Hey guys, I have had a 1998 Gs300 for a really long time and it has performed admirably even to this date at 180k miles and am now up for an upgrade. I have been looking at the 2006 BMW 550i a lot and really like this car. What I am really concerned about is the reliability of this car. Does anyone have any experience with this car? I know it most likely won't be Lexus reliable but what should I expect buying this car used?

 

just make sure to buy extended warranty. I've owned the 545i, was awesome to drive. You should really enjoy this car! Night and day difference between my GS400 and 545i...

 

I think doug999 had a 550, but he doesn't stay on this forum full-time...he's kind of in and out. You might try PM'ing him and just waiting for an answer.

 

CR rates the '06 5 Series (6 cyl) Average in Reliability. Problem areas on their recap are Electrical, Paint/Trim and Audio System.

 

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...s/Reliability/

J.D. Power gives the 5-series a 5/10 on reliability.

 

I knew an MD who had one in NYC and he said he hated it. He thought the car was problematic and the i drive was annoying

 

What about the 5-series 8 cylinder engine mainly the 550i? I am looking only at the 550i with the 8 cylinder with 360hp.

I am willing to overlook the terrible iDrive controls but was wondering how the 550i was based on mechanical reliability. I have a friend with a 325i engine with a lot of problems mainly with the engine. But since mine will be a 550i the engine will be totally different and was wondering if anyone knows how reliable they are.

 

The 6 cyl was the only one listed in their recap. Nothing on the V8.

 

That $2k is well worth the investment. Free oil and brake pads exchange and all the bells and whistles and peanut butter. After the 2yr's up, the owner will get another invitation to further extend the warranty at a jaw dropping price. It's for the peace of mind. Get it.

 

Am I able to get the extended warranty if the car is out of warranty? I am planning on buying the car from a private owner and not from a BMW dealership.

 

I may not be able to provide much but:
I've been on a test drive of the E61 5-series (both 520i and 530d models) and for BMWs, they're quite good. Definitely better than the E90 BMW 3 series.

Still, that is you get the cars from Germany. If you purchase a unit like the on from Shah Alam, Malaysia, then well.............

 

you can buy extended warranty from 3rd party company, you can look these up online... however I have no experiences w/ them. Make sure to get service history and carfax as well. Make sure he's not hiding anything. Lot of times, people sell private party because trade-in is terrible if the car had work done (body work).

 

iDrive is easy to get used to if you put thought into it. not too hard.