Need new BMW - and your advice!

I'm looking for a clean '02/'03 BMW 530/40 with the sport package so you know what I would do.........

 

Buying out the lease, unless you have had tax writeoffs from your payments, will amount to an expensive option for that car. If you like the design and I-drive with the 5 and 6 series, go with one of those. If so, I'd say the 545i because it's more practical with the kids and occasional back seat use, and they use the same engine.

Other cars to consider are the E500 (I like the design/but they ride softer), CLK500, new A6 4.2, Jag XJ8 (not sporty IMO). This is a competitive segment for imports.

I'd get the E500 with sport package (or E55 if you can swing it) because it's powerful, comfortable, and looks the best out of the bunch (except maybe the Jag).

Or consolidate your 348 and 540 into 1 and get a 456. Sporty and practical. I hope that was of some assistance.

 

I'd opt for the Mercedes E-Class. Great performance, and it hasn't been "Bangled" up.

Seriously, the BMW 5-series was absolutely my favorite sedan of all time...until Chris Bangle screwed the thing. The new one's as ugly as a homemade bar of soap.

 

Best automotive decision: Keep the E39, it's one of the best cars in the world, and will be for a long time.

Best financial decision: Run the numbers, but probally dump the car you've got now, and buy the same thing on the open market. Or buy an E39 M5

The newer 5 and even 6 are trash IMO.

Then again, I'm still driving an E32 750
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You already have the high water mark for the 5 series. Keep it, cherish it and love it as it might be the best BMW will ever do.

 

If your lease was originally written with a high residual, the buy-back price may be more than the car is really worth. I don't know if the dealer will negotiate that with you; it's my impression that, even if they will, your monthly cost of "buying" that car will be greater than leasing a new one, in part because the real residual value of the used car is low, compared with the new one, and because there are very few incentives available from dealers or their financial partners to encourage financing of used cars.
When our lease came due on our 2001 740iSport, i was in a similar quandary, partly because i loved that car, but hated its replacement, the 745i, and because the cost of truly owning my used 740 was higher than the cost of leasing something more appealing. Granted, there will be those that view "ownership" as far more sound than leasing, but what do you own? A heavily depreciated asset, which, at the end of the day, is pretty worthless on the resale market, eg you put 40k miles on the car by the time your lease is up, and then opt to buy it, keeping it for another 3 or 4 years. You now "own" an 8-9 year old import with 90k miles. Probably gonna need some money sunk into it at that point for something. And, it's not gonna be worth alot to anybody else at that point.

I don't like any of the MB's short of the big dollar ones. The newer, cheaper ones leave me cold, as do the newer BMW's. I agree, an M5 would be great if you could find one, but there aren't many "new" ones left and last time i checked, a year ago, they weren't making great deals on them, lease or sale.
I wound up with a 2004 M3 Cabrio, hot little car, well-built, enough performance and handling to make me miss my performance car but not so lame as to make it unpleasurable to drive. In fact, it's pretty tossable. The jag's a yawn, except for the super -c-xj8, which is in M5 territory, pricewise.
The 6 is, i think, more of a poseur's car. And, while the new CLS may have some attributes of the big dollar Benz, i doubt that it's got more magic than plastic, although i have not driven it yet, so i don't know. (A CL might be nice, particularly in AMG form, but then you're up to twice the price). Good luck, it's tough out there...

 

I agree with Artherd. Go with your current E39 or buy a used E39 if that is cheaper than your lease buyout. GET A USED M5 if you possibly can. If you leased your car from BMW directly you most likely already agreed to the purchase price or at least it was written into your lease contract. You should be able to call them and get it over the phone. Do you write off your lease payments for your job? The new 5 series looks are growing on me but I still prefer the E39 over it. If you do consider other cars I would look at the 04 or newer Jaguar XJR or even a used S-Type R(you can find great deals on them). Also if you are interested in leasing vs. financing let us know then we all can suggest some other cars as well.

 

E39 M5 or Jag XJR

 

When will the V10 M5 be available in the US ? Here in Europe it costs just 5k€ more than a 645 Ci Cab ( 79000€ vs 74000€ ) .


I would try to find a low mileage E39 M5 if you cant wait for the new M5.

If you like the BMW i dont think you will enjoy the MBs .

 

If you order the new M5, BMW will probably extend your current lease until the new car is available.

 

Get a mini cooper, John Cooper works S. Its made my BMW. But it has 210hp. May not seem like much but this thing flys.

 

BMW M6

 

if you are going to spurge for a 6 cab, try the new 911 or esp the 991s...monster performance, very comfortable, unparralleled road feel...the draw back is that the back seat is really only for kids, small kids,..and its a true sports car, but you would have a blast

 

If you love your 2002 E39 so much, then you could return this car, and for less money than you would pay for a 545i, you could pick up a certified used E39 M5. These 12 are all within 200 miles of San Diego:

http://tinyurl.com/6x6cr

The M models usually hold their value better than non-M's as well.

 

i quoted the wrong prices

M5 = 94 000 €
645 Cab 88 000 €

The difference is still almost the same, so my point is still valid

 

Until someone whacks Bangle I would not even consider a new BMW

 

Definitely, I may be a little bias as I am now driving a Maserati Spyder but think you should at least consider one. At some point people are going to realize what great cars they are NOW making and their past problems will be just a memory. Had a 2002 M3 before my Spyder and while I did like the car found BMW's have become just to plain, Lack driving excitement and even if you go for an M car they look like the dime a dozen other BMW's on the road. Was thinking of waiting for the next M5 but then started to see the direction Bangle was taking it and throw in the fact it would only have SMG made me walk away from them. In my almost two years of owning the M3 had two recalls and then soon after trading it in I got the one for the engine rebuild. While my Maserati has been flawless.

 

What sort of mileage have you put on your Spyder?

 

Picked up car April 1st 2004 and drove just about every single day till I put away near the end Dec. Due to a very short commute to work, only about 2.5 miles each way, Racked up a whopping 2,040 miles and figure to add on about the same before selling this fall