stom_m3

Hello all, new to the board.

Just thought I would solicit some opinions on E500 vs. 540iA and even E320 vs. 530i.

A little background behind the question and me. I currently drive '96 M3, the misses drives a '99 323Ci and we also have a '02 4 runner to do the active stuff. We are currently trying to have kids and so I don't want her to be driving a convertible when we finally have one. So I figured that we would sell her car for a 4 door and a little more leg room car. Hence, I thought of the 5 series BMW.

The other day I decided to stop by the Mercedes dealership to see what comparable car they had. I walked over to the E320 and WOW. I have to say that I was quite impressed with the interior and the new looks. I never really thought I would own a Mercedes because the looks never appealed to me. So either I'm getting older or my opinion is changing. After that I drove over to the BMW dealership and looked at the 5 series. Horribly bland and cheap looking by comparison was my first thought. Now there is a new 5 coming out next year but that might not work in the timeline of things to come.

To make a long story a little longer, I haven't driven one yet. I plan to this weekend but I thought I would solicit opinions on problems, likes, dislikes and if others have gone through this same process. Thanks for the help.

steve

synchronictyii

I would DEFINITLY go with the E500 over the 540, (by the way, what's the "A" in "ia" stand for?). Becasue the E500 has the best of all worlds. Luxury, power, and styling. Between the E320 and the 530 I think the 530 is a little better because BMW is better with the six's than Mercedes is. Their current 3.0 liter runs with the best of them from Infiniti and Nissan. But if your going to go with the E320, you should wait it out a while for the E350 in september.

jswedberg

The "a" means the Bimmer has an automatic, rather than the optional 6 speed manual.

I looked at the new M3 as well as the 5- series. I agree - the 5 is pretty bland. I'm sure the new one will be less so - styled like the new 7. Which I find quite ugly in pictures, and slightly less so in real life.

I ended up with a C32 (the new E was not out at that time)

What I really want is a W211 E55, but I've not been successful in getting the wife on board with the idea!

stom_m3

What are the specifications on the 350. Is this an existing engine that they will be using? The $8k difference between the 320 and 500 is a little much but the hp difference is probably worth it. Maybe the 350 might make that gap smaller.

Also what is the timeline that the 350 will be coming out?

rayscar

I love my E500. It handles well and has a lot of power. The fit and finish is excellent. It is by far the best car I've ever owned. I would buy it over the 540 any day. I looked at the 540 and the S-type beofre buying my E. No comparison IMO. Yes, there will be a new 540 next year but if the spy shots are any guide, I'm even more concinved I made the right choice. Good luck. Buy the E and you won't regret it.

bmms8

hey stom, what dealer did you go to. i would personally go with the E500 of course, just because you dont really pay 8K more. i am pretty sure you would want leather in the 320, which is alsmot 2 grand. and with 81 more HP, and 107 more FT Lbs. of torque, plus the air suspension, and all the other goodies make it very close in price. Plus, knowing you drive the 500 model from MB should want you to get it, they are the best V8's. hope you do get the benz

stom_m3

bmms8 - good points. I didn't think about the standard features of the 500 over the 320. Have you specifically done the math to compare the 500 to the 320 with no differences but the engine. I would be curious to see the "true" price difference. hmmm I just might have to take a second and walk through MB's website to clarify the price.

stom_m3

Okay, so I just looked at the base differences between the 320 and 500 and here's what I come up with;

Metallic Paint - $655
Leather - $1440
4 zone climate - $550
Airmatic Suspension - $1575
17" rims - $750 (my estimate)

Base E320 - $47670
Total E320 - $52640

Base E500 - $55570
Gas Guzz - $1000
Total E500 - $56570

Total Difference = $3930

Let me know if I missed anything.

I couldn't find pricing on the 17" option for the E320 so I assumed about $750.

Dlau

Hi Stom_m3,

I'm like you, have been a fan of BMW. I owned 4 BMWs in the past 12 years and currently, I still have a 95 540i, and a 97 740il.
I bought my first Mercedes in last December a E500, I decided to go with the new E ;first, because I had too much BMWs, and decided to have something different; second, also like you, I felt in love with the new E at first sight. The new E is very good looking both exterior and interior. I ordered mind with Brillant Silver with stone interior with sport package. I really like the black bird-eye maple on stone interior. Since I have both BMWs and E500, I can tell you they are both great cars. E500 is an outstanding car that lots of its features excel other cars, but there are some features I think the Bimmer did a better job on. Such as, seat memory, blend of comfort and performance, cup holders location; but, don't get me wrong, the new E is a great car I am sure you will not regret to go with it, at least I did not. Good Luck!
PS: Go with the E500 if you can afford it, it make you smile when you floor it.

Dlau

NKT

My girlfriend incidentally just bought a new 530i (got a great lease rate) and we had a little friendly 0-60 battle with my E320. I was surprised that my e320 was pulling away at about 50mph or so (we were both using the manual shift modes). Not sure what the real numbers are for these cars, but I was just a bit surprised cause I thought for sure the bimmer would take me. As far as noticeability, style, comfort, e-class wins hands down.

gobenz

I am also a 'convert' from the BMW 5-Series. For me, the E500 was love at first sight. I have no regrets at all. My BMW was a great car to drive...my E500 is a great car to drive and a GREAT car to look at.

The bottom line is that can't really go wrong with either one. That said, the new 5-Series spy shots are not appealing to me. BUT, I'm positive that it will be a great car to drive.

NuBenz

We are fortunate that choosing between a 540iA and E500 can be considered a "dilemma".

I closely looked at the 540iA vs the W211 E500. IMHO:

1. The E500 wins in the updated styling category hands down. Very refreshing look, both interior and exterior. The 540 looks classic, still nice, but a bit dated to me.

2. The E500 motor pulls ever so strongly! But the car didn't feel as "tight" as the 540iA (sport package). The BMW is better tuned to sporty driving, even compared to the E500's air suspension in the sportiest mode. But the E is pure sweet luxury!

3. BMW warranty includes "wearables" like brake pads, batteries, wiper blades... etc. The Mercedes warranty (basic) does not cover these items. But you do get lifetime roadside assistance from MB.

4. Airbags in the rear passenger compartment on the E are standard. Most 540's don't have bags in the back. They're optional.

5. Air suspension, air suspension, air suspension. It's adjustable. Heck, you can even raise the car to clear steep driveways. Good luck in the Bimmer!

6. The current 540 is tried and true ('96 intro?). The W211 is brand spanking new with some "kinks" that are being worked out.

You can't go wrong with either car. My neighborhood BMW dealer reports many frustrated 7-series owners due to all the computer i-drive knick-knacks. Could this also happen to the new 5-series??? How about the new 5-series styling? I just can't get into the Chris Bangle thang... it just doesn't work for me.

I was going to go with an M5, but the wife won't have anything to do with the manual tranny, and BMW doesn't currently offer an SMG on the M5 and the M3 is too small a car.

She loves the E500 inside and out, and I think it's a pretty fine ride. Drive 'em both and I think you'll find the Bimmer a better "drive" but the E will be a convincing total package winner!

Cheers!

stom_m3

Well, today I drove the E500 sport and a 530i w/ sport package (they didn't have any 540's).

E500 - refined, refined , refined. Great new looks with a finely detailed interior. An overall well put together appearance. The gauges and controls all seemed to be in the right vicinity with a very high sex appeal. The fold down seats went out of the way to be configuration flexible. The 3 blink turn signals are a nice and unexpected touch. The center console blended well and had an air of exclusivity. The brakes were not dissapointing as from everything I heard though I didn't really put the car through the paces. The brakes were different but nothing too hard to get used to for casual driving. I'm sure that more spirited driving would make modulation of the brakes difficult. The transmission was buttery smooth and unobtrusive. The seats were very firm and positive feeling. And oh my, I finally get a decently good stereo in a $60k car.

As for dislikes, throttle response or lack of one. Press, press, press even more, please will someone give me an ankle with enough flex to get this car to go. Okay, maybe a little over exaggerated but come on. I can deal with the additional numbness in the suspension/steering because that comes at the expense of additional comfort but my feet/legs can modulate throttle a little better than Mercedes gives credit. Too bad I couldn't get a custom program to better the "drive by wire". AMG possibly? Another complaint is the manual shift mode. The response is too slow, especially when compared to the BMW. The BMW made the manual option fun. Not so with the Mercedes and who pushes left-right to shift up-down? It would be nice to have an adjustable tranny converter lockup similar to the adjustable air suspension to get a quicker shift option. And though I liked the taughtness of the seats, I disliked the non-adjustable width support. Modulation of the brakes for spirited driving would be difficult but worked well for 80% of the general uses.

The BMW 530 sport - The drivers car and it knows it. The suspension is more controlled and stiffer. The manual shift mode begs to be used. The seats hold you nicely. The steering connects you to the road. The exterior has the classic looks that we have all become comfortable with. And they have a European delivery program worth using.

As for dislikes - Will someone please update the interior. This car costs the same amount of money as the Mercedes but seems to have half the technology. Give me a stereo worth opening my ears to please. It's great to have 10 speakers but I would rather have 4 good sounding ones. Who the hell thought of these cup holders? You can put a drink in them but, oh by the way you can't access any of the heater controls. And don't bother trying to use them more than a few times before they break off from the seemingly weak design. And though I praise BMW for the great handling and transmission, did they not gain any experience from racing their sequential gear boxes? You are suppose to push forward to go up a gear and pull back to go down a gear. Why does everyone, including their own 3 series, know this but them? BMW designers please talk to each other about these features.

Anyway, if you read this far, I did enjoy both cars. I enjoyed the BMW for it's "drive me" attitude and I enjoyed the Mercedes for the elegantly sophisticated "I will waltz you there" attitude. As of now, the Mercedes wins pretty handily. I say this because the value to options is very high in the Mercedes. The completeness to detail in the Mercedes makes the BMW look like its pitching in the minors. Though to BMW's credit, they are redesigning the 5 by the end of this year. I have to say that BMW better be taking notes because Mercedes is raising the star pretty high.

skymast

e500 is a great car but if you are a 'driver' and liked the M3, the 540 w/ sport handles better on the road. Obviously, the M5 is a great one as well!

The 5 series changes boby style next year .... if thats an issue for you.

Finally, for better or worse, I think the e500 is as close to a BMW in ride, performance and youthfulness as MB as ever made it.

gobenz

I agree with you 100%. As a prior 5-Series owner, I never even considered the MB E-Series...until the beautiful E500 showed up. Prior versions didn't cut it for me.

The styling, refinement and sportiness of the E-500 rolled into one very fine car! BMW does not have the package deal...and I don't think the new 5-Series will be the answer. The Bangled exterior design is bad...the interior is much worse. It will drive like a champ though.

rayscar

See my Car & Driver thread. The new issue of the mag picked the E320 as #1 over the 530i and others!

NuBenz

but they really didn't go into much detail as to WHY! There was also a review article on the E55AMG. Nice lines about out accelerating a Ferrari 575M from 50-70 mph and hanging close in the the 0-60 times!

They (Road & Track?) commented that the brakes were difficult to modulate smoothly with "poor" pedal feel. I thought the brakes were strange myself when I drove the E500 on a test ride. I'm sure I'll get used to the E-brake feeling...

So, how about the brakes... you guys like them?