I'd go for the '08 e60 over an '05 any version unless the older e60 is CPO or has a very very very good aftermarket warranty that follows it. Unless of course you are either very handy with tools or have unlimited access to money.

 

This is a tough call but based on your opening thread post, I think you are already leaning toward to 530i. Although the V8 would be nice, if you are using this as a DD in city traffic, it doesn't really make sense. The way I look at it is how much of that V8 power are you going to actually use. In traffic, hardly.

 

272hp is fine, we are mostly talking about the US 255hp version which stopped being available in the US in 2007.

and everyone gets different MPG due to different driving conditions. it's an argument you can have all day, but at the end of the day everyone has different driving environments, and the only way to really compare cars' MPG is to replicate the exact same driving standards in each car. i had a thread going somewhere about reading the average MPG and average MPH your idrive states. typically my average MPH is <20mph, which is extremely slow, so i suspect that is a huge contributing factor to my low MPG.

as for why the 335i is a surprise, the 335i feels like a rocket. the 535i i drove does not, and did not feel faster than my 2007 530i at all. i had two witnesses that agreed also.

 

530 isnt facelifted....

 

Since you plan on getting this as a commuter car, you're better off with the 530 I guess...

I have a 545i I daily drive with city and hwy and get 19~20mpg.

To be realistic though, it will really boil down to what you can afford. Can you afford the gas, the insurance, the maintenance, the mods, etc? If those things don't matter as much, then I'd say get the 545i. The overall driving experience is more enjoyable in a 545i, just buy yourself a good aftermarket warranty or put a few hundred in a interest earning account each month as your "warranty/repair" account.

Regardless, if the car is 60k+ miles you will need to put into account higher maintenance costs.

 

One thing the V8 proponents always seem to be oblivious to is that the rest of the world pays 2-3X higher prices for gas. The U.S. has the cheapest gas in the world by far, so it's always easy to say bigger is better when you don't need to worry about the cost. A $200 to $300 per week fuel bill is something I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck with. That's why petrol cars are almost a rarity elsewhere in the world, and V8's... fuhgedaboutit.

 

+1

 

My last 4 cars/trucks have all had a v8 until this 535i. I drive a lot of hwy miles and the 12mpg improvement over my last car has been great, has felt like I have 30 gallon tank!

 

Love my 545i and so do all the people who have driven in it with me....They cant say enough about it. Only problem so far was the coolant reservoir leak. Im glad I chose this V8 over a smaller engine. I wouldnt have wanted to always question my purchase.

 

i think go with the 530i, Its a great balance of performance and efficiency. Yes the engine/ exhaust doesnt sound a good as a V8 would but we all know that the N52 engine is much more reliable than the V8. I live in a pretty dense area and despite all the stop and go traffic i am still able to get 19-20mpg in the city and 28 on highway. It does have the performance where it counts. Car literally flies on the freeway and i doubt you would be doing any 0-60 runs in the city, where there is a cop every few blocks away. Lol I laugh and envy people who are driving their M5s on highways going 65-70mph. All that power and no where to go.

Maintenance wise i think a n52 engine would also be a lot more affordable than the v8.

Wait for few more months and someone should have a supercharger for the n52 engine. $3K more and you can easily get in the 300hp range, while getting newer looking car/ with better transmission / and better handling. I know i know mag/aluminum block cant handle forced induction, but does any body have any documented proofs? Craven on e90post is in process of building a supercharger kits for the N52 engine, so i would hold off to all the cant do wanna Be's