Hi guys, I'm new here and as the title suggests interested in a 06-07 530i/xi

Reason I'm aiming for that model over the 535 (08 onwards) is mainly budget. Never had a BMW and was originally looking into a E46, be it the 330 or w/e.

After reading through those forums, I came to realize that I honestly would love a 5 series more, and those older 3 series' just seem to have more issues. (Granted every car has issues)

After searching through tons of threads here,I know general consensus is everyone prefers the V8. Personally I'm coming from a 2.5l 4 cylinder so I'm perfectly fine with the 530i. I did test drive one recently just to get the hang/feel of it and absolutely love it.

I would prefer a 530xi but in the market they seem to be rare/or more expensive than the i's. I'm hoping to keep the car under 25k, so I'll be looking at something with 45-50k miles. Also mostly looking at CPO's for the warranty, and similiar reasons.

As far as mods go, thats something I'm not even concerned about anytime soon.

From what I've read, the 530i's don't seem that bad in snow. I'm from NYC so I would prefer a 530xi due to the snow during winter, but if I drive safe/carefully (and maybe slap on winter tires) I shouldn't really have problems with the 530i right?

Looking to hopefully get some input n thoughts from you guys.

 

I just bought an '07 530xi in September, so I'm really looking forward to how she handles in the snow. I had a '97 528i for nine years and can tell you that the RWD bimmers are very driveable in the snow with a good set of winter tires and a good deal of common sense.

I have a brand new set of all seasons on the car now and I'm told that will probably be sufficient with the xDrive, so we shall see. My plan is to pick up a set of new rims in the spring and mount a set of summer tires.

I think the 530 is a good compromise. Some on this board feel the 528 is lacking in power and most seem to like the 535 turbo albeit the fuel pump issue. The 8 cylinder will lessen your MPG, so the 530 is probably a good choice if you're concerned about these things.

Just a final thought... you may need to accept a little higher mileage to stay under that $25k mark. I paid $24,500 for a car with 68,700 miles, but she was CPO with everything but NAV.

 

I stepped down from a 740i Sport to a 530xi. I find the car very enjoyable (I miss the torque of a V8) and reliable. It's quick enough and with all-season tires in the winter it handles snow fine. However, I found my RWD BMWs very tractable in snowy weather when equipped with the right tires.

 

Yes, the 8 cyl is the best overall, but unless you really want the extra power, you'll be very happy with a 530.

A 530i with stock tires is slippery in the winter. Snows make it very tolerable. I've never used snows on mine, but I grew up driving in deep snow so am comfortable with the tricks that mitigate driving with summer tires here in PA. But I wouldn't do it in the PA mountains or Vermont, for example.

A 530xi handles a bit differently than the 530i when dry (you probably wouldn't notice), and is a lot better in the snow. I personally don't think the xi needs snows at all, but everyone has a preference.

So, best car overall: 8 cyl, but 530 is pretty darn good -- BMW makes a brilliant 6 cyl engine. Bulletproof engine. Best in snow: XI with snows, then XI with summers. Tolerable in snow: non-XI with snows. Iffy: non XI with summers.

Good luck.

 

I personally enjoy my 530i and it is a great car. Not as fast as the 535i/V8s but it doesn't feel under powered IMO.

You'll love the V6 engine if you're coming from a V4 2.5L.

It's a great sedan that'll bring joy to your everyday driving.

If you can, get one with sports pkg. You will not regret the comfort seating, black window trim, lowered car, and 18' style 123s wheels.

 

Bought an 07 530xi in early November. Live in the mountains and have found the xi very capable on snow even with Conti A/S's. Downhill assist works very well.

Adaptive Xenon's well worth trying to find. Also, the multi-contour seats in which the top articulates independently has become one of my favorite options. I hop into my Audi A6 and it just feels weird now.

BTW, leesee8080 not everyone prefers shadowtrim

 

+1 on the shadow trim. personally i don't understand the infatuation with it at all. some cars definitely look better with the chrome. furthermore why so many people on the board go to the trouble to swap it out really baffles me.

i have the adaptive xenons and never even knew it until the other day! i live in a big city and it's not something you would ever notice with as many lights as we have around here. but, i think they are pretty sweet and will test them out when i go drive home to the country later this week for the holidays.

i also have a 2007 530i and the only things i will add to what everyone else said is that 1. the 535i is not much faster than the 530i. i would definitely tell you not to ask/question that fact on this board but rather test drive both one after the other on your own and decide yourself. secondly i will add that bmw gets worse gas mileage than they state. if you drive in NYC or heavy city traffic, i would say to anticipate ~3-4 mpg less than rated. my 530i is rated at 20, i generally get 16.5mpg in the city on average. i had a 750i loaner than was rated at 14mpg city, i got only 11. a lot of people will have a lot of opinions about mileage, but 2 bimmers in a row now got at least 3 mpg less than rated in my driving environment. just prepare yourself for that possibility if you're a heavy-city driver.

i don't have the sports' package so don't think it is necessary at all. besides, another city caveat is the run flats causing more problems than they are worth. run flats aren't on the non-sports package either.

a great thing about targeting the 530i in a CPO is that you can get a lot of features for a much cheaper price than if you were buying the 535/550. nav, adaptive xenons, sport's package, L7, etc. all very easy to get without increasing the price much at all.

 

gotcha.
from what I've seen, a lot of the CPO warranty doesn't really cover a lot of stuff in the car amirite? From what I've searched,read, I'll end up getting an extended warranty. Which brings my question, would you guys know how much I'll be looking at for the extended warranty from BMW? and is it cheaper from a third-party. I figure atleast another few thousand ontop of my 22-25k car price range for that.

also, thanks for the mileage tip tuffluck. I live outside nyc (queens-long island side) so most of my driving will be around there, so it'll be a solid mix of high-way + local. I guess mileage shouldn't be that bad then.

So I would like to go for a 530xi I guess. Obviously If I can find one with a premium/sport package etc. would be great. Any other specifics (apart from general used car stuff) I should keep in mind when looking at this specific model at the time of buying??

 

The 530i has a great engine. It's bullet proof and has plenty of power for day to day driving. It also gets great gas mileage. I average between 25-28 mpg in the city and close to 40 mpg on the highway.

As far as winter driving goes, the car is a beast in the snow and ice IF you have proper winter tires on it. The tires, in combination with the DSC assistance to help bring it under control if it starts to skid, will give you better safety, braking and control than is possible with AWD and all-season tires. Keep the tank filled above half, and throw a few sand bags in the trunk in line with the wheels (if you have them) to give you max traction at the driving wheels, and you will be amazed at how well it does in the winter. I've used a lot of winter tires in my life, and my current preference is the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 due to its impeccable grip when it's slippery, it's long life (60K tread wear guarantee), and it's super quiet and comfortable ride on pavement (almost as good as a summer tire).

 

Be aware that because of the AWD, the rim offsets on an xi are higher, so they're not swappable with rims from a regular "i". Also, your gas mileage may be slightly lower due to the fact that all the drive wheels are operating all of the time. Other than that, I think a 530xi would be an excellent choice. Don't be afraid to look on autotrader.com or Carmax.