helper

I am am really tosse dup about which car to buy next. I always loved BMW until my 745-which was constantly having problems (I-idiotic!! drive mostly).

When the 6 came out, I bought the 645 cab. in hopes things were better. After numerous trips for service the service manager finally said-"He is as frustrated as I am, even BMW admits they have no clue why the 6 series and 7 series are so full of problems.

So here I am again. Do I get a 300 GS-which is not awfully exciting, but I suspect wil be very reliable. I also love the lok sof it.

An A6 whic is a nice car but agin no excitement.

Or do I get the 5 which drives well-the design is not my favorite (At least the 3 looks good). I am concerned with its poor quality ratings, and am nervous that it wil be as bad as the last two BMW's I had the misfortune of owning.

Please help-let me know what your experiences have been with the late model cars, and the not yet ready fr prime time-I drive.

Thanks

subterFUSE

This is a big decision.... and it comes down to your priorities.


If you primarily want a reliable car... then don't get a BMW. I've had more problems in 6 months of owning my BMW than I've had on every other car I ever owned before this one, combined. No lie. Of course, the problems really are not all that bad.... but I'm used to lexus and acura, where I never had a single thing go wrong ever. I love my BMW, and would not do it different if I had the chance.... but I know it is not as reliable as a Lexus. You just have to make that decision:

Do you want a high-performance, high-maintenance car.... or a low-performance, low-maintenance car?

JARRETT

The lexus gs 300 is pertty boring but the gs 430 is very nice, i wouldint get the 545i because they have more problems than the v6's do i would recomend comparing the gs 430 to the 530i and see which one u like better, because the 530i is more reliable than the 545i.

tachyon

If you want reliability ... nothing beats Lexus. BMW, however, has improved in just the last 2 years as they have started to fix the problems in the 7-6-5 series cars. The 3 series has had good quality all along.

In the JD Power initial quality survey this year they showed BMW ranked third overall behind Lexus and Jaguar. The Lexus GS 300/GS 430 had just 75 problems per 100 cars in the first 3 months of ownership. MB E class had 103 while the Audi A6 had 119. The BMW 7 series had 125 problems. The E60 had just 89, which was a big improvment from the 134 reported the model year before.

It looks like BMW is getting it right more often now on the E60. The #1 reported problem on the E60 was ..... drum roll .... cup holders. Ya think so?

We report, you decide.

bestbuy

I also considered the GS 300 before settling on the 530i. The GS is better priced (the package with most premium options is about $5.5K less in MSRP, and $8K less in invoice, than a comparable 530), its navigation is more intuitive, and it has better expected reliability, so it's definitely a "safe" choice. However, I could not quite accept its rear-end styling, its trunk is simply too small for a family (there's no option for fold-down rear seats), and then of course there's the "driving experience". Nevertheless, I hope the GS does well - the competition will hopefully push BMW to continue improving its quality levels.

rodneyremington

Don'y judge any cars quality by internet forums. It's a totally distorted reality, not that there aren't problems but it's mostly people with problems that seek out these types of forums.

I had an acura that was an excellent car but not one bit more reliable or problem free than my last car, a E46. After one month of E60 ownership, the time when most new car defects are discovered, has been flawless.

buy what you like. any modern car is infinitely more reliable than any car was new 10 years ago.

ZinMe

After 1,000 miles, I have had no problems whatsoever with my 545i-- initial quality has been great.

Drive a 545i with the sport package and active steering and see if you think its substantially better than the lexus (I think it is- no other luxury car compares.)

You can manage your financial risk via leasing and/or an extended warranty. BMW fiancial will sell you an extended warranty at the end of the lease at virtually the same price and with the same terms that they offer when you purchase the car new.

Bimmer06530i

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Bimmer06530i

This really your decision. I think it?s ridiculous to expect to people on this board to help you make a personal decision like this.

I have had my 530i for only 4 months now and not a problem. I have 4 friends with E60 2004 - 2005. None of them including two with 545i have really had any service issues.

If you read however the experiences the experiences of those on this board, a significant majority of those posting have encountered at least one of the following:

1) Their vehicles are so bad BMW has had to buy them back and they will never buy another BMW.

2) They have had BMWNA encourage them to sue them.

3) Their dealers have terrorized them.

4) They need to have versions 13.3, 14.1, 15.2, 16.1, 17.6, 18.2, 19.1 and look forward to version 20.5 installed.

5) Are generally dismayed and unhappy with their E60.

Nevertheless in spite of this encouraging news I went ahead and purchased my E60. I also put a M5 on order, looks like minimum 12 ? 14 month wait.

As far as the infallibility of Lexus which clearly makes a well built, but boring vehicle, unless your goal was to buy a luxury car, my neighbor who loves his new GS430 has had some fun with his car.

Instrument pod need to be replaced. Took one week to get part in. Needed air conditioner condenser. Had to wait a week for that part, but they gave him a loaner to get him through the heat while waiting for part. Again he still loves his car.

wowe

I can highly recomend a 530i. Mine is very good whith no issus and I have not loaded any new cip version beacuse it runs so smooth and good