BMW 540i or MM??????????

[dgi]

Looking for a daily driver.... Have a real soft spot for the MM (and the Crown Vic Sports) but have been a long time BMW fan. Having owned two BMWs in the past (01 330Ci and 95 M3) I like how they mix luxury and performance... i dont like the maintenance costs. I also have two Fox mustangs so i'm obviously a Ford gearhead and know how reliable the MM and CVs are...

Im just wondering if anyone has driven both of the cars in the title and chose to come to the MM side of the fence. I have a feeling the MM will be more trouble free and comfortable for the daily driving/ long distance drives i'll be using it for... but i cant help to think that the 540 would be just a bit more fun.... and maybe more fuel efficient...

Just looking for ideas....

PS: The choice is made harder when clean 540s can be had for the same price as MMs with similar miles... It also seems that there are alot more "clean" BMWs out there than marauders... at least from what im seeing...

[SC Cheesehead]

BMW 540i or MM??????????

If you gotta ask, the Marauder is probably not the car for you...

[RR|Suki]

If you can afford the maintenance/parts or get one that doesn't have many things go bad, the BMW is a better car.

[jstevens]

You said it yourself, if you get the BMW, be prepared for high maintenance costs should something go wrong. With a MM, you know exactly what you're getting.

[Bluerauder]

BMW 540i or MM??????????

If you gotta ask, the Marauder is probably not the car for you...

+1 Zackly ...

[Egon Spengler]

I have driven my buddy's BMW and I am not a fan at all. I would take my marauder over a beamer any day!

[CBT]

You mentioned the Marauder 7 times and BMW 5 times, so I would say go with a Marauder. :beer:

[sailsmen]

Driven both. 540 is an awesome car if you are rich, parts will cost several times. Also the block is only good for 20K. They did some carppy etching or coating process that does not work.
Everyone I know who had one sold it except the guy who drives his 3K per year.

[tremblay]

If you can afford the maintenance/parts or get one that doesn't have many things go bad, the BMW is a better car.

Couldn't agree more. My father owns a 2002 SL500 and a 2001 Clk 320. We both agree that they are excellent cars and offer a superior driving experience then the MM. But both will cost you a lot in parts and maintenance. Our experience has been that the mechanic parts are great. Its all the electronic that breaks and ends up being extremely expensive. Not to mention these cars have almost no resale value.

[Bluerauder]

Couldn't agree more. My father owns a 2002 SL500 and a 2001 Clk 320. We both agree that they are excellent cars and offer a superior driving experience then the MM.

I thought we were talking about BMWs not Mercedes. :rolleyes: You do realize that they are different, right?

[tbone]

BMW's are a dime a dozen. When a Marauder is seen, heads turn!:bows:

[SC Cheesehead]

BMW's are a dime a dozen. When a Marauder is seen, heads turn!:bows:

Amen to that, bro! ;)

[tremblay]

I thought we were talking about BMWs not Mercedes. :rolleyes: You do realize that they are different, right?

Of course. But german cars in general have been known for poor electrical reliability these past few years. Yes this goes for BMW and MERCEDES.

[Windsor58]

Besides the much higher maintenance costs, there is also the higher insurance for the BMW to be considered.
And if you consider modifications down the road, Marauder mods will also be more reasonable cost for the performance gained.

[boatmangc]

I owned a 540iT and loved it except for the seats and armrests. Fun car with nice power but only 4-5 hours of seat time without a break, after that your arms get sore at elbows, butt goes numb.
Then at about 33,000 miles the tranny started slipping, it started blowing light bulbs, oddball codes started showing up on the dash display.
All of this happened within 30-40 days of the 3/36 warranty expiring. Turns out there was a TSB on the tranny, BMW said- no warranty no fixie. Dealership said 4K for repair.
Broomed that uncomfortable POS, got a MM :banana:

[Chevyguy]

I had considered several 540 or 530's Big advantage was the manual trans option..

I really could not like the E-60 at all, and the E39 is sexy but even more dated than the Marauder inside.

I want to drive and enjoy my car not fix it all the time, the Marauder has a MUCH greater chance of fulfilling that wish compared to an even older E39. An BMW with 100 K is a time bomb of expensive service while the MM is barely broken in. I just traded in my 01 Vic with 211K and the original engine/trans only had problems with the rear axles which ended up chewing up the carrier bearings later on. Even had the original tierods and lower ball joints still.

[Ozark Marauder]

I've had a few BMW's, 69 2002tii, 78 BMW320is, 84 BMW 533i, 88 635CSI, then switched to Volvo and A BMW Motorcycle. Gave the Volvo to the kid last year, and thought of another BMW, drove a 08 535i, 04 745i Sport,and a very low mileage 96 840ci, then drove a 59,000 mile Marauder, all things considered..............you guessed it.

[tbone]

I drove to Sturgis and back...... sooooo comfy! "No lateral support" is good. Who wants to be glued into one position?

[Cobra25]

The Marauder in general will give you less problems as time goes by. Also like other's have said will cost less to fix if you have too & is more comfortable . The BMW in general will retain more re-sale value.

[RF Overlord]

BMW's are a dime a dozen.Exactly.

...and they're usually driven by self-absorbed nitwits.

[dohc324ci]

Two different cars.

Old school performance big body muscle car sedan with todays refinements (Near luxury)

vs

European luxury performance sedan (Luxury Car Segment)

BTW, I dont think a 60-70K 540 series euro sedan holds it resale value any better than a 35k American sedan. My sister bought a 2001 BMW 750IL V12 (80-100k new) for 27k in 04-05 and in 2009 traded it in for 5-6k. Very nice, quality build, materials well....high end and the 325HP V12 is sweet but high maintenance cost keep her from enjoying it and keeping it. She no owns a GMC Acadia.

[JAYSILVER04]

I sell BMW's and drive a Marauder.....What's that tell ya?

[LOWBUCKMM]

i test drove a 740i with a v8 and manual trans great power and handling. i only drove it for about 15min and my back started to kill me. i dont have a bad back! i can sit in my marauder for hours on end and feel great.

[ctrlraven]

You need to find yourself a S/C Marauder which will make you forget about BMW.

I've got quite a lot of clients who own BMWs, I've only had one who actually liked talking about theirs since they swapped all the M5 exterior stuff over to their 550i, everyone else can't wait to get rid of theirs.

[Motorhead350]

If the question is asked on a Marauder site what would you expect the answer to be?

[Motorhead350]

i test drove a 740i with a v8 and manual trans

I have never seen a 740i with a manual ever. Not even that sport stick BS. Was this the B7?

[MercNasty]

your asking if you should get a man car or a womens bmw? the beamer better at least be an M3 or something. The only beamers real men should be seen driving are the 6 and 7 series, big and powerful. All the other series are just too girly for me. I thought about trading my MM and 05 Acura RL in to get a 04 cayenne turbo, that all changed when I saw the pics of Matt's motor. The MM is going no where, RL will be getting traded in for something else now.

[Motorhead350]

your asking if you should get a man car or a womens bmw? the beamer better at least be an M3 or something. The only beamers real men should be seen driving are the 6 and 7 series, big and powerful. All the other series are just too girly for me. I thought about trading my MM and 05 Acura RL in to get a 04 cayenne turbo, that all changed when I saw the pics of Matt's motor. The MM is going no where, RL will be getting traded in for something else now.

That's kind of a sexist thing to say. I will say this. I notice more women than men driving 3 series Beemers especially blue convertibles.

[Marauderman]

Looking for a daily driver.... Have a real soft spot for the MM (and the Crown Vic Sports) but have been a long time BMW fan. Having owned two BMWs in the past (01 330Ci and 95 M3) I like how they mix luxury and performance... i dont like the maintenance costs. I also have two Fox mustangs so i'm obviously a Ford gearhead and know how reliable the MM and CVs are...

Im just wondering if anyone has driven both of the cars in the title and chose to come to the MM side of the fence. I have a feeling the MM will be more trouble free and comfortable for the daily driving/ long distance drives i'll be using it for... but i cant help to think that the 540 would be just a bit more fun.... and maybe more fuel efficient...

Just looking for ideas....

PS: The choice is made harder when clean 540s can be had for the same price as MMs with similar miles... It also seems that there are alot more "clean" BMWs out there than marauders... at least from what im seeing...


BMW 540i or MM??????????

If you gotta ask, the Marauder is probably not the car for you...


If you can afford the maintenance/parts or get one that doesn't have many things go bad, the BMW is a better car.


You said it yourself, if you get the BMW, be prepared for high maintenance costs should something go wrong. With a MM, you know exactly what you're getting.


+1 Zackly ...


I have driven my buddy's BMW and I am not a fan at all. I would take my marauder over a beamer any day!


You mentioned the Marauder 7 times and BMW 5 times, so I would say go with a Marauder. :beer:


Driven both. 540 is an awesome car if you are rich, parts will cost several times. Also the block is only good for 20K. They did some carppy etching or coating process that does not work.
Everyone I know who had one sold it except the guy who drives his 3K per year.


BMW's are a dime a dozen. When a Marauder is seen, heads turn!:bows:


Amen to that, bro! ;)


Besides the much higher maintenance costs, there is also the higher insurance for the BMW to be considered.
And if you consider modifications down the road, Marauder mods will also be more reasonable cost for the performance gained.


I owned a 540iT and loved it except for the seats and armrests. Fun car with nice power but only 4-5 hours of seat time without a break, after that your arms get sore at elbows, butt goes numb.
Then at about 33,000 miles the tranny started slipping, it started blowing light bulbs, oddball codes started showing up on the dash display.
All of this happened within 30-40 days of the 3/36 warranty expiring. Turns out there was a TSB on the tranny, BMW said- no warranty no fixie. Dealership said 4K for repair.
Broomed that uncomfortable POS, got a MM :banana:

Got tired of quoting---you get the point from all these^^^^above----.
and what the heck is your meaning of "clean" jessse man --you knew the answer before you even asked it--and especially on THIS BOARD!!

[boatmangc]

Look into oil leak issues on the V8 bimmer too.

[mrjones]

I would have to suggest the 540i - we're kind of partial to that car around here.

[3CzSCrewHead*]

After reading all of this thread and I where you I would not get a BMW unless I have money but if I had the money ill only Consider a powerfull 750 or M6 or 5 seires

[boatmangc]

Exactly.

...and they're usually driven by self-absorbed nitwits.

I'm not self absorbed.....

[btvollmuth]

When I was looking for a car, the 540i was also my other choice. I started looking at M5's too. But nope. That's right, I took an MM over an M5, how's that for you? Don't regret it one bit.

[CBT]

When I was looking for a car, the 540i was also my other choice. I started looking at M5's too. But nope. That's right, I took an MM over an M5, how's that for you? Don't regret it one bit.

That's hot. :beer:

[Big Black Beast]

They are a pain to work on.
A fuel filter is a $100 dealer part that you can't get at the local auto part store.
They are nice cars, but over-engineered, & expensive and annoying to maintain.

[sconut1]

Years ago, I used to work in the car business wholesaleing used vehicles. We had select number of German luxury cars, in particular, Audi 5000s, both S's and CD's, Audi 4000s, a 3 series BMW and a 5 Series BMW. I won't BS ya, ALL were nice to drive. The problem with these cars is upkeep. Back in the days of $85.00/hr "normal" repair shop rates, the BMW dealer was at $120.00/hr (Canadian rates). Repair parts and maintanance... OMG!!! The BMWs seemed to be reasonaly reliable cars; the Audi vehicles (and things may have changed over the last 20 years or so), when it came to reliablity, were terrible.

These cars, though more common than they were in the late '80s, are still not "every day" vehicles. This means, that if you need parts other than common maintanance parts, expect to wait for the part and expect to close your wallet when dealer tells you that you can. One of my co-workers was in an accident with his 7 series BMW. It took almost a year to repair the car due to hidden damage, and poor parts availability. I couldn't belive this, and I'd call BS on this story if I hadn't witnessed the progress of this fiasco myself.

Long story short, is that maintanance and total cost of ownership will be significantly less on the Marauder (or any American car) than any European car. My annual maintanance bills (and I have all work done at a Ford dealer and I pay a premium to do so) work out to about $500.00 /year including oil changes, coolant changes, and tranmission flushes, wiper blades, you name it. I'd suggest adding a 1 in front of that figure for a BMW or Audi. Maybe more.

Long and short, if you want the BMW, and it what you really want, buy it. But be aware that the cost of maintianing a Marauder will be much less, and that they're fantastic, reliable, well built cars. All newer Ford vehicles are. There's a reason Ford didn't need any money from the Canadian or US Government. :)

[Joe Walsh]

BMW's are a dime a dozen. When a Marauder is seen, heads turn!:bows:


Exactly.

...and they're usually driven by self-absorbed nitwits.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I recognize that BMWs are very nice cars and well engineered...but that is why I could never bring myself to buy one.

I know that my Marauder gets more looks and :2thumbs: than a BMW ever would.

BMWs once were driven by car guys and enthusiasts...now they're mostly driven (poorly at that!) by numb nuts who only know that 'BMW' means "you have a cool car".

[ChiTownMaraud3r]

i test drove a 740i with a v8 and manual trans great power and handling. i only drove it for about 15min and my back started to kill me. i dont have a bad back! i can sit in my marauder for hours on end and feel great.

I'm pretty sure 740s were not manual transmission. You had to get a 735i imported, which was not sold in the US. The car in the first Transporter movie with Jason Statham.

[burtreynolds]

After owning both as well as a 00 M5 ill break it down to you like this.

If you are a ***** who takes his car to the dealership when any type of light comes on, looks for things like "safety" and "Navigation" and likes to be "seen" in a status car, get a Bimmer.

If you are a real man, get a Marauder. It isn't the type of car for anyone, and if you dont eat red meat, drink your coffee black and take pride in the volume and duration of your flatulence, then leave the Marauder for the REAL men.

[Mr. Man]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I recognize that BMWs are very nice cars and well engineered...but that is why I could never bring myself to buy one.

I know that my Marauder gets more looks and :2thumbs: than a BMW ever would.

BMWs once were driven by car guys and enthusiasts...now they're mostly driven (poorly at that!) by numb nuts who only know that 'BMW' means "you have a cool car".

Aside from Joe Walsh being an attention whore:neener: , I'd have to agree with his assessment 100%. BMW used to be like SAAB (preGM). They built quirky cars that were fun to drive and were actually pretty easy to work on. Once the 320i was introduced BMW took a new path. They still build remarkable handling machines but they decided to market them to people who have more money than brains. Today's BMW is way more capable than 99% of the jamokes who drive them. It's a shame but money is what makes the world go round.
If I were to buy a modern BMW I'd be looking at an M-series or one that was tuned by Dinan or one of the other super tuners.
I still like my MM though 'cause it's big, roomy, reliable and with a bit of tweaking can hold it's own in any sort of daily driving situation.

[dgi]

Didnt notice the 3 pages of replies until today. Thank you all for your responses.

I've had two BMWs in the past and do miss the quality, sportiness and indeed their manual trannys. With all that said, i drove a MM a couple of days ago and im sold, its gonna be an MM. Now just to find the right one and collect all the eaton parts ;)

[boatmangc]

Good choice, you won't regret it.

[Joe Walsh]

Aside from Joe Walsh being an attention whore:neener: , I'd have to agree with his assessment 100%. BMW used to be like SAAB (preGM). They built quirky cars that were fun to drive and were actually pretty easy to work on. Once the 320i was introduced BMW took a new path. They still build remarkable handling machines but they decided to market them to people who have more money than brains. Today's BMW is way more capable than 99% of the jamokes who drive them. It's a shame but money is what makes the world go round.
If I were to buy a modern BMW I'd be looking at an M-series or one that was tuned by Dinan or one of the other super tuners.
I still like my MM though 'cause it's big, roomy, reliable and with a bit of tweaking can hold it's own in any sort of daily driving situation.

I'm not an attention whore....I get all my attention for free!

Besides, I like the subtle approach...that's why I drive a Kook's/Magnaflowed Marauder and a 427 Cobra!

Sorry for the thread hijack.

Congrats on choosing the very rare Marauder!

[tremblay]

Years ago, I used to work in the car business wholesaleing used vehicles. We had select number of German luxury cars, in particular, Audi 5000s, both S's and CD's, Audi 4000s, a 3 series BMW and a 5 Series BMW. I won't BS ya, ALL were nice to drive. The problem with these cars is upkeep. Back in the days of $85.00/hr "normal" repair shop rates, the BMW dealer was at $120.00/hr (Canadian rates). Repair parts and maintanance... OMG!!! The BMWs seemed to be reasonaly reliable cars; the Audi vehicles (and things may have changed over the last 20 years or so), when it came to reliablity, were terrible.

These cars, though more common than they were in the late '80s, are still not "every day" vehicles. This means, that if you need parts other than common maintanance parts, expect to wait for the part and expect to close your wallet when dealer tells you that you can. One of my co-workers was in an accident with his 7 series BMW. It took almost a year to repair the car due to hidden damage, and poor parts availability. I couldn't belive this, and I'd call BS on this story if I hadn't witnessed the progress of this fiasco myself.

Long story short, is that maintanance and total cost of ownership will be significantly less on the Marauder (or any American car) than any European car. My annual maintanance bills (and I have all work done at a Ford dealer and I pay a premium to do so) work out to about $500.00 /year including oil changes, coolant changes, and tranmission flushes, wiper blades, you name it. I'd suggest adding a 1 in front of that figure for a BMW or Audi. Maybe more.

Long and short, if you want the BMW, and it what you really want, buy it. But be aware that the cost of maintianing a Marauder will be much less, and that they're fantastic, reliable, well built cars. All newer Ford vehicles are. There's a reason Ford didn't need any money from the Canadian or US Government. :)


By far the best response to this thread.