Frozhand

Hi,
I've been a member in this forum for a couple months. I own a 2005 BMW 530i; however, I was thinking I want to get a new 5-series in a couple months. Can I ask for some opinions please? I will drive it all year round during summer and winter. In Vancouver, we get about a month of snow per year, so probably, i don't really mind taking the bus if the snow is really bad. Here are my two choices:

550i
Carbon black/Black Nasca
Premium package (inludes comfort seats and pdc)
M style body kit with 19" M-style wheels included with 550i
CAD$86200

535xi
Carbon black/Black Nasca
M sport package (18" style 135m wheels double spoke)
premium package
CAD$81400

I'm pretty sure I can negotiate on the price of 550i further down compared to 535xi, so, they will probably be about CAD$3-5k difference give or take.

My other choice would be a used 650i with about 15k kilometres in it and about $90k for the price.

Thanks.

doug_999

I would compare the 535i to the 550i and decide from there. If you only get a month or so of snow, then snow tires will do just fine on either car.

EBMCS03

I would go for the 550... I like the V8 and I dont want to chip anything cuz of warranty... $3-5K CDN I guess wont kill you so its not really about the price. But dont forget for the added price What extra comes on the 550 standard thats not standard on the 535? Sport Exhaust? Larger wheels? Larger brakes? Premium lightning? PDC? Those use to be the difference between I6 and the V8 version... but I dont know about it now.


and don't forget theres A LOT of people here who just like the 535 because it uses less gas... Not sure if you care... and for a low cost you can chip the 535 and get more power out of the car.

Kamdog

Unless you absolutely must drive the car when it snows or might snow, I think the xi is not a good choice. It means carrying a lot of weight and complexity all year long for only a couple of times of use.

dpohlman

I own a 550i so I realize that it may be hard for me to be purely inpartial. I do feel that the 550i will have a higher fun factor, and with the new M-body moldings it looks fantstic. With all of that said, if snow driving is a key to your decision, then the 535xi will be better in the snow.

Even though the 535 looks close on paper 0-60, in my opinion the 550i drives like it is not having to work hard to get to any speed. The 535 also seemed to run extremely hot (almost near the shut-down point) when I drove it. I don't know if they put an oil cooler on the 535 automatic transmission models, but it almost seems like it does not have one.

grover432

I am trying to make the exact same decision. I have test driven both cars over the past 2 weeks and still can't make up my mind. Both are excellent cars and each car offers something the other car doesn't.

From my test driving, I would offer the following: If you don't mind slightly poorer handling and would like some extra power, then take the 550i Sport. In Vancouver, the number of days you have to deal with snow may not necessitate awd. On the other hand, if you spend a fair bit of time in Whistler or other areas with snow, you may feel the awd is something you really want.

The 550 has alot more body roll that the stiffer sprung 535xi, however, in the power department, the 550 offers more than the 535. There has been alot of debate on this and other forums about the 535 having the same (or almost the same) 0 - 60 performance as the 550. I can tell you that after driving both this past Friday "back to back", the 550 has "longer legs" than the 535 and has more power available with less effort than the 535 (not that the 535 is in any way weak, by comparison). The 535 has excellent power and would be more than exciting for most, but the 550 just has more.

The 535xi has a lighter sportier feel and has much less lean in the corners. If you have a more aggressive driving style, this car may offer you more. I found the 535xi to be a bit more nervous in the front end (steering) than the 550, but it wasn't a major problem for me. I find the ride in the 535xi to be a bit too harsh and the 18" runflats that come with the M Sport package are a bit noisy. If I end up ordering a 535xi, I'd change the tires to non run flats.

Many are going to criticize my "review" of the 550 by saying it doesn't have body roll. I drove both cars at 70km/h on a highway on ramp (posted speed 30 km/h) and the 535xi was much flatter than the 550. In fact I didn't like the amount of roll the 550 exhibited. An option would be to order the 550 with Dynamic Drive. The active roll bars eliminate most of the body roll, but in Canada you get Active Steering (AS) with Dynamic Drive as standard, so you would have to like the AS feel. I'm going to test drive a 750 on Tuesday (the dealer doesn't have an E60 with AS) to see how I like it. Many people swear by it, others say it gives the steering an artificial feel.

When it comes to pricing, I don't think you can expect much more of a discount on the 550. I'm working with my dealer to get a 6% discount off msrp, which is invoice plus 3%. The dealer hasn't said yes, but he is't letting me walk from the negotiations yet. there has been no suggestion that there are thousands extra in the 550 to negotiate with. The cars are $5,000+ apart. The car I priced (550 with premium and technology, usb - must have- and sun shades) was $92,000+, which is really getting up there.

I don't know what is going to help me make my mind up - maybe a Psychiatrist.

EBMCS03

You're right thats a fact. the engine in the 550 is heavier than the 535 so you will feel some difference without Dynamic Drive. With dynamic drive the V8s are pretty flat turning at any speed hahah and DD I think helps quite a bit.

But I am surprised you said that the 535 was "much flatter" did you take the 535 on the inner part of the ramp where its banked more vs the middle part where its not banked as much which exhibited to the feeling of it being flatter? I'm not sure I'm just saying... and maybe the xi X Drive helps by transfer more power up to the front wheels when if felt it "needed" it. But ya its a tough decision.

Good thread guys. much better than the other 535 vs 550 where people just kept bashing saying ones better than the other. At least here you guys realize the plus and minus of each.

grover432

EBM,

I can't say that I put the two cars on the exact same line through the "cloverleaf" on ramp, but the ramp is fairly flat in any event. I was surprised at how much the 550 leaned at the same speed as the 535xi. I'm not sure the front wheels of the xi were doing too much with respect to the leaning issue, but the xi seems stiffer overall, so perhaps that is why it didn't roll as much through the cloverleaf sweep.

Myself, I'm leaning towards the xi. Where I live, we have snow on the roads 5months of the year and I had occassion to drive a Lexus awd car for 3 weeks last winter and it made a real impression from a traction point of view.

I like the power of the 550, but I think the 535 has more than enough power for my purposes. It also delivers it in a more linear manner. If your try the 550 (auto) in the sport mode and try to accelerate quickly (but not fast) away from a stop sign, the engine revs rapidly from 2,000 - 3,000 in each gear (gears 1, 2) until the car reaches 40 mp/h. It's hard to get the car to accelerate to this point smoothly in the sport mode. Maybe over time I'd develope a softer feel on the accelerator pedal. I think this is a throttle mapping issue in the sport mode as it is fine when diving in the normal mode. The 535 doesn't seem to have this problem. I love the look of the 550 though and the extra 200+ pounds and wider 19" tires make it feel more planted.

A tough decision, really! Perhaps if I drove a 550 with Dynamic Drive (+AS) and really liked the handling, I'd sacrifice the awd, but as it stands, the snappier handling of the 535xi with the convenience of awd has me leaning in that direction.

grover

JetBlack5OC

Oh great, not this debate again. 535i vs. 550i

info@trinityautosport

for you and those reasons, i think i would vote for the 535xi.