Lease Expiring in May
#41
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Originally Posted by swajames' post='817408' date='Mar 15 2009, 03:14 PM
2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year
2008 Car and Driver 10 Best Cars list.
2009 CTS is on the Car and Driver 10 Best Cars list for a second consecutive year
Not bad for a rental car. The E60 never appears on the 10 Best.
2008 Car and Driver 10 Best Cars list.
2009 CTS is on the Car and Driver 10 Best Cars list for a second consecutive year
Not bad for a rental car. The E60 never appears on the 10 Best.
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Originally Posted by Richard in NC' post='817449' date='Mar 15 2009, 04:04 PM
If you read the C&D articles on the e60, it's always the best in class except for 2 possible reasons, price & iDrive. C&D votes the 3 in because it doesn't usually have iDrive. Frankly I'm tired of the press dissing iDrive. An hour to know it and its as good or better than most control systems.
#43
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Originally Posted by swajames' post='817389' date='Mar 15 2009, 03:02 PM
Since when did price directly equate to value or performance? The CTS is the better car.
The regular CTS is generally accepted to be one the best cars from GM in years. The CTS-V is proving to be a match for the M5.
The regular CTS is generally accepted to be one the best cars from GM in years. The CTS-V is proving to be a match for the M5.
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#44
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Originally Posted by Richard in NC' post='817449' date='Mar 15 2009, 01:04 PM
If you read the C&D articles on the e60, it's always the best in class except for 2 possible reasons, price & iDrive. C&D votes the 3 in because it doesn't usually have iDrive. Frankly I'm tired of the press dissing iDrive. An hour to know it and its as good or better than most control systems.
#45
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all that shit is subjective. jesus christ himself could come back to earth and say the pontiac sunfire is the greatest car in accordance with some prophecy, and i could give a shit. if i like the razr scooter, thats what i am going to get and kick my way around town with a helmet and a reflective vest on and nobody could tell me that my awesome ride isnt the shit. and cost to value would be insane. i would get infinite miles to the thimble and it would have a sticker price of $14.99
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Originally Posted by monacobmw' post='817065' date='Mar 15 2009, 01:11 AM
Hi,
I have not been here in a while. Well, my 3 year lease is up in May. I have a 2007 530i (see below for description). I want to do another 3 year lease. Actually, as you can see below, I actually want to do a 2 year lease, but the residual is horrible, so I am stuck with 3 years.
I really wanted to wait until the newly designed 5-series will be out, but now I am stuck. If I do a 3-year lease, I will get stuck with an old design car for a couple of years. I hate driving around with a car that is an older design when the new models come out.
I understand that the new 5-series design will be out in about 12-15 months.
When I first got my 530i, I never put on all of the mods.
Now, if I go with a 5-series, I can get the Aero Kit and all of the other goodies.
What is the advice on model? 535i or 550i?
I hate the fact that the 550i gets such poor gas mileage. It is not a money issue. It is more of an issue of having to fill my tank all of the time.
If money is not really an issue (but "value" is an issue), is it worth getting the 550i with Aero kit? Is this a good idea considering the change of design by next year? Would you go with the 535i with Aero Kit (I have my #166 wheels from my existing car)?
Would any of you consider other kinds of cars such as Mercedes or Lexus to fill in the gap until the new 5-series design comes out?
What is the good advice here in light of my timing? Thanks in advance for the recommendations.
Best regards,
Richard
I have not been here in a while. Well, my 3 year lease is up in May. I have a 2007 530i (see below for description). I want to do another 3 year lease. Actually, as you can see below, I actually want to do a 2 year lease, but the residual is horrible, so I am stuck with 3 years.
I really wanted to wait until the newly designed 5-series will be out, but now I am stuck. If I do a 3-year lease, I will get stuck with an old design car for a couple of years. I hate driving around with a car that is an older design when the new models come out.
I understand that the new 5-series design will be out in about 12-15 months.
When I first got my 530i, I never put on all of the mods.
Now, if I go with a 5-series, I can get the Aero Kit and all of the other goodies.
What is the advice on model? 535i or 550i?
I hate the fact that the 550i gets such poor gas mileage. It is not a money issue. It is more of an issue of having to fill my tank all of the time.
If money is not really an issue (but "value" is an issue), is it worth getting the 550i with Aero kit? Is this a good idea considering the change of design by next year? Would you go with the 535i with Aero Kit (I have my #166 wheels from my existing car)?
Would any of you consider other kinds of cars such as Mercedes or Lexus to fill in the gap until the new 5-series design comes out?
What is the good advice here in light of my timing? Thanks in advance for the recommendations.
Best regards,
Richard
To me, if you value the best handling and steering, go with BMW. I did.
But if you are looking for the faster car in a straight line, the E550, with its 382 bhp big V8 motor, is a bit faster than either BMW 550 or 535. But the suspension and steering in the MB are numb. It is just not a fun ride in the twisties. And MB has a horrible mechanical reliability rating.
The Lexis GS460 has a beautiful, luxurious sound system and an easier to use nav system/driver interface. But it is not nearly as fast as BMW 550 or 535. And its steering and suspension stink. This is the ride if you value luxury and not sport. That is why GS460 comes in last in just about every mid-sized luxury sedan comparison.
Another car to look at is the Jaguar XF Supercharged. It really is a terrific car. Fast and great handling. It has won most of the recent comparison tests. But Jaguars tend to have poor reliability ratings, resale values and, to me, it just did not drive as well as the BMW 550. But there is no harm in checking it out.
If you are looking for all out power, the Caddy CTS-V, at 556 bhp, is something to look at. It is no rental car and anyone who claims that it is is just being silly. It is an incredible value, especially if you can get a GM employee to give you a GMS code for pricing (an employee discount that reduces the car's price by many many thousands and there are GM employees on the Caddy forums discussing CTS-V who will give you a GMS code. the But I just could never bring myself to spend so much on a GM product. And I love BMWs and their handling and suspensions too much.
Between BMW 535 and 550, you can't go wrong. The 550 is a bit faster than the 535, especially at highway speeds. I went with the 550 as, for me, there is just no substitute for cubic inches. Also, I lease my cars and, as a result, cannot mod them. And the 550 has a lot of stuff standard that is optional in the 535. The 535 is a little lighter on its feet due to its smaller engine. But both handle well.
Good luck and happy hunting.
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It really depends on what you want. But the CTS-V is a really nice car and gives the M a run for its money.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?se...article_id=7113
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/index.ht...ctid=1753274258
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?se...article_id=7113
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/index.ht...ctid=1753274258
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Originally Posted by inuwashi' post='817667' date='Mar 15 2009, 08:37 PM
It really depends on what you want. But the CTS-V is a really nice car and gives the M a run for its money.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?se...article_id=7113
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/index.ht...ctid=1753274258
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?se...article_id=7113
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/index.ht...ctid=1753274258
Of course, when the F10 M5 comes out, I have no doubt that it will blow the CTS-V away. But that is at least 2 years away I think. And it will certainly be many tens of thousands of dollars more than the CTS-V. But it will be better.
#49
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Originally Posted by sdg1871' post='817688' date='Mar 15 2009, 06:01 PM
You are right. The CTS-V is faster 0-60 than the M5 and faster around the racetrack. And it is priced more like a 550. To get an M5 to be as powerful as a CTS-V takes expensive mods which add to the price of almost $100K. So, if bhp per dollar is your game, the CTS-V is your car. But to me, there is just something special about BMWs that GM cars will never have. I'd get a M5 if I could afford one. I have a 550i Sport as that's the best 5 that is within my budget.
Of course, when the F10 M5 comes out, I have no doubt that it will blow the CTS-V away. But that is at least 2 years away I think. And it will certainly be many tens of thousands of dollars more than the CTS-V. But it will be better.
Of course, when the F10 M5 comes out, I have no doubt that it will blow the CTS-V away. But that is at least 2 years away I think. And it will certainly be many tens of thousands of dollars more than the CTS-V. But it will be better.
So in a nutshell, I'm not so sure that the position is as clear as you think.
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I went into the dealership today.
I am leaning to the 550i for the following reasons.
(1) When you add the Aero package to the 535i, the price difference is smaller.
(2) The 550i is more abundant than the 535i with Aero to get a 2009 model with discounts
(3) I want the Carbon Black color which does not come with the 535i.
(4) Some of you have reported that the fuel economy of the 550i is not that bad compared to the 535i.
(5) Every single 535i that we have seen with Aero comes loaded, and I don't want to pay for all of the other stuff. The 550i mostly comes with what I want, and you can no longer order a 2009 to get the discounts.
I still like the 535i idea, as I am more interested in the overall package, and both cars have their pros and cons.
Perhaps the 550i will survive longer as a prestige car when the new design comes out.
I am leaning to the 550i for the following reasons.
(1) When you add the Aero package to the 535i, the price difference is smaller.
(2) The 550i is more abundant than the 535i with Aero to get a 2009 model with discounts
(3) I want the Carbon Black color which does not come with the 535i.
(4) Some of you have reported that the fuel economy of the 550i is not that bad compared to the 535i.
(5) Every single 535i that we have seen with Aero comes loaded, and I don't want to pay for all of the other stuff. The 550i mostly comes with what I want, and you can no longer order a 2009 to get the discounts.
I still like the 535i idea, as I am more interested in the overall package, and both cars have their pros and cons.
Perhaps the 550i will survive longer as a prestige car when the new design comes out.