My younger son has a surplus of cars and has left his 2003 BMW 530i in our custody. It is in remarkably good shape inside and out, but needs a few little things, as any 16-year-old car with 190k miles on the clock would, so I am looking for a recommendation for a BMW 5-series forum that is similar in caliber to Passatworld B5, which is my go-to for VW/Audi B5 and B6 car problems.
Driving it is ... interesting. It is just enough wider than the B5 VAG cars to feel a little ungainly -- my little A4 is the perfect size for buzzing around in urban traffic and tight parking lots, yet large enough to feel safe. The BMW 5-series is about the size of the 2005 Camry I drove for more than a year, but it is far more enjoyable to drive, with less power assist on the steering and less touchy brake and accelerator pedals, and of course better tracking and handling than the Camry. I am surprised how quickly I got accustomed to the reversed tiptronic pattern -- manual mode on the left, forward for a lower gear, back for a higher gear.
Try Bimmerfest. The e39 forum there has been great for me. I have a 2002 530i and love that car. The straight 6 is so smooth and has decent fuel efficiency.
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