2001 BMW 5 Series User Reviews

Bmw — well to start off, obviously the reason i bought a BMW with a V8 was for performance purposes, and boy does it ever! articles on this vehicles performance range of course, but i can vouch for 0 to 60 in under 6 seconds, and a limited speed of 155mph, the ability to tear concrete right off the road with all the grip, or throw the rear end out for a perfect power slide:) After my couple of tanks of gas , i was amazed to find what "good" gas mileage it got. The first long distance trip the on-board computer said 28mpg , not so willing to believe it i did the math, and to my amazement it came in 1 mpg less at 27! not bad! and with a good sized tank feel free to hit the open road with no intentions of stopping. I pushed the limits once and got around 450 miles. On the bad side... it is a BMW... so, after having the car for about 4 months, just driving down the road, BANG! my rear differential exploded! luckily i had had a friend following me for a ride home. I did take it to my local dealer, and for a brand new diff and installation it cost approx $2500 to fix (ouch) so to sum up my 540i the performance is great gas mileage is great, the sound system is great, the ride is great, the seats are great, all together it is an amazing vehicle! despite repair bills ill give it a perfect score.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

The Aristocrats' Bimmer. — When time came to trade in my track toys, in this case, a '99 BMW M Coupe (yes, the funning looking 2 seater) for a more practical, yet equally exclusive and high performing vehicle, nothing fits the bill better than the Individual Series BMW 540i Touring with M Sport Package. This wagon is painted in M Series exclusive Carbon Black colour, with black Montana (ordinary top grain) leather and sporty brushed aluminum trims. What make this car exclusive are the lowered and stiffened suspension, front and rear M5 spoilers/bumpers, and a more aggressive final drive ratio. The results, a wagon that handle like (and superior to in many aspects) an M5 with a fewer horsepower (100 hp) and one less gear ratio. The handling is actually more superior due to the stiffer rear suspension (designed originally to limit travel and to withstand heavier payload, employing adjustable air springs). Also being 200 lbs. lighter than an M5, this wagon is noticeably more tossable in turns and can be driven harder. Due to the lack of limited slip differential (standard on the M5), it is much harder to power slide the rear end out of turns making driving sideways less often practiced than an M5. Its pick-up is still amazing, especially when you consider how effortless it is due to the automatic transmission taking care of all the tricky bits. It certainly felt faster in the straight than all the 6 cylinder M cars I used to own. There are a few odd short comings related to its chassis dynamic: the front end geometry seems to be less tolerant to wider rim/tire/traction setup and tends to wander when the pavements are crowned (while the M5 using even wider tires did not exhibit this characteristic); and the rear end, at times, can be too jiggly and unsettling giving the car a "truck like" ride. All-in-alll, this is the aristocrats' bimmer - quite often people ask "When you can afford a 5 series bimmer, why waste your fortune on a wagon", and I usually tell them "... because I have choices." and I quite often wonder why people choose SUVs and give up precise handling, safety, and precious cargo room!

Can Go Anywhere — Performance - Moderate power, great break and handling Build Quality - Nothing much to repair Appearance - Looks like a normal cars Cost of Ownership - Quite economy and the maintenance's quite low Fun Factor - She's quite fun to drive but not so aggressive

Primary Use: Commuting to work

E39: The Last Of The Good Looking 5 Series — Fast & Nimble for 3700 lbs. Gremlins in the electrical system. Small back seats. Most everything about the m5 enthusiasts like- less the engine, & Limited slip differential for half the price on insurance & maintenance. This car was featured opposite the Toyota Corolla on a website explaining cost of ownership. Balanced, powerful and connected. 6 speed is just fantastic. Most stop light racers don't see it coming.

Primary Use: Family transportation

The Bimmer — My car is perfect if you have family with children and its goodlooking too. If you want a fast car, then my car are not the best choice. Because when i drive 220km/h its still like driving 160km/h or if you wanna go 160km/h then its like 110km/h. This makes the car feeling slow while driving and the positive point of view is that your wife doesnt notice the actual speed, because of its comfort. My cars mechanic is very good and its also cheap or average when parts are needed. The bimmer goes 7-8 km/l in urban, 10-12 km/l suburban and 8-10 km/l mixed. The most fun with this car is that mine is automatic/triptronic which i use manually when i feel to go drifting. But manual is always the best. And remember it is backwheel driven... So much more fun like every bimmer.