Hey guys/gals..North Carolina checking in

[Sasquatch7274]

Looking forward to finally getting a BMW. I currently drive a 97 Z28 that I drove off the lot new. I got it when I was 25 and wanted one,but now I want to change things up a little.

I actually test drove a 2005 545i last week and loved it. It actually had more HP than my Z28.The electronics kind of worried me.It had GPS,etc. Looks like if the main idrive went out,I would loose the Gps,radio,etc.

I also have driven a 2004 530i and for a V6,I was impressed.

I am still debating on whether or not I should try a 3 series or not.I have seen a few 328i and 330i for sale in the area.I'm 6'1" and the 545i seemed to fit me well,leg room,etc. Not sure how much a difference the interior is in a 3 series. As for the HP in the 3 series,since it's a lighter car,It may not be that big of a deal.

Are there any years in either model that I should stay away from? Are there some that are more DIY friendly than others? I am capable of fixing the majority of things and I have a mechanic that does right by me for the other problems that may arise.

That's about it for now,I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

[witeshark]

FYI: there is no BMW V6, the 530i 6 cylinder is an I6.

[Lord Vader]

Welcome to Bimmerwerkz.

The E60 is Definitley not DIY friendly. When the iDrive fails and in a lot of cars it has, it will be very expensive and costly. And as you said yes you will lose all the functions in the car because of it. If you do go to look at one ensure that all vehicle electronics are functioning an obtain the service history for the vehicle.

A lot of people I have talked to dislike the BMW V8 engines due to various and costly oil leak issues. Im not sure if the engine is the E60 has resolved this but it's common in the E39 5 Series.

The E39 and the E46 3 Series were the last DIY friendly cars BMW made. Now due to te electronics other components they are hard to service outside of basic maintenance.

[Sasquatch7274]

I meant to say I6,force of habit I guess. I'll just see what's out there and go from there. Thanks for the info.

[brettski]

Welcome to the Werkz.

Enjoy your time here.