Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options

BMW 5-Series Sedans

1…6364666869…248

Comments

  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    My guess is the previous owner of your car replaced the brake pads with something other than the OEM pads from BMW. I have a friend with a 540iA sport that was recently given the option by the BMW dealership to go with original pads or ones that were longer wearing and produced less dust (but arguably were not quite as good relative to stopping distances). He opted for the "dusty" pads.
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    Nyccarguy is right; lease rates do fluctuate, and you therefore can't get a firm agreement on inking a deal several months in advance. However, it appears the dealer (based on his adamant yet ridiculous belief the E60 is coming out in 4 months) is anxious to get you to fill this month's quota instead of waiting until it's convenient for you. Why not just go back there in July or so to time the ED better?
  • bmw530bmw530 Member Posts: 6
    I recently purchased a 530ia with black interior and I noticed that certain areas on the doors and dashboard look dry and almost ash-like. Has anybody had this problem? Any suggestion on how to fix it. Does the leather need conditioning?
  • bmw530bmw530 Member Posts: 6
    snagiel, I went to the Continental Tires website. Those tires have a 60,000 treadwear life. However BMW does not warranty its tires.
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    Doors and dashboard: Use Lexol Vinylex cleaner and conditioner.


    Leather: Use Lexol Leather Cleaner and Lexol Leather Conditioner as necessary to clean and rejuvenate old, dry leather, respectively.


    No, I'm not a Lexol employee :) , but they make excellent interior care products. You can find these (and a good range of other car care products) at http://www.carcareonline.com.
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    Frankly, I'm surprised they'd warranty the treadlife for that long. If so (can you provide a URL, since I couldn't seem to find it), you're right; BMW isn't responsible since it's not their tires. Find an authorized Continental installer, and they should be able to honor it.
  • jstylejstyle Member Posts: 129
    If anyone gets the chance at a newstand flip through (can't remember page) the current Road and Track it shows the 2003-4 5 Series. Front looks like a cross between the new 3 series headlights and the 7-series grill. Top profile like the 7-series and the back although tough to see in the article says it styling cues are 7-series like. All of us who like the current models design get ready for the 7-series owner/fan shock!
  • mlbmwmlbmw Member Posts: 11
    I think it is a very useful imformation, thank.
    Pap5, I would like to know what does "Steptronic transmissions slipped " mean. I am feeling the transmission is not very smooth like before, i can feel shake when changed gear, specially, when acceleration fast from stop, i feel the car halt. it is a slip? my car is 530ia, only 1500 miles.
    thanks again for your help.
  • lgrosslgross Member Posts: 55
    The factory does usually close down in August, but I believe they produced at least for two weeks in August 2001. Anyway, you can order a 2002, built end of July, and they will hold it for you until September.

    I ordered a 2002 in May 2001. It was built the first week in September 2001 and my pick up date was at the end of October. It sat there for 7 weeks. The earliest BMWNA would accept an order for was Oct 18 even though I placed it in May 2001. The pick up date wasn't confirmed until August 2001.

    Call the BMWNA ED desk in NJ and ask them. They have a much better handle on it than the dealer.
  • puppycarmenpuppycarmen Member Posts: 13
    I have an opportunity to purchase a 1992 BMW 525 with 92K miles. I currently drive a newer vehicle in the compact class - meaning I am trading up in the quality and appeal of the ride, but will I regret all of the "problems" that could come with an older car? Any insight on this would certainly be appreciated.
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    I don't have data on the '92's 5-series, but I suspect it's nothing to brag about. Plus, a car with that sort of mileage will likely have a somewhat steady stream of required maintenance to keep it running well. I'd only consider this if the car you're looking at is in terrific shape (bring it to a good BMW mechanic and have them inspect), and it either carries or you're buying a an extended warranty. According to KBB.com, approximate retail value of said car (depending on options and condition) is roughly $12k, but I wouldn't be surprised if it required $500-$1000 (or more) annually for maintenance.

    The cachet of a luxury car (especially when moving up from an inexpensive reliable car--I'm assuming it's Japanese) quickly fades when things break left and right. For the money, I'd pass on it, keep saving up, and buy either a less-used model in a couple years (E39's will be more affordable once the E60 arrives). I don't know what your budget or your priorities are, but if it's a fun-driving car you're looking for you might consider something like a Prelude, which are far cheaper, more reliable, and plenty of fun to drive around.
  • puppycarmenpuppycarmen Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for the feedback snagiel. I have been weighing the "fun to drive" aspect of a vehicle with dependability and reliability for some time now. I have heard that the bimmers will last quite a while if you tkes care of them, but I don't have a feel for the amount of "maintenance" that I may go through. I would be purchasing the vehicle for about $8K form a family friend, and it looks to be in pretty good shape. I believe the 525 would give me more room than the Prelude - is that correct?
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    Yes; the Prelude is a sporty coupe, the 525 a larger sports sedan. $8k does sound like a good deal, but realize that you're buying a decade-old car that will require care. If you need room, perhaps an Accord (with the stick it's certainly a fun-to-drive sedan) might fit the bill, but obviously for $8k your options are restricted to used cars. Good luck.
  • taylorttaylort Member Posts: 31
    I got a call from the dealer, Passport BMW in MD, I purchase the car from and they told me there is a recall on the Aux Fan that they replaced. They told me I should have gotten a letter from BMW but I didn't.
  • philipnowphilipnow Member Posts: 24
    This afternoon I looked at the Road & Track issue you referred to. As much as I like the current style, I also think the new style looks pretty nice, at least from the front as pictured in R&T. I'm holding out hope that it'll be better than some seem to fear, especially with some technological improvements and the bumped up engine power.

    Snagiel, thanks for the reply to my question about possible SMG on the E60.
  • pap5pap5 Member Posts: 144
    div2 & jim52: Thanks for info on trip computer.

    530bmw: Dealers have discretion to set their loaner policies. I didn't buy my car at either Sterling or Fairfax - I bought it out-of-state to get a good Euro delivery deal. Fairfax wouldn't budge off ED list, and Sterling wasn't even built yet.

    I too live close to BMW of Fairfax, so that's where I took my car for the aux fan recall. When I made the appointment, they gave me the expected noise about not qualifying for a loaner. When I brought the car in, though, the service advisor said that as far as he's concerned, as long as I own a BMW then I should get a loaner. Great attitude. For them, however, "loaner" means a free rental from their Enterprise desk, which translated into paperwork and a Ford Focus. Enough said. On the plus side, they delivered when promised and seem to have done the work properly.

    I decided to try BMW of Sterling because they're new and presumably hungry, and convenient to my office. I figured that they don't have enough sales customers yet to restrict use of their loaners. I wanted to be one of their "charter" customers. Sure enough, there was no question about getting a loaner, and it was a real BMW.

    jim52: I know the Steptronic starts in 2nd in the "manual" mode, and have been told it does in the fully auto modes as well. I find no need to start it in 1st - the engine has enough torque to pull well from 2nd. My previous experience is almost irrelevant, since the transmission wasn't functioning properly. Since getting it fixed, I find that leaving it in sport mode seems to work best, since it's less likely to be in too high a gear at any given time. Also, it's at the ready to be manually downshifted into a corner. The videotape that came with the owner's package says that it shifts only up to 4th in sport mode, though. The guys at BMW of Sterling said that's news to them, and I haven't been able to test it myself yet.

    mlbmw: When I refer to the transmission slipping, that means the engine revs initially without corresponding forward motion. It feels like what happens in a manual transmission car when the clutch is about to go. I verified something was wrong when I tried a quick acceleration run from a dead stop. The tach needle swung beyond 5,000 rpm but the car hardly moved at first. Trying this again caused the transmission fault light to come on. Also, there was noticeable hesitation when getting back on the power after coasting. e.g. to make a turn. If this is what yours is doing, I definitely suggest you bring it to the dealer. Get a technician to drive the car with you riding along, and have him duplicate the conditions you experience.
  • 530bmw530bmw Member Posts: 130
    Loaner from Enterprise? You are talking about the Enterprise located in a small shopping center at Lee Hwy. and Gallows Rd., right? I test drove Bimmers at Fairfax BMW before I bought mine from Passport. Believe me, the first few times that I stepped into the showroom I could tell that they got chips on their shoulders and had no interest in talking (let alone taking care of customers)to me. I felt lucky on the day they let me test drive the cars. It was the first impression that turned me away from buying the car from them.
  • derprofiderprofi Member Posts: 250
    I also got the cold shoulder at Fairfax and ended up at Passport for my 330i. I figured Fairfax would at least feign minor interest considering that I showed up on a slow weekday afternoon wearing a suit and driving my fiance's 2001 SLK, and proceeded to hang around the M3 on their showroom floor for 10 minutes. But I may has well have shown up in cutoff shorts on a moped with a big "L" on my forehead... Not that I expected anyone to bow down before me, but a little common courtesy would have been nice.

    Joern Esser at Passport, on the other hand, spent an entire afternoon with me driving everything from a 325i to a 740iL, and patiently waited over 3 months for me to make up my mind. However, since they're only 5 miles from my home I've switched to the new dealer in Sterling for service.
  • pap5pap5 Member Posts: 144
    BMW of Fairfax actually has a position at their service reception desk devoted to an Enterprise rental operation, with the rentals just outside on the lot. It may be a branch of the location you refer to, or another franchise altogether. While my impression of Fairfax BMW was mixed, I agree they act as if they know they're in a strong market position. I've heard good things about Passport, and regret not visiting them before going out of the area. I found out about a dealer in Kenosha, WI (which no longer sells BMW) that offered what I thought would be the best possible deal, and I committed to them before exhausting all local possibilities, including Passport. Turns out I could have done a little better financially and a lot better geographically. Live and learn.
  • 530bmw530bmw Member Posts: 130
    Both of you convinced that Sterling BMW cares about their customer, so in the future I may give them a try if I need to take my car in for service. They are a little closer to me than Passport.

    Deprofi...You showed up with MB and they ignored you? Luckily, they did not see my car otherwise they would have told me to get lost before I got a chance to get out of the car. Before I bought my car from Passport I also talked to Joern but he was not there the day I bought my car. I was happy with the buying experience even though I did not end up with the color that I really wanted(gray instead of titanium). Based on my experience with Fairfax I will never recommend anyone to go there. I wonder why some of the dealers behave that way.

    Pap5...I guess it does not make a difference whether you buy a car from them or not. They will treat everyone equally...a loaner car from Enterprise.
  • 530bmw530bmw Member Posts: 130
    I took my car in to get an estimate on a tiny dimple on rocker panel. They told me it could not be fixed since there is no access to get to it unless a hole is drilled. I did not even consider it for one second for the fear of further damage to the car. Another option is to take it to a body shop for them to fill the dimple and repaint, do not want to take that chance either. I know it sounds pathetic but I just do not like to see it. I guess I will have live with it for now. I caused the dimple by accidently hit it with a water hose while cleaning the car. Oh well...
  • derprofiderprofi Member Posts: 250
    I'm also the type whose eye can't help but wander to the smallest dimple or ding... Where did you go in the DC area for paintless dent removal? Fortunately, I've been able to keep my 3-er dent-free but the SLK doesn't have bumper strips on the doors and some rugrats getting out of a minivan put a nice one on the passenger door.
  • zubazuba Member Posts: 58
    A little disheartening to hear of so many BMW dealers out there that are pathetic when it comes to Customer Service, etc.... I wonder if BMWNA has any tracking system for rating Customer Sat. with their dealers?
  • nycanyca Member Posts: 232
    At this point, I would say that there has to be a 2003 model year E39. Yes, the E60 will "arrive" in 2003, but everything I have seen indicates that this "arrival" will be at the 2003 Frankfurt auto show. Some E60s may make it to showrooms in the late fall 2003 I guess. I can't imagine that BMW could sell the E39, badged as a 2002 car, until summer 2003, unless the discounts were big. Unless they plan on a total hiatus, no E39s except whatever is left in the pipeline, and if that runs out in Jan/Feb 2003, then no more are sold until the E60 arrives. GM has done this during years when the Corvette re-design has been made (there was no 1983 Corvette as I recall). I don't know what MB is doing with the current E Class, does anyone know?

    What I wonder is how long the 2003 E39 model year will run. They must need some time to convert the assembly line for the E60, so MY 2003 has to be shorter then a normal model year production run for this car. I too have though about reserving a slot on the 2003 production run early. I wonder if discounts will be better. What happened recently with the 7 series?
  • uc94587uc94587 Member Posts: 2
    There is a new picture of the 2003 5series.


    http://popularmechanics.com/cgi-bin/spy.pl?cat=eur

  • bluewater5bluewater5 Member Posts: 55
    There could be a mid-year release, like the VW Passat 2001 vs. 2001.5. US car makers sometimes "close" factories (stop normal production) to retool between model year changes. You would think that something like this would be needed between the E39 and E60.

    BTW, I got my Prod. No. for by ED blue water 530, and I am celebrating with a login change from "bocata" to "bluewater5".

    -Bob D.
  • 530bmw530bmw Member Posts: 130
    I went to Ding Depot (703-751-4320)on Tyco Road in Tyson's area. I am pretty sure you are familiar with the area since your home is 5 miles from Sterling BMW. You can visit the website dingdepot.com to get direction and print a discount coupon of $20. It appears to be a one man show, I met the owner named Jim Lofton and he demonstrated to me how a dent is fixed. He show me a ding on a car's door panel that he was working on and went to work with special tools. It was a small dent about half an inch long, it took him less than five minutes to slowly remove the dent right before my eyes. He told me as long as he has access to a dent area he could fix it.

    According to him, not all the shop can do a good job, but I can tell you that he is good based on what I saw. Since he owns the place, I am pretty sure he will do a quality job to establish his reputation. You should try to get your dent fixed before he becomes too well established and start behaving like some of BMW dealers. His price is low compared to others ( I checked around and he is the cheapest but do not tell him that), make sure you call him to set an appointment before you go in.

    I do not know how big your dent is but if it is not too big it should not take him too long to remove it. Please let me know the result if you go with him, tell him a BMW owner with a puny dent in rocker panel that he could not fix recommended him.
  • woobahwoobah Member Posts: 21
    I think the pictures of the new 2003 5 series look GREAT! And, it is going to be bigger (more room in the cabin) then the 2002. I bet the price will also be lower (more options for less money) as is usually the case when a company does a complete redesign. Anyone know when they will hit the dealers? I want one. :)
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    woobah... Will be interesting to see exactly what variants of the future E60 platform come to USA. Not sure the car will be cheaper. (Though some of the pricing will depend upon future exchange rate of Euro to Dollar.) Guessin' it just as likely that BMW will raise prices, if they add lots of stuff (e.g., make I-drive standard).

    Thought I'd read somewhere that the standard E60 engine will be a 3.5L I-6. Not sure there will be an E60 525i or 530i. If that is true, then guessin' that base price will rise dramatically over today's base 525i. Who knows, you might see a base 535i with an MSRP around $42,000-45,000.
  • chrism124chrism124 Member Posts: 134
    According to the sales mgr at my local BMW dealership, September 02 will be the last month that a E39 can be ordered. Further, there will be a 6-8 month window in which the 5-series will not be available. At which point the E60's will be in showrooms.

    Chris
  • nycanyca Member Posts: 232
    That a good question to ask, I'll have to ask my salesman the same thing. But was that for a 2002 E39, or a 2003? If they are just going to stretch the 2002 model year until December, and sell what cars they have into early calendar year 2003 and then go on hiatus, then it pays to get the 2002 as soon as possible, no point in waiting.

    Also, can anyone confirm that all E39s with xenons built after 4/1/02 have bi-xenons?
  • chrism124chrism124 Member Posts: 134
    According to the sales mgr, there will no 2003 E39.

    Chris
  • bluewater5bluewater5 Member Posts: 55
    My May 3 production 530 is listed with bi-xenons.

    BTW, is this normal timing for a June 23 ED pickup?

    -Bob
  • gmrbimmerboygmrbimmerboy Member Posts: 2
    I have heard that iDrive will be incorporated into the E60 5-series. Does anyone know what they're going to do about gear lever placement? Going on the ergonomics of the E65 7-series, it could be a bit of a problem. If a manual is placed in the E60, it most likely would displace iDrive's control knob. Any ideas?
  • g_carg_car Member Posts: 46
    See attached for good info on upcoming BMW models. 2nd story down has E60 engine choices and info on other goodies.


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

  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    gmrbimmerboy... Let us pray that iDrive does NOT make it on the E60. And that if it does, it is OPTIONAL. I don't want it and won't pay for it. There is no reason for it, other than BMW has been trying to cram too much misc. junk into their cars.

    I like the controls on my E39 '98 540i6. The only controls I hate on it are those tied to the computer. A pain to set most of the functions, and most aren't worth a darn anyway.

    BMW had better focus on keeping the E60 a great enthusiast's driver's car. Focus should be on great engines, transmissions, brakes, steering, and suspensions! Electronic gizmos and computerized features should be way down on the list of worries.

    God help the automatic tranny owners if it uses iDrive and that means moving the shifter to the column. I won't ever own a car with a column shifter!
  • derprofiderprofi Member Posts: 250
    Perfect, thanks a million! Tyco road is less than a mile from my office so I'll check it out next week.
  • g_carg_car Member Posts: 46
    Scroll all the way to the bottom... I'm in love :-) Lets see if I cut back to 2 meals per day and I believe I saw a web site where you can sell body parts, you really only need 1 kidney... hmmm


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

  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    g_car... Don't forget the body fluids you can sell. Might not be too much fun selling your plasma, though you can raise a lot of money over time. However, you might enjoy the other item I know a male person can sell. And don't forget that you could sign up for medical trials. Ever thought to be a medical guinea pig or lab rat? You might lose your hair, feel numb all over, lose use of an appendage or two, or maybe go blind, but you'll raise cold, hard cash! :)
  • woobahwoobah Member Posts: 21
    g car, thanks for that link in your pos above. I love the look of the new 5 Series. That is the best picture I have seen yet. I wonder if it will be availabe here for purchase by October of this year.
  • nycanyca Member Posts: 232
    Use the google.com function to translate from German::


    http://mitglied.lycos.de/bmwfanpage/id44.htm


    They mention it will be at the dealers in the fall of 2003. It has IDRIVE 2....

  • woobahwoobah Member Posts: 21
    Thanks for the link. I tried the Google language translator and it did not work. I get an error 400. Did it work for you?
  • nycanyca Member Posts: 232
    It worked for me, go here:


    http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en


    and cut and paste the URL from post 3290 where it says "translate a web page", keep German to English, remember to delete the default "http://" on the google page when you paste the link in.

  • jim52jim52 Member Posts: 161
    Can someone explain what they are?
  • pen101pen101 Member Posts: 238
    Thank you for the site. The translater works great. This site is the closest yet that I have seen to answering questions concerning style, engines, transmissions, features, and approximate availabilty dates for the new 5 series. According to the site, manual transmissions will be available and iDrive will be an option. Keeping these as options is good news. At this pont though, if the car was available today, I would not run out to get it in exchange with my current 5-er. Maybe other driving features will change my mind when the car does finally come out.
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    Was coming back from a day trip yesterday in Des Moines after watching WWF wrestling with my 11-yr-old son. Stopped by a Subway to get a sandwich and when I went to open the door the silver, plastic inside door handle broke. Now I cannot open the driver's door from the inside. Have to get the car into the shop soon.

    Surprised to see it is a rather cheap piece of plastic that is all there is to open the door from the inside.

    Wondering if anyone else has had their's break off and if there has ever been a TSB on the issue? My CPO '98 540i6 only has 61,000 miles on her.
  • bluewater5bluewater5 Member Posts: 55
    In 5-series made most of this year, Xenon headlights provided the low beam only. The high beam was a standard halogen light. Bi-xenons provide both the low and high beams. Sometime (April 1?), BMW started manufacturing the 5 with bi-xenons (if ordered with the Xenon option).

    Bi-xenons started appearing in a very few 2000 model cars but are becoming increasingly common.

    -Bob
  • john01john01 Member Posts: 246
    The door handle is one of those well-known problems on the e39. I believe the part was changed a bit in 2000 or 2001 to make it stronger.

    I heard bi-xenon showing up on other people's ED order (e39) in 2001/2002 as well, but it was mistake on BMW's part. Perhaps it is being offered now, but perhaps not.
  • sergeymsergeym Member Posts: 284
    The picture that shows open door warning disappeared from the dashboard display of my 540. It may be my fault. I was playing with the computer trying to learn different functions. Anyway I cannot get it back. It bothers me very much since I used to have this feature on all my previous cars and I do not feel comfortable without some kind of confirmation that all passengers closed their doors. I own the car for 5 days only and did not master all features yet. I am somewhat embarrassed to call my dealer. Please let me know how I can get the warning back. Thanks.
  • ek5ek5 Member Posts: 33
    Since our 530 delivery due date is the end of this week, I have some questions about various topics:

    1) Anybody get the window VIN etching? Our dealer quoted $195. Anyone consider Lo-Jack?

    2) On the delivery checklist posted by Snagiel a few weeks back, it mentions asking your dealer to run a "Port Check" (a sheet from the VPC about things they needed to fix upon receipt from the boat. Also from the dealer, a copy of the truck transportation documents to check for any claims made on that leg of the trip since repairs from this may have been made at the dealership. Is this overkill and my dealer will look at me like I have two heads, or is this a good idea?

    3)What exactly are wheel locks and should be have them? Do they come with the car?

    4) Where is the best place to order a maintenance manual?

    Hope you all have answers! Thanks!
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles