2006 BMW 5-Series

550i Sedan

8 Cylinder 4.8 Liter

Automatic

wbanb53566cp00131

Clear

Gasoline

Power Windows

2006 BMW 550i. The car has been garage kept and maintained by our local BMW dealer. The car has an existing warranty that runs until 03/2012 or 100,000 miles. The exterior is silver while the interior is black. The car has no dings, dents or damage and is in excellent condition. The brakes and tires have less than 500 miles on them and all other services are up to date. This 550i has every option including, parking assist (see pictures), sport package, I drive, Navigation, Satellite radio, BMW assist, Heated and Air Conditioned Seats, Sun Roof, Tire Pressure Monitoring, Adaptive Xeon headlights, and much more. You name it, this car has it. I can ship the car to most places in the country for less than $800. This car needs nothing; not even wax. The following information came from the Auto Channel,SPECIFICATIONS Model: BMW 550i Engine: 4.8-liter V8 Horsepower/Torque: 360 hp @ 7750 rpm/360 lb.-ft. @ 6100 rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Wheelbase: 113.7 in. Length x Width x Height: 191.1 x 72.7 x 57.8 in. Tires: 225/50R17 Cargo volume: 14.0 cu. ft. Economy: 16 mpg city/ 23 mpg highway/20.6 mpg test Price: $64,545 (includes $695 destination charge, $2,800 sport package, $1,800 premium sound package, $750 cold weather package)Assets Exceptional power, smoothness and comfortThe 5-Series is BMW's second best-selling car behind the 3-Series, and it's understandable why. While we had the super-powerful 550i as our test car this week, the 5-Series is also available as the 525i, starting at $43,500, through the even-more-powerful M5 that begins at $81,200.As a mid-size, the 5 is practical and useful. We were fortunate to have it for one of our standard over-the-hills-to-Grandma's-house excursions, except in our case it's Grandma and Grandpa over the hills to the youngsters'houses. So our 5 was loaded, as usual, with food and packages we were bringing south, and an almost equal number of stuff for the return trip.Therefore, one of our main considerations (to be honest, it was more of my wife's consideration) was cargo capacity. Unlike many of its competitors (in size anyway) the rear seat backs of the BMW don't fold down to increase cargo volume. However, there's a big 14-cubic foot trunk in the back that was fine for the majority of what we were carrying. Overflow fit neatly in the rear seat and rear floor area. Had we been carrying more than two people this might have been a problem, but if we had more passengers, we probably would have had less extraneous cargo as well.Under the hood is a double overhead cam 4.8-liter V8 that's rated at 360 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque. From the time we got on the Interstate until our first rest stop, nearly 90 miles, we never shifted out of sixth in the 6-speed manual gearbox. Granted, we were lucky with a couple of traffic lights, but the engine had so much torque that it pulled us through even when we had to slow down occasionally. In fact, when we did finally slow down for a rest, I had almost forgotten that I had a manual gearbox and not an automatic. Shifting was effortless most of the time, although a few times I had problems finding the right rear.Even with all the power, we averaged more than 20 mpg for our trip. Granted, there was considerable highway mileage included, but there was enough local and around-town driving to pull the numbers down. I was impressed. Comfort was the byword with the 550i. Our tester had the optional Sport Package that included 20-way power multicontour front seats with adjustable thigh and side support, heat, and adjustable head restraints. There was a portion of the front seat that would move forward for additional thigh support on long drives. The side bolsters could be adjusted to give almost race-car tightness if you wanted it. Of course, there was a lumbar support as well to help our aching backs ache less.Rear seat comfort was exceptional, even with a standard wheelbase. Legroom and headroom was better than most other mid-size cars. All the seats were leather, and the car exuded a great smell when you opened the doors. I'm still not pleased with iDrive, BMW's joystick that controls audio, navigation, HVAC and vehicle readouts. I'm getting better at using it, and made far fewer mistakes than I have in the past, but it still seems to me that there are too many functions in one controller. With a co-driver who's involved in working with iDrive, though (my wife isn't one of those), you can precisely use it to its maximum.The instrument panel had two large round gauges of the tachometer and speedometer. There was a fuel gauge at the base of the tach and an instant mpg gauge at the base of the speedometer. All other readouts could be found by using the iDrive.Our tester had one cupholder for the passenger and none for the driver (unless I couldn't find it, and I looked). There was a tray in the dash by the iDrive readout that was excellent for holding cell phones.BMW is among the many manufacturers that have gone to the use of "Start/Stop" buttons to get the engine going. With the 550i you still must insert a key into a slot locate don the steering column. There were times when I had problems either getting everything on or off.Under the hood, it was nearly impossible to find the oil dipstick. Yes, even BMW owners have to check their oil occasionally.I loved the BMW 550i. Sadly, I know I can't afford one and there are a lot more who can't, and it's a loss, because this is one of the premium automobiles around and it would be great if more people could enjoy it.