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1) I've heard of window etching, but it sounds like limited value to me (since the VIN is already stamped several other places throughout the car). Lo-Jack certainly is a good service, but again I'm not sure about its value for a 5-series. If you work and/or live in an area with a relatively high car theft rate, you might consider it. But these cars are very resistant to "hot-wiring"; the easiest ways to steal a 5-series are to tow it or to carjack it.
2) Yeah, it does sound like overkill, but to some people getting as much documented as possible for a $50k purchase is logical. If you explain to your dealer you're simply interested in being sure the car's short life has been uneventful, he hopefully won't give you a hassle about it. But I didn't do this, and I suspect few do.
3) Wheel locks are basically a set (one for each wheel) of lug bolts that cannot be used directly with the lug wrench; they require a "key" that interfaces between the wrench and the bolts. This renders steeling your new wheels more difficult, but since the key is universal, it's by no means foolproof. It's not a standard feature (I think it's around $50 or so), but it is a worthwhile peace-of-mind accessory.
4) Bentley, which publishes comprehensive manuals for many cars, has yet to release one for the E39. Perhaps by the time the E60 is released...
Another alternative is to get a do-it-yourself kit. I believe that they're available from various parts places, both online and in stores. A third alternative is to have it done at an aftermarket shop, like a window-tint place; this would almost certainly be cheaper than having the dealer do it. A fourth is to check with your insurance agent--sometimes they provide this service. At the very least, they can tell you whether it might qualify for a premium discount.
I sure as heck wouldn't pay a dealer $195--that sounds like WAY too much. The only benefit from having a dealer do it is that they'd have to be responsible if they screwed it up, but $195 very much overpriced, IMO.
Philipnow - Good point about the number of Camrys on the road vs. E39's. I know the 330 is on the list about halfway down. I think is was on Edmunds that you can punch in different cities and the top ten stolen list will come up for various areas. I think I typed in Newark, NJ and NYC since those cities are closest to us. I think the Accord is way up on the list also, and there sure are a lot of those around!
It's probably helpful to look at both unweighted and weighted to get a better idea of both what cars theives are looking for, as well as what cars may be vulnerable to theft. It's somewhat of a snowball effect; since Accords and Camry's are the top-selling cars, assuming all else is equal they'll obviously be stolen the most as well. But in addition, there's a very large demand base for their parts. Therefore, organized crime rings target these cars and strip them apart, since they are worth quite a bit when sold off piece-by-piece, which inflates their stolen proportions even more. Finally, these cars (see list below) are relatively inexpensive and do not usually have sophisticated anti-theft and alarm systems which BMW's (and other luxury cars) do.
3/20: EuroDel pickup
3/28: On the ship
4/11: car "discharged" to VPC
4/22: car checked into VPC (11 nail-chewing days!)
4/23: car released to carrier
??: gets here when it gets here. Can't wait!!
My other sources were:
(a) Call up the manager in-charge at the drop-off point to see when the car was put on the truck to port. In my case, I called up the gent in Munich (Garching). He told me when the car left his lot and was unloaded in Bremerhaven.
(b) Call BMWNA 800-831-1117 at some point after that to find out the name of the ship the car might be on. In my case, it was the AIDA. Hit option 3 and have your production number handy. They might also use your last name/address for ID purposes, though they are not uniform about this procedure.
(c) Track the ship/cargo's progress. It does not track exact locations, but gives you a pretty good time-table of where the ship ought to be. You can see the ship's timetable or you can track by cargo (your car with its VIN is the cargo ID). Click on the "Auto" link to track by cargo. (thanks to snagiel for both b and c)
(d) Once it shows up as "Discharged" on the web, the only option is to call BMWNA to track in real-time. Also, be prepared for unknown delays Stateside. It has been a ritual for me to call at least once in the AM and once in the PM.
(e) Owner's Circle gets updated eventually, so this confirms that BMWNA is not feeding you bull.
(f) Lurk on the bimmer boards to see who got their car from your ship to determine whether you should press the panic button about unknown delays.
(g) When the car is in "released to the carrier" status from the VPC, call the dealer because the dealer has more specific details about arrival etc.
That's all there is to it... :-)
Hope this helps.
Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and support ... you guys really do comprise a wonderful community. I sure hope the decision-makers in Germany read your many useful posts about car design and preferences. They've got a great brand and they are getting dangerously close to "over-tinkering", style over substance, IMHO.
I'm sure I'll be back frequently to report on how much I love my new baby and to ask more naive questions when they inevitably arise.
Thank you again everyone. Give me a beep when you see me on the highway, trying my best not exceed redline during the break-in period! [1000 miles or 1500, BTW?]
I am curious, do many people buy the manual w/o the Sport Package - sounds like a good combo!
Would love to know the pricing specifics!
even though BMW is known as a sport sedan company,overt performance is not what makes me admire them. For sport I have running and cycling.
I do have a rather serene driving style.
But a 525i can fit nicely into that.
Colt
Also, just curious...what are the two channels running along the roofline (front to back, one on either side)for? They look like a wax/polish nightmare and you'd be digging out wax with a toothpick for weeks! Thanks!
Personally, I disagree (although your dealer is wrong about it being just because of the oil). Well designed and constructed engines today--and BMW builds some of the best--are built to tolerances and from materials unimagined even 10-15 years ago, let alone 30-40 years ago. Each engine BMW produces is fully tested at redline before it leaves the factory (the break-in guidelines protect the rest of the drivetrain more than the engine itself), and the engines produce very few of the harmful particles that pollute the oil and required oil changes so frequently on older cars. Since changing oil is one of the cheapest forms of insurance against engine problems, I highly doubt BMW would try to save a couple bucks (almost literally) on every car stretching the oil change interval out and risk jeopardizing the engine with a whole slew of potential problems down the road (which would cost them far more in warranty work).
As far as the channels, I believe they're designed mainly for running water off quickly and efficiently, but perhaps there's some aerodynamic benefits as well. I've polished and waxed my car a few times since I bought it in December, and I've had no real issues with buildup alongside them. I use a high quality cotton buffing cloth, which gets in there with ease.
Are these after-market or from BMW?
The best thing you can do for your car is to periodically change just the oil filter and then top off the oil reservoir with whatever amount is needed to maintain the proper oil level. The synthetic oil may not have broken down any chemically and may still have its full lubricating and viscosity qualities, but there will be suspended particles resulting from combustion and friction which are trapped in the oil filter.
This is very cheap insurance. If you do it about every 5,000 miles you'll at least be trapping and removing particles. I did this recently with my '98 540i6. Think it cost me $11. Pretty cheap for peace of mind.
1. BMW's official "Original BMW Accessories" catalog has Z3, E39, and E46 aerodynamic kits. The E39 items are shown on pages 10-11. The "Rear Apron" can be purchased individually for $430.00 or as part of the entire Aerodynamic Kit (front, back, and sides) for $1,245.00. There is also a "Deck Spoiler" for $336.00. The "front spoiler" is $410.00. The "side trim" is $465.00. I picked this catalog up at my local BMW dealer in November, 2001.
2. The Bavarian Autosport catalog has a much larger selection of aerodynamic aids for the E39. You can get rear spoilers, rear aprons, rear wings, rear diffusers, etc. You name it, this catalog probably has it.
These are just two quick and readily accessible sources. Both catalogs are free!!!
I didn't save my calculations for how much I paid over invoice, but I think the $1,595 discount from list is pretty good as I tried to have three other Connecticut area dealers meet/beat the $42,900 price and not one of them could/would come within $300 of my existing "deal." [I had earnestly hoped they would as two of them are considerably closer when I have to drive to get service.]
As for why no sport package: I test drove both versions and since the rural roads in this corner of Connecticut are in such poor shape, I feared the riding being "too hard." I'm also (perhaps naively) hoping that the all-weather tires will be sufficient with our snow whereas many many posts here said that snow tires were a must with the sports package. That was my reasoning ... plus I was already at/over my budget!
I'm off to pick up my new baby -- the heavy rain and predicted thunderstorms won't be enough to dampen my spirits today! Look for me in the new Blue Water sedan, and thanks again one and all for all your help and guidance here.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Take care.
Joe W.
Btw, Owner's Circle still shows the car at the VPC...
Take care.
Joe W.
http://www.autoweek.com
Even done "do it yourself", couldn't you just drain out all the oil, trapping it in a clean container? Then change the oil filter. Re-add the original oil. Top off with the amount as needed to bring to proper oil fluid level.
-2.0l 4 (520i): ~165hp
-2.2l 6 (523i): ~185hp
-2.5l 6 (525i): ~200hp
-3.0l 6 (530i): ~245hp
-3.0l 6 twin-turbo (530tti?): 380hp
-3.6l v8 (535i): 270hp
-4.5l v8 (545i): 333hp
-5.5l V10 (M5 and Z8?): 550hp (!)
That's quite a range, which brings us to our first question: which of these will the US get? I doubt we'll get the 520 and 523, but I suspect/hope BMW continues to make the 5-series affordable on the low-end with the 525. And the twin-turbo 6 really throws us a curveball. I've always admired BMW for their smooth, linear, potent naturally-aspirated engines. I guess the turbo's seductiveness has finally caught on in Bavaria, since it will allow for near-M5 performance without the added weight and cost penalties (I'm guessing the 530tti--or whatever they'll call it--will come in under $60k).
I don't think it'll hurt to offer the 4.5l V8 as well, since they already share that engine with different platforms--the 7 series and the X5 SAV--and it'll probably be pitched as a torquier, smoother, more "mature" choice than the twin-turbo 6.
Other questions: Will they use the twin-turbo 6 as well on the next generation M3? Which of these engines will appear on the upcoming 6 series? What will pricing strategy be? When can I have one? etc...
As for the snow tires...I bought the TireRack steel wheel & cover set-up for my '99 323i, but the last few winters have been mild here in the Albany, NY area...I almost feel like I wasted the $. I too am thinking about trying to get thru next winter w/o snows (especially since steel wheels/covers are not available for the 530i).
Anyway, congrats again and enjoy!
I know it is ‘just’ a car. But this one hurts.
Chris
By the way, the top 10 stolen car info (by state or city) I was talking about is in the Cars.com web site under "Top 10s". I think I said the info was somewhere in Edmunds. Sorry!
I am working on a full write up of the trip (complete with pictures), however here is the “Cliff’s Notes” version:
17-Apr-2002: We landed in Munich a little after 10:00 AM and made it to the ED Center just before noon, traveling via the Munich light rail system (15 Euros covers up to 5 people for 24 hours). After a quick lunch and Vehicle orientation, we were rolling by 2:00 PM, and after a few false starts, managed to find the road we were looking for heading Southwest out of Munich. We booked a room in a fabulous hotel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, ate in a Bavarian Sytle Gasthaus (sp?), and crashed (we slept 13 hours).
After just a few miles, I can tell you that, while I have always really liked my 1999 328i, it just cannot compare to my new 530i, what a car!
18-Apr-2002: We headed into Austria, heading generally west, hitting Switzerland by late after noon (the Swiss border guards did not like the looks of my tourist plates, so, it took about 15 minutes for them to make sure everything was in order). We then blasted across Switzerland ranging between 60 and 100 MPH the whole way, stopping in Basel for a fabulous dinner, and then pushing on through Mulhouse, France into Belfort, France, where we spent the night in yet another very elegant hotel.
19-Apr-2002: Given that we had Hotel reservations and dinner plans in Paris, we had to push a little, so, we drove as straight a line as possible to Paris, which included about 50% 2-lane roads and 50% MotorWay (France has a speed limit of about 80 MPH), and we averaged well over 70 MPH for the entire day (at least until we got to the outskirts of Paris). On the way, we stopped for lunch in the ancient walled city of Langres, where the Medieval roads made driving the 530i feel like I was driving a Semi with a 53’ trailer!
On to Paris, however, our timing was bad, REAL BAD, we hit the Periferique at about 4:15 PM coming in from the Southeast, and needing to be around on the Northwest side. We finally managed to get to Avenue Foch at about 5:10 and as we had to get to Boulevard Haussmann, we HAD to drive around the Arc De Triomphe at about 5:15, sheer suicide, however, I made it through on the first try without a scratch (I let a tour bus set a BIG pick for me ;-)). We found the Hotel and a SECURE place to park, and had three wonderful days “Doing Paris”.
22-Apr-2002: We headed east out of Paris at about 1:00 PM, running between 65 and 100 MPH most of the way. My wife even took a crack at it during a stretch that had fairly light traffic. She said, “Gee, at 100, I feel like I am doing 55 at home, this car is REAL SMOOTH!”
As I am a former Marine, I just HAD to stop at the “Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial”, which is located in the Bellau Wood area (near Chateau-Thierry) where nearly 8,000 U.S. Marines died in June of 1918 in a running battle with the Germans to re-take control of the area. I cannot tell you how many times I had to blink back tears just to be able to take some good pictures, what a moving place. This place is so undisturbed, that there is still plenty of evidence of the original trenches, foxholes and shell craters all over the area.
Back on the road, we had lunch in Chateau-Thierry, and then we retraced some of the route that I rode on my Bicycle back in July of 1982 through Verdun, Etain, Spincourt, Longuyon, Longwy and on into Luxembourg, where we spent the night in a very cute little hotel.
23-Apr-2002: We did some sight seeing in Luxembourg until noonish (is that a word?), and then stopped at a fairly good Curry house (the Curry content in my blood was getting a little low ;-)). Early afternoon, we hit the road again with the intent of making it all of the way back to Munich by the evening, which, if you stay on the Autobahn the entire way (we did) is something close to 440 miles. As it turns out, we made it to Munich by 7:00 PM, including numerous stops, heavy traffic and construction.
About 220 miles into the trip, I crossed the 1,200 mile barrier, and needless to say, I just had to open her up. On my speedometer, the “Top-Speed” limiter kicks in at exactly 132.5 MPH, and up to that point, the car was still accelerating very strongly. During the drive, there were literally dozens of times that I accelerated from 60ish to 120ish, given that I was still reluctant to downshift and “Redline” the motor, I would just do it in 5th gear, even still, the power this car has (especially in the 80 to 100 range) is impressive.
In Munich, we attempted to check into the Hotel Uhland, however, because I was unsure which day we would actually arrive in Munich, I did not make a reservation, preferring to trust to my luck instead. My luck held, sort of. The Uhland had just booked its last room an hour before we got there, however, the manager was able to find me a room a few blocks away in the Hotel St. Paul (not quite as nice and about 20 Euros per night more).
24-Apr-2002: We drove the car up to E.H. Harms (the drop off procedure is fairly painless), and took a taxi back into town where we spent the rest of the day shopping and sight seeing. We then arranged for a 5:00 AM wake up call, and a 5:30 taxi pickup, paid for our room, packed and bedded down for the night.
25-Apr-2002: Wake up call, taxi ride, flight to Copenhagen, flight to Newark and Limo ride home all were uneventful.
Now the waiting begins, my 328i gets dropped off next Tuesday, and I am suspecting that my 530i will be here mid to late May, I am like a kid waiting for Christmas, all over again. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
DL
I have the DSP stereo and the comfort seats as well. The stereo is nice, but as everyone says, the bass is a bit on the weak side. However, it seems to depend on the radio stations as well. I get quite strong bass on some stations, and not on the others. Overall, I like it.
The comfort seat is probably only worth it if you take long trips. I would have picked the sports seats had I been in the state, where I do not take trips more than an hours or so. Here in Germany, I drive a bit more and I find it to be VERY comfortable.
If there is any consolation, yours can be fixed easily.
I'd much rather have to do a bit more vacuuming or wiping downs in a black leather interior than look at permanent stains in a light interior.
jobie... It is easy to quickly make a black interior look great, near new. Try that in a light brown, tan, sand, or grey interior.
We're glad both her silver 323iA and my black 540i6 have black leather interiors. We have kids. Both look great.
As for the DSP system, bring your favorite CD to your dealer and ask to test drive one car with, and one car without. Decide for yourself, since people's opinions vary widely with this option. And the comfort seats: I'm sure they're nice, but I'd recommend instead the sport package, which elevates this car's handling to near-perfect, without being overly harsh. Again, test drive both. Good luck.
My other options are Premium, cold weather, xenons and DSP (yes, I felt that the DSP was a good value, especially because it had an upgraded amp, a 5-channel equalizer and 2 extra speakers).
For all the well-wishers, I did not pick up my car yesterday :-( because the DMV did not complete all the paperwork. I am waiting every minute for the dealer to give me the cheery call. Hopefully I'll have the bimmer grin by Monday!