gortiz

Hey everyone. ...

very cool board. I have read a lot of interesting things about the e60. Some of the stories about things going wrong are bit discouraging though!

I'm on the verge on pulling the trigger on the right 530i. I test drove one this weekend at great, great, length. A buddy of mine since the 1st grade is the General Sales Manager at this Jaguar Dealership. It was a blast to say the least.

But, I have to admit I have some apprehension regarding issues with reliability and the maintenance a 530 might require. I have read that the 2005 is a pretty reliable year, but I have driven two Honda?s (Accord and S200) over the last 8 years and I'm not exaggerating when I say I have never been to the mechanic for a problem, not once. I've driven a little over 110K during that time. The most I've done is replace tires once and wind shield wipers.

So, if staying out of shop and not having things go wrong is close to the top of my priority list, should I be looking at another car besides the 530? I know alot depends on where the car is with the warranty, the quality of the dealer, the carfax etc.

Would Japanese lux car, i.e. infinity, Acura be a better match for me?

Any thougths about this or about buying your first bmw would be greatly appreciated!!

northern-monkey

I think you have to decide if you want to go the bmw path or acura etc
your familiar with acura ...................so ?

personally all cars have problems its what you are prepared to edure
good luck with whatever decision you make

thefleet

Hello and welcome.

A BMW repair would most likely cost you exactly the same as a Japnease car would at a dealer.

High performance vehicles need more maintainence. Depanding on what options you select, the more issues you might run into in the long run. Try to get an extended warranty.

As for me, I really dont care about maintainence versus the enjoyment I get from driving in my BeAm.

bmwpwr

Do you expect us on here to really recommend any other car besides a BMW?

So...would a luxury Japanese car be a better match? That is a very personal question. Only you can figure that out. But try searching on the forum for some of your questions. I think most of here debated on the choices before we purchased. I mean.... 50K is alot of money not to at least do some work.

some quick PROS:

-driving sensation
-luxury yet sporty
-many kits and upgrades
-BMW prestige
-Good service at dealership (this one is relative)
-beautiful lines on the (guess this one is relative too)
-good resale value
-e60.net (family of enthusiasts who care about one another and their passions)

some quick CONS:

-expensive when you add up all the goodies
-Maintenance is on the expensive side after warranty (but on par with all european high performance vehicles)
-other japanese cars are more technologically endowed
-other german cars are more luxurious
-idrive (good system but will annoy you...and die once in awhile)
-e60.net (say goodbye to hours if not days of your life spent wandering this site... say goodbye to your extra money every month due to itch to MOD....say goodbye to friends as you anally obsese over the fact that IN NO MATTER WHAT SCENARIO, they cannot eat in your car. Then when they choose to ignore you and bite into that bean burrito, deal with the fact that you just stopped your car in the middle of an intersection and kicked your passenger out.)

good luck.

RJH&CO

Hey man. I see you are in Lorton Va and I am in Herndon Va. I have also been test driving cars over the weekend. I have driven about 5 e60s all together. Some 525i and some 530i. I was almost gonna test drive the 530i at your buddy's jaguar dealership. The only thing that drew me away was no Xenon lights. If he is giving you a good deal, maybe you can get xenon kit or upgrade later. Also, i have owned s2k in the past from s2ki.com
BMWs require a little more maintenance as it's more sporty car, but you will surely love the car in the end. If all goes well, i should be in a 525i by this weekend. :-)
if you want to talk more, hit me up via PM.

RJH

gortiz

pretty cool...I just sent you a pm but if you more want info about my buddy let me know. he works, very close with fairfax bmw and he seems to get great deals. he turns his inventory over 3 times a month and never carries over 20 cars. he prices his bmw's to move, and they move real quick.

gortiz

actually yeah, I would expect that here from a few members ... especially when taking into consideration the little background info in my orginal post ... I would not expect someone to bad mouth the car ... just maybe some insight on how you know it is a good fit.

thanks for the pro's and cons though, they give me a good idea of what expect and not expect. I'll make sure to scour the board as well.

I really think my big problem is never owning a true luxery car. I really don't know that to expect and frankly I'm a little intimidated. It helped test driving the car this weekend, but I think I need to do a lot more research, and to be honest I thought I did alot.

flyingpuck

Go for the 530, and enjoy the hell out of it!! One major hurdle though.....NEVER own a BMW without a warranty, as it will tear your heart out through your wallet!!! But once you DO own one, you'll never stray to a lesser car again!!

bmwpwr

It is intimidating. I bought my new 530i a year ago when I was only 22. I know how big a decision this can be, especially since there are so many choices. Like you, I had never owned a luxury car either, even though my parents had a few.

No matter what decision you make just remember that you do not have to put everything on paper and decide that way. You do not need to balance out every dollar per option, or every luxury trim vs. technology advancement, etc. On paper you will only find the best car on a value per dollar basis. This is a great start though! It is always beneficial to read the accounts of actual daily drivers.

At the end of the day you have to drive and live with this car day in and out. Do not think about what your friends say or what they drive.

Does it mean I don't look at a 335i vert or audi s4 have some 2nd thoughts even today? No...we will always think the grass is greener on the other side to a certain extent. But I do know that every time I look at my blue bemmer it brings a smile to my face and I enjoy driving it everyday.

kryptokat

If you need a reliable car and cannot afford the time to take the car to the dealer and leave it there, then you should look away from the BMW and get into a Japanese car. You will be very disappointed if you are going to compare this car to the Hondas you have maintained. However nothing really drives and feels the way the BMW does especially with Active Steering and Anti Roll Stability.

I sold my brand new BMW in less than a year, the annoying non critical problems such as stuck automatic windows , door rattle, loose door trim I was willing to put up with, even though they took time away from my life in dealer trips, but when the performance suffered due to tranny slams, auto tranny lag I gave up.

I am back in a Japanese offering and can't match the driving experience of the BMW and always yearn I didn't have to have such a time intensive and time critical Job so I could get back into a BMW. But on the flip side haven't spent any time in service other than a 30min oil change in the last two years, and plenty of time for other important things in life.