Utterly fantastic car to own and drive. Only real complaint is the interior trim surrounding the door. Fail every two years and are very expensive to replace.

What a fun car to drive! Over 80K miles on our M3 and absolutely no problems. We have a fantastic local auto shop, Phaedrus, here in San Francisco to thank for the great experience. The car gets relatively good gas mileage too. It's too bad BMW isn't making 4-door M3s anymore.

This Car marked the breakthrough of BMW. Its a car that refuses to age and that even nowadays you see people wanting this model for its looks and incredible speed! I travel 8000 miles twice a year on two road trips and also use it for every day use and i have never had any problems with it apart from maintenance stuff like oil tyres etc and this is my 8th year in a row that i do these trips!

A+++

dfsadfassdfa

The e34 BMW is a classic that houses some of the modern characteristics found in late 90s cars. The bulletproof drivetrain of the large 6 cyl engine that has been perfected over the 20+ years of its existed is a pleasure to drive and repair with the abundant space under the bonnet.
There arent many things to watch out for, the recalls are minor and cost of ownership is low. To owners of automatic transmission e34s, a warning, the cost to rebuild or replace the trans is expensive and usually is the determining factor to get a different car. The steering gets loose after 130,000 miles but a simple adjsutment on the crude steering gear box corrects that, if not relatively cheap tie rods, idler arm bushings and sometimes ball joints correct the problem. The front suspension is prone to high mileage failure and the rubber bushing sin the front end should be replaced with the stronger 750 parts.
One of the best, longest lasting cars ever built.
Note: the e34 530 and 540 have issues with the aluminium casting used for the block and sometimes the engine will loose compression, not pass a leak down test, and the only option to fix the problem is to install a new engine made from the updated alloy (post 1997 engines).

All in all a great car - what you would expect from BMW. The biggest problem we have had is with the electrical - the battery keeps dying (even after replacement) and we do not know why. I've been told by AAA that all the electrical gizmos on the car drain the battery but it should hold a charge for more the 24 hours. The other knit is that the heating a cooling is a little complicated to figure out, but after you get the hang of it it works well. With AWD and superb handling a great all-season car for New England.

My dad has a BMW 325i, and I want to steal it. Fun to drive, it's been very reliable, and he hasn't spent much on maintenance and nothing on repair. The brakes are expensive, but they were under warranty. The oil changes are expensive, but you only have to do them once a year or less.

Parents have a BMW X3 that I drive. It's been fun, has a lot of room, and is easy to maintain. BMW pays regular maintenance under warranty, and we've never had repairs. Not great gas mileage though.

Overall a great vehicle but like most others once it has even the slightest bit of damage, either body or engine, it is never the same even after extensive repairs. It also develops a very annoying issue with the heating and coolin system

generally good

My 325i 2002 is nice had to put a little money
in it to keep it up & riding good, overall Fun to drive beemmer!

Hefty repair bills

Took my buddies car out on the open road and at 120mph it feels like 60mph, what smooth power this V12 has but the rear leveling struts went out and he had to order them from germany about $1500 each plus shipping OUCH!!

I was able to spend 4 months using this as a daily driver. Overall great car, easy to see why the 3-series is so popular with the press and populace. Engine is strong and flexible - nice power range (but not quite enough power for me - need the twin turbo), automatic transmission shifts smoothly and delivers power as it's needed (including manual shifting). The non-sports package seats were a disappointment - not nearly enough support. I find the run-flat tires to be a big downer - they cup as they wear, so they give the driver a grinding feeling when braking hard. Lights and electrical system performed well, as did the interior controls. I'll write another review of the 335i once I get it.

I owned a 325i for 2 years and loved every minute of it. Not once in two years did I experience even the smallest problem whatsoever with my car. Even more, I loved the fabulous service provided by BMW dealerships and service professional.

Oh BMW, how I'll miss you.....

I love this car. It requires attention, but is a pleasure to drive.

This is by far the ultimate driving machine for me. Only thing is, where do I go from here? By far the best sedan I have ever owned, Only one problem so far the tilt steering went out but was covered by warranty. So go out there and buy one what are you waiting for?

I have owned a 2001 BMW 325i for a little over a year now. It definitely has its high points, such as the brakes and such. I bought the car from an owner who didn't know to actually take care of a car, and now I'm taking the repercussions of what he did (i.e.- drove the car like a maniac, let the car sit out in the sun, let the tires get so low in air pressure to the point of nearly blowing up).

It is a very nice car, but you have to actually take care of it. Right now, I've gone through over $10k worth in repairs because he was careless about the car.

Overall, the car is reliable, even after all of the repairs. I would recommend it to anyone.

Great car drive it everyday.

this car has 58000k and is starting to fall apart. If this is the best of german engineering i would honestly hate to see the worst.
Performance wise the car is great.

The only problems I have with the car are as follows: The right side of the dash lights went out plus the one on the thermometer and clock, the speedometer/odometer have quit working for a while every once in a while but they come back when you start the car again usually, the sunroof froze up on me and won't slide open, and the steering has a slight rattle on bumpy roads.

That said I love the car. It is amazing in so many ways. Good gas mileage, power, and style. It's German engineered. It's Reliable. It's everything you could ever ask for...just add a CD/mp3 player.

Overall great vehicle. I purchased new and have over 203,000 miles on vehicle. All maintenance done on time as suggested. Only recurring problems are with a/c, I am on my 3rd one. First one obtained a hole after I hit a bird that bounced up off the road, obviously my fault, but second one at a cost of $1,300 was defective and now the third one after not quite two years is not working eiher. Other recurring issue is gas cap needs replacing approximately every two to three years.

I love this car, it runs strong and handles great. i was shocked on how smooth and powerful it is. this is my first bmw and i can tell you that once this car dies on me i will end up buying another bmw. it is a very reliable car and worth every penny. if you have never driven a bmw before i strongly suggest you should at least go out and test drive one. you will want one.

I love everything about this car no problem yet.

Good car and fun to drive but repairs are very expensive.

My E86 Z4 M Coupe is an awesome driving machine that is equally at home on the street and the track. Steering is precise and handling is superb. This high-strung machine is not for everyone as the ride is rather harsh.

I love this car. It's quiet, it handles exceptionally well, the six-speed compensates to some degree for a slightly underpowered engine, the mileage at 25 mph+ is better than what I expected, and most importantly...the family loves it! No repairs to speak of so far. My only concern are these run-flat tires...they are real expensive!!!

This car looks pretty good, and handles well in the rain (what little we have seen) and snow (in the mountains). It's a comfortable on the open road, and carries quite a bit of gear. No problems at all with this very low-mileage vehicle (7.5K per year). In fact, I don't believe this '05 X-5 is even broken in yet. City driving mileage pathetic at 15mpg, and we've sen 20+ on the freeways. My only concern is the 3.0 litre engine which is underpowered for the size and weight of this vehicle.

Owned it only a year. No problems yet. Handles well on the road and wants to go.

I have owned my '00 740i with sport package since '01. The car is my second vehicle and I average about 7K miles per year. For a big, heavy luxury sedan the vehicle handles superbly and accelerates well. I have had several sets of VR rated tires and finally found a set that lasted more than 15K miles (Kuhmo ASX tires). I have had to replace several things on the car that seem inherent to this model (radiator, power steering hoses, mass air-flow meter, instrument pixel cluster) under the manufacture warranty. The brakes were replaced at 48K and will probably need to be replaced again soon. My average combined city/highway mileage is approximately 17-18mpg. This will probably be my last BMW and will stick with vehicles that need less attention, like my Toyota 4Runner.

The car is a great example of fine engineering - For 7 years its been trouble free - unfortuantely at the expiration of warranty period - repairs are terribly expensive - BMW brand inflation, many simple items you pay a high premium "BMW repair tax" to dealer or independent mechanic.

I absolutlely LOVE my Beemer!!! I'll never go back to a domestic vehicle again. The feel and telegraphing of the road, the care and craftsmanship of the entire vehicle is unsurpassed in my opinion. What an ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE!!!!!

This car has some weak points that cloud the overall ownership experience. My problems so far:

Rear window regulators. It seems like there is a 100% failure rate on the the rear window regulators and at $350 a window this is not trivial.

Front window regulators: The fronts have not failed yet but are slow and as a result I avoid using them.

Cooling system: This year has a tendency towards cooling system failures. My fan clutch had to be replaced and the service advisor is recommending replacement of the water pump and reservoir to head off the inevitable failure at 60k miles.

Lights: The side marker lights fogged up and had to be replaced. The interior door switch failed and required replacement.

Brakes: brake life is not long and complete replacement at $1300 is a heavy price to pay.

Mystery stalling: If I make a U-turn and don't keep the gas on, the car stalls. Sometimes it just stops on a bridge or making a left turn out of my development. This is a scary problem that so far has no diagnosis.

My car also has the weird fan speed problem in which the fan pulses at high then low speed. This is annoying but apparently there is a fix for this.

The ride has lost the compliency that is so good when new. My other BMW has 127k miles and rides better than this one!

Summary: an expensive car to own. Look at alternatives that can provide similar quality with lower costs from Lexus or Acura. This car can make you truly miserable with repair costs. If you do own one, make sure you trade or sell the car when there is some service agreement and warranty left.

As with the 2002 models there are many expensive and disappointing problems. I love drive this car but find the clutch jerky and although I had it replace before it was time, it is still clunky. The problems with the window lift controllers is very annoying, obvious defective designs should be resolved by the manufacturer under a recall. The dealer told me that the sunroof falls of its track and there is a retrofit kit for $1500, i have never used the sunroof and find that outragous (BTW he also said that before the kit was available the repair cost was $2500).
The last trip to the dealer for the 50K service netted me an estimate of over $5000 for repairs to defective parts.
I get 31 mpg on the road and 25 around town which i like but the gas savings don't come even close to the cost of repairs.

Replaced automatic transmission

After purchasing this car, I truly understand why it has achieved a cult following. Fun to drive, kills it in the snow, reliable, well designed, and easy to work on. For being almost 20 years old, it has a lot of the features modern cars have adopted. The lack of cup holders inside the only interior design flaw. These are high performance cars, and you should expect to do maintenance on any BMW to keep it running strong, but it's definiety worth it. Parts are slightly more expensive, but not bad, and if you have even a little mechanical knowledge you can do the work yourself. I love this car.

the best car ever made....

Good Car, but had a problem with Crankcase Ventilation System freezing up, which was expensive

Fantastic car. Especially love the tailgate on this model. Drives like a dream in rain & snow.

great car but expensive to keep even though its old.this seems to have been a very bad year for heating and ac. I almost had to leave at the repair shop but he loved the car and replaced the head gasket and other things after much searching

Folks I had to make up the zip code I'm from Nova Scotia Canada, this site doesn't recognise our postal codes.
I've owned my 1991 318i for a couple of years and recently have been using here in our Canadian winters for travel every day, return is about 65 miles. The rear wheel drive was a blast to get used to, again. I just had it painted for the first time and it came out great. I expect to drive this car for years it currently has 398000km or 245000mi, approx.It burns no oil, the only problem I'm having is locating the hook inside the gas cover to hang the gas cap on, it was misplaced during the paint job. If anyone has one or knows how I can get one please let me know at kguptell@eastlink.ca.

The best kept secret about this car is the fact that it's so easy to work on. Anyone that can turn a wrench can fix the rare problem that this car has. I've had mine for over 5 years now, and I've replaced camshaft position sensors, and changed the fluids in the transmission and differential. I replaced the entire cooling system (radiator, water pump, thermostat, hoses, etc...) just because it seemed like good preventive maintenance and I couldn't believe how easy and cheap it was to do ($400). One word of caution, if you find you need to replace a sensor- do it yourself and don't buy a FEBI Germany (made in China actually) replacement. Get all sensors from a BMW Dealer, they are not that much more expensive than the Chinese knockoffs and they actually work. Nothing worse than when a new sensor you just installed is dead and you have to do it all over again. Buy the cheap code scanner from Autozone to read the check engine light codes- it works perfectly for this car. The Bentley Service Manuals pay for themselves the first time you do a repair- GET THEM! Parts are easy to find for this car too- Autohausaz.com and Bavauto.com are the two best (in that order) places to go. This is one of the best cars ever built. Very reliable and very mechanic friendly!

Recently bought this car, very luxurious. Beautiful car, many compliments.. Brakes can be a "little" squeaky when slowing to a stop. But, that is very slight.

53,000 mi hearing sqeeling noise front brakes.
Local BMW service acknowledges noise but won't replace pads as they do not qualify for replacement as yet. I must live with the squeeling until the brakes qualify for replacement. That's another 16,000 miles. I hope I still have my sanity by then???? Anyone come across this problem? BMW Customer Service has received other calls regarding this. They give the same answer as the Repair Service. Seems to me someone's design is a little faulty but as they don't have to listen to it, I guess it doesn't matter.

BMW X5

I bought my X5 new in 2001. In the beginning I had tons of minor issues, which were all covered under warranty. I only had one major repair since the extended warranty was up in 2008. I absolutely love my truck and hope to drive it for many more years to come.

This car looks great, and handles great. But it comes with a HUGE maintanence cost. I drop at least $2000 a year on one thing or the other. Don't get the sports package if you live on a road that has even a few bumps on it. The shocks die out fast, and the car feels really unstable after that.

I have had a few problems but more with dealership crapy repair of a problem. The driver seat stop moving forward with wiring that moved around, passenger side seat belt holder broke in 3rd year, water leak around windows and alarm system to name just a few. My other major complaint is the oil they require you to use. After about 5,000 miles I'm having to add more oil on a regular bases because the engine uses up the castrol oil. It has been that way since I bought the car new. Only have a problem with this brand of oil. But I must say overall I love the car.

I bought this car with very low miles, back in Sept. 2008. This car is a blast to drive! It handles amazing, aside for around sharp turns. I gave the "body, interior & Misc." category only 4 stars, purely because I've had an issue with the high pressure fuel pump, which apparently has been changed 3 times due to some flaws. At this point, the car drives great with no problems.

I love my 545i, had to replace the alternator but nothing out of the ordinary in the first 67k miles.

Overall a highly exceptional Ultimate Driving Machine. I have 70K miles (95% of this is long distance intense Highway driving) since brand new in 2001 and i do not drive it like 'there is no tomorrow'. Most people with any major complaint on this fine machine likely abused it by thinking it better built than Titanic. If I have choice between a 3010 BMW 528i and 2001 525i version I'll sure will pick my 2001 all over again! Since 2001 I have replaced 3 things in the care: end stage resistor blower; left low headlight beam; and front brakes (at 40K miles on extra Warranty) . Car is garaged and I still have my ORIGINAL Continental tires (I'll change it this year 2009 after 8 years of use for safety reasons since rubber eventually can break down more quickly after many years). Long live my 2001 525i.
I do my oil change/service regularly, never had tires aligned (they wear perfectly evenly well) and had rotated/balanced tires only twice.

Several people including myself have had radiator and water pump issues. Repair costs are very expensive. My local dealership wanted $1840 for LABOR alone to install a radiator and water pump. Also has some electrical issues as well.

this is my bm nice car.

This is an excellent and reliable vehicule. Very good millages confortable. good value for resale.But there is no raison to sale it i expect to draw an other 3 to 5 years from it easy by doing regular and normal maintance.
Louis55

good car?

Excellent overall handling and durable for street and autocross use in stock form, though not as powerful as other coupes with turbo V6 or V8s. With a few upgrades to suspension and brakes is also good for track usage. Weak points: secondary air pump for cold start emissions fails (can be removed), ball joints, rear shock mounts, electronics quirks, non-LSD rear diff. Expensive for parts and commercial service; although most routine service is actually fairly simple for DIYs, it may require some special tools and electronics for more in depth projects.

Good car. Mileage is below what I like.

A great little car.

This car is fun car to drive, but no fun paying for overpriced parts and repairs. There is an obvious design flaw with the power windows that constantly need to be repaired at $500 per occurrence. Brakes, tires, even oil changes are very expensive compared to Japanese or American made cars. The car eats batteries, too. And the radio is the chintziest piece of garbage I have ever seen in a car. For the price of this car, these things should be much better.

This car drives amazingly.

As far as repairs are concerned, outside standard repairs and replacements, I've had a few problems with the window regulator motors. Otherwise, this car has been great!

1998 740i (sport) - 101,000 miles - Body/paint/ flawless but some interior features are cheaply built or overdesigned and fail, such as: cup holders - all are overly complex and fragile and have all broken, the panel that holds the seat controls on the lower left side of the driver's seat snapped off (thin plastics) and the parking brake release is too flimsy and it broke, too. Several of the pixels in the radio/computer display have pooped out. Brakes are silent, tight, and wonderful. New rotors and pads at 80,000 (seems right). Drive train has been trouble-free. Exhaust is still like new, heating and A/C good, A/C could be stronger. New struts (used OEM to not mess with handling). Thermostat replaced and it's in need of new valve cover gaskets.(estinmated $300) All in all it is a dream to drive. hard to describe how rock solid and agile it is. VERY powerful (280 hp.), very fast, handles like nothing else - a real pleasure. Leather is superior to any other manufacturer - I understand BMW buys only exclusive Italian leather - and it shows. One problem... every repair is EXPENSIVE. Thermostat was $600, radiator replacementr was $700... you get the idea. BUT I bought it used at a substantial discount from original $75,000 price... so it's worth the expense. It's not as large as it looks (198 inches long, 4,200 pounds - It's smaller than the new Challenger) yet it holds 5 adults in silent opulent luxury. (That wood trim is real walnut).My "Artik Silber" (Arctic Silver) BMW is a timeless beauty. Best part - gas mileage is 20-25 mpg in the city, 24-28 on the highway. Incredible! Change oil/filter, rotate tires, and realign every 3,000 miles. Replaced all hoses and belts as soon as I bought it. So... she's been pampered. (And she's been up to 144 mph... with pedal left). Some call this E38 model of the BMW 7-Series the best car ever built. They might be right.

own a 07 BMW with 45K miles on it, excellent car for performance, look, safety and reliability. used to buy Toyotas, got tired of lack of performnce and average handling.

Best drive of my life. So glad we went with the 330xi over the competition! The car drives beautifully on the sidestreets and interstate; it is truely as if it were molded from one piece of steel. Brakes are the best feature, and the xDrive system is a blessing in the cold Nebraska winters. Seats are comfy for long trips and automatic memory seats/mirrors/radio stations help keep me sane when my wife drives the car. I also love the integrated BT phone (also my mother's favorite when she's riding with me..."The car is talking!!").

The car is 4 1/2 stars overall. I would say that the only complaint I have is the gas milage (18/27 observed), but it is better than other mid-size AWD sedans. This also depends on how it is driven. Backseat has good knee room, but limited foot space for an adult; I told my wife that I'll have to upgrade to a 5-Series if she wants kids.

Thank you, Lord, I don't have iDrive

2001 BMW 740i Sports This car drives and handles very well, no problems at all, like it was still new, All electrical components works and the interior is still in immaculate condition, the body is in excellent condition and the engine and transmission are still going strong. still the best car I have ever owned and I have owned over 25 cars to date.

Why BMW make cars so complicate? Both front power seats do not work, or work when they feet like it. We are in our second radiator and we replaced the original water pump( the one with the plastic impeler??????)with a new BMW design.Even with overprice parts and labor, our car has been a solid automobile but not a reliable one.

My son's 540 is a very heavy car so, use front brake pads like water. Recently the alternator need to be replace. Just $ 500 for a rebuild one!New alternator are about $ 800.00, and we found out it is a water cool alternator......!!!!!!!
With this model you need to be very carefull with no overheating the engine. Cronic problems with the cooler system. Very nice cars when they are new, but after 5 or 6 years......

excellet car i've had it for 12 years and it still drives like a charm, it still a beautiful car. no real problem other than the up keep. great car

I have loved this car from the moment I turned the key to test drive it, then put 30,000 miles on it in the first year because it is so much fun to drive - drove from Louisiana to Ithaca, NY and back, taking back roads and two-lane mountain roads when available. When I finished the trip, I realized that I had not even turned on the radio or stereo the whole time, just was in the driving zone of this tight car and the road.

The only problem I have had with this is a front end collision which had undiscovered damage to the coolant system, ruining the engine. It is now getting a new, rebuilt engine and I will be on my way again. I can't wait to get my baby back. I loved the 3-series so much that in the meantime, I purchased a 1996 3-series convertible for my second car (just to have something to drive). That one has 177,000 miles on it and drives beautifully.

Transmission problems are common problems with these cars. "Tranmission Program" translates to about $1750 in repairs at some dealerships. There are several hoses that have to be replaced in order to resolve the colling system issues. $400 a pop is common for many repairs. This car is grossly over engineered compared to other cars that deliver the same performance that are cheaper to maintain.

Gas mileage is horrible, but perfomance when the car is functioning is much better. Eletrical issues remain a problem with this model along with the transmission whining sound. I have noticed this with many BMWs of this same model. An improvement since the 1993 version of the automobile, but not by much.

Sep 2, 2009. So far so good. Incredible engine. Cruises quitely at 140kmh. Good fuel economy for a big car. 20 way adj seats are the most comfortable things I've ever sat in.

great car... lots of balls

Engine performs well while maintaining excellent fuel effeciency. 28-30MPG on the highway! Good acceleration. Five-speed automatic transmission is responsive to the demands of the engine, but the gap between 3rd and 4th gear is a bit too wide. RPM's drop from 5000 to about 3000 and cause a slight drop in the rate of acceleration. Not a big concern. Excellent braking and handling and this from a car that is not even equipped with either Sport Package or Premium Package. Steering has just enough assist and maintains a feel for the road. Quiet, solid, smooth ride.

Most of the the common problems listed on this site have occurred with my car, e.i. expansion tank, head cover gasket, water pump, power steering hoses, blower final stage resistor and control arm bushings. Parts were not too expensive, but I did the repairs myself. Labor would have made these repairs expensive. Driveline is noisy and occasional vibration. This may be caused by the flex disk, in my opinion, but has not been checked.

Interior design is the best BMW has ever done. Dash flows and everything just seems to be where it belongs. Beautiful wood trim in all the right places. Seats are comfotable and supportive for long drives but maybe a bit too firm for some. Back seat typical for a small car; not too comfortable for adults, but not too bad.

Sunroof would not close but this was caused by the sunroof track becoming dry. It had to be cleaned and lubricated to restore proper operation. All four window regulators have been replaced. Again, I did the repairs myself with genuine BMW parts, but labor would have made these repairs expensive.

Overall, a great car. Performance, effeciency, looks, quality, style... It's got it all!

This 2001 BMW 330Ci convertible is phenomenal with exterior color, Titanium Silver and interior, Italian “Tuscany” Red leather with full sport (M3 style) package and all other options excluding NAV. It is my wife’s car, but I specified it. She lets me drive it sometimes. We would have purchased the M3 that year but it was not available then in any kind of an automatic and my wife will only drive automatic as sad as that is. This 330Ci excels in all areas. The brakes stop on a dime. It holds the curvy roads perfectly and very hard to force it to swing its butt out or break loose. On the freeway, it lane tracks perfectly albeit some road noise even with the top up (It’s a soft-top convertible – go figure.) The Italian leather sport seats are to die for and comfortable for anyone 5ft (my wife) to 6ft 3” (me) – no fatigue even on drives of 12 hrs+ at my age. The AC and heater will freeze or toast you before you get out of your garage in all outside temperatures. The only minor issue is the quality of the premium “Harmon Cardin” sound system at very high volumes with the top-down; it could be a bit louder without distortion. I did blow a pair of front door tweeters a year or so ago that cost $600 bucks to replace, but I had the volume way up. Other than the stereo at high volumes, top-down, it is a real crowd pleaser and even after being 9 yrs old now with 74,000 miles, it still gets great positive comments from complete strangers and performs virtually the same as when new. I do recommend the Michelin Pilot Sport tires for front and rear. I tried a pair of Good Year Eagle F1 GS-D3s, which are a world-class, superior quality / performance tire on the rear that provided slightly better rain / wet-road performance than the Michelins but for the dry track road, the Michelins are the BEST! If you like to drive for driving sake, this is one of a few cars that give it up nicely!

All problems listed in most of the comments i have had, brake issuses,window issuses,light issuses,but i still love my car -go figure

03 325i with 87k. lots of problems that i am finding are very common with these bmws

Overall a great car ; I bought the car brand spanking new in April 2009 and have enjoyed its dynamic performance and shape.... However there are two annoying problems : 1. The FUEL PUMP warning indicator RANDOMLY FLASHES ON, sometimes 20 times a day, then nothing for 2 weeks!! This combined with the ANNOYING RINGING Sound of the BMW NANNY WARNING system becomes very irritating. There is no loss of performance , just this continuing problem. BMW garage hexagon in Highgate still cannot diagnose the problem ,even though they have had the car on two separate occasions for more than 5 days in total !!! Has anyone else experienced this FUEL PUMP WARNING ?
Problem two : The NANNY style onboard computer DRINGS at you for undoing your seatbelt . Good sense I hear you say and I would agree..But even when the car is stationary and you take off your belt it starts RINGING at you (VERY LOUDLY). You might be having a hands free telephone conversation but it still keeps BARKING at you. Or you may want to reverse and unstrap yourself ,only to hear the PLING of the BMW onboard computer jar discordantly against your favorite tune on the radio!!!
Please BMW get some more imaginative warning sounds or allow me to choose my warning sounds like the programming on a basic mobile phone ....

We purchased are Bimmer in 2007 with 87,500 mls on it. A year later I replaced the alternator and the radiator. We went on one trip in it to Tampa, Fl and it handled superb. Overall we are happy with our 540i.

This is the best car that I have ever owned. It rides great after 7 years and 60,0000 miles. I have spent approx. $2,000.00 on maint. now using a mom & pop BMW cert. mech. oil changes run $80.00 Ken Baker Originals uses all OEM parts. Located in Myrtle Beach, SC and Wilmington NC

Great little SUV or SAV as BMW calls it. Leased it new and bought it at the end of lease. So far one set of replacement tire at $300.-, super special deal on discountire.com I found, and 4-wheel alignment at Savage BMW, Ontario, CA at $250.-. That's all for maintenance in the last 5 years of usage. Not bad so far.
A/C could be stronger. Not as cool as it could be in the rear if it had rear vents for backseat. My children prefer driving in my truck when it is hot.

Great on Gas, Great For parking

I love my car with some minor problems.

My dream car had been a 6 speed 540 for years. i finally bought a used 2001 in 2005. only had 40,000 miles on it. love driving it; it has been a nightmare for repairs. Had one bad cylinder which required changing the spark plug every 500 miles; did the compression test; passed, did the leak down test;passed; eventually tore down engine and found out it had been 'hydrolocked'; had to replace the engine; had to replace the alternator; heating/ac system has been a joke; currently trying to figure out why the fan will not operateabove a low setting; checked the fuse(75 and 76; that was fun); it was fine; tried replacing the resistor with no effect; looking at buying a used 2004 545; just read about another unfortunate 545 owner who hydrolocked his engine after driving through a 15 inch puddle; i am a succer for punishment

I bought this car for my 19 year old so fall of 2009 with 127,000 miles on it. I wound up having to replace the Tstat and Housing along with the water pump and Radiator cap right away as the car was overheating. The radiator reservoir is plastic and has a very small crack in it which requires once a week monitoring of the fluid. It's a fairly complex fix so I am waiting a little before I replace it.

The 5 speed drives and handles really well with good power and acceleration while getting an average of 30 plus MPG.

One other issue is the driver's side plastic window guide broke allowing the window to fall out of it's forward guide. An easy but timie consuming fix and the parts weren't too expensive.

Car is great, but too many problems for this model year and dealerships \ independant shops RIP you off!! One simple problem can cost you about 1-2k

Great car! Who can ask for more?

ONE OF THE BEST CARS I'VE OWNED,LIKE ANY VEHICLE YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT UP,I DO THE WORK MYSELF AND BUY PARTS ON LINE,I JUST REPLACED THE WATER PUMP,THERMOSTAT,FAN CLUTCH,PULLEY AND BELT FOR $162.00,ALL NEW PARTS.HAS 182,000 MILES AND RUNS AND DRIVES PERFECT.

I've been very, very pleased with my '02 BMW 525i ever since I purchased it new. Perhaps the most incredible thing is that it's still fun to drive and I still get some people saying, "nice car!" The one down side is the high cost of repairs.

Bought used, great car so far! Need to replace the radiator and various other small goodies!! I will order all my parts on line!! I did so with my 1991 535ia with no problems! This 525ia will be good for the next five to ten years! Dives great and has been real good in tight traffic so far!

Great car. Electrical problems but otherwise solid.

Defect in Transmission stops going in Reverse, requires a rebuild, check out www.noreverse.org for details. Crappy body integrity

do think otherwise the engine will drive with a sport feel for 200k miles and its a great body style, classic look

Car handles great with alot of control. Can be pretty fast when it is needed while still getting 20-25 MPG. Great car to cruz around in. 1995 BMW 318is 5 speed manual

real nice cars but they need to put a dipstick to check the trans fluid some people dont know how to check it . also some people cant afford to take it to a shop everytime it needs fluid.

This is an amazingly fast car, but the suspension is horrible. If you hit any pothole, a daily occurance if you drive in the Northeast, it's a jarring experience. My coffee container literally flies out of the cupholder. All four of my tire rims are bent. As a former 325i owner, I don't know if it's simply the four-wheel drive suspension or the run-flat tires. Regardless, it's dangerous.

Excellent car. I just did not know what I was missing!

the best bimmer i've had!!

Excellent drive, reliable in snow and fuel efficiency is impressive too.

Brakes go bad soon. Had to change axle, alternator. oil seeped into cylinder. After dealer service works well.

Excellent Car. I have 305,000 miles and have never done anything to the engine except normal maintenance. I bought this car brand new in 97 and still have the original clutch. Most expensive work done was the Catalytic Converter. This is the most bullet proof motor I have ever seen ! Even the mechanics at BMW are amazed when I bring in for service.

still running good after 225K miles!

This car is still my daily driver. I have experienced all the problems that can be mentioned about it, but it is still a great car.....after all the repairs!

I don't drive the car hard. Only 37K miles in 6 years, but so far no problems, just routine mintenance. One oil change. Still on the original set of brakes.

Only quality problem is exterior trim. Glue that fastens brackets to window trim is failing and falling off. No way to repair except buy a new trim piece.

great

Learning the interior controls requires the owners manual. All controls pivot around the center control knob and the display screen. It takes a few times to find all the hidden areas to go, which control, navigation, radio, A/C and heating, trip information.

Great car. Well balanced. Good comfort.
I an selling and purchasing a new Audi A4 after only 35,000 miles.
TIRE NOISE. Dealer suggested 528xi at $50K to solve THEIR problem.
Have loved BMW since 2004, 2002. Enjoyed the 335xi and am going crazy with tire noise which BMW does not care to address.
Good buy? No.

Excellent car. I have a 1999 528 i 5 speed. Mileage now over 213 000 kms. No problems whatsoever. The engine, just like other bimmer inline sixes, is very very smooth. Power is there, great torque. Driveline is the best. Handling is absolutely bimmerous. I have had Mercedes for the last 10 yrs. They were great cars and SUV-s also, but Bimmers are more fun to drive. To have fun with a Merc. you have to go AMG, which is a totally different story, and very expensive also.This car I think it has a better reliability record than 540. If I would buy another bimmer it would be a 740 or a 745 or 545 or a X 5.Anyway, I am very happy with it. Never thought inline sixes to be that smooth, the are really Silky Smooth.

I have owned the car since 2005 and can't say enough about how much I enjoy driving it. 1993 was the last year of the 535i so this one has drive by wire which I have not had issues with (DBW in 93 go figure). It has just enough power to keep me out of trouble. This is my daily drivers and I have put more than 100K since I got. It now has 350K and going strong. The engine is original and had the headgasket replaced when I got. These cars are prone to overheating and blowing headgaskets but if you keep the cooling system under a close eye you shouldn't have any issues with the motor. Suspension does have its weak points and just need replacement. The Auto tranny has been replaced but wasn't that expensive. I don't plan to get rid of this car anytime soon and hope to past it on to the kids.

Have an '01 530 with 110k. Everything has been great on car but just had to replace starter and radiator. Other than that, car has always ran perfectly. Next car will have to be the M5

If you could find a good reliable affordable independent to maintain this car, she will last for long long time and with the one of the best road handling and comfort. Maintenance is very very expensive at the dealer so DOnt go there for basic routine maintenance. Test Drive one and you will know what i mean! AAA

This is the Greatest car I ever owned.

Like many people BMW was my dream car. With financing options/service deals I was able to finally purchase one. I wasn't looking for a convertible but I lucked up and found a great deal. I loved it the first year. It is the ultimate driving machine, but to own one, you need money. A very tempermental vehicle. The dealer will nickle-dime you for everything. Once out of warranty, find a good BMW mechanic you can trust. (Route 66) Maintenance is important. Stay on top of it and have a second vehicle. You can't beat the performance on long drives. Excellent mountain vehicle. Hugs the road. Don't use cheap tires. This car is high performance and yes BMW stands for "Bring your Wallet"

@dalenstep A 1997 bmw 528i does not require being checked it is a lifetime transmission it never needs any attention unless there is a mechanical failure otherwise it never needs attention. I love mine it has had no problems whatsoever and the maintenance is sooo easy all the tools you need are in the trunk for the oil change and the sparkplugs plus the oilfilter is ontop and easy to get too so there is no reason to ever take it to a dealer and pay there overinflated prices!!

2001 BMW 325i This baby is a blast to drive and handles like a slot car car going around curves. Get extended warranty or trade in after 50k/miles. In shop way too much. AC: defective water pump; rear window regulator;exterior trim falling off; front suspension control arms; steering box; camshafts sensor failure; faulty head gasket; just to name a few repairs. Be prepared to be on a 1st name basis with your mechanic and volunteer for overtime hours at works to get get money to pay for repairs. Other than that great car.