Lucky

This is the background: due to some projects I care for far away from my home town, I'm traveling much more than expected. As a consequence, my mileage is already the double of what I agreed with BMW when I signed my long-term lease with them. To avoid to pay a big amount of money as penalty for additional mileage at the end of contract, I asked to BMW to study for me some solutions. They offer either to increase the monthly payment or to give them back the car and start a new contract.

Now I'm facing a dilemma: I'm tempted to change the car (it would be the fourth new car in four years), especially because I changed my mind and I'm looking now for Touring carrying capability, but, at the same time, I'm wildly tempted by the new little beasts from BMW: 335i and new 335d, coupe and Touring. About the 335i coup?, I read in the press the first drive tests and I was surprised by the very high appreciation expressed by all the test drivers: never read such enthusiastic comments before. That 335i couip? really seems to be a hell of a car.

So, these are all the factors of my sleep-less night thinking:

1) to change to a new car, but which one? 335i coup? (that will imply to buy a second, bigger family car, something my wife really doesn't like)? 335i Touring (better family car, but not in the same dimension class of my 535)?

2) to ask to BMW to arrange a new deal to cover the timespan until next spring, when , most probably, the new restyled E60 will be on the market. Then, my choice will be a 535d Touring, with the new electric Steptronic and full aluminium twin turbo engine now offered in the 335d.

Definitively, I don't want to buy a new E60 now that will be surpassed in few months by a fully revised version with big mechanical and equipment improvements.

Hard decision; your suggestions?

znod

I take it that you are largely ingnoring the economics of the situation except that you don't want to owe a big lump down the road. Given this observation, I'd do 2 since it would increase my options and take care of the lump before getting a new car. You might end up with one car that satisfies all needs--the 535d touring.

ccmun

No doubt. Go for Option 2 and get the new car next year.

Veight

New E60 fully revised??? I thought the new 5 series weren't due until MY10. The MY07 should be the same car until 9/07 correct? Major revision not due for years. Anyone?

Ricracing

A facelift next spring, but in EU the new 535dA engine is intresting,
as is the new gasoline 535i!

EBMCS03

2

Lucky

I'm speaking about E60 fully revised: that means our current E60 with a midlife updating, similar to the Merc E class "new generation" model appeared this year.

The totally new 5 series will not be an E60 !

Lucky

So, nobody is impressed or interested by the new 335i coupe. Here in Europe it's doing a lot of noise, all the major car magazines are comparing it to the best sport cars on the market, telling that it has the performance of a true sport car like a Porsche but the refinement and driving comfort of a first class sedan. I'd like to drive test one of them.

Lucky

In spring 2007 quite a few changes are expected on all E60/E61:

new engines available : aluminium block 3.0 L twin turbodiesel (286 hp) and 3.0 L double turbo gasoline engine (306 hp)

new electrically operated steptronic auto tranny

new front and rear bumpers

some minor refinement in the body and interior

new X-drive transmission, same as X3 and X5

I cannot confirm that all these changes will take over in march, informations from people more in touch with Munich than me are highly appreciated.