theXman

Agreed. But that might be what OP is looking to sacrifice on in order to fit his budget (I'm guessing). High mileage does not always mean the car is bad mechanically.

stock545i

Agreed doesn't make sense why the car would be rated below average. The accident issue is not one to ignore. These often do not show up on carfax.

I noticed you're local. Make sure you get the car checked out for paintwork too. Depending on where you are, I have access to a paint meter I've often used to validate any suspicion.

ra1n

Thanks stock, I appreciate it. I'm using a local pre-purchase inspector that will hopefully find that exact type of issue - Auto Analysts (autoanalyst.com)

nomis_nehc

It's only reasonable to think all those miles were racked up on highway. I mean, 50k miles in 2~3 years is exceptionally high, even for a fleet car. Perhaps that is the biggest reason for below average rating?

As you've said, cosmetically, it looks fine. And if you're going to get it inspected mechanically, and on top of that a reputable warranty, I don't see why this would be a bad purchase.

sgnden

Yeah, it's tough when you have in the mix this subjective "below average" term.

The miles, in isolation, are not a huge worry...some may even say that at least as your aftermarket warranty starts to expire, you'll be at point mileage-wise where some of the more big ticket things could start occurring....versus a really low mileage car where it still far from the longer term wear and tear stuff when your extended warranty runs out.

If you have any suspicion about anything records-wise or condition-wise, bail. There are plenty of these around the country and you'll find the right one.

My .02

ra1n

Just spoke to my mechanic. He is going to be out there tomorrow morning and I'll have the report back by the afternoon. I told him to be on the lookout for unreported repairs etc. I also told him to check the service stats on the idrive. He told me that he has all the equipment to plug directly into the computer and will get all the details.

If it comes back clean after the inspection I am going to do it. The only negative will the high miles and I'm willing to live with that (and the warranty) for the price reduction...I mean c'mon its a 550 with the sweet aero sport package. I rarely see those out on the road.

I'll be sure to post the results. Thanks again for the feedback. This forum is awesome!

sgnden

Good luck! Sounds like you really have fallen for this particular vehicle...hard not to do, I know. Just know that you can absolutely find a GREAT '07 550 Sport (I know 07 vs '08) very loaded with around 30k miles for $33k - $35k...CPO, etc.

Have fun...you will love it...whenever you find the one.

ra1n

Great point. I need to decide how much the 08 improvements are worth. Besides the aero package and the tailights the idrive preset buttons are a big draw. How much of a pain is working the idrive without the presets?

sgnden

Call me crazy, but I like the iDrive. Well, at least I don't mind it. I drove an Audi A6 before this car and it uses a similar, though not quite as "detailed", system. I have had no problem and really think it's just a matter of getting used to it...only a few days of messing around and you'll have it down...and there are plenty of ways that you can set things so you can have your preferences pretty much "set".

I guess I also kinda like that not just "anyone" can operate it...but that's just me. It absolutely is not a deal breaker when comparing to an '08 (for me).

The aero package is a nice plus on that '08 you are considering though. But that whole "below average" terminology would bug me for sure. You're doing the right things to verify condition and only you can decide what's most critical to you.

Good luck and have FUN with the process.

E92-Lighting

if i were in your case, just wait it out a little bit because patience is virtue with car buying, especially over 40k investment