I'm getting closer to placing an order to lease a new 5 series - I'm sure a topic like this is posted about once a week...so I apologize. I'm looking for feedback from those of you who own or have driven the i and ix...this is driving me nuts but I'm leaning towards the xi...I drove it a couple times, solid handling. I'm in upstate NY where I see snow 4+ months a year. I've had a couple RWD BMW's with snow, a little scary at times but I survived.

Options that I will get: Premium, SP, CWP, fold-down rears

Options on the bubble:
1) Sport wheels - they look so much better than the 17's but I'm concerned with all the RFT issues; I'd throw on 4 snows/rims from Tirerack for winter. Anyone own or drive the xi with these wheels...to harsh, better handling, loud??
2) i-Pod, sat radio, Logic 7
3) Comfort access, PDC
4) black headliner...I think the gray is standard which may look lousy with natural brown (platinum gray ext)

Any real-world experience on these choices would be greatly appreciated...Ive learned a ton from this forum - it's addicting!

Logic 7, along with the sport package is a must IMHO - iPod also a must if you own an iPod.
I do not have sat radio hooked up but I have heard it has quite a bit of static - using an iPod is better and cheaper.

You can see the options I went with in my signature...

I personally can't stand satellite radio. I really like getting the news channels, but the audio is so compressed that music channels sound like crap...it's like MP3 encoded at the lowest bit rate.
I've had sat radio in 3 cars and I'm stopping the madness with this car :). Instead I ordered HD radio...we'll see how that works out.

PDC is a must have (once you get it you'll never go back), but comfort access is a "splurge"
black headliner makes the car feel smaller inside to me...but I agree it may go better with brown leather.

Is PDC really still an option in the US?

ABC

Yes

Thanks for your input. I see you went with the 18" wheels with RFT's - how do they ride...noisy? harsh? better handling? No doubt they look better. Do you have to deal with winter conditions in your neck of the woods? $600 isn't a hell of a lot in the whole scheme of things, but it would force me into $1000 winter set-up.

I do have the rear PDC in the LR3 I'm driving now - I agree that you do get dependent on it.

1) I would say yes because it makes the car looks so much better
2) Ipod + Logic7 ( I have both and love it )
3) PDC ( is a must )
4) I don't have it :nono: but i think it would look really nice.

Hope this helps :lol:

Rich

Get the headliner with natural brown. The gray headliner clashes with the brown seats. I sat in two such cars at my dealer, and I came away sold on the black headliner. I suspect that beige interiors would be the same way, but I did not see one when I was there.

I'd probably recommend the opposite if you got gray or black leather, as it does not make a $500 difference with those colors.

Last month I picked up on ED put ~1,400 miles on a new 535xi in Germany & Austria. I'm very happy with the xi. Had an E39 540 that was totaled in January.

The Comfort Access is not cheap, but you will use it EVERY time you get into or drive the car!
PDC is also worth it, especially now with the visual ques on the LCD display.

My car has Logic 7, iPod I/F, and HD radio. I'm a talk radio junkie so I may have wasted my money on the Logic 7. I think HD is a comer, though.

I had Nav on my E39 and wouldn't think of having a car without it. It it much improved on the 535xi.

Although I got Active Cruise Control and Night Vision, I didn't really get a chance to try them out.

Almost forgot: The Head Up display is great! Especially nice if you have a Nav system

In any case, you will love the car!

So THAT'S why e60s are more expensive in the UK!

:devil:

ABC