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BMW 5-Series Sedans

12657 messages,  Last post on Nov 05, 2009 at 6:14 PM

You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Sedan


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#11403 of 12657
Re: Maintenance - does 5 series cost more? [330blast] by 530ir1150r
May 21, 2006 (8:34 am)
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Replying to: 330blast (May 20, 2006 10:55 pm)

Yes, and CPO is prepaid maintenance. There is no such thing as "free maintenance". Kipplinger's auto issue lists average maintenance costs for the first 5 years of ownership. 3 Series run $2000-$2500, 5 Series run $3000-$3500. You are 3 years into the first 5 years and maintenance costs go up as cars age.
 
There are ways to save money, but a 5 does cost more to maintain than a 3.
#11404 of 12657
Re: Maintenance - does 5 series cost more? by 330blast
May 21, 2006 (3:04 pm)
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Thanks for all the response. Yes, mine is CPO and since I am not a handy man, I went to the dealer for all maintenance for my previous 330i, espcially during the CPO period (partly to avoid any possible excuse from the dealer when there is any major repair).
 
Anyway, I actually bought the ext. maintenance program for $1,395 because my projected budget for a 3 series for the 2 years that CPO covers was about $2,000, now that it seems a 5 seires will cost more. So I figured that it should save me some money there.
 
BTW, when I was with the dealer finance dept, I was told that the ext. maintenance plan for a 5 series cost $1,595. I questioned it and they quickly dropped it to $1,395. That number sound about right because I have read it in some forum. The good part is that I finance it as well with the low APR">
#11405 of 12657
Re: Straight Sixes, V8s, & Our Roads [nyccarguy] by erickpl
May 22, 2006 (5:12 am)
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Replying to: nyccarguy (May 18, 2006 7:44 pm)

The V8's by BMW are incredible. Exhaust note is perfect!
 
So are the V10's.
 
But the inline 6's are their bread and butter and they are excellent too.
 
-Paul
#11406 of 12657
Re: 25K vs 50K [markcincinnati] by bdkinnh
May 22, 2006 (5:36 am)
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Replying to: markcincinnati (May 20, 2006 7:10 am)

>"I plan to take a nice long test drive of an 07 530xi"
 
I'd be very interested to hear about your opinions after your test drive.
#11407 of 12657
Whats new for 2007? by bargamon
May 22, 2006 (8:25 am)
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What are the changes?
#11408 of 12657
Re: Maintenance - does 5 series cost more? [330blast] by jabrolta
May 23, 2006 (6:05 am)
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Replying to: 330blast (May 21, 2006 3:04 pm)

Congrats on the your purchase. About a month ago, I got a 2005 545i. I knew I was going to keep this car for a while so I was inquiring about the ext. maintenance warranty. I email all the dealers in the MD area and they quoted me around $1395 to $1795. I pressured them and I got VOB BMW to sell it to me for $1200. Dealers usually can drop their warranty prices between $200-500. Prior to purchasing the ext. maintenance warranty, I asked my SA what services would be needed after 50k? He said at 60k I would need brake pads, rotors, and some other things. He said it would cost around $1500 - $2000. So it seemed to both of us that buying the ext. maintenance warranty will save me money. All I did was lock in the price today (which is lower than the service), for services in the future, which mostly likely increase.
#11409 of 12657
Still tooling around in 530iA with sport pkg (2001) by dabimmer
May 23, 2006 (10:22 am)
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and still enjoying it immensely. I put new Michelin PS2 all around after 34K on Primacys that were OEM. All the comments that I have made in the past still apply and this is really a great car even withn the Steptronic Auto. The new tires are just the icing on the cake and what a cake ! Nice to see that quite a few regulars are still here. And as for Shipo belatedly a happy, happy. I quit having those a few years ago.
#11410 of 12657
Re: Maintenance - does 5 series cost more? [jabrolta] by stl540
May 23, 2006 (4:45 pm)
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Replying to: jabrolta (May 23, 2006 6:05 am)

I have a 2002 540i with 60K miles. Took it to an independent shop in St. Louis called Bimmers R Us who specializes in BMWs for the Inspection II plus to replace the front brakes. They claim to be 20% cheaper than the dealer. To make a long story short, it was a huge mistake. I asked for the Inspection II service and they said they understood what that entailed. Well....they replaced the spark plugs, rear differential fluid, and fuel filter, none of which are recommended by BMW at 60K. BUT...they did not flush the radiator or replace the brake fluid which is recommended. I then realized they replaced the oil with Castrol Syntec Blend rather that full Castrol Synthetic. They also put the cheapest spark plugs in the car (Plat+4), but charged me for the high-end plugs. The list price for a Plat+4 for a single plug is $6.50...they charged me $16.39 EACH.
 
I called BimmersRUs and explained the situation. At first the owner, Greg, said the put the full synthetic oil in the car. He said they made a mistake when keying it on the ticket. After additional pressure, he changed his mind and he changed the oil again, putting full synthetic in. He also changed the plugs to the Bosch FGR7DQP which are the ones I initially paid for. I also had the antifreeze and brake fluid changed when I took it back. He split the cost on the work.
 
They recommended that I replace the AC belt and the centerlink (tierod) including a 4-wheel alignment.
 
One week after I get the car home, the belts are squealing and I notice that the belt sounds like it is slipping when I put the car in gear. I also noticed that the plastic cover under the car behind the front wheels were pulled off during the service, but was not put back on correctly. I now have the plastic pieces hanging down.
 
Needless to say, I did not have a good experience using an independent shop. I learned my lesson. It may cost a little more to have a dealer perform the service, but I have a lot more trust in them. Plaza Motors is the dealer I used for the past 4 years with huge satisfaction and I will be back for all future service needs. I spent $2100 with Bimmers R Us. If I paid $400 more for to a dealer, it would be worth it. Less hassle, plus I can trust the parts they are putting in the car are genuine.
#11411 of 12657
On a positive note by stl540
May 23, 2006 (4:56 pm)
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I absolutely LOVE my 2002 540i with sport package. The car is a blast to drive. It has been worry free for the first 60K of spirited driving. It stills feel like it is new. I plan to keep the car for another 4-5 years given I do not have many major repairs that will cause me enough headaches to purchase a new one. I expect some repairs. I just hope the repairs are minimal.
 
I used this forum 6 years ago (2 years prior to purchase) to research the 5-Series. I am appreciative of the knowledge of the posters. I chose the car that was best for me based on how I like to drive.
 
It sure was beneficial for me to understand the car from a (fairly) unbiased perspective. The posters dispelled many of the myths I had about BMW and also RWD. I thought I needed AWD (it is unnecessary). I also thought BMW were somewhat unreliable and super expensive to maintain. While it is a little more expensive, the parts are much higher quality than most cars. I understand why the parts are more expensive. If you own a BMW, you probably understand everytime you hit your brakes. What other car has a feel like that? The cost of the parts are sure to be more expensive.
 
Happy driving!!
#11412 of 12657
Re: Maintenance - does 5 series cost more? [stl540] by cmr530i
May 23, 2006 (6:13 pm)
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Replying to: stl540 (May 23, 2006 4:45 pm)

Just the name alone, Bimmers R Us, is scary! Who referred you? Do you belong to the BMWCCA? You can get great info on competent independent shops in your area through them. For $40 a year you get Roundel and your local chapter's news letter, plus other perks.

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