Things to look for on a used 5 series?

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I'm cross shopping the BMW 5 Series against the Mercedes Benz E-Class. My wife prefers the smooth silky ride of the MB but I have always been fond of driving the slightly more taut BMWs in the past.

My question is; what things should I look out for in a used 5 Series? Any model years I should avoid? Any common mechanical problems? Which 5 models are really stellar, besides the M5 ? Is the 530i really as slow as it is on paper?

I'm 31, married with kids in the near future. I come from a background full of sports cars (RX-8, RX-7) and BMW 3 series sedans and of course every Asian kid's first car a Honda Civic Si!

In the comparos I have read in Car and Driver, the 5 seems to score low against Audi A6s, Infiniti M45s , and Mercedes E350s. What are your views?

[triz_a_rican]

hey i just bought a 2005 545i and i too come from a long background in cars from acura tl's to rl's to 350z and g35 ill tell you this the performance on my car is awsome i drive cross country with my car and it is great the handle is top the gas milage is pretty good great for a v8 i bought my car with 58000 miles and feels like i just took it out the dealer lot only thing i suggest is to check the oil because alot of people who buy this vehicle cant really afford it and try to look past the oil change because it is so pricey other than that enjouy the car and smoke everything moving around you

[Deda]

bmw serie 5 is great car..just do it,man!

[niftyhawk]

The rims suck for AWD models for 5 series. So, if you care about them and I see that you live in bayside (which doesnt really need an AWD), go for the sports models. I heard there are some recalls on the 06 models. So, I would say go for 07 model or a 550i if u can get ur hands on it.. It might not be the most safety rated car, but it's definitely worth the price.