mehall2

Fellow E60 Owners,

I am in the fortunate position to be needing another vehicle to drive in my household.

I purchased an 2004 545i in September. I love the car, but it is my wife's, currently. She drives it everyday to work and back and I only get to drive it on the weekends.

I currently drive a 2002 GMC Savana 3500 Van as my everyday vehicle, provided by the company I am employed by.

The company has changed policies so I will no longer be issued a Full Size Tank. I am going to buy my current one and drive it when I need the extra cargo and space capacity. About 4 times a month.

I currently put around 25-30K miles on my vehicle every year.

In replacing my GMC, I am looking at a variety of cars and wanted some opinions from my "educated" car nuts on this board.

I am looking at buying a sedan that gets better gas mileage than my Van. It averages 12-14mpg.

I was thinking about getting another e60 to put in the family. I love the car so much, I have a hard time looking at anything else. My wife thinks it is stupid to have 2 of the exact same vehicles in the stable. But I say, if it is the one I want, then why not. I can become very familiar with how they operate and duplicity does have its advantages.

I was thinking about getting her a new 2005 530 with HUD, as she wanted that for her 545, but we couldn't find one on the dealer lot.

So, if we bought the 530 for her, then I could drive the 545 for my daily transportation.

I am also contemplating a: X5, E500, Acura RL, Lexus 430, GMC Denali, maybe even a new 3 Series.

Some of my thoughts have been long term longevity of the BMW brand. This is our first BMW to own, as we have always bought GM Brands of Vehicles. I have always had decent luck with them.

I plan on keeping the BMW for at least 3-5 years or 100,000 miles or so.

I am a firm believer in "My car is my office" as that is where I spend most of my time. So, I don't mind spending the money to get something nice to drive and enjoy my road time. I also have to do some entertaining of business clients, so a nice car for appointments is a must.

So, am I crazy for getting another e60?

Will the 545 give me long term reliability and satisfaction?

What would you do if you were in my situation?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

4 wheel drive is not neccessary as I live in the Dallas area.

Thanks for any advice or comments.

Regards,

Mike Hall

gdavis

Sounds like a blast to have two of them. I would just plan on making the 2nd one a totally different color set for interior and exterior, and maybe throw in some different options as well. Make it a unique experience from one to the other.

Or what about a 645???

azwdct

I see no reason why you shouldn't get another 545 if you like it that much. If you want something to differentiate between the two cars, perhaps get either a manual or the smg. I personally love the smg transmission and feel it gives the car a very sporty feel. As for the long term reliability of the car, it's difficult to say that the 545 will be reliable long term since it's a new car. However, I have owned various BMW's over the last 10 years and have had no major problems. That being said, I did own a Jag xkr for a while, and had numerous problems with that car.

As far as suggestions of other makes, that is entirely a personal decision, but in my most recent deliberations on choosing a car, I drove almost every four door sedan available. I can only speak to my experiences and opinions. If you like the 545, I don't think you will be happy with the mb e500 long term. The cars have completely different characteristics. The e500 is more of a luxury car whereas the 545, particularly with comfort seats and the sport package, is a luxury sports sedan. The only cars that I feel come close to the 545 are the mb c55 amg and the e55 amg. I have driven both. The power, acceleration and price of the c55 are close to that of the 545, but the amenities and handling do not come close. The e55, however, is 22k more than a fully optioned 545 and provides amazing acceleration through a supercharged 469 hp motor. The amenties compare with that of the 545 in most respects, but it does not handle as well as the 545 sport. Also, the seats seem somewhat tight as the side bolsters, even when fully adjusted, are rather tight.

In short, my recommendation is to get a 545 sport with either the manual or smg transmission. I feel the transmission alone will differentiate the cars and provide a different feel. If the 545 is what you like, the only other sedans that compare in my opinion, are the mb c55 and e55. Of course, a M3 might not be a bad choice either, but they are changing the body style next my. If that is something you can live with, then that could also be an option. Again, these are just my opinions. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Iceman

You love the car... Go for it!
I would do it!!

Rudy

If you've had good luck with GM reliability, then you should be happy with BMW. Mechanically, they should last much longer than anything GM puts out.

You're probably already familiar with some of the software bugs so as long as your happy, I say get another BMW! How about an M5?

The 530 purchase/swap with wife sounds like a plan -- just don't get the same color or you might wind up getting in the wrong one and miss out on all the fun of the extra cylinders!

Wiu-Bimmer

I would wait for an M5,
Why not, if you really rely and care about what you drive, (And if money its not an issue) go for it. Place the order right now!!!
Get a long term loan and go for it, it will definitely be a keeper, make use of the low loan rates that we enjoy at the moment.

alohalc

i agree with the above posts. why not get another one if you like it that much ? or as you said, get your wife a new 530 but with different color combo and options. that really affects how you feel about the car .

heezy545i

Getting another e60 isn't crazy, but variety is good, so I'd opt for something else.

What's your price range? For a sedan in the 50-60K range, I'd get a S4 or a C55. For something with more luxury and comfort, maybe a Jag S type R or an e500.

heezy545i

I'd love to have a S4, possible even over a 545 or a M3, but from what I hear, you may barely get over your mileage requirement.

They are having some great lease deals ATM though.

mehall2

Thanks for all the replies. I am leaning towards another e60, pretty hard.

I am going to do some test driving this weekend. I am going to hit Acura, Cadillac for the CTS-V. Seems my local dealer has a bunch of them and I am intrigued by the 400HP V8 and 6 speed.

Also will stop by Mercedes to drive an E class. 320 and a 500.

Will keep ya'll updated.

Thanks, Again.

Mike H