Buying: 2007 BMW 530i vs 2005 BMW 545i
02-04-2013, 11:15 AM
#11
Members
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Am I the only one who finds prices a bit odd?
Given the same condition, IMHO, 545 should be cheaper, not $1000 more expensive.
For $1000 difference, either 530i is in a poor condition or 545i has been maintained extremely well. Or one of them in overpriced/underpriced.
When I was shopping for an e60 it seemed like the V8s were about the same price as I6s of the same year. Maybe the used car market is not hot for V8s due to increased cost of ownership.
It seems that V8s have more problems and the repairs are more costly then they would have been on the I6.
Given the same condition, IMHO, 545 should be cheaper, not $1000 more expensive.
For $1000 difference, either 530i is in a poor condition or 545i has been maintained extremely well. Or one of them in overpriced/underpriced.
When I was shopping for an e60 it seemed like the V8s were about the same price as I6s of the same year. Maybe the used car market is not hot for V8s due to increased cost of ownership.
It seems that V8s have more problems and the repairs are more costly then they would have been on the I6.
02-04-2013, 03:01 PM
#13
Contributors
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 10,496
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
My Ride: 2008 550I LOADED, all options except HUD and NV
Not all that surprising that the 545 is more, the V8 was priced $5-10k more when new, plus (as I said previously) they tend to be better optioned out since those owners don't mind splurging on a few options and packages that might seem a little expensive to others.
02-04-2013, 03:32 PM
#14
Members
Senior Members
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 551
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2005 E60 545i Manual, Sport, L7
Model Year: 2005
Am I the only one who finds prices a bit odd?
Given the same condition, IMHO, 545 should be cheaper, not $1000 more expensive.
For $1000 difference, either 530i is in a poor condition or 545i has been maintained extremely well. Or one of them in overpriced/underpriced.
When I was shopping for an e60 it seemed like the V8s were about the same price as I6s of the same year. Maybe the used car market is not hot for V8s due to increased cost of ownership.
It seems that V8s have more problems and the repairs are more costly then they would have been on the I6.
Given the same condition, IMHO, 545 should be cheaper, not $1000 more expensive.
For $1000 difference, either 530i is in a poor condition or 545i has been maintained extremely well. Or one of them in overpriced/underpriced.
When I was shopping for an e60 it seemed like the V8s were about the same price as I6s of the same year. Maybe the used car market is not hot for V8s due to increased cost of ownership.
It seems that V8s have more problems and the repairs are more costly then they would have been on the I6.
Compare the new once and you see a clear picture
02-04-2013, 03:39 PM
#15
I think the reason he's saying it is because the 530i would be 2 years newer. Typically the 545i would be more expensive but if it's a few years older then the prices would come closer.
02-04-2013, 05:31 PM
#17
Senior Members
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 903
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 07 530i Mystic Blue
I would suggest looking into the service history records for each car if available. And/or have it checked out by a BMW technician or a shop.
02-05-2013, 06:38 PM
#18
New Members
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: atlanta
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2005 545i Sport
I always check where the car has spent its life. I insist on a southern car over a northern car in this respect. CarFax is excellent for this information. Many 5 series owners run their engine oil to 15k miles, and then its sub-zero out, and then they fire up that engine. Ouch! Southern cars don't experience those pudding oil startups. Not to mention that lack of salt in the south.
I look at the number of owners and whether it was a lease or purchase. Single owner is the optimum, usually worth a couple grand in my opinion if they have complete maintenance records.
I would never buy a car sight unseen, but if you see one on Ebay or Craigslist locally, take the VIN number and pop it into Google to see how long it's been for sale and where.
I run a paint depth scanner on any car I buy. It doesn't lie if its calibrated. The best way of knowing if the car had any body work. CarFax is worthless for this information; only a paint depth gauge tells the truth.
If it has spent a lot of time in one city, I'll cal the local BMW dealer and ask for a printout on repair work. I've always received this info when I asked. Fantastic source of information.
Take a small Cree flashlight and check under the car for leaks, structual damage or compression of the bumper struts. Check all of your bolts along the front fenders and make sure none of them have been moved. (look for rings (depressions) in the metal).
Take your finger and run it along the very edge of all body panels. It should be smooth and rounded. If it feels like an edge or line is present, then that panel has been hit with paint.
Stand back from the car 15 feet or so and make sure all of the body panels paint match exactly. That includes the plastic bumpers. On a BMW, they match if they haven't been repainted.
Get the car in the sun and never buy one on a rainy day. Cloud cover and rain can cover an enormous amount of flaws that the sun will bring to light.
I would weigh the above before the horsepower issue as a poorly owned, northern, multiple owner car is never worth as much as a single owner, southern car, within the same class of model vehicle.
I look at the number of owners and whether it was a lease or purchase. Single owner is the optimum, usually worth a couple grand in my opinion if they have complete maintenance records.
I would never buy a car sight unseen, but if you see one on Ebay or Craigslist locally, take the VIN number and pop it into Google to see how long it's been for sale and where.
I run a paint depth scanner on any car I buy. It doesn't lie if its calibrated. The best way of knowing if the car had any body work. CarFax is worthless for this information; only a paint depth gauge tells the truth.
If it has spent a lot of time in one city, I'll cal the local BMW dealer and ask for a printout on repair work. I've always received this info when I asked. Fantastic source of information.
Take a small Cree flashlight and check under the car for leaks, structual damage or compression of the bumper struts. Check all of your bolts along the front fenders and make sure none of them have been moved. (look for rings (depressions) in the metal).
Take your finger and run it along the very edge of all body panels. It should be smooth and rounded. If it feels like an edge or line is present, then that panel has been hit with paint.
Stand back from the car 15 feet or so and make sure all of the body panels paint match exactly. That includes the plastic bumpers. On a BMW, they match if they haven't been repainted.
Get the car in the sun and never buy one on a rainy day. Cloud cover and rain can cover an enormous amount of flaws that the sun will bring to light.
I would weigh the above before the horsepower issue as a poorly owned, northern, multiple owner car is never worth as much as a single owner, southern car, within the same class of model vehicle.
02-06-2013, 04:50 AM
#19
Contributors
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Clarendon/Tysons Corner, VA
Posts: 340
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: See Signature
Model Year: 2015
Engine: N55
I always check where the car has spent its life. I insist on a southern car over a northern car in this respect. CarFax is excellent for this information. Many 5 series owners run their engine oil to 15k miles, and then its sub-zero out, and then they fire up that engine. Ouch! Southern cars don't experience those pudding oil startups. Not to mention that lack of salt in the south.
I look at the number of owners and whether it was a lease or purchase. Single owner is the optimum, usually worth a couple grand in my opinion if they have complete maintenance records.
I would never buy a car sight unseen, but if you see one on Ebay or Craigslist locally, take the VIN number and pop it into Google to see how long it's been for sale and where.
I run a paint depth scanner on any car I buy. It doesn't lie if its calibrated. The best way of knowing if the car had any body work. CarFax is worthless for this information; only a paint depth gauge tells the truth.
If it has spent a lot of time in one city, I'll cal the local BMW dealer and ask for a printout on repair work. I've always received this info when I asked. Fantastic source of information.
Take a small Cree flashlight and check under the car for leaks, structual damage or compression of the bumper struts. Check all of your bolts along the front fenders and make sure none of them have been moved. (look for rings (depressions) in the metal).
Take your finger and run it along the very edge of all body panels. It should be smooth and rounded. If it feels like an edge or line is present, then that panel has been hit with paint.
Stand back from the car 15 feet or so and make sure all of the body panels paint match exactly. That includes the plastic bumpers. On a BMW, they match if they haven't been repainted.
Get the car in the sun and never buy one on a rainy day. Cloud cover and rain can cover an enormous amount of flaws that the sun will bring to light.
I would weigh the above before the horsepower issue as a poorly owned, northern, multiple owner car is never worth as much as a single owner, southern car, within the same class of model vehicle.
I look at the number of owners and whether it was a lease or purchase. Single owner is the optimum, usually worth a couple grand in my opinion if they have complete maintenance records.
I would never buy a car sight unseen, but if you see one on Ebay or Craigslist locally, take the VIN number and pop it into Google to see how long it's been for sale and where.
I run a paint depth scanner on any car I buy. It doesn't lie if its calibrated. The best way of knowing if the car had any body work. CarFax is worthless for this information; only a paint depth gauge tells the truth.
If it has spent a lot of time in one city, I'll cal the local BMW dealer and ask for a printout on repair work. I've always received this info when I asked. Fantastic source of information.
Take a small Cree flashlight and check under the car for leaks, structual damage or compression of the bumper struts. Check all of your bolts along the front fenders and make sure none of them have been moved. (look for rings (depressions) in the metal).
Take your finger and run it along the very edge of all body panels. It should be smooth and rounded. If it feels like an edge or line is present, then that panel has been hit with paint.
Stand back from the car 15 feet or so and make sure all of the body panels paint match exactly. That includes the plastic bumpers. On a BMW, they match if they haven't been repainted.
Get the car in the sun and never buy one on a rainy day. Cloud cover and rain can cover an enormous amount of flaws that the sun will bring to light.
I would weigh the above before the horsepower issue as a poorly owned, northern, multiple owner car is never worth as much as a single owner, southern car, within the same class of model vehicle.
Excellent advice. After all these checks (and more), if the 2 cars are still very close to being equal then definitely purchase the V8. I have one and after coming from a 6 cycliner in my previous car with roughly the same bhp as the 530i, there is no comparison in the driving pleasure between the two engines. Yes there will be some pricey maintenance to be done and leaks along the way but that is expected in these "pre-lci" cars and in any BMW, for that matter, that is over 6 years old and has that many miles on it.
02-06-2013, 01:16 PM
#20
Contributors
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 10,496
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
My Ride: 2008 550I LOADED, all options except HUD and NV
I always check where the car has spent its life. I insist on a southern car over a northern car in this respect. CarFax is excellent for this information. Many 5 series owners run their engine oil to 15k miles, and then its sub-zero out, and then they fire up that engine. Ouch! Southern cars don't experience those pudding oil startups. Not to mention that lack of salt in the south.
I look at the number of owners and whether it was a lease or purchase. Single owner is the optimum, usually worth a couple grand in my opinion if they have complete maintenance records.
I would never buy a car sight unseen, but if you see one on Ebay or Craigslist locally, take the VIN number and pop it into Google to see how long it's been for sale and where.
I run a paint depth scanner on any car I buy. It doesn't lie if its calibrated. The best way of knowing if the car had any body work. CarFax is worthless for this information; only a paint depth gauge tells the truth.
If it has spent a lot of time in one city, I'll cal the local BMW dealer and ask for a printout on repair work. I've always received this info when I asked. Fantastic source of information.
Take a small Cree flashlight and check under the car for leaks, structual damage or compression of the bumper struts. Check all of your bolts along the front fenders and make sure none of them have been moved. (look for rings (depressions) in the metal).
Take your finger and run it along the very edge of all body panels. It should be smooth and rounded. If it feels like an edge or line is present, then that panel has been hit with paint.
Stand back from the car 15 feet or so and make sure all of the body panels paint match exactly. That includes the plastic bumpers. On a BMW, they match if they haven't been repainted.
Get the car in the sun and never buy one on a rainy day. Cloud cover and rain can cover an enormous amount of flaws that the sun will bring to light.
I would weigh the above before the horsepower issue as a poorly owned, northern, multiple owner car is never worth as much as a single owner, southern car, within the same class of model vehicle.
I look at the number of owners and whether it was a lease or purchase. Single owner is the optimum, usually worth a couple grand in my opinion if they have complete maintenance records.
I would never buy a car sight unseen, but if you see one on Ebay or Craigslist locally, take the VIN number and pop it into Google to see how long it's been for sale and where.
I run a paint depth scanner on any car I buy. It doesn't lie if its calibrated. The best way of knowing if the car had any body work. CarFax is worthless for this information; only a paint depth gauge tells the truth.
If it has spent a lot of time in one city, I'll cal the local BMW dealer and ask for a printout on repair work. I've always received this info when I asked. Fantastic source of information.
Take a small Cree flashlight and check under the car for leaks, structual damage or compression of the bumper struts. Check all of your bolts along the front fenders and make sure none of them have been moved. (look for rings (depressions) in the metal).
Take your finger and run it along the very edge of all body panels. It should be smooth and rounded. If it feels like an edge or line is present, then that panel has been hit with paint.
Stand back from the car 15 feet or so and make sure all of the body panels paint match exactly. That includes the plastic bumpers. On a BMW, they match if they haven't been repainted.
Get the car in the sun and never buy one on a rainy day. Cloud cover and rain can cover an enormous amount of flaws that the sun will bring to light.
I would weigh the above before the horsepower issue as a poorly owned, northern, multiple owner car is never worth as much as a single owner, southern car, within the same class of model vehicle.