Heelsonwheels

" But if the 550 allows me to blow past a passive-aggressive asshole hogging the left lane doing 60 mph"

Effortless passing and acceleration I know the 535 is quick and not underpowered; but when i drove it I just didn't get that feeling....and if you're leasing then you're probably not going to be adding any dinan chip perf mod.

swajames

That can only be an in-gear time which I personally don't think is a measure of real world performance (if you are at 50 and want to accelerate quickly to 70 you don't leave the car in high gear...) Real world I have to expect the 550 being faster on both but the 50-70 test is a great measure of engine flexibility and that's one area where the twin turbo engine does shine.

Then again - the 535 and 550 question is about more than speed. There are cheaper cars that are faster than both (and the 550's main E Class competitor, the E550, is quite a bit faster). For me, the M Sport package and exhaust note on the 550 is all the justification I need for the additional $$$, if you don't place as much value on those then the 535 starts to look like a great deal. A couple of important advantages for me are that I see more 535's on the road here in the Bay Area than LCI 550's and as I don't mod my cars then any potential gain from chipping the 535 is moot as I would only ever be looking at performance from the stock configuration.

pennetta

I came from a V8 545 immediately preceding my 535. If the 535 didn't come with the stagged wheels and same interior, I would have gotten the 550. I have had turbo cars before and know how easily you can download software and get 384 hp and 421 ft/lbs, this was the deciding factor for me. I had the V8 and there is not a lot you can do to get more power unless you rip apart the engine, which I did not do on my 545. The Dinan software is/was a joint effort with BMW to combat MB AMG, thats why the warranty is still covered for 4 yrs/50k mile. I know you can make anything go faster but when you can drive into the dealer and in the same time as an oil change you can drastically increase performance, I count that as another option on the option list. I did hear that BMW Motorsport will be coming out with their own performance products across the line, now it's mostly with the 3 series.
Back in 2004, the absolutely clear choice was the V8 if you were interested in performance, technology and prestige. Now its not and its even upside down if decide not to get the $8k more 550 and spend $2k more on the 535 for the software. Not only is there an additional 61 ft/lbs in the 535 than the 550 that will probably bring 0-60 numbers in the mid-high 4 seconds (very exclusive territory) but the 535 will be faster top speed because the speed governor is removed. BMW's new technology is the twin turbo and being an early adopter this added another plus in the column.
For me the 550 lost its exclusivity for all of these reasons, which will be quickly returned with it's own twin turbo.
Its good to get everyones opinions, let us know what you do.

JetBlack5OC

People use to have this same argument about the last Audi A6, 2.7t or 4.2.


If extra money isn't a factor, I would say the 550i is the way to go. Also since you are leasing and you don't want to do mods.

studavis

All things being equal, there is no replacement for displacement... 10k for the wonderful sound of that V8 is a BARGIN i tell you.

JayDee427

...........535i or 535xi all the way. It's also lighter, with better fuel economy (especially with gas prices going up), only 0.2 slower than the 550i 0-60. What's all this speed s**t? How many times are you really gonna race your e60? How many tickets you gotta get before you say enough is enough? The "535i" badge speaks for itself. Everyone will know what you have under the hood, what it's capable of performing, and there's not that many cars out there right now that can dance with the twin-turbo 535i.

Even though it will be a lease, you can still add one of Tony's (quad_m) M-tech kits to the 535i. Also depending on the climate where you live at, you can even get the 535xi with 4 wheel drive. When the lease is about to be up, you will have no problem re-selling the M-tech kit after you have it removed.........BTW, don't it costs more to insure the 550i as well?

bimmerturn

Same old story, mod this and add that and it will be a better car and by the time you are done you will be at the same price range as the 550i and still will not be a comparable car from driving enjoyment and feel point of view. Gas consumption, about the same, 1 or 2 mpg difference at best when averaged. The turbos really drink the gas at low speed and when pushed hard.

If you like to mod and worry about warranty and if the job is done right then 535i, if you want it from the box direct from the manufacturer fully warrantied with the V8 performance then 550i.

btw. insurance is about the same and at this price range it is not a deal breaker.

s4iscool

never met a 550 or 545 owner that regretted not getting the V8.

If big engines arent your thing, the 535 is fantastic as well. And as others noted, if you like playing with fire by modifying factory warranty cars, go for the 535.

JSpira

Wrong. Dinan is not working with BMW and BMW's warranty does not cover any problems that might arise from the use of Dinan products.

In fact, with BMW's new performance mods coming out, Dinan is probably a bit nervous.

AMG is Mercedes' in-house "tuner" the same way ///M is BMW's. The difference is that Mercedes acquired AMG while ///M grew organically within the firm.

terry79z

if you can afford, then i don't understand why you are hesitating....

answer: go with 550

reasons:

1. 0-60 doesnt mean anything much in everyday driving......i will go for v8 sound & feel

2. you'll be more proud of 550....since there are gonna be so many 535s out there including grandma next door...

3. 545->535 = downgrade?

4. money always bring happiness/joy