dtrojanz

Hello all,

I live in So Cal (Orange County), test drove the '04 530...

Impressions: Positives: Love the exterior, handling is second to none, turning radius was great, acceleration good. Love the sports package. Its a bimmer.

Negatives: Front cupholders look very cheap, I-drive was complicated (too many screens to perform basic functions (radio, navi, etc). The salesperson was clueless on upgrades from '04 to '05, didn't know if bluetooth available, didnt know if navi was voice activated. My wife drives an '03 Acura MDX whose navi is very intuitive and easy to use (I'm sure the bimmer's is solid as well but getting thru the different menus thru I-drive is somewhat frustrating).

Questions for the vets or anyone who cares to respond:

1) Are most of the bugs you guys mention on this forum from '04 going to be fixed
for '05?

2) Bluetooth available?

3) Is the navi voice activation easy to use? (the salesman was clueless on this one)

4) What are the upgrades for '05?

5) Do many people regret not going for the 545 (vs. the 530) given the better hp?

Thanks in advance. Great forum by the way. Its embarrassing (for BMW) that people have to get their own information on the car rather than the salespeople knowing this stuff like the back of their hand.

Iceman

Welcome aboard, dtrojanz !

BT is available on MY2005.

branie555

Run, don't walk to another dealership and find a sales person who knows the car! Call around and ask to speak to the GM of the dealership. Find out who his most knowledgable SA is, or better yet try BMWCCA.org for a referral in your area. Good luck. It's a great car.

In answer to your query about the 530 vs the 545. I am in the process of upgrading my 04 530 to an 05 545. However, if you can wait until mid 05, you may want to consider waiting for the new 6 cylinder R6 engine which has more hp and torque, valvetronic technology (currently available on the 4.4 liter engine) and will have better fuel economy.

heezy545i

You'll get use to Idrive in no time, but the NAV in the Acuras is superior.

For the 530 vs. 545, if your trying to save money, I'd rather have a 545 with minimal options over a loaded 530.

Blackonblackonblack

I can answer what I know in my own experience:

Most bugs are going to be fixed, however, I'm not sure about Bluetooth availability. I have not seen one that works in the flesh...although the dealer tells me it's "coming". The computer will probably need upgrades as time goes by. The nav voice activiation works fine...I've even tried different accents to see how much distortion of the english language it can take! (There are a lot of commands, however, that you will have to memorize!) The only visible upgrade that I know of are the wood inserts in the rear center panel and the wood inserts in the center vertical console. I think most people on this site are happy with the engines they've chosen. I think it's just a matter of preference and driving style. I myself opted for more power, but for me it was the fact that most of the options I wanted, (not all), came standard with the 545i versus the 530i so I decided to pay a little extra for the V8.

You're right. Most sales people know less than those of us who really care about our cars. However, I had a salesman, that knew every bit about the car and the i-drive commands! Unfortunately, he left for another dealer...obviously a promotion and more money. He has no problem with me calling him personally with questions. I've also introduced him to this website and he's refering it to his clients!

Rudy

Welcome!

As a rule, in the areas of software, voice activation, etc., you should not expect the same level of refinement in the BMW as you've seen in the Acura. Clearly, in these areas, the Japanese do it better.

Having said that, the Germans clearly no the mechanical side and in the E60, they've built a spectacular car that is simply a joy to drive. Most of us here get frustrated from time to time about certain issues related to things like Bluetooth, Satellite radio, etc. but I think I speak for many here when I say that all it takes is a little drive in the car and you kind of forget all those little things and simply enjoy the car for what it is...a driving machine.

You will find that in no time at all you'll have iDrive mastered so don't worry too much about your experiences with the car on a short test drive. The voice recognition works most iDrive features, not just navigation. It won't, however, do things like allow you to enter a nav destination via voice. Maybe that'll be added with a software upgrade, maybe it won't. For me, I still can't wipe the smile off my face each and every time I finish a drive in this thing!

I'm curious though so I have a quick question for you -- where did you learn about this forum?

Take care and enjoy what this forum has to offer...

Guest

1. The bugs that you've read about are sporadic and getting fixed, but sometimes very slowly. Many E60 drivers such as me have not had thier car in for any service whatsoever. Others have had horror stories.

2. Bluetooth is supposed to be available with MY05 models in the US. We're all waiting with baited breath for the first models to arrive in the next few days to verify this. If it's important to you, watch this board over the next week or so.

3. The "voice activation system" comes with the nav package but it is not a "voice activated nav system". Rather, the voice activation system works for many of the car's normal commands. The nav system itself is not voice activated in the sense that the Japanese systems are.

4. The upgrades for MY05 are minor in nature and include a little more wood trim and (hopefully) the aforementioned Bluetooth system.

5. I agree with the previous post. I'd rather have a lightly optioned 545 than a fully loaded 530.

One final comment. If you value performance and road handling over any other attribute, there simply is no alternative to a 5er!!

hinckley

Sorry, I wasn't logged in for the last post . . .

alohalc

welcome aboard, dtrojanz ! you've just joined the greatest bmw forum on the planet !

if you have some spare changes, always nice to go with bigger engine. you never know when will you need it .

if i were you, i'd take the '05 since '04 models will soon to be brand new "old" cars.

knowledgable sales advisor is as important as knowledgable service advisor. if that guy doesn't have any clue about the products that he's selling, either change to another guy or dealer.

Jimbo

Once you get the idrive and the steering programmable buttons set up, the idrive is mainly used to change CD's for the changer (if you get that option). It seems that most of the bugs are being worked out.

As far as 530 vs 545, I would like the 530 to have about 30 to 50 more hp. That being said, it's very punchy and in the Sport Mode with the steptronic, compared to most other cars, it moves out well. It's also cheaper on the gas and insurance, if those are your concerns.

However, most of the people on the forum that rave about performance are 545 owners. My future plan is to let the wife drive the 530 and purchase an M5, 911, Viper or the new Z06 for myself.

Whatever you get, you'll have a ton of fun. My advice it to wait until the new 6 cyl. moter comes out and then make your choice.