tachyon

Don't think we should hang our heads too low ... this is Money Magazine after all, which is sort of like People Magazine for financial dummies. They place a lot of weight on price ... of course. I don't take financial advice from Car & Driver either.



Money Magazine

ipse dixit

I agree with MONEY. From a rational standpoint, financially, the E60 is a bad buy.

But then, I rarely buy cars based on rational reasons. It's pure emotion for me. If I was completely rational, I'd probably be scooting around in a late model Honda Civic with cloth interior, no power windows, and equipped with only the ABS option.

Go figure.

tachyon

You can say that again, brother.

I just find it interesting that even at a financial publication they calculate value based soley on the initial purchase price, and ignore lease rates, resale value, and maintenance costs - as they would in any other investment scenario. Even at Money, buying a car is not completely rational.

dgjk

1. If being rational was the most important part of buying a car - then we should only have a choice between the accord and the camry.

2. As my Dad said - you get what you pay for.

3. I think the fact that it costs more makes it better. Usually car makers adjust price to demand - lower price increases demand - The other companies can not compete with the BMW experience - so they have to undercut on price.

santiago fonseca

Yeah, good write up on the competition, but if the reason it's third is because of cost - WHO CARES. If we are fortunate enough to be able to afford this kind of car, why sweat that it is more than the others - IT'S STILL THE BEST CAR OUT THERE. And I don't give much credit to people who cry about the iDrive ("Everyone hates it"??? Yeah?? They talked to EVERYONE???). All these car testers have the cars for a couple of days each and they're probably trying to learn the iDrive while driving. If you set it up properly and learn how to use it, get familiar with the menu hierarchy BEFORE you start driving - you're set. The rest is pure driving pleasure. The overall numbers are not too bad. The lowest is value - again, WHO CARES??? Design? Such an objective rating. My wife and I HATED the E60 when we first saw it, the early 2004 models, then as if by magic, it just became THE car. The E39 looked just sooo dated and the E60 so cutting edge, such gorgeous cars - all the curves and light/shadow plays in the body. Bangle nailed it!! I do agree that the interior spaces could be a little better - especially in the storage department. I intend to bring that up when we meet with the engineers during our meeting in July - see "WORLDWIDE MEETING IN GERMANY 18 - 21 JULY" in the Meet and Greet section - not that it'll do anything, but I'd like to hear their ideas behind the "minimal everything" inside these great cars.

A buddy of mine recently bought an Audi A6 and though it's very nice inside, the cockpit looked like the cockpit on a 747 - SO MANY buttons and switches and stuff. And the body is lame, looks like an older Audi - except for the new gaping grill. But the body is just blah..

"Audi's A6 is more luxurious and Infiniti's M sedan performs virtually as well.." They forgot to add: BUT NEITHER IS A BMW.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents..

Here's the actual write up on our car from the magazine.

PERFORMANCE 10
DESIGN 7
LUXURY 8
VALUE 6

The 5-Series has taken hits for its adventurous styling, but that blue-and-white emblem still brings a lot of prestige to the table (which in turn keeps residuals high). There's little debate regarding the car's iDrive, however. Everyone hates this cumbersome console knob that controls things such as air conditioning and stereo settings. But ergonomic quirks aside, no other sedan combines such extraordinary agility and power with a smooth ride and hushed cabin.

That's especially true for the new 550i, with its 365-horsepower V-8 that reaches 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds. Six-cylinder engines in the 525i and the 530i are also unmatched for smoothness and efficiency.

For purists, BMW offers both a manual shifter and a Formula One-inspired automated manual transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifts. Neither is available from competitors.

Yet despite its heady performance and best-in-class resale value, the 5-Series' price kicks it down to third place. Comparably equipped, the BMW is easily the most expensive car in this test. The base 215-hp 525i starts at more than $43,000; the 550i starts at around $58,000 and can soar above $70,000. The problem is that Audi's A6 is more luxurious and Infiniti's M sedan performs virtually as well--and each costs several thousand dollars less. OVERALL SCORE: 31