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.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
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2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Shipo - congrats on the pick up. Sounds like yous had a great ED 'experience'. I just would not want to be you right now waiting for that machine to get here already broken in! Hope the time goes fast for you.
Tigger33 - you're looking at the same set up I have: Toledo Blue/Black leather. I didn't see it before ordering, but I think it looks great. Was good to see that combo in dealers 745 when we picked up the 530. We also have the DSP & upgraded stereo & think it was worth the extra $$. We didn't want to do anything aftermarket. Good luck w/ whatever you choose.
Snagiel & Vishnu11 - ah more Toledo Blue's. We should have a convention in Toledo Ohio! Vishnu11, Good luck w/ your pickup.
I ordered: 5-Sp, PP, CWP, Comf Seat, DSP, Fold Down rear seat. No SP b/c I live on the freeway.
We are then going to drive down to lake Como Bellagio (Italy), Parma, Pisa, Florence, Bollogna, Venice, Frankfurt... home.
happy shopping
DL
Here is an example:
http://www.edmunds.com/used/1997/bmw/5series/4dr528isedan/opinions.html?id=lin0425
Good luck!
Glad your pickup trip went well. I've been to Germany & Switzerland a few times in the last year, and know whereof you speak.
To your father, my "Cover is off", anybody who came anywhere near Iwo during the assault is a bona fide hero in my book. Someday, I will visit that site as well, and given that I am something of a Pacific Theater history buff, the "Blinking back of tears" may be much more difficult this time around.
Best Regards,
Shipo
I’ve gotta tell y'all, with the extra grip of the SP tires, that brief period of deceleration was the closest I have ever been to the single Carrier landing I was fortunate enough to experience from the back seat of an F14 back in 1977. That rider is a lucky man.
Best Regards,
Shipo
http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e39/forum.php?postid=583040&page=3
Anyone seen this color in person?
Initial observations: I think there is a balancing issue (slight shuddering at >70mph getting worse at higher speeds), DSP has adequate bass, but the high freq. are slightly lacking), and some of the OBC functions are in km/hr. I did expect some bugs, and am waiting for the "lost all my memory settings" gremlins to pop up. :-)
I am officially in love...
Yesterday I had a wonderful 270 mile round-trip to Worcester, MA from my corner of Connecticut for some crew races. I can't ever remember before wishing that a road trip would actually last LONGER. Here at Edmonds I had read about great tracking, but you have to EXPERIENCE the ride to truly appreciate it. Ditto the acceleration on the highway merge ramps. Double ditto the comfortable seats (I didn't get comfort seats as I'm tall enough that the tops of those seats "mooshed" my shoulders). Triple ditto keeping the speed down ... making sure I didn't hit 80 during break-in while other (read: lesser) cars zoomed by.
According to the trip computer, I averaged 30.9 mpg and 50.8 mph (damn these Connecticut country roads). Does anyone know whether these averages are based on the last computer "reset" or a much shorter period of minutes/miles/gallons?
I can't wait to hit 1200 miles! A round-trip to friends 50 miles away after work tomorrow should get me to 475. I'm in Heaven; thanks yet again to all you wonderful folks here that gave me the courage and confidence to spend (just a little) beyond my means for this most satisfying purchase decision ever!
Even so, like I mentioned in my previous post #3368, the car is amazingly lithe and responsive. I find that I have to let off the gas while merging with traffic sometimes to manage the merge better. The car is built so tight that there is little or no difference between 60 and 95mph. I can only think that the 530 is better in this, but its a tradeoff in $$ (few thousand) that I did not think was necessary for me.
My estimate of 0-60 is - "more than adequate". That doesn't tell much, but driving in this country especially with all the traffic jams and low speed limits, does it really matter? And if I do need that occasional rush, there's the Step. After all, on the open freeway, the time taken to get to 0-80mph is miniscule compared to the cruising time. I am always amused at the 0-60 times thats so heavily used to market a car. Kind of reminds me of the SUV ads that show great atheleticism in the snow-bound mountains and the reality is that 99% usage is on the highway.
As a last word, there is a big difference in luxury (again, my opinion) between the 3-er and 5-er. The 5-er feels a lot more refined, but the 3-er induces the I-want-to-mash-the-pedal feeling. Depends on what you prefer.
Having said that, there's a good way to rest the argument - here's the math for both cars:
1) hp/curb weight and (more importantly I think)
2) torque/curb weight ratio.
Ratio 525manual 530auto
hp/wt 0.053 0.0634
tor/wt 0.051 0.061
As you can see, the 530ia does more than the 525 by about 1%.
Question is whether that 1% is humanly noticeable and important to you. When I test drove the 525/530 back-to-back, I did not immediately feel it, but perhaps others do. Like you, I also liked the 525's rims a lot better.
My suggestion to you, take an extended test drive in both cars, driving the 530iA first, then let your Butt decide for you. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Colt007.
Indy-happy anniversary! The 540 must be oh so sweet. All the best!
vishnu11 & mcq7159 - now the fun begins! Official congratulations & best wishes!
shipo - great brakes uh? I love to hear driving stories & I'm glad yours turned out the way it did.
Colt007
Anyway, the other day i went to testdrive the new Seven, and while i was waiting i sat in an M5.
I ran the gearshift thru the gears, and it was amazing! I have just shifted thru the gears on many cars, including S2000, Miata, Porsches, et al., but nothing, nothing comes close to the smooth precision of the M5. The S2000's throws are too short for my tastes, and a little too "notchy" but that just could be because I am not used to driving such a hi-po car with a tranny so developed.
The BMW's shifter was almost an oxymoron. It was smooth, like maple syrup was in the syncros, and yet the gates were very well defined, with a subdued "click" every time you got into gear.
Most cars are either too "loosey-goosey" (VW, Porsche std. Boxster) or too notch (S2000).
The Seven was alright, tho I didn't like i-drive.
If only I had the cash for the M5!
By the way, for all you Beemer owners out there, if u log on2 Bmwfilms.com, you can see professional drivers doing interesting things with the same kind of car you drive.
Best Regards,
Shipo
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Based upon your userid, I suspect that you know a whole lot more about bikes than I do, so I will defer to your greater experience as to what to call such a bike. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Regarding 5-er manuals, with the exception of the M5, my experience was that the manuals were *not* smooth, buttery and precise like the 3-series. The shifter is too long, has too much travel. Also unlike the 3-series, the clutch travel is too long as well. I am a die-hard manual fan, so I am not knocking manuals by any stretch.
Has anybody experienced this as well?
On the other hand, last fall, when Brave1heart (of 3-Series fame) and I traded cars for a day and a half (my 328i 5-Speed sans SP for his 325i 5-Speed with SP), I noticed a substantial difference in "FEEL" during the entire shifting process. By that I mean, the shifter felt totally different in effort, travel and even gate pattern, and the clutch felt a little lighter as well, with a different engagement point. I think that the difference can be accounted for because the gearbox on the larger engines is built to deal with the greater torque of said larger engines (and of course because they are from different manufacturers).
Best Regards,
Shipo
DL
PROS:
1) Its the least expensive new 5, about $5-6,000 less than a similarly packaged 530auto.
2) Its feels great going through the gears, downshifting, etc.---Cannot replicate fun w/auto
3) The relatively low power is not very noticeable once your in 2nd gear and above. Pulls strong all the way to speed limiter.
CONS:
1) It is okay, but not very fast off the line for a manual.
2) The clutch is not very simple/smooth.
3) No chirping the tires thru the gears with this car.
Overall if I had to do it over, I'd still choose this car for the money. (I paid under $40k) It is a fun, tight, and smooth ride.
The real power I seek is not a 225 hp/215 torque 6-cyl auto, its a 300 hp 8-cyl. I previously owned a 3.2 liter V6 with 210 torque (Acura Legend) and it was a great performing car, ask anyone who has owned one, but everytime I drove a V8 and then drove the 6, it made me realize what I was missing.
I drove the 330 automatic and was very impressed with its instant power, but preferred the 525 manual to it for the same price (size/ride/style also weighed heavily).
In a few years down the road I'll get something with a V8. I used to sell cars, and I've driven a 300 hp 6 cylinder (Porsche Carerra) and it just didn't have the same power [in your pants--kick down] as a 300 hp V8 (Cobra). Not to put down a Porsche,its kinda ridiculous comparing the two cars overall, but I had very high expectations for the Carrera--it was my favorite car until I drove it. Until I find a V8 like that Cobra's 4.6 in a car a like overall, the 525 manual will suffice.
Plus, a BMW Magazine tested the 525 manual and reached 60 MPH in 7.3 seconds. That's half a second faster than BMW's conservatively listed figure. (you'll notice that other mfg times are also higher than road&track results, and BMW states that its reported 0-60 times vary depending on conditions and techiniques) If the 530 automatic can't have the speed ringed out of it the way the manual can, its 7.0 second 0-60 run is not much faster.
All that said, drive both of them and back to back and decide for yourself, and your budget. If you really want performance, get the 540-6, or better yet wait for the 03'/04' 545.
g525
Interesting information you have there. I did know, but did not realize, that the 32x and 33x trannys were different. *duh* In any event though, the 5-er manual feel can stand some improvement compared to other car manufacturers. I loved the Porsche 911 feel of the manual the best (don't know about the Boxter). On the other hand, they have done a great job with GM's Step tranny by modifying the shift points and shift time.
John01:
Kudos to Acura. I had a '96 Integra LS, and I loved that precise feel of the manual gearing. Even after about 70K miles, it still felt as good as new. RIP - it was totalled last Nov because of which I had to get the 5-er (notice I am not complaining).
Tigger33:
Shadowline trim - contact Pacific BMW. Many bimmerheads obtain their OEM parts from there at a higher discount. It may be a DIY - check bmwtips.com. Good luck with the car!
Best Regards,
Shipo
Tires: Recognize that tires are a wear-and-tear item; you'll have to replace them several times in your car's lifetime, so in my opinion buying a winter set and swapping them out (either on the same wheels or on 16 inchers) makes sense and prolongs their longevity. Also realize that the "all-season" tires are a serious compromise; it's like having only one pair of shoes for everything you do, year-round. If you live in an area with snowy/icy winters, dedicated winter tires will fare much better than the all-seasons. Similarly, they won't offer anywhere near the capability of good summer/performance tires (which are better in rain, by the way).
"Shadowline" trim: No way would I spend $1000 on several thin strips of black plastic. I'm not sure what Pacific's price is, but it's a minor cosmetic issue as far as I'm concerned.