BMW 5-Series Sedans

riez · May 2002

The info I've received in the mail and what I've seen on their web site is all I have.

Does NOT appear to work exactly like GM credit card or Citibank Driver's Edge credit card rebates (both of which I currently have and have used in past). These can be used when you buy outright (i.e., there is no loan). But if you are willing to lease or get loan thru BMW FS, then the program could be valuable. Since I always acquire my vehicles thru loans (i.e., I never lease nor do I buy outright), I'm interested.

Believe the offer I was sent gives me 5,000 "free" points. I'm waiting for the card. If/when I get it, I'll let you know what all they tell me.

Remember reading something recently (possible Bimmer or Roundel magazines) talking about BMW FS making big positive changes to the card and program due to lack of response in market.

Wife and I pretty much buy anything we can using our GM and Citibank DE credit cards. That way I only have to write one or two cheques a month. Pay the balances off in full each month so there is no finance charge. And I get the positive float of their money during the post-purchase grace period. And I get their rebates. (Think I've redeemed about $5,000 in rebates over the past 7 years. Haven't bought a GM product since '97. Now have about $3,000 in my GM bank but the only car they have that even remotely interests me know is the Cadillac CTS, but I won't buy a 1st year car and there are big engine upgrades promised in MY 2004.)

riez · May 2002

According to the May 2002 issue of Roundel, BMW FS

"handled the paper on half the BMWs sold or leased last year. Its 106,00 transactions (worth $5.2 billion) were up 27% in one year."

So statistically speaking, there might be a 50/50 chance you go thru BMW FS for next purchase or lease.

The April 2002 issue of Roundel mentioned BMW FS trying to "encourage the 40,00 holders of the BMW Card to do more credit-card buying". One change was to offer double reward points on all gasoline purchases.

mschukar · May 2002

I haven't driven my BMW 325i with SP on more than a dusting of snow yet, but I'm getting winter tires based on my experience with other cars. AWD is great when your foot is on the gas, but actually hurts you when your foot is on the brake because of the increased weight and ground clearance. Winter tires, on the other hand, help you in all situations and are therefore safer (and cheaper in initial cost and mileage).

With the balanced weight distribution, stability control and excellent handling, I expect my bimmer to be a great winter car (the heated seats won't hurt either).

-murray

love2skicar · May 2002

I appreciate your response; i'm leaning toward agreeing with you that it doesn't make sense to buy an awd car for just 10 days of snow a year and carry the extra cost and differential maintenance down the road the other 355 days; also, i agree that winter tires are the most important and i would need them anyway on the awd so it's triply expensive since the xi's go for msrp around here and you can get a discount on a rwd. good luck with your 325! if anyone else has a 530 and experience in snow i would love to hear about it. best

ek5 · May 2002

Our 530 is about 2 weeks old and waxed it this past weekend with Macguire's (sp?)Cleaner/Wax. I know owner's manual suggest carnuba, but we're not into using paste and have heard wax builds up and eventually you have to strip, etc.

What's the best one-step protection without spending a lot of effort/time?

We have always "waxed" our cars twice a year and never had any trouble with rust, etc. (Just sold our 18 yr. old Jetta with 56,000 orig. miles - still looked show condition).We use Nu-Finish (rated #1 by Consumer Reports a couple of years back), but it's a polish. It says it won't scratch clearcoat, but don't want to mess up the finish.

Any thoughts?

snagiel · May 2002

I agree to an extent with mschukar: Winter tires don't help you "in all situations;" they help in icy or snowy road conditions. On dry roads (even in winter), summer tires would perform better while accelerating, braking, and cornering. And if you want maximum winter traction, the best way to do it is with an AWD system fitted with winter tires.

Having said that, I think BMW developed the 3-series AWD systems largely to compete with the Audi Quattro systems (which is better). And while Audi allows you to combine both the better traction with the sport package, BMW raises the xi models and gives them skinnier tires, which indeed makes for less engaging driving. That's why Car & Driver criticized the car and placed it well behind the 3-series' usual first-place finish in a couple of comparison tests.

For 10 days of heavy snow a year, I certainly wouldn't consider the 330xi. If you'll have to drive those days, I think a good set of 16" wheels and dedicated winter tires (Blizzaks or similar) will do the trick, short of propelling you up a steep ice-glazed hill.

As for a possible xi version of the next 5-series, it's still only a rumor, and even if it does materialize I bet it wouldn't be available for another year (at least) after the model launches, so we're talking at least 2005.

snagiel · May 2002

I wouldn't recommend buying any of these 2-in-1 jobs, but it depends on your terminology. See the good article at http://www.carcareonline.com/clean_paint.html for a discussion about these things.

For waxing, I use and recommend One Grand Blitz Wax (every 4-6 weeks). For removing minor swirls and smoothing out the finish, I use 3M Imperial Hand Glaze (every 10-12 weeks). Yes, it's time-consuming, but it's a labor of love. I also spend an insane (my fiancee's estimation) amount of time waxing the wheels, vacuuming the interior, cleaning and conditioning the leather, cleaning the vinyl, etc. If you're short on time or generous with your money, visit a good detailer every few weeks. But I think spending $50k on a car and then looking to save a couple bucks or finding shortcuts when cleaning it (which is as much about maintaining value as it is about aesthetics) is silly.

shipo · May 2002

I just got off the phone after informing my insurance company that I am changing cars from my (old) 1999 328i (MSRP of about $38,700) to my 2002 530i (MSRP of $47,395), and was delighted to find out that my premium was only going to go up by a whopping $111 per year. I then found out that I have been carrying a silly $100 deductible on my comprehensive, so, I changed that to a much more reasonable $500, which will actually bring my policy down below the pre-530i levels.

Keep in mind, these are New Jersey prices (the highest in the nation):
Old policy: 1998 Grand Caravan Sport & 1999 328i -- $500 Ded. on Coll. & $100 Ded. on Comp.: $1,893
New policy: 1998 Grand Caravan Sport & 2002 530i -- $500 Ded. on Coll. & $500 Ded. on Comp.: $1,880

Not too bad. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

jim52 · May 2002

Rates are pretty high in NJ. I live just outside of Philly (in PA) and I believe I pay around 1,100 per yr for my 2002 530 and 2000 ML 320. I have a 1K ded. for collision and a $500 ded. for comprehensive.

bluewater5 · May 2002

Here is an article on the 745i, especially iDrive:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/12/automobiles/12AUTO.html

You'll need to register with NY Times for free to view it.

The article suggests that this may negatively impact residual/resale value of the 7 series.

-Bob D.

shipo · May 2002

I hear you, I am looking forward to our potential move to New Hampshire this summer, I suspect that the rates will be SIGNIFICANTLY lower. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

vishnu11 · May 2002

You guys get off easy.

Mine in the Boston area: '02 525i + '00 Lexus RX300 - $2700 without the $500 extra hitting me this September because of a rear-ender last Nov.

shipo · May 2002

In 1996, my wife and I lived in Jersey City, in a gated community, with a private 2-Car Garage, on the ground floor of our townhome. At that time, we had a 1995 Plymouth Neon Sport Sedan (5-Speed), and a 1995 VW Passat GLX VR6 Sedan (also a 5-Speed). We had the opportunity to pay $3,200 per year with perfectly clean driving records. Living in the "Suburbs" has its advantages, and Insurance is one of them.

Best Regards,
Shipo

joseph40 · May 2002

My wife and I just returned for taking a ED of a 530iA (black sapphire, SP, PP, nav, shades, dsp). The trip was absolutely "magical". Riding through the Swiss alps, cruising at 100 mph (and getting passed), and negotiating the circle at the Arc de Triumphe, all made for a fabulous trip. I will repeat what others have stated, if you get the chance, do a European Delivery.

We flew into Paris, France Sunday morning. Toured the city until late Monday night and took a train to Munich. Arrived at BMW around 9:30 am. Completed our delivery by 10:45 am. Rode around Munich and finally got on the highway headed to Zurich around 1:30 pm. Beautiful countryside. Took lots of pictures. Arrived at our Zurich hotel around 5:00 pm.

Left Zurich for Paris around 4:30 pm and arrived at our hotel in Paris around 10:00 pm (415 miles; several stops for gas, French tolls, and more pictures).

We dropped the car off in Paris, and because of a lack of total planning, "almost" missed E.F Harms because of a national holiday. Harms was closed Wednesday and Thursday (May 8 (celebration of the end of WWII; and May 9 (Ascension Day)). Fortunately, we were not leaving until Friday and thank God they were open. We dropped the car off that morning (took about 40 minutes) and took a cab to the airport for our 12:40 flight.

A few things to note. First, the car is a dream to drive, but took me awhile to get use to its weight and length in the city (currently have a 1993 325i). There were times I longed for the PDC. Second, the navigation system worked perfectly. I had paper maps, but I fully relied on the nav system to get around. (I have the disk for France with major European roads if anyone is interested). Third, Paris is not as difficult to drive if you are aware of your surroundings and somewhat aggressive. We did the circle around the Arc de Triumphe several times with no problems or scares.

Finally, I want to thank all who contribute to this board in a positive manner. In particular I want to thank "PAP5" and "Shipo" for there invaluable input to me personally. BTW, Shipo, based on your pictures, I think we had the same BMW ED guy.

I apologize for the lengthy message, but I have to do something to pass the time as I wait for my car.

nyccarguy · May 2002

Congratulations & welcome back!

shipo · May 2002

Welcome back!

From the outside at least, it looks like we have similar cars, what with both of them having the Black Sapphire and SP. What color interior did you opt for?

So, that is two brand new ED 530i(s) that have made it around the Arc de Triumphe with nary a scratch in the last three weeks. ;-)

In other news, my car is on the "Hudson Leader" and according to the letter from BMWNA that I got last Friday, it is due into New York harbor tommorrow, a day early. Given that my dealership is only about 25 miles from the VPC, I wonder if it will show up at the dealership this week.

Best Regards,
Shipo

joseph40 · May 2002

nyccarguy - Thanks.

Shipo - I opted for the black interior. What about you? Also, as I mentioned to you earlier, I decided to get the automatic...however, during the trip, this was somewhat of a regret as I missed rowing the gears myself. But, my wife wanted... Anyway there was another option that I forgot to mentioned that my wife thoroughly enjoyed and that was the comfort seats. On another note, how easy is it to track the shipment of your car?

chrism124 · May 2002

I live in New Hampshire (Salem) and currently pay $730 annually for the insurance on my 02 530i. This is with a $500 deductible on my comprehensive and a surprisingly clean driving record. While my wifes insurance runs $700 annually for a 01 Saab 9-5 SE Wagon. Living in N.H. you have the benefit of lower car expenses. For instance insurance is certainly less expensive plus there is no sales tax. However there is still the annual city tax for vehicles. I paid $900 to the City of Salem this year and a budgeted $700 for next year.

Chris M

shipo · May 2002

I have the black interior as well, and I love the asthetic. Prior to this car, I have had three other Black/Black cars, and I have always said "Never again", and guess what? I did it again. ;-)

This time around however, I have also ordered the Sheep Skin "Vests" to keep from scalding my hide during the hotest months. I considered the Comfort seats as well, and who knows, maybe next time.

To track your car (at least once it gets on the water), go to http://www.wlna.com and then click "Route Maps", and again on "Cargo Tracking", once there, you will see a drop down list with the default text of "Track By" in it. Click on the arrow to expand the list, and then select "Auto", which will then present you with a "Cargo Tracking" page which has a "Cargo ID" field on it. Key in your VIN number into this field (or copy/paste it from Owners Circle), and click the "Track" link, and wait for at least 30 seconds (usually more like 2 minutes) and the resulting page will contain the following information:

Cargo ID
Booking
Vessel Name
Voyage ID
Bill Number
Port of Origin
Port of Destination
Customer Reference Number

And then a table in reverse chronological order showing the following data:

Status: (Recieved at Terminal, Loaded on Vessel, Booked)
Port: (Location of activity)
Time:

I hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Shipo

ocdmom · May 2002

Am wondering if anyone else is having this same problem: the screen that is displayed when the car is turned off is not the same screen that appears when the car is again turned on. I drove the car for six months with no problem...then this started. Have taken the car into the dealership 4 times in the past six months and they have replaced the car battery, the navigation system and the radio and still haven't fixed the problem.

shipo · May 2002

Hmmm, I am getting a new 530i, paying New Jersey sales tax, and then possibly moving to New Hampshire (probably Windham, next town over from you) where I will then have to pay a city tax? Do you know how said tax is calculated year by year?

It sounds like any savings we see from a lower car insurance bill will be more than eaten up by this City Tax. Oh well, maybe we will see some benefit from no longer having to pay State Income Tax.

Best Regards,
Shipo

chrism124 · May 2002

Shipo, not sure of the exact numbers the town uses but I believe the base value is one key component. If I take a guess, the base value or list price of the 02 530i is $40k. That would equate to $44.44/thousand. I believe each town determines the tax rate. The Windham Town Offices should have this information.

One more point, the state of NH has been going back & forth on whether to implement an income tax or sales tax. The state needs the extra $$$ for public schooling (see Claremont issue).

Best Regards,
Chris M

nyccarguy · May 2002

I have an Aunt, Uncle, & 2 cousins that live in Salem, NH. I love it up there.

nyccarguy · May 2002

have seat belt laws (for adults) in NH!

snagiel · May 2002

I guess that epitomizes it, eh?

shipo · May 2002

Hmmm, I looked into the "Claremont Issue", interesting can of worms, that. Thanks for the lead.

Best Regards,
Shipo

joseph40 · May 2002

Thank you for tracking information. This is also my third black car (black/charcoal; black/tan; now black/black). I too said I was not getting another black car, but here I am again. After I finally got comfortable with the Anthracite, BMW discontinued it. I hope you have many years of enjoyment.

chrism124 · May 2002

I have been living in Salem for the last 6 years. My wife & I found a good area to start a family and had a house built. However Salem and in general southern NH has been seeing a rapid increase in the population. Home sales have been very strong. Actually there are only 2000 build able lots remaining in Salem. The town is still attractive but just getting a little crowded.

Chris M

nyccarguy · May 2002

My Aunt and Uncle have been living there going on 20 years I believe. They live on Tammy Street. They both work in Mass. My Aunt is an Art teacher in Andover (Pronounced Andov-A) and my uncle runs 3 Ace Hardware stores (I believe Friendly Lumber... is the name).

pap5 · May 2002

Welcome back! Thanks for the acknowledgement - glad to be able to help. There's no question that ED is a great experience, and it's to BMW's credit that they offer the program and manage it so well. Whenever I read an account like yours of an ED experience, I want to do it again!

chrism124 · May 2002

Actually Tammy Street is only 2 miles from my house. I live on Redwood Rd. I like the location. Not far from the main road (rt 28) with all of the shops but yet far enough away that I don't need to deal with the traffic or noise.

Chris M

chesdin4 · May 2002

... the state liquor stores located at the rest stops on the Interstates!

(What a place that state is!)

jrosasmc · May 2002

Are both the I-6 and V-8 engines in the 5-Series made totally out of aluminum?

shipo · May 2002

No, the cylinder walls on the I6 are sleeved.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jrosasmc · May 2002

What do you mean by "sleeved?"

bmwluver · May 2002

On a recent visit to Germany, I saw a unique
530 model at the dealerships. It was called
"Edition Exclusive" and had chrome strips on the sides and on the bumpers. Also had a wood trimmed steering wheel. A red shade was also available unlike the standard US model which now has none available for 2002. Anybody know if BMW plans to import this beautiful version? It's a classy machine with a more traditional (read old) look.

shipo · May 2002

The term "Sleeved" means that there are cylinder liners (the cylinder walls) made out of a different material than the surrounding block. In this case, I believe BMW uses good old-fashioned Iron sleeves for the liners.

The reason for the sleeves is that BMW found that the extra Sulphur in U.S. gasoline was eating away at the cylinder wall, causing premature high oil consumption in their I6 engines. My understanding is that the V8 used in the 540i and M5 either uses a different alloy for the block, and/or some other kind of surface for the cylinder walls.

Best Regards,
Shipo

seivwrig · May 2002

Those special edition 5ers will not be available in the U.S. I've seen them and they are attractive.

sergeym · May 2002

It was pretty windy today in NJ and I had to drive about 100 miles on NJTP and GPS. I also was not feeling well but regardless the wind and my physical conditions I believe that the car did wonder too much reacting to the wind gusts like it was 2000 not 4000 pound car. At times it was scary and I ended up moving into the slow lane (70 mph). I need some advise. This is my first BMW and also my first rear-wheel drive car. My previous cars Acura TLS and Maxima had much firmer steering wheel at speed. They had kind of dead spot on center so if you move the wheel a little by mistake or something the car would not react. Not so with 540. It has a very light and sensitive steering and kind of wonders around requiring constant attention. The wind may be. So here are my questions:
1. Can anything be done to make steering firmer at speed? Any ECU programming or something like that. I also inflated the tires to max pressure recommended for full load (36F/44R) and I was alone in the car. Could it cause the problem?
2. Could something be wrong with my car, e.g. wheel balancing. Car is only 1 month old and has 1500 miles on it. When going 80 mph the car would drive OK for 10-30 secs then it makes slight move to the left or right which I had to correct and after 30 minutes I gave up and slowed down.

3. Rear-wheel cars drive like that and I have to get used and live with it.

BTW I like the car very much otherwise but it was pretty scary today. It reminded me of and old 1085 Porsche a friend of mine let me drive once and I did not feel comfortable with that car on highway at all. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

shipo · May 2002

Before I even finished your post, I was going to recommend that you take some air out of your tires, then I saw that you had added to max spec, and I knew I was on the right track. Our cars are VERY sensitive to tire pressure!

When I took delivery of my 328i back in 1999, I could hardly control my car. It was so bad that I almost hit the center barrier on the Tappan Zee Bridge in a cross wind one day. When I took the car back in, they (sort of sheepishly) told me they had forgotten to take the extra pressure (for shipping, so the car does not bounce as much) out of the tires when they prepped the car. Sure enough, my car was rock solid for the next three and a quarter years.

As a side note, the folks who AutoX their cars bump the pressure to something north of 40 psi, which gives the car snappier handling.

Best Regards,
Shipo

snagiel · May 2002

I'd agree with Shipo: Reducing the air pressure should help alleviate things. A couple other thoughts: First, I don't think front as opposed to rear wheel drive has any effect on directional stability or even steering at speed. Certainly, during handling maneuvers, rear-wheel drive greatly helps as far as steering goes, since the front wheels aren't required to provide both acceleration and lateral grip. Two, all cars are affected by high winds to an extent. With the 5's high level of sound insulation, it may have been windier than you realized. Three, not to provoke Riez or anything (nor to upset you in your new owner celebration period), but the 540 has a recirculating-ball steering system which, while fine-tuned by the handling wizzards at BMW, is inherrently less precise and lacks the same on-center feel the rack-and-pinion systems of the 525/530. Hopefully the air pressure will reduce the problem, though.

bmw323is · May 2002

Wide tires, as a 540 sport would have, will react this way on a heavily "cupped" road or freeway. That is a road that is worn with grooves where the tires normally follow. My 3-series sport will do this as well on freeways that are worn and heavily used. If you get out of the grooves the handling is much more precise and steady. And definately lower the air pressure. I run 32 in the front and 34 in the rear - and that is as firm as one would need unless your on the track.

g8torlenny · May 2002

Thanks Shipo, the post is removed. Hope no one was put off:)

shipo · May 2002

No problem, I just didn't want you to run afoul of the rules that our most generous hosts here at Edmunds have set forth. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

riez · May 2002

The latest issue of Road & Track (June), in the Technical Correspondence section, p. 155-157, has a nice article on tire inflation. Get their answer from Pirelli expert. For most driving they recommend 32-36 psi. Autocrossers and others doing highly specialized driving might use much higher pressure, but general rule of thumb is 32 psi. Warns that the max pressure shown on the tire is a "true maximum" or hot, tire pressure. Don't set your cold tire up to that limit because you'll exceed the limit as the tire heats up during driving.

indylowflyer · May 2002

I've driven my 540i sp in high winds and have not experienced any unstableness. Quite the opposite, as it felt rock solid. I would imagine the condition of the road could have a major impact on the handling or feel of any vehicle. The steering feels solid with no drifting. This is a heavy sedan and is even lower(an inch or two) than the regular 540.

As a side note, I am continually amazed at the ride/handling of this vehicle, especially at high speeds. I haven't even come close to "running on the ragged edge" as I plan on keeping for a while and don't want to abuse it too much.

I now have about 17,500 miles on the Dunlop tires and after looking at the tread depth last night, I feel I will get 25,000 to 30,000 miles out of this set. I will replace with another set of Dunlops, as I've been very happy with the performance of this brand.

indylowflyer · May 2002

Shipo- Can you update us as to when your 5er will be arriving stateside? The wait must be agonizing.

nyccarguy · May 2002

Saturday night while walking around the streets of the west village, hoping from bar to bar for my girlfriend's brother's bachelor party and saw a few 5ers to drool over.

The first was a Black/Black M5 with an AC Schnitzer exhaust. It had a lower rear body skirt that integrated the twin oval exhaust pipes that looked fabulous. One question: Isn't the M5 fast enough (especially for our roads)?

The second was a Silver/Black 525i SP. This is the only second 525i SP I've ever seen and it is impressive to the eyes. The wheels are nice and the lowered, aggressive looks compliment an already beautiful car.

shipo · May 2002

Reiz,

I dont know if they do this with cars, however, for bicycle tires, the way they figure the Max pressure is to pump the tire up until it either explodes or the bead pops off the rim (and then the inner tube usually explodes). They then, they halve the number where the fault event occurred, that then becomes the Max PSI which we see printed on the sidewall.

IndyLowFlyer,

Our 5ers with SP (or any other SP equipped 5-Series for that matter) are designed to run north of 150 mph (even though my U.S. spec 530i is limited to 128) all day long, as such, by design, they are one of the most stable cars at speed in the world. Which is another reason why I immediately suspected tire pressure problems with SergeyM's 540i.

When my Michelins wear out, I will be taking a long look at the Dunlops that you have on your car as a replacement tire.

As for my car, a letter from BMWNA last week said it would be in the harbor yesterday, however, the Wallenius web site http://www.wlna.com shows today as the arrival date. Either way, it looks like my car should be at the VPC by this evening. ;-) When I contacted my insurance company, I scheduled next Monday (20-May) for the start date of the coverage; I hope that is not being too optimistic.

NycCarGuy,

You should hang out around the corner of Chestnut Ridge Road and Glen Road in Woodcliff Lake more often, there are LOTS of 525i SPs running around, not to mention just about every other bit of rolling stock that the "Boys from Bavaria" have their fingers into. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy · May 2002

I'd like to try and get myself a job there (not just for the company car either). Then again, I'd probably get fired for walking around the lot aimlessley all day and all night:)

BMW 5-Series Sedans

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles