As of yesterday I'm the proud owner of a new 528i. Alpine White w/ natural brown leather. She's a hot b****. I wanted to see if anyone else out there owns one and could give me some tips on ownership. Do you always put 93 octane fuel in it? Do you see any differences between performance/MPG between the different grades of fuel? Also looking for any tips on using I-Drive. I keep hearing about how complicated it is, but in the limited amount of time I've messed with it since yesterday it doesn't seem too bad. I'm also looking for the best places to buy aftermarket BMW accessories.
Congrats! The E60 is one of my favorite cars. I personally would never buy a 528i simply because it has the worst hp/$ ratio of any car in its class. '09 I-Drive is better than last year's model and it's very intuitive and easy to use. Always use 93 octane. It's a performance car so you only need 1 oil change every 1 or 2 years depending on how you drive. I hope you got the extended warranty. Don't let it sit idle too long before you start driving it. I'm all about class so never deal with anything aftermarket, including tint, but you might want to check out http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/index.php or http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=31
I leased it actually, so I don't need to worry about the extended warranty. I was going to take advantage of the good financing deals they have right now, but after doing some research I decided that lease was my best option since I don't drive many miles, and I always get the itch for a new car within a few years. I got the dealer to throw in a window tint, so I'll be dropping it off on Monday to get that done. The hp also concerned me, and I had gone in planning to look at the 535. After driving the 528 though I came away very impressed. My last car was a 260 hp, Altima 3.5SE. The 528 doesn't have quite the get up and go from a dead stop that car had, but it's close. And the incredibly smooth ride in the 528 more than makes up for the whiplash I got in the Altima.
ive had the 525 since 05 best decision i made except for the fact that i purchased instead of leased. i always put 93 octane and any issues that come about show up on the screen and i take it in right away. i did purchase the tire warranty however because those are some expensive tires! i have already replaced each tire at least twice and only paid for 2 of them. when i took it in for the 60k maintenance, they upgraded the idrive for me which the navi looks to be a bit better however im getting a delay when i use it sometimes. other than that i cant complain about the vehicle and wouldve made the same decision 3 years ago. congrats
It uses synthetic oil. You change the oil based on how much fuel is consumed. BMW recommends an oil change once every year, but depending on which oil you use, you can go without one for 15,000 miles. Let me show you in pictures. Some people are into that kind of stuff, but I feel a stock BMW looks best.
Most of the dealerships use Mobile 1 synthetic. I wouldn't drive the car to 15k before a oil change. I would definitely change it at 12k at the most. Even my cars at home, I change the oil every 6k-8k miles with the same synthetic. I could change the oil @ 10-12k, but I'm not sure how the oil filter will hold up and don't want to chance it.
if i can remember correctly..i think it used to be 3750miles/3 months. then everyone switched to 5000/4 months. whats the recommended time & miles when you are using synthetic?
Yeah when I bought the car yesterday they told me the oil only needs to be changed every 15k miles. I looked at him like he was crazy, but I'm assuming that BMW dealers have a better idea of what their cars need than I do. redefined - What wheels do you go on that? I like the black wheels with the alpine white. Or are you saying that's what a mod'ed beamer looks like, and you prefer the classic look? That pic looks like it also has the M5 aero kit.
You are a smart dude. you basically just guaranteed your chick will never leave you by bringing that Bemer home! I keed, I know that's pretty stupid. Congrats on the Bemer, all you smug b*stards on this thread.
Congrats. I'm sure you'll really enjoy the car. I always put 93 octane. It's only $.20 more/gallon and peace of mind for me. And though some like it stock, I think it'd be a shame if you didn't at least do performance mods. I personally like that white one red linked. Looks like mine, except mine is black.
Since we've determined there are two other 5 series owners in this forum, I'm going to move this thread forward and ask what you guys think about the S5. I had my mind set on a 335i coupe as my next car (I could go so far as to say I'm set on BMW's for the rest of my life), but I saw one of these parked in the Galleria the other day and couldn't believe how different it looks from the pictures. I know it won't drive or handle nearly as well as the BMW, but it should be comparable, no?
Funny you post that redefined. The S5 is a little too pricey for my blood, but I checked out the A5. I test drove one last weekend. It was fun to drive, but I was a little let down on the power side. It's also a bumpy ride, but I expected that with the sports suspension. The S5 on the other hand will probably have more than enough juice for you. I'm also 6"4 and the A5 felt a little cramped for me. The backseat is big enough only for small children or tiny midgets. That being said, it's an absolutely stunning looking car.
I looked very seriously at the S5. Test drove it too. I think it's a beautiful car. The interiors of the Audis are far superior to the BMW. But when it comes to serious driving, the BMW will best it every time. Especially on the 3 series, BMW outdid themselves this time around. Read reviews for it from any magazine at all and you'll see how they rave about it. One funky thing about the S5 is that pseudo moon roof that barely goes up. But the main reason I didn't like it was the clutch was really weird. At least for the car I drove. I'm 5'10" and for me to be able to depress the clutch all the way down to shift, I had to move my seat all the way up, where my stomache was nearly touching the steering wheel. All granny like. PS - That's a picture of the M3, no? Not 335.
