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BMW 5-Series Sedans

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Comments

  • cmr530icmr530i Member Posts: 278
    Oh my God! I am just floored by your pictures! I send my sincere condolences and am just sick about it for you. Do you know how they disabled the alarm? I'm guessing from the bent hood that they pried it up. Is this when they disabled the alarm? Geez, I am so sorry for you. I hope your insurance co. works in your favor and quickly. Keep us all informed if you can.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I have to hand it to Honda, this was a brave (and costly) undertaking.

    http://home.attbi.com/~bernhard36/honda-ad.html

    Notice the subject line; it says 'One "Take"', I did not say "Take One". In fact, this video was take 606. Wow.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I like it, just sent it to my brother (who sent me the Honda one). Thanks.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    Just had a set of 4 put on my '98 540i6. 73,200 miles. 235/45R17 94Ys up front and 255/40ZR17s on back. Driving home it started to rain hard. They worked like a charm in rain. Awesome wet grip. Seem quite good on dry pavement, too.

    Anyone had a set of these? On what? What mileage did you get out of 'em? Comments? (Believe they came out in Europe in '01 and then America in '02.)

    Seem like a decently priced maximum performance summer tyre. Less expensive than Pilot Sports. Made in Germany. European Car's comments have been positive. (Of course, the material on Continental's web site was all positive.)
  • karmikankarmikan Member Posts: 116
    Just got home after a terrific day at the BMW driving school. The course is taught by pro race-car drivers and while I had pretty high expectations (it's not cheap), it was even better than I hoped. Although this was the introductory course, it was a blast learning the limits of a 330i on and off the skidpad.

    Thoroughly recommended if you can find a venue in your area. Can't wait to sign up for the next level, it's done in M3's.......

    PS - Snagiel, let's hope that the creatures who stole your car rot under the rocks they crawled from. My sympathies.
  • srfastsrfast Member Posts: 138
    I also recommend the BMW Driving School, but any training of this type is beneficial to all drivers especially the younger ones. BTW, where did you take this course?

    Regards...JL
  • sirtigersirtiger Member Posts: 38
    Yikes, I am so sorry to read that your car was stolen! Those pics very disheartening to see. yes, they must have been pros... that was kind of weird to see a change of BMW wheels on the car. I have seen pics of a pro taking a zillion variety parts of Lex ES300 and packed it in to my friend's stolen commercial vans...

    I had my 1998 Avalon with 8600 miles stolen by flatbed in 2000. It was on my driveway! I customed a variety of custom security features myself so tradition breaking in was somewhat unlikely. I was really shaken up when my car was stolen. I always put my two nice cars inside the garage which is blocked by two more. Its a pain to dig my two babies out by moving cars. Its tough to enjoy my cars with the current car thefts problem in urban areas.

    I wasn't the only one. My friend's Nissan Max was stolen by a tow truck dragging his car out of his driveway. Big dark tire marks can be seen on the driveway. I heard another friend of mine had her 330i flatbeded as well. Its more common than most people think.

    In reference to the programmed BMW keys & duplications... What about that little credit card key? Is there technology inside that little key? It doesn't appear to be any so I presume that they key could be dup. easily by an unscrupulous person. I was very surprise that card key can start the engine which is illogical. My Lex has that key also which can open the doors but not turn on the engine.
  • ksqrdksqrd Member Posts: 21
    So sorry to hear about and see the pix from your tragic incident. The car I replaced to get my 530i, a stock '93 Integra GS-R, was stolen when I lived in SF. Strangely enough, the night before it was stolen, a young knife-wielding kid pounded on the passenger window in another part of town (in an attempted carjacking bid, I assume) but I sped away through a red light. I wasn't thinking, and while it could have turned out worse, I got away alive (and with the car intact).

    The next morning, I came out to the curb in the Marina, and the car was gone. It was recovered hours after it was stolen, by SF police who had been tracking someone who had a penchant for nice-looking Japanese street rockets. The police told me they thought it would have been stripped by morning, and that I was lucky it was recovered on a Sunday evening.

    My first car, a '76 2002, was also broken into, and the thieves stupidly destroyed the dash while lifting the stereo. It took a few months to get a replacement dash unit from Munich.

    All of these incidents paled in comparison to yours--so I can only imagine your pain. Good luck with the replacement.
  • karmikankarmikan Member Posts: 116
    The course is held at Downsview Airport (an old Air Force base) in north-central Toronto.

    Re stolen car, check out:

    http://www.boomerangtracking.com

    Interesting technology. Seems that it works using an embedded cell phone system (rather than the usual GPS) that's activated and the owner notified if the car moves without authorization. The company is based in Montreal but they claim that they are able to track across North America.

    No mention of any US distributors. May be an opportunity for a few entrepreneurs out there.
  • george94george94 Member Posts: 75
    Here in Boston area Lojack (http://www.lojack.com/foryou/early_warning.htm)provides similar services. The system can be attached to your pager, email device etc and provides a notice when your car has been moved w/o your permission. There is a one time installation fee and monthly charge as well.
    ..g
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    I saw that as well, and the technology seems impressive (assuming it works as advertised). The problem is, in their animated demonstration they claim that once your car is driven off without the authorization key, they contact you in "15 to 30 minutes, certainly within an hour." Then, you have to call 9-1-1, give them your lojack key and VIN, and they start hunting your car down. Seems to me it could easily take an hour or two before they find your car. Not bad, but another statistic on the LoJack site claims most chop-shops can "surgically strip a car in under 30 minutes." And what if your car isn't driven away, but rather towed?

    So, even with this system, it seems pros could do a fair bit of damage and potentially get away with it if they're quick enough.
  • msealsmseals Member Posts: 257
    Wow, that must have been some time ago that you lived in Michigan. Motown only seems to be used when talking about the past these days. I was born in Detroit and a month later moved to LA. About 7 years later we moved back to Michigan and spend 9 years in Southfield. After that we moved out to West Bloomfield, when I finished up high school, went off to college and came back, I was stupid and got married at 22 yrs old. I moved into an apartment in Farmington Hills for two years until I bought my current house in Dearborn Heights. I love my house and my neighborhood. I live with all senior citizens, mostly WWII vets who have raised their familys in those homes since the war. It is nice and quiet and nothing much happens. The only knock I have is that I grew up in Oakland County so all of my friends are north of me and I have to drive at least 20 min to get to any of them. Any way, it is great to see a fellow Michigander.

    And, it is any advantage on getting your ride after you are done with it, GO Michigan!!!

    Mark
  • dzubadzuba Member Posts: 159
    Gents,

    Anyone lease a CPO before?
    I came across a sweet Black Sapphire/Charcoal 2002 530 - Sport,CWP,Xenon, Step, moonroof - with 10K miles on it. We are just starting to negotiate leasing rates now!

    Since it does not have the Premium Package - am I losing much by not having the "on board" computer in the car?

    TMV/CPO on this car is $41,400 FYI!! I am also considering buying it as well -although I think the price of $43K is to high!

    Additionally, the car happens to be at the one dealer I really want to buy from - as they are very well respected and have a fantastic service department, etc.............so what is that worth - I don't know!

    Thanks
  • joatmonjoatmon Member Posts: 315
    BMWFS is now offering leases incentives on new 5 series.

    Hope this helps,

    Jack
  • colt007colt007 Member Posts: 64
    Snagiel - just horrible. That's my Toledo Blue's sister. Like you said, it is just a car(albeit a very nice one). Least your OK & hope you get back your machine quickly.

    Riez - I have the Contisports on a '02 530ia, pp, sp, cwp, step, xenons, split seats, approx 15,600 miles. I've just developed a whir, whir, whir from my pass. rear tire (at least I hope it is the tire). Other than that, the tires are great & still stick on my favorite 40mph off ramps that I take at 65mph. I would recommend them, although I want to see what the stealer says about the noise.

    Colt.
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    colt007... Do you have the ContiSportContacts or ContiSportContact 2s? I bought the latter. Believe the 2s came to America in 2002. Don't think Continental's web site had the 2s listed as OEM for any BMWs. Mainly Porsche. (The 2s have a 280 treadwear rating. The 1s have a 160 treadwear rating.)

    My Yokohamas (think they were AVS Decibels) had mainly worn out in the rears. Making a pronounced tyre moan, most prominent at low speeds. Primarily the inside portion of both rear tyres. Practically worn out. I know the tyres had at least 21,000 miles from me but no sure how many on them before I bought the car CPO.

    Talked to the service writer and repair tech. Both said 540i's tend to wear the inside rears out first. Due to suspension set up (camber, etc.). They said the same would happen to the Contis. Just comes with the car.

    I bought my tyres thru my BMW dealer. He bought them thru Tire Rack. Had dealer mount & balance along with full 4-wheel alignment.

    From what I've read in Roundel, Bimmer, etc., seems like periodically ensuring proper 4-wheel alignment (which I do about every 10,000 miles) is one of the best things you can do. In addition to taking care of the tyres (pressure, etc.). And since I have staggered tyres, with the rears being bigger, there is no way I can rotate. (Not that I'm a fan. I kind of agree with BMW's logic regarding tyre rotation issue. There is a nice piece on the subject in the current issue of Bimmer magazine.)

    [Aside: I know we Americans spell the word "tire". But sometimes I like to pretend to be English and these tyres are made in Germany and also they say "tyre" right on the sidewall.]
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    Finally, some good news in this whole saga...

    The insurance adjuster finally saw my car this morning. She noted everything (visually) that was damaged or stolen (essentially same as my list), and tallied up the parts on her computer. Fairly quickly, she ran up to $27k (including standard labor installation rates). From her experience, she said she would expect at least another $6k or so in hidden/overlooked damage and missing pieces, meaning they'd have to pay at least $33k. The salvage value turned out to be $12k, so...

    They totalled the car. I was fully expecting an uphill battle in getting fair value for it (i.e. the amount it would cost to buy the same model CPO at a dealer), and I collected as much KBB/Edmunds and CPO locator pricing as possible to help my case. It fortunately proved unnecessary, as she came back with an offer of $43,300, plus sales tax and title fees.

    I was floored. I'd already spoken with a lawyer, who advised me not to take the first offer. But, this was almost too good to be true: I paid just three grand more for the car 16 months (17,000 miles) ago. Who says BMWs don't hold their resale value well?

    Hopefully I'll have a check within a few days, but so far my experience with Travelers insurance has been phenomenal. It's been a quick and painless process.

    I'd love to tell everyone I'll be honoring my E39 with a similar replacement, but I'll probably be stepping in another direction. Frankly, I don't like used cars (regardless of their certification), and I believe the market has changed some against BMW's favor in the past year. No need to elaborate, but I believe there are good values that lie beyond the roundel. But, I haven't even test-driven anything else yet, so we'll see.

    As far as the theft itself, there's still precious little known about who stole the car, or how. A detective called me today and mentioned a couple of other BMW's have been stolen after recent service visits to a certain Atlanta-area dealer, but unfortunately I've never had my car serviced there. Hopefully they'll catch up with these thugs sooner or later.

    Thanks again to everyone for their sympathies, encouragement, and advice.

    Cheers.
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,499
    since you're a data hog like myself, how much were each of your four wheels adjusted at each of those 10K mile interval alignments?

    Paying people for things is necessary, but collecting the information is optional. Since you've driven your 540 for several 10K increments, how stable is the BMW suspension? If you have the alignment "done," and it's unchanged, the car's suspension is robust. If not, I think there are those who would like to hear how it changes. There's that "which wheel went how far out each time, and did it come back in later?" thing.

    Where I work we track this sort of stuff. How's it going? Those of us who drive vehicles that actually benefit from four-wheel alignment are curious.

    And. . .on a whole separate subject, all of us who have had scum steal things that we've worked for wish that snaigel comes out of this at least approximately whole.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    cdnpinhead... The technician didn't alert me to any problems. I didn't ask. While I probably should ask, for some reason I never do. Price of 4-wheel alignment isn't too bad. And I use the car for business so all my expenses are deductible. Next time, I'll ask.

    I'm hoping I get at least 25,000 miles on the CSC2s. If not all 4, then at least fronts. I never asked the selling dealer how many miles were on the tyres when I bought her. I wanted some more aggressive rubber than the Yokohamas, so I was looking for a reason to get new tires. But I'm also a bit frugal so I went 20,000 miles.

    I haven't had any issues with the suspension or steering.

    Went on a quick 150 mile business trip today. Beautiful weather, if a bit windy. The ContiSportContact 2s gripped like magnets. Had a blast on some nice favorite stretches of rural road in middle of nowhere. Some nice Ss and one big 90 degree sweeper.
  • jb_shinjb_shin Member Posts: 357
    I personally do not like the Conti's (not the new one), but they are very stable in wet conditions. I drove through a downpour and felt so good that I slowly increased the speed from 50 to 85+ and could not detect any instability. This was far superior to my experience with (on diff. car) Michelin MXV4's and Goodyear RS-A's, both of which would start losing it around 60 in heavy rain.

    Conti SportContact's bad rep. has been that it becomes very noisy after about 8,000 miles and starts losing grip fairly quickly after that. However, I do remember reading from a magazine that Continental has corrected those issues and improved the wet traction with the CSC2. I am inclined to go with Bridgestone or Michelin when mine wears out, but keep us posted on how yours work out. I did notice this weekend that mine were starting to get noisy, and I have only about 6,000 miles on them.
  • jb_shinjb_shin Member Posts: 357
    I am happy to hear that the unfortunate incident at least is being taken cared with some satisfaction. I have to admit that sounds like a very good offer, indeed.

    I agree with you about the used car. Dealer can do its diligence with the car to make it presentable and provide warranty, but the unknown is how the previous owner has treated the car. Anecdotal evidence from the owners and the BMW mechanics suggests that break-in is crucial, especially with M models. Many who didn't follow the procedure properly often seem to complain about excessive oil consumption problem.

    So where about DC area are you moving to? I am probably going to be back in that area in about a year as well. I used to live there for 16 years, and it is a nice area but getting too crowded, and the housing price is just ridiculous. One word of warning, many people there just can't seem to drive, and the traffic is quite bad.
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    jb_shin... Tire noise seems to be the bane of nearly all maximum performance tires. Either they transmit too much road noise at all times or they wear quickly and then start transmitting a ton of tire wear-related noise. Seems like I have heard one or both said about nearly ever brand or model of maximum performance tire made. My former Yokohamas became very noisy. Issue seems to afflict some higher end cars more than others (e.g., BMW and Porsche). May be due to aggressive suspension set up.
  • jb_shinjb_shin Member Posts: 357
    Perhaps, but I should have said that comparatively speaking, old Contis are worse than others. I don't seem to recall hearing as many such complaints about Michelins or Bridgestones.
  • jb_shinjb_shin Member Posts: 357
    Reminds of Mr. Fusion grinder that was sitting on top of the DeLorean in the movie, "Back to the Future". This would be one of the greatest inventions if it works as they say.

    http://www.discover.com/may_03/gthere.html?article=featoil.html
  • dzubadzuba Member Posts: 159
    Does anyone know if there are any current leasing incentives?

    Edmunds says no - but they may be a week or so behind in updating their site - and I can not find anything on BMWUSA.com
  • joatmonjoatmon Member Posts: 315
    Yes, Yes, Yes. They're very low right now, at least what BMWFS offers through BMW centers.

    I just got a 530i, 5 spd, SP, PP, Zenon. The low rate made it very good.

    Hope this helps,

    Jack
  • dzubadzuba Member Posts: 159
    The car you have is almost exactly what I am looking for: I may go with the Step vs. CWP.

    Would you share your months/miles per year and payment info?

    Thanks
  • cbgb1975cbgb1975 Member Posts: 51
    Just read the posts on the theft...geez, didn't the police consider theft of $46k car to be a felony??? In any case, nice perspective by Snagiel..... yes, it is metal and replaceable.But it sounds like it will be replaced by something other than a BMW...I'm curious as to what you get, there are a lot of nice cars out there now. Keep us posted,Snagiel. Sorry for your loss,but as you say, in the scheme of things it is just a car...Good luck with new car search!
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    My dealer just received a 330i with the limited edition Performance Package (in Imola Red, no less), so I undertook the obligatory test drive and was very impressed. The body was extremely stiff, forgiving over bumps and imperfections, and steered and cornered unbelievably well. The interior was typical 3-series: businesslike and functional, but a little drab (certainly by 5-series standards).

    Alas, across the street was an Infiniti dealership. I thought I'd check out the G35 Coupe 6MT. (I can already sense the horror in those who spend quality time in the the G35 vs. 3-series/5-series boards...)

    First off, the weakpoints: The interior is interesting but certainly falls short of the material quality used in the 5-series. And the engine--while very powerful--doesn't sing as sweet or smooth a note as does the venerable BMW inline-6.

    But, it's gorgeous car, handles and brakes as well as the 3-series, accelerates like a 540, has terrific navigation and stereo systems, and offers it all up for several grand less than a loaded 330ci. Demand is high on these relatively low-volume cars, so I'm paying sticker of $37.5k.

    By no means am I back here to troll, brag, or otherwise try to degrade the 5-series. Regulars here should know how much I respect BMW, and how much I loved my 530i. At this time, however, it simply made more financial sense to me to go with a different make that offered excellent performance for the dollar.
  • dabimmerdabimmer Member Posts: 165
    So happy to hear you received an equitable settlement for your 530I
    loss. Hey, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a G35 Coupe, I'm very
    seriously thinking of selling our little '02 Civic EX and getting one. I hope
    to keep my Bimmer for at least 3 more years, its an '01 and only has
    13,400 miles on it. Will be sorry to see you go from this board, hope
    you do hang around. Maybe in the near future you'll return to the
    roundel, sure hope so.The G35 is a Gorgeous car !
  • joatmonjoatmon Member Posts: 315
    I get a "family deal" with BMW. I also put down 9 security deposits. My lease is less than $450 / month with 15k / year. Sorry, you probably can't match this deal, but the current lease incentives are very good.

    With a little negotiation on cap cost, and by putting in the extra security deposits, you should be under $500 / month with 15k / year.

    BTW, the 530 SP 5 speed is a blast to drive! At least for this 54 YO.

    Jack
  • dzubadzuba Member Posts: 159
    Wow - can I be a part of your family for a short time and get a 530 as well?

    Are multiple security deposits allowed in all States? I live in Illinois!
  • joatmonjoatmon Member Posts: 315
    Yes, AFAIK, allowed in all states. Each extra security deposit lowers the factor by .0001. So, a factor of .0014 with 9 extra SDs becomes .0005. In my case, I get better than a 15% yearly return on my money!

    Actually, this is our second new BMW in 7 weeks. My wife just got an 03 X5. So, our family plan is maxed out for now. Anything for the family!

    Good luck,

    Jack
  • george94george94 Member Posts: 75
    I don't want to stir a large debate but it seems like a lot of people from this board do lease their 5-series bmw. I personally bought my car with about 1/2 down which kept the payment down to about $400. I am just curious. Can you share your thoughts on this subject? I understand some of you use it for tax write off if you can but anything else...?
    Thanks
    ..g

    Snagiel, congrats on your choice. If my kids were older I would probably do the same.
  • weberamgweberamg Member Posts: 43
    I'm leasing my current automobile, although it's not a 5 series. My lease vs. buy decision boiled down to what was drilled into us in business school...Buy assets that appreciate...Lease assets that depreciate. Of course this isn't true in 100% of the cases, but it worked for me.

    John
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    There are some basic issues that are critical to the analysis:

    1. How long do you plan to own the car?
    2. How many miles will you drive during the time you will own the car?
    3. Do you take good care of the cars you drive?
    4. Is the car you plan on buying likely to depreciate quickly?
    5. Are there any incentives from the manufacturer that advantage one over the other?

    Personally, I think leasing makes since if you like to trade vehicles in every 3 years or less and you don't put too many miles on the vehicle per year and you take good care of the car and if the car is likely to depreciate a lot.

    A key to avoiding depreciation is to buy cars that tend to hold their resale value well. Too bad so few cars made today have that potential or are likely to be classics.

    The incentives can work to make one more attractive over the other depending upon how generous they are.

    But I'm also a big fan of buying one or two-year old used cars, preferably CPO thru manufacturer's dealer. You avoid the depreciation hit, get most of the warranty, can get some incentives, etc.

    So don't forget about CPO.
  • cbgb1975cbgb1975 Member Posts: 51
    Let's summarize Snagiel's deal.....drives a new 530 for 17 months,.... car gets totalled by thieves and settlement is 3 grand less than purchase price.....so right now that new 530 car experience cost $176 month......then gets another great new car ,G35, with 6 grand left over from settlement....that is sweet!...Congrats,Snagiel! Nice bounceback from a bad crime experience. Enjoy the G !....
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    If I didn't remember the horror of seeing my car stripped, that whole chronology would indeed seem funny. Heck, now I realize why insurance fraud is such a problem!
  • chile96chile96 Member Posts: 330
    I asked this on another thread but never got a reply - hoping you can help me! What is the multiple security deposit concept? I see that it lowers the lease factor by .0001 but is it really refundable at the end of the lease, i.e. "Here's a check back for your earlier deposit" or is there some catch. Also, if the car is totalled/stolen, do you lose the deposit? Thanks for the help. I was going back & forth between a 5er and X5 and am now leaning towards the X5. What about leasing a 1 yr old CPO?

    Thanks again.

    fo
  • joatmonjoatmon Member Posts: 315
    Yes, they are refundable at the end of lease or if your car is stolen, totaled, et. all. Why do they do it? Well, their risk goes down for every extra deposit you put down. A lease with lots of extra security deposits just isn't likely to go bad (default,etc.).

    I'm not sure of the financing on CPO. I'd check with a dealer. BTW, I have an 03 530i, and my wife has an 03 X5. Both nice. You can see the common ancestry, but they are very different. 530i = sporty, fun, smiles. X5 = capable, luxurious, roomy (not in cargo area, but in the fromt and back seating area). Both very nice. You can't go wrong with either one. Drive both and see what suits you best.

    Hope this helps,

    Jack
  • snagielsnagiel Member Posts: 750
    The plot thickens.

    At the suggestion of a friend of mine (whose mother works at a BMW dealership in Chicago and swears these cars are next to impossible to steal), I contacted the dealership where I bought the car (but have never serviced) to run an inquiry on my keys.

    Only ten keys can be made for every BMW, and all requests have to be made by the owner, through a BMW dealership, and straight through BMWNA. An hour later, the dealer called and confirmed that a copy of my key had been ordered (I have never ordered a copy), but no additional information was available to him.

    Now, I'm in touch with the legal department at BMWNA, who'll be researching this and getting in touch with local police once they determine where and when (and by whom) the key copy was made.

    I'll keep you apprised...
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Whoa! "Gone In 60 Seconds"?

    That's kinda creepy!
  • bmwgurubmwguru Member Posts: 51
    Snagle, you need to find out who at the dealership sold or tried to get the key made. BMWNA's policy is that you need to have proof of ownership of the vehicle before you can get a key made. Usually a copy is made of the driver's license and title or insurance info.In the past the dealer had to fax the information to BMW for release of a key to the dealer. Current policy states that dealers must keep the info for two years. Every so often dealerships are audited for this info. If they fail, they can lose bonus monies from BMW or the dealership depending on how severe the violation. If the dealer cannot provide you with the info on who got the key, ask for the general manager and/or owner and explain that you will be taking legal action. BMWNA will not be held responsible for the loss of your car. It is the dealership that got the key who is.
  • sirtigersirtiger Member Posts: 38
    That is really freaky! This reminds me when I was a student when someone posed as me to get a college ID under my name! It came as a shock to look at the ID that had my name but someone else face on it. Identity theft is a serious problem.

    How are BMWs next to impossible to steal?

    I always believe all cars can be stolen as long as the thief is skilled and wants it bad enough. Living in NYC, I have enough locks in my car to keep me occupied for a while before I pull out of the parking space when I go out.
  • lovemyclklovemyclk Member Posts: 351
    Faced with the desire to sell my 98 CLK, decided to drive the G35C and came away very impressed. Nicest design out of Infinity since they hit the market, IMO. I understand an interior upgrade is in the works, so it will (and still does) make a compelling choice for the coupe buyer.

    In my case, I had driven the new CLK500, but the 12-month wait and the optioned price that took it beyond my threshold made it a no-option in my book. New E is beautiful, but wanted to wait until it develops in the market for a couple of years. MB is also pretty proud of their pricing with the E! Great car, though.

    Allow me to say that I've learned what so many have been saying about BMW... that it is one of the finest overall driving experiences on the road. Purchased a 2003 530 Sport (Silver/Charcoal) with all options but Nav. What a sweet driver... terrific balance, steering, ride, etc. Got 3.9% year-end money and closed the deal in January. Have had it long enough to heartily recommend to anybody!

    Sport seats are wonderful, overall sense of quality is apparent, engine is smooth and responsive, enjoy the DSP sound and hope to enjoy until after the new 5er has gained its legs in the market. Like the situation with the new E, would not want to buy a 1st year car, but this experience tells me that BMW builds a heck of a car in the 5 Series! Will be interesting to see if/how they improve on this experience.
  • bmwgurubmwguru Member Posts: 51
    BMW's are truly next to impossible to steal. What happened to Snagle sounds to me like an inside job or a lazy or improperly trained dealership employee.
  • ryokenryoken Member Posts: 291
    They're next to impossible to drive off with. You can winch anything onto a flatbed and haul it away and strip it clean.
  • tripp1113tripp1113 Member Posts: 1
    I am interested in buying a 99 or 2000 BMW 5 series. Can anyone explain the difference between a premium package and a sport package? Also, I have 2 young children in car seats. anyone own one of these vehicles with young children? If so, how much room do you have in the back? Do you have any problems getting the kids in and out? I really want something sportier than a minivan. Thanks!
  • lmm540ilmm540i Member Posts: 6
    Premium package involves comfort-convenience items such as leather interior, sunroof, garage door opener, rain sensing windshield wipers etc. sport package on the 540i gives you a lowered stiffer sport suspension, M steering wheel, 17 inch wheels and low profile tires. Especially if you are buying used, I would look for both premium and sport packages--it shouldn't cost you that much more. And the sport suspension isn't in the least bit unpleasantly stiff for normal driving. The back seat is roomy enough, but I have no idea how the carseats would work.
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