please, talk me into buying this...
 

ok, i posted last month that my wife and i are looking to trade in our 2003 4runner for another car (we currently own an x5, paid off). we have been searching and undecided between 04-05 rx 330 and 04-05 bmw 530i, they run at the same price range. i just found one bmw 2004 530i which matches perfectly, only one thing, its smg and my wife doesn't drive manual. can smg be set to automatic? whats your input between 2004rx330 and 2004bmw530i? thanks for any input.

yes..smg can be automatic. at least the M5 was.

SMG can be used as an automatic but it will not be as good as an automatic. Not even close. It's really meant to be used in sequental (manual) mode, with an automatic for the 10% of the time your significant other drives it.

The RX330 is the ultimate luxury washing machine. It rolls like the spin cycle, the gearbox is filled with soapy laundry detergent, and is about as invigorating to operate as choosing between Permanent Press or Regular wash. However like all modern Energy Star appliances, it costs very little to run in the short to mid-term. Reliability is decent and if your wife wants a quiet, comfortable transport device to get to her destinations, the RX330 will do this better than the 2004 5-series. The '04 5-series was not great on reliability. I would rather you find a '02 or '03 E39 5-series. For the price of a '04 530i, you can get a well-equipped E39, even a 540i if you're willing to replace the cooling hoses and radiator.

yea... but honestly the SMG is going to be more hassle then its worth... The jury is still out on long-term reliability...

Plus the SMG will never shift smoothly like an automatic unless you drive it like pretending like its a manual - its a completely different mindset...

I wasn't aware that a 530 has SMG like in the ///M . I think it's just an automatic with paddle shifters.

I would get the RX. The 5-Series is more hassle than it is worth.

no SMG for the 04 530's. It's a steptronic.

I'm pretty sure it was available. Very rare, yes, but still available, so probably a customer ordered vehicle.

In 2004, SMG was available on a LOT of BMWs, including the 325i, 330i and their respective coupes/convertibles, and across the entire 5-series range.

get and mdx

incorrect.. SSG was available for several models including the Z4 but again not for the 530i. I was not offered. I have the 04 ordering guide and brochure in front of me.

OMG that is toooo funny :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

this is the link to the car we found on cars(dot)com
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

your link has an extra http//

and that's not smg...that's the regular manual transmission

from the pictures

linky no worky. Did the seller say it has SMG? If you have the VIN you can find the exact options & packages through dealer or somone who has the right access. You can also ask seller to fax the window sticker.

that's a 6sp manual..

Is SSG, SMGIII?.. the system used in the E60 M5? SMGII was used in the E46 models?

I never really understood the disctinction between SSG and SMG. They are both manual transmissions with an automated clutch..........it's just that SSG is slower and lacks Drivelogic. Maybe you could explain the difference?:dunno:

And yes, that car shows a 6MT. Nice price though. I've been looking into 2002-onward 5-series for my mom recently but alas, they either have too many miles or too high a pricetag.

SSG is the Marelli Magnetti sequential setup. Pretty much the same as E-gear in Lambo and Cambiocorsa in Maserati. SMG is BMW's version of the seqential manual. SMG I started in the euro E36 M3's. E46 had the SMGII, SMGIII is the 7 speed in the M5 and forthcoming E92/E90 M3.

its advertised at SMG, what you guys are saying its not clutchless? i will be the one driving it, but sometimes my wife needs to drive it too, just want to make sure it could be set to automatic.

dude.. did you look at the picture?????????????????????????????:confused:

Looks like manual
Ask the seller to send pic of pedals.
http://images.cars.com/supersized/DM...19/P394.04.jpg

NOVAX5.......if it is an SMG, the shifter knob will say "SMG". The picture is of a 6MT.......can't you see the gates?! Either that picture is not of the actual car, or the SMG is a typo.

Personally, I'd never buy a used car from a dealer that makes the leather and steering wheel so glossy and unnaturally shiny. It shows they just used Armor All on the entire interior and don't give a damn about actually taking car and prepping it correctly.

That is definately a 6sp manual.
It would suck if the dealer made the car more expensive since they are advertising it as an SMG....that could get them into big doo doo.
Also, did they not notice that the car is completly out of fuel? What if somebody wants to test drive it? I would not trust this dealer.....

Cheaper dealers like to do this for some reason. It's annoying as hell...........I'm talkin to YOU, local Toyota, Honda, and Nissan dealer :thumbdown

dude.. where do you get your information?? Mcguire's and even Zaino offer interior leather and vinyl protection with UVA and UVB protection that will make it shiny.. it's not just armor all (not saying that the dealer didn't use armor all), you need to get your info straight before posting.

Either way, you shouldn't put any products on the steering wheel, unless you want it to slip out of you hand.

NOVAX5: I would skip this particular 530i.

I would guess there are literally hundreds of cars for sale, in that
species, at any given moment, here in the ol'US of A.

Hellsbells, there are a dozen+ for sale, every month in our
little Blue Ridge edition of the BMW CCA news.

Keep looking, and don't fall in love...
And, learn how to discern a MT6, or tell the CEO to learn
how to drive one.
GL,mD

Do you really think a dealer is going to use Zaino products? :confused:

Why would you want a steering wheel all shiny and slippery? It ought to look like new, day one leather. Last time I checked, I don't think new BMWs at the dealership had shiny leather anywhere.

Sans point was that it wasn't necessarily AA.

Um, if you can't tell that the particular pic is of a 6MT 530, then you & wifey should definitely stick to an automatic transmission IMO.

Agree with MD, there are tons of 530's for sale...just keep looking.

just because a leather protectant is shiny doesn't mean is slippery. Get a clue..BTW, my dealer uses Mcguiar detailing products.

why not??? I use leather cleaner and protectant on the leather on my steering wheels. It's inevitable that you will have sweat/dirt on your hand ans should be cleaned.

1) It's does not say SMG even in the M5 or the M3.
2) How can you see the gates from looking at the boot cover?????

Certian products have oils that make the wheel slippery. I know first hand.
I now wipe it down with a damp cloth and make sure to dry it after.

btw my friend has an 03 330ci with SMG, it has a plastic boot cover and a silver knob thing.

for the last time, it's SSG.. not SMG.. why can't people get their facts straight before posting.... btw, wiping with a damp cloth will eventually cause the leather to crack.

It says "SMG" on the gearshift!!!!!
http://www.bmwgtn.ru/magazine/pict_m...0i/330i_6.jpeg

(btw, just to give you a hard time ;), this is the correct way to spell Meguiar's)
:thumbup:

spelled it right the 2nd time.. haha.. btw.. that's a preproduction picture. They changed it when it arrived in the US and it says SSG as Marelli wasn't too happy that they changed the name. They wanted to distunguish between the 2 systems. BTW, as most people know, I have had a E46 m3 with SMGII and E60 M5 with SMGIII... SMGIII sucks balls...

http://www.carpages.co.uk/bmw/bmw_3_...g_26_10_01.asp

true's pic wasn't preproduction. Me and my dad have test driven the 2004 325i sedan with SMG. In fact, it was the vehicle I wanted my dad to get instead of the X3. In fact, it was a lot like this one, same color/year.

Here is another eBay auction for a 325ci cabrio with the SMG. I know some may call it the SSG because it wasn't the ones put on the //M cars, but it still is a manual with an automated clutch.

http://images.ecarlist.com/cgi-bin/v...4_17273#50.jpg

wow, a lot of inputs on the SMG thing. i appreciate that. i am determined to buy a 04+ 530i. i have been on cars.com for 3 weeks now, couldn't find anything that match perfectly with the criteria. still looking. so the car i showed you guys is not smg, right? hmm, why would they do that? list it as smg while its just a regular manual transmission.

That reminds of what I read on some forum where the guy put black magic on side wall of tires and then to complete the job put it on the treads as well. He went on his bling drive and it started to rain and then he had an accident because the tires had no traction. Go figure. :rofl:

the guy with the IS! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I was thinking that too! It was an IS300, IIRC. Typical Lexus driver.

yup!

Yup! That's a hilarious incident that I tell all my friends.

rx 330 vs fx35
 

if you are going to consider anything other than bmw, I would look into fx35, I drove my friends car and it was sweet.

Well, if you wanted a sporty SUV, why wouldn't you get the X3 then? :confused: . Admittedly, the RX is the better commute appliance. As is the case with many BMWs, you end up driving the X3 faster than you originally intended, which could require more concentration. You get annoyed that the person in front of you is only doing 65mph simply because well, 65mph is walking speed in a BMW.

In a Lexus, you really don't care how fast you get to your destination; very relaxing in traffic indeed. Thus, you don't mind plodding along in the right lane during rush hour at 2mph because you are fast asleep anyways. More rest = good for low stress levels.

Plus, how could you possibly live with that irritating drone/noise (aka what Nissan calls an exhaust note) all the time, everyday for the next 3 years?

The FX35 has no trunk. At all.
X3 certainly ain't a "cruiser", it requires your full attention. It also is smaller than the RX.
You should also look at the Hyundai Veracruz, becuase apperently it is better than the RX. And you could get it new, versus used. :)

We're actually in the same boat, my dad now wants an RX350, and I must say, it is NO BMW, nowhere close, but it is a totally different machine, it's WAY more reliable, has a great interior and top-notch electronics inside and out, I find the rear end to be a big ugly, I can't stand the over-assisted power steering and the engine feels slow to me, but there are many many people (including my parents) who really prefer a smooth ride to a jarrring, sport type ride, hence why different vehicles are made