My wife's decision is forcing me to sell my car

[darylbowden]

Congrats!
They do offer the n54 engine with a true manual, btw. It's in the new 335is. I know because there's one in my garage right now 
it's getting harder and harder to find a manual these days. I'm guessing they didn't sell many in the z4, so it didn't make sense to offer it.

I have the same engine in my 535i, my god it's a good one.  I also have the auto but I know they do at least offer it with the true manual (since it says so on the window sticker) but I doubt many 5 series are built with the manual given that it's much less of a sports car (although with this engine and the sport package, it's a reasonably nice facsimile).

[mstevens]

I also went with 17" wheels, would have gone 16" but brake rotor size only allows 17's.

The dealer swore these wheels would never fit. This probably had nothing to do with wanting to sell me a $2,800 winter tire & wheel set. They do fit, but there's literally only a few millimeters of clearance for the front rotors. Heaven forfend I get a little pebble (or large grain of road sand) in there! I'm going to have to get TPMS sensors installed so the car won't keep warning me it's about to explode in a fiery fireball of flaming death because it doesn't know what its tire pressure is.

I was going to ask if you went with the sport package, the "M" on the steering wheel answers my question.

Not really. The 35is is the Motorsport version of the Z4 so it already includes all that stuff. There's no Sport package available. Don't ask me why they call it "Z4 sDrive 35is" instead of "MZ4," but it's their company so they get to do it. Their old naming scheme made perfect sense to me. The new one is obtuse.

It does have the Premium, Cold Weather, Citrus Yellow interior (which contains no citrus yellow, and is mostly black), and Premium Sound packages. It's also got 19" wheels, Navigation, PDC, as well as Comfort Access which is totally brilliant. Everything except automatic high beams (which seems silly), the DVD changer (totally useless in a vehicle with no back seat), and the alarm.

Which sound system??

I went with the Premium Sound package to get the speed-sensitive volume (of much use in a roadster with the top down, useless in my wife's X3) and iPod integration. The satellite radio is of no interest or use to me and I haven't even activated the 1-year trial subscription. It's a nice stereo, but the standard one is nice, too. Except for in a convertible, the standard sound system would be fine for me.

[Travman]

I saw a black Z4 with the power hardtop similar to your new car just yesterday.  I did recognize it as a Z4 at first.  It looked exotic.  I really like the revised styling compared to the early Z4's.  Congratulations.

[mstevens]

I have the same engine in my 535i, my god it's a good one.  I also have the auto but I know they do at least offer it with the true manual (since it says so on the window sticker) but I doubt many 5 series are built with the manual given that it's much less of a sports car (although with this engine and the sport package, it's a reasonably nice facsimile).

My wife ordered her e34 535i with a manual and autocrossed it in Houston with the local BMW CCA chapter. Her first time out, she won a very nice set of tires and beat a field including several Porsches driven by guys in Nomex suits, M3's, and the like. She was 7 months pregnant. That was a really good car. The 5-series has always been BMW's "sweet spot." 3's are built with cost limitations. 7's are too damned big. SAV's, roadsters, coupes, etc. are nice but not central to the philosophy of the sports sedan. The 5-series is also responsible for half of BMW's profits, so they have to make it great.

[Statler]

The satellite radio is of no interest or use to me and I haven't even activated the 1-year trial subscription.

give it a whirl...It's quite addicting.  Got Sirius for my truck as a present a few years ago and haven't listened to normal radio or CDs since.

[superjohn]

give it a whirl...It's quite addicting.  Got Sirius for my truck as a present a few years ago and haven't listened to normal radio or CDs since.

I was the exact opposite. I got Sirius with the new car and only renewed it once when they basically gave it away. I don't listen to a lot of mainstream music though, and have a HUGE collection on my iPod.

I found the channels to be really repetitive. Even the deep cuts channel would play the same songs. I ended up dumping it and really haven't missed it.

[DRKWNG]

i agree the new dual clutch transmission are in every respect "better" than a proper manual, the only arguement you have for a proper manual is that you want a car that is less efficient than the dual clutch transmissions.

Yea, keep saying that.  Just wait until you have to have one repaired outside of warranty.  Then you'll be  .

[Howie]

I was the exact opposite. I got Sirius with the new car and only renewed it once when they basically gave it away. I don't listen to a lot of mainstream music though, and have a HUGE collection on my iPod.

I found the channels to be really repetitive. Even the deep cuts channel would play the same songs. I ended up dumping it and really haven't missed it.

Same here, except I never renewed.  They want me to renew for $4 a month.  Sounds a bit desperate.

[caperix]

Congrats!
They do offer the n54 engine with a true manual, btw. It's in the new 335is. I know because there's one in my garage right now 
it's getting harder and harder to find a manual these days. I'm guessing they didn't sell many in the z4, so it didn't make sense to offer it.

BMW is at least mainly replacing the automatic option with the DCT for now.  On 135's & 335is there is no slush box auto available. Time will tell on the reliablity, the old 6 & 7 speed smg's did have some hydraulic issues.  But for opperation the dct is a better gear box than any of the smg's before it.  Injoy the new car.

[darylbowden]

My wife ordered her e34 535i with a manual and autocrossed it in Houston with the local BMW CCA chapter. Her first time out, she won a very nice set of tires and beat a field including several Porsches driven by guys in Nomex suits, M3's, and the like. She was 7 months pregnant. That was a really good car. The 5-series has always been BMW's "sweet spot." 3's are built with cost limitations. 7's are too damned big. SAV's, roadsters, coupes, etc. are nice but not central to the philosophy of the sports sedan. The 5-series is also responsible for half of BMW's profits, so they have to make it great.

Sounds like your wife is a far better driver than my significant other and me for that matter!

But I do love the 535i (it's a 2008 e60, so previous generation), but it is by far the best car I have owned.  Everything just works the way I want it to without any unnecessary things and they seemed to figure out the iDrive a bit better on the e60s than they had on the old 7 series which makes it far more usable.  Definitely a very happy BMW driver.

[mstevens]

Sounds like your wife is a far better driver than my significant other and me for that matter!

She's whooped my ass every time I've driven against her.