sj3

Silver: Did you get your 'extended warranty' through the dealer? I thought all they were offerring was extended maintenance, which is definitely not the same thing. Thanks.

Sam

speuk

The hi fi speakers are excellent value and great sound... vast improvement on std spec without the cost of L7. Have you seen/thought about 116 17" wheels? I would stick with the wood trim either maple or poplar.

SPE
[SIZE=1][COLOR=blue]530dA Sept03, Siler-grey, blk lthr, fsh, poplar wood,116 17"wheels, bus nav, BT, Sunroof, hi-fi spkrs, 6CD changer, auto dim mirrors....

Doctor Diesel

the one I've got on loan right now has standard sound and I agree, hi-fi speakers are a must.....I won't go L7 though as I really don't need it (also tried it in a 7 series and although better, not ?500 better )

DrT

Doctor Diesel,

Are you test driving the 530 manual or automatic ? I thought the manual sounded like a taxi but the auto was great. But you don't get the fuel economy with an auto. In the end I decided to stick to the engine I know and go for 525i SE Manual (couldn't justify ?3000 extra for the 3 litre petrol which always sounded too boomy for me in the 3 series format). It also allowed me to go crazy on the options.

In the end I opted for the following (UK delivery May 20 - can't wait) :

525i SE Manual
Orient Blue
Beige Dakota Leather
Poplar Wood
Sports Steering Wheel (heated)
Wooden Gear Stick (accessory)
Auto Dim Int & Ext
Advanced AirCon
Bluetooth Phone
Extended Lights Package
Grad Tint Windscreen
Heated Seats (front and rear)
Non smoker pack (fewer cigarette lighters for the kids to play with!)
BMW HiFi (not logic 7)
PDC
Electric Rear Blind
Through Load
Floor Mats
Service Inclusive (worth it if you do over 15K p.a)
Star Spoke 115

Try a car with standard 16" over the 17" run flats. The ride difference is very noticeable over country road tarmac (I'm Cheshire based). There is a lot of tyre on the 16" and I think they look quite good (unless you like your wheel arches full of rim only like some of our US posters : ). If you have smooth tarmac (or noise reduced tarmac) then you can't tell the difference. It really depends where you are in Scotland and where you're heading !

You'll get a smile from the dealer if your new vehicle order form goes to two pages !

Doctor Diesel

DrT......(another doc?)

Yes, its the auto version, it feels much nippier in the midrange than even my cooper S.

Your option list is very similar to mine though hot st.wheel and seats aren't needed as its garaged every night and I use a bluetooth earpiece so no need for the ?500 option.

Being a gadget freak, I have to have pro-nav and I've aske the dealer to look into the voice recognition problems.

I'm starting to firm up the spec and that is due in part to the great advice and comments I've had from everyone here on this board.....sorry folks but expect me to become a regular and I promise to improve on the avatars I've used so-far!

ISUK

Doctor D,

I estimate that the 535d will be around ?2500 above the 530d. If they price it much higher they'll push it into unattractive tax land for most company car drivers and it must surely end up replacing the 3.0d engine at some point anyway. I can't see there being a large enough market for a 525d, 530d and 535d.

As for discounts my dealer is certainly not inferring that they are not prepared to discount on the new model so I will be pushing for 5% minimum on a sport model.

browellm

Not so sure the 530d will be replaced. Remember that the 535d IS the 530d with an extra turbo bolted on. So in terms of production costs it's not as if they have to maintain a 3 engine line-up.

silver4evr

Less air, more friction, less speed. A tire without air is not round anymore. As the tire rotates and comes in contact with the road it flattens out as the weight of the car puts pressure on it.

If you have ever seen the police car chases on American TV you will notice that the police almost always attempt to puncture the tires to slow down the vehicle being chased. They definitley do not speed up.

silver4evr

Extended warranty (with many limitations-no coverage for Park Distance Control or Navigation (if you have it) by a third part purchased through the dealer. It goes for 6 or 7 years.

ricky

Here follow some images: 530d E60 Titanium silver, aluminium trim.