[tony20009]

Unfortunately, my large car -- a 1984 MB -- is starting to make some odd noises in the motor and/or tranny, and because it's so old, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to fix it. I've decided I will replace it with a 5 Series car. I've checked out the BMW website and played with the "Build Your Own" tool a bit to see how the pricing works out and I spoke with my BMW salesperson (SA).

I'm posting this to ask you current owners some questions:

1. Which model do you have and what's been your experience driving it?

   • Snowy conditions
   • Rain/drizzled roads
   • Handling (cornering/steering/braking) with/without the dynamic handling features engaged (non-track driving situations)
   • Entering highways with limited merge areas...do you get that "oh, shit" feeling?
   • Passing on the highway or accelerating into an available space in the next lane...does it take to damn long to get moving and the space disappears, for example?
   • Find any blind spots that are annoying?
   • Ease of judging the car's size when parallel parking or maneuvering in tight parking garages

2. Your thoughts about my option selections. My SA is trying to tell me I'll regret making the decisions I'm inclined toward.
3. Aside from the obvious power difference, is there any reason you can identify to get the 535 rather than the 528?
4. Would you spend a large sum (less than $40K) to fix an old MB?
5. Fill in the blanks: If I knew before I bought my __________ , I would have (bought it anyway, not bought it, bought it configured with) __________ instead.

I'm considering the cars below. As you may observe, I don't give a whit about leather and many of the other bells and whistles that one can get on a 5er.

528i: This one comes with an auto tranny, so I'll deal with that. What appeals to me most about this version is that equipped as I want it, it comes in priced well below what I've budgeted to spend, so much so that in addition to the must have options below, I could toss in some fun stuff -- active cruise, black roof liner, comfort access, rear climate control, and heads-up display -- and still be under budget. The options I absolutely must have on my car are:

• Navigation
• Heated Front Seats
• Xenon Lights
• iPod Adapter
• Upgraded Maintenance
• Maybe: Dynamic Handling Package & Sport Package. I'm interested in this only because with the other stuff I want, the car is still in budget. The issue with the HDP is that the one on the 535 seems vastly different than this one. Do any of you know whether it really is different?

535i: The thing I like most about the 535 is that I can get a manual tranny. Otherwise, I want the same options as above, except almost certainly not interested in the DHP on the 535i because it forces me (as it does on the 528) to buy things I don't really care about (I don't mind them, but I don't want to pay for them.), and results in a car that costs $5K over what I want to pay for the car. I have an relatively fixed sum available to spend, but, of course, I could find an extra $5K if I determined it was really worth it, or if the SA makes it worth my while to spend more (e.g., he offers to sell me a $67K car for $60K). In the main, though, I'd prefer to stay "in budget." (I can do a lot of things with $5K, having a college student, a teen and a pre-teen...)

550i: I realize I could probably order one of these with just the heated seats and the iPod adapter and get my SA to sell it for about $57-$58K, but that's actually over what I'm trying to spend, so I'd rather not start off considering something that's over what I'm budgeting. It's more of a final option if I can't get the price I want for one of the other two. I think the power this car has is nice, but as best as I can tell, without the DHP on it, it's little different from the other two, short of having more lux gizmos that don't otherwise make the car a better driving car. Thoughts?

My 3er will continue to be my primary vehicle. I will drive the new 5er mostly when I go out "dressed up" or when I find myself driving two or more "dressed up" adults somewhere. All in all, I'll probably drive my new car 6-10 times a month for short trips in the city or close in burbs. Perhaps in another 5 years when my son turns 18, I'll give him the 3er and the 5er will become my primary car. That's a ways off though, but that's the only vision I have of this being a regular use car. Indeed, I would like to keep this car as long as I've kept my Benz.

One other thought that has crossed my mind is to totally restore my MB. It has been an incredibly good car -- it's got over 300K on it right now -- and there's a part of me that thinks the better use of my money would be to refurb the MB rather than buy the new BMW 5er. One thing I like about it is that it's run substantively without issue since my family have owned it. (This is still the original motor.) I like the room inside and I like that I don't stress about it's appearance, though it's in good shape visually. (I had it repainted 5 years ago.) I also like that it's a relatively low cost car to own. I just think the old girl is feeling her age finally...

Do any of you have some experience with these old MBs from the 1980s? I've hunted around just a bit on the Internet to see if I could find some useful information, but with no luck. Admittedly I just started looking this week as this is when the noise began.

Thanks to any of you who can provide some useful insights.

Best wishes and Happy Holidays!!!

[Touring]

Wow, that was alot of questions! To be short Im very satisfied with my car. Its pretty loaded with extras, what I miss is the head-up display because I use the I-drive so much. With winter-tyres the snow-handling is very good, the rear-end is so heavy so traction is no problem.

When you read in the forum many have issues with the steering pulling to the right, one was pulling to the left. Some cant paralell-park with it for some reason, among other problems. Test drive the car for a long trip and find out for yourself is my advice.

Im very satisfied with my car, I get the premium feeling in it. Nice comfort and sporty ride on demand (electronic damper control), incredible milage (520d) and fast enough (no problems in the left lane on the autobahn ). Its spacious and quiet, the sound system is really good ( Hifi-option) and the navigation is superb (navi-pro).

With the gas and car prices you have in the states I would go for the 550i. You only live once :-)

[NewBimmerMD]

Hey glad you're considering a 5 series. I have a 535xi and like you am from Washington DC. I LOVE the car. I upgraded from a 335xi which I loved but was looking for something a little bigger and more luxurious. What I got was a something lot bigger and a lot more luxurious. I still wanted some of that 3 series sportiness/handling so I did order the DHP and Sport Auto transmission. In addition I also optioned it up with the Sport package, prem 1&2 package, cold weather package. The ride is SO much better than in the 3. With the DHP I like to put in on Comfort for city driving to smooth out the horrible DC roads. Sport on the highways. the N55 engine is great. Very smooth, no turbo lag. More than enough power for me who does mostly city driving but plenty of reserve power on tap for passing on the beltway. I can tell you that moving up to such a large car took a little getting used to but with the rear view camera and the parking distance control I have not had much problem parking. You are correct in the fact the 528i DHP is different. It does not have the active roll stabilization that mine has which really keeps the car flat in the twisties. Of course Xdrive makes the car phenomenal in bad weather. the new Idrive/Navigation/Ipod interface is much easier to use. If you're gonna get the heated seats try and opt for the cold weather package. The heated steering wheel is heaven on the cold mornings we've been having. Overall so far am extremely satisfied with the car. I think you will find from most forum members that the more you drive this car, the more you love it as you start to explore its abilities. I think you will be happy with whatever model you choose. The difference in horsepower and torque between the 528 and 535 is negligible. The 550i however is a real barnstormer. Good luck with your decision.

[tony20009]

TY to you both.

[svdb]

something about the 1984 MB : can you not keep it as a weekend car and do the fix to the engine anyway (just drop an option on your new BMW) ? I think you have too many memories attached to it, so keep it ...

My ideal is having my BMW new, and an oldtimer in the garage for the weekends.

[svdb]

so this would be an answer only to question 4

[Touring]

Originally Posted by svdb

My ideal is having my BMW new, and an oldtimer in the garage for the weekends.

Highly recommended. I use my old E21 3-series in summer-weekends. Fantastic !

[raleedy]

The 528i DHP is different from that in the higher-level models, and costs much less. It includes only the adjustable dampers. I'm a manual transmission person myself, but I think the new 8 speed automatic is compelling for how well it operates and how economical it is. I would not like a manual transmission in a turbocharged car, since I would be reminded so often of the turbo lag. You should also note that the 528i is available as RWD only, at least for now.

Whichever car you choose, try to include the multi-contour seats. They're available as a stand-alone option or as part of the ZSP which (as you note) you have to get in order to get some other things. But I think the standard seats are a little spartan for a car of this level of general luxe.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by raleedy

...I would not like a manual transmission in a turbocharged car, since I would be reminded so often of the turbo lag....

Whichever car you choose, try to include the multi-contour seats. They're available as a stand-alone option or as part of the ZSP which (as you note) you have to get in order to get some other things. But I think the standard seats are a little spartan for a car of this level of general luxe.

Thanks for your suggestions.

FWIW...my e92 is a manual, and I've yet to notice this thing people call "turbo lag." The only time I've ever found the 6MT on my 335 to be "slowish" is when I'm in too high a gear for the acceleration I want at that moment.

Yes, I checked out the multi-contours -- they are quite sumptuous -- and the regular seats. Compared to the seats in the MB, the regular seats are like Queen Elizabeth's throne.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by svdb

something about the 1984 MB : can you not keep it as a weekend car and do the fix to the engine anyway (just drop an option on your new BMW) ? I think you have too many memories attached to it, so keep it ...

My ideal is having my BMW new, and an old timer in the garage for the weekends.

I'm definitely going to keep for a short time at least as I'm not trading it in. I may well just go ahead a refurbish it eventualy....I still have two more kids to buy cars for...I have toyed with the idea that very old MB (it'll be 30 -- at least -- by the time I'll buy the oldest a car) in outstanding shape may be a cool college car for one of them. I have at least five years before that's going to be necessary, so I have some time. I don't think we'll be using something other than cars as our primary transportation come five years....

I wonder, do sick cars get worse if you leave them out in the cold? (LOL) I'll be out of garage space after I buy the new 5er and one of them will have to live outdoors...at least until one of my kids gives me a garage extension for my birthday.

Hope Santa was good to you.

Happy New Year!

Do you ever feel at the time you bought your home you could never really use all that space? Let me tell you, don't kid yourself, you will! I for one was sure I would never need a four car garage, but now I could use a five car one.

[Touring]

What kind of Mercedes do you have Tony? S-class? W123? Post a picture of it :-)

Try to keep it in your collection. And everytime you drive it, you will realize how good your F10 is!

[pharding]

You definitely should consider Active Cruise Control. It is a spectacular option.

[LuvMyE92]

Holy smokes, lots of Q's, lots of details.

Originally Posted by tony20009

Which model do you have and what's been your experience driving it?

535i 6spd (the only way to get a BMW). My experiences overall are positive.

Snowy conditions

Limited experience, but that's mostly a tire issue, right? I did fine.

Rain/drizzled roads

Ditto tires. Car does fine.

Handling (cornering/steering/braking) with/without the dynamic handling features engaged (non-track driving situations)

Good. Car feels heavy but you can hang the tail out a bit without too much puckering.

Entering highways with limited merge areas...do you get that "oh, shit" feeling?

Nah, the engine is adequate.

Passing on the highway or accelerating into an available space in the next lane...does it take to damn long to get moving and the space disappears, for example?

Nope, no worries.

Find any blind spots that are annoying?

No. Very large windshield does have some waviness in it though.

Ease of judging the car's size when parallel parking or maneuvering in tight parking garages

Not a problem. Well, not much (it is big).

Aside from the obvious power difference, is there any reason you can identify to get the 535 rather than the 528?

Yes. Manual Transmission. Otherwise, I probably would have gone for the 528.

Would you spend a large sum (less than $40K) to fix an old MB?

Me: no.

Fill in the blanks: If I knew that I was leasing and that the trunk was so difficult to close and the doors so hard to slam shut before I bought my 535, I would have bought it configured with convenience package.

Navigation

- Pass, get a Garmin.

Heated Front Seats

Got 'em, need em.

Xenon Lights

Std on 535, would pay for them if 528.

iPod Adapter

I use it with a USB. Cheaper than a CD changer.

Upgraded Maintenance

Absolutely not. Pay this out of pocket as needed. Just extra $$ for the dealer. The BMW maintenance schedule is crap anyway, you'd want to do much more than what they cover.

Maybe: Dynamic Handling Package & Sport Package.

Nope. Waste of money IMHO.

My 3er will continue to be my primary vehicle. I will drive the new 5er mostly when I go out "dressed up" or when I find myself driving two or more "dressed up" adults somewhere. All in all, I'll probably drive my new car 6-10 times a month for short trips in the city or close in burbs.

Sorry, but that's ridiculous. Sell the 3, drive the 5'er. Your plan has the car sitting in the garage until after the warranty runs out and it has depreciated 65%. Then you find out that it has problems and you don't like it all that much anyway.

One other thought that has crossed my mind is to totally restore my MB.

Keep it (it's worthless anyway) and after you've bought the 5, sold the 3 and paid off the 5, then you can start to restore the MB, or just fix it up for your son to drive.

[LuvMyE92]

Oh - one more thing. Multi-contour seats. You must get those. Yes, it requires the premium package 1, which you'd probably get anyway (although you didn't list it) since you'd really prefer leather. The leatherette looks fine, but I hear that it is really quite uncomfortable. Doesn't breath like leather does. Plus you get the homelink and silly mirrors as well.

And upon reflection, the convenience package would cost me about $20 a month on my lease. Probably not worth it.

[pharding]

Originally Posted by tony20009

....Which model do you have and what's been your experience driving it?

• Snowy conditions
• Rain/drizzled roads
• Handling (cornering/steering/braking) with/without the dynamic handling features engaged (non-track driving situations)
• Entering highways with limited merge areas...do you get that "oh, shit" feeling?
• Passing on the highway or accelerating into an available space in the next lane...does it take to damn long to get moving and the space disappears, for example?
• Find any blind spots that are annoying?
• Ease of judging the car's size when parallel parking or maneuvering in tight parking garages.....

My 550i with winter tires drives great in the snow here in Chicago. For me there is no need for an X-Drive F10. The car drives great with the summer or winter tires on in the rain.

My car has the DHP package and it handles well at any setting, except Comfort which yields a floaty feeling which I strongly dislike in a BMW. However with Sport and Sport+ modes, the handling spectacular for a car its size. However being a large car, it does not handle as well as a comparably equipped E60 or 3 Series. I have driven loaner 535i and 528i F10s with the basic suspension package, which did not have the anti-roll technology. They are fine for normal driving, but when pushed with aggressive driving the car leans more in the curves. Outside of that the base suspension is fine. It all goes back to your driving style and your desires.

The 550i has spectacular passing power. The 535i has fine passing power. I assume that the 528i is less so, but adequate.

The blind spots are nothing out of the ordinary.

With time when driving the F10 you quickly learn how close you can get to objects in a tight situation. It is not a big deal. IAS is awesome for maneuvering in tight spaces.

In general the F10 is a great car. I am very happy with my 550i in general. My only complaint is that I wish it were more sporty.

[bmedude]

I am the proud owner of a relatively basic F10 550i. The OEM runflats(goodyear) on the standard 550i wheels are OK. They grip decent enough for conservative driving. I will however be dumping the RFT's with bridgestone blizzack non RFT's in about 4 days. I'm expecting my new wheels to come in by february and I'll be mounting non RFT tires on those as well(20 inchers........not sure which model tires to get yet).

All I have to say is....... you can get all the bells and whistles you want, they eventually get "old"... the motor however does not! Get the 535i at the very least and don't worry too much about options. The heated steering wheel and electronic trunk closer are probably the most "useful" options in my opinion.........unfortunately I did not get the latter in my car.