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P.S. I am also considering the 2003 M5, i asume that is going to have the same basic redisign? Also please email me at coolmatt44@aol.com with a responce, just because I sometimes lose track of what confrence I posted in. Make the email subject :BMW 5 series, and M5. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
In this high-performance sports car application (the wonderful Porsche Carerra GT supercar), the issue behind the non-use of steel cylinder liners is different: weight rather than durability. At BWM, it's operating margin.
While there are some engineering & manufacturing cost advantages to the use of the all-alloy block without inserted steel liners, in this application the primary driver behind Porsche's decision is the slight improvement in block weight. Cylinder wall longevity (over 200k kilometers) is largely irrelevant in this application, especially since the most thermally-stressful application (trailer towing) will not be attempted by Carerra GT owners (unless they've had way to much Schnapps). As you correctly noted, a proportionally small manufacturing cost savings is also largely irrelvant at the Carerra's very high price point.
Instead, Porsche felt that saving the weight of 10 steel cylinders, particularly weight located a bit above the vehicle's roll center and the center of gravity, will provide two key benefits:
1) Improved accleration (better power / weight ratio). Please note that Porsche placed a very high priority on weight reduction. The use modern materials rather than traditional steel stampings for the body structure in a street car reflects a long overdue epiphany among Porsche's engineers; they would not have made this internal-culturally significant change if it were not for their aggressive focus on weight reduction for this high-performance sports car application; and
2) Reduced longitudinal roll polar moment of inertia for improved transient behaviour during periods of yaw acceleration and damping. Having 10 heavy steel cylinders located above the center of gravity (and probably above the vehicle's longitudinal roll axis) would hinder cornering performance for vehicle having this terrific performance potential.
In a simple, low-tech, low manufacturing cost, high center of gravity sedan (like the 5 series BMW or other similar sedan) minimizing the longitudinal roll polar moment of inertia is irrelevant; drivetrain durability, on the other hand, is somewhat noticed by sports sedan consumers (but to a far lesser degree than consumers of heavy duty sports tow vehicles like the Surburban, Navigator, Tahoe, etc.).
Tall, tippy, high center of gravity sedans(like the 5 series and especially like the narrower-track 3 series and other cars having similar dimensions) have higher centers of mass and narrower tracks than do many higher performance sports cars (Ferrari 360 Modena, GM Corvette, Honda NSX, etc). This basic physical characteristic and configuration of sedans results in comparatively (to low sports cars) large amounts of lateral weight transfer during yaw acceleration (the initial phase of cornering), and unless band-aided by very high spring and anti-roll bar rates, comparatively large amounts of body roll. Very basic physics.
The point remains: the use of treatment-coated aluminum cylinder liners in a sedan, particularly one as heavy and tippy as the 5 series, is due to manufacturing cost savings and operating margin enhancement, not reducing the longitudinal roll polar moment of inertia or other vehicle handling nuances. The 6 cylinder 5 series remains one of the world's best sedans; advertising slogans aside, and recognizing the dynamic limitations imposed by its tall narrow sedan configuration, it is a truly an excellent passenger car.
However, it certainly suffers the burden of a high sales price due to efforts to repair the financial damage caused by the Rover disaster.
The financial disaster at BMW during the last few years (multi-billions of dollars of losses in the Rover fiasco) has placed BMW mgmt on the defensive to improve profitablity, repair the firm's seriously eroded retained earnings, and attempt to stave off being sold by the Quandt family to GM or Toyota once the death tax laws in Germany change in a couple of years. Recent interviews in the business press with BMW senior mgmt. all circle around this issue. Every effort is being made to price BMW products at very, very high operating margin levels relative to product cost(levels that some speculate would even embarass Ford's Navigator margins or Toyotas LS430 margins) so as to rebuild the company's financial fortunes as a means to prevent or postpone being sold to a larger manufacturer. BMW's superb brand management & marketing skills have enabled them to pursue this correct course of action. Unfortunately, most auto industry securities analysts are betting against BMW remaining independent past 2005 due to the inexorable pull of economies of scale and share holder value. They expect to see only 5 auto manufacturers by 2010. As a result, some stock analysts are recommending purchases of BMW's shares at this time in anticipation of the expected value appreciation that often occurs in stocks of firms considered takeover candidates. Check out the European business press articles on this point. GM is considered the most likely candidatem, with some marketing analysts specu, lating that GM would first dissolve the Oldsmobile brand and replace it with BWM at that product point in their brand matrix if such a transaction were to occur (copying Ford's deletion of Mercury and replacement by Volvo within their brand matrix). The first will be announced very shortly, the second is very speculative, and in my view, not likely.
BTW: have you tried an M5? extraordinary, even without cylinder liners, but who cares?
Just ordered a 530iA from Concord BMW, here in the Bay Area. Got a price quoted over the phone from Laurie. Got approx. 1900 off the MSRP. Nice lady too.
Good Luck -
al42
The aluminum BMW engine is considered to be very reliable and durable. Yes, there were some issues with the nikasil liners, because the sulphur content of the U.S. gasoline is sometimes much higher than the germans realized ( due to south american/mexian gas ). But those cars has the engine warranty extended to 100K miles, and they'll be replaced if any real problems shows up.
As for the aluminum engine being a cost-cutting effort, that is absurd. Casting, cutting, and purchasing aluminum is much more expensive than the same with iron. And the alusil treatment is a metalurgical treatment that i expect costs as least as much as it would cost to simply use larger bores and to slide iron sleeves in. And it's easy to find hard-run BMW engine over 200,000 miles still working well and holding compression. Talk to any mechanic who regulary works on BMW, and you'll hear that a properly cared for BMW motor is good got 200+ miles before serious work is needed ( aside from a bad batch, like the nikasil engines). If BMW wanted to save money on the engine, they'd move to a more common V engine, or use an iron block, and drop silly extravagances like the variable valve timing.
As for the 3 and 5-series being tall,tippy, and poor handling, i am sure you are joking now. The m3(3-series) was named the best handling car avaialble for any price by car and driver. The 5-series routinely wins the handling component of comparisons with other cars in it's class, and every single review of the 5-series compliments the handling, extending to drooling. Doesn't sound muck like a tall top-heavy tippy car to me, frankly.
You also say the car is cheap to manufacture? Excuse me? Every review compliments it's very high build quality, and it's long list of sophisicated luxury features. Look inside the dash or in the engine compartment and you see thick metal and long welds. Even the base 3-series has a 10 speaker sterio, full sized spare, and stronger brakes and thicker rotors than you really need.
The prices are being jacked way up? Are you aware the the 525 is the cheapest 5-series since '92 (in inflation-adjusted dollars) and has many new features, such as heat retention, the best DSC around, side air bags, etc?
Please, i know you are not a BMW fan, but i think we can insert a little reality into our posts?
dave
My recent purchase ('97 528i) is a joy but I have noticed an inconsistency in the speedometer readings. Consistently the dash dial indicator reads ~4 mph higher than the digital readout from the computer.
Any thoughts?
Tom Burke
Thanks.
I'm new to this board. I'm very seriously considering purchasing a '94 BMW 530i from a private party. The car has around 67K on it and is in immaculate shape on the interior and exterior. I took it our on a pretty extensive test drive both city and highway and again, the ride is incredible. The asking price is "fair" at a bit over $18K.
Can someone please advise me of what their experiences have been with this type of car and the 5 series in general? I'm curious as to the reliability and stability of these cars.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Soda
Also, I am very interested in getting the navigation system. Has anyone used the nav system on 5 series? Any idea how it compares to the Lexus's DVD based nav system? I live in Southern California and I wonder how good the maps are for this area.
Appreciate any help you guys can provide.
Thanks, Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
I always loved both cars, so I don't believe I am a bigot to one or the other. Regardless, in the end I chose the GS400. To me, it has a much nicer interior which I like a lot more then the 540. I love both exteriors, but the GS looks a little more stylish to me. I know MANY people though who hate the look of the GS, so that is very individual.
Boths cars have very strong and smooth engines. The GS will not handle like the 540, but it handles very good with the 17"s, and I am not looking at going around bends any faster then I am now.
Since I was buying used, I needed to make sure that the car would be extremely reliable. Without knocking the BMW, Lexus is simply one of the best cars built. Both do well regarding depreciation. Some people say the Lex will depreciate better, but I think that is a toss up.
The final reason for me was the dealer experience, and that is where in my area, BMW could not touch the Lexus. 4 months and 6,000 miles later and I still feel that way.
FYI, I did not get to see the BMW nav system, so I do not know anything about it. I did get the nav in my 98 GS, and I love it. Very accurate, I use it much more then I ever thought, and that is the HD based system. I'm sure the new DVD based system kicks its [non-permissible content removed].
Best of luck with your decision as both cars are excellent.
also, were you able to ship the car to any dealer ( other than where you purchased ) upon return to US at no cost to you???
kelfg@aol.com
BMW are offering for the 530i a choice of standard seat, sports seat, comfort seat and active seat.
I would like to have opinions as to the benefits of each.
Does option 467 "Comfort Seats and Convenience Package (530i/530iA)" make the ride soft or does it just provide lumbar support?
Is there a way to accurately describe the difference between the normal suspension and the sport suspension other than to just say the sport suspension is "firmer"? Thanks for any help you can offer.
"Standard" seat provides for adjustments forward/back, height, and seat
back angle. the drivers seat is adjustable in angle.
"Sports" seat is more contoured and tightly upholstered. It provides
greater ride restraint and thigh support, which can be adjusted in
length. Angle of seat is adjustable for both driver and passenger.
"Comfort" seat offers an adjustment facility for the upper seatback
section for the shoulders and adjustable lumbar support. Seat angle
adjustment for both driver and passenger.
"Active" seat adds a fluid to the seats which can have a pulsating
massaging action to minimise the numb bum effect on long journeys.
So much for the theory.
Can anybody comment on their experience with these seats?
Thanks.
dave
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
kelfg@aol.com
is this a good deal or should I consider a much newer car since it is already 5 years old.
Of course, you should be able to get a lower price if you don't buy at a BMW dealer. They really want a premium price for the used ones, not all that much less then new.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Any advice, along any dimmensions (service, safety, quality of ride,etc.) will be much appreciated.
Leothelion
Any ideas or thoughts on synthetic oils for the 5 Series??? I have read that Castrol makes BMW's oils, but that may or may not be true.
I have used Mobil 1 for many years on my current and two previous Hondas, and racked up hundreds of thousands of miles..never a problem, and the engines remained in excellent shape.
I would hope that a BMW service person would not say NO to Mobil 1 just to sell the BMW brand oil..
Thanks,
Mark
Riley 13
1) Ride & Handling - BMW most definitely has the more sporty feel while the Mercedes is softer - I think most people would concur with this. Depending on the weather of your area, the 4Matic system might be useful. However, I think the road condition would have to be pretty bad or hilly to make much difference. Both cars have traction & stability control.
2) Safety - I would rate them approximately equal. Mercedes has rear door airbags standard and their head airbag is a curtain rather than BMW's tube.
3) Service costs - Should be about the same but BMW's "free maintenance" period is only 3 yrs/36,000 mi vs Mercedes' 4 yrs/50,000 mi. Once out of warranty the Mercedes 4Matic may be more costly for repairs. We had 91/92 Mercedes 4Matics and they were very expensive to repair. New system is less complicated however.
4) Pricing - Comparably equipped E320-4Matic is probably $7-8,000 higher than a 530i. Also, most Mercedes dealers have gone to charging the list price while BMW's can usually be had at a discount. We bought our MB at model year end and received $2,500 discount. Even so, the MB was $6,000 more than the 528i.
5) Dealer Service - Depends on the dealership. Where I used to live, the MB dealer was vastly superior. Where we are now, the BMW dealer is much better to deal with.
Any further specific questions, please feel free to post.
Good luck with your decision!!!
My wants:
*"Near Luxury" (i.e. nice car for driving with friends and business clients)
*Reliability
*Decent fuel efficiency
*Safety
*Roomy enough back seat to seat two comfortably
Since my query on "which would YOU buy" is about YOU, feel free to substitute your own criteria. But note that auto handling, power, cornering
are not my primary considerations --- assuming the car performs and handles decently.
Here are the cards I'm considering:
1998 Audi A6
Prices realized @ dealers' auction: $20k-25k, depending on odometer, condition, and options. Less for non-Quattro if you can find one.
1998 Lexus ES300
Prices realized @ dealers' auction: $16k-21k, depending on odometer, condition, and options.
1998 or 1997 BMW 528 (with more miles on it than either the A6 or ES300 to keep the price down) Prices realized @ dealers' auction: $24k-28k, depending on odometer, condition, and options. There are many between $28k and $32k, but as I wish to stay under $30k, I would have to buy one with 40,000 miles plus (maybe even 50k plus) on the odometer (feel free to factor that in to your decision).
I plan to test drive each of these in the coming weeks., but based on the reviews and research on the Internet, I've narrowed the field to these three (but if you have a strong recommend on another I'm willing to listen.) I'm big on reliability and I'm a real debt-hater, so that favors the Lexus it seems. I like the uniqueness of the A6, and without the Quattro it's a lot
of luxury for the price. I like the prestige and looks of the BMW.
So, if you were buying, which would you get?
dave
To #240: If you can get 5% off the sticker, go for it! I am not sure where Orland Park is, but in So. Cal. people are still lining up to get new BMW's. The dealer only had one on the lot and another prospective buyer was lingering while I was "negotiating."
To #244: The sport suspension is not overly harsh. Well worth the improved handling and looks.
To #247: I test drove the 528iA and 540i before settling on the 530iA. The 530 is much quicker than the 528 and almost as quick as the 540.
A question for you synthetic oil & maintenance buffs: I called the dealer to find out when the first service is due (it does not say in the owners manual and I am not yet comfortable letting the on-board computer decide). They said 15K miles. I know synthetic oil is good, but that good?
1. The specs for the standard 5-speed manual transmission mentions a 2.93 axle ratio, while the optional multi-mode has a 4:1 axle ratio--can anyone explain what the difference is? When the multi-mode is shifted to manual, is it identical in operation to the standard manual?
2. Anyone have experiences with the seat options--specifically, is the sports seating worth the extra money?
3. Re. EUROPEAN DELIVERY--Can one also expect to get a discount in the price of the options?
Thanks--
Leothelion
Thanks.