daystar

Foa About The Same Money You Can Get A 2001 540i, Sports Package, Navigation And Premium Sound For The Price Of A New Tl ( I Know Because I Did It. My Wife Drives The Bmw).

Advantages Of The Bimmer:
1. Far Less Expected Depreciation Over The Next 2-3 Years
2. Much Better Handling
3. Wow Factor
4. Sport Seats
5. Superior Clutch Feel
6. Superior Steering Feel
7. Much Better Feel And Control At High Speeds > 90 Mph
8. Better Acceleration At Lower Rpm's
9. Better Cd Sound (12 Speakers And Dsp!)
10. No Torque Steer

Advantages Of The Tl:
1. Lower Mainentance Costs
2. Better Electronic Gadgets And Layout (bluetooth, Surround Sound, Etc.)
3. Superior Navigation!!
4. Better Predicted Reliability
5. 50k Bumper To Bumper Warranty
6. Traction Control In Snow
7. Lower Financing Costs
8. Shifter!! Simply The Best!!

The Cars Are Very Similiar And I Find It Diffilult To Choose Between The Two. What Are Your Thoughts?

VQ35DE

I had the same thought two months ago, when I was debating about trading my Maxima for a TL. Flemington BMW had a 2001 540i Sport (6MT w/Navi) on the lot for ~$35G (or about the same as a similarly equipped TL).

My advice: If you plan to do some "heavy" performance driving I'd go with the 540i (aka M5 jr.). If not, go with a brand new TL, as Bimmers are "quirky" cars.

Peace.

e46m3

All depends on your lifestyle. The bimmer however would be a blast to drive. More smile per mile than the TL, IMO

GaleForce

We have 2001 BMW 5 series that we bought new. Its built like a piece of shit.

EmuMessenger

No dual exhaust on the 540, either.

04TLMan

I looked at a 2001 530i Manual when researching. It was nice, but it did not blow me away. The price was ~$30k, but had 40K miles. It did not seem to have the punch the TL has. Now I know a 540 would be better, but did not test one. The differences for me were the expected repair costs, winter driving and the image. To me the image of a BMW was over the top for me and my life style (IMHO).

daystar

I Have Owned 3 Previous Bimmers (528, 535, And A 750). All Were Very Good Cars Except The 750. It Was The Worst Car That I Have Ever Owned...period. The Other Two Went Over 200k And Both Of Them Are Still On The Road Today.

shockwave1111

I'm not so sure about that...... according to edmunds, http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...7/article.html, the depreciation for the Acura TL and the BMW 5 series is the same projected over 5 years. Well, it could be the new BMW 5 series because they are butt ugly, but the depreciation should be neglegible.

daystar

Too Late. I Brought This Car For My Wife Off Of Ebay From A Texas Dealer. I Drove It 1600 Miles Home. There Were Long Periods Of Of 85-95 Mph Driving And It Handled Much Better Than My Tl At Those Speeds.

daystar

The Depreciaton For A New Tl Versus A 4 Year Old Bmw Is Much Higher. Check It Out. You Lose Immediately On The Tl--not So On A Used Car.

pabound

Daystar - congrats ( I guess) on your two purchases..however, reading your initial post I feel that comparing a 3 year old car to a brand new TL, or any other car for that manner, is unrealistic and innaccurate, as I think you have realized with your latest post..

But all the same..I think I speak for all here stating you got the best of both worlds..I would NEVER pay the extra $ that comes with a brand new Bring My Wallet.

AcuraVic

Wifey drives a 02 530I sport with cold weather package, autoshift trans. Of course I drive the 04/TL/Navi/Auto. The BMW shines when driven hard. Under normal driving I find it a little stiff. The TL is has a sprited feel and for now is the 'new hotness'. I definetly get more looks, qawks, and people damn near falling out of their cars to look at mine. As for prestiege, the BMW wins hands down. The leather in the BMW is definetly world class. The interior still smells 'new car fresh'. As for speed, the TL will smoke anything less than a 4.0 liter BMW (except for 'M' anything). Does anyone know the top speed on the 04/TL ?
My brother had his 04 TL 'coasting' at 125 mph on a trip. He said it felt like it had more, but since its new didn't want to run flat out.

EmuMessenger

Congratulations.

Where did you bring the car?

SitAndMeditate

540 is a nice car. I woulda gone with one if the navigation system on the TL wasn't so darn cool.

1SICKLEX

Well he let someone else take the big depreciation hit. Wise choice, the 540 6 is perfect, IMO. I know quite a few people that will never buy a new car. Trade-offs.

EggrollXpress61

The dual exuast on the TL isnt technically authentic dual exhausts. If you look underneath. Its actaully one exuast splitting into 2. Its SOHC w/ a facade of dual exhaust. But its till one fast sexy beats

need4spd

The 12 speaker DSP system in the 540 is not the ELS system in the TL (the TL is much better), the germans never knew how to make bass. The DSP is all smoke and mirrors IMO, and from experiance.

The BMW is quirky, be ready to replace the crank angle sensor, power steering hoses and radiator, they are notoriously weak points in the car and none are cheap! Maintance is much higher and much more regular than an Acura too.

Trust me

VQ35DE

Compared to what's on the aftermarket, both are 'smoke and mirrors'.

William_B

Got rid of my 2001 540i, what a piece of crap. I would be a poor man if all of the engine work I had done was not under warranty. Never again will I touch a BMW.

NightRider

Before I got the TL, I looked at a (probably a little different then) 540i 6MT. It probably was as fast as the TL (I have 5AT) but for some reason it didn't feel like it. It did feel smooth though. Even with the 04 5 series, I have sat in those and checked them out at the car show and the interiors seem very bland, the leather or leatherette or whatever it is definitely seems lower quality to the feel, touch, and seating comfort.The only BMW interior that is up to or above par with the TL is the 7 series. Read on.... even with "wood package" or "luxury" interior is very plastic-ey. Sure, if you get the "leather" package the quality might be as good if not better than the TL's, but why should you have to pay for that on a supposed top o' the line luxury vehicle? Especially the Ultimate Driving Machine. If got a BMW, it would NEVER be a new one as they look horrible and depreciation is horrendous. Also, the only BMW that has had consistant average or above reliability is the 3 series.

Shoot2Thrill

It could be really a toss up.
Owning a 2000 740, I'd say it would depend on the condition of the 540/6mt (excellent only considered)and how mechanically hands on you are. The torque and drivability is awesome but reliablity/maintenance is a factor. In NJ I still want FWD if I only have one car.

BarryH

Ironically, the Dolby ProLogic II system in new Volvo's is probably one of the best and most underated factory systems out there. With Dynaudio speakers, it rivals aftermarket systems.


The interior of the TL is without question more stylish, but it can't touch the fit, finish and quality of materials (even the plastics) used by BMW. Look at a two year old BMW and Acura and you'll see the difference.

J RIDE 81

Don't get me wrong its a nice car. I, too, was looking at it before buying my TL. The day before I purchased the TL i test drove one and wasn't overly impressed. When I saw the TL, it was love at first site.

NightRider

Yes I agree the "put togetherness" quality of the BMW is better and it should be for the price and reputation it has earned. I know the TL will be reliable but I am not that impressed with the asymetrical gaps, squeaks, and such. Still for BMW full leather should be standard, why did they ever come up with that leatherette stuff?!? As far as the stereo, I saw an ad in the paper that the new Volvo S40 has a 445 watt stereo! Playing that in a neighborhood would literally be a block-buster!

daystar

I have a co-worker whose transmission died on a 2003 TL and I am sure you will find other examples on this site of where the TL fail in some manner. BMW's are great cars that are well engineered and have a life expectancy greater than 300k miles. Too bad for your misfortune.

daystar

With a pair of show tires the BMW will handle just find. I know a guy in up state NY that swares by snow capability.

missmyprelude

I don't know about "show" tires, but I agree that a good pair of winter tires makes all the difference in the world. There's no need to fear RWD in the snow with the right set of tires.

The one thing that would keep me away from a 540i is the maintenance costs. I figure that with a 3 year old car, you'll probably start seeing problems in 2-3 years. Even the somewhat routine ones (brakes/exhaust/etc) will cost you a fortune. On my previous car (a Prelude), my maintenance costs were minimal over 7 years, so I'm hoping/expecting the TL to be the same. Even if something goes wrong after the warranty is up, the cost of repair will generally be less than a BMW 5 series.

Shoot2Thrill

The Acura 5AT has got some serious issues. Nevertheless, you don't see a lot a BMW's with 300k unless it is owned by a mechanic. The car is just way too costly to maintain. I have a Toyota with 300K plus on it and my 7 will never make that on my watch it just gets way too costly and I do most of the mechanical work. 6sp/2001 540 vs 2005 tl/6sp navl both will be nice. I recommend you buy the BMW because i don't need the competition trying to buy the TL l

Shoot2Thrill

make sure you get a radiator with a lifetime replacement including labor because all BMW V8 radiators are defective!. They have a pin hole that develops in the knit plane of the plastic radiator near the upper hose.

NightRider

Funny thing, since I got the TL I have seen ALOT of 3 series (which are supposed to be the most reliable BMW) on the sides of roads and being helped by tow trucks. Maybe 7 or 8, all probably 99-02, maybe some sort of issue with these?