Hello guys (and girls) I just signed up for this forum to try and get some insight on the E60's. I just sold my 04 Nissan 350Z and I'm looking for a new car. Im leaning hard on the the E60 and just wanted to know some things I should be aware of in purchasing a used E60. As far as my situation goes I have 20K to spend and could use some help from people that know them best (you, the daily drivers). I have no history with BMW's as this would be my first one but I have had friend's parents that swear by them, and I have a friend with an 02 330i that loves it and says BMW's are sporty, fun to drive, and reliable if you take care of them. So what are some important things/problems/situations I should beware of on my hunt for the right E60 for me??? One thing I have heard (not sure if its true or not) is that the 525i's (especially the 04 and 05 model)engines are underpowered for those vehicles and have the most problems of the E60s. Other than that I'm just reading as much as possible to make the best informed decision. Any good advice is greatly appreciated. Sorry for the wall of text also. Thanks in advance.

 

Great car but........costly to maintain as compared to a Japanese car. Brakes are expensive for sure - if you go after a v8 model they have a coolant leak issue that can be very costly to fix (happened to me). As in buying any car be sure to check if the vehichle has had a good service history, the 10k oil changes that BMW endorses are crap, I change mine every 5k, also if you get sport package the suspension can eat up wheel bearings/ball joints - I recomend you have a good mechanic that knows BMW's check out your car fist before you buy and as everyone on here will agree a warranty is huge. just my 2 cents

 

Hey man. Welcome to the forum. In all honesty, I have a love/hate relationship with me '04 545. My 5 has been in and out of the shop numerous times - from the radiator, to the alternator, to even the transmission being swapped in for a completely new one. And all the little quirks in between. I purchased an aftermarket warranty through my lender, so fortunately I didn't have to pay 100% of the repairs.

In my own humble opinion, try to find yourself a LCI 2008 or later e60 BMW. Anyhow, the car performs absolute wonders when it's not acting up.

*Pre-purchase inspection and warranty!*

Good luck. BTW, what part of the Bay Are you from?