Can some1 plz post driving impressions of the 2006 530i.

The one im considerin has Sport Pkg, Premium pkg and Navigation !

Is it worth spendin extra and gettin the 550i ?

How is it compared to the A6 ?

TIA !

 

I have not driven a 530 but have driven the 550 and the A6. The 550 was a nice car, however the one I drove had the SMG transmission.

We had a 2002 M3 SMG and the SMG in the 550 was not as customizable and did not have the same user controlled adjustments.

Consequently I found the SMG in the car to be substandard and would not purchase any non-M SMG cars.

As for driving in general it was a great car, I am still getting used to the styling, but it has been growing on me. I do not believe the I-drive is as bad as others think, it just has a learning curve.

BMW tied with Mini for best resale last year, so that is a big plus to me.

The current Audi A6 is bar-none the worst car I can remember ever having driven. my best advice is drive everything you are considering back to back and see what you like.

I hope that helps,
Jeremy

 

thanks Jeremy,

I am also considern the Cadillac CTS ... the lease offers are sooo irresistable ... but im going to test drive it and see how it compares to the 530i .

 

I would also throw into the mix, the Infiniti M35/M45 series of cars. The M45 I drove last month had some serious power.

 

We have a 530XI and it's great. Very nibble, does not feel heavy, plenty of power, 32 mph on a trip. Whats not to like? Have driven 550I, very good power, and for a daily driver would be my preference over an M5, just to be a little practical.

 

I drove a 530xi yesterday, fantastic car. Also something to consider is that if you are planning to buy a car with a sport package, it will come with performance tires in the 530i/550i however a 530XI with a sport package comes with all season tires.

My point is that the extra cost of the xi is a wash once you add on the cost of buying snows for the 530i. You do however lose active roll stabilization as it is unavailable in the xi, so there is more body roll.

As for 530 vs 550 my thoughts are this: a 530i is honestly plenty fast for 90% of the population. The 550i is a full second faster to 60 and will of course be significantly more power at high speed because of the V8. The 550i is significantly faster and more powerful, but you have to ask yourself if it’s worth 10 grand more TO YOU. (10 grand does buy you more than the big motor, as some optional features on the 30 come standard on the 50.

My mom has a CTS, she bought it with my father and I was not informed that any of this was going on. I have driven it several times and I still can't believe it is an American car in terms of driving. In terms of interior etc, it is 100% American chintzy plastic. It's quick and comfortable and all around a great car.

My major gripe about it would be that if you put the trans in sport mode, it frequently gets caught in a gear. What I mean by this is lest say you're entering a highway (in sport) flooring it, once you’re on the highway you let off the gas, but the car stays at 5000ish rpm and doesn’t shift into a higher gear as you would expect it to now that you’re done accelerating, very weird.

The other thing I would be wary of is resale value, but you said lease.

The M45/M35 are great cars, no question, I found the M35 to be underpowered but honestly it was probably a result of me having driven the M45 first. They have very cool electronic gizmos in them and drive very nicely however in my opinion, the sport package cars ride a little rough and the luxury cars are just too mushy. If you do decide on one of these, I would recommend getting the "trunk liner" package (or something like that) because it comes with a full sized spare tire mounted on an actual wheel for $175 or so. Money well spent if one of the others gets curbed or something.

Bottom Line:
What works for someone else may not be best for you, that's why there are people driving M35's and 530's. If one car was better in every aspect everyone would be driving it. Each car has it's own ups and downs.

I HIGHLY recommend taking a day off of work, finding a BMW/Cadillac/Infinity/Audi dealer in close proximity and driving all of the cars you're interested back to back. I would also either take a friend with you or take a notebook and write the good and bad about each car immediately after walking out of that dealer, because by the end of the day it will just be a blur.

Jeremy

 

what was wrong with new A6?

 

It handles like crap in my opinion. Thei speed sensitive steering combined with the quattro AWD system (which I am not a fan of in the slightest) and other wierd technical systems the car had made it a poor driver, as well as unpredictable.

It was a long time ago and that is about all I can remember, but I do not recall liking anything about the car, found the seats and suspension to be uncomfortable as well

Jeremy

 

I just bought a 550. It is a great car with tremendous power. The car is very fast and quiet. The handling is great as well. I am actually thinking of possibly getting rid of it though since I have too many cars right now.

 

What is the 0-60 for 2006 530i (255hp) and 550i

 

As reported by BMW:

530i 6.4 sec
550i 5.4 sec

The 545i was reported at 5.6 seconds, but actually turned 5.1 seconds. The 550i is rumored to be around 4.9 seconds real world.

Understand that BMW tests with traction control ON. This has a much larger effect on the 550 than the 530. I can spin the tires in my 550 through 3rd gear at launch. There is a 105 HP difference and a 140 ft/lb TQ difference between the two cars.

 

Drove M5 today, not impressed with SMG. The only time the thing shifts right is when you hold it to the floor which means your breaking the law all the time. Car seems cumbersome. Than I drove the 550I. Great car, lots of power, steptronic was snappy enough for the road, handles great, sounds great, nice V8 growl. Since I allready have a GT3 thats as fast and easier to drive than the M5, I will opt for the 550I.

 

Wow, what a timely thread. I just today put down a deposit and orderd a 550i. I drove the 530i yesterday and was really suprised and impressed with the performance.

I started second guessing myself on the 550i, is it over kill....Its my wifes car, or will be. But after spending time putting options on the two it was only about 4k difference.


This will be the first BMW I have ever owned. Well in 65 days I'll own one

Unless Salespunk wants to sell me his???

 

I'm actually thinking of getting a 550i as well. Anyone have pics with the M Aero Package? I see that as my only real option since I like the aggressive look.

 

I was told I couldn't order it with the M package. If thats not true, I'd like to hear from folks that have....I got the sport package