considering buying an e60. what it's like to own/drive? which engine/year to get?

[rmz]

hey guys, i'm an e38 owner and i'm in the market for an e60/61. the price will determine if i keep the e38 or not, hoping i can make both work.

i'm curious to hear from those with experience what it's like to own and drive a 5 series of this generation. anything you would tell a prospective owner (who is handy in the garage and does his own work)? also anything specific to look for when test driving?

also, i am trying to decide which engines and years i should look for. is there any reason to avoid any specific engine/year combos? are there advantages to any of the engine sizes or the transmissions/options they come with?

any reason not to get one of the first years it was made (04 or 05)? are there major changes after?

gas mileage seems to be almost the same across engine sizes, so i'm thinking why not go with the 545i... is that not the case?

i'm in the market for one in the range of $12-20k, between 40k and 80k miles, and i don't want x-drive. there are just so many great cars i'm seeing i would really appreciate some help narrowing my search.

thanks in advance!

[TeeW]

I've got a 2008 535i and love it! Good luck getting one for 12-20k though! Got my CPO with under 40k miles. I wanted the 335i, but they were a little too small for me.

Just got the Dinan Stage 2 flash on my computer this morning and the twin turbos are cooking now...

[535xi1]

I have an 08 535xi with the twin turbo inline 6. I absolutely love the car, I've only got 13k on it, but since new it has been a gem. I just received my first recall for the high pressure fuel pump. I'm just a little nervous to have it done because the car runs so well. I had an 05 530i before this 08. The 05 model was a nice car but it did have some electrical quirks. The 08 model is a real nice car to drive, plenty of torque and power across the board. Was think about a 2011, but just can't seem to like the new style. Good luck

[cornfed]

The 08 535i twin turbo...i'm jealous! I asked the same ?'s you are before I landed on my '04 530i and I must say that if it was mechanically sound, i'd love it. The 545i was just more of everything (price, gas, tires, insurance, etc.) since I planned on owning if for 4-5 years. Now, I'm a penny pincher (obviously) that for some reason thought that I would be mentally ok with yearly repair costs for a BMW outside of warranty (I know, what was I thinking). I would definitely not get an '04 from my experience and I'm sure they've worked out a few bugs in the '05 model. At the end of the day, it all came down to gas mileage for me. If you don't care about that, then get a 545i and enjoy the bit more horse and nicer look of those wider tires. Good luck!

[JKZ]

I have an '09 535i X Drive and love the car. Bought it as a CPO w/24K miles for $38K. Have warranty until 12/2014.

I had a '08 E92 335Xi before this and truthfully, I wanted that N54 twin turbo engine again. It's not the same kick in the pants that the 3 was but yikes... it still takes off like a raped ape!

I had been looking for E90 335Xi sedan to replace the coupe when it was going back after lease and I stumbled upon mine. I had been concerned about space in the 3 from the start. I'm a traveling salesman and it's a tight fit for me no less customers and I'm not a big guy. So the day I decided to switch my search to a E60 instead, I discovered mine on my dealer's lot. Was 1 month off lease & CPO'd w/new tires, etc.

Been a great purchase. Dealer took it in last month & did the HPFP recall on it. I wasn't having any trouble but they replaced the fuel pump & 3 injectors. Gave me a loaner 335 for 2 days. Never had a lick of trouble with the car and I've put 9K+ miles on it in the last 4 months.

It's Jet Black w/Cream Beige, premium, cold wx, nav, everything except sport which really does nothing besides seats & wheels on an X Drive car anyway.

I pay for it with my expense reimbursements for mileage and at this rate, I'm able to make triple payments. It'll be paid off in 2 years and then I go for a nice CPO'd '11 F10 model. Thinking, 550i X Drive?

[crypto]

I just picked up a 2010 535i with xDrive a couple of weeks ago with 6200 miles on it. It's been an absolute blast. I test drove by the 335xi and the 535xi/xDrive and came to the conclusion the 5 series was for me. It's definitely not as sporty but it does have some serious power to it. The ride is very smooth and there's a lot of space in the car. I am not sure when iDrive was improved (2009 or 2010?) but actually am a pretty big fan of the iDrive in my car. I know it got a fairly substantial facelift in '09 or '10, so I can't comment ont he complaints of the past.

I am not quite endeared to the 2011 F10 design yet but the idea of having a 550i with xDrive is pretty sick. For me I never even considered the E60 550i since it didn't come with xDrive (AWD). Since we have snow and I tend to drive to some places where RWD may not be ideal.. I had to have the xDrive model. I can't help you decided between a 530/535 and the 545/550 depending on your year, but if AWD is a requirement that'll help you a bit.

[rmz]

thank you all for your responses. i'm looking forward to joining you guys on this part of the forum...

can anyone comment on what repairs they have had to do since owning the car? and are there any known issues for certain models within this generation of 5 series?

also, regarding fuel economy, can anyone please comment on what kind of actual fuel economy you are getting. how accurate are fueleconomy.gov's numbers?

it looks like based on those numbers that the fuel economy between different models isn't that different (see attached picture). do these numbers reflect reality?

according to that same site, my car (98 740i) should get 15 and 22mpg respectively. in fact, i get more like 17/26mpg (when i don't speed too much). that's why i ask...

[FARRK007]

I'm also in the market for my aging E34 535 that i love so much...but unfortunately i just cant keep putting money into her. I wonder why none of you have given any real-life comments/reviews on the 545/550i, those are the chassis that appeal to me in the E60 line-up...sure it does not have the tunability of the 535's but i think (with a few mods) that would be a pretty solid machine.

what do you guys think?

[Hawaiian Brian]

I love the E60.

[rrbmw]

Got a 2004 530i. I love it. The 3.0 liter inline 6 got plenty of torque. I got over 200,000km on it and I maintain it more then perfectly and it's very good to me.

[Gator325525]

I, too, am interested in learning more about the V-8 cars (545, 550) and what the ownership experience is like with them. I've really liked the E60 ever since they came out and want to get one soon. All the reviews I've read have just raved over the cars, especially from '06 onward.

[MikeBoom]

This is a question most of us have pondered. I see you're in Chicago; I live in the western 'burbs.

Which brings me to my first point: AWD. After having had it on a couple of cars, it's hard to imagine living without it. It makes a huge difference in car control around these parts when the weather gets bad. As much as I was intrigued by the 545i and the 550i, the fact that AWD was not available for those models put them out of personal contention. I see that you don't want x-drive, but it was a major consideration in my shopping.

But, the problem is that I like fast cars. The normally aspirated in-line 6's are great cars and above-average performers, but a little anemic for my personal tastes. The solution for me was a CPO 535xi, which I've augmented with a tune via a Cobb Accessport. This bumps the power level up significantly (as much as +30% horsepower and +38% torque), making the 535 into a bit of a beast, approaching the V8 cars in straight-line performance. Even without this type of mod, the twin turbo engine is a lively performer, with good torque and nonexistent turbo lag.

The down side of the twin turbo (N54) cars is their complexity. Of course, all of the E60/E61 cars are pretty complicated, but the N54 achieved some notoriety for high speed fuel pump (HPFP) failures, sometimes more than one in a given car. BMW appears to have gotten a handle on this, and they have extended the HPFP warranty to 10 years/120,000 miles to further address these concerns. My car has had the HPFP and all six injectors replaced. The bottom line is that these cars can be maintenance-intensive. For that reason, I'd be wary of a car that doesn't have fairly extended warranty coverage. For me, the CPO coverage allayed most of my concerns (knocking on wood).

The driving experience is great. The car is seriously quick and very capable at high speeds (so much so that you really need to be careful not to slip way above the speed limit), comfortable, and luxurious. I've driven the 2011 535 x-drive and, while I yearn for some of its features, I find the earlier cars to be more responsive and more satisfying to drive.

I'm also happy with my gas mileage, particularly since this is a car in which you can comfortably haul four or five people. My overall mileage (city/highway) hovers around 21 mpg. On highway trips, cruising at 75-80 yields 28-29 mpg.

Good luck!

[Scott525i95]

I'm also in the market for my aging E34 535 that i love so much...but unfortunately i just cant keep putting money into her. I wonder why none of you have given any real-life comments/reviews on the 545/550i, those are the chassis that appeal to me in the E60 line-up...sure it does not have the tunability of the 535's but i think (with a few mods) that would be a pretty solid machine.

what do you guys think?

If you are coming from an E34 - you may want to consider a 3 series... The E60 5 is like a boat (but rides great, just big) compared to the E34. I sorely miss mine.

PS - I have a E60 525 and E90 328xi

[FARRK007]

thanx for the tip scott. while i do like the 3series i also really like the e60's a lot.
Hey rmz keep us all posted...im going to be looking at a few in the coming days in the chicagoland area as well.

I've got 2 reputables shops willing to do the ppi should i find something i like.

I'm just really struggling with this 'cos i really want to get it right....or at least come close.

[cadillacbart]

I came out of an Audi allroad to my 545i. It has low miles, big V8 power, torque, great exhaust note, better gas mileage thatn the audi twin turbo V6 (this was a suprise). I've had AWD cars for many years now as a "necessity" because I live in Denver. I'm not sorry for one minute that I went back to RWD. I do have the option of working from home if the roads get really nasty in the winter.

I say get the V8. Your smiling face will make it worth the tradeoff vs AWD.

[Navy550i]

the 550's are dope!!!

[bimmerzone]

LOVE the 550i :)

btw, checkout my video..... in car ride (with an RPI exhaust)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZEFb37EpNA

[matthewt]

Hey Rmz, I would echo Cadillacbart's post!! I bought my 05' 545i in November and LOVE it!! The torque is nuts, the handling for a fairly large sedan is phenominal!! I've heard this car described as having the handling of a 3-series with the power of a 7-series. Who can argue with a bone-stock quarter mile time of 13.7???!!! The only thing I've had to do to it is replace the battery ($360). It was the original battery, so it was definately due...stay on top of the maintenance and it will reward you with tons of driving joy. I call mine my decompression chamber on wheels:-)

[WifesBMW]

Bought my wife's 2nd 5 series a little over 3.5 years ago(first was a '01 525, my daughter now drives). A 2005 545i, awesome car, I still drive an old '94 6 speed Corvette, sad when she smoked me on the way home a couple years ago. I bought her car off eaby out of Houston with 9 months left on factory warranty/service plan, and have not regretted at all. Wife works close to home, so we just broke 60K miles, only issue so far is recall for brake vacuum issue, and now a service engine light popping up (P0492); checking forums to correct. Car averages 21 MPG, a little better than my vette, and while she does not drive it hard, she does enjoy surprising the unsuspecting hotrodder who tries to jump in front of her at red lights. I'm sure this won't be our last BMW, wondering if I should grow up and drive one myself, but I've driven Corvettes daily for over 25 years, probaly just get a good used C5 Z06 in a few year. BMWs are excellent vehicles, one of those
"wife's cars" I love to drive. Just my opinion.

[r40hyoX5]

I have owned two 2004 E60 530d's and had nothing but headaches with both!! What I would say though, to their credit, is that the fuel consumption is fantastic and the drive is superb. Very, very quick cars, especially with a re-map :D

[sethposton]

I have a 2008 535Xi and love the ride. 72K and no problems. When you get one, get teh navi system so that the voice commands work- it is aggrevating to have them not working.

[calimyke]

I just bought a 2010 528i X Drive E60, that was a dealer demo with 15K on it.....Basically brand new, and I love it so far. It is such a joy to drive. This is my first Bimmer, and I have a feeling that I am hooked for life. This car is beautiful.

[hooch]

I, too, am interested in learning more about the V-8 cars (545, 550) and what the ownership experience is like with them.

Dealership experience from purchase to service was appalling. I have a CPO car, and CPO means you need to invest lot of time and nerves to convince them there is a problem, like fall on your knees and beg.
Overall car is nice, but there is always something broken. In just 1 year of ownership I replaced windshield fluid pump already 3 times! Then gear switch went. Then CD player. Then slush-box started acting - software flush under STB, but slush-box is still rough at times.
Now car has rough idle, but stealer refuses to find problem, since diagnostics isn't showing any faults.

If I was looking for a bimmer now I would only get it with a manual, period. Especially V8. Those ZF slush-boxes are compete and utter crap - in D mode 550i feels like school bus, barely moves, in DS - it's like scalded cat, very rough, not very fast, unpredictable gear switching. Only usable mode is "manual", but then what's the point in a slush-box?

[DwsPrime]

Dealership experience from purchase to service was appalling. I have a CPO car, and CPO means you need to invest lot of time and nerves to convince them there is a problem, like fall on your knees and beg.
Overall car is nice, but there is always something broken. In just 1 year of ownership I replaced windshield fluid pump already 3 times! Then gear switch went. Then CD player. Then slush-box started acting - software flush under STB, but slush-box is still rough at times.
Now car has rough idle, but stealer refuses to find problem, since diagnostics isn't showing any faults.

If I was looking for a bimmer now I would only get it with a manual, period. Especially V8. Those ZF slush-boxes are compete and utter crap - in D mode 550i feels like school bus, barely moves, in DS - it's like scalded cat, very rough, not very fast, unpredictable gear switching. Only usable mode is "manual", but then what's the point in a slush-box?


Hooch dumb question, but have you gotten a reset to default settings on the tranny? I don't mean a flush but a just a reset? I think you can also do it by pulling the pos and neg on the battery then tapping the ground wire lead to the pos lead.

Anyway, I have heard that will help on the 550.

[Elvis T]

I have an 08 535xi and I love the car but have mixed feelings about it so far. I took it to the place I bought it to get an alignment done on it and after the third time they told me to take to a BMW dealership. I had been getting an "Engine Malfunction" light when flooring it and asked them to look at that also. They said that most likely it is the HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) and maybe the injectors. So I scheduled it two weeks out so that I could get a loaner car.

When I got there, the loaner car was a base model 3 series. I dropped it off on a Monday and came back to pick it up on a Wednesday. They said everything was good with it and I took off with it. I let the car warm up and get all the fluids moving around and while doing this I noticed it still pulled to the left. When I floored it, the engine malfunction light came back on. So I turned around and went back to the dealership.

At the dealership I noticed in one of the paragraphs it was noted that *vehicle pulls due to tread pattern* I ask what that was about and they said that on the awd vehicles that some tread patterns on tires will cause the vehicle to pull. The service guy seemed irritated that I didn't notice this until I stated that the engine malfunction light was still coming on and that was originally the reason why I brought the vehicle in. They stuck me back in the 328 and checked out my 535.

It turned out that the there is a pressure switch for the wastegates that wasn't switching. So they had to pull most of the exhaust out and it was going to be about 10 hours of labor. They told me my vehicle would be done and so I drove 1.5 hours to come pick it up for a second time. When I got there the tech was just finishing it up. It turned out that for some reason after all of this the turbos weren't boosting. So I drove back home again. I had to fly out the next day and so they drove my car back to my house and picked up their loaner vehicle from my house.

I'm not sure exactly what the switches were called, but it was just over $1,400 to get them replaced, but that was covered by the warranty. Not to mention the HPFP and the injectors would have been an additional couple thousand if they hadn't been replaced under the recall.

My opinion is that it's an amazing car and I LOVE it! However, I will be getting rid of it before the warranty runs out. I don't want to be paying $4,000 to replace the turbos or other ridiculous amounts of money to fix basic stuff because the engine is complex. If BMW can't design an engine that doesn't take 10 hours of labor to replace the waste gate switches, then I won't be buying that vehicle unless I have a warranty on it.

In short: If you're going to get the twin turbo 535, then get a good warranty.

[vbcguy]

I have owned four BMW's and will be picking up my newest one at the end of the week.
I started with the 320i, moved up to a 325i, then to an X3, then to a 525i.
I am now getting a 528i.

The 5-series is by far my favorite model. I feel very safe and secure and it definitely has presence. In addition where I live 3 series are a dime a dozen, but the 5's stand out in a crowd. I just wish i could afford the 2011 model!

I have never experienced any problems with any BMW that I have owned.

Have fun choosing.

[hooch]

I have owned four BMW's ...


I have never experienced any problems with any BMW that I have owned.



:lol:lol:lol

Nice joke man, no problems ever huh? I guess you sell them before warranty expires.

[gsmith]

If you can afford the little extra to maintain the v8, do it. I have had both, the 8 cost me more but made me smile every time I put peddle down. I have not had the turbo 6 but am a little worried about running the turbo for the long run.

[MotorcityM3]

I'm thinking about selling mine and getting back into an M3 conv.

If you decide to go the 545i route, let me know. It has
82,000 (almost all highway, to and from work each day and both my house and work are less than 2 miles from I-94) Within the last month I replaced the wheels, tires, suspension, plugs, fluid, & waterpump/thermo stat/expansion tank (prevented maintanence). It has a newer steering wheel, shifter, and exhaust. I'm the second owner, the first was a police chief who regularly serviced the car. It has a clean carfax and a free and clear title.

I planned to keep the car for a long time, however, the birth of my second daughter is forcing us into a minivan. I no longer need another 4 door vehicle for car seats. Let me know, thanks!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/motorcitym3/545-tires.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/motorcitym3/545-ds2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/motorcitym3/545-ps-1.jpg

[Elvis T]

MotorcityM3, what wheels are those? I'm looking to get some for my 535 and those are amazing!

[MotorcityM3]

MotorcityM3, what wheels are those? I'm looking to get some for my 535 and those are amazing!

Avant Garde M310 Anthracite Matte powder coat; 19x11 et33 - 19x8.5 et15

Talk to Michael at Acuteperformance, he sent the wheels to get powder coated, tires mounted/balanced, and shipped to my door!

[Elvis T]

Avant Garde M310 Anthracite Matte powder coat; 19x11 et33 - 19x8.5 et15

Talk to Michael at Acuteperformance, he sent the wheels to get powder coated, tires mounted/balanced, and shipped to my door!

I will be doing this if my car ever gets fixed.

I went to pick up my car today and I made it about 5 miles before my check engine light came back on. It's been five months and my 2008 535xi has been in the shop seven times. The place I bought it from couldn't align it after three tries and told me to get the BMW dealership to try and align it. This would have been the fourth time back to the BMW dealership, but I just went back to the original dealer and said that it's been nearly six months and the original issue hasn't been fixed.

The general manager said he was disappointed that I didn't give his technicians a chance to look at it. I said to him "Really? Your technicians took three tries at it and then finally told me they probably don't have the right equipment before telling me to take it to the BMW dealership to get it fixed. The BMW dealership had to contact engineering to figure out what was going wrong with the car. Your technicians couldn't even get the car to drive in a straight line and when they even told me to take it to the BMW dealership to get the engine fixed. It's been five months now and the issue isn't resolved, at what point is enough going to be enough?"

If you do buy anything with the twin turbo engine in it, make sure you get a warranty and get it from the BMW dealership. This will be around $6,000 in repairs, it's taken nearly five months to do and the problem still exists.

My advice is steer as far away from the 335, 535 or anything with the N54 engine in it unless you want to be driving a loaner vehicle.

[Raymondlee177]

I love the look and performance but I don't like reliability and I hate sound system that is no better than cars in $10k range.

[jackxc925]

I liked driving my mom's 525. Very slow, but smooth and it didn't feel as big as it is. Even the base model feels well equipped.

[OfficialE60]

I have a 05 530i and i love, it just doesn't have the power, so if you want power do like i did and get a 530i and spend all your money to turbo and tune or just get a 535i tt....

[Elvis T]

I have a 05 530i and i love, it just doesn't have the power, so if you want power do like i did and get a 530i and spend all your money to turbo and tune or just get a 535i tt....

:(

If you want a 535 with all the money you'll spend on repairs, you might as well get a 545.

[JBC123]

Purchased a 2004 530i with 39k four months ago. Awesome car. Sports package. I like to do my own maintenance so I was a little concerned. I have changes the oil and reset the service indicator on the iDrive with no problems. Did it for about $50. Brake fluid flush is next. No issues so far. The only thing bad is that I ran over something and my flat tire indicator activated. Had to drive 200 miles on it and had no problem. Replaces with a new run flat to keep all four the same. Run flats are working great. Smooth ride and responsive. If conventional tires are better, then I am going to be even more pleased.

So, I am very satisfied. Seems this site is a huge help.

JBC


Purchased a 2004 530i with 39k four months ago. Awesome car. Sports package. I like to do my own maintenance so I was a little concerned. I have changes the oil and reset the service indicator on the iDrive with no problems. Did it for about $50. Brake fluid flush is next. No issues so far. The only thing bad is that I ran over something and my flat tire indicator activated. Had to drive 200 miles on it and had no problem. Replaces with a new run flat to keep all four the same. Run flats are working great. Smooth ride and responsive. If conventional tires are better, then I am going to be even more pleased.

So, I am very satisfied. Seems this site is a huge help.

JBC

Jeez, "s" should be "d". New iPad makes typing different

[Raymondlee177]

BMW is not for anybody! Some people love BMW so much that they don't make issue out of any or all problems they run into.

[Elvis T]

BMW is not for anybody! Some people love BMW so much that they don't make issue out of any or all problems they run into.

When you have the vehicle less than 50% of the time because it's constantly being int he shop and the repair costs total ownership costs for five months total $11,000 and includes payments, insurance, repairs, recalls you might as well get an exotic. I'm about as an avid BMW driver as you can get, but there is a difference between blindly supporting a car maker and knowing when they've made a bad engine. The N54 is one of those that you just steer away from. Their value is going to drop dramatically when people realize the costs involved with repairing them and how often they break. Once they are out of warranty I won't be surprised to see the 525 be worth more.

Thankfully I have a warranty. I love the E60, but I would steer as far away from the 535 as I could. It's going to be cheaper for me to just buy an M5, which is what I'm looking at.