tuffluck

that is so not true, lol. i test drove all three, my 530, 535, and 550. the 550 was definitely the quickest in all ranges. the 535 felt no different than my 530.

ProMed

Yes, it is very true, look up the performance numbers (0-60, 1/4 mile) in any of the professional reviews, while you're at it look up the 530 numbers. You could definetly feel the extra couple hundred of pounds w/ the V8, once up at highway speeds it disappeared though. A couple of the reviews even commented that they didn't see a reason to fork over the extra cash for a 550 with the 535 in the lineup. I test drove several 08 550's and 535's, never a 530, but I can't see how you couldn't tell the difference between a naturally aspirated inline-6 and the same engine w/ twin turbos 300hp and 300 lb./ft.

ProMed

BMW's "official" 0-60 times:

335i - 5.4 seconds
535i - 5.6 seconds
550i - 5.4 seconds

Stock there is a .2 seconds difference to 60 and it takes ~.15 seconds to blink.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/...004920080601:0

335i - 3593.5
535i - 3659.7 (+66.2 lbs)
550i - 3946.3 (+352.8 lbs)

umichchris

definitely go for the 550i

it will have greater resale value. you wont regret the V8 and aboe all, it sounds freakin amazing.

I personally faced the same delimma last summer when looking for an E60...i drove the 535i and yes, its very quick...almost as quick as the 550i however the sound of that exhaust...the sheer displacement of the engine...revving that thing at a red light or right after start-up...there is no subsitution for a V8

disclaimer: im born and raised in Detroit so V8s reign king in my eyes...only surpassed by v10s and v12s lol

ultimately i found an amazing deal on a 545i with stage III Dinan software, RPI scoops, lowered 2 inches and a superspirit exhaust already modded to it...

the V8 was definitely the way to go!

tuffluck

well the 535 is quite a bit heavier than the 530i. like i said, i didn't notice a difference.

ProMed

That is surprising considering that, compared to the 530i, the 535i full 1 second faster 0-60, has 45 more hp, and 80 lb-ft more torque. I guess everyone has a different butt dyno.

Some more hard numbers for consideration:

From: topspeed.com & motortrend.com

2007 530i: 0-60 - 6.6 secs (auto)
255-hp/220 lb-ft
3472.3 lbs.

2008 535i: 0-60 - 5.6 secs (auto)
300-hp/300 lb-ft
3659.7 lbs.

2004 545i: 0-60 - 5.8 secs (auto)
325-hp/330 lb-ft
3803.0 lbs.

2008 550i: 0-60 - 5.4 secs (auto)
360-hp/360 lb-ft
3946.3 lbs

0-60 Comparison:
530i - 6.6 seconds
545i - 5.8 seconds
535i - 5.6 seconds
550i - 5.4 seconds

For further comparison, here is what n54-5&3 has posted vids of recently. He has a 535i w/ jb4 & dci
93 octane - 4.5 seconds
97 octane - 4.2 seconds

I agree that if you're not interested in throwing a tuner on the 535i and/or are worried about the hpfp, the 550i is a smarter buy, especially if you don't care about the lower gas mileage.

Chief009

I think that one thing that we are forgetting here is that these are base weights! take a look at these stats, if you will:

Edmunds Reviews
535i: 3909 6AT
550i: 3988 6AT

Car and Driver
535i 3882 6MT
550i 4048 6AT (2007) I know, the 2008 LCI may be a bit heavier

Motor Trend
535i 3844 6MT
550i 3963 6MT

These stats show that these cars are not that far apart in weights, the 550i is heavier, yes, but the 535i is also a porker! Options have a lot to do with the weights of a car and these examples show that yes, the 535i is a little lighter, but not as light as some may think. Furthermore, remember, that some of the items that come standard in the 550i, are options on the 535i, thus weight will be added once that option is chosen.

It does show how good that N54 engine is when it's working properly though!

Tony

ottawarealtor

+1

ProMed

Tony where are you getting those motortrend weights from? All of mine posted were for an automatic transmission. Do you happen to have links for the rest as well?

Here is a link comparing the 535i, 550i, and 550i LCI: http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/...651520080601:1

All of these are curb weights w/ an Automatic.
535i - 3659.7
550i - 3803.0 (+143.3 lbs)
550i lci - 3946.3 (+286.6 lbs)

Chief009

Generally, with equally optioned cars, manual cars are lighter. For the 535i 6 Speed auto, the weight is reported by BMW to be 3703 and for the 550i 6AT, at 3968. It looks like there is a 265 pound difference, but once you start adding options to the 535i, the weight goes up. Again, options do make a big difference.

Here are the addresses:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._bmw_535i.html.
http://www.insideline.com/bmw/5-seri...-bmw-535i.html
http://www.insideline.com/bmw/5-seri...-bmw-550i.html
http://www.insideline.com/bmw/5-seri...f-premium.html


Hope this helps. T