So there are all kinds of cars that I like, was raised on the bowtie by my father and branched out to mopars ( dad wasnt happy for a while) and really have a open mind towards all kinds of vehicles. I do and always will love Vettes, that being said, Ive always liked the looks of the 03 and newer BMW M3s, great looking cars IMO. Well I was checking out the M3 forums just for the heck of it and it sounds like a pretty much set in stone thing that you better have a warranty when you buy one of these things and to buy one without is quite a risk. I thought that was very funny, I mean what happened to the German made products and their superior build quality and engineering? Do you guys have any such worries with Corvettes? I dont.

 

If I went BMW I would go 5 series. 3 is a little small for me.

 

bmw is no longer all german....outsourcing a reality...more to be built here and elsewhere......

 

My Aunt and Uncle have had many issues with theirs, 1 or maybe 2 were lemon lawed. One thing I'll give BMW....they sure do know how to make rims no upgrades neccessary in that department!

 

I looked into M3's before picking up my C5 this past summer. I basically found out the same thing. I couldn't afford a new M3 with a warrenty and from what I've read on their forums I decided against an older one that is out of warrenty. I found my 99 vette and got a heck of a deal. I did my research here first. Most issues, which there really aren't all that many major ones, with the C5 are things that anyone willing to do a little work can do them selves. I have found a shop that I go to if I need anything and while vettes have high prices on some repairs in relation to such repairs on an M3 it's pocket change. Also I think the C5 when nice and clean looks a heck of a lot better then the M3. I do like the M3 but it's got that average look to it compared to the beautiful Corvettes.

And by the way, the M3 you are reffering to had the same looks from 2001-2006.

 

I never liked BMW's. A friend of mine has a 2007 M6, I really, really like this car, V10 over 500 hp. Very fast, sounds good and the interior quality is just perfect.

 

It is not that they are unreliable, the fact of the matter is that so much of the car is tied into the computer, not just anybody can work on one. Plus all the parts make the corvette tax look like nothing. One thing you cannot beat though is that our M3 is still in warranty and they do all everything including oil, brakes, tranny fluid, diff fluid. The only thing they do not change or cover are the tires. Which figures becasue the tires are so damn expensive, but this is obviously big wear item. They are both amazing cars that have their perks and that is for sure.

 

Hmmm... a BMW discussion on the C5 board...okay with me, but I have a feeling other will

Don't get me wrong fellas, I love my vette, but my brother-in-law recently purchased a 7-series BMW. One observation I made instantly as was noted by BT-01-vette... no upgrades/mod's necessary. For example,

Interior Noise - you could hear a pin drop in the BMW. Don't get me wrong, I love engine exhaust roar of my vette, its the loud tire and road noise I could do without. I am currently planning the sound insulation mod.

Seats - The seats were Carvaggio like. I would like to upgrade to those one day.

Of course, this is really not a fair comparison since the C5 and BMW have totally different price points. Ultimately, I got it where it counts under the hood and the killer looks that blow the BMW away anyday.

 

Don't think for one minute that all that warranty expense was not factored into the sales price. My neighbor's 7 series has had numerous problems, getting close to being lemmon lawed.

 

You will find plenty of folks on both forums that say you need a warranty if you are going to buy a used car. The perception may have been that the Germans have high build quality but the latest surveys show a different story. The American manufacturers have made significant improvements in quality while many European makes have actually gotten worse.

 

They have things tied in that you HAVE to take it to a dealer for service every 30 thousand miles and have it gone over. They do major and minor service at these points so that all will be well for many miles to come. Labor is in the range of 120 an hour, so nothing is cheap. My wife has a 528i that we purchased used 2-1/2 years ago right after it had it's 60 K check-up service. We bought it several K under Blue Book and I thought, well I can afford the maintenance so why not? ( I didn't know it was as bad it is! Poor research on my end!) When it came time for the 90K service, they wanted over $800-$1000~ to do that level. I was like, wft!! We had done some warranty work to it in the first year because the Lexus dealer we bought it from GAVE us a warranty for it so we made sure to take advantage of it. Anyway, one of the service points was to upgrade the computer and they said that alone was a 5 hour job. The other things that they did, (in addition to changing all fluids, etc) was to replace the battery. I said, the battery is fine, why replace it now... Within 6 months, I replaced the battery... I still haven't had the 90K service done, I need to find a shop that can work on BMW's and fix me up cheaper than that. The dealer won't touch it until they upgrade the computer, etc. They say BMW MAKES them do the service work or they get in trouble. The service schedule must be followed or they violate they agreement with BMW corporate and jeapordize their dealership status. You really almost have to do it... I need to figure out what I'm going to do.. she doesn't drive nearly the miles she once did but it's now got over 100k on it... I know, I know.. suck it up and get it done!!

Nice car though.. VERY quiet, corners in a completely different way than the Vette, very stable, sexy car...

Vette, HP and Torque, very sexy car too! Nuff said!!

 

my wife owns a 745LI , an 02 with about 75k miles on it .
thank god this thing came with a 6 year 100k bumper to bumper warranty because it has been nothing but a service nightmare .
It is one of the most beautiful and fun to drive cars you can possibly imagine with a lot of power to boot
but it spends a lot of time at the dealer . the 6 year warranty will expire in may 08 and we are seriously considering a trade before that date rolls around.
It will be a hard decision but a necessary one , I have seen the totals on the service tickets every time it goes in glad BMW is picking up the tab so far

 

I also have been looking at the 750 and like the look and preformance,but can't see putting that kind of money down and passing up the C-6 ZO6.

 

I've only driven a 5 series BMW, after about 50 miles, I still wasn't impressed.

 

I have owned 3 BMWs so far and they are built top notch! But you must have a warranty! Still there is no felling or sound like a vette

 

I had been thinking of getting a new BMW 5series next year when I switch daily drivers. My entire life I have heard how there is just nothing that compares to a German car as a driver's car. I thought that now that I can finally afford one, I'll give it a try.
After reading this thread, I will definitely do some soul searching and research before I do it.
Even with the car covered by warranty, I don't need a car that spends all it's time at the stealership.

 

Two completely different cars to compare obviously .. C5's & Bimmers

I've had 5 series before and now have a 7 series. All have been bullet proof. I owned 1 Mercedes (I hope I don't go through that again, it was a POS).

The 7 I have now is an excellent car. You can buy an extended service contract for them as well for less than $2k that will cover everything but tires basically for 100k miles. That is a great deal.

 

Wife's DD is a 5 series ('06) as was her previous car('03). The only time they have been to the dealer has been for routine service, which BMW pays for for the first four years. I will not keep the car though once the warranty has expired. Routine service cost on it is a lot higher than my Honda DD!

 

The BMW 5 series is a nice car, but I'd suggest taking a serious look at the new CTS as well

 

Check the tire/wheel (FS) section on the BMW forums. Lots of wheels being sold, traded, bought????