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Sedans BMW 5-Series BMW 5-Series Sedans
12657 messages, Last post on Nov 05, 2009 at 6:14 PM
You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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I was given an e60 528 with PP and CWP as a loaner while my e39 is in for service. I had driven 545i with Steptronic briefly, but this was the first time I really had a chance to drive e60 for more than a few minutes. While I had not given it much thought in the past, the car was a pleasant surprise once I got in the driver's seat. My previous e39 was an 2002 530 5spd and the current one is an M5, and I have always imagined I would at least need a 535i to feel comfortable in terms of power. However, the 528, even with Steptronic and without the ever important Sports Pkg was quite a ride. It was very responsive and smooth in terms of gear change and engine response. The only downside was that the car is so well insulated that I could not hear it so much! Also, give me BMW Steptronic any day over MB's 7-speed which down shifts like it is half asleep. It certainly does not have the explosive power of the M5, but I did not feel underpowered at all when passing or taking off. Even without the sports pkg, it felt just as tight as my old 530 (ok, it has been a while since I have driven e39 with 6-cylinder, so I may be off here) and the run flats provided more supple ride than the M5, at least. I would really like to drive the one with the sports pkg, though. The standard stereo sounded better than the M5's with DSP. The iDrive could be better, but not as bad as it is usually described by magazines and alike. One surprise was that my Verizon Blackberry 8830 synchronized its phonebook to the car, which it will NOT do with my mother's 2008 C300. I have always heard than Verizon has stripped that functionality but it worked just fine in this car. I can barely stomach the exterior and even less so the interior, but I really enjoyed the drive. I think Shipo or someone mentioned recently that 528 might just be enough to keep him happy and I would have to agree. Now, the thing still stickers $49k and a change, which is a few hundred more than what my fully loaded (use WAY too liberally in ads), and I mean fully loaded as in ALL options checked 2002 530 stickered for. If I were a first-time BMW buyer or luxury car buyer paying that much, I probably would feel short-changed by mere 230 bhp when you can get more from just about any other brand for less than half the price. It is one of those things one just has to experience to understand, I suppose.
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Replying to: asteinberg (Mar 29, 2008 5:47 pm)
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Replying to: cablue (Mar 31, 2008 8:41 pm) Safety is important to me. As for performance, I went with the BMW despite its dysfunctional I-system and obsolete NAV system. I use the latter sparingly. The car tranmission is good, it holds the road, etc. The value is still missing. I'm on a two year lease again. Hopefully, they will get their act together.
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Replying to: asteinberg (Mar 31, 2008 9:50 pm)
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Replying to: cablue (Apr 01, 2008 9:29 am) and..heated seats, because they were on the vehicle and my wife wanted it. Also, with my MF due to multiple deposits, the additional cost for this $500 MSRP was only a few dollars. I continue to feel I'm paying a premium for performance, because so much is lacking that would have been standard, with the luxury package, on the Lexus GS350, for example, with a much lower MSRP. But the BMW subsidized lease makes the monthly competitive with the Lexus, though Lexus would still be a little cheaper due to discount off invoice. I already have 'low pressure' on tire -- will take back to dealer and make sure they are OK, because the cost of these run-flats is off the charts. The I-drive is somewhat better, but it's stupid and tedious. I have this archaic nav, which lacks so much, because I don't use NAV all that much anymore. Frankly, I really wanted some other features -- such a the head-up display and night vision. But I did not want to wait 8 weeks at this point. The head-up would be great to see the speed (and avoid risking a ticket). Whatever car I get in two years, I'll want those features. They seem like fun and are relevant. I'm hoping other brands will get close to the BMW driving experience, because it's hard to be loyal to BMW -- given some of the company policies, the very high MSRP, and the nickle-dime approach to options that are standard for comparable vehicles. Also, I'm bright, tech-savvy, quick-reacting; the I-drive and instruments are not logical, are counter-intuitive, and some buttons poorly placed. You take the bad with the good. I'm tired of all their surveys. They can pay me to consult. I had a Lincoln LS8 years back that handled very well but was discontinued. And the service was much more upbeat. BMW service departments are so crowded Still, I give the vehicle high marks for handling. But I'm glad to only have a 2 year lease, in the ope that alternatives appear from more consumer-friendly, customer-conscious brands. I think there are some really nice people at BMW dealerships, but sometimes the elitist culture overtakes them. Also, in this last dealership, shortly after I thought I had consummated the deal, I encouraged a friend to switch from going for a Lexus to BMW. But he was so turned off by the silly, nonsensical attempt to slip in what was an extra $436.32, that he said he would go to another dealership, or simply go back to a Lexus. I hope this dealership will redeem itself with serious, quality responsive service, so that I can have confidence recommending it to various friends who consider a BMW. What was really appalling is the fellow quickly saw that I was detail oriented and math inclined, yet he pursued the most absurd, silly kind of deception -- like taking an added option and dividing the MSRP by 24, and adding that to the monthly price, rather than adding the invoice amount to the agreed-upon capitalized amout, and recapitalizing, at my MF. I guess it's just a culture in the auto business, and a little worse at BMW. I ruled out Bob Smith, my local dealer, because it was worse, with this hassle; but I still thought I would give them a chance, given the proximity to where I live -- and the BMW policy of trying to steer you to the local dealership by denying you a loaner if you go elsewhere -- a really manipulative BMW practice. But the Bob Smith lease turn in was exploitative for me, and I didn't even let them pitch me on the 535i. My decision was to go for the Lexus GS350 or another car or, if a BMW, definitely elsewhere. It's only a car, and there's a lot more to life, but one does not want to dignify being treated shabbily. Even with all the sob stories on "how little we're making on this car" which defies logic -- given these plush dealerships and sales people who are making a fashion statement -- it still represents a major purchase or, for the lease, a major monthly expense item. Indeed, within a few months, my wife must replace her car. So, how BMW treats this service, will have a lot to do with considering a BMW. But it drives well for where I drive. If I had been happier with the 530 and knew in advance of some changes that made the 535 better (though still with bad NAV, etc.), I would have ordered in advance to have precisely what I want. If BMW gets in act together a couple of years from now with its 2010, and the pricing is realistic, I'll order in advance of the end of my lease. Given the residual, you can never afford to buy the BMW after the lease.
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Replying to: asteinberg (Apr 01, 2008 10:18 am) Anyways, congrats on the car. |
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I can understand your skepticism. I was conflicted on the decision. I rarely use the navigation system, so I accept its below-par, obsolete operation. The six memory buttons allow me to put some satellite and AM there, without the cumbersome IDrive to switch. The gear shift is entirely counter-intuitive -- forward to reverse, back to drive. I'm in this now for a 2 year relatively cost-effective lease. But I can't believe there won't be more competition in the performance field, and without BMWs cavalier attitude that includes disregard of no-brainer features available in automobiles that cost far less.
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Replying to: asteinberg (Apr 01, 2008 5:41 pm) The gear shift is entirely counter-intuitive -- forward to reverse, back to drive. Actually, I don't mind the iDrive. The concept is great but it just needs to be continually improved. It is particularly great though with use of the Bluetooth phone, the way the phonebook completely downloads and updates on the iDrive screen. If you think about it, all A.T. gear shifts utilize the "back to drive" motion from park.
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Replying to: carnaught (Apr 02, 2008 9:04 am) But it works unproductively. For example, when you press navigation, it should automatically default to the navigation system. It's a hassle to be able to look at a map while you're doing something else. The screen itself is too small. I could go on and on. It requires too many steps for simple functions. -- I do agree with you that the Blue Tooth function works well. But the problem with BMW is a general user-unfriendliness, especially notable for the navigation system, which does little compared to competitive models, where you can enter a telephone number, or a store name, and then it supplies you with the address; or enter an address even if you do not know the city name, and other systems default to the closest addresses, in order of proximtym, such as 18 Elm Street, Elm City, 18 Elm Street, San Francisco, etc.
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Replying to: asteinberg (Apr 02, 2008 12:05 pm) |
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