Ask the Car People.SM


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 910 of 1275

#9082 of 12737 Re: 1999 528i [kleemitt #9081] by kyfdx HOST

Jun 18, 2004 (9:18 am)

Replying to: kleemitt (Jun 18, 2004 8:29 am)
You might check with Terry on the Smart Shopper board.. In: Real world trade in values. He can give you an idea of what the car might be worth. I don't really follow 5-series that close. Someone else on this board may have an idea.
 
If you are really want a BMW, I would look at '99 and '00 323i. I think you might be able to find one of those for your target price with much lower mileage. I've seen those locally with 40K to 60K miles for asking prices of under $20K. Lower miles will be your friend when it comes to repair/maintenance costs.
 
regards,
kyfdx

#9083 of 12737 Sounds Like BMW Might Not Be For You by riez

Jun 18, 2004 (12:45 pm)

kleemitt... Pay for a THOROUGH INDEPENDENT inspection. And run a CARFAX report!
 
1. Don't buy unless you can see all the repair and service invoices proving what was done when. Then only buy if all the necessary work was done on time and schedule. Brake fluid should have been changed at least once every 2 years. No more than 3 years on the coolant. Was the transmissiona and differential fluid changed? Etc.
 
2. I would NOT recommend buying a BMW out of warranty unless you know a GOOD INDEPENDENT service shop that SPECIALIZES in BMWs. Most BMW dealers don't do much repair work on big things like transmissions and differentials. They just replace. And that is hideously expensive. You'll save a ton on repair and maintenance work using an independent shop. Find one that also gives a BMW CCA discount and then join BMW CCA.
 
3. You seem worried about service, maintenance, and repairs. If so, buy CPO or don't buy a non-warrantied BMW. (Really sounds like you'd be better off with a CPO Lexus GS300.)

#9084 of 12737 Re: Sounds Like BMW Might Not Be For You [riez #9083] by kleemitt

Jun 18, 2004 (1:58 pm)

Replying to: riez (Jun 18, 2004 12:45 pm)
riez, thank you for your advice! Maybe I should take more time to think about buying a used BMW. I did run a CARFAX report and it shows the vehicle has been serviced pretty regularly.
 
And, thank you for your tip on going to an independent repair shop rather than dealership. Now, what is BMW CCA???
 
I don't think I can afford a CPO. 1999 or 2000 CPOs usually cost over 20K. However, I will check out CPO Lexus GS300s. Thanks!

#9085 of 12737 by kyfdx HOST

Jun 18, 2004 (2:05 pm)

BMWCCA = BMW Car Club of America

#9086 of 12737 European Car Pans 545i6 by riez

Jun 19, 2004 (12:04 pm)

Check out the August 2004 issue of European Car. Is their annual Grand Prix, "The Most Significant New Car of the Year". They tested both 545i6 and 645i SMG. They much prefered the 645i. They panned the 54i6's exterior & interior, the price (MSRP was "just under $63,000"), and iDrive.
 
Excepts:
 
"We considered the previous [E39] 5 Series to be the almost perfect car, so it's natural we might have felt a bit cold toward this new version, and we're willing to wait a while before making a final judgement. ... Will 'like' ever turn to 'love'?"
 
"Not the improved 5er I wanted."

#9087 of 12737 Many People. . . by cdnpinhead

Jun 19, 2004 (1:49 pm)

have come to believe that BMW's are only for people who lease. They would rather be skinned alive than actually own one outright past the warranty period.
 
What does this mean, long-term, for the brand? . . for this or any other vehicle that can barely live past the warranty?
 
There are those who lease. . .and those who buy. Those of us who buy look for vehicles that cost a reasonable amount to keep on the road, for a long, long time.
 
The BMW's & Audi's that can barely make it to the end of the lease may have an interesting long-term future. Someone, somewhere is expected to acquire all those off-lease vehicles, for prices that may give one pause to consider.
 
Edmunds is full of people who only care about first cost, but the long-term thing will eventually have an effect on the brand. What is happening to all the older vehicles?
 
Enquiring minds. . .

#9088 of 12737 cdpinhead by saugatak

Jun 19, 2004 (4:37 pm)

My bro is a mechanic and he fixes all types of cars so I can give you the benefit of HIS experiences with BMW.
 
In my bro's opinion:
 
1. BMW's are not worse in terms of overall reliability than other cars. They're not as reliable as Japanese cars, but they're not bad.
 
2. Lots of BMW's get abused by their owners, more so than say a Lexus. So you have to be careful with a used BMW.
 
3. BMW's do have weird electrical problems which can be difficult to diagnose, which means more mechanic time spent figuring out what to do, which translates into bigger repair bills.
 
4. BMW parts are EXPENSIVE.
 
But if you buy a used BMW which was well taken care of, and you do regular maintenance on it, they can last you a long time and be pretty reliable. Problem is, when repairs need to be done they're so expensive that you have to ask yourself, at what point do I want to stop putting money into a used car?

#9089 of 12737 Re: 1999 528i [kleemitt #9081] by manybmws

Jun 19, 2004 (5:24 pm)

Replying to: kleemitt (Jun 18, 2004 8:29 am)
You might try $16,000. I sold my car last year (same as what your buying) for $17,500.

#9090 of 12737 Re: Many People. . . [cdnpinhead #9087] by qsaddle

Jun 19, 2004 (11:37 pm)

Replying to: cdnpinhead (Jun 19, 2004 1:49 pm)
many of those older vehicles are being driven by the original owners. I am on my third. BMW #1 was sold to an ecstatic kid at 160,000 miles. BMW #2 was donated to a charity at 260,000 miles, and we expect to insist that our children rid themselves of our current 530 at 360,000 miles. #1 and #2 were mechanically fine at separation, indeed, even with the accumulated miles, I would not hesitate to drive either of the cars at triple digits.
 
Had my dad's Honda reached 260k, I would not even contemplate driving it at 100+. Sure, we pay more to maintain these cars, but those of us who love cars know that it is well worth it.
 
On another note, I am feeling some engine vibration on the clutch pedal of #3 when depressed, throw out bearing? (#2and #3 never needed a clutch replacement, and I even let the wife drive them!)

#9091 of 12737 qsaddle by designman

Jun 20, 2004 (5:59 am)

Good post. It's refreshing to hear about longevity around here and the determination to stick with cars for the long haul.

Messages Page 910 of 1275

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement