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EVEN George Orwell would have choked. Government officials are drawing up plans to fit all cars in Britain with a personalised microchip so that rule-breaking motorists can be prosecuted by computer.
Dubbed the “Spy in the Dashboard” and “the Informer” the chip will automatically report a wide range of offences including speeding, road tax evasion and illegal parking. The first you will know about it is when a summons or a fine lands on your doormat.
The plan, which is being devised by the government, police and other enforcement agencies, would see all private cars monitored by roadside sensors wherever they travelled. Police working on the “car-tagging” scheme say it would also help to slash car theft and even drug smuggling.
It also notes that cars driven by terrorist suspects or drug smugglers could be monitored even in Europe if, as officials in Brussels envisage, EVI is introduced across the European Union.
The DfT has hired management consultants to co-ordinate the development of the system, which it is thought could become operational by 2007.
The government is likely to face opposition from motoring groups. “We need to have an open discussion about what this technology is being used for, who is being tracked and for what purpose, and what could be the hidden agenda,” said Bert Morris, deputy director of the AA Motoring Trust.
Liberty, the civil rights organisation, said: “This could turn every driver into a potential suspect.” It warned that motorists’ details held on a central computer could form the basis of a “stalkers’ charter” if accessed by hackers.
Let's hope that none of the do-gooder "nannies" in N. America like this idea and hook onto it.
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Check posts: 299, 302, 307, 359 in prices paid as a start. New 2003 530's @ $39K with full waranty... Good luck. How are the Sixers going to do without Brown this year?
One thing I have seen is cars registered many times in different states between private owners. That's a sign the car's a dud. Also, if a car is registered with 47525 and the next time it is registered with 47526, you should be suspicious.
The 528 is a private party deal and would cost about $9K less than the new 525.
In terms of performance and handling do the extra 300 cc on the 528 engine make a difference vs the 525? What about other features which may have changed between 2000 and 2003. To me fun to drive and safety are the top concerns. According to Edmunds the used 528 is going to be about 10% cheaper to own than the new 525. What will clinch the deal is if the comparable 528 has a better driver (the 528 has sports + prem + cwp). I plan to get a 525 with (sports + prem + rear air bags).
A 5 yr/100000 mile (which translates to a 5 yr/80000) bumper to bumper (after market) warranty can be had for $2500ish for the 2000 528. Financing is probably not a significant issue in my case.
For me the driving experience and the safety equipment is the primary decision criteria for 2000 528 vs. the 2003 525. Are the extra 300cc worth getting a used car? How about the other driving experience/safety related stuff? Any obvious styling issues which make one better than the other?
All that said, I think you would definitely see a power difference between the two cars. If you go for the 2000 model, I'd shoot for $23-25K, unless buying certified, then maybe a couple K more.....
regards,
kyfdx
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The 2000 528 has less than 20K miles and a bunch of extra goodies (sports spoiler which may have been a part of the sports package, CD changer etc.). Also I may not be able to get the exact goodies for the new 525 so may have to pay extra for stuff I do notwant.
The key still remains the driving experience..
7 Series doing OK but not improving on sales from last year.
Units Sold in USA, ranked by July 2003 Sales Volume:
Make Model July 2003 July 2002 2003 YTD 2002 YTD
BMW 3 Series 5,984 5,282 42,268 39,535
BMW 5 Series 5,022 3,195 26,192 23,664
BMW 7 Series 1,595 2,094 11,530 12,837
BMW M5 122 146 1,180 1,102
(1) 2000 528, non-CPO, 32K mi, PP, SP, CWP for $28,900 (originally asking $31,900);
(2) 2000 528, CPO, 48K mi, PP, CWP for $27,500 (originally asking $28,900);
(3) 2000 528, CPO, 40K mi, PP, SP, CWP for $29,000 (originally asking $29,900).
I thought these offers were mediocre. My last used car was negotiated down from $25,000 to $19,000, but it wasn't a bimmer. It was really hard to get any price movement, because there were very few used 5ers available when I was shopping. I had little leverage because of that short supply (I still don't understand why so few 5ers were for sale). Anyway, all of the dealerships seemed to hit a same basement price of around $28K or $29K, depending on the options.
I ended up ditching the CPO market and opting for an '03 525 for just a few grand more than the 2000 CPO's. I would think that by now, with the incentives on the '03 5er being so well publicized, the CPO market must be softer. However, I still look at used 5 series prices for old times sake, and the dealerships are still hanging onto those same asking prices. Maddening. Why buy CPO, when a few grand more gets you a new one? I know the 528 is a slightly stronger engine than my 525, but IMO both the 528 and 525 suck in comparison to the 530, so who cares.
Good luck. Just my two cents.......
regards,
kyfdx
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525 automatic = Starting point of 0
525 5-speed = 0.20
530 automatic = 0.35
530 5-speed = 0.50
540 automatic = 0.60
540 6-speed = 0.70
M5 = 1.0
Back when I bought the 540i 6-speed, the 528i was a non-starter (about a 0.3 w/ 5-speed). But today, I'd have to say that the 530i is the best power bang for the buck in the BMW line-up. Had the current line-up been my choice back in 2000, I would have either gone "prudent" for the 530i 5-speed or all the way for the M5. And if I had gone for the 530i, I would have been very pleased, especially with the sports package handling. I consider both the 530i 5-speed sport and 540i 6-speed to be comparable in handling.
Everybody has a different opinion of what their power / value graph looks like. Nothing helps as much as test driving the entire spectrum.
I guess the manual tranny's would have more problems than auto, but that is purely a guess.
Sergey: You correctly quote BMW's figures, then claim the 530i is slower than the official figure and the 540i is considerably quicker. That doesn't conform to my test drives using my Maxima (0-60 in 6.7) and S2000 (5.5) as benchmarks. If anything, BMW might have been a tad conservative on the 530i. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't feel much, if any, slower than the 330ci.
Regards,
Chris
540i6's Getrag consistently praised for its long-term reliability. Change the fluids regularly and don't abuse the clutch, and it should last a long, long time!
Big issue for me with the new 545i6 is that it uses a ZF manual. Much prefer Getrag. Getrags also used in current M3 and M5.
I'm no street racer. I don't ever see a point in smokey tire burnouts and high RPM drop clutch launches. Ruin tires and destroy transmissions & clutches.
But I do sometimes drive her over 130 mph. And I often accelerate quickly from say 55 to 85 mph or 65 to 90 mph or 75 to 110 mph. 6th to 3rd or 4th gear shifts.
Top speed and midrange acceleration times much more useable to me in the real world. This is where the 540i6 shines!
Motor Trend, 5/99: 5.6 seconds
Car & Driver, 4/98: 5.4 seconds (40k miles)
............. 5.5 seconds (new)
Car & Driver, 8/98: 5.5 seconds
Motor Trend, 3/98: 5.5 seconds
Car & Driver, 3/97: 5.4 seconds
Motor Trend, 2/97: 5.6 seconds
540ia:
Car & Driver, 9/01: 5.7 seconds (Sport)
Road & Track, 12/99: 6.6 seconds (Sport), tested at high altitude
Car & Driver, 11/99: 6.1 seconds (non-Sport)
Road & Track, 5/98: 5.9 seconds (Sport)
Road & Track, 2/98: 5.9 seconds (non-Sport)
Motor Trend, 2/97: 6.2 seconds (non-Sport)
Car & Driver, 12/96: 6.3 seconds (non-Sport)
Road & Track, 9/96: 6.7 seconds (non-Sport)
M5:
Motor Trend, 3/01: 4.75
Automobile, 12/02: 4.8 seconds
Car & Driver, 3/00: 4.8 seconds
Motor Trend, 3/00: 4.7 seconds
Motor Trend, 2000: 4.7 seconds
Just my $.02....JL
I believe they are available if you have halogen or xenon bulbs as the low beams.
-Paul
Perhaps you are looking at horsepower ratings. But I believe that the 225hp 330ci is every bit as quick as the (supposedly) 280hp G35 coupe.
Nissan and Acura seem to have bolstered their horsepower ratings over the past several years compared to the more modest increases in the BMW lineup. But I can immeditely tell the difference from a 190hp 528i to a 225 hp 530i. It is a bigger jump in real power and performance, in my opinion, than Nissan made taking my 1995 190hp Maxima 5-speed up to a 255 hp 6-speed.
BMW does not need to apologize to anyone for the performance of their 6-cylinders. The Japanese have gone to using Shetland ponies as their horsepower standard, BMW appears to use Clydesdales.
Habitat1, I am also an owner of a Nissan Maxima SE (95). Great car. I have 100k miles on the odometer and plan to keep it for a while longer.
Regards,
Chris
Mark
As long as my car can cruise at highway speeds and handle a quick acceleration to pass going 70+ mph, I'm happy. My Civic Si, while a fun car, never just had that get up and go when it was already at highway speeds. My BMW doesn't have that problem.
I enjoy both cars, but for different reasons. If I were into the HP game, I'd be looking for a Viper or a McLaren.
-Paul
As reported in Car and Driver:
0 to 60 5.6 and 1/4 mile in 14.3.
Almost the same considering the huge disparity in HP and TQ. Additionally the ZHP has a revised suspension that the mags seem to go gaga over.
The owner of the 00 528 I was trying to work out a deal did not accept my offer of $27000.
regards,
kyfdx
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