about to purchase a new 550i, with a few questions
12-24-2007, 09:15 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by Rob Ouellette' post='510343' date='Dec 24 2007, 06:45 PM
I currently own a 01 330i in jet black.I noticed 3 different types of black paint that are available.
The second question is the comfort access key. It seems absurd to me that for a car that costs as much as the 550i does it costs $1,000 to have the feature.
Finally, my 330i has a manual transmission. any thoughts you may have.
The second question is the comfort access key. It seems absurd to me that for a car that costs as much as the 550i does it costs $1,000 to have the feature.
Finally, my 330i has a manual transmission. any thoughts you may have.
CA is a must( no need to take out the CA fob(remote) anytime as long as U have in your pocket / handbag.Works with gloves too.
I have sport auto trans. and (ACC with Stop n Go, Love It.....)
12-24-2007, 11:40 PM
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My Ride: 2008 Sapphire Black on Black M5 - loaded sans soft close doors
As you have realized, this board is a great source of info!
Yes, Comfort Access (CA) is a must have. Today heading out to my car with my hands loaded with Xmas presents, I was able to reach down and press the trunk release and open the trunk without putting anything down in the snow. There is no way I could do that with the key stuck in my pocket. This is a must have feature. Of note, there is a write-up on it around here somewhere - it is a BMW write-up with all the technical specs. When you read it you realize why it is $1K.
Manual is very bad for resale -but does not hurt your lease price at all.
Manual in the 08 550 has a short throw shifter - most cool.
Do not listen to the dealer - you are going to probably have to order the car you want. Can take as little as 6 weeks and yes, you might have to drive around to various dealers and check out the three different blacks - check that, the two different blacks and the three different blues (Carbon Black is really blue).
Good luck!
Yes, Comfort Access (CA) is a must have. Today heading out to my car with my hands loaded with Xmas presents, I was able to reach down and press the trunk release and open the trunk without putting anything down in the snow. There is no way I could do that with the key stuck in my pocket. This is a must have feature. Of note, there is a write-up on it around here somewhere - it is a BMW write-up with all the technical specs. When you read it you realize why it is $1K.
Manual is very bad for resale -but does not hurt your lease price at all.
Manual in the 08 550 has a short throw shifter - most cool.
Do not listen to the dealer - you are going to probably have to order the car you want. Can take as little as 6 weeks and yes, you might have to drive around to various dealers and check out the three different blacks - check that, the two different blacks and the three different blues (Carbon Black is really blue).
Good luck!
12-24-2007, 11:53 PM
#13
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My Ride: 07 550 i, mystic blue, black leather, cold weather package, nav, sport, shades, bags, rear heat, V1 hardwired.
05 F350 TD Crew Cab
04 Range Rover HSE
91 964 C4 Cabrio
07 997 Turbo Cabrio
Finding this forum before placing the order is one of life's finer discoveries.
I won't wade in on the color, just offer the tidbit that go with what the wife likes, and if you are not married, enjoy the freedom man.
I did not order the comfort access, and regret it on my 550i. I also think it is way over priced, but remember, it is a BMW, so no bucks, no Buck Rogers.
I also wished I would have ponied up for the hud display, but think the logic 7 is not worth the cash, but then again, my opinion should be based upon the fact that the only thing I have ever listen to is channel 85 on Sirius.
The manual tranny on the 550i IMEO is a chore. I driven a clone of mine with a manual, and found it difficult. I don't know about the resale value, as I have no data to support a an informed opinion, however I much prefer the autobox in mine, but I have a couple of 911's in the garage to drive when my left leg starts to atrophy.
A few things I would suggest when you actually order the car.
(1) build the car you want on line, and then shop it to the at least three dealers. I found about 3k is savings doing this, because the dealer here matched the best price.
(2) somewhere in the archives of the site is a list of what the options cost the dealer, get it, because you can negotiate every one of them
(3) sometimes, a dealer will have a five series in the pipeline build queue, and right up to the moment they start stamping metal, the dealer can change that order to accommodate the new build request.
(4) the sports package and cold weather should be a must
(5) if you haul anyone in the back, I would suggest the rear air bags. I think they should be standard on a car that approaches 70k, but again, it is a BMW
(6) if you are still unsure on the tranny, check and see if the manual and the sport tranny still kick you into the gas guzzler trap. This was the final straw for me, the autobox avoids this tax.
(7) the very first thing you do when the car gets in your hands is shut off the traction control (all the way) and mash the pedal till she won't go anymore.
I won't wade in on the color, just offer the tidbit that go with what the wife likes, and if you are not married, enjoy the freedom man.
I did not order the comfort access, and regret it on my 550i. I also think it is way over priced, but remember, it is a BMW, so no bucks, no Buck Rogers.
I also wished I would have ponied up for the hud display, but think the logic 7 is not worth the cash, but then again, my opinion should be based upon the fact that the only thing I have ever listen to is channel 85 on Sirius.
The manual tranny on the 550i IMEO is a chore. I driven a clone of mine with a manual, and found it difficult. I don't know about the resale value, as I have no data to support a an informed opinion, however I much prefer the autobox in mine, but I have a couple of 911's in the garage to drive when my left leg starts to atrophy.
A few things I would suggest when you actually order the car.
(1) build the car you want on line, and then shop it to the at least three dealers. I found about 3k is savings doing this, because the dealer here matched the best price.
(2) somewhere in the archives of the site is a list of what the options cost the dealer, get it, because you can negotiate every one of them
(3) sometimes, a dealer will have a five series in the pipeline build queue, and right up to the moment they start stamping metal, the dealer can change that order to accommodate the new build request.
(4) the sports package and cold weather should be a must
(5) if you haul anyone in the back, I would suggest the rear air bags. I think they should be standard on a car that approaches 70k, but again, it is a BMW
(6) if you are still unsure on the tranny, check and see if the manual and the sport tranny still kick you into the gas guzzler trap. This was the final straw for me, the autobox avoids this tax.
(7) the very first thing you do when the car gets in your hands is shut off the traction control (all the way) and mash the pedal till she won't go anymore.
12-25-2007, 01:53 AM
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My Ride: Jan 2006 E63 650i Sport
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Options:
Sport version (includes: sport-seats, sport-suspension, M-Sport steering wheel, Anthracite headliner, Shaddow Line), Saphire Black, Black Dakota Leather, Anthracite Maple Wood trim, Steptronic Auto, Xenons, NAV-Professional with Voice Control, TV, CD-Changer, Bluetooth, Logic7, Head-up Display, Comfort Access, Seat Heating front, Auto Dimming & Folding Mirrors, Extended Auto Air Conditioning, PDC.
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Originally Posted by Rudy' post='510379' date='Dec 25 2007, 04:01 AM
As others have said, color is a personal preference. Carbon black really does have a blue shade to it in different lighting conditions. It's a great color and it's exclusive to the 550 (at least for now) so it's not so common on the road. If you're looking for a true black, you need to choose one of the other variants.
I have Carbon Black, because I loved the dark blue shine! Does not make a lot of sense with the naming, however the 525 has a 3 liter engine -- so confusing customers is obviously something BMW is into at the moment
To help you get a better idea of the colours, take a look at the Exterior Colours section of the forum. You will find everything you need there. Also by clicking on my profile/avatar, you can go into my galleries and see really how blue the Carbon Black can be under strong sun light.
Exterior Colours section: http://www.e60.net/information/options/exterior/
As for the transmission choice, I do not think performance plays a role anymore in this discussion, because the autos on the E60 are so quick, especially the Sports Auto. With regards to re-sale values , I have read a number of members here desperately searching for manual V8 E60s but not being able to find them for love nor money, so they sound more like gold dust to me rather than something that will be difficult to sell! So IMHO it simply comes down to personal driving preference.
12-25-2007, 04:49 AM
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Thanks for everyone taking the time to respond. You have me thinking about the type of black, hadn't really thought of the points that the group has made. With the comfort access item, I do tend to agree that the feature belongs in a car that is this expensive, I was more reacting to the marketing spin that BMW puts into selling an option for a grand that pretty much everyone is going to want to have on the car. It isn't like a stereo option, in which customers may very well want several different alternatives. The transmission may be a last second decision, but I've always had a manual and I'm thinking there is no reason to stop that tradition.
I do play on keeping the car for a long time. I had planned on keeping my 01 330i for 8 or 10 years, but it has left me stranded by the side of the road 3 times in the past 5 months, all for different reasons, and my wife has flatly said you aren't putting our boys in that car. So, I'm a little annoyed the car has run out of track a little early for my liking (6.5 years) but I understand her point. And I think a new 550i is a reasonable compromise. At least in my view.
Enjoy the holidays, everyone. Thanks for your help.
I do play on keeping the car for a long time. I had planned on keeping my 01 330i for 8 or 10 years, but it has left me stranded by the side of the road 3 times in the past 5 months, all for different reasons, and my wife has flatly said you aren't putting our boys in that car. So, I'm a little annoyed the car has run out of track a little early for my liking (6.5 years) but I understand her point. And I think a new 550i is a reasonable compromise. At least in my view.
Enjoy the holidays, everyone. Thanks for your help.
12-25-2007, 06:11 AM
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My Ride: 2006 550i, Alpine White, Beige Ltr, Sport Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, Premium Sound, Active Steering, Comfort Access, Steptronic, Nav, Satellite Radio, Split Fold Rear Seats, V1
Rob,
Welcome to the forum. I hope you get as much out of it as I have over the years. There is an amazing wealth of knowledge in all of the participants. I can only hope to help by adding my two cents.
I just got a new 550 in Carbon Black. I liked the unique aspect of it being available only on a 550 sport. The color changes with the light which is very cool. I will enjoy waxing it and getting that up close perspective. Clearly this is a matter of personal choice and you can not make a bad decision.
This is my second 550 with comfort access. Make no mistake, I am pissed that this is a $1K option. This is standard equipment on a $20K Nissan. It is a rip off price for something that should be standard equipment on a $70K car. That being said, I purchased it twice. The only way I could rationalize it was to ignore the option price and ask myself if the base price was $1K more and CA was included, would I feel better about it. Answer: Yes. The CA was a must have for me and makes ownership more enjoyable. There is some erratic performance for locking/unlocking the doors on occassion.
I would have loved to have the manual transmission but I need to consider resale. I drove the manual and it is awesome. I opted for the sport automatic to have more control over the power of the car. Driving in city traffic often, the automatic was a logical choice. My 2006 550 had the steptronic and I can say that it is the best auto tranny I have ever driven. You can not make a bad decision on the tranny.
Best wishes to you on your purchase...
Welcome to the forum. I hope you get as much out of it as I have over the years. There is an amazing wealth of knowledge in all of the participants. I can only hope to help by adding my two cents.
I just got a new 550 in Carbon Black. I liked the unique aspect of it being available only on a 550 sport. The color changes with the light which is very cool. I will enjoy waxing it and getting that up close perspective. Clearly this is a matter of personal choice and you can not make a bad decision.
This is my second 550 with comfort access. Make no mistake, I am pissed that this is a $1K option. This is standard equipment on a $20K Nissan. It is a rip off price for something that should be standard equipment on a $70K car. That being said, I purchased it twice. The only way I could rationalize it was to ignore the option price and ask myself if the base price was $1K more and CA was included, would I feel better about it. Answer: Yes. The CA was a must have for me and makes ownership more enjoyable. There is some erratic performance for locking/unlocking the doors on occassion.
I would have loved to have the manual transmission but I need to consider resale. I drove the manual and it is awesome. I opted for the sport automatic to have more control over the power of the car. Driving in city traffic often, the automatic was a logical choice. My 2006 550 had the steptronic and I can say that it is the best auto tranny I have ever driven. You can not make a bad decision on the tranny.
Best wishes to you on your purchase...
12-25-2007, 06:51 AM
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I think the 535i is probable the better deal. About to send back my 545i and like previously noted got an Audi A8L for the same price as a loaded 550i. Much better in my opinion in 99% of driving conditions. The AWD is also an advantage in colder climates. My beef with BMW is their poor service at their dealers and awful old age. These car do not age well like bimmers of yore. If you are planning on keeping your car for 8-10 years I seriously would look elsewhere. Just my 5 cents.
12-26-2007, 05:39 AM
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I'd say carbon black as well. Its a very cool color. However, it seems to show dirt more than my previous Black Saphire.
Comfort Access is cool as well. I also personally went with the Sport Auto. I've always been a manual guy until I got into E60's. For some reason manual doesn't seem right in the E60 to me.
My $.02.
Comfort Access is cool as well. I also personally went with the Sport Auto. I've always been a manual guy until I got into E60's. For some reason manual doesn't seem right in the E60 to me.
My $.02.
12-26-2007, 05:44 AM
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Originally Posted by tbone' post='510667' date='Dec 26 2007, 09:39 AM
I also personally went with the Sport Auto. I've always been a manual guy until I got into E60's. For some reason manual doesn't seem right in the E60 to me.
My $.02.
My $.02.
12-26-2007, 03:07 PM
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Color: I have a Space Grey one and love it. I get lots of compliments on the color and it is easy to take care of. Black was never a choice for me because of winter and how much my car is outside. Of all the color complaints I see posted on car care forums, Jet Black is the number one pain in the butt to take care of. It shows every little spider web and scratch.
C/A: I have it and love it, but also agree that this should just be included on a car of this level. It is a great option to have and just makes taking multiple trips much easier. No digging in my pocket to get the key.
Trans: I have the regular auto trans and have been very happy with it. I had manual trans in most of my other cars and was just tired of the entire chore it made out of driving. I live in a high traffic area and have no use for a manual.
You did not post where you live, and you should do this so we can tailor our advice to your situation.
C/A: I have it and love it, but also agree that this should just be included on a car of this level. It is a great option to have and just makes taking multiple trips much easier. No digging in my pocket to get the key.
Trans: I have the regular auto trans and have been very happy with it. I had manual trans in most of my other cars and was just tired of the entire chore it made out of driving. I live in a high traffic area and have no use for a manual.
You did not post where you live, and you should do this so we can tailor our advice to your situation.