted the Sport pkg but I drive 20k miles/yr. The thought of replacing tires on an annnual basis was not very appealing.
I am still going back & forth on the DSP upgrade. I like the extra bass but would not use the sound effects. I am wondering if going aftermarket and adding a subwoofer would be better and more cost effective. Did you run a comparison of different sound system options. Just not sure if the DSP is worth $1200.
Chris
I did take a look as the DSP and the system was good enough for my tastes. I opted for the system as I did not want aftermarket parts and wanted my whole car to be under the warrantee. I also did not want the hassles of watching my car go under "surgery" (somewhat taken apart) to upgrade various components. That is just personal however. Overall adding aftermarket components usually is cost effective.
I bought the sport package not only for the bolted wheels (most beautiful in my taste although durability is an issue) but also for the stiffer ride, 3 spoke steering wheel, and the seats. Just fit my tastes perfectly. otherwise good choices!
Again, we really like the Toledo blue, though I like black just as much. The thing that swayed me was the "spark" my fiance got in her eye as compared with Black Sapphire and also how this blue is quite different than ones before (makes the car more unique as very few toledo blues around).
Hope all goes well. Will tell you if I can change colors! (crossing fingers).
m34iyg
Chris