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BMW 5-Series Sedans

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

You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Sedan

Messages Page 599 of 1275

#5972 of 12737 sel3 by div2

Mar 19, 2003 (12:42 pm)

You're correct, there's certainly nothing wrong with a non-SP car. I'm sure you'll enjoy your 5er. As for your salesperson, I still think he's incompetent and/or clueless. At best. Dealing with first time BMW buyers does not excuse a total absence of product knowledge. Don't feel bad; In the early nineties I had a debadged Cinnibar Red 535is. BMW salespeople repeatedly asked me if it was an M5 or an M6-among other SWAGs. Never mind that the M6 was a two door coupe and that all North American E28 M5s were Black. Only ONE BMW salesperson ever correctly identified the car. And then there was the time back in 1995 when a BMW sales guy checked out my brand new-and dead stock-318ti Club Sport and asked who installed the body kit...

#5973 of 12737 snagiel, jeffry, jb_shin -- Scratches by pap5

Mar 19, 2003 (2:16 pm)

Thanks all for your suggestions. Initially, I'm going to hope that the damage is superficial enough that the detailer at my dealer can handle it. When I got the DME upgrade a couple of weeks ago, I noticed some new scratches on one of the fenders, consistent with someone bending over the fender without a pad. The detailer did a creditable job of removing the scratches (and did a quick detail on the whole car) at no cost. I showed him the door scratches and he thinks he can handle the job. If I'm not satisfied with the work, I'll follow up with one of the sources/methods you suggested.

#5974 of 12737 Chat tonight! by pat

Mar 19, 2003 (4:19 pm)


 
Join us tonight, 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for another
round of automotive trivia and member-to-member chat.
Test your skills (or multiple choice guessing ability)
against other Town Hall members.
 
http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html
 
Hope to see you there!

#5975 of 12737 530i Sport Package and Rear-end Ratio by jtuoti

Mar 19, 2003 (9:50 pm)

Gents, I stand corrected and REALLY appreciate the info...I don't remember where I picked up that the torque convertor and rear end was different in the 530i SP but that's academic now. I'm hoping BMW starts a lease incentive for the 530's as we get closer to the new 5's but I'm not holding my breath. None of the dealerships around here can keep them in stock...(sigh)

#5977 of 12737 A question for BMW 5 owners by happyharley

Mar 21, 2003 (12:37 pm)

Hello all. I have loved the styling and performance of BMWs over the years and I have finally come to a point in my life where I could afford one (unfortunately not a new one). Specifically I like the 5 series the best and have found one that I am interested in. 1997 540i 6M for around $22,000. From talking with the dealer and checking it through Carfax, it has 59K miles and had one previous owner. Pictures of it look good inside and out. Carfax states that it was a lease vehicle and registered commercial (presumably for business purposes?). However, from what I have read on different web sites there might be a problem with reliability of this model, specifically the radiator, transmission and various electrical problems. My question is A) does this appear to be a resonable deal? B) am I going to have to shell out thousands more dollars repairing various systems as they fall apart in the near future (since the factory warantee is no longer in effect) and C) Would any of you current BMW owners not jump at this deal? I realize that BMWs are inherently more expensive to own, but I don't want to buy into a money pit as I have read from different BMW owners, or is this just a small minority of unlucky BMW owners compared to the vast majority that are still in love with their cars after 50-100K miles? Any help in making my decision will be appreciated.

#5978 of 12737 Used 540i6 by riez

Mar 21, 2003 (2:27 pm)

happyharley... I'm a big fan of BMW CPO program. Because you wrote, "since the factory warranty is no longer in effect", I'll assume this is NOT a CPO car. Have you considered a CPO car? You should check out BMW NA's CPO locator. Is this from a BMW dealer?
 
You should check out the recent and past annual car issues for Consumer Reports. Some great information on reliability data. You might also check Intellichoice.
 
Always a good idea to have an independent mechanic check it out. One familiar with BMWs.
 
Make sure to get service records. Talk to past owner. See what maintenance was done and what you might need in near future. Keep in mind that the BMW Schedule 1 and 2 services aren't cheap. (You should hope they did one of these recently.)
 
If not CPO, will the dealer provide some short-term warranty? Even if only for 30-90 days?
 
On 11/30/01 bought my '98 540i6 at about 52,000 miles. CPO from a BMW dealer. She now has 73,000 miles. Troublefree from anything major. Some minor things (e.g., headlights burned out, kids broke rear cupholder, needed to get the instrument cluster computer readout screen replaced--though this likely would've cost a bit if not for the car being CPO). My tires are wearing and there is some road noise, but I'm too cheap to replace at this time.

#5979 of 12737 Multiple Security Deposits by the_heidi

Mar 21, 2003 (2:30 pm)

I asked this question in the finance section and thought I should post here also. With each additional security deposit, how much does this buy down the money factor?

#5980 of 12737 Clarification on SP nonSP discussion by texbmw

Mar 22, 2003 (2:22 pm)

I am a prospective BMW buyer. I'm in the market for a 5 series, probably 530. I have read all the discussion above about pros and cons on the sports package. Seems like the pros have outweighed the cons by a large majority. I am interested in getting a car that serves my practical purpose of driving my family around town. However, I want to make sure that it's an exhilarating drive as well. So what I want to know is: What are the CONS to the sports package, aside from the added cost? Any other input would be appreciated as well. Thanks!

#5981 of 12737 texbmw by shipo

Mar 22, 2003 (2:31 pm)

It really depends upon where you live. For those of us who live where there is frequent snow and ice, the most significant drawback (and from my perspective, the only drawback) to the SP is the need for two sets of tires.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

Messages Page 599 of 1275

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