LOL so he asked for advice then went against just about every suggestion?

Thing is whether you drive like a grandma or a madman the HPFP problems still happen. I'd still say get the 550, solid and dependable.

 

Yeah, I think he already had his mind made up, I just made the thread

 

He made the right choice. I could be biased, or maybe because I'm into my second X35i Bimmer and I've had no HPFP issues so far after nearly 50,000 miles combined. (knocking on wood as we speak)

..and I put foot to mine regularly, loving the hell out of the additional hp boost that the SSTT adds.

 

Looking a couple years down the road, do you think the $3K differential will still exist? The salesman suggested that the 535i would be easier to re-sell and likely have a higher resale value. The market here in Canada is so small its difficult to validate ie. based on 530i vs 545i sales. However, in the Audi world there is virtually no difference in used 3.2 vs 4.2 A6 car prices. What is the view in the American market?

 

If you're looking at resale DEFINITELY get the 550, the V8 cars tend to be the top of the line of the 5 series. They are usually optioned out, and with the added power and reliability the V8 gives it's really a no brainer. The only possible reason the 535 will come close in resale value is the fuel economy, that's it, and the difference between the 550 and the 535 is not enough to justify that. If we were talking about say my 530, then maybe - I have gotten 35 mpg easy cruising on the freeway at 85-90 mph.

 

I know! Getting an almost loaded '08 550 w/ 30k miles for 32k is not happening...i've been shopping for that exact car.
35k would be a good price i think.

 

no doubt. my friend gets 12ish in the city, 18 combined. 550i is easily recommendable if you live in a less urban city and see 20mpg around town. come to a metro area and the story vastly changes. i get about 16mpg in my 2007 530i.

it's pretty simple logic. if the HPFP realistically affects 35-40% of the x35i's then almost everyone is going to NOT recommend you buy one. it doesn't mean yours sucks at all, it just means odds are definitely against you if you purchase one.

i love how offended 535i owners get when members on this board cannot recommend the 535i, like it's an attack on their personal vehicle.

 

Not all, Gene is pretty reasonable. You're right though, the 535 and all other x35 cars in the line up can be spectacular cars. Just can't recommend them in good conscience, even the all new F10 535 is already reporting HPFP issues, which tells me BMW has NOT fixed the issue yet. Another reason why, even though I like the F10, I wouldn't get one for at least 2 years.

 

tuffluck...RMcoolX was merely stating that he's gone a certain amount of miles without problems. It doesn't mean he's saying the N54 is bulletproof, merely sharing his positive experience just as N54 owners with hpfp problems will share their negative experiences. IMO, you'll get a unbalanced report of negative vs/ positive experiences as it's rare for someone to post a positive experience as that's expected, it's when things don't go along as planned is when we read about it. I think that's true on any car forum you come across. I would love to see the number of N54 engines bought versus the number of hpfp repairs actually performed per vehicle. That being said, can't the V8 owners be just as quick to promote their beloved NA engine. Like always, it comes down to personal preference and what the purchaser is comfortable taking his chances with. No matter what, all of e60's will have something break down at some point......

 

So the 535i owners who have chimed in with no HPFP issues and are happy with their cars are offended? Funny, I don't see anybody offended in any of the positive 535i posts. I simply see them posting their opinions of a car they actually own and drive. Unlike you who has neither a 550i or 535i and always like to put your 2 cents in on the 535i. From reading this and your prior posts in this forum you seem to be ridiculously obsessed at justifying your decision to buy a 530i over the 535i. Be happy with your decision and your car and move on. :thumbsdown: