2002 BMW 5 Series Consumer Discussions Page 9

BMW 550i vs Lexus GS 430

Re: 550i vs GS430 [bogeyfree66]

Written by: bigmojo on Apr 20, 2006 05:32 PM

Thanks everyone. I am leaning toward the 550 for sure. If I get the GS430 I will want the GS450h. In the spring of 07 the 430 will seem anemic and I will want the GS460. If I get the 550, well...there is not much to go up to is there? Not within reason anyway. ;-) I think your comment about the 02 Lex looking dated, and a 2002 BMW still looking good, new, and fresh is dead on. ... Read More...

Re: 550i vs GS430 [bigmojo]

Written by: bogeyfree66 on Apr 20, 2006 11:53 AM

I think you've summed it up yourself; the Lexus is a luxury car first, and a sport car second. The BMW is both and seems to win out in head-to-head comparison. The key is what YOU are looking for. The BMW is exciting, powerful and a German beast. The Lexus is stylish but a tad less exciting, not as much "umph" behind the wheel. For me the decision was tough, but in the end ... Read More...

BMW 5-Series Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Re: THINK I'M BUYING A 02 530i TOMORROW [bumrover]

Written by: 330blast on Mar 23, 2006 01:45 PM

No, you can only buy ext. warranty if you are the original owner and if the car is still under warranty at this time. In your case, even if the seller is the original owner, the car is out of original warranty. Therefore, it's impossible to buy ext. warranty or ext. maintenance. BTW, I have been looking for E39 530 for a while, too. With the special finance rate and first ... Read More...

Luxury Performance Sedans

Re: They Ain't Gonna Sell [gohorns1]

Written by: erickpl on Feb 09, 2006 05:23 AM

The 5 Series, in E39 form, was known for its incredible reliability. I'd venture that the 3 AND 5 Series are not only BMW's biggest sellers, but their most reliable models. When the E60 came out, it had a lot of new technology, albeit some of it from the 7 Series. Those issues were reflected in their quality scores. But those technologies have improved to the point ... Read More...

Re: They Ain't Gonna Sell [dewey]

Written by: hpowders on Feb 08, 2006 07:22 PM

Yes, I did. Before the 545, I had a 1993 and then a 2002 325i and they have been trouble-free. 12 years of trouble-free BMW's plus the 545 test drives. I didn't feel I was taking a big risk here. BMW's have improved their quality control. For what its worth, CR has even noticed it. With Audi, I'm not so sure. I will be watching over the next 2 years to see if Audi is headed ... Read More...

Re: Temptation! [tagman]

Written by: merc1 on Feb 02, 2006 10:39 PM

You won't have to buy only the BMW to get the Bangled look . . . the way it's revealing itself even on the new MB's and Lexus. Going to have to disagree here. I don't know about Lexus, but Mercedes isn't following Bangle in the least. The rear of the S-Class is from the Maybach and the Maybach concept was shown way back in 1997 - long before anyone named Bangle ever designed ... Read More...

BMW 5-Series Sedans

525xi difficulties

Written by: housley on Jan 13, 2006 03:01 PM

I am on my 4th BMW. I had a 2002 540i, X3 and currently own a Z4 2.5 and most recently purchased a 2006 525xi. I love all of my cars except for this one. I have vibration that is intermittent at speeds from 40 up. The dealership has been working on balancing tires for the last 30 days. The car drives like a 2 year old Ford. Anybody else having problems? Thanks. Read More...

Re: 2002 E39 530i second manual transmission failure [div2]

Written by: jhammell on Jan 01, 2006 05:37 PM

I want to believe that our E39 will be just as durable as all of the E30's, E36's and other BMW's I see at Road ATL, Barber and Roebling Road. This car has been pampered as it is our first BMW and is still a very new car to us. It looks great (Sterling Grey, SP, PP, tinted windows etc.) when the wheels are clean so we would like for it to run as good as it looks. Read More...

Re: 2002 E39 530i second manual transmission failure [cmr530i]

Written by: jhammell on Jan 01, 2006 05:31 PM

Thanks for this posting. I have a Regional Technical person coming tomorrow and I have already made a request to the BMW Consumer Affairs about this and other problems we have already experienced with this car. I was told on Friday by the service advisor the the hydraulics of the transmission are fine but that there is a problem with the syncros and or the throw out ... Read More...

Re: 2002 E39 530i second manual transmission failure [jhammell]

Written by: div2 on Jan 01, 2006 05:23 PM

I'm just looking at all the possibilities. One thing I do know for certain is that it is extremely unusual for a BMW MT to fail; they will usually last for an extremely long time. Here's a quote from an E36 Racing list I'm on: We ran the 180,000 mile transmission that came with our car from 1999, when we built it into a race car until the middle of this summer. Over 100 sprint ... Read More...