Hello there,

I've been lurking at this site for some time. Good info and good people. Can't stop looking at pictures.

I currently own a CVT A4 in the U.S. (very pleased with it) and am looking to add a bigger car to the garage in three months time. Very likely a German car. Test driving and thinking about what car to buy is extremely fun and here's what I've driven thus far.

2005 530i Sport (Great handling/Decent Power/Nice Feel)
2005 A6 3.2 FSI 18s (Suprising handling/Very Nice Int/Value)
2004 A6 4.2 Sport (Fast/Value)

Musts: CW, Prem, Sport, Adapt hd, sate radio
Next: Nav, rear pk sen,

Based on what I've learned from this forum, the 545i and 535d (not available in the U.S.) seem to be the favorites. Engine-wise, spending over $50K and not getting a valvetronic would be tough. Waiting for R6 530 is an option and my dealer said ordering starts in sometime April and May. The R6 might be a 06 with a substantial price increase, which makes an 05 545 later in the year very attractive. The 06 might have some changes, such as better safety rating, upgraded interior, and revised rear taillamps ( :rolleyes: ). Not sure.

As an Audi fan, I hated the new A6 at first, but it has sort of grown on me. Looks great in black with amaretto interior. However, its nice to drive something else and the 5er is the one on my mind big time. I really dig the quick steering, anti sway technology, and agile/light feeling of the 5er. Stylewise, I really like the look, particularly from the side as you pull open the door. Beveling and short front overhang are really cool. The rear lights just seem to be a mistake :( . The interior is nice, although it can seem really bland in black and grey. The seats are the best I've ever sat in period!!! Although the leather seems very susceptible to a weathered look compared to my A4.

Anyway, sorry for the long post as I'm long winded. I'd appreciate any help or feedback. Hopefully, three months and I'll be driving a car I love :D

CVT Benhogan


PS I'd love to see more pictures of White, silv Grey and Blue.

welcome aboard, cvtbenhogan :thumbsup:! get a e60, i'm sure you won't regret a bit ;). btw, if you want to see more pics, go to the gallery and there are many pics posted by our members ^_^.

WELCOME!!!

Done that 10 times already!!! :thumbsup:

This exactly where I am coming from. Currently have 2002 B6 A4 and was going to go with new A6 but as much as liked an interior and hated new E60 look (o:) after test-driving both I decided to go with 530i which looks much nicer in person and A6 actually looks worth then I thought and handles worth then E60. Also A6 was a lot more expensive to lease but I?ve heard that changed now.

BY the way the 545I is evailable in the US

I came from an A6 Sport. Regretted not getting a 5. Now I'm in a 5 and life is gooood!

Welcome.

Welcome aboard *oopps* too late :))

By saying "545i and the 535d(not available in US)", he meant that the 535d wasn't in the US ;).

Hey Realtyman,

I like your white e60. Did you think of a silver color too when deciding on color? I think the car looks best in lighter colors right now. Although lighter blue is cool too.

CVT Benhogan

Welcome!

Welcome aboard, CVTBenhogan http://forums.e60.net/uploads/post-2-1091911634.gif!

Hey Iceman, that was your 5000th!

Welcome to nice interior and atmosphere CVTBenhogan. :thumbsup:

Iceman throw posts like catapult ... only faster! :wow:

Skaffa

He's just getting warmed up! :))

Welcome Aboard.

welcome! i think you will love coming over to BMW from Audi, they are nice cars, but the driving feel of BMW's are (IMHO) uncomparable

..just some things to keep in mind since you are new here, ....if you are not in a rush and dont need the 545i V8 power, defintely consider the 530i with the R6. This is a powerful engine that was developed for the 630i with ~258bhp, and they use of some light alloys to reduce the weight so it should be noticably quicker than the current 530i...

im waiting on it, as well as some other exterior/interior changes that will be incorportated into the MY '06's ... :thumbsup:

good luck!

My two cents are what a number of people here say: look at the price of a 530i Sport optioned the way you want it, and then compare it to a 545i Sport. I think at that point, the price differential is small enough that you might as well get the 545. Otherwise, you'll be driving the 530 saying "NEXT TIME I'll get that sweet V8!"

Welcome to the board. You can't go wrong either way. I still love my bright blue 545!

Hey Realtyman,

I like your white e60. Did you think of a silver color too when deciding on color? I think the car looks best in lighter colors right now. Although lighter blue is cool too.

CVT Benhogan
[/quote]

Thanks,

For me it was either Black or White.
Too bad they didn't offer Red.

The Blues are nice, just not my thing.

The few that are in my area are almost all silver.
I like to be different.

Enjoy.

What's your location Ben?

welcome! i think you will love coming over to BMW from Audi, they are nice cars, but the driving feel of BMW's are (IMHO) uncomparable

..just some things to keep in mind since you are new here, ....if you are not in a rush and dont need the 545i V8 power, defintely consider the 530i with the R6. This is a powerful engine that was developed for the 630i with ~258bhp, and they use of some light alloys to reduce the weight so it should be noticably quicker than the current 530i...

im waiting on it, as well as some other exterior/interior changes that will be incorportated into the MY '06's ... :thumbsup:

good luck!
[/quote]

Thanks everyone in the E60 forum for the warm welcome!

I'm very patient when it comes to getting a new ride. I ordered my A4 3.0 CVT and it was well worth it. Few regrets going this route.

A possible A4 and E60 combo in my garage would be the best of both worlds.

M630, good luck on your 06 530i. The R6 with more power (258hp) and 15% better fuel economy sounds very attractive. My wild guess is the 530i will have a 0-60 in the 6.3 to 6.5 range and 29/34 (city/highway) mpg. While fuel mileage is not a deal breaker, its nice to know that the motor moving you is world class in every way. I'm still amazed at the mileage figures for the 545 and the 745. The 2005 3.2 A6 gets only 23/25 approx with a 0-60 of 7.0. Big difference here.

M630, As for MY 06, what interior and exterior changes are expected? More wood below the center dash?, and revised taillamps? :blink: Can't wait to see this.

Regards,

CVT Benhogan

Welcome to the Forum! You will find a great bunch of guys (and girls) here and you will probably be surprised at the wealth of information too.