Added a new BMW to the family (added thoughts and impressions)..

[desertman123]

Scroll down to hear my thoughts after owning the car for a bit!

My parents had a 2013 Volvo XC60 that we don't really need/want anymore. We had it to tow a boat, but the boat is sold. So we started looking for a great car for them - after all these years they deserve it.



We weren't really a fan of the Volvo anyway, its seats were uncomfortable and it has a few issues. I'd get a clicking noise on sharp turns at low speeds, and sometimes from a standstill (there's even a thread about it http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthr...r-s-Side-Wheel). The sunroof also started leaking (there was stain in the headliner) and on top of it all I'm not a fan of the clunky FWD transverse engine/trans setup.

So we started looking at the brands we're familiar with - Volvo, Lexus and BMW (we've been bouncing between these brands for more or less, the last 30 years). We wanted to like Volvo but our experience with our particular XC60 left some to be desired. The IS350 almost won, but we decided it's a little on the small side. So basically we compared the GS350 with a 5 series. Guess which won .

Both my parents had BMWs back in the 80s - My dad an E30 325 and my mom an E30 318 and E28 528. She loved the thought of getting back into a 5 series. She's also wanted a white car for years, but each time the deal got away from her (ex: we were looking at a white '14 XC60, but they sold it from under us). So now begins the hunt for a white 2013+ 5 series with a beige, saddle or white interior. Wasn't that hard to be honest, but finding one close to us was. Luckily a dealership right down the road from my school had a 2014 and I went to go check it out. The salesmen were very nice to me (a kid!) as I explained my parents' situation. Might've helped I showed up well dressed and in my 1 series.

Without further ado, here's our new (to us) 2014 528i! 1 owner, no accidents, fresh off lease. 32k mi, Mineral White on Ivory White (leather), got Luxury Line trim, HUD, comfort access, nav, surround view, HK sound, heated/cooled seats, lane assist/etc. some other things I'm probably forgetting. This thing is fully loaded: neither me nor my parents have had such a spec'd out car. Guess who gets to learn all the systems, then teach it to them

*if you see any paint chips in these pictures, they've been dealt with - some of these are just what the dealer originally posted online.











And the picture that makes it relevent to this forum



We're excited - life's too short to drive a clunky car.

First things up it needs oil - now the dealer mentioned they'd have the BMW dealer handle the inspection/oil change for free so I'm not too sure what'll happen and when. If it ends up being my job, I'm tossing some Castrol 0w-40 Euro in. I'll do an oil analysis then too. At 50k (maybe 60k) I'm planning on doing trans/diff fluid and maybe spark plugs if they're not due earlier. Might have to do brakes soon too (or at least pads). No big deal though, good excuse to switch over to low dust, quiet pads. I'll check brake fluid when I do this too.

Now some questions:

• Any special maintenance I need to do? Ex: when should we walnut blast? we're at 32k mi. Any common issues that need to be dealt with regarding the N20?
• Does the electric power steering system require any maintenance?
• Any critical mods? This IS my parents' car, so I'm not really looking for anything that adds 'sportiness' (that's for my car )
• Do any of the new fancy technologies need special care?
• HOW DO I TURN OFF AUTO START/STOP FOREVER?

There's some decent writeups on F10post but nothing like there is here. I've taken this place for granted! All the N52 problems and systems are so well documented, then I try and find info on the N20 and ZF8 and I'm led 10 pages deep into some random forum post looking for the answer.

[Esteban]

What!? No M5!! Hahaha

Kidding aside, the car looks great. Mineral White with the Ivory White interior looks very classy. That looks like the perfect car for the parents. Lots of nice options and a good size. Both my parents died when I was very young so I'm envious. You're a good son to help them out. They're lucky to have you (and vise versa).

Congrats on the purchase.

[NorthernDancer]

I like both cars very much. I'm not an expert with 5 series & N20 but I know who is. Mike Miller of Roundel and Bimmer magazine. Strongly recommend joining BMWCCA for the monthly magazine but most importantly access to Mike Miller. He'll give you the BEST answers via e-mail usually within 24 hrs, often within 10 hours. Tons of good tech info/DIys at bavauto.com/blog. Pelican Parts also excellent. Good Luck-two great cars.

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by Esteban

What!? No M5!! Hahaha

Kidding aside, the car looks great. Mineral White with the Ivory White interior looks very classy. That looks like the perfect car for the parents. Lots of nice options and a good size. Both my parents died when I was very young so I'm envious. You're a good son to help them out. They're lucky to have you (and vise versa).

Congrats on the purchase.

Oh trust me, my dad and I were gawking at the M5 in the BMW dealership (and I was staring at a manual trans M235i). One day.. And thank you!! It's pretty much perfect for them (maybe even a little too much car, but they'll adapt). Sorry to hear about that too ! My parents are getting older (hence them sharing 1 car), so I'm trying to make the best of the time I have now. I was basically their liaison between them and dealers to find the best deal. I had to do SOME ass-kissing after they helped me pay for a good part of my car

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

I like both cars very much. I'm not an expert with 5 series & N20 but I know who is. Mike Miller of Roundel and Bimmer magazine. Strongly recommend joining BMWCCA for the monthly magazine but most importantly access to Mike Miller. He'll give you the BEST answers via e-mail usually within 24 hrs, often within 10 hours. Tons of good tech info/DIys at bavauto.com/blog. Pelican Parts also excellent. Good Luck-two great cars.

We're both very happy with our cars - I love my 1er more and more each time I drive it, while with the 5er that is only just beginning. I think they're very reflective of each of our personalities. Comfort/luxury vs. comfort/sport. Funny how BMW fit both bills! I'll take a look at joining BMWCCA, I had considered it when I originally got my 1. Plus direct access to an N20 expert would be wonderful (I'll be doing most of the maintenance, we still have like a year left of warranty though!).

[1and1]

Carly for the auto on/off thing if it doesn't remember the setting on it's own already. Could ask the dealer when they do the oil & service, they may be happy to enable that option for you (again, if it isn't already).

When we first got The Wife's X1 the auto on/off reset every time and it was hyper annoying- I'm not a fan at all. With Carly it was just another option to select, easy-peasy

[Ric in RVA]

Congrats!

My wife's daily is a 2011 F10 528i white on black dakota with the n52 straight six....so I can't help you with the turbo 4.

Great car. Just normal service.

Carly is getting better for the f10, but you need the carly obdII BT plug.

[mr.fabulous]

Beautiful car... especially that interior! Gorgeous. You and your family are very lucky in so many ways. Peace.

[Gray_Panther]

Beautiful! The interior is immaculate. I love what they did to the 5 series and especially with the newest generation.

[doublevanosrc]

Great car for the parents, I had one as a loaner for a few days. Very nice comfy car, that turbo 4 with 8spd box move it without issue.

[Dylanize]

You can code out the auto start/stop

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by doublevanosrc

Great car for the parents, I had one as a loaner for a few days. Very nice comfy car, that turbo 4 with 8spd box move it without issue.

I would've liked the N52 but my parents were looking for 2013 or newer, sad. But a manual trans 2013 535i isn't too far out... . Happy with what they got though, that drivetrain is buttery smooth. Hate the steering (compared to my 1), but I do gotta say it's VERY smooth and comfortable.

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

Beautiful! The interior is immaculate. I love what they did to the 5 series and especially with the newest generation.

The interior is insane, everything about it is comfortable. The leather is SO soft, iDrive is really easy to use and it's still quite driver oriented - you can tell thought was placed on where each button should go.

_________________________________

Initial impressions:

This is not my 1-series. It's a fully loaded LCI F10. About $65k out the door (we didn't pay anywhere near that! ). Basically every option except auto parking and cold weather.

That should be obvious - who knew a luxury sedan feels different than a sports coupe? But the steering is numb and the suspension is more comfort oriented. The car still handles great, it has that same confidence inspiring BMW feel.

The front (more specifically the headlight shape) I'm not the biggest fan of either, but the rest of the car looks amazing. The interior is a damn spaceship, but not in a way where Mercedes makes you feel lost in creature comforts.

This is initially intimidating but once you figure out how to use everything you realize there isn't that much there. Which is good! I'm a fan of minimalism. All of the top of the line features are SO COOL. The HUD is amazing - you can see it clearly day and night and it gives more than just current speed. iDrive is very intuitive - my mom loves using it to answer phone calls while she's driving. She likes how you can see the contact picture on the screen while you're talking to them on the phone! I think my parents are a little overwhelmed with the technology this car has. I certainly am. Reverse camera, side cameras, parking sensors, AC/heated seats with a massager, etc. etc.

I'm very impressed with how this car presents itself. The aesthetic BMW built around this car is awesome - the amber red-ish lights at night, the simplicity of the dash that holds very complex systems, the welcome chimes, just how clean and well sorted everything is.

SO HOW'S IT DRIVE?

This is not my 1-series. It's definitely much larger but it doesn't feel it. The suspension is quite well sorted, feels good even with RunFlats. The steering is decent, I don't like it but I've felt worse. But that's not something I'd wanna hear from a $50k+ car. Haven't had too much experience tearing up corners with it, just onramps. Feels great but not as confidence inspiring as my 1 - that's to be expected since I got the sport suspension with a shorter, lighter car (with hydraulic steering!).

Power delivery is pretty good, the 8 speed gearbox does a good job of keeping that N20 in line. Power is there, I can spin the tires from a launch no issues. It's honestly just about as fast as my 1er. More weight, but shorter gears and more HP. Comfort is awesome if you're just putsing around. Eco probably barely saves any gas, but if you wanna drive smooth here it is. It kills the throttle response so you'll never 'jerk' the car off the line. Sport mode makes the steering a bit better but it holds gears in the trans a bit too long. Sport and manual mode are where I like to be. The shifter is pull back to upshift, just like a sequential or rally!!

Overall I really like the car - it's definitely not for me but it's great for my parents. Going to Publix, running to the bank, going to a friends' house, etc. They're not showing up to any car meets, nor are they taking 35mph onramps at 70 () so this is a wonderful car for them. My mom is just ecstatic to be back in a 528.

[Dackelone]

Congrats. I think the first thing I would do is change the engine oil a few times. Who knows.... this car could have only had two or three oil changes so far. I would change the oil like two or three times right away. Keep changing it until it come out all new(ish) brown looking. Then change the oil every ~4K. That's my tip.

Enjoy your parents new ride.