Owners' Reviews

I've had this car almost 10 years - and 116,000 wonderful miles. Have had minimal problems until this year when we had to replace the alternator and now there is an issue with the crankcase vent valve. Fortunately I gave up on dealer maintenance a long time ago and have a reliable mechanic who charges fair prices - not the gouging that goes on at BMW dealers. I followed some good advice when we bought it and have had oil and filter changes every 7500 miles. Sadly, though we will be moving on - but I'll miss my baby - truly the ultimate driving machine. Cons are definitely the cup holders (BMW doesn't like you to eat or drink in their cars) and the regular headlights - wished I'd ponied up for the xenon headlights.

I love my car it stills looks brand new but since 89,000 milies parts are going bad, which costs an arm and a leg. If you can afford the repair at the dealer than buy one, but if you can't afford repair bills of 1000 or more a shot, stay away. I had no problems with this car until it hit 89,000 milies, so I would say its a great car.

We bought the car @27k miles - CPO - in 2005. Right off the bat, car wouldn't start: got it jump started but it quit soon after, so the alternator and battery were replaced under warranty. The next problem that was vexing this car was the cooling system - the expansion tank (small crack), thermostat, cap and bleeder screws were replaced @48k miles. Also replaced leaking p/s hose; a badly leaking valve cover gasket and grommets; and a worn out front thrust arm bushings. But soon @51k "check coolant level" warning, as well as "service engine soon'' light, kept showing up which was very annoying since the issue wasn't resolved. Anyways, tech determined that the radiator leaked and needed to be replaced; and for the "SES" warning, two possible causes were presented - faulty tank vent valve and/or leaking crankcase vent valve causing lean mixture. We declined both fixes at the time and drove car for a year and half with these issues. Had to add lots of water and coolant as a temporary fix in the meantime. @60k, we found a good repair shop (shout-out to Swiss Motors) other than the dealer and replaced radiator, belts, hoses, all 4 brakes, pcv valve,..., for less than half what the dealer quoted. Overall, the car makes up for the upkeep with its looks and performance. Finding a fair shop other than the dealer is a prerequisite for owning this type of vehicle.

Great car but expensive to maintain

Third BMW 325, 528 and now 530. I finished a long time ago with Asian autos. Plenty of mechanics out there to do normal maintenance at a very reasonable price. German engineering seems to be of higher quality than that of past Japanese and American autos.