Captain Tenneal

Are we talking about cars here?

Anywho, It depends on what you want. Power or gizmos. If you can live without NAV and other pleasantries go for the 550, otherwise, get the 530. Or you can scrape a bit and get it all.

evh5150

Are we talking about cars here?

Anywho, It depends on what you want. Power or gizmos. If you can live without NAV and other pleasantries go for the 550, otherwise, get the 530. Or you can scrape a bit and get it all.
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haha get the 550 and you will then acquire the fast and tight ride as well!! Hopefully she's brunette too!

Peter530i

can I just ask you guys who voted for bare 550i why is that so?
I mean driving in US with all those speed limits and cops every 1/2mile you would hardly use the full potential of 525i and still being faster then all the brutal V8 muscle cars.....

so in this case is not 530i fully loaded much better? It gives you much more join and functions vs. bare 550i which you could only use to floor it on the lights and brake right away. Aslo honestly as to driving features is not 550i already too heavy??

just wondering........ just a general idea. Of course if the question is what to buy then it depends on exact car specs, money, etc.....

However i'm not saying that I would not like fully loaded 550i

UUronL

I had many of the same thoughts about speed and weight when I bought my car. Cost and options weren't a consideration... my 530i is far from loaded, but it has everything I wanted on it. The car is already too fast for the area I drive, and is capable of delivering all the fun I want to have in it. The handling is nimble and taught - some reviewers in EU reviews have said the 530i feels lighter on its feet than the V8 cars.

Your mileage may vary, depending on where you live you might be able to exercise a 550i. I can't.

Evenflow545

I like the V8, but, then again, I hate any car that would be described as "bare." The e60 was intended to to be a "luxury" sedan that's also fun to drive.

Once I find a model I like, I get the very best package I can afford. If you can only afford a bare 550, you may want to consider the loaded 530. Then you won't have to explain to yourself and everyone else why you bought a luxury sedan with zero options. Imagine yourself blasting through corners in a 550 with no active steering, the base model seats, no seat heaters, no navigation, a stripped down interior and a bad stereo.

That sounds like not that much fun to me.

ChennaiMR

Considering the driving obstacles in the US (cops, radars, traffic, speedlimits), I definitely prefer more Gizmos with a fixed budget. Ofcourse 550i with all Gizmos is ideal. With budget in mind, I prefer the nicely loaded 530 as it is sufficiently powerful. It can take of faster than most cars you see on the road assuming the one behind the wheel is skilful . But not that powerful for the cop to give you a second look

btw, HUD is a cool feature and it is very useful like the IDrive. Dont care if others think it is just 'show off' feature.

Captain Tenneal

Here's why: I test drove both the 530 and the 545. I took identical routes. On the same part of a freeway I punched it. With the 530 I said, "Wow! that's nice!"; with the 545 I said "HOLY SHxT!" I bought the 545 after the test drive. I wanted the ultimate "ultimate driving machine"!

Power corrupts, baby!

Just in passing, making a quick move through traffic, driving through the mountains, the power is there like a rifle shot. There is power NOW. I didn't get that in the 530. The new one with more horses might, but I know my 545 does now, and for sure a 550 does.

I have so much confidence when driving this car. I feel there is very little that I can't do. Yes. It can get you into trouble, but this car will get you out of trouble just as easily.

One thing to remember, there is no such thing as a stripper 550. Their standard list is much longer than a 530's.

If I were to get one option, it would be the sport package. That gets you the seats and ride I prefer.

CVTBenhogan

I had many of the same thoughts about speed and weight when I bought my car. Cost and options weren't a consideration... my 530i is far from loaded, but it has everything I wanted on it. The car is already too fast for the area I drive, and is capable of delivering all the fun I want to have in it. The handling is nimble and taught - some reviewers in EU reviews have said the 530i feels lighter on its feet than the V8 cars.

Your mileage may vary, depending on where you live you might be able to exercise a 550i. I can't.
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The 530 does feel more nimble in terms of handling, no doubt about it. Actually, noticeably better. I wish the V8 felt that way. That said, the V8 model feels much faster with reserves of power and speed. As for speeding restricitions and the police, many will voilate posted speed limits regardless if its a 525, 530, or 545. It would just seem more pleasurable to speed with the greater europhia afforded by the V8. No one is ticketed for accelerating too fast.

Just my two cents.

CVT Benhogan

Fünfer

I had similar thoughts. There must be something about V8 engines that we europeans do not get

On the other hand, according to www.bmwusa.com, a "fully loaded" 550i is US$ 73,390 which would be EUR 60,688. That's pretty cheap, although I am aware that this price is subject to some taxation (how much? any takers?). Not to mention that maintanance and warranty that's included...

For that price, I might have stretched myself a bit and would have ordered a V8 as well

UUronL

I had similar thoughts. There must be something about V8 engines that we europeans do not get

On the other hand, according to www.bmwusa.com, a "fully loaded" 550i is US$ 73,390 which would be EUR 60,688. That's pretty cheap, although I am aware that this price is subject to some taxation (how much? any takers?). Not to mention that maintanance and warranty that's included...

For that price, I might have stretched myself a bit and would have ordered a V8 as well
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Taxes depend on the state of residence. Where I am it's only 3.5% for auto purchases.