[asliarun]

Thanks, i will. And yes, I am also derailing this thread quite a bit.

[stlrman]

Is premium gas a must for 2006 model ?

[zybar]

Is premium gas a must for 2006 model ?

I think so, but you should double check your manual or driver's side door panel.

Not sure if the engine choice matters as well.

George

[ctviggen]

Hi George,
How do you run regular tires? There is no room for a spare.
What happens if I get a flat on the turnpike ? Do I get towed?

No room for a spare in a wagon?  That seems outrageous to me. 

[stlrman]

Yes, there is no room in the trunk. I guess they don't want the added weight.
I am not happy about the run flats at all, as you pretty much need a tow truck with a flat bed.

I will say that everything else is perfectly designed. Rain sensor wipers that are whisper quite.  The driving experience is exhilarating!!!!   the acceleration is freaking thrilling! The engine roars when you step on it, and I just discovered sport mode! the steering is what I imagined a Porche would feel like, and the breaking is astonishing!  If you are a driving enthusiast this ride is the SHIT!! I drove my Brothers 911 Porshe many years ago, and from what I remember I would take my BMW's ride in a heart beat for an everyday driver.

I love the look of my wagon way better than the four door 3 series. There are eight billion 3 series on the road , and seeing another wagon here is rare.
 
ctviggen , have you ever driven a BMW?
  I think paying way more for repairs over other vehicles is way worth for the drive experience.  Ok you can see I'm really excited about this car.  If I can pull it off, I would never drive another brand of car ever again.
I had a low end Jaguar , X Type , I had a Lexus RX 300 ,2003, they are not even on the same planet as this car.  My wagon also has a  $3,000 computer Navagation system., that connects to Bluetooth, Bonus !
  I'm sorry if I seem overzealous, but I can't believe how much fun I'm having driving this car!!!

[Philistine]

I have a 2006 330Xi with run flats and have a different perspective.
Run flats are potentially safer in a high speed blow out situation, this could be a life saver.  BMW also claim they tune the suspension to compensate for the different characteristics of run flats, not sure if this is reality or propaganda?
The first generation run flats were really awful, too stiff side walls, now some manufacturers are on their third generation and they've improved significantly but still more expensive. 

[stlrman]

AND...I'm getting rid of this car in a few weeks. The driving position is like a recumbent bike for me. I'm 5'3".
   My hips are in agony after a 20 min. Drive . Stiff, sore painful.  I will be spending long hours in this car.
NO CAN DO. 
Dealer said I can pick out something different when my owners card comes in.
The car is a fucking joy to drive. But I'm in near agony .
Todd

[zybar]

Are you sure that you have tried all possible seating positions?

I know people at work who are around your height and they don't have any issues.

Such a shame if you have to get rid of it.

George

[Crimson]

Are you sure that you have tried all possible seating positions?

I know people at work who are around your height and they don't have any issues.

Such as shame if you have to get rid of it.

George

+1. My wife had both an e46 and e92 M3 and neither bothered her after she figured out how to adjust the seat to get rid of the numbness in her right leg. She's 5'2". Tweaking the angle and extension of the seat bottom fixed it.

[stlrman]

Thanks guys. You are right, I should not give up yet . I will take it into a BMW dealer near here today.
It is super odd that my seats are ll manual adjust , when the rest of the car is properly pimped out. The seat back feels very comfortable and supportive . I think maybe the height adjust is broken. I'm very low, and can not see the hood at all. Hope to get it worked out today , and drive for a few days.
Also I will look into stretches to open up the hips. I never had this type of pain stiffness in the hips.

[stlrman]

Also looking at this car on his lot.
http://www.auto.com/cars/Volvo-S40-2.4i-2008-YV1MS390582403840#info
I have read nothing but great reviews. Seems like a nice ride, good handling .
Will it perform like the 3 series?, no way.
  I will be driving for Lyft and maybe Uber this summer. This means spending 9 hours straight in my vehicle.
I need ultimate comfort over performance, I'd say .

[thunderbrick]

Volvo will eat you alive on maintenance and parts costs.   

[stlrman]

I am wondering if the 5 series has much different seat geomitry???

[stlrman]

Raised the seats !! feels way better. I'll see if my hip pain goes away .
I will also stretch and exercise the hips . Should no in a few days.

[RDavidson]

Any type of lean-back / hip forward seating position will lead to varying degrees of hip, back, and leg discomfort over a varying duration of time (for different people). A higher and more upright seating position should help a lot in your car, though it may not eliminate the issue. Our bodies just aren't made to sit for long periods regardless of how ergonomically correct a seat/chair is or how mobile/immoble a person is. Stop for breaks every 1-2 hours to stretch, stand, and walk a bit. As far as seat ergonomics are concerned, I'd be very surprised if BMW doesn't have their seats down pat to work for the larger percentage of the driving public, especially in a vehicle series that has been in production for decades.

[stlrman]

Thanks Rdavidson , the seat being higher up now , seems to make a world of difference so far.
I'll see how I feel in a week. Loving the car once again!

[jarcher]

With the manual seats you lift the lever (i think the second one) and then sit up and the seat rises. I had a 3 series wagon w / sports seats, sports suspension and manual transmission.  I loved it but eventually sold it because the stiffness of everything was murder on my knee and back.  The non-sports models are much more forgiving and are plenty sporty on the handling.

The Volvo s40 will be severely disappointing performance-wise after the BMW - and ultimately is not going likely to save you anything on ownership costs. 

My best advice if you plan to keep that BMW & having owned 5 BMW's in the last 10 years is that buying an extended warranty is money well spent.  3 of those 5 BMW's have had them & the saved service costs more than paid for them.  In the most recent case my '08 540it needed a whole new transmission and transfer case less than 6 mo's after buying it (not even hit 100K miles). That was close to a $10K job - and even w/ the warranty I still ended up $1K out of pocket. 

[Cheeseboy]

I had two BMW's to date.  97 M3 that I picked up with 35K miles and drove to 215K.  I did the scheduled Inspections with BMW but did the oil and brakes myself.  When the radiator went at 120k i bought a refurbished online and it was the easiest radiator I ever did.  Two clips take out the radiator and disconnect and reconnect the hose.  It was an automatic tranny four door.  When I sold her the drive train was pulling as good as when it finally broke in at 50K.  I would replace the spark plugs and wires at a more agressive schedule than the book.  The second was a 06 330 sport sedan with the cold weather package.  BMW made it harder to work on but I was still able to do everything but left the Inspection services to BMW.  The key to working on BMW's is having 7 mm wrenches and sockets in your tool kit.  They don't come in a standard metric kit.  Hated the runflates and put a spare in the truck and ran Michelin Pilot Sports.  It just forced me to use a roof rack on vacations and a smaller sub in the trunk.  The 06 beat an F16 till takeoff and cornered like a jackrabbit.  The 06 was just retired at 230K.  I'm looking at a Mini Cooper S.  My GM, VW, and Fords gave me more headaches than any BMW ever did.  Just my take on things. 

Best of luck to you.

[Russell Dawkins]

I'll bet runflat tires are heavier than the standard type and that's the last place you want surplus weight - it wrecks the unsprung weight ratio which spoils the ride and worsens the adhesion over  surfaces that are not perfectly flat, i.e., just about everywhere. The difference in cost would probably exceed the tow price, if it came to that.
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/05/run-flat-tires-why-you-should-or-shouldnt-buy-them.html
Unsprung weight ratio:
http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/sprung-c.htm

[stlrman]

Interesting articles Russel, thanks.
So the only car I am thinking about upgrading to is another BMW , a newer model, 2009 5 series. It also has less miles. I am thinking that it may be more comfy for long stretches, have better comfort for passengers .
I will be driving for Lyft this summer , and  anticipate being couped up in my car for long periods .
While I love my 3 xi wagon , the seats are very buckety, and I fear them being very warm with no AC (, I like the windows down and sweating sometimes) and to make me feel too confined .
How much if any performance will I lose if any going to the 5 series?  Or will the 5 be an upgrade in the driving experience ?
I am wondering if it being a heavier car if it feel better on the potholes??



 http://mobile.dealercarsearch.com/VehicleDetail.aspx?InventoryId=5714488&Guid=9cdc0049-c19c-455f-902a-26a20478801b

Any real disadvantage getting the 5 series? I will try to get this price down about $1,000 as it says it's overpriced by about $1,500 . I figure my payments will go from $153 in paying now to about $225-240.
My car is a 2006 with 85,000 miles, this a 2009 with only  57,000 miles.
Appreciate your thoughts , opinions .
I will of course test drive the 5 series this week to see if I feel more comfy, spacious .
Thanks!!