How old, or should I say how new, is your Subaru? From the trade-in price, it sounds like a 1-2 year old model?

 

My Subaru is 2010 with 36k miles. I'm only willing to go for the BMW if I get a really good deal on it.

Can I get some price quotes on tires and brakes? I'd like to know what to expect. Also, there are a cpl good indie shops, are those a better option than dealer?

About the tires-I suck at telling how much life they have unless it's super obvious, any tips on this? If I use the penny to measure the interior edge, what's good/bad?

 

The quotes on parts depends on whether you're getting a base 550i or one with the M-Sport package. If it comes with the staggered 19" wheels, the 275 wide rear tires can get pretty expensive. Around $300-$400 per tire. As for the brake job, definitely take it to a trusted indy shop, as I've heard that the dealer can run close to $1000. Or DIY it, no more than a few hundred, depending on parts needed.

 

Estimates on brakes:
Dealer - ~$1400
Indy - ~$900
DIY - ~$500

Tires: Depends on which brand and size you need, shopping around is the key. Our tires wear more on the inside edge due to the negative camber that is built into our cars. There are a couple of ways to tell if the tire is worn, eye sight, penny (stick penny in tread with Lincoln's head down, if you can see all of Lincoln's head you need new tires), tread gauge, and finally - check the wear indicator blocks built into the tire, here's how: LINK!!!!

Indy shops are always the better option for an out-of-warranty car

 

I'm not trying to discourage you from buying a 5. I love them for sure, but you currently have a newer car with much less miles on it. Don't know what your situation is, but with this economy, I would hold on to my Subaru for a few more years, then buy a a CPO 5 with low miles. Hell you may even get an F10 in a couple more years when they all come off from lease. Again, just a thought, you are your own man. I totally understand about getting into a nice German luxury car after rocking a cool Japanese car. Good luck with your decision.

 

Bought my 08 cpo with 37k miles for $37k 15 months ago. Cars been 100% perfect and drives exactly the way it did the day I got it. These are 200k mile cars, no sweat. Your price is high...... pay $30k max. Make sure tires are new(er), rears go in 7-10k miles in my exp.

 

i had never owned a BMW before, last luxury car was a Jaguar S type R......was blown away by the beemer....i say go for it if the price is right... i bought an 06 550 sport in feb for 23k with 50,000 one owner.

 

I ended up buying the car a week or so ago. I got it for 29k even. It already had the extended warranty to 100k miles on it-the stupid dealership still tried to sell it to me though(had to call a separate dealership to vin check for me), brand new tires, the idrive says the brakes are due in about 18k for the rear and 28k for the front. Should be able to get those replaced before the warranty ends.

Drives amazingly well. Love it. if the tires really run out in 7-10k miles(that's like twice a year for me...) that's pretty absurd tbh. I heard these run flats are really expensive to replace, is it worth going to regular tires?

Only problem i've had is that the bumper connectors on the front are broken by the previous owner, so one time when I backed off from a parking spot, it detached and they said they could only put it back on and a new bumper is like 1200? Meh, i'll just be more careful about not going over the parking spot blocks. Warranty doesn't cover. It was for sure like this before I got it too. oh well.

 

You should be able to find a new bumper cover from an online source for about $650 plus shipping and painting costs. Would save you a few bucks and you should be able to fasten it yourself. I only have experience with an E39 bumper cover, but it was incredibly easy to take on and off (only 2 bolts). Good luck!