Sense, first off welcome!!...this is the best BMW forum on the web....with the best people.
I distilled your post down to all your key questions & will give you opinion on each point....here goes:

1) The 528, 535, 550, & M5 (US) are all E60 platform cars & are thus all the same size.
2) I have a 535i & it is not loud at all...actually, I would have been even happier if it sounded like a 550
3) Maybe, but no more than any other new car, I bought a VW Corrado 1992 & it's still going strong 179000+ miles later!
4) I agree, the 528 is lacking in power & the xi suffers even more from the added 133lbs over the 2wd.
5) Again you & I agree, I am also hoping for 10yrs out of my 535. As for cost, the key is to pay off your car before the warranty runs out, that way even though a repair bill may be hundreds of dollars it's still less the having to make monthly lease or finance payments on a new car.
6) The X5 has very good power & the gearing also helps to make it quite sporting. Handeling wise, it's a true BMW.
7) The MB R350 is a rebadged Crysler Pacifica. Enough said. :thumbsdown:
8) MB C class...wrong class, compares to the 3 series.
9) MB E class Starting MSRP is $51,675 & has less power (268hp/258lb-ft vs 300hp/300lb-ft) & is 37lbs more than the 535i.
10) Lexus ES350..see #8
11) Lexus GS350 has good power (303hp/274lb-ft) is 166lbs heavier but starts @ $46,100 base MSRP.

I hope that helps.

 

You wouldn't say that if you lived in the Northeast from December to April

 

Why? I get as much or more snow as NJ, and I've never had an issue.

 

Good call.

 

I just went through the same decisioning process and was looking at the BMW 5 Series, X5, MB E series, and Acura MDX.

After a lot of thought and test drives, I went with a CPO '04 525. If money is no object I would have gone with the 535.

We already had one SUV in the drive way and that's what led me away from the X5. But if I had decided to go for another SUV, I was leaning toward the MDX with Tech Ent. Packed with technology, great HP, new styling, and AWD.

Given your posting on an E60 board, I think your feedback will be a bit swayed. But from a styling and sport factor, BMW is an easy call over the MB.

BTW....been lurking for a bit since I just bought a few weeks back. This is a great site and I'll be getting more involved after I get better acclimated with my car.

 

What kind of car do you drive now? The 528i does 0-60 in 7.1 seconds with automatic tranny according to BMW website. That is not bad and certainly not slow. I have a 528i on order and it is replacing an Acura legend that has 210 hp and 0-60 in 7.1 seconds, and my current car seems fast to me. Now I did get the 528 with a manual tranny and according to BMWNA, the 0-60 time with manual is 6.5. If you are driving a car that goes 0-60 in the 6 second range, yes the 528 is going to seem slow and especailly the 528 xi.

 

Thank u and all the repliers above. well, frankly speaking, i'm not a typical driving-lover in bmw, which i might think a lot of are comfort, stability, enough space, good interior, and enough power (i mean, i can easily accelerate to a reasonable speed, and could easily go uphill). So that's why i said maybe lexus was more appropriate to me.

but, i do like this brand, my dream is owning a bmw... i had driven lexus of my family for a while, and i wanna a change.

what about suv? well, it's good. but i love sedan much more. and i don't like the exterior shape and style of X series.

benz R350 does have a lot of space, but, yes, it's a copy of poor chrysler minivan, which my friends called a "sXXt". i really don't know why it is rated so low... confusing...

i have to take AWD. because i wanna take it back to my hometown, which is located in a hilly area, snowy in winter, and the road condition could not compared with that in US.

so, the last question is 528xi vs 535xi. tt engine might not be stable enough, and i have to pay a lot on repairing, especially after 7 years or more. i know bmw produces the best engine in the world, but this engine, after all, is a new-born model, and i don't know if i could trust this, say, "not-mature-enough" product. also, the quality of gas in my country is not good enough to support a tt engine.

That is, i nearly decided to buy a 528xi. what i need now is a strong support for or strong opposition against my "nearly" decision. i need someone tell me their reviews on 528xi, which might be of GREAT help for a poor guy who is already messed up by a lot of imperfect choices...

Thank YOU ALL very much!!!

 

Read this, I found it useful http://www.mwerks.com/artman/publish/featu...icle_1236.shtml

 

I loathe SUV's, especially as a persons primary transport, or seeing a giant box on wheels hogging the left lane with only one person in the car, or a soccer mom on the phone in the left lane swerving around with 4 screaming kids jumping around in the back seat, so maybe I'm biased, but don't get the X5. If you do, please stay out of the left lane with box on wheels. Yeah, it may be a BMW, but it still is a SUV, er BOW.

 

:thumbsdown: