newby to BMW

[fogcity]

I might buy a family members 530i. I think it's either a 2001 or 2002 model year, with probably about 40k miles. I've never owned a BMW car - what should I expect?

[84porsche]

I don't own a BMW but my brother has a 528i. With 40k miles, you should be still under warranty so if anything goes wrong you will be covered. Price of course is always negotiable.

[83na944]

I test drove a 530i with 37000 miles Monday. It is a very smooth luxurious car with ample power.

I don't know anything about how well the car will last or the cost to maintain the car. I suspect that parts are a little cheaper than Porsche parts. I also suspect that maintenance is just as expensive as Porsches.

I can say that the April 2001 issue of Consumers Reports gave the 530i the highest score of any car they have tested. I've read that the 2002 model steering was modified slightly to give more feedback.

[83na944]

Sorry, that was November 2001.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

The 5 Series has alwasy been in automotive publications' top cars lists for years. THey really are great cars. I would get a hold of a code scanner and run it on the car, see if there are any error codes stored in the computer. This will give you a good idea if anything is wrong with it.

[6spd]

You will find its one of the better balanced cars you will drive.
The only thing I had to do is learn the blind spot on the right rear corner.
My last two cars have been BMW 5 series and I love them.
Oh! and I work for a major car company from overseas which has the highest customer rates. (T )