Bloomberg doesn't like the 2016 GS350 but tolerates the FSport
06-24-16, 07:04 AM
#31
LOL, I'd love to visit with her in person. My lease is up on my 2014 550x M-Sport in early Sept and I will be purchasing a 2014 GS350 as a replacement.
If you borrow/rent a car, go with the BMW. If you have to own it and pay for it...RUN AWAY (unless you have a bottomless pit of money AND don't mind the inconvenience). BTW, this is our fourth 5 series. The 2008 528 was reliable for us, the other three...disappointing.
I don't want to rant, but let me share a little more. The 2011 550 was total crap, I was paying $790/month ($7k down) to own it (no lease this time). In and out of the shop every 90-days or so. Effectively my monthly payment got me a loaner car like a 3 series and/or an Camry (when the BMW loaners were "all gone" which happened quite frequently). The warranty ran out and the car kept breaking, so I identified a way out. Sell the 2011 and assume an acquaintance's lease!
Boom, in comes this 2014 550 x-drive M-sport. What a beauty! Monthly payments are now $1,050/month...but I'm only in the shop once every six or seven months, lol. The car is so awesome that I have actually thought about purchasing it when the lease matures. That was about six weeks ago. Then it started running rough and I received the usual alert/message (from almost EVERY new generation 550 - check the forums is you don't believe me), "engine oil is two quarts low, add engine oil immediately!" I usually go to the dealer and they add the oil while you wait - like an old timey full service gas station. You don't even need to get out of your car. I was on a business trip, so I purchased the oil and added it myself.
Fast forward to yesterday. "Man I love this car and now BMW is contacting me about lowering the residual amount and making an attractive purchase deal for me"...la, la, la, man this thing is fast and beautiful! Zoom, zoom. Wait what's this, the car is shaking again? "Drivetrain malfunction error. Proceed with caution and contact BMW for service".
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! "Hello local BMW service center, this is what my car is doing..." Response, "Remember these are very sophisticated cars and malfunctions happen sometimes. Restart the car and try the highway again no need to take the car in and waste time if it fixes itself. By the way David, we see your lease is almost up. Have you spoken to anyone about your end-of-lease options? Don't forget, we can extend your warranty for $5,200 AND extend your all-encompassing maintenance for another $2,700."
Done! Finished! Looking forward to finding a perfect 2014 GS350!
If you borrow/rent a car, go with the BMW. If you have to own it and pay for it...RUN AWAY (unless you have a bottomless pit of money AND don't mind the inconvenience). BTW, this is our fourth 5 series. The 2008 528 was reliable for us, the other three...disappointing.
I don't want to rant, but let me share a little more. The 2011 550 was total crap, I was paying $790/month ($7k down) to own it (no lease this time). In and out of the shop every 90-days or so. Effectively my monthly payment got me a loaner car like a 3 series and/or an Camry (when the BMW loaners were "all gone" which happened quite frequently). The warranty ran out and the car kept breaking, so I identified a way out. Sell the 2011 and assume an acquaintance's lease!
Boom, in comes this 2014 550 x-drive M-sport. What a beauty! Monthly payments are now $1,050/month...but I'm only in the shop once every six or seven months, lol. The car is so awesome that I have actually thought about purchasing it when the lease matures. That was about six weeks ago. Then it started running rough and I received the usual alert/message (from almost EVERY new generation 550 - check the forums is you don't believe me), "engine oil is two quarts low, add engine oil immediately!" I usually go to the dealer and they add the oil while you wait - like an old timey full service gas station. You don't even need to get out of your car. I was on a business trip, so I purchased the oil and added it myself.
Fast forward to yesterday. "Man I love this car and now BMW is contacting me about lowering the residual amount and making an attractive purchase deal for me"...la, la, la, man this thing is fast and beautiful! Zoom, zoom. Wait what's this, the car is shaking again? "Drivetrain malfunction error. Proceed with caution and contact BMW for service".
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! "Hello local BMW service center, this is what my car is doing..." Response, "Remember these are very sophisticated cars and malfunctions happen sometimes. Restart the car and try the highway again no need to take the car in and waste time if it fixes itself. By the way David, we see your lease is almost up. Have you spoken to anyone about your end-of-lease options? Don't forget, we can extend your warranty for $5,200 AND extend your all-encompassing maintenance for another $2,700."
Done! Finished! Looking forward to finding a perfect 2014 GS350!
06-24-16, 08:57 AM
#32
LOL, I'd love to visit with her in person. My lease is up on my 2014 550x M-Sport in early Sept and I will be purchasing a 2014 GS350 as a replacement.
If you borrow/rent a car, go with the BMW. If you have to own it and pay for it...RUN AWAY (unless you have a bottomless pit of money AND don't mind the inconvenience). BTW, this is our fourth 5 series. The 2008 528 was reliable for us, the other three...disappointing.
I don't want to rant, but let me share a little more. The 2011 550 was total crap, I was paying $790/month ($7k down) to own it (no lease this time). In and out of the shop every 90-days or so. Effectively my monthly payment got me a loaner car like a 3 series and/or an Camry (when the BMW loaners were "all gone" which happened quite frequently). The warranty ran out and the car kept breaking, so I identified a way out. Sell the 2011 and assume an acquaintance's lease!
Boom, in comes this 2014 550 x-drive M-sport. What a beauty! Monthly payments are now $1,050/month...but I'm only in the shop once every six or seven months, lol. The car is so awesome that I have actually thought about purchasing it when the lease matures. That was about six weeks ago. Then it started running rough and I received the usual alert/message (from almost EVERY new generation 550 - check the forums is you don't believe me), "engine oil is two quarts low, add engine oil immediately!" I usually go to the dealer and they add the oil while you wait - like an old timey full service gas station. You don't even need to get out of your car. I was on a business trip, so I purchased the oil and added it myself.
Fast forward to yesterday. "Man I love this car and now BMW is contacting me about lowering the residual amount and making an attractive purchase deal for me"...la, la, la, man this thing is fast and beautiful! Zoom, zoom. Wait what's this, the car is shaking again? "Drivetrain malfunction error. Proceed with caution and contact BMW for service".
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! "Hello local BMW service center, this is what my car is doing..." Response, "Remember these are very sophisticated cars and malfunctions happen sometimes. Restart the car and try the highway again no need to take the car in and waste time if it fixes itself. By the way David, we see your lease is almost up. Have you spoken to anyone about your end-of-lease options? Don't forget, we can extend your warranty for $5,200 AND extend your all-encompassing maintenance for another $2,700."
Done! Finished! Looking forward to finding a perfect 2014 GS350!
If you borrow/rent a car, go with the BMW. If you have to own it and pay for it...RUN AWAY (unless you have a bottomless pit of money AND don't mind the inconvenience). BTW, this is our fourth 5 series. The 2008 528 was reliable for us, the other three...disappointing.
I don't want to rant, but let me share a little more. The 2011 550 was total crap, I was paying $790/month ($7k down) to own it (no lease this time). In and out of the shop every 90-days or so. Effectively my monthly payment got me a loaner car like a 3 series and/or an Camry (when the BMW loaners were "all gone" which happened quite frequently). The warranty ran out and the car kept breaking, so I identified a way out. Sell the 2011 and assume an acquaintance's lease!
Boom, in comes this 2014 550 x-drive M-sport. What a beauty! Monthly payments are now $1,050/month...but I'm only in the shop once every six or seven months, lol. The car is so awesome that I have actually thought about purchasing it when the lease matures. That was about six weeks ago. Then it started running rough and I received the usual alert/message (from almost EVERY new generation 550 - check the forums is you don't believe me), "engine oil is two quarts low, add engine oil immediately!" I usually go to the dealer and they add the oil while you wait - like an old timey full service gas station. You don't even need to get out of your car. I was on a business trip, so I purchased the oil and added it myself.
Fast forward to yesterday. "Man I love this car and now BMW is contacting me about lowering the residual amount and making an attractive purchase deal for me"...la, la, la, man this thing is fast and beautiful! Zoom, zoom. Wait what's this, the car is shaking again? "Drivetrain malfunction error. Proceed with caution and contact BMW for service".
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! "Hello local BMW service center, this is what my car is doing..." Response, "Remember these are very sophisticated cars and malfunctions happen sometimes. Restart the car and try the highway again no need to take the car in and waste time if it fixes itself. By the way David, we see your lease is almost up. Have you spoken to anyone about your end-of-lease options? Don't forget, we can extend your warranty for $5,200 AND extend your all-encompassing maintenance for another $2,700."
Done! Finished! Looking forward to finding a perfect 2014 GS350!
06-24-16, 03:13 PM
#33
Over the years I've used four criteria when it came time to purchase a vehicle: performance, cost, reliability and styling. Features were also a consideration, but most of the models I cross-shopped could be optioned fairly closely.
What changes over time is the PRIORITY of my criteria. When I shopped for a 550, it was something like: styling, performance, reliability, then cost. Prior to that, the order was different.
Now my criteria is more like: reliability, styling, cost, then performance.
For me, owning a 550 out of warranty is like dating a stripper. Fun, exciting, good to be seen with, makes your friends jealous, but takes a emotional/financial toll and doesn't have a future. Owning a GS350 is more like dating a level-headed, intelligent and maybe just a "tad"...just a little tiny bit lackluster looking woman. When compared, the latter is the only long-term solution. Or am I just getting old? LOL
What changes over time is the PRIORITY of my criteria. When I shopped for a 550, it was something like: styling, performance, reliability, then cost. Prior to that, the order was different.
Now my criteria is more like: reliability, styling, cost, then performance.
For me, owning a 550 out of warranty is like dating a stripper. Fun, exciting, good to be seen with, makes your friends jealous, but takes a emotional/financial toll and doesn't have a future. Owning a GS350 is more like dating a level-headed, intelligent and maybe just a "tad"...just a little tiny bit lackluster looking woman. When compared, the latter is the only long-term solution. Or am I just getting old? LOL
06-25-16, 06:12 AM
#34
06-25-16, 11:22 AM
#36
Lead Lap
Butterface.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Bushwack
GS - 3rd Gen (2006-2011)
21
05-11-10 08:56 AM