520i this week!

Naff doesn't begin to describe what a spoiler would look like on an e60!!


The Nav voice volume is changed with the vol up/.down keys WHILST she is talking... the repeat key, i think the diamond (could be wrong) will have her speak again and then you hit the volume...

or so it was described, i think, in the US owner's manual -- or maybe it was for the 7series... in any case give it a try.

cheers

browellm

Seen two E60's now with rear spoilers. They were horrid.

Apologies to all for the duff information on TMC, I was going off the UK brochure - it mentions TMC for the professional nav but not on business nav.

ISUK

Jonboy,

You adjust the satnav volume by using the volume control button next to the DVD slot in the dash. You have to do it whilst the woman is talking.

There is an option to turn TMC on with the business nav but I can't recall it ever cutting in. Then again I may just have been lucky when using it and not come up againsts any jams.

If you get the Bluetooth option the handbook expanation of the voice command is pathetic. Press the voice button on the steering wheel, say "help" and you will get a different woman from Miss Satnav who will kindly tell you which voice commands are available.

BTW DON'T do the spoiler - it's very naff! You'll give the rest of us a bad name

speuk

Have you thought about Hi-Fi Speakers rather than Logic 7. Much cheaper and provide an excellent performance.... 2 extra tweeters in rear and two sub woofers, one under each front seat. Also if you garage car electric folding mirrors are a must given the extra width, something I forgot to order.

Bluetooth works well if you are frequent phone user

My spec 530d Auto in Silver grey
Black leather with front seat heating
Sun roof
Auto dipping intl mirror
17" Style 116 wheels
Auto air con advanced
Hi fi speakers
Bluetooth
CD changer
Poplar wood trim incl door handles
c. ?38,500

Had car since UK launch and just over 10,000miles on clock, software upgrade completed which fixed gearbox problem and TFT screen replaced as part of recall.

speuk

Forgot Businuess Nav from spec above which does support TMC in Europe

E60-530d-London

Hi Jonboy

545 vs 530d ???

If you live in the south east of the UK, ask yourself just how often you will get to use the extra horses. Then there is the depreciation. When I bought the 530d, the dealer told me he was selling 4 of these cars out of every E60s out of his door. When calculating the finance, the addition of satnav (business) dramatically improved the residuals stored in the BMW finance program. I ordered it and it works really well. I did see the professional version working when I was once a passenger in a new 7 series and the moving map is really impressive, especially when it rotates in response to a change in direction. But, a bugger to read at speed. Arrows work fine and the chick tells me what to do in any case, if I'm not paying attention.

I know they weren't looking at the 545, but this is what the Times review had to say:

"Only the two 3 litre cars were available at the launch and for the first time in any model range I?ve driven, the diesel was the one to choose, even disregarding its financial advantages. Official figures say it?s a shade slower than its petrol-powered stablemate, which proves only that statistics can be misleading. On a test track against a stopwatch the 530i might well reach 62mph in 6.9 rather than 7.1sec but we don?t drive that way. Of much more importance is what happens when you put your foot down in any given gear and while the 530d has 13 fewer horsepower it has 65% more torque, which means, in reality, it would blow the 530i off the road."

The Telegraph tells a similar story:

"There are three engine options: 2?2/170bhp or 3?0/231bhp straight-six petrol engines and a 3?0 six-cylinder turbodiesel that yields 218bhp and a monster 368lb ft of torque. Perhaps the "best car in the world" notion had wormed its way into my subconscious and set an unachievable goal, because the 3?0 petrol model felt disappointing. The engine was not quite the sweet, sixy thing you remembered from previous models ? and this was highlighted by the need to spin the needle towards the red to make progress up Sardinian mountains.

Meanwhile, the six-speed gearbox occasionally clonked and shunted unless you made a real effort to drive smoothly. Added to which, I found myself fidgeting at the wheel along the straight bits.

The diesel I drove the following day was a different proposition, however. Its huge low-down punch meant you could leave it in one gear and surge effortlessly and smoothly between hairpins. The engine's character seemed to transform the car and, since it costs the same as its petrol cousin while using about 30 per cent less fuel and emitting less CO2 (just in case such things should bother company executives), I can't imagine why anybody would choose anything but diesel."

Dude, if speed is *really* your thing why not make the rest of us turn really green and order the new M5?

E60-530d-London

Yeah - I meant to say 4 out of every 5 E60s sold by my dealer was a 530d!

jonboy

enough already! too many choices!

yes folding mirrors are a good idea - i'll need to get it into my garage and the m3 is already tight.

i've warmed to the idea of business sat nav but have to say i'm still holding a light for the spolier - anyone got any pictures to help stop me making a dreadful mistake???

my dealer is trying to get hold of a 545i for this weekend or next - i'll post my impresssions of the performance vs the 530d and on the thorny topic of whether I'd actually get any use out of the extra horses. although ashamed to admit it i'm also quite looking forward just to the sound the thing might make

anyway thanks for all your advice - i have a feeling that this car is going to be very spec sensitive to it all helps to make the right choice.

520i in 2 days ??

I went with the 520i SE Auto
with
bus nav - radio & dvd upgrade & CD changer
lumbar support - better seat structure, usually, and comfy to adjust while driving
sports suspension, antidazzle in&out, moonroof
a couple of extras more, but these few should fare well in terms of adding to resale value for next time 'round part-ex.

Totaling out at less than ?30k, as a company car, and fitting my budget within a fiver it worked well for me --- for others, in different situations, different choices also work.

And, in all, given the comfort in which I'll be doing it, that extra second.5 to 60 will be fine - having driven this 2.2 i am doing nothing but looking forward to receiving it!
ciao

GarryF

Here's a pic of an e60 I had for a few days while my car was in the garage, had clear tail lights and a spoiler. I actually thought it didn't look that bad....

http://www.l-h-s.co.uk/images/bmw01.jpg
and some more here
http://e60.doit.wisc.edu/images/oem/oem.html

It's intresting about residuals and sat nav, where I stay in scotland I would probably hardly ever need to use it, instead I plumped for dynamic drive to improve the handling. Now if I stayed down in London I can see the benefit.

Another thing to think about is that some extras can be retrofitted where others are factory fit only. i.e. Adaptive headlights can be retrofitted but dynamic drive, active steering etc can't. I'm sure there's a list around somewhere with dealer fit options.