tab545

I have had mine for two months, and I still can't wait to drive it, even for a few miles. Every corner I take just stops whatever else I am thinking to remind me how cool it is, how agile the car is. The faster the better. And the mature, aggressive growl in the 2500-4500 range on the tach.

The cost is just the price of admission, but if you take care of the car and enjoy it, it's worth it. Think of how many crappy cars cost $30-40K. It's worth a premium to look forward to the car, regardless of what else is going on in my day. Childish? I guess so.

(Yes, I also look forward to my wife. Is it wrong to have TWO things go right every day, instead of just one?)

pharding

I just picked up my ED 545 from the US dealer last Saturday. The car is awesome. Perfomance, design, and overall quality are superb. I am still puzzled by the criticisms of the I-Drive. I like the I-Drive a lot. It is easy to learn. It is a great car.

JDN

You've just been listening to the wrong forum too long, Paul. Good to see you coming up for a breath of fresh air.

Blackonblackonblack

I really, really, really like my car...even with it's little flaws...but I guess we get nit-picky when there's not much to pick! I don't know if it's just brand loyalty...but despite perpetual oil leaks on previous bmw's I don't see myself changing brands any time soon. Sure I still own other brands...but the bmws are still the main source of driving pleasure. It really is the ultimate driving machine!

Malc

The car is great, no real complaints at all. I love the performance of the diesel, and the looks are great - it's nice to be different. Certainly a few niggles, but most I suspect are due to dealers not knowing enough about configuring the car, and some because BMW have fallen into the trap of trying to get to market to soon. As long as they all get fixed eventually I won't mind.

Maybe a 535d Sport next.....

Cheers,

Malc.

Guest

I ordered my 545i in January, delivered in late April and have been generally pleased ever since. I test drove E500 & Lexus GS430 and the 545i won hands down. As noted in earlier responses, forum participants are enthusiasts, so they tend to be nick pickers about the details.

My neighbor got rid of his last generation E320, which was in the dealer shop every other week (I know others with the current generation E class with the same experiences). Except for the unexpected fuel line clip recall and a defective driver's seat module (which would not retain seat memory), I have had no other problems with the car. I own a 2004 Lexus SUV, which of course has been excellent (no recalls or other problems to date) and I have every reason to believe the GS430 would have provided the same excellent quality/reliability experience. That being said, there is just no substitute for the BMW driving experience.

The only question now is whether to trade up to the M5 when it is available in the US

branie555

My 530 has been in the shop 8 times since December, mainly for:
A/C odor (fixed once, now returning, slow but sure)
C/D not functioning properly (not fixed; just waitin' for that next software release)
AM Radio Static (not fixed; service measure says need part, waiting)
Rear Seat Squeaks (when I get it back tomorrow, will post result)
Passenger reading lamp (assembly replaced)
Recall (done)

I'm now at 23 days in the shop in 9 months. 3 times (or is it 4?) for the CD alone.
Illinois Lemon Law states that:
A presumption that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a new vehicle to its express warranties shall arise where, within the statutory warranty period, (1) the same nonconformity has been subject to repair by the seller, its agents or authorized dealers during the statutory warranty period, 4 or more times, and such nonconformity continues to exist; or (2) the vehicle has been out of service by reason of repair of nonconformities for a total of 30 or more business days during the statutory warranty period.

BTW, I still love to drive it. The other stuff sucks, but I guess that's life!

kigerka

No problems yet. No software upgrades either. I have only been to the dealer to see what was active on the key memory.

alohalc

you must be the luckiest one so far !

my530i

I like mine, but not much. A little disappointed in the power department. CD player software: sucks. CD changer is glove box: sucks. No MP3 player: sucks. No bluetooth: sucks. Don't have Xenon: wife doesn't like it.

I'll wait until all of those above solved and I'll consider the fully loaded 545i. For now torque and power is not what I expected. I want more.