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BMW 5-Series Sedans

12737 messages,  Last post on Feb 16, 2013 at 11:05 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Sedan

Messages Page 1070 of 1274

#10689 of 12737 Re: Hey folks [mtjohn] by hihomike

Aug 24, 2005 (7:36 am)

Replying to: mtjohn (Jul 29, 2005 3:55 pm)
I had a 2001 5 series, and truly loved it!!! When I went out looking to replace the vehicle, I obviously ended up at my BMW dealer. I drove the 05 530i, and when he told me thbe 06's would be in shortly, just a change in hp for the engine, I decided to look at the E60 seriously.
 
The comparisons are difficult, to be honest. By the way, I loved my 01 so much, I decided to keep it. But I did buy the 06 530i. The E39 is more nimble - responds more quickly to handling and acceleration, rides a bit more harsh (sportier) and is more classic in its interior design as well as the exterior, of course. The seats are harder/harsher in the E39.
 
As for the E60, the ride is nimble, but more subtle. It handles more like a Mercedes Benz than the E39, but far superior to the Benz. Acceleration with the new engine (255 hp) is good, but not as responsive as the E39. The interior seems more plush and the seats are a bit more comfortable on a longer drive. It is bigger on the inside and the trunk is far superior to the E39. Rear seat room is superior, as well. The I-drive, even though a "bugger" to learn and get used to, removes many dials and buttons off the front dash. Don't like the fact that on the E60, you have to get into the I-drive to change the direction of air-flow in the cabin, but on the E39, it's right there in the center lower dash - one push, it redirects air.
 
As for styling, I like them both. The E39 is classic in its appearance and stance while the E60 is more graceful and progressive - looks like a cheetah ready to pounce on prey. The interior of the E60 is less obtrusive - fewer buttons and gadgets to press - looks cleaner on the inside. But, I also like the simplicity and ease of control of functions in the E39.
 
To sum it all up, I love by E39, but I also love my E60. It seems that our inner thoughts or memories of the pride of owning/driving a BMW zero-in on the previous body styles. But, the future is hear - and BMW appears to be heading down the road that attracts a wider range of buyers. Lexus, Infiniti, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Acura, etc., owners find the new E60 more attractive and less harsh on the road. Perhaps that is the market niche BMW is trying to infiltrate.
 
I don't know all the answers, just love my Beemers.

#10690 of 12737 Re: 525i autotransmission issues [dagman] by markcincinnati

Aug 24, 2005 (12:26 pm)

Replying to: dagman (Aug 21, 2005 7:37 am)
First off, I will chide you for getting one of these machines with an automatic, but I have room to talk since I recently got an Audi A6 3.2 which also comes with one of these "awful" automatic transmissions. This is neither unique to Audi and BMW nor is it exactly a flaw in the transmission.
 
We Audi owners call the condition you are experiencing, TIP lag, for BMW's it is STEP lag and for Mercedes owners, well you get the picture (oh, BTW, I have no evidence that the "perfect" Japanese cars have somehow managed to program around the "hesitation" these transmissions are apparently intended to provide.)
 
If the Steptronic (which I just drove two weeks ago in a 530xi) has a regular and sport mode, just simply NEVER EVER EVER again use the regular mode and switch instead to sport mode -- or like my friends with BMW's they just "row their own" in step-mode.
 
I don't even think it technically is a quirk -- the damn thing(s) are programmed to be very quick to get out of first gear (and very quick to upshift generally) probably to improve mileage. Moreover, the transmissions generally have a gradual and mostly appropriate down-shift capability (from speed) that is smooth and approximates what most of us who are closet manual transmission shifters would do were our fine sheens sticks.
 
First gear, there's another issue -- virtually as long as the car has NOT come to a full stop, the steptronic transmission (in regular drive mode) will NOT shift to first gear. Then, when you want to accelerate, the engine's rpm's are so low it is unlikely that the car will have sufficient power to accelerate normally.
 
The steptronic's brain "computes" or evaluates your "intention" and if you persist in this desire to accelerate it gives in and downshifts (of course this is often at the exact moment you, in your impatience [and who can blame you?] press even further down on the accelerator pedal which when coupled with the delayed downshift causes the car to "lag" then "lunge" or lurch forward with almost reckless abandon.)
 
"Bucking," yep, that is another word for it.
 
You have "classic" tip or step or whatever the heck the modifier to "tronic" is du jour.
 
You however can be criticized since you actually had a choice and you chose an automatic -- what in the wide wide world of sports were you THINKING?!? See if you can turn this puppy back in and get a stick! (I'm kidding -- mostly -- about that last sentence.)

#10691 of 12737 Re: 525i autotransmission issues [markcincinnati] by kdshapiro

Aug 25, 2005 (5:09 am)

Replying to: markcincinnati (Aug 24, 2005 12:26 pm)
"I don't even think it technically is a quirk -- the damn thing(s) are programmed to be very quick to get out of first gear (and very quick to upshift generally) probably to improve mileage."
 
The steptronic transmissions start in 2nd gear. When you use sport mode it starts in first gear. Definitely a gas saving measure. But when you average 20 mph going to work, there really is no need for jack rabbit starts. I never experienced the lag others talked about.

#10692 of 12737 Re: 525i autotransmission issues [kdshapiro] by markcincinnati

Aug 25, 2005 (8:47 am)

Replying to: kdshapiro (Aug 25, 2005 5:09 am)
No wonder I was "underwhelmed" with the 530xi automatic I took out -- it was WAY less powerful than either my wife's stick 3.0 X3 or my 3.2 Audi (which DOES -- reluctantly -- start in first gear and immediately upshifts.)
 
I don't "hate" these "something-tronic" transmissions, but I don't really like them much. They are (especially on upshifts) hardly ever upshifting when I would upshift my manual transmission cars (I drove the Audi TT 6spd for the last time yesterday when I turned it in off lease.)
 
I have never driven ANY of them, Audi, Cadillac (CTS or STS), BMW, Chrysler 300C, Jeep Grand w/Hemi or Infiniti M35x that didn't have some sensation that could be accurately (and broadly) described as "hesitation."
 
I have resigned myself to "that's the way it is and probably ever shall be," and since I am not going to get a gas sucking V8 S4, I will probably be stuck with some form of a two pedal car.
 
The only car, today, I would probably really thoroughly enjoy is the 530xi with the stick shift. Timing, as they say, is EVERYTHING.
 
Next time, hopefully.

#10693 of 12737 Not so sweet revenge… by shipo

Aug 26, 2005 (11:16 am)

Of late I’ve been commuting daily along a 6.4 mile section of I-93 between Exit #3 in New Hampshire and Exit #48 in Massachusetts, a portion of a stretch that seems to have the highest number of “Rear-End” style of collisions of anywhere in the country. Hardly a week goes by where I don’t see at least three such accidents on my very short portion, my wife who doesn’t exit I-93 until Exit #39A, reports many more.
 
I told y’all that so that I could tell ya this. I’ve become aware of a troubling trend in these accidents, a trend that should be worrying to all of us who like driving BMWs. In just the last three weeks I’ve seen five different BMWs and one MINI Cooper “S” involved in such a collision and in every case but one, the other car happened to be a Ford truck. Coincidence? I certainly hope so. The good news is that all of the drivers and passengers involved seem to have survived the incident without significant injury, including the folks who sat in the back seat of the Cooper that was Rear-Ended by a Ford F-250 4WD truck. Yikes! Just the thought of that scares me. Of course the bad news in all of this is that when a BMW (or a Cooper) gets hit from behind by a truck of any kind (Ford or otherwise), it makes a nasty mess of the car.
 
Anyway, to the point of this tragic story, yesterday morning while I was engaged in the uphill merge onto southbound I-93 at Exit #3 I saw a beautiful dark gray metallic E39 528i SP go cruising by me in the left (of two) lane, moving with traffic at somewhere north of 75 mph. Less than a mile after I completed my merge, and before I had been able to work my way into the left lane, I saw a cloud of rising blue smoke from the left lane a few hundred yards in front of me, very quickly followed by an arcing plume of car parts. Of course my lane immediately “dropped anchor” as well, taxing the brakes of my current mount (1998 Grand Caravan) to their very limit. As I approached the accident scene, I saw that that lovely 528i had managed to return the favor as it were and slam into a large Ford Econoline delivery van. Ouch! The hit was hard enough to make the drivers’ airbag egress from its usual hiding place in the steering wheel, buckle the hood in half and judging from the twin plumes issuing from the area of the engine, one blue (oil and/or rubber), one white (coolant), do significant damage to the contents of the engine compartment. My bet is that this world has seen the last of that E39, which gave its all to inform the Ford trucks of the world that BMWs don’t like being pushed around. Unfortunately the Econoline, while damaged, will probably live to drive another day.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#10694 of 12737 Re: Not so sweet revenge… [shipo] by kdshapiro

Aug 26, 2005 (12:58 pm)

Replying to: shipo (Aug 26, 2005 11:16 am)
Yikes! Remind me not to drive anywhere near where you live. I'll take my chances on the free-for-all in the tri-state area. The driver of the that BMW is probably going to be facing some nasty financial surprises in the next couple of years.

#10695 of 12737 Re: Hey folks [hihomike] by larryoflebanon

Aug 26, 2005 (1:17 pm)

Replying to: hihomike (Aug 24, 2005 7:36 am)
I could not agree more with your opinion on the 2001 BMW. I had a 2001 540i until it was totalled last month. No car I have driven since quite measures up to that. I have been wondering if the new 3 series may be a good substitute since it is almost as large as the old 5. Has anybody compared the two?

#10696 of 12737 bummer by anthonyp

Aug 26, 2005 (6:24 pm)

It is easy to have things change in a hurry on the Interstate...I have seen alot of sliding around in the heavy thunderstorms the pop up.....I must admit even though I am getting more proficient with the Idrive, it really is dangerous to use except for the most easy things...I guess the worse danger would be to try and use the navigation..Tony

#10697 of 12737 550s on BMW USA site by manybmws

Aug 27, 2005 (9:01 am)

http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/5/550isedan/default
 
SMG 0 -60 5.4 seconds!

#10698 of 12737 Re: 550s on BMW USA site [manybmws] by kdshapiro

Aug 27, 2005 (9:11 am)

Replying to: manybmws (Aug 27, 2005 9:01 am)
Woot. They made sure it was a brute. I can't wait to see the real world gas mileage.

Messages Page 1070 of 1274

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