Am I a fool for wanting a 550i

Am I a fool for wanting an e60 550i with gas prices going thru the roof? Here in Southern California, high octane is about $4.50 per gallon. Fortunately, I only drive about 10,000 miles per year. I have driven a 550i at a dealership and I could not wipe the grin off of my face, primarily because of he power under my right foot. By the way, I currently own a 2003 530i with the 5 speed manual transmission ,which I will be selling soon.

I love the 360 HP the 550 has but hate the E60 body style.
Going from an I6 to that V8 should put a big grin on most faces.

Not at all. I'm looking to sell my '98 540i and move into an E60 550i now. I'm tired of not having the current technology and the 80 HP will be welcome. I'm okay with the E60 Sport body.

Gas ain't getting any cheaper so you may as well enjoy it until peak oil does us all in.

Personally, I would not own an E60 that was not covered by a comprehensive warranty. Ditto for ANY BMW produced after the E39 & E46....they are not DIY-friendly cars any more.

Originally Posted by Fast Bob

Personally, I would not own an E60 that was not covered by a comprehensive warranty. Ditto for ANY BMW produced after the E39 & E46....they are not DIY-friendly cars any more.

Yep, not DIY friendly, i'll do stuff to the E39 that I wont even attempt in the E60. Heck, BMW likes to make it harder and harder to change the darn turn signals with each generation...

I will agree that the 550i is a blast to drive.. 290 HP < 367 HP. The downside is that the E60 body has less window visability than the E39. I also find the E60 more Luxury than sport car, as opposed to the opposite in the E39.

At the end of the day, i still love the E39 for its simplicity and sheer sporty-ness.

As far as gas goes.. The 550 comes in at 19MPG mixed high/city.

400 hp (E39 M5) > 360 hp (E60 550i). Prices are similar are they not? And maintenance would probably be easier on the M5, even if parts may be more expensive.

No matter how ugly your car is, it doesn't matter when you're driving it.

Is the E60 the model that requires battery registration?

Fool.

People driving cars that cost 80% less can afford premium. It shouldn't even be a concern for a 550 driver.

Originally Posted by edjack

Is the E60 the model that requires battery registration?

Yea... Oddly enough, when it got a new battery it was somehow defective and caused a CEL only seen in nightmares. Replaced it and all was well.
It's sad not being able to change the battery yourself anymore unless you have the service comp.

I want to see how these new gen cars stand the test of time.. Not just BMW's, but the whole car industry seems to be on "tech" crack.

if you think about gas price this car is not for you
ANY failure in this car is no less than 500$
my friend replaced 4 fuel pumps in 2 years
Good luck !

Originally Posted by champaign777

if you think about gas price this car is not for you
ANY failure in this car is no less than 500$
my friend replaced 4 fuel pumps in 2 years
Good luck !

That's the most generalizing, inaccurate post I've ever seen here. Really?

How about those of us that drive both? When you're done waving your e39 flag (I love mine, BTW), realize that 1) you don't drive an e60, and 2) the fuel pump issues narrowly covered only 535is, which BMW took care of updating for free. And 3)... $500 to replace anything. C'Mon, man.

I just replaced my thermostat and water pump, purely preventatively, for $200 total. I replaced my Transmission pan/filter assembly with the proper ZF Lifeguard fluid, for $350.

I love my e39 530i, but I've poured one hell of a lot more money into that (coolant, suspension, electrical) than I have my e60.

Originally Posted by e39 dave

wanting an e60 550i with gas prices going thru the roof? Here in Southern California, high octane is about $4.50 per gallon

I just picked myself up off the floor as I laughed a little too hard and fell off my chair!

I love how very very cheap your petrol is !

Which car do you think you'd like to drive or be asking to buy if you were paying say ... $8.75/gallon?!!

Serious response - Have a drive of the E60 550i, it was well received for what it is, quite rare in the UK at least, and offers better maintenance/running costs compared to an E60 M5 with a healthy dose of power and peformance.

Only you can decide if fuel prices are an issue for you and your disposable income, if you can afford it, then go for it ! if not, consider a better more suitable car for your wallet.

Cheers, Dennis!

Well, I'm sure you didn't expect many positive responses from this board.

You've driven the 550 and I haven't. But from what I've read, the E60 535 is a more engaging ride than the 550. Not that I'd buy either.

SO True e60 not DIY friendly I could barley get the headlights off the car. Even with them off it was super hard to change light bulb. god dam ridiculous. The only simple DIY on that car is the cabin filter. I drive 540i6 100k miles with m5 sways great car love it my dads e60 530i 145k miles handles much better less roll great through corners, more comfortable ride, plenty of power. E60 maybe ugly but it is the ultimate driving machine.

Three months after I originally posted about the e60 550i , I have the car in my garage. Ive had it for three weeks and it has been a blast to drive. The sound of the V8 and exhaust is intoxicating. I hope that this car is as good to me as my e39 was.

Welcome to the 550i club. Please give us more details i.e. color, options, tranny, and mod plans if any.... Also, pics go a very long ways....CONGRATS!!!

Your ate infancy no fool so long as you don't over extend yourself financially. You don't have to pay to be the first owner on a car that is gonna last a long time. Now that said there are great benefits to buying certified pre owned. I'm really contemplating training in my 525i for the down payment on a newer 5 series. Just have to make absolutely sure I can handle payments, gas, and maintenance.

Your are in fact*** I hate auto correct so much!!!!!

Originally Posted by borderchris

That's the most generalizing, inaccurate post I've ever seen here. Really?

How about those of us that drive both? When you're done waving your e39 flag (I love mine, BTW), realize that 1) you don't drive an e60, and 2) the fuel pump issues narrowly covered only 535is, which BMW took care of updating for free. And 3)... $500 to replace anything. C'Mon, man.

I just replaced my thermostat and water pump, purely preventatively, for $200 total. I replaced my Transmission pan/filter assembly with the proper ZF Lifeguard fluid, for $350.

I love my e39 530i, but I've poured one hell of a lot more money into that (coolant, suspension, electrical) than I have my e60.

I've been seriously thinking about an e60, In your opinion do you think an e60 530 would be relatively the same as my e39. I did read about the lifter issues but not sure how common it is?

Nice choice OP!

I cannot believe I am typing this but have been on the lookout for a nice E60 Alpine White M-Sport 550 and missed a great opportunity last month. I was one day late and it was snatched up.

I hit the E60 forum to learn more and it seems the 550 V8 is actually the most reliable of the power plants in the E60 minus M range.

Driven E60's before and they drive great and the only drawback has been in the looks department. But I slightly overcame that when the E39 bad luck hit epic proportions in frequency.


let's see.. year to date:

- sunroof cassette replacement
- door mirror base and electro-chromatic glass replaced
- 1 accident in the rear
- full Lemforder front end replacement
- oil leak repair (all seals including rear main)

matter of fact, it's in the shop all this week replacing gaskets and guide rails.

550's are becoming very affordable (relatively speaking) i have also been looking at them also but not sure if I want another gas hog V8.... how is the mpg?

The E60 - E90 Bug is hitting me as well.... I washed my wifes 328i yesterday and thought "why don't i have something more modern like this??"