Sports package a must, premium sound a must

I have to give it back in 3 years bummer! but I get a new one ;-)

Traded in my 97 528I and leased this loaded 530I - what can I say other than it''s pure bliss in every aspect. I''m 35 years old and all I can say is this....from saftey, quality, performane...sound system,..everything....for me no other car is worth having for equal moneys and you''re a fool if you think anyone can do it better than the Germans.

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I owned the 528I, now the 530...cant wait for the next one....yes...I have car payments every month but lets face it folks...ths isn''t 1974 and cars are not made to last more than 4 years...might as

Acceleration - Plenty for all but the totally irresponsible out there Handling - Feels totally connected to the road at all speeds, and is safer at 90mph than most cars are at 55mph because of it. Sport package is a must, since w/o it it''s merely a good handling sports sedan, of which you can find other makes that are cheaper to own and/or more reliable. Too much body roll w/o sport package, I think. Looks- Sport pkg really pumps up the look on this model. Non-sports are a just a bit frumpy to me. One of the best looking cars on the road, especially in Black (I have artic silver, which is much easier to keep clean and doesn''t show scratches) Safety- The best, bar none. Head airbags, side airbags, great crash test scores, great braking and handling. This was a big factor in buying one for me.

BMW image problems - lots of angry, frustrated, envious drivers out there to give you problems because you drive this car. Neighbors, Family and friends may develop attitudes about you based on it. Reliability- Never breaks down, but it will develop a multitude of small problems you never had with other makes. Electrical quirks, gauge cluster led''s go out, catalytic converters break, door handles break, electric windows stop working, wheel balance problems, etc, etc. It never seems to end. I hate knowing anything is wrong on my car, even a minor thing, so this really annoys me. All are covered under warranty(got a 100K one, which I recommend highly) but the time it takes in the shop is a problem Expensive- to buy, insure, and own. For some reason, this 6 speed costs $200 more a year to insure than a ''97 540i auto I had The usual- Cupholders, poor am reception, mediocre "premium" stereo -Seats are fine, but if you have a broad back they may be too bolstered for you. - 6 speed manual is notchy shifting, and car mag reviews agree with me on this. BMW 3 series shifts are far more satisfying. I would prefer an Auto in retrospect, since I prefer to concentrate on the roa

A love-hate relationship. This is our 2nd E39 540i. A great car, but you''d better find its unique attributes worth the expense and trouble to be happy with it. Not a true luxury car, since it''s not cushy enough. Buy it for the handling, not for the luxury or image, or you''ll be disappointed. We sold the first one, then couldn''t find anything we liked better after 6 months, and bought this one!

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Nothing even close. Previously drove pickups and 2001 Tahoe. May go back to pickups since we''re getting tired of people''s "tude" towards this car. America is one pathetically status conscious, e

Most powerful Family sedan in the world (until the M5 in ''00). Seating is very comfortable (especially 16-way adjustable seats). Back fold down seats are standard (equivalent to a minivan on storage). These babies are made to drive hard (please learn your gears, I''ve seen guys blow these $7k transmissions, because they didn''t). You tend to see dots in your rear view mirror when someone decides to race you (and usually they’re one of them). Comfortable feel, DSP sound system rocks and every passanger I''ve had, doesn''t want to leave car (This last part can be a weakness too, if you want someone out).

Like all V8 average person spends $40-50 a week on gas. Cup holder’s suck and they break easy. Plan to buy a bulk of rear brake lights, they tend to blow quick. Fast cars need high performance tires, which don''t perform well in snow. Lead feet drivers buy 2 sets of performance and 1 set of snow tires a year (not cheap, 6spds come with ''17 stagger set 235 front and 255 rear). *NOTE: YOU ARE A PRIME TARGET WHEN IT COMES TO DOT AND HIGHWAY PATROL!

BMW wasn''t kidding around with their slogan "The Ultimate Driving Machine". This 6spd 2 ton monster can haul butt from 0-60 5.8 sec. You get compliments from both men and women (beware of gold diggers and leeches). This Sedan gets my two thumbs up on performance over-all and luxury. 99-todays 540 Sports are equipped with M Steering Technology (super feel when changing lanes and cornering from highway patrol). As soon as you get behind the wheel to go to work, or just out for a cruise, you transform into a speed racer. Even if you were never a fast driver before. This BMW feels like your driving 40, when in actuality you''re doing 80+ MPH (like most BMW''s). Make sure you have warranty, tune-up''s range from $400-700 (That''s expensive as it is).

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323i, 97 540i, 740i, LS 400

Solid materials, fantastic handling, safety, AWESOME engine, nice shifitng gertrag 5 speed. 50/50 weight distribution with rear wheel drive make for a nice package!

ergonomically not asgreat as the new Hondas & toyotas. Makes drivers in cheaper cars, like saturns suddenly wanna race and flog their rides to the max. PATHETICO!

I bought it in 1999,with 90K miles on it, single owner. The car is great!!! Annual maintenance is around $2k, to keep it running well. If you are buying a bimmer, please buy a stick shift. For about the cost of a hyundai, I have a car that drives fantastic, handles great, and allows me to actually use its RPMs to the max.

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Hondas, testdriven porsches, mercs & assorted japanese sports cars. If you REALLY LIKE TO DRIVe, buy a bimmer.

-engine-smoooooth -transmission-truly seamless shifts -steptronic manual shifting is excellent for canyon driving -ride/handling-carves like on rails -interior-love the layout, interior lighting, seat comfort, feel of the controls. QUALITY. DSP stereo-music to my audiophile ears-a must. storage space-front doors really have it, and wagon delivers it as well. -fold flat rear seats(without removing the headrest). -heater gives off heat very quickly in winter. -air conditioner -cruise control -excellent 4/50,000 warranty and 3/36,000 full maintenence. -averaging 23 mpg in mixed driving

-ingress/egress can be difficult(car is low with sport package and doors could open wider) -car has been in shop for full brake replacement(done under warranty at 17,000 miles), still scratching my head on that one. -car was in shop for a new thermostat. -self leveling has had some glitches -rear decklid release has a recurring problem where it won''t stay shut(going into shop for 3rd time for this) -of course the cupholders(fine for coffee cup though) -back seat area could be bigger

I love cars. And my wifes BMW is a car that I enjoy so much it''s ridiculous. It''s a wagon that drives like a sports car(with the power of a sports car if you get a 540i). How''s that for handy? We''ve owned more reliable cars(see weaknesses), but never one that I''ve enjoyed every minute of driving nearly as much. It now has 27,000 miles on it and we would definitely buy another. Here''s some background on me: I subscribe to 5 car magazines. I came in second at a porsche club autocross my first time driving my friends 911. I come close to setting track records at any go-kart track I visit. Big deal, right? Well, yeah, sorry about the immodesty. My point is that I know a good car when I drive one. This is not a good car, but a incredibly good car. The refinement of the drivetrain and chassis is phenomenal. The engine is liquid smooth. The transmission shifts are barely felt and always occur when you want them to.The ride is firm yet compliant. The brakes work to perfection. Yup, it''s an amazing car to drive. The quality presents itself when you open and close the door, when you grip the M steering wheel, when you use the steptronic manual shift mode, when you increase or decrease your speed on the steering wheel mounted cruise control. This car screams quality. This car screams performance. I put a winter wheel/tire setup on(Blizzak MZ-02), and it annhialates my Chevy Silverado in every respect unless the snow gets really deep. ABS and traction control are perfection(although I usually turn off the traction control to feel the cars copius limits myself). If you drive like a grandma, you might be just as happy in a Camry. If not, stops at the Mercedes, Audi, and maybe Volkswagen dealers are the only ones you need to make on the way to the BMW dealer(we test drove the Allroad, A6 2.7T, E320 wagon, and Passat Wagon, among other inferior brands-Volvo, Saab). If you want 85% of the car for 60% of the price, get a Passat. If you love quality, prestige, and cavernous space, get the E320. If you want great power, good value, and all wheel drive to boot, get the Audi. I would be happy in any of them. But if you REALLY want the best driving machine, I recommend the BMW.

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Owned a 97 VW Passat(great car!) Test drove BMW X5, 740i, Mercedes E320 wagon and sedan, Audi Allroad, Audi A6 2.7T, Volvo V70 T5 and V70 Crosscountry(junk), Saab 9-5 wagon

Feel of the car. Safety

Problems with electrical and radiator. The insurance agent told me radiators tend to go out almost yearly on BMW''s ? After 2 in 1 year and 8 days, I could agree. Watch out for Continental tires? Anyone have them blow out?|

My car is always in the shop! Let''s see is it the various lights, brake and headlights, that have gone out about 10 times, the two radiators that have been replaced, the broken cupholders, the currently broken back window mechanism (even though in 5 years it''s rarely raised and lowered), or the thermastat and tie arems ... that frustrate me. Yes, it''s a fun car to drive and yes I''ve been the only owner and take it in routinely for maintenance, but enough is enough. Consumer reports listed electrical problems very high for this year and decreasing in problems with every year thereafter. I''d like to give BMW the benefit of the doubt and even bought an X-5, 2000 model, for the wife. Let''s see, died when going less than 10 MPH - they took out and reprogrammed the car''s computer - a national problem, the paint on the bumper chipped off, the paint on the internal door handle flaked off too, the gas tank has been replaced as well as fuel lines, and the brakes now make the stearing wheel vibrate when braking from 70mph or above. So do I just have bad luck? Well my partner has a 330 and has had three tires, Continental, blow out spontaineously on him! Causing a wreck the last time. Wouldn''t there be a lot of lawyers now after reading this huh? Well, maybe I''ll go Lexus, Audi or Infiniti? I know I''ll miss the feel, but not the inconveniences!!!

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where to start? * 2,8- 190 hp. might not sound a lot for quite a heavy car, but o boy, does it go fast!! 100km/h in 7,5sec may not be sufficient for some, but considering its size it is and it feel real fast!! It explodes even faster at greater speeds. * perfect aerodynamics- feels like sailing the road, extremely smooth, comfortable, relaxing ride * endless possibilities for upgrades,- I was considering MB or lexus at first, but then realised that non of them can be upgraded that much, and none of them look that good * amazing sound isolation- very quiet inside, and also noone pretty much hears the music insede the car. * strong body * smart steering wheel - never thought how nice it is to have radio/cassete controls, cruise control on the steering wheel. It''s all those little details! * very comfortable driver''s seat- the first time i sat in it I was amazed. The passenger seats are also allright. * Climate control heats up the saloon very fast and works quietly (unlike in Chrysler M300- where I coudn''t hear the radio when it started working!)

* fuel consumption was a bit of a shock at first - around 13/14L to 100km-highway, 16/18L to 100km in the city. But somehow that does not bother me- every second spent inside that car is such a relaxing and pleasant experience. * The audio system could offcourse be a bit better+ annoyngly it always switches to a standart mode which is only the Drivers speakers on the left side., so every time I start the car I have to manually switch on ALL the speakers. which is quite unlike BMW. * drivers door is squeeking a bit. * the clutches also sqeek sometimes

The more I drive this car, the more I fall in love with it. The perfect mix of power, design, quality and luxury. I got 17" Italian rims on it (245/45x17-front, 255/40x17-back), so now it looks even more amazing. I get people turning heads all the time- I never thought nor intended this, but there you go. It is the little details, millions of them, that make you love this car! Genuinly driver''s car!

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* Chrysler 300M- consumes more, but not as quick and sporty * BMW X5 - very fast for a an SUV, but not as cosy and comfy inside- more of a spartan atmosphere inside. *

POWER, handling, responsiveness, style, ease of controls no need to look at other cars, because everyone''s looking at your.

SOUND, expensive maintanace, poor cupholders.

5 series luxury sport sedan is the best in its class. Don''t forget that this combination is not for everyone, but for those who want near porshe performance, almost like mercedes luxury and inside space sufficient for most of your needs. Just for the style/looks of that car i would buy it again. Perfect balance of everything. And that 6-speed manual transmission is a key to heaven :-) P.S. sound (audio) is poor thought, but sound of an engine is all you need.

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BMW 7 (96), MB S500 (93), Vette C5 (00).

good looks good performance when it''s not in the shop

UNreliability. What''s the point of having a nice car if you can''t depend on it?

If you are about to buy this car, think twice.This was my first and last BMW -- I loved this car at first, this is why I bought it back in 1996. But as the utter LACK of reliability became apparent, the love faded. Problems have been too numerous to list, ranging from relatively minor (e.g. windows stop working -- cost $250 to $300 to fix -- this happened TWICE!) to major (e.g. dumping of coolant causing engine to overheat -- stranded on side of road) I have spoken with other BMW owners (5 Series and 7 Series), and I''ve found that it''s not just me and my car. This lack of reliability is a common feature of BMW cars. I''m warning you...the only thing ultimate about this car is its UNreliability

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Performance Handling Fit/Finish Looks

GPS

I just sold my 1998 modified 3000GT VR-4. So I''m fanatic about performance. The 540i Sport is all you need. It''s fast, it handles well and there are plenty of upgrades when if you need them. I was considering the 6-Speed, but there''s a reason why there are very few used 540i Sports w/auto, people love them. With three modes of transmission, and all the Sport model upgrades, it''s a great car. The push button CD-ROM based GPS is inferior to the Lexus/Acura touch screen DVD based GPS, the Lexus/Acura make a better sounding stereo and Acura comes with a lot of more options as standard equipment. When you buy a BMW you are buying the performance. The fit/finish and the inspiration of the car. All those are standard with a BMW. You are spending money on performance & inspiration. When you buy a Lexus, you are paying for high-resale value, and reliability. Lexus are fast and handle well, but the inspiration is missing. It has no soul. I know that sounds stupid, but it’s true. A BMW not fast & furious, it’s performance & inspiration. If you’re somebody like me who was torn between 3, 5, 7 and X, or the M than here it is. Buy an 540i Sport with Automatic Transmission. Here’s why. 540 is more sophisticated than the 330 and has better performance than the 740. Stick shift is great, but forget, give yourself a break and buy the auto it fantastic and very responsive. So the M3 and the M5 are out. Plus, why spend all that money on M5 or M3. Truly, when is the next time you are going to really utilize that kind of power? Most people wont. Most people that can afford the car won’t push it. So forget it, throw it out of the equation. Now it’s a matter of 540 and X5 4.4. The X5 4.4 isn’t much of an SUV. (If you want a great SUV, buy something that’s bigger, buy a Toyota Highlander.) Anyway, the X5 It’s 5-series with AWD that will sit you a bit higher than the 540. The price points are similar to 5-Series. But the Fit and finish is not as nice as 5-Series, it doesn’t handle as well and it’s doesn’t have as much inspiration as the 540. Some cheaper parts too. Nothing is for free. The winner, 540I Sport /auto.

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