Used 2008 BMW 5 Series Consumer Reviews
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Fun to drive
david_welch, 01/05/2014
2008 BMW 5 Series 535xi 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
I was looking for an AWD sport sedan with a 6 speed manual transmission. The BMW 535xi is the only option in the luxury market. The car is outstanding. It handles extremely well at high speeds and tight corners. The brakes are fantastic and can stop reliably. I wanted a 6 speed manual and the transmission is superb. Shifting is smooth but can be done quickly if accelerating -- merging on the highway is no trouble at all. The AWD is great and I just took the car out for its first test in a New England blizzard. The plow trucks were all out and I only saw a few Audis and Subarus on the road. The BMW climbed icy hills with no trouble at all. Did some donuts too - good times.
Best 5 series ever
Bert, 04/17/2017
2008 BMW 5 Series 550i 4dr Sedan (4.8L 8cyl 6M)
19 of 21 people found this review helpful
I've owned a lot of Bimmers. The E60 5-series 550i is my absolute favorite. Very composed and agile for it's size, it comes with a screaming 4.8l V8 good for 360HP (or about 500HP if you put an ESS supercharger on it like I did). I have owned mine for three or so years now, and the only issue I have had is with an intermittent clock reset due to a failing comfort access door handle. It is roomy, smooth, and comfortable for those long highway drives, but one must constantly be aware that the car tends to want to cruise at it's comfort zone of around 85MPH - i have had many occasions where I am doing the 65MPH limit, get distracted talking or listening to music, and then find myself at close to 90 when I look at the speedo again. The car is near silent and rock solid, so you really don't get the normal cues that you are speeding. Gas mileage is the Achilles heel of this car, though. I averaged about 15-16MPG in normal combined driving, which would drop to 10-12 if driven hard.
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2008 BMW 5 Series for sale near you
Showing 3 of 131 listings
- 535xi WagonMSRP: $9,29031 mi away
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Great... but
Greg, 08/17/2007
2008 BMW 5 Series 535xi 4dr Wagon AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
Bought the wagon after waiting till 08 model came out. All good things in it but the seats are not as comfortable as the, for example, old 525 of 2001 (I had one). Seems that seats are now smaller(?). Lines are beautiful, got it in Titanium silver and black interior. really nioce. Got the navigation system. I still have to decide whether I like it or not (it is a bit distracting). Should have a "beep" something to alert about animals, etc. Don't think I would order it again. The iDrive is OK, but quite frankly if it didn't have it, things would be easier. Do not like the run flat tires. MPG is disappointing (highway is a challenge to stay at 24 MPG).
Oil Level Gauge Failed Requiring a New Engine
Mark, 11/15/2017
2008 BMW 5 Series 528i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 6M)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
Loved the car, had the oil changed two months ago and the level indicator in the iDrive, plus the low level warning both failed to indicate that oil had leaked out through a failing seal. Level showed nearly full and checked it every time I fueled. Heard a knocking one day and then froze on the highway causing a major safety issue, towed it in after getting stuck in a construction zone with no spare lanes, the shop said there was only one quart of metal shavings oil left. Car needs a new engine at 160,000 miles. Huge mistake taking the dipstick out of the car. This is a huge mistake on BMWs part. My last 528i got 220,000 miles before trade and was as good as new.
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3 months in service, 3 years owned
Eersten Keer, 03/14/2017
2008 BMW 5 Series 535xi 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
where do i begin? its a POS. in the 3 years i owned i cant say its a high performance vehicle because i have ALWAYS driven it with an existing problem. usually two problems at once. started with the tires that came on vehicle, factory recommended run flats that were causing vibration, did alignment, issue continued. replaced tires, issue went away partially because the boots needed to be replaced. water pump failed, flat bed truck towed, $$ thousands later, intermittent power reduction while driving, replaced two spark plugs and two coil overs, valve decarb recommended, replaced two spark plugs and two coil overs, no you're not seeing double, nor triple because power reduction again, and rpms all over the place, replaced both bank 1 & 2 turbos, $5k to find out it was the clutch (its a 6 speed manual) not the turbos, dealer could care less. i've never seen a car leak oil like this, its ridiculous, they replaced the oil housing 3 times, pretty much every oil change you replaced some major part. another power reduction issue caused by broken gasket, replaced that one too. this car promises 300hp, it never delivered because it always had an issue. the boot of the car contains all the electronics, a water bottle i had in trunk leaked and again power reduction, vehicle undriveable, $1100 to fix tpms sensor, like what does that have to do with engine power. and they had to reset the whole car. battery replacement $500+ has to be programmed. i swear they didnt make any of this up the dealer, but they might as well have. read around all 2005-2010 bmws have major issues like this. the list goes on, but i am at a loss for words.
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- Performance
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