2004 525i vs 2005 545i

[Stück]

If I wanted a "fast" car I would have one and it would not be some 1/4 century old BMW...

Are you done with launching personal attacks on one ground after another because you're driving a car I deem is garbage? I don't give a flying rats ass if you love your car to pieces. Really. You're free too. Why don't you stop wasting bandwidth and actually tell the OP some of the fine highlights of the E60's he has mentioned interest in rather than starting a back and forth pissing match you'll never ever win.

It is not the car that is "junk", it is about an owner who makes the car "junk".
I'd buy any BMW and not be afraid of the repairs only because I'd be fixing myself. if you're not prepared to work on the 10 y.o car, then it would feel like bad car, as repair bills can be huge.

While I wholeheartedly agree many cars are driven into the ground by their owners, willfulness or means to repair isn't really relevant in this case. No mechanic is going to re-engineer an entire car to make it not suck. The E60 is a chassis that is best universally avoided and this is what I recommend to all of my customers, be it on the repair side or the salvageable parts side.

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Well you should be a marketing guru instead of a BMW salvage man if you're so market savy...

BMW no longer makes cars for enthusiasts, they stopped doing that a long time ago. They build for the mass market, the lemmings if you will. They know very well what they are doing, they do it exceedingly well. Still doesn't make the E60 a good car.

[Nicks1k]

Lol Stück, some people don't realize newer isn't always better. I've been telling my friend to get an e39 and he ended up getting an e60 550i, 4 months of ownership he already dumped about $7K in repairs....and paid about $20K for the car with 50K miles. Maybe he got a bad example, but hey some people need to have a status.

[Stück]

I hear that, and people that are too dense to listen... let them figure it out for themselves.

I have a regular customer that came in all the time to buy Z3 parts. His was pretty clean, and he kept it up well. One day he showed up in a early body Z4, ugly as hell, but "newer and better"

I asked him why on earth he would trade he clean Z3 for a Z4, and he said "well a Z4 is one better than a Z3" Albiet somewhat jokingly... I have to wonder just how many hundreds of thousands of people are buying a car on this reason alone. Not on the merit of the end result of the engineering, but because "2002 is better than 2001" and "745Li is better than 740iL"

[Inicent Child]

I've owned and driven almost all of the above cars and I would disagree with everything you said. Seems like your still stuck on the past.

[Stück]

I've owned and driven almost all of the above cars and I would disagree with everything you said. Seems like your still stuck on the past.

Ooooh you've driven a car or two! That's awesome bro. Stuck isn't my username, and.... innocent, you're.

[BavarianE39]

I agree with Stuck 100% on everything. I've had the displeasure of driving multiple e60's for long periods of time for work, I've driven 04 530, 05 545, 10 535, and they all felt like garbage compared to an e39.

First of all the 545 is a maintenance nightmare, with the valley pan leaks, bad valve stems and overall oil leaks it's a pain to take care of. All of which had to be fixed on this car within 6 months of ownership.

The 530, while having the reliable M54 engine still handled like a pig compared to the e39 530.

The 535's we've experienced had wastegate problems, hpfp failures, etc.

They all share crappy interior quality, all the plastic starts to peel, creaking noises, nothing feels solid like in an e39. I will continue to stay away from e60's like fire.

[Inicent Child]

Ive owned every single car you just named... and put alot of miles on them. Ive taken m5s, m3s cross country so don't even get me started.

E60, 550i is nice, so is the m5 its excellent. 525i and 530i especially without sports package isn't that great at all. 545i is ok but 550i much more reliable.

Those older e39 you praise have a list of their own issues as well, not perfect. Ive owned multiple 540s including mtech, also 530 and 525i...

And z4 being crap? im sorry but the z3 is the complete crap when compared to z4. They made huge improvements on the z4, ive owned the M version and none M.

Can easily disagree with alot of stuff you said and that is with personal experience not pulling it out of my ass.




Lets all forget about e39 broken cup holders, twisted seats, abs modules that go out, reverse gears that go out, pixels going out, the list goes on and on.

[Stück]

Who states the E39 was without issue? No car is without issues. Yes they have their own, but the car is worth whatever you put into it. A E60 just isn't. The interior is absolute garbage, the exterior looks like it was styled by a transvestite, and the electrical problems that plague the early cars are enough to prompt many people to purposely burn them to the ground for insurance money. No joke, can't tell you how many E60/E65 cars I have dismantled that were burned on purpose. I especially love the ones with a "minor" interior or trunk fire, and when you pull the engine to sell it you see that it probably barely ran the exhaust ports were so full of burnt oil, or the valley pan tube was leaking. Valley pan tube repair at the dealer can be upwards of $10k! Yes the 550i is a better iteration of the E60, so is the M5, neither model is what the OP is looking at. Regardless of the engine choice the cars all share the same basic construction, interior materials improved in the later production but they all still use the soft-touch paint coating on the everything plastic interior that scrapes off and looks like garbage. VW uses the same interior treatment on a $10k new Jetta. Don't you think a 50-75k BMW should be a little better? It isn't. All that same plastic everything creeks and growns against itself as you go as the car gets older. The plastic construction and coating is a range wide issue, not just E60. They started using it on all the new garbage cars.

E39's have very nice quality interiors. Yes the factory cupholder is a joke, but then so is the one in the E60. They are also prone to repeat failure. When I worked at the dealer I sold more E90 and E60 cupholders to replace broken ones that I can even begin to recall.

I sell tons of E60 seats for broken frames, bad motors, bad seat occupancy sensors, seat heater failures, etc.

E60's haven't even been around long enough for their full wide host of potential problems to be fully realized. Give the platform another 2-5 years and see where its at, not that the MOST bus and everything on it isn't reason enough to torch the car.

Men drive manual transmissions. I've never had the reverse gear go out on me in any of my cars with a proper gearbox.

I never said Z4's were crap, I said they were a queermobile. As in they look gay. As in they were styled by the same moron that whipped up the E60. I see a man driving a Z4 I immediately assume he is gay/metrosexual/whatever. Not that I actually care about anyones sexual preference, that is just the look the car exudes. Facelifted Z4's are quite a bit more pleasant to look at, but I think in the context here we are talking about early ones.

Z3's are a small, lightweight car with copious power options available. They are a blast to drive and no wonder, they share the same basic suspension design as the honorable E30.

I've been through and through every iteration of E60. Top to bottom, left to right, front to back. I've personally scrutinized and inventoried every sellable components of no less than 300 E60's. I know what is good about them, and what is garbage, as compared to other BMW's. By far the E60 is garbage, and there are a TON of them out there on the roads, which is GREAT. All those poor suckers need parts to NO END and I'm happy to supply them with good used items that fit their thought they got a bargain of a car budgets.

[Inicent Child]

basically to sum it up its just a difference in taste.....

Also the z3 is way more of a queer mobile then the z4. Z3 was always more feminine.

[Stück]

Eh. More like one person being intimately familiar with E60's of every grade and quality, and one thats just driven them a bunch. I'd rather be the first than the second. I drive those buckets as little as possible!

I think the second point is open to discussion. There is nothing feminine about a S54 powered Imola or Phoenix MCoupe, which would be the only variants I personally would be interested in. I'm not a fan of convertibles period. I'll definately agree where it concerns a 1.9 or 2.3 model, total hairdressermobiles.

[Inicent Child]

I parted e60s too so I guess to each his own. It Just comes down to a matter of taste, you can get screwed with either one on the used car market.

I currently also have a z4 M, and yes the s54 versions are the way to go especially the coupe. Ive always like the z3 coupes with s54s, the basic z3s on the other hand not as much especially roadsters.

Its difficult to find a really pristine e39 now days, I recently sold a mint one with 57k original miles.

[dominyc718]

Crazy how I check up on the thread this morning and see a huge debate. Lol its not that crazy. I thank everyone and anyone whose put their input on the topic. But Im not stuck on the cars ive mentioned, just said that they caught my attention. Wanted some solid non-biased facts of the good and bad and if to stay away since I also stated at the start of the thread that i always read mixed reviews on the E60. Not us go back and forth like kids.

A lot of you tell me that the ones ive mentioned arent good and that if I go for E60 i should look at 530i 6speed. Well I saw one that has 84kmiles. But not stuck on it. I also was looking at a 2008 Acura TSX, 2008 Lexus IS250. Also not stuck on those. Im not getting a car for "status" cuz i could care less about that, but because something about them grabs my attention. I originally was an Acura car guy but went to the e46 when i sold my Integra..Just loved the feel that car has compared to other cars ive driven and wanted the same experience.

Im not slow, I know how to do research but I dont know everything. Same thing for all of us, theres always room to learn more cuz all of us have different experiences..Thats really want I wanted to hear so I can make my decision if I should stick with BMW or jump ship and go back to an Acura or try out a Lexus... But I have a brother who works as a mechanic at a Honda dealership and tells me their cars are crap too...So im in limbo lol...I would also consider a newer 3 series if they are good, I just wish they had more room inside...

[mr ilia]

You have to make up your mind what you really want and then go from there.

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You have to make up your mind what you really want and then go from there. Search the web for some info first.

[E39Chris525i]

I assume you need 4 doors? If the e90 is too small as you've already said and are turned off by the e60 bugs then have you considered a late build e39 or maybe pull out all the stops and go for the M5? I owned one for two years before I got my X1 and I miss it, heck I even have dreams about it still haha. Just know that the key with them is maintenance maintenance maintenance and healthy MAF's. You mentioned that your brother is a mechanic so you would be able to save some money on labor if he is willing to work on whatever car you decide to go with. However, just what the above post mentioned, you have to know what you want, especially if you want manual trans or auto.

[dominyc718]

I assume you need 4 doors? If the e90 is too small as you've already said and are turned off by the e60 bugs then have you considered a late build e39 or maybe pull out all the stops and go for the M5? I owned one for two years before I got my X1 and I miss it, heck I even have dreams about it still haha. Just know that the key with them is maintenance maintenance maintenance and healthy MAF's. You mentioned that your brother is a mechanic so you would be able to save some money on labor if he is willing to work on whatever car you decide to go with. However, just what the above post mentioned, you have to know what you want, especially if you want manual trans or auto.

You are right bout that assumption that i want 4 doors. I used to be all stick shift for my cars or nothing at all until I had to get an Automatic just so I can slow down and improve my license cuz my insurance was looking crazy due to speeding lol... Now its a whole lot better so I think I might go for manual again, i miss it. But definitely 4 doors as im having a little girl on the way and that comes in handy.

I really do want an e60 but taking everyones comments and experiences into consideration, ima check out a 530i manual 6speed. Like you said, its all about maintenance and being on top of your car. And im pretty good with that as i always baby my cars and do some of the work myself. Like when my fuel pump went bad i did that myself, why pay a stealership to do it? Worst case if it gets to crazy where i dont think its for me I can just trade it in at a used dealership my friend owns.

[dominyc718]

You are right bout that assumption that i want 4 doors. I used to be all stick shift for my cars or nothing at all until I had to get an Automatic just so I can slow down and improve my license cuz my insurance was looking crazy due to speeding lol... Now its a whole lot better so I think I might go for manual again, i miss it. But definitely 4 doors as im having a little girl on the way and that comes in handy.

I really do want an e60 but taking everyones comments and experiences into consideration, ima check out a 530i manual 6speed. Like you said, its all about maintenance and being on top of your car. And im pretty good with that as i always baby my cars and do some of the work myself. Like when my fuel pump went bad i did that myself, why pay a stealership to do it? Worst case if it gets to crazy where i dont think its for me I can just trade it in at a used dealership my friend owns.

[Cyrix2k]

Keep your e46. Stück is right - the e60 is junk.

[prash]

E90 328i's aren't bad in terms of reliability from what I've seen.

[alienbeewv]

Eh. More like one person being intimately familiar with E60's of every grade and quality, and one thats just driven them a bunch. I'd rather be the first than the second. I drive those buckets as little as possible! I think the second point is open to discussion. There is nothing feminine about a S54 powered Imola or Phoenix MCoupe, which would be the only variants I personally would be interested in. I'm not a fan of convertibles period. I'll definately agree where it concerns a 1.9 or 2.3 model, total hairdressermobiles.

Stück--

I have an E92 manual with 86,000 mi. What should I expect moving forward? I bought it with 38,000 on it. I have replaced the thermostat, ignition coil, transfer case actuator, front rotors, battery, adaptive headlight motor, and drivers side seat belt extender. All covered by CPO.

[youngbimmer]

OP lives in my dainty town

Why not just keep the E46, save the money? I intend to drive mine until the autobox blows up.

I will slightly threadjack here. What is the status on longevity of 335i? My folks are looking to get a CPO, but I know they eat those electric water pumps. HPFP still a problem? Turbo wastegates still a problem?

[bsenright]

Who states the E39 was without issue? No car is without issues. Yes they have their own, but the car is worth whatever you put into it. A E60 just isn't. The interior is absolute garbage, the exterior looks like it was styled by a transvestite, and the electrical problems that plague the early cars are enough to prompt many people to purposely burn them to the ground for insurance money. No joke, can't tell you how many E60/E65 cars I have dismantled that were burned on purpose. I especially love the ones with a "minor" interior or trunk fire, and when you pull the engine to sell it you see that it probably barely ran the exhaust ports were so full of burnt oil, or the valley pan tube was leaking. Valley pan tube repair at the dealer can be upwards of $10k! Yes the 550i is a better iteration of the E60, so is the M5, neither model is what the OP is looking at. Regardless of the engine choice the cars all share the same basic construction, interior materials improved in the later production but they all still use the soft-touch paint coating on the everything plastic interior that scrapes off and looks like garbage. VW uses the same interior treatment on a $10k new Jetta. Don't you think a 50-75k BMW should be a little better? It isn't. All that same plastic everything creeks and growns against itself as you go as the car gets older. The plastic construction and coating is a range wide issue, not just E60. They started using it on all the new garbage cars.

E39's have very nice quality interiors. Yes the factory cupholder is a joke, but then so is the one in the E60. They are also prone to repeat failure. When I worked at the dealer I sold more E90 and E60 cupholders to replace broken ones that I can even begin to recall.

I sell tons of E60 seats for broken frames, bad motors, bad seat occupancy sensors, seat heater failures, etc.

E60's haven't even been around long enough for their full wide host of potential problems to be fully realized. Give the platform another 2-5 years and see where its at, not that the MOST bus and everything on it isn't reason enough to torch the car.

Men drive manual transmissions. I've never had the reverse gear go out on me in any of my cars with a proper gearbox.

I never said Z4's were crap, I said they were a queermobile. As in they look gay. As in they were styled by the same moron that whipped up the E60. I see a man driving a Z4 I immediately assume he is gay/metrosexual/whatever. Not that I actually care about anyones sexual preference, that is just the look the car exudes. Facelifted Z4's are quite a bit more pleasant to look at, but I think in the context here we are talking about early ones.

Z3's are a small, lightweight car with copious power options available. They are a blast to drive and no wonder, they share the same basic suspension design as the honorable E30.

I've been through and through every iteration of E60. Top to bottom, left to right, front to back. I've personally scrutinized and inventoried every sellable components of no less than 300 E60's. I know what is good about them, and what is garbage, as compared to other BMW's. By far the E60 is garbage, and there are a TON of them out there on the roads, which is GREAT. All those poor suckers need parts to NO END and I'm happy to supply them with good used items that fit their thought they got a bargain of a car budgets.

Just now reading this thread. I have never read anyone more full of themselves and full of crap in my life. Would love to know what BMW shop you work at to make sure I never go there. Also you need to get more comfortable with your manhood and not be so homophobic. Your macho attitude just shows how closed minded you are in general.

For those with E60's and Z4's, ignore this guy. All BMW's have issues. I had a 2004 E60 for 3 years and it was probably the best BMW I had in my 15 years of owning 12 different BMW's. Reliability, drivability and interior stability were all fantastic. And Z4's are a great style especially compared to the Z3. If this guy likes the Z3 over the Z4 in styling, I question his sexual orientation.