Hi All,

I've almost made up my mind to go ahead and order my new 6MT G35, when I heard that the BMW 530 are now going for about $2000 BELOW invoice.

The fully loaded G is still much cheaper (about $10K), and it has more horsepower. But Nissan and Infiniti don't hold their value well, especially when compared to BMW - which could turn cheaper in terms of total cost of ownership over ~ 4 yrs (better resell value + free service). Plus the BMW has much nicer interior. Any advice?
Thanks!

 

well the G is fresh and hot. the 03 5 series will be no more next year. the new 5 series will be out. i know i wouldnt want to spend alot of $ and then have a new model come out. also the 03 5 series looks a bit dated and there is really nothing special about it anymore. if it was a 540i vs G i might lean more to the bmw direction(if was in the considered price range) but for G VS 530i i would no doubt get the G. both cars are great though, my dad had a 97 528i for 3 years and he loved it although it lacked a little power. he has a lexus 03 SC430 now and when his lease is up in 05 he says he will prob go back to bmw.

 

if i could afford it, 530.

g35doman
'03.5 5AS, BS/G, Leather, Sport, 32%, Klasse

 

You're comparing apples and oranges. The G is a lot of car for the money, but you've stepped up to another class with the 5 series. My sister drives a 540 with BBS wheels. It's real sweet. If I could throw that kind of money down I would. Either way it's a win win situation. One choice just saves you a lot money. Or you could put the difference in cost into mods for the G!

 

It depends, are you wanting to buy a luxury car or a performance sedan? If the former, go with the 530. If the latter, go with the G35 unless you can afford to step up to the 540. The 530 has the same engine as the 330i, but with the extra weight you're not going to get as much performance. But from a luxury standpoint I don't think the G35 can compete with a well-equipped 5-series.

BTW, don't let the fact that the 5 series is getting a redesign next year stop you from buying now. Have you seen the 2004 5 series? Bangle strikes again with an extremely ugly design, he's just ruining the look of every model he touches.

Funny thing is, the current 7 series is depreciating rapidly (as far as BMW's go) because nobody like the looks of the thing and there have been some reliability and usability problems. Some dealers have actually reported that demand for used previous generation 7 series is extremely strong because people would rather have one of those than the new 7.

Jeff Kohn
H-Town, TX
2003.5 Automatic Sedan, Desert Platinum/Willow, Premium, Nav, Tint