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2004 BMW 5 SeriesFor 2004, the 5 Series is redesigned down to its aluminum wheels for the first time in eight years. BMWs premise for the all-new 5 Series...
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For 2004, the 5 Series is redesigned down to its aluminum wheels for the first time in eight years. BMWs premise for the all-new 5 Series seems to be more: more room, more equipment and more sophisticated technology, including BMWs controversial iDrive computer interface. Unfortunately, the new 5 costs more, too, and it follows the contentious styling theme introduced on BMWs full-size 7 Series.
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3 Reviews from Shopping.com
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surrender to the diva or drive swearing
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Pros: handling. acceleration. appearance.
Cons: electronic controls. broke all the time. service.
The Bottom Line:
let it go to someone else. the temporary joy is not offset by the constant problems.
i bought this 530i because it was one of the only high-end manual shift cars i could find. i already knew it would be a difficult relationship because of the bmw reputation and i'd previously owned acuras and toyotas. but it was so beautiful i thought i'd give it a try.
it was genuinely much worse than i imagined. a look beyond the beauty showed mystifying electronic controls that would only satisfy the most ardent gadgetdazzlry lover. imagine staring at a screen and making 8 mouse-clicks to alter the heat, all while you're driving. luckily, it flashes a legal warning everytime you start the car to let you know how dangerous it is to use the system they've installed in the car.
in the 16 months i owned it, i had it in for service 6 times (one "stop-driving-now!" warning turned out to be "topping off the hydraulic fluid." [seriously, a trip to service to make an appointment [they don't answer their phones]- go to the appointment a week later - they keep my car all day which means i have to co-ordinate alternate rides, etc - and they only had to "top off" the hydraulic fluid (which i couldn't do because you can't buy it on the open market!)]).
to be fair, the handling was superb. however, it ground through a set of eagle f-1's in 12,000 miles! truly, i wouldn't recommend this model to anyone. borrow it. rent it. test drive it. but let it go home with someone else.
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