Overview & Reviews
The 5 Series has been completely redesigned for 2004. Along with a new V8 and the iDrive vehicle management system, buyers can expect even greater handling from this premier midsize sedan than before.
- Available V8 power, handles more like a sports car than a sedan, luxurious yet sporty cabin.
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 343.00-
I hate that I love this car so much! - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By Jeff Allen - April 28 - 5:10 pmI purchased my 2004 BMW 525 used with 28K miles in 2010 to be used as my commuter car. I can not stand the iDrive that BMW uses in this model year. The cup holders are officially the 10th level of hell. Tires and brakes are three times as expensive as a "normal" sedan. Repairs, though few and far between so far, are costly. Every few months I will shop around hoping to replace it, refusing to look at another BMW. Every couple of months I go test drive another round of models and makes that I cant bring myself to buy. I love my BMW! Nothing handles like it. Nothing performs like it! Nothing captivates the true essence of the drive like a BMW! Until i can find something better...
-
Buy the manual - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By djlarroc - October 15 - 1:35 pmFelt compelled to add my review since it is positive and most people complain. This is my 4th BMW (3rd 5 series). All have been manual. This is another great sedan. Has been very reliable. 3 years and 25k miles. Have only had to replace a coolant sensor (cheap/easy fix). The car gets amazin HWY MPG (34ish) City 20ish. Accelerates and handles amazing. RWD, and have been caught in a few CO snow storms, and got me home. Its also a very safe car. About the only cons, is the I-drive has scared me a few times where it did not turn on, then all of a sudden turned on. But as far as mechanically, another excellent BMW sedan.
-
Luxury! - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By hand77 - December 14 - 5:51 amThis is the first of many BMWs that I will own! This cars interior is amazing for a 2004! Heated everything, power everything! The iDrive wasnt too hard to figure out after a few weeks of owning. It doesnt save my presets to my radio, but thats fine I use my phone. There is no performance to this car, it is VERY slow, but the luxury makes up for it.
-
Unload it before the warranty expires ! - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By junkyard2 - October 21 - 2:04 pmI bought my 530i automatic with around 100K miles. First off DO NOT believe BMW that the Auto Trans fluid is "lifetime" fluid (mine was black in color) Theres no such thing. I used to do 100% of my maintenance until I bought this car. Had to have a shop do the trans ($840) I did the front brakes ($540) At around 115K it was one issue after another. At 117K at 75 mph the trans downshifts into 4th gear. The i-drive states that there is a trans malfunction code. Had the codes checked and the car was diagnosed with a bad trans. $4200 for a used one ! I loved driving the car and the mpg but WAY to expensive to maintain after warranty is out. I lost $4500 in the 7 months that I owned it !
-
2004 BMW 545i (AUTO) amazing quality, amazing car! - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By flcarfanatic - June 3 - 6:20 amThis is one amazing vehicle! Everyone that complains about this car obviously does not or can not afford to do regular maintenance. If this is your case maybe you should go buy a KIA or Hyundai. I have owned many performance vehicles from many different car brands but the quality can not compare to my 2004 BMW 545i. Acura GSR coupe - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 - 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe - 2007 Honda Civic SI coupe - 2008 My car now has 118,000 miles and I drive it every single day. I do not push the car hard to its performance limits, I just simply put a lot of miles on it and it takes care of me. BMWs and this 545i is truly the ultimate driving machine.
-
Worst car Ive ever owned. Beautiful looking but leaves you stranded. - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By nickafan - May 10 - 1:06 amThe only thing this car has going for it is looks. The car is a worthless piece of crap in my opinion. I bought it with 70,000 miles and a month later, the car died. It needed a new battery and had $3,000 worth of oil leaks. My mechanic told me the oil leaks are standard maintenance on this BMW. A week later the car wouldnt start again & threw a check engine light. It needed a new thermostat, coolant, and MAF sensor. Two weeks later I discovered another oil leak at the oil pressure sensor! This is ridiculous. Ive owned a 2006 Toyota from 0 miles all the way to 140,000+ miles and it never needed a new battery, never had oil leaks, never a check engine light, and it never left me stranded.
-
Love / Hate - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By Munro - November 28 - 2:00 amI love and hate this car. the signalers still drive me nuts, there is no temperature gauge, cabin storage, cant set the radio because of the stupid I-Drive, cup holders from Hell, cant see the speedometer through the steering wheel, Setting the climate control is almost impossible (I-Drive again), Nothing about the controls is intuitive (I previously drove an Infiniti, which practically drove itself). That said, I have never driven a car that handles anywhere as well as this BMW 530i. Just give me an open road, a Valentine 1 radar detector and I am a very happy boy. I have owned this car for over 4 years and have no plans to trade or sell it. I hope to put another 100,000 miles on it!
-
Best certifed used car I have ever owned - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By Norm - November 21 - 2:00 amI remember hearing the words "the ultimate driving experience" and I can tell you that my 2004 530i bought in 2007 with 19,138 miles on it has been the best vehicle I have ever owned....hands down! I have had no problems with this car and it drives effortlessly. Great gas mileage and fun to drive at high speeds.
-
Feels like wind on wheels - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By jdman10 - September 1 - 5:06 amI bought this car at a great price after someone took the hit of depreciation. I have never been more pleased with a car. The only problem I had with the car is the SES light came on after 2 months, gave me a P0102 code. Changed the MAF sensor for $150 and it hasnt complained till now. Dealer wanted 400 bucks for a 10 minute job. Can be expensive to fix, but well worth it if you can afford it. The car handles awesome and you are always under control, even when you think you are not. The engine is smooth and surprisingly quiet. I have low profile performance tires and road noise from them is way louder. I usually change my car every year, but i think this one is gonna be with me for a while.
-
Transmission fault - 2004 BMW 5-Series
By daisy2 - August 5 - 8:48 pmTransmission fault came on and then i have to stop in the middle of the road to restart for light would go off . This is the worst BMW ever the car only have 85k . and my friends has a kia with more miles and there no problems with his car even the BMW shop tried to fix the car but they fix the wrong thing, i hate i ever got this car
