das

Yes, I just started the forum a couple weeks ago...it's getting started slowly, but hopefully people will find it a good place to share information!

Litster

The new 5 Series is heating up! Anyone up for a chat session to talk about their opinions, order status, color choices, and option lists? We all live across different time zones. When would be a good time for most of us?

GTIgirL

I liked the board,and I'm not a guest anymore,i'm a new member..

victor

das

I appreciate the effort that you have obviously put into this site and this forum. I have only recently seriously considered purchasing a BMW and this site is by far the most current and pithy I have found. I was considering the latest Mercedes E when I heard from an aquaintance at work that the new 5 was on the way. I searched Google looking for wahtever info I could find and hit this place.

I for one think the new E60 design is fantasitic. I can see the appeal of the E39 but cannot fathom why some folks are so put off by the change in design direction. Things will always change, if you don't like it, move on.

I called my local dealer recently and was informed that they have 35 deposits for the new 5 and they expect to start seeing them in October. They had no information on the 545, nor did they have much info (i.e. ordering guide) in hand yet. If anyone gets their hands on any detailed info, please post it here. I check back often.

Litster

Victor, are you in the US? You can read the US order guide here on Das E60 site.

It has the most current info on 545i.

The other thread you might want to check out is this summary on this forum.

If you have more questions, fire away. One of us regulars here will try to answer.

Guest

Lister,

Thanks for the response. I am in Florida. I had seen the guide posted on the site but wondered if that was truly the ordering guide or if it was just a preliminary media release for the US market as it seems weak on details. I called my local dealer and the fella I talked to didn't seem to know much more than that the waiting list was already 35 deep.

I had planned on buying in September and am now trying to decide whether to wait until November for the 545. My biggest concern is whether all the options that have been rumored to be delayed will make it impossible for me to get the car I want until 1Q of '04.

If this is likely I may be forced to consider the 530 or see if I can work a decent deal on a '03 540. One of my coworkers has a 2001 530 with Sport and Premium but its not real impressive off the line.

Litster

Victor, that is the latest US order guide. My dealer photocopied it for me and I took pictures of them and sent them to Das for hosting them on his site. All current orders are based on this order guide now. New, final product brochures will be shipped in September. See this thread for details.

Your BMW dealer should have a copy of this order guide. If you ask, your salesperson should be able to find one and at least let you read about it at the dealership. If your salesperson is telling you s/he doesn't know much more than the waiting list is 35 deep, then it seems to me that your dealer is probably either trying to push you (or other potential buyers) to buy one of the old 5s that are stuck on the lot (probably having a great deal on them, too), or not care about selling you a new 5 now because there are already 35 people on the list, and if you want one you would have to get onto the waiting list and wait for at least two to three months before you can even order one. The dealer I deal with, which is a probably a top selling BMW dealer around here, gets 16 or so new 5 Series allocation for the first month, and they are already entering orders into the system. 525i, 530i, and 545i. I could order my 545i with SMG now if I didn't care about NAV or HUD (current ETA 04Q1 for these two options). My recommendation is to check with a couple other BMW dealers to see what they have to say on ordering a new 5 now.

As for the E39 530i vs. 540i (the retiring design), 540i is definitely more powerful. A co-worker who has a 540i told me that it has tons of power but it consume a lot of gas (15 mpg city driving the way he drives). Something to consider. No word on the 545i fuel economy yet.

BTW, Victor, if you become a registered user on this forum, you can rececive email notification when someone reply to your post. Very handy!

Guest

clj1nmj@aol.com

Lister:

I drive a 2002 540i 6 speed and the gas mileage, to me, is pretty good considering how agressively I drive. I have measured every tank of gas I have ever put in the car and am averaging for city driving roughly 19 - 20 mph over the 19 months that I have owned the car. I get better mileage in the summer. Highway driving is not bad either. I'
ve gotten as much as 29 mpg per tank while traveling cross country, but average between 24 - 26 mph. Highway traveling usually involves a heavy car with luggage and two passengers. I met a friendly 745i driver last summer while coming out of Vegas heading for LA, and I guess he thought I impertinent and decided to teach me a lesson in BMW ediquette. We ran across the high desert at speeds approaching 150 mph (well we all get a little crazy), and when I filled up in LA, I had averaged 26 mpg for that leg. So I dont think gas mileage is that big an issue with the E39 540i. (By the way, the 745i engine and power train is far superior than what we E39 driver have---that same engine/transmission in the E60 car cant help but be a lot faster and far more fuel efficient.

Claude

Litster

Claude, thanks for letting us know that you get good mileage from your 540i. This is good news. My Subaru Outback (4 cylinders) averages about 19 MPG. A V8 with the similar mileage would be a great trade! for me