rcm162

New member here just wanting to get peoples thoughts on the 530xi. I currently have a 2007 335xi and love it but I am deciding to go a little larger for the family and to have a little more room in the back seat for business travel, driving people around, etc...

I was just curious what people thought of their 530xi's. Any major problems I should be aware or look for on the car or basically any information that you guys think is pertinent. Thank you in advance for your thoughts / suggestions.

The car I am looking at has the following (not sure if I should post other information or if this will do):
Cold weather package
Navigation system
Premium package
Xenon headlights

Robb

Razzy530

Well, that would be an excellent choice. As I have a 2007 530i, 6 Speed the Xi version only brings the comfort of AWD. No major issues. Xenons on 530's are STANDARD, btw.

rcm162

That is good to hear and I wasn't 100% sure about the Xenon's being standard so I threw them on there. I did like the AWD option living in PA. I know it isn't needed but I like to have it with the winters that we have. Thank you for your vote of confidence and your quick reply!

PS - I already put a hold on it as it just came in off lease last week. My local dealer is doing their CPO checkout and fixing all the minor things (dings, was one spot on the leather) all of which they said would be no issue and will be ready for me to take a look at / pick up tomorrow.

Razzy530

No problem. Glad to help. In that case, tomorrow should be an exciting day. If and when you get the car, please post some pictures.
Ive driven E90 3 Series models, from the 325 to the 335 i and Xi. I must say that its definately a much sportier feel, smaller and a little less comfortable.
The 5 Series is this perfect balance between SPORT and LUXURY of the 7 Series. Its the most well-balanced BMW.

luigi524td

I have had my '07 530xi sedan (auto) for about two and a half years. Currently have about 34K miles (mixed driving). The only warranty repair was a battery replacement when the car was about one year old. Scheduled maintenance is done by my So. NJ dealer. I have not had to add any fluids (brake fluid, coolant, oil etc) between service intervals.

My car is "heavily" optioned, with all that you have noted plus Logic7 Radio, Sport Package - mostly trim on an xi, Sport Seats, HUD, PDC, Comfort Access, Sat Radio, folding back seats, 18" wheels and 245/40x18" UHP Summer Bridgestone RFTs (originals have been replaced for cold weather driving with CSL Reps and General Exclaim conventional tires.). My car is also equipped with a temporary spare tire and tire change jack, etc. It is also covered by the BMW extended maintenance program 6 years /100K miles.

I've updated it with LED Tails, Plate lights, 6000K fogs and LED AE's and Sprint Booster.

My previous two BMWs were 7 Series. I do miss the torque of a V-8. You will find the acceleration a lot less enthusiastic than your 335xi. However, when I was shopping for this one, the 3 series were just tooooo small - especially coming from my '01 e38 740i Sport. I find the 5 is a good size for me now. It is quick enough - the term I use is "ample". But with the added strain of xi and added weight ... well I miss the extra torque of a V-8 .

Fuel economy is good - overall economy is about 23mpg with highway economy (70mph cruising speed ... no traffic .. 100+ miles trips) easily getting 26-28 mpg // around town .. stop and go = avg about 21 mpg.

With any pre-owned BMW I recommend a CPO program car or considering purchasing a quality aftermarket warranty.

The problem points for '07 530xi ... just don't see any of note. Several posters will complain about RFTs ... I did lose a tire and wheel to a pothole but I feel it's more a problem of low profile tires. The xi doesn't seem to ride as harshly as other models with RFTs - maybe because of added ride height. Traction, especially during the snow events in NJ, has been extraordinarily great. Drove out of my driveway, through 2' of fresh snow, to allow the plow to clear my driveway.

This may be more information than you asked for - I like my xi ... When warranty runs out later this year I'm not sure what I'll buy next - I want am M5 but between the uncertain economy and my insurance company estimating coverage will cost me $3000 more a year I am rethinking that decision. Where are you looking for your '07? Prices for pre-owned examples are a lot lower than I expected they would be. So you should be able to find something very affordable. Mine had an MSRP of $64K+ in late 2006!

porsche911targa

You are going to love it. Being a lease, I assume that the oil and fluid changes were done according to iDrive schedule. I would find out when the last oil change was done and change the oil if it has been more than 7K miles. I would also recommend changing AT fluid, diff fluid, transaxle fluid, and radiator flush since BMW claims that those items are not to be changed until 100K miles. If the car has 50K or more, I would consider replacing the spark plugs. I just did that on mine with 52K miles and am already seeing a gain of 2MPG. You are going to love the XI in snow. G/L

rcm162

Luigi and Porsche,

Thank you both for your posts and I say you can never have too much information on anything The more I have been reading about the 530 the happier I think I am going to be. I know I am going to miss a little of the snappiness of the 335 but I need a little more room as my wife and I are planning to start our family this year. I have already been given all of the paperwork from the dealer as that is where I got my last two bimmers from (my wife has an X3 which she LOVES). I will have to see what other options are coming with the car as I didn't get the full specs only brief ones over the phone. I told my dealer to be on the lookout for me and this is coming off lease with 27k miles on it. They are giving me what I feel is a good deal they wanted $35,500 for it and I got it for $34k + they are going to pay my last two lease payments on my 335xi. I leased my first bimmer just to make sure the cars lived up to the hype (which they did 100x over) and since then I bought my wife hers and now I wanted to buy mine so I had a little more liberty to mod and do what I wanted with. I don't think there will ever be anything but bimmers in my garage from now on. I will grab some pics tomorrow at the dealers and throw them up here and the I can start hitting the mod boards and see what everyone is doing.

Thanks again for taking the time to write up your responses, it is appreciated.

Robb

porsche911targa

I'm very happy for you. The E60 will never equal the tight handling of the E90 or even the E46, but it's still a joy to drive. Its roominess and command of the road more than makes up for the loss of tight handling. I'm lucky that I still get to drive the E46 that my wife drives, but when I get back in the E60, I feel like a million bucks. G/L with your purchase and enjoy your new ride.

twh

I have a US model 2006 530xi with the following: manual transmission, rear side airbags, comfort seats, fold down rear seats, rear seat heating, on-board navigation system, premium package, cold weather package. Auto leveling, adaptive Xenon's standard.

Unbelievable car. I'd buy it again no problem.

As for the xi...I left Pittsburg at 5PM on the night of the blizzard (Friday, February 5) and drove to Washington DC. Took me more than twice as long as normal, but I made it to the foot of my driveway in Fairfax. I grew up in Chicago, but still, it was a very hairy drive. Without the xi, I would have never made it and there were plenty of trucks and cars and SUVs off the road or otherwise disabled. That was even with the 50K miles on the original rubber - Goodyear RSA, which aren't that great in the snow.

rouge

After market airfilter and sprintbooster is a must. Great car