Picking up a new car tomorrow.

Fast88Fiero · Post by **Fast88Fiero** » Fri May 26, 2006 12:04 am

I decided I needed a nicer car than the Envoy for a daily driver. Something that gets better gas mileage and is more sporty. This week we took a 2001 BMW 525i in on trade. It's a 5 speed manual, white with tan interior and is in perfect shape. Has higher mileage, over 100K but runs and drives awesome. Getting it for $9500 out the door. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. Time to sell the Envoy. :thumbleft:

Post by **eHoward** » Fri May 26, 2006 12:49 am

I always make fun of people driving 525s. Those things are dogs. :la:

sorry, but it's true.

Fast88Fiero · Post by **Fast88Fiero** » Fri May 26, 2006 1:07 am

eHoward wrote:I always make fun of people driving 525s. Those things are dogs. :la:

sorry, but it's true.

Oh yeah, it is true. I'm defenatly not getting it for it's speed.

Fastback86 · Post by **Fastback86** » Fri May 26, 2006 2:42 am

Thats why companies like Dinan exist. :thumbleft:

http://www.dinancars.com/

Post by **eHoward** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:06 am

http://www.dinancars.com/Series.asp?Ser ... 3&Model=61

Love it. 12 horse for 3k.

Fastback86 wrote:Thats why companies like Dinan exist. :thumbleft:

http://www.dinancars.com/

Mach10 · Post by **Mach10** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:45 am

The Dinan S-525 offers the driving enthusiast a noticeable increase in power output for faster acceleration and the unmistakable sound of performance. The system features fully matched Stage 2 Engine Software, the High Flow Cold Air Intake and Free Flow Exhaust, bumping horsepower to 195 @ 6000 rpm.

Nevermind 12hp... A CAI, cat-back, and a Hypertech for $3k?

Find out who bought one... I've got a lovely bridge for sale. :bootyshake:

Fastback86 · Post by **Fastback86** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:00 pm

Surprisingly enough, a lot of people. There are a lot of people around here with nothing better to do with their large piles of money. But you see far more Dinan-modified 3 Series around, since they do much more with that model. Supposedly they're working on a package similar to their M3 package for the M5.

S8n · Post by **S8n** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:30 pm

You'd actually get better gas mileage with a 530i, but the 525 is still a nice car, usually don't see many problems with them. The only thing you gotta be careful of is when it overheats. If it starts to get off TURN IT OFF! Takes 8 minutes of overheat to ruin the engine. Cheers.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sat May 27, 2006 12:07 am

Fastback86 wrote:Surprisingly enough, a lot of people. There are a lot of people around here with nothing better to do with their large piles of money. But you see far more Dinan-modified 3 Series around, since they do much more with that model. Supposedly they're working on a package similar to their M3 package for the M5.

People don't know how to save. Had they saved their money, they could have boughten the nicer model a few months later and had all that performance and so much more. But they had to have that egotistical status showing BMW that day. The people with large amounts of money don't buy a 4 year old 5 series.

I'm not saying this about you in perticular, just the people I see on a regular basis. None of them buy the car for it driving characteristics, because it gets good mileage, because it handles good, no, they buy it because it's a BMW and their neighbor doesn't have one.

If you bought the car for the aforementioned characteristics, props and I hope it does all you're expecting, and I expect it will. But after driving a Z3 around for the past few years, I would buy a Saturn Sky Redline, well 2 of them, before I even drove another Z3. The BMW sounded great, handled exceptionally well, pulled hard, and was a complete blast to drive. It truly was a driver's machine. But the interior quality SUCKED (Dare I say?). The sound system was terrible, the wind noise above 90 was horrific, the convertible leaked, the power top broke, and the power seats can't move with a person on them. And despite me being a Fiero owner, at some point, comfort does come before performance. This is of course not a representation of all BMWs, but the new M5 has a lot to prove this summer.

Fast88Fiero · Post by **Fast88Fiero** » Sat May 27, 2006 2:32 am

I didnt buy it because it's a BMW. I dont even like BMW's. I took it for a test drive (work at the dealership) and really liked it. It handles great, much better than my Envoy. At 100MPH it's extreamly quiet inside and smooth down the road. You defenatly dont feel the bumps as much in it. It's a dog off the line but isnt too bad on the highway. You have to keep in mind I've been driving a 2000 GMC Envoy as a daily driver for the past few months so the BMW is a ton nicer car. Fuel mileage is mid 20's in town which I think is pretty good. It gets around 30 on the highway. If it breaks I fix it myself at work and have all the BMW special service tools since we sell BMW's. I'm really happy with it. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

The Dark Side of Will · Sat May 27, 2006 8:55 am

S8n wrote:You'd actually get better gas mileage with a 530i, but the 525 is still a nice car, usually don't see many problems with them. The only thing you gotta be careful of is when it overheats. If it starts to get off TURN IT OFF! Takes 8 minutes of overheat to ruin the engine. Cheers.

Sounds like the old Jaguar inline 6's... overheat them and all the valve seats fall out.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:41 am

Fast88Fiero wrote:I didnt buy it because it's a BMW. I dont even like BMW's. I took it for a test drive (work at the dealership) and really liked it. It handles great, much better than my Envoy. At 100MPH it's extreamly quiet inside and smooth down the road. You defenatly dont feel the bumps as much in it. It's a dog off the line but isnt too bad on the highway. You have to keep in mind I've been driving a 2000 GMC Envoy as a daily driver for the past few months so the BMW is a ton nicer car. Fuel mileage is mid 20's in town which I think is pretty good. It gets around 30 on the highway. If it breaks I fix it myself at work and have all the BMW special service tools since we sell BMW's. I'm really happy with it. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

That's good I'm glad you like it. I guess the 5-series got the BMW treatment in the total opposits fashion of the Z3.

Post by **eHoward** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:05 am

Sometimes I think about responding to what aaron writes and then I remember that there's not enough time in the day.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:08 am

If I was wrong it'd be one thing. But I've driven the car for a while now, and it is a poorly built car in every category besides performance, and I am only left to guess that all BMWs have the same characteristics considering the only other one I've driven is a M3, and I didn't drive that long enough to form an accurate opinion of the car as a whole.

Post by **eHoward** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:12 am

You were complaining about WIND NOISE IN A CONVERTABLE OVER 90!~ Come on man. WHere can you even legally go 90 that isn't a racetrack?

I'm not going to start on the other things as I would like to go outside today.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:29 am

eHoward wrote:You were complaining about WIND NOISE IN A CONVERTABLE OVER 90!~ Come on man. WHere can you even legally go 90 that isn't a racetrack?

I'm not going to start on the other things as I would like to go outside today.

You don't drive California highways much. When there isn't traffic, 90-110 is the norm. Legal, no, but BMW's reputation is for building great performing cars with the quality of a MB. It didn't happen. Convertable or not, 90mph is not that fast, and was cruising speed for quite a few drives. And the wind noise is terrible at 60 and 75 too. btw, our 1994 Z28 convertable had no more wind noise than a friend's 95 hardtop, even when peggging the speed limiter.

S8n · Post by **S8n** » Sat May 27, 2006 1:39 pm

The Dark Side of Will wrote:
S8n wrote:You'd actually get better gas mileage with a 530i, but the 525 is still a nice car, usually don't see many problems with them. The only thing you gotta be careful of is when it overheats. If it starts to get off TURN IT OFF! Takes 8 minutes of overheat to ruin the engine. Cheers.

Sounds like the old Jaguar inline 6's... overheat them and all the valve seats fall out.

It warps the head and pulls the head bolt threads out of the block. It's about $10k to have us (dealer) to replace the engine.

The Dark Side of Will · Sun May 28, 2006 9:48 am

The Jaguar loses the press-fit on the valve seats and they start to fall, one at a time. The head's junk afterward, unless you do ALL the valve seats.

Pulls the head bolt threads out of the block? WTF?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sun May 28, 2006 10:18 am

So did you get the car yet?

Pics?

S8n · Post by **S8n** » Sun May 28, 2006 10:53 am

The Dark Side of Will wrote:The Jaguar loses the press-fit on the valve seats and they start to fall, one at a time. The head's junk afterward, unless you do ALL the valve seats.

Pulls the head bolt threads out of the block? WTF?

Yeah, it sucks if it happens to you, but it keeps me employed.