[reice23]

I keep going back and forth on if it's worth it or not to upgrade. I currently have a 2017 Jet Black 530i with convenience and premium package, i've been looking at a few 2019 Bluestone Metallic 540i that has harmon kardon speakers, executive, premium, and convenience package. One reason I wanted to upgrade is for the bigger engine and the extra features, I slightly had buyer remorse a few months after buying realizing I should have gotten the 540 instead of the 530. Another reason I been thinking of upgrading and maybe it's a dumb reason but this is the first black car i'ver ever and omg it is such a pain in the butt to keep clean, my car is literally dirty more days than it is clean. The part that's holding me up from upgrading is that my car is paid off if I upgrade i'll have to come out of pocket close to 10k. I could finance that and have it paid off by the end of the year if I wanted but then again I have a car that's paid off. I keep going back and forth on what to do it's annoying lol. Is it really worth the upgrade from a 530 to the 540?

[COBodom]

Engine - depends on your driving habits and location. I had the four banger N20 twice in the F10 chassis, then I switched to B58 in G30. Power is nice, but then again do I use it often? No, I don't. I am mostly stuck in traffic. What I really appreciate is the "Assisted Driving Plus", which drives the car with no human intervention below 40mph (plus other conditions). When the next 5 comes out I would be very happy to go back to a four banger plus maybe some hybrid tech. Why did I get the B58 twice? Cause I wanted to try mild-hybrid tech in LCI flavor.

I am not gonna comment on options other than you can install Bavsound speakers and dont try to paint the car Bluestone Metallic

No matter what comments you gonna get here you're a car guy and it clearly bothers you that you don't have the ride you want. Its not a lease so you're kinda stuck with it till you make a call. Maybe some comments will be able to alleviate the remorse, like my praise of the four banger, but my advice is...DO IT !!

YOLO and 10k aint gonna break you. Good luck with your choice.

[Joe-BMW33]

If you really want to "upgrade" and have it be worth it for the reasons you stated and the buyers remorse you had, go for an M550ix. Find the right MY for your budget, but don't get hung up on the MY too much. Mileage and prior owner TLC (records) matter the most. The only difference in a 2020 is ID7.

M550's tend to come pretty loaded, or at least more likely more equipped than a 540.

[LogicalApex]

You’re a car guy so you’ll have to sit back and weigh it a bit to figure out where you ultimately want to land on this. There is always a bit of the “grass is greener” thing that you’ll have with it all alongside the desire to push up a bit more.

I wager most of us aren’t too foolish with our funds. Arguably we’re somewhat foolish buying expensive fast depreciating assets, but I’m not trying to make a religious statement here on anything. Just more that money is important too.

Do the leg work to figure out what options you really care about having and really scoping out the impact the bigger engine will have on you. Like COBodom pointed out, are you able to flex that engine or are you going to just increase your dues to the gas station gods?

The car market is so painful right now that I would make moves only when you’re fully sure. Used car prices are through the roof and if you’re selling only to buy again you don’t have a price arbitrage opportunity to put you in a position of strength. The chip shortages have made it where cars are hard to get as you order them or you see cars on lots missing options in packages you expect to be there.

To me, this market is worth sitting out unless you can’t.

[AP]

I have a bluestone 540

As regards the engine, for me it the smoothness that I like along with the power
Even at high regs it's smooth and I just don't feel a 4 pot can get close on that.

As for colour, obviously a personal choice but will say that bluestone hides the dirt very well.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

You’re a car guy so you’ll have to sit back and weigh it a bit to figure out where you ultimately want to land on this. There is always a bit of the “grass is greener” thing that you’ll have with it all alongside the desire to push up a bit more.

I wager most of us aren’t too foolish with our funds. Arguably we’re somewhat foolish buying expensive fast depreciating assets, but I’m not trying to make a religious statement here on anything. Just more that money is important too.

Do the leg work to figure out what options you really care about having and really scoping out the impact the bigger engine will have on you. Like COBodom pointed out, are you able to flex that engine or are you going to just increase your dues to the gas station gods?

The car market is so painful right now that I would make moves only when you’re fully sure. Used car prices are through the roof and if you’re selling only to buy again you don’t have a price arbitrage opportunity to put you in a position of strength. The chip shortages have made it where cars are hard to get as you order them or you see cars on lots missing options in packages you expect to be there.

To me, this market is worth sitting out unless you can’t.

RE: the hot used car market - isn't it all relative if you are trading in something of value towards of something of value? He's going to get more for his car now than he would have three months ago. The spread will be the same now as it would have been a year ago or a year from now. Same $10,000 in his example whether it is $40,000 minus $30,000 or $30,000 minus $20,000.

I got $10,000 more for my trade in April than they were offering in January. Fortunately, the car I was working on didn't increase by $10,000, so I won.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

RE: the hot used car market - isn't it all relative if you are trading in something of value towards of something of value? He's going to get more for his car now than he would have three months ago. The spread will be the same now as it would have been a year ago or a year from now. Same $10,000 in his example whether it is $40,000 minus $30,000 or $30,000 minus $20,000.

I got $10,000 more for my trade in April than they were offering in January. Fortunately, the car I was working on didn't increase by $10,000, so I won.

I’d wager it isn’t exactly. But I haven’t run the comparisons to say that definitively.

My gut says, generally the trade values are boosted to get the supply in the door, but since there is still heavy demand the dealership can boost sales prices higher. Skip negotiations. Etc. leading to a higher buying cost now relative to normal. How much higher? That’s hard to say exactly though.

Obviously, if you hate your car though you dump it and move. The losses, if any, aren’t the end of the world. But if you are changing just for a bit of a softer reason then skipping the market is better.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

I'd wager it isn't exactly. But I haven't run the comparisons to say that definitively.

My gut says, generally the trade values are boosted to get the supply in the door, but since there is still heavy demand the dealership can boost sales prices higher. Skip negotiations. Etc. leading to a higher buying cost now relative to normal. How much higher? That's hard to say exactly though.

Obviously, if you hate your car though you dump it and move. The losses, if any, aren't the end of the world. But if you are changing just for a bit of a softer reason then skipping the market is better.

Being a car guy is an expensive hobby. If I had half the money I lost on cars I'd be retired. That and an expensive divorce! The cycle goes like this.

1
I love it and I'm going to keep it forever!

2
Six months later, boy I wish I had that option, or wheels or trim or more powerful engine, but I still love mine.

3
Nine months later, hmmm, I wonder if I could upgrade without taking too much of a hit.

4
A year later, boy that new body style or LCI looks a little cleaner and newer than mine.

5
12-18 months, stop by a dealer just to "see" it and find out if you can upgrade without taking a bath.

6
You rationalize every senseless financial aspect of the deal in front of you and say, hell I double downed on that stock, it's not even my money!

You get my point. I hated my car before my M550iX. I knew three months into it that I made a mistake deviating from BMW (Maserati). Twelve months later, I did most of the above. How long will I have this M550iX, I would like to say three years, but history shows it will be just shy of two. Did I mention my habit of pouring money into cars for ceramic, tint, tunes, etc.? All stuff that I rarely enjoy the value of before trading it in or selling that equates to zero added sale or trade value.

My name is Joe and I have a car problem.

[FoxberryJam]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Being a car guy is an expensive hobby. If I had half the money I lost on cars I'd be retired. That and an expensive divorce! The cycle goes like this.

1
I love it and I'm going to keep it forever!

2
Six months later, boy I wish I had that option, or wheels or trim or more powerful engine, but I still love mine.

3
Nine months later, hmmm, I wonder if I could upgrade without taking too much of a hit.

4
A year later, boy that new body style or LCI looks a little cleaner and newer than mine.

5
12-18 months, stop by a dealer just to "see" it and find out if you can upgrade without taking a bath.

6
You rationalize every senseless financial aspect of the deal in front of you and say, hell I double downed on that stock, it's not even my money!

You get my point. I hated my car before my M550iX. I knew three months into it that I made a mistake deviating from BMW (Maserati). Twelve months later, I did most of the above. How long will I have this M550iX, I would like to say three years, but history shows it will be just shy of two. Did I mention my habit of pouring money into cars for ceramic, tint, tunes, etc.? All stuff that I rarely enjoy the value of before trading it in or selling that equates to zero added sale or trade value.

My name is Joe and I have a car problem.

This may be my favorite post ever - was it the Ghibli?

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by FoxberryJam

This may be my favorite post ever - was it the Ghibli?

It was a Ghibli, SQ4. Been a BMW guy for the last 30 years. Always admired the Ghibli look and thought I would try something different. It's a sexy looking car and pretty exclusive on the road. It sounded sweet, but they sound faster than they are. V6 turbos don't kick in until 3000 rpm, so 0-30 was underwhelming. But the biggest issue was body roll and poor handling. Being a BMW guy and having the best handling BMW ever (2003 E39 M-tech), I found myself enjoying my 18 year old car more. I think my E39 had more technology too, which I could get over if the Ghibli handled better than a minivan.

[AP]

Ah, the E39.
They don't make them like that anymore…..

[jsf721]

I have a bluestone 540ix m sport and My wife has the 530 iX moonlight white luxury.

Both great cars she loves hers and I love
Mine. The 540 is a more powerful vehicle. If you like or want that go for it.

Black is not a Color it’s a part time job keeping it
Clean. Did that in 2008 and will not ever
Again. I’d wash it go in to clean up and when I came out it would be dusty !

Sorry for the flipped pic. How do I adjust ?

It’s fine on my camera roll?[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by jsf721

Attachment 2637551I have a bluestone 540ix m sport and My wife has the 530 iX moonlight white luxury.

Both great cars she loves hers and I love
Mine. The 540 is a more powerful vehicle. If you like or want that go for it.

Black is not a Color it’s a part time job keeping it
Clean. Did that in 2008 and will not ever
Again. I’d wash it go in to clean up and when I came out it would be dusty !

Sorry for the flipped pic. How do I adjust ?

It’s fine on my camera roll?[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

Color choice of dark gloss or pale colors really has to do with what's important to you. I too once went with Titanium Silver (E38) because it looked clean longer and hid scratches and dings, but you know what, BORING. Nothing looks better than black or deep blue with clean. I am not a fan of bluestone for the same reasons, it's just not that remarkable and doesn't shine. I keep my cars clean and I don't mind it. Before ceramic, I would say swirls were another reason to go with a pale color, but no more swirls. Even if my car is dirty for a bit, when you clean it, it's like a rush on how good it looks. You can barely tell when silver or bluestone is dirty or clean.

[c3r2z8f30i]

Originally Posted by reice23

I keep going back and forth on if it's worth it or not to upgrade. I currently have a 2017 Jet Black 530i with convenience and premium package, i've been looking at a few 2019 Bluestone Metallic 540i that has harmon kardon speakers, executive, premium, and convenience package. One reason I wanted to upgrade is for the bigger engine and the extra features, I slightly had buyer remorse a few months after buying realizing I should have gotten the 540 instead of the 530. Another reason I been thinking of upgrading and maybe it's a dumb reason but this is the first black car i'ver ever and omg it is such a pain in the butt to keep clean, my car is literally dirty more days than it is clean. The part that's holding me up from upgrading is that my car is paid off if I upgrade i'll have to come out of pocket close to 10k. I could finance that and have it paid off by the end of the year if I wanted but then again I have a car that's paid off. I keep going back and forth on what to do it's annoying lol. Is it really worth the upgrade from a 530 to the 540?

Yes upgrade but find a 2020 you'll enjoy the I drive 7. I know it's the light version but you get the better display behind the steering wheel.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by c3r2z8f30i

Yes upgrade but find a 2020 you'll enjoy the I drive 7. I know it's the light version but you get the better display behind the steering wheel.

If you have a HUD, the display in instrument cluster becomes less important.

[c3r2z8f30i]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

If you have a HUD, the display in instrument cluster becomes less important.

Not really it still look a lot better than the previous version.

[maDjzo]

Originally Posted by c3r2z8f30i

Not really it still look a lot better than the previous version.

That's subjective to an extent, some people find the new dials unnatural, and prefer the look traditional tachometer, having it be a hybrid digital one at that. Having the maps blended nicely between the tach is nice though..

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by c3r2z8f30i

Not really it still look a lot better than the previous version.

Different strokes for different folks. I have the HUD and I rarely look at the instrument cluster so for me, I wouldn't care about the "better display" behind the steering wheel.

Curious c3r2z8f30i -- do you have a HUD?

[akuwes710]

Originally Posted by maDjzo

That's subjective to an extent, some people find the new dials unnatural, and prefer the look traditional tachometer, having it be a hybrid digital one at that. Having the maps blended nicely between the tach is nice though..

This. I prefer the old cluster.. hope next gen will have better cluster.

[jsf721]

Joe

I beg to differ. My bluestone car looks great clean and decent when dirty.

Black is impossible for me to keep to my standards.

My cars are polished and ceramic coated. Owned vehicles are also ppf’d prior to Coating. Polish- PPF - ceramic coated

Pic Below

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Color choice of dark gloss or pale colors really has to do with what's important to you. I too once went with Titanium Silver (E38) because it looked clean longer and hid scratches and dings, but you know what, BORING. Nothing looks better than black or deep blue with clean. I am not a fan of bluestone for the same reasons, it's just not that remarkable and doesn't shine. I keep my cars clean and I don't mind it. Before ceramic, I would say swirls were another reason to go with a pale color, but no more swirls. Even if my car is dirty for a bit, when you clean it, it's like a rush on how good it looks. You can barely tell when silver or bluestone is dirty or clean.

[reice23]

Originally Posted by jsf721

Attachment 2637551I have a bluestone 540ix m sport and My wife has the 530 iX moonlight white luxury.

Both great cars she loves hers and I love
Mine. The 540 is a more powerful vehicle. If you like or want that go for it.

Black is not a Color it’s a part time job keeping it
Clean. Did that in 2008 and will not ever
Again. I’d wash it go in to clean up and when I came out it would be dusty !

Sorry for the flipped pic. How do I adjust ?

It’s fine on my camera roll?[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

lol nice pic lol but yea man i'll never buy a black car again it's definitely a part time job keeping it clean

[reice23]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

If you have a HUD, the display in instrument cluster becomes less important.

i dont think i'll ever buy another car without HUD. I love it too much