Krozi

If you still have the CPO for another year, all the REALLY expensive stuff will be covered.
I think that you should go for it

E60714

How long do you plan on keeping it? If the SMG screw up after the warranty, I would assume that because it's so complex, it would be very expensive to fix. But reliability wise....people on here still have theirs right? It should be good for another five years or so. It'll be a catch-22 with mods though since the warranty being out will be both a good and a bad thing then.

1600

At that price, in or out of warranty dos not matter. It should be a great deal for you. First, however, you should have the vehicle looked over by a service tech that you trust. Then you will know, for the foreseeable future, exactly what you are getting into.

mhs525

The reliability is fair, other models have better history. Lots of ?small? (less than a $1000) stuff can go wrong and very occasionally something BAD happens but that?s among thousands of cars on the road. There was few recent posts about a blown head gasket, $4k-$8k, and what looked like a blown engine, huge $$$$, but I question how these cars were treated.

Whether its right for you depends on your ability to come up with a couple grand if you had to. If you can't without missing the rent/mortgage an E60 BMW might not be best. Service will also not be cheap if you need anything more than an oil change.

If I had low tolerance for expensive repairs and wanted a BMW I would get a much newer 325 for the same money. A 325 is considered a bottom feeder here in the US but in Europe a 325 is close to the top of the rung with much lesser models available, 4 cylinder models are everywhere with the price of gas what it is in Europe.

I love my 545i, the car is awesome, very fast, and very comfortable and handling that defies its size. But it has a lot if complicated systems, especially the sports pkg models, active steering, active roll stabilization for example are great options that most other BMW's don't have but will cost you if they break.

sjzking408

That is an awesome deal!

unknown

sounds like a good deal... however do note that its the very first year model...

rodneyremington

I's a good price up front but owning this car off warranty as it will be in a year is a calcuated gamble. You could easily have a multi-thousand dollar repair bill at any time. That's not necessarily a bad thing given the low cost of purchase, you just need to be prepared for that. My2005 545i has overall been very reliable and the warranty repairs have probably totaled less than $2000 to BMW in 4 years.

SergeyM

I don't think word "reliability" is appropriate in this case. I would ask - how expensive it will be to keep this car going and the answer is - extremely expensive the moment the CPO warranty runs out and even before that. Some people say that CPO covers major componets and it is true, but even a minor components are unbelivably expensive. Budget around $1K per month. Basically speaking it does not make much sense to get V8 5-series for $20K. For $20K you should look at new Subary Impreza or lease a brand new 550 for less tham monthly upkeep of a 5 year old 545.

skylolow

Over all these cars aren't as bad as some people make them out to be.

When you start talking cars like BMW's, MB's, Porsche, Audi, etc. you need to understand there just more expensive to fix then a 2005 Ford Focus. A part you may think is like a $200 fix ends up being $600 at the dealership. A good indy mech. it might only be $350. Many people on this forum and other forums have gone years with no issues what so ever. So to just say its going to cost you "X" amount a year to keep it running is foolish, no one knows that answer.

Could be a great car and could turn into a money pit. Good thing is you have a good year to see how the car performs for you. Your getting a solid price and on the 04's the prices are kind of bottoming out and now will lose value at much slower rate. Won't surprise if you drove it a year to year and half and still get 20K out of it if the miles are reasonable. Otherwise you can look at as I'm getting a great car at a great price and I'm going to keep it for the next 5 years then look at an extended warranty and figure it into your costs. But if your savings account can take a 2K hit if something goes wrong then I might not get an extended warranty. But if it means "oh crap" then get one for sure.

Will Greer

You have to look at total cash outlay over the period of time you own a car. If you like a BMW and can get one that you want at a fantastic price, as seems to be the case here, you can spend a little more on maintenance and still end up ahead.

I think people use the "maintenance is going to get expensive after the warranty expires" rationale to talk themselves into trading in a four year old car in great condition and laying down $20 grand (for example) more for a new one. Those guys spend the $20 grand in order to avoid spending what I bet would be a lot less on increased maintenance over the next four years of owning the first car. They also get a nice new car in the bargain, which is worth something, but is not relevant to the financial justification they make to themselves on their way to the dealer.

If the 545 is in good shape, and you really like it, buy it. I would recommend an independent inspection, even if the car is a CPO.