BMW 5-Series Sedans

riez · December 2001

ls1bmw0... Please let us know what "substantially stock" means? What modifications have you made to your Lincoln LS? Tires? Tire pressure? Wheels? Intake? Exhaust? Computer chips? Suspension? Aerodynamic? How much did it all cost?

snagiel · December 2001

You bring up a good point about ED; your ownership does indeed start at delivery, and does not pause for that shipment period until you get the car stateside (although, obviously, you don't have to insure and register it until it arrives here). Therefore, you're not getting the best deal out of your lease. However, given the cost savings involved in ED, you may find it's still worthwhile. Calculating whether or not it's feasible is up to you, because it involves consideration about how long/expensive a trip you're planning to Europe, and how that's accounted for...

As for the decision about which model, I extensively looked into both the 330 and 530, and decided on the latter. I found it much more comfortable (no, I'm not an old man), nicer ergonomics and features, and nearly as fast and nimble (it's only 180 pounds heavier). If the money was a serious issue, I'd be happy with the 330, but I was more impressed overall with the 5.

shipo · December 2001

Hmmm, $750 per month for a 530i, PP, SP, Xenon, Premium Sound and Fold Down Seats via ED? I priced out a similar car (no fold down seats) via ED and with zero down (price includes $1,400 dealer profit and sales tax, I pay the title and license) the monthly price I come up with is $529.12.

On the subject of transit time, I was under the impression that it was only four weeks from drop off in Europe until delivery at the local dealership. Could this be because I am in the NYC area?

Best Regards,
Shipo

ls1bmw0 · December 2001

Sorry about the moniker. Had it long before I got on any of the Edmunds boards. My posting was in response to assertions that only one race against a 540 does not make a success. There is nothing written anywhere that states that only BMW can win races. And you can only start one win at a time. Do I expect to lose to other 540's as I compete against them? Of course. That's the nature of racing.

I was specific in my statements regarding handling and power as it relates to autocrossing, especially on the LS board. As the founder of the LLSOC it would be pretty stupid for me to not champion the car, as it would be pretty stupid for the BMWCCA president to champion a Lincoln.

I am not criticizing the 5 series, but I would hope that there is enough open-mindedness to realize that other people may not necessarily consider that it owns the title of the Ultimate Driving Machine, outside of the M5, which truly deserves the title. I was encouraging my membership to get out and try autocrossing and letting them know that they could compete against a 540 on equal footing. Period. And that was all I was stating here. I autocross a lot. I test drove both the 540 and the LS extremely hard at the limits and decided that, for me, the 540 wasn't worth the extra money for what I wanted the car to do.

Modifications to the car were as follows:
1. New intake snout, cold-air intake and gutted-out airbox. Cost: $15.00
2. Borla Exhaust: Cost $680.93
3. No computer chip modifications or engine modifications.
4. 18x8 Voxx MGR wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 245/45/18Z tires: $2,500
5. Replacement Sport shocks from Lincoln: $240.00

Grand Total: $3,435.93

On top of the $35,500 I paid for the LS-8, that is under $40,000.

postoak · December 2001

Your monthly lease payment on a 530I is about what mine was going to be on a 325I -- a $12,000 cheaper vehicle. Sorry, if you've listed this out before, but could you run down the terms of your lease -- and is it a BMW subsidized lease?

riez · December 2001

ls1bmw0... Do the above costs include labor? Seems like the exhaust system is just cost of parts but not any labor costs. And are these special wholesale prices (e.g., the exhaust) not available to the general public? How much would your mods cost to have it done in a shop? By Lincoln? And so as to maintain any original warranty?

john01 · December 2001

I just placed an order 530 and hopefully it will be here soon (January delivery), but the LS was one of my considerations. I have not been a fan of American made cars, but LS does look quite handsome and the v8 for the price less than the 530, even with your modification? It was hard not to be attracted. But our decision was largely based no my wife's preference and 5 series has always been her dream car, so not much say in it for me.

I think the American cars in general are getting much better than what they used to be. It may proved to be a good competition against Japanese and European cars, given the pricing point. Long term reliability and durability may have to be proven, but otherwise I think cars like LS and Z06, 2 of the few American cars I would consider, are headed in the right direction. For some people, especially most of us on this list here (I think) would agree that the higher cost on the BMW is justified, but for some perhaps it isn't, as you've put it.

As for the autocross comment, I personally think it is hard to compare the different cars with different drivers, etc. since so many things can effect the results. Where do you draw the line, even with the same driver, to make them truly in equal footing? Granted, they both have the similar selling points-power, luxury, and sportiness. At the end of the day, to me the driver is the most important part of racing followed very closely by the car (power, handling, braking).

ls1bmw0 · December 2001

That would be because I did the work myself. The prices (as you well know from being a part of the LLSOC in your previous life, Michael) are club prices, which are also discounts that are available to BMWCCA membership through your club, if they choose to offer it. Regular pricing for the Borla would be $899.

Since I do all my own work on my car I wouldn't know what the cost would be to have it done in the shop nor do I care about whether the warranty is affected since I'm out of warranty and racing isn't covered under warranty anyway, though I know where you're attempting to go with this as to justifying the total price compared to your 540.

riez · December 2001

When I compared pricing to LS, it favored the 528i and 540i, but I was also including CPO and new, and taking into account long-term resale/depreciation. I got my '98 540i manual for about $36,000. For that MSRP price I could buy a new loaded LS V-6 manual or a new base, no option LS V-8. I could've gotten a used loaded LS V-8 Sport automatic in mid $20,000s. The resale value for the next four years appears to favor the 540i manual over a new or used LS. And my 540i manual is under warranty for 2 years and 50,000 miles (up to 6 years/100,000 miles from first service use).

Keep in mind that a decently loaded LS V-8 with Sport Pkg and AdvanceTrac (their stability control system) along with some other options likely to be found on units in dealer stock, will probably push the MSRP around $40,000. And that V-8 cannot be had with a manual transmission for any price from Lincoln! The more apples-to-apples new price comparison might be 530i to LS V-8. The published stock performance figures comparing 530i manual to LS V-8 automatic favor the 530i. LS V-8 0-60 mph in mid-7 seconds.

alphanstein · December 2001

Brian, I think it is pointless to argue with reiz, he is the same guy that commented how the LS was so much better in many respects to a 300M, but did note also previously how the LS stood out in many respects to the BMW in such things like interior size and size of the trunk. What matters is we picked our vehicles because we feel confident in our purchase. He is trying to nitpick down the little details to help himself compensate for moving from the LS to the BMW.

I like BMW's, nothing against them, but for me, the LS fit the build with more room in the trunk and rear seats. And it was cheaper, so I got what I desired. And I do believe that many a BMW drivers can take me out on an autocross, but I can take many out as well in the LS. It's more than just the car and mods, it's the driver too.

ls1bmw0 · December 2001

You are absolutely correct sir. Autocrossing is more dependent on driver skill than anything else. I have seen cars that are definite underdogs being able to overwhelm far superior cars due to driver skill.

The American cars do have a long row to hoe. And all I'm attempting to do is present evidence that they are getting closer. BMW built it's reputation on excellent standard bearers for the performance sports sedan. The 5-series is a fine automobile and justifiably so. It is a dream car for a lot of people. Lincoln doesn't have a performance image that would make people dream of a LS unfortunately. It's a new vehicle and in some ways (especially in the dealership area) falls short of BMW. But that doesn't make it any less of a contender. It's a new model. Will it make it? I personally would be tickled pink to have an American car company model able to compete in all aspects with the best of the world.

I'm not attempting to change anyone's mindset or convince any of you that a LS is the equal of a BMW. It won't happen. All I ask is that you keep an open mind.

Sorry for taking this much room on your board. I will cease and let riez enjoy himself without any additional responses.

cdnpinhead · December 2001

Thanks for your kind words regarding the LS and other North American efforts.

Competition, both on the corporate and individual levels, improves the product/driver. I think it's called the market-driven system in the first case and learning in the second.

As for me, I'd take a 540 in a heartbeat if the prices were similar, but unlike Brian I have the V6 (since you can't get a manual any other way), which is many thousands of dollars less than even a used 540 (new enough to get a warranty long enough to soothe my concerns about reliability and "breathtakingly expensive" repairs).

riez · December 2001

ls1bmw0 & alphanstein... Aren't we talking about serious all around high performance sport sedans? And as relates to what they can do while seriously driven on road and track? Things like interior room and trunk space are important, but not critical, in this comparison.

Nice FWDer like 300M isn't bad for price and offers great interior room and trunk space. But its platform has some inherent limitations. The 5 Series and LS are RWD with near 50/50 weight distribution. 540i and 530i allow manual transmission; LS V-6 does, too, but not LS V-8. Useable interior and trunk space is quite similar between 5 Series and LS. The 5 Series has the wonderful space-saving multi-link trunk hinges, which really increase daily trunk useability.

No one is trying to nitpick anything. My 540i manual is an amazing car. The 4.4L V-8 is unbelievable. 5 Series is consistently given the highest kudos by C&D, Automobile Magazine, etc. How many times has LS made C&D's 10 Best List? Or Automobile's All Stars List? Both the '97 5 Series and '00 LS were Motor Trend Car of the Year winners (with LS-derived T-bird now winning for MY '02).

jim52 · December 2001

Shipo, I'd like to see the terms of your lease quote too. The $750 per month figure that was posted above seems pretty high. I just started shopping and the first quote I got from a dealer was around $625 per month (including 9% tax) for 530 auto, PP, SP, and zenon. This same dealership originally quoted me around the same price for a 328 when I started shopping for one 3 yrs ago. I ended up paying $515 per month. $529 seems like a great deal. I guess the only additional costs are those associated with the trip to Germany but you can consider that a vacation.

shipo · December 2001

Maybe I missed something, however, here are the numbers that I have calculated for a 530i:

$33,020.00  530i via ED (ED Invoice)
$00,645.00  Destination Charge
$00,000.00  Black Sapphire Paint
$00,000.00  Black Leather Seats (Included in the Premium Package)
$02,805.00  Premium Package (Invoice)
$01,955.00  Sport Package (Invoice)
$00,425.00  Xenon Headlights (Invoice)
$01,020.00  Premium Sound (Invoice)

$39,870.00  Sub-Total
$01,400.00  Dealer Profit (Passport BMW)
$41,270.00  Vehicle Price

$00,098.10  Luxury Tax (calculated for 2002)
$00,769.98  Sales Tax ((41,270  28,437) * .06) (See Note 1 below)

$42,138.08  Financed Amount (See Note 2 below)

According to a lease calculation program, the monthly payment should work out to $529.12 for a 36-month 15K per year lease, assuming that I have not missed anything.

Note 1: I calculated the residual as 60% of the MSRP from a dealership, which is $47,395.00 for the above car. In New Jersey, sales tax is paid on the difference between Vehicle price, which is $41,270.00, and the residual, which is $28,437.00. I used a residual of 60%, which according to my understanding is conservative for a 36-month lease with 15K miles per year.

Note 2: I will pay for the Title and License separately.

Best Regards,
Shipo

stooge2000 · December 2001

When will the next generation 5 series debut? Will it come out in fall of 2002 as 2003 model? An article in Smart Money magazine says that the redesigned car won't come out untill 2003 as 2004 model.

john01 · December 2001

I think this one keeps coming up regularly. Everyone agrees that this will be around 2003, looking a lot like the new 7.

jim52 · December 2001

Makes sense to me. The 3,300 difference in invoice saves you about 100 per month.

samuel23 · December 2001

I want to buy a BMW in the next 30 days. I am torn between the 530 and the 525. Is the 40hp increase in the 530 worth the 4K?

Thanks in advance.

stooge2000 · December 2001

You mean to come out in 2003 as a 2004 model?

kjana · December 2001

jim52,

I am shopping for a 2002 530i with pp, xenon, premium sound, heated wheel, automatic, cold weather. MSRP is $47,120. Dealer has offered $2,000 off. The lease payment for 36 months is $633 with both the 9% tax and the $525 assignment fee included in the cap cost. Not great, but the high residual (63%) and low money factor (.00190)are attractive. The residual will decline further into the model year, and who knows what the money factor will be next month. Have you looked at the A6? You can get into a 2.7T for about the same dollars and a 4.2 for about $50 more per month.

jim52 · December 2001

Thanks for the info. Where are you from? The 9% tax rate makes me think you may be from PA. If so, what dealer did you get the 2K off MSRP from. Is the assignment fee the same as the bank fee? Is the 63% residual for a 10K mile per year lease.

I haven't looked at the A6. I don't really like the looks of it as much. How do you think it compares? I am planning to look at the GS300 also.

hnn · December 2001

john01 / stooge2000

See URL below for info./new look of the 5 series.

http://www.bmw2002.co.uk/news.htm

snagiel · December 2001

It might be as little as 4 weeks, but I've heard 6-8 is more like it. It depends where you drop it off in Europe, and where it's headed to in the US. If you're in NY, it most likely will be faster than, say, Denver, but probably only by 4-5 days.

shipo · December 2001

Hmmm, I was sort of suspecting that BMWs are shipped directly to the left coast and then distributed from there, hence the two-month lag time for the folks out there. For Denver, I would guess that the Ro-Ro would come into Houston or somewhere else on the Gulf coast, once again, adding to the time afloat and making yall have to wait longer than say, Jersey City, NJ.

Best Regards,
Shipo

postoak · December 2001

You didn't say what your money-factor was. I was able to get your payment using an automated lease payment calculator and substituting in .0025 = 6.0%

BUT, I'm confused about something. The lease calculations shown on Edmunds Advice section (which I used to calculate my payments) show sales tax being levied on the interest payments. You did your calculation taxing the pre-interest amount. I doubt this would make a big difference but I'd like to know your MF so that I can see why I am paying so much more for so much less.

Dasto · December 2001

I had the same problem deciding between the 525i and the 530i. I ended up ordering a 525i with a 5 speed. I don't think I will regret it. It is scheduled for a Jan. delivery. I have a lease allowance and wanted to keep the cost down. This will be my first BMW. I previously owned an A4 Quattro and I still own a Miata that I autocross.

shipo · December 2001

I used a 5.0% interest rate for my calculations (I have seen 4.7% quoted several times, so I felt that 5.0% was safe). In New Jersey, it is my experience that sales tax is levied on the depreciated portion of the car, which is the difference between the "Vehicle Price" and the "Residual Value", and paid up front. For the car that I am likely to order (from my previous post), the difference is $12,833, which equates to $769.98 (at 6% interest) in sales tax payable at the time of licensing.

The monthly number of $529.12 has the sales tax rolled into the financing, if I pay the $769.98 up front (just as valuable of a write off for my business as a lease payment), then my payments drop to $506.04.

Best Regards,
Shipo

brucec35 · December 2001

Too many posts for me to reference directly, but my experiences are:

Tires: If the faster tire wear and higher price of the 17" Ultra high performance tires scare you away from the sport package, maybe going with a longer wearing/quieter tire that gives up some handling/traction would be a better compromise. They're cheaper in many cases, and you'd still handle better than a 16" tire equipped non-sport. You don't have to spend $1000 on a set of tires if you don't want to.

540i vs 530i: I'd think the 0-60 time of the 540i would be better than the .75 seconds difference a salesman told one of our posters. But power is more than sprint times, anyway. The V-8 probably has a lot more easy to get at torque. That said, new, I'd buy a 530i. Better shifting, less expensive to buy and operate, and theoretically better steering. But I wouldn't buy a new $50,000 car. Too high a depreciation hit for anyone but very long term owners.

REPAIR COSTS: The various rationalizations to the contrary, I think a German car will cost substantially more to fix than a good Japanese brand. I don't know about Honda, but a BMW catalytic converter goes for $800 installed. And there are two of them. They commonly go out at under 100K according to my mechanic. One of mine did on my last 540i. It was luckily just under the 80K mile emissions warranty. The gauge cluster on my '98 is starting to lose digits at 64K. This is almost exactly the same mileage as it went out on my '97. That's $700 if out of warranty. I doubt Honda or Toyota replaces many of these. I get "check brake lights" or "check coolant" messages every time the car is started, despite these items being checked by a mechanic and bulbs changed. Not a huge big deal...UNLESS you want to sell the car. Then watch the buyers run away. But no car is perfect. My Toyota Tundra just had the check engine light come on at 28K miles.

So yes, expect to spend a lot more fixing this car. With the new breed of affordable and reliable but now higher performing cars starting to arrive(Altima, Maxima, Infiniti G35, Passat(w/ mods), etc) I'd take a hard look at one of those. They will cost you $200 or more a month less to operate. Past a certain point, I'd rather have the money for other things.

pen101 · December 2001

See the BMWUSA.com web site, European delivery section, delivery planner sub-section for the local dealer delivery date subsequent to the time of European drop-off. It indicates 8 weeks. However, I suspect that this may be only a very approximate time. The best information would be for someone on this board who completed the ED program to tell us when and what city the car was dropped off and when and in what area was the car available for local pick-up.

Same is true about the monthly lease cost. The best information comes from someone who recently leased a 530i with similar options (specifically what money factor and residual values were used).

postoak · December 2001

It doesn't make sense to me to tax the interest on the loan, either. But that is what Edmunds shows on their web page where they show the manual calculation of a lease payment. I'm going to ask about this over in their "Loan Questions" forum. Thanks.

BTW, here's the link to that page:

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/leasing/articles/43093/article.html

jim52 · December 2001

Just like ordinary sales tax, my guess is that every state taxes lease payments differently. In PA, for example, the tax is calculated as 9% (6% sales + 3% use) of the lease payment. That means that the depreciation and finance pieces are both taxed at this rediculous rate. NJ appears to do it differently. Some states probably don't have a tax.

jim52 · December 2001

According to the dealer I talked to, the most recent MF is .0019. The residual on a 36 month lease ranges from 63% to 60% depending on the number of miles you want (10K - 15K).

snagiel · December 2001

About your views on repairs; yes, part for part, a BMW will be more expensive to fix than, say, a Toyota/Lexus. Here's two considerations, though: One, that's the cost of owning a high-performance car. Two, just sell the car once the car's out of warranty, and don't worry about the inevitable repairs on the horizon.

As for your list of alternatives (Altima, Maxima, Infiniti G35, Passat), they're all competent (front-wheel-drive) cars, but certainly not in the same league as the 5-series. I have a Passat, and have driven the Maxima and new Altima, and will be picking up a new 530i in 2 days. It depends on how discriminating a driver you are; if you like a controlled, comfortable drive, you're right, any one of these will do. But if you want an incredibly well-balanced, high performance driving machine, BMW is in a class by itself, and you find justifying the extra costs easy.

postoak · December 2001

jim52 - thanks, you are correct

Over in the leasing questions forum, I received an answer from a poster named brentwoodvolvo, who I believe used to be a new car dealership owner. He gives the run down for each state, although he indicates that N.Y., which I believe is shipo's state, is rather confused about their policies.

Also, I found this site:

http://www.leaseguide.com/lease09.htm

In Texas, where I live, lessors are required to pay sales tax on the entire price of the vehicle!

swauger · December 2001

BMW makes some excellent automobiles, but they most assuredly do not have Superman logos on them because they are so far superior to everything out there. The fact that Lincoln could come as close as they did to a car like the 540i, a mature car from a company that's been building serious machinery for decades, out of the box with the LS, for significantly less money and with a larger network of dealers, should scare BMW pantsless if they had any sense.

The image problems with BMW started long ago, and unfortunately have continued. Back in the days when I had a BMW 2002 (the car, not the model year for you philistines

, the 320i was the replacement, and uniformly had the biggest collection of yutzes and yuppie snobs, most of who couldn't shift properly to save their lives let alone drive right. The true enthusiasts just rolled their eyes and formed their own clique, eventually leaving the club and starting an unofficial one just to be rid of the presence of the obnoxious yuppies.

g_car · December 2001

huh, Ok let me see 540i Sport vs LS hmmm tough decision OK I'll take the 540i. Give me a break LS is a nice car but not in the same league as the 5er. I beleive there still is a What's With the BMW Thing thread out there somewhere if you want to bash BMW and their owners.

I'm not sure what image problem you're talking about looking at the sales figures BMW seems to be doing just fine. They may have an image problem with the Pick Me Up Truck crowd, but I'm sure BMW execs aren't losing any sleep over it. Probably not losing a lot of sleep thinking about the LS either. Now if you're talking about the A4 you may have a point.

pat · December 2001

I don't think anyone really was making a point of bashing BMW. And you are correct, the "What is this BMW Thing?" is still alive.

At any rate, we've talked about the LS enough in this discussion it seems to me. If anyone wants to continue, let's meet up on the Comparisons - Sedans vs. Sedans board.

Thanks.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

riez · December 2001

metmdx... Don't worry about being one in a million. You aren't alone in not being a fan of the exterior color black. Is too bad that such a high percentage of 540i's come in black. I'm not a fan either. Saying that, all the 540iM's but one I could find were black. Forced me to go black. The car is so nice and so much fun to drive that I can live with an exterior color I'm not too keen on. She is sharp when perfectly clean but seems like there is no way to keep it clean for more than 1 minute. Though I do love black interiors.

gerry18 · December 2001

I believe I read in one of the 1638 prior entries where someone wrote about the ease of installation and money savings of an after-market CD changer - should have marked it. I have the base (Alpine ?) radio/single CD changer in my 2002 530i. Is there any experience out there with self-installed after-market units, lessons learned, etc., and does anyone have a digital picture of the finished product? Even a pic of the OEM installation would be helpful.

snagiel · December 2001

I'm pretty sure you can buy the BMW changer (try Pacific BMW for lower prices), and it's a straightforward plug-and-play job.

div2 · December 2001

Installing the factory changer is a piece of cake- 30 minutes, tops. Try www.eurobuyers.com, I got my changer there and the cost was @$400 including installation kit and shipping. I recommend it highly.

gerry18 · December 2001

Thanks for the info. Just what I needed.

div2. The eurobuyers site indicates that "If your car is built after March 2001, you might need an extra bracket piece". Did you encounter this with your installation?

div2 · December 2001

Our 529i is a 1997, so I didn't encounter that problem. Steve is a stand-up guy; I'm sure he'll assist in any way possible.

riez · December 2001

BMW is certainly doing things right business-wise. Current issue of The Economist has a small article discussing Fiat and the European car industry. Shows BMW's 2001 operating profit margin as highest in industry, at 7 percent. Mercedes/Smart second at 6.5 percent. The best the higher volume manufacturers could do was 4 percent for Peugeot (PSA Auto Group), 3.25 percent for VW, and 2 percent for Renault.

hangler · December 2001

I concur with snagiel and div2

Steve at EuroBuyers.com is a good guy. Great price, great changer; just make sure to check the orientation switch to "vertical" before installation, to avoid potential CD skips.

Installation is a snap (about 15-20 minutes)

I also have a 2001 5-series, and it was a piece of cake.

Talk to Steve, let him know the year of your car, and if it has NAV or DSP. He'll know exactly what pieces you need

Good luck!

jls21 · December 2001

I definitely hear more noise out of the newly replaced fan in my 01 530i. It doesn't really bother me much.

Although I don't have the sport package, I can't be worried about road conditions when I have to be somewhere, so I just put 4 snow tires on (Michelin Pilot Alpins) and am now waiting for some white stuff to try them out on. I can tell you that on dry pavement, they lose grip faster than the regular tires. Other than that, the ride of the car doesn't seem more harsh or noisy.

Has anyone noticed the following - backing out of a parking space, and then pulling the steptronic into Drive, the transmission seems to "jerk" a bit more than I would expect.

9500 miles and looking forward to every new mile.
Driving has never been so rewarding. Of course, you could say that too if you had spent the 4 prior years in a 1992 Camry.

I have actually started driving with the parking lights on during the day, because the illuminated rings around the headlights are the coolest looking things. I got out of the car one day and a guy was commenting to me on how different they were, and he then reminded me that I spent alot of money to get those lights. True, but worth it.

rhmass · December 2001

I have also experienced the slight "jerk" you mentioned with my snow tires on my 325. I put them on since last winter and the experience has been consistent. I think it might be due to the more stickier rubber compound of the snow/ice tires. I can assure you that the car will handle a lot better in snow with them on. I love them in our often icy rain condition of the northeast.

jimmys1 · December 2001

I have a 2001 5 Series. I can rave about the drivability of the car like I see on this board because it is fun to drive. It's fun, like a big toy. It's fun. BMW has the formula. But there are nagging problems that the company just doesn't seem to fix. Why is that?

The musty smell from the air conditioner is virtually ignored by the dealer. Oh. They may address it the first time, but after the third time you bring it in, they will tell you to put your heater on.

The sticky gas pedal. BMW is working on it, or so I hear. No fix available yet to us owners.

Noisy fan. Hmmmmm I like the BMW but I am not blinded in love by it. The nagging problems allows me to see other autos and wonder.... are they without nagging problems?

riez · December 2001

jimmys1... Be thankful your 5 Series is an absolute joy to drive. Consider an alternative: You have nagging problems and the car isn't a joy to drive. Would be nice if all cars were built perfectly. Too bad some cars are built as "lemons". Even the best built makes like Lexus and Infiniti can have problems. Overall reliability figures and statistical data showing the average number of problems per make/model don't help much if you happen to have a specific car with some nagging issues.

Fight like heck to get the dealer to address. If one won't do it, try to find a better dealer. If that fails, try to work with BMW USA to see if you can get resolution.

Use this and other boards (e.g., roadfly's bimmer.org) to see what problems and solutions others have had in similar cases. Good luck.

BMW 5-Series Sedans

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