Used 2008 BMW 5 Series Wagon Consumer Reviews

Fun to drive, but unreliable

I have owned many German AWD cars, after the Audi S4, this is the most fun to drive. That being said, it is not the most fun to own. I have had numerous mechanical issues and even more electronic issues. I have heard a few complain about the battery. I have switched to an Optima battery, which is cheaper and lasts longer. I have heard that BMW knew about his battery draining issue before they release it, but decided to replace the batteries instead of fixing the issue. The VANOS system had a glitch out east, oiling system out west, sparkplug in the Midwest, and a constant brake issue. I am afraid to open the sunroof for fear that it will not close properly and I’ll have to take it apart and manually close it. The parking assist doesn’t work at all and when it had worked it was over sensitive. Our front windshield was replaced and I still can’t get the intermittent wipers to work properly. The transmission seems to be slipping and I am not willing to spend the money to replace it. If it was repaired at a BMW dealer, it would total the car. Found out the differential bearing is bad and the unit has to be replaced not the bearing (a $5,000 job). Nothing is cheap to replace on the car and local shop don’t have the tools or electronics to work on it, so I have to drive 6 hours to fix something and spend big money on labor and parts. If someone else besides BMW fixes something (like the brake pads) the dealer will not turn off the warning light, because they did not do the work, even though they say it was a good job. On the bright side, it gets good mileage for the performance. It rides well, but I feel it is too soft. The backend wiggles on slick roads when it hits a bump at speed and that can be a bit unnerving. There is a lot of room in the back with the seats folded down and have used it as a makeshift tent in bad weather (as long as the sunroof doesn’t leak). The interior has held up well and the body hasn’t rusted. Would not buy one again, because of the reliability issues.

SAAAAAADDDD BMW owner

I bought this car used with a clean car fax in 2010 with less than 15000 miles. I bought an extended warranty just in case. I spent 8 month researching vehicles i would like to own and keep for 10 years. I have made a very poor decision. The maintenance cost on this vehicle will exceed its worth. It's been fun to drive, a very comfortable car with decent gas mileage. However, when I've taken it in for service, it's like sleeping with the devil. Goodbye emergency fund and hello credit card debt. It's the most disappointing feeling to love a car so much and be saddled with such repair bills. Fuel injectors replaced, water pump, thermostat, numerous hoses and vacuum hoses, and now replacing turbos and catalytic converters all before 90,000 miles. Not good resale either!!!

UBER WAGON

Got rid of XC90 for this wagon. I-drive is simple, can set buttons on wheel for fast control. hands free is excellent, much better than my wife's '10 MDX. Comfort seats are unbelievable - makes the purchase. I am now a cornering demon and still get better mileage then my XC90 or the MDX even though they are driven more conservative. The car is also the quietest I've ever owned. My brake pads started squealing and I did not hear until I opened the windows. Plenty of room for 4 adults and a big dog. The cargo cover also has a pet partition built in. Ride quality is superb and unexpected for such a capable sport machine. Price if too high so buy used.

535XI Wagon w/Dinan Stage II

Stuck with the basics (sport Package, upgraded stereo, premium package), did not get run flats - and am VERY happy with the car. Have had no mechanical issues. Added Dinan Stage II upgrade and the car is scary fast while still getting 25+mpg on the highway. I love the exclusivity (under 900 2009's sold) and the ability to fly under the radar and behind large SUVs on the highway. Now that the 2011 wagon will not be brought into the US, I am glad to be "stuck" with this beautiful car for many more years.

Great... but

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).

The BEST CAR EVER

I have owned all sorts of luxury vehicles in my life, and I am not a young chicken! This car drives like a luxury sedan. Even better. Its' big, comfortable, fast, gets good gas mileage and performs better than any other car I've owned. The problem is they no longer make it! Big problem for BMW. You can get one in Europe. In fact, you see them all over the European countryside.

CPO Purchase 'Paid off'.

Many visits to the dealership, all while under warranty. Repairs were done under both the original mfg warranty and the CPO warranty. Thankfully, since the warranty expired, there has been only one visit to the dealer in the past 2 yrs, approx 25K miles. All struts were replaced at 75K, and well worth maintaining a new car ride. They weren't broken, just a bit worn. I find the combination of sport car performance and storage utility makes this car exceed any SUV on the road today. Unfortunately, import of the 5 series wagon ended, I believe, in 2010. Recently, I test drove the X5 as a replacement, but didn't find a discernible difference in ride, mpg, comfort or handling. Sooner or later........ Update at 100K miles. Experienced a trifecta of repairs with a month of each other. Water pump, starter and diversity antenna. Around 3 GRAND - Traded the 535XI wagon in for the X5 - which turned out to be a mistake. I was not happy with the 'uninspiring' handling. Apparently, with the conversion to electric steering, there has been issues with feedback and confidence of the overall suspension performance. I sold the X5 10 months after buying.

Uber Wagon

Nav, Cold Wx Pkg, Premium Pkg. I traded a 2005 Acura TL 6sp to get more space and still get a manual. So nice not to have squealing tires when damp. This car can put the power down in all wx with it's smooth clutch. No drama. Space for gear and people are great (my 6'4"son rides comfortably in back). IDrive is a pain but learnable. Lots of over-engineering. NOT intuitive on many levels. Seat memory where you can't see it. Door unlock button on dash (not on doors). Honda has sensibilities sewn up. Still, I got what I asked for. Best upgrade was Dinan chip reflash for 384hp and 421 torque and removes top speed limit. Good power before. Now, the Ultimate sleeper! MPG:20/25 driven carefully.

Uber Wagon 18 Months Later

2nd Review. Everything I wrote in 6/08 same except for one recurring power delivery problem. The car has small power interruptions at intermittent intervals. Very annoying but not disabling. Only set a "code" once. 3 trips to dealer to fix plus 1 with a factory engineer in attendance. Never fixed. Destroyed driving experience. Finger pointing between BMW and Dinan. Removed Dinan software but problem remained. 6SM no longer notchy. No other problems but this one caused me to Lemon Law. BMW made a deal for new 2010 w/me instead. My 535i sedan 6sm to be delivered soon. Fingers crossed. The wagon is still beautiful inside and out. It is a piece of art but this aggravation isn't worth it.

Simply a Pleasure

The car is fantastic. Looked/test drove numerous luxury SUVs and crossovers - none compare. The car is incredible to drive never reminded you are driving a WAGON. Have all avail packages and most options aside from heads up display and performance tires. Comfort seats are unbeatable for long drives. Find the interior space is perfect. front and rear seats are very comfortable and incredibly supportive, and storage space is plentiful. Finally, have to say my wife and I found the iDrive to be far easier to master than expected having read the poor reviews. X-drive is great especially in snow in rain conditions. Have had some silly QC issues that should not take place in a car of this caliber,

Long time Mac user loves iDrive

Not sure what all the gripping is about the 5-Series (circa 2008) iDrive. With NAV, very easy to use while driving. As easy as a Mac to learn and use! Some issues with comfort access misfires and turbo lag at lower speeds.

Loose all the electronics

I read a zillion reviews before buying my 2008 535xi wagon last fall and bought it anyway. 10 years old. 150k. CA car (now in MI). What a blast to drive! My others are a ‘14 expedition el and ‘88 Alf’s spider. The former a truck the later a work out. In four months I have relaxed two batteries, put on some snows (huge improvement!) and most recently a body gateway module. The later took three trips to repair shop. Should fix the battery issue. Caused a “parasitic battery drain”. I am hoping for the best. Still my favorite driver I have ever had, all that and I can carry a double bass

Great Car, but needs real sport package

I "downgraded" from a 2007 X5 4.8i to a fully loaded 2008 535xi wagon to get away from the SUV stigma of poor mpg and pollution. Very happy with this vehicle, except that the wagon's sport pkg does not include sport suspension or wheels. So this car has a little too much lean in corners and the steering is too light. Performance is excellent for a 6 cyl. and the drive train is extremely smooth, almost too smooth and Lexus-like. This 6 cyl wagon costs as much as a well equipped 8 cyl X5. The vehicle is top notch in nearly every aspect but I have to question what makes it worth almost $70k. Without the sport suspension, it doesn't have the BMW performance edge that justifies the price premium.

Wait a second - it's a wagon

You won't believe you're driving a wagon. It drives just as well as the sedan. Sport seats are completely the way to go, very, very comfortable for long trips. Performance is great, next thing you know you're driving 80. Perhaps too many commands/too much functionality in iDrive, I would probably prefer a bit of a mix though in 2008 this got better - Audi MMI is probably better. But, that said, if you're familiar with computers, even at a basic level, you'll be just fine. Tight steering, decent suspension. Neat wagon-y features in the back too such as cubbys for groceries.

A wagon that's a sport's car

Previously owned a Mercedes E class wagon and this is a totally different experience. I do find myself still comparing the two vehicles. I think the Mercedes seats have more support and my biggest disappointment with the BMW is the turning circle which is not nearly as tight as the Merc. Getting used to the iDrive but I still think there's too much confusing and unnecessary engineering in these new-age vehicles.

German joy