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Sedans BMW 5-Series BMW 5-Series Sedans
12681 messages, Last post on Mar 16, 2010 at 11:53 AM
You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
| I am looking at a '08 535 with sport package. Love the look and feel of this car (Steering ,head rests - seats, rims etc.). I am new to BMW's and have heard of horror stories of the run flats, especially on the low profiles ( mostly concerning the 330's). I have read that they are running into problems under 10k. Is this a general issue or specific to some of the 3 series? | |
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I am contemplating a 5 series as my next ride. My last bmw was a 330i sport package which I loved but now I'm coming off of a Lexus LS and want to go back to the sportier BMW but I still want some luxury and elegance. I will cross shop with MB and others but I wanted to understand the difference between the 550 and 535. It seems to me that the 0-60 times would be very close and the mileage is better on the 6 cylinder vs the 8. What are the advantages to the higher priced 550. Luxury and comfort are important to me. Thank you for any and all input.
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Replying to: topspin628 (May 29, 2007 4:37 pm) As you note, the new 535 offers performance numbers similar to the 550, but to be honest, I've always thought of turbo's as something of a "crutch", maybe just that old-school "no replacement for displacement" mentality. So I'd be interested in how the driving experiences compare. The 535 is roughly 250+ lighter, always a virtue for enhancing performance, but I dare say that the 550 will exhibit that torquey V-8 feel that is tough to replicate, and can be oh-so-alluring. But will agility suffer in comparison? An extra 250 pounds out front doesn't help. Guess I'm not helping much, just ruminating on the question I've also been considering. Luxury-wise, I'm pretty sure the models can be comparably equipped, but typically some 535 options may be standard on a 550 (I didn't specifically check), so that can tighten the price differential. So luxury aside, can a turbo-charged 6 offer enough oomph to satisfy that V-8 lust, while offering the added bonus of less weight and a super-smooth I-6? And can I overlook my general aversion to turbo's? Sounds like you're in the market, how about posting a comparison test report? Heck, you got me thinking, maybe I should head to the dealer myself! (As an aside, I would also consider an E-series MB, but while they are very fine cars, I don't think they have quite the sporty edge of a BMW. Perhaps more troubling, recent reliability ratings for MB's have not been all that great.)
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Replying to: bruceomega (May 28, 2007 6:58 pm)
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I have an e 500 and while the bolsters arent great,overall, it is a very fine car. The interesting thing that the 5 doesnt have that the e has is the 3 part suspension. Somedays you just dont feel like being in a sports car and just want a hassle free smooth ride on the way home from hectic work. On the way to work( I go at 5am with no traffic), however, early in the morning I put it in the stiffest sport mode and drive it hard! It is like 2 cars in one. If it had those damn bolsters it would be almost the perfect car. By the way, no problems reliability wise.
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Replying to: sdg380 (May 30, 2007 6:07 am) The V8 isn't 250 pounds heavier than the I-6. That weight differential is for the whole car. The 550i comes with more standard equipment than the 535i. That's what accounts for most, if not all, of the extra weight. I'd bet the weight difference between the V8 and the twin turbo I-6 is very little. Heck, the V8 might be slightly lighter than the twin turbo I-6. But anyway, a comparably equipped 535i won't be much, if at all, lighter than a 550i. Then again, I think I read somewhere that the 550i has some more beefy structural components versus the I-6 equipped 5s. 
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Replying to: richardga73 (May 30, 2007 7:42 am) Have you had your E500 very long? Do you have the 7-speed? Did you happen to compare prices to a 550? (not that a few thousand matters when you're blowing $65K!) Any particular likes/dislikes? I'd say insufficient bolsters seems pretty minor if that's your only gripe. You're certainly punching the buttons on my short list, I'm sort of biding my time since my E39 has very low miles (I now commute by train, so it just sits in the garage and depreciates), and I wouldn't mind buying either a 5-series or E-series when the body styles change in a couple of years. I was thinking V-8 since I really wouldn't drive it all that much, so mileage not a huge issue. |
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Replying to: tayl0rd (May 30, 2007 9:22 am) And after all, that's an extra 250+ pounds that is hauled around all the time. I know that's just like merely having a beefy person always riding with you in the car (ie, not really noticeable), but I am pretty big on keeping a sedan this size as much below 2 tons as possible--all in the interest of responsiveness in all respects. Hey, I'm not saying I'm not conflicted about it! And considering all the SUV's and such driving around at well over 5000#, I guess these 5-ers are lightweights! |
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Replying to: sdg380 (May 30, 2007 6:07 am) When I was shopping for my 3 series there was a poster named "shipo" who was an expert in BMW. Is he still around?
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Replying to: richardga73 (May 30, 2007 7:11 am) The 535xi I test drove had the standard seats while a 535xiT on the showroom floor had the multi-contour seats. I honestly did not pay much attention to the standard seats, as I was concentrating on the driving, but they were comfortable. I am coming from a 3 series, and even the standard seats in the 5 series are wider and (I think) deeper, which is more comfortable for me. The MC seats have adjustable side bolsters, but we didn't experiment much with them. I felt them getting snug as the salesman adjusted them, but don't know if they can be made as close hugging as those in my 3 series sport seats (which are narrower, and can be very snug fitting). The MC seats have a whole host of adjustments. I especially noticed the support they could be adjusted to provide for my shoulders, neck, and head. I did not notice turbo lag. If it's there, I did not detect it in my casual driving in low speed traffic, or when I stepped on the gas on the highway. I am only interested in AWD, so I did not factor in the extra weight in my purchase decision. Bruce |
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