[RichardBoehner]

I currently own an '06 325i but would like to upgrade to something a little beefier. I've been looking at the 2010 550i but I 100% want a manual transmission and I can't find one. Basically what do you guys think? Are 550i's reliable? Should I go with a 535? I'd like to pay something around $25,000, do I have better options?

[AgentAvalos]

Dat 550i tho! That's the shit I do like!

[drunkenup]

Apparently the N62 V8 in the 545/550 are prone to some awful and costly coolant or oil leaks.. what exactly the issue is you'll have to do more research on but all I know is that it is costly. The N54 535 isn't really an easy engine to maintain either but can be had for less and chances are you can find the one you want (manual and all). Might as well look at 335i's too while you're at it.

[sjf430]

I've also heard of some very costly repair bills on the v8 engines, same with the n54 but realtivly speaking from what little bits I've been reading I'd choose the n54 (in the perfect world a v10 m5 lol)

[NormE91]

I used to love V8s, but I paid 4.29/gal yesterday...

Price + environmental impact = no more V8 for this guy.

I've gotta say though, I had a 528 loaner last year and it didn't feel all that different than my old e38 740i. Not too shabby for a 4 cyl.

[Marshall878]

4.29 a gal!?

£1.40 a LITRE here!!

[sjf430]

$1.55 here

[floydarogers]

The only F10 5-series with a manual transmission is the 535i, and the LCI this year canned that.

You should drive a current F30 3-series; they're as big as the E34 and E39 5-series (except for trunk). Also, the 335 GT is a stretched wheelbase car and has tons of room (no MT though).

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by Marshall878

4.29 a gal!?

£1.40 a LITRE here!!

That's for a gallon not for a liter.

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by sjf430

$1.55 here

Australia so that's per liter. So it's close to $5 per gallon over there.


I'm in NJ
filled up with V-Power (93) on Tuesday and it was $3.85 a gallon.

[Thrakos]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

That's for a gallon not for a liter.

Yeah.. which is why he stated that paying $4.29 for a gallon is dirt cheap when you consider 1 Litre is 1.40 GBP which works out to be about $9 a gallon.

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by Thrakos

Yeah.. which is why he stated that paying $4.29 for a gallon is dirt cheap when you consider 1 Litre is 1.40 GBP which works out to be about $9 a gallon.

Yeah but you guys are all royalty over there.

[remmib]

Why do you want a manual transmission, the 8SAT is brilliant.

[ezmaass]

The V8s, whether an N62, N63, or N63TU, are all likely going to be much more expensive to maintain than an inline-6. In the I-6 category, I'd stay away from the N54 (prone to issues with turbos and injectors among other things) and lean towards the N55. The N55 really is BMW's "sweet spot" for engines at the moment IMHO. It offers great performance with very reasonable gas mileage. If you want a V8 (I can understand that - as I bought one, myself), I'd either (a) buy a new one or one under warranty, or if that's not an option, (b) just be prepared to pay to maintain it.

[ezmaass]

Originally Posted by remmib

Why do you want a manual transmission, the 8SAT is brilliant.

+1

Then again, I'm not a fan of manuals at all. I know some people really love to "row their own gears." I find it as interesting as churning my own butter.

10 - 15 years ago, you couldn't find a car enthusiast (certainly not a sports car enthusiast) who would agree... but the tides are certainly changing here. Major hard-core sports car and exotic brands, like Ferrari and Porsche, have now all but abandoned the manual gearbox. If a car is supposed to be about performance, then only an automated gearbox will now do.

In 1995, when Ferrari pioneered the first road-going F1-style automated gearbox on the 355, people thought it was insanity and sacrilegious. But for all of its warts (and MASSIVE expense/maintenance), it was still much faster than any human could shift. And over time, it got better and better. And now much more "common" cars thave single and dual-clutch automated transmissions that would make a racecar driver blush.

Now enter our ZF 8-speed sport transmission on the F10... Interesting to note, the ZF 8-speed gearbox shifts at 200ms - this is as quick as the original Gallardo e-gear single clutch automated could squeak out. That's a real testament to how far we've come - all the benefit and speed of a previous generation exotic gearbox with the smoothness and refinement of a fully automated box. Crazy.

All of that said, some people just like shifting their own gears with a big stick in the center console. So be it! But it'll certainly become harder and harder to find as auto manufacturers are losing any incentive to provide them. I predict it won't be long until we add the manual transmission to the list of features no longer found on mainstream cars... like crank/roll-up windows, non-power steering, non-ABS brakes, etc, etc. So if you MUST have a manual, get it while you still can!

[noixd]

Hit up Chad20!

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by RichardBoehner

I currently own an '06 325i but would like to upgrade to something a little beefier. I've been looking at the 2010 550i but I 100% want a manual transmission and I can't find one. Basically what do you guys think? Are 550i's reliable? Should I go with a 535? I'd like to pay something around $25,000, do I have better options?

If you want a F10, its 2011 and up. You will not find a 2011 550i for $25K unless there is something wrong with it. You should go test drive a stich shift F10, its not like shifting a 3 series. The 550i is a high performance engine, they are very high maintenance.

[MBrown1003]

Originally Posted by The X Men

If you want a F10, its 2011 and up. You will not find a 2011 550i for $25K unless there is something wrong with it. You should go test drive a stich shift F10, its not like shifting a 3 series. The 550i is a high performance engine, they are very high maintenance.

FWIW, the residual on my manual-transmission 550i with just about all the options and 41,000 miles is about $48k or so.

I still enjoy shifting -- even in traffic -- but I realize that I will eventually have to give up and get a car that doesn't have three pedals.

[RSBro]

I got my '12 550 M-Sport in January of this year. It was less than 2 years old, still had 30k of warranty and maintenance to go, and was 98% mint. Not even a wrinkle in the seat. It has everything imaginable on it (including the massaging captains) and I forget what I paid for it, high 40's maybe? Worth every penny. I already had the fuel sensor issue taken care of under warranty. I "commute" about 11 miles a day, so it'll be some time before anything pops for use or wear & tear (hopefully). Other than that it's been flawless and the most amazing thing I've ever owned by a long ways.
I've heard the engine will be costly to maintain (which is odd since they haven't been out really long enough to get into deep ownership/maintenance yet) but I may be missing something as this is my first B M.
Even so, I drove all the V8 sedans out there and this was just impossibly better than anything else so I jumped. Plus it could be one of the last V8's B M does with how they're powering the M's nowadays, so it'll be worth it.

That being said, no way you'll get a 550, 535 nor a 528 F10 for $25k. Most nice E90/92 335's are still in the mid to low 30's range.

+eleventy billion on the SAT too. It's so awesome. Instant, almost telepathic switches.

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

+1
10 - 15 years ago, you couldn't find a car enthusiast (certainly not a sports car enthusiast) who would agree... but the tides are certainly changing here. Major hard-core sports car and exotic brands, like Ferrari and Porsche, have now all but abandoned the manual gearbox. If a car is supposed to be about performance, then only an automated gearbox will now do.

........Now enter our ZF 8-speed sport transmission on the F10... Interesting to note..........

While ZF 8-speed is certainly fantastic in my opinion, by far the best automatic transmission I've ever tried, faster and more efficient according to the specs for 535, it's just "not quite the same" satisfying feeling I personally get from choosing my own gears at all times.

To each it's own of course, call me "old school" .

From edmunds.com, "first drive" for F10, for "whatever it's worth"

"....But, as we discovered on the 13-turn, 2.6-mile track at Estoril, a former Formula 1 circuit, there is no substitute for the fantastic ZF six-speed manual transmission that comes as standard equipment for the 5 Series when you want the perfect gear and revs at every moment. Such a choice would place you among the elite 5 percent of all 5 Series buyers worldwide who don't care much about resale value but do really like to decide all matters when it comes to shifting....."

[MBrown1003]

Originally Posted by Bbb34

While ZF 8-speed is certainly fantastic in my opinion, by far the best automatic transmission I've ever tried, faster and more efficient according to the specs for 535, it's just "not quite the same" satisfying feeling I personally get from choosing my own gears at all times.

To each it's own of course, call me "old school" .

From edmunds.com, "first drive" for F10, for "whatever it's worth"

"....But, as we discovered on the 13-turn, 2.6-mile track at Estoril, a former Formula 1 circuit, there is no substitute for the fantastic ZF six-speed manual transmission that comes as standard equipment for the 5 Series when you want the perfect gear and revs at every moment. Such a choice would place you among the elite 5 percent of all 5 Series buyers worldwide who don't care much about resale value but do really like to decide all matters when it comes to shifting....."

I sure as hell enjoyed running up and down through the gears on the ZF gearbox on the autobahn and the Nürburgring during my European delivery trip! I know we're fighting a losing battle, but I absolutely love shifting my 550i, even in heavy traffic.

Back in the E39 days, BMW had an ad that showed a close-up of the shift lever from an E39 with a five-speed (just like the 528i I had), but instead of numbers, the top row (where R, 1, 3, 5 would be) read (Y E E E) and the bottom row (where 2 and 4 would be) read (H A). It was a great ad. One of the things that kept me in Fivers so long (one E34, three E39s, and one F10 so far), was having a great combination of sport and luxury, but with respect for those of us enthusiasts who like to (and know how to) select our own gears.