igngnot

haha i need advice on 545's because i think the 550 is just a leeetle out of my range.


What do i need to know before i buy an 05 545? like am i going to need the 4 year warranty (75k mi)? how much a year are repairs going to avg. tires are how much and how many miles? will i more than likely be lucky with this car and only have to change oil tires brakes etc? or is there a solid chance something is going to be terribly wrong? my freaking dad got me a 325e for my first car and i got the bimmer fever. i guess i just need a ballpark of what its going to cost to have this thing other than my payments


oh and should i get an e36 M3 instead? '04 55k mi convertible (75% interior )

stoic1

Get the VIN and find out if the car was in for regular maintenance at a BMW dealership. Also take the car to a reputable independent mechanic and have him check it out, don't forget to check for body and paint damage. I had to spend extra money to have a paint correction done, she looks great now.

This car will start needing maintenance on replaceable items soon, i.e. brakes, water pump, themostat etc. Be prepared for that. On that note I just got my car back yesterday from having to replace the mass airflow sensor, coil packs and spark plugs. Not cheap, but the car is now running like a champ!

Good luck.

d4rkchocolate

if i were you, i'd personally get a parking space at your local Gas Station because your car will be in there quite often getting its fuel tank filled, proper thirsty cars man. but fun

Shlooky

I would make sure of the following...

1-Check the VIN number and see what features that car came with.

2-Make sure the car was built after May 2004, not before

3-Car FAX!!!!

4-Interior condition especially...Glove compartment (my lock is broken and can't open the damn thing) and rear center arm rest cup holder, those things break often.

5-Make sure Engine and Transmission are good, take it BW for inspection

6-If you are an audio guy, make sure all speakers are functional and not damaged. One of my door speakers is giving me distorted sounds because the previous owner listened to heavy metal probably at max volume. I bought a replacement and having it changed by BMW tomorrow.

7-You will have to change the oil and all filters including spark plugs the minute you buy it.

8-Make sure when you drive it, the alignment is good.

9-Make sure your headlights are clean and functioning

10-Breaks!

11-You can tell if someone really looked after their car by the interior.

12-GET THE SPORTS SEATS!!!!!

13-Listen carefully while driving for any engine knocking or transmission noises

igngnot

very good advice -
heres another quandry - the more i look at my finances the more the 550i seems do-able.

its gonna cost me an extra $3000 and i wont have any service contract but its only got 55k miles. 545 and steak or 550 and ramen?

this a great forum btw! what an extremely helpful community after this sale expect me to have a billion annoying questions about every little e60 thing, and pictures of me looking mean as a mug in my 5'er

Shlooky

Looking forward to seeing whatever car you end up with

What year 550i are you looking for? Keep in mind that the 550i is a 4.8 litre engine, so it will guzzle more gas, but it'll be a ton of fun. Same stuff applies when looking for a 550i as they started production in 2006.

Try to find a car with Blue Tooth, Nav and Satellite radio, that way you have all the options. (If I only knew that before buying my car)also the M-Tech package (Spoiler kit) and a good set of RIMS would be nice.

This is my car I just bought, needs some work but I like it
https://5series.net/forums/topic/111857-my-car-pics/

Good luck finding the car you want.

igngnot

thanks for the advice - its a 2006 550 - 55k miles, i wont bite on it unless the dealer will go to $21,000 out the door. he said it has a mild smoke smell but i smoke anyway and would probably appreciate not having to decide weather or not to light one up in a good smelling interior.


What im REALLY interested in is weather or not i need a $3500 4 year powertrain warranty on a car like this - or if its at 55k and it doesnt have a mile long service record i should be able to get to 125K without a major.

healthservices

If you have to ask you should not do it. the 545i is not cheap to maintain. The gas mileage sucks, the Check engine light will come on often, After 75k the car can start leaking like a sieve. Coolant leaks can be very expensive especially if you get the dreaded water pipe leak. If you get the repeated Check engine lights that are hard to diagnose, be aware there is a concern with the engine harness, both these items are 2-3+k to repair through the dealer. Because you are young and the car is made mostly of aluminum the Insurance is high, Please check insurance cost, especially if you have tickets.

igngnot

my insurance wouldnt be bad, i already checked. how much would you "guess" id pay to service the car between 75,000 and 150,000. I know the answer is that every car is different but if you had to guess what an avg repair total between 75-150k id really appreciate it.

its not like im broke or anything im looking at a house too i just want to know if $3500 is worth a 4 year sealed system warranty or if im just throwing my money away on a warranty for a reliable car

healthservices

I would not be able to tell you that since I do all the work on my own car. Not everyone can do that as time is money.