Faults:

Rear differential broke (replaced under warranty) at 20'000KM. According to my dealer (and to a source at BMW Switzerland) I have been the first one needing to replace the differential. They have had no idea what went wrong.

Navigation System / On-board computer replaced twice (45'000km and 75000km). The CCC Computer (as it is called) is known to break down for this car. With model year 2009 they have introduced the CIC which should be more reliable. Both times the BC has been replaced under warranty. CHECK OUT: THERE IS A 2-YEAR PART Warranty. Even if your car is no longer under warranty the CCC may well be!

Window Seals (20000KM) began to produce squeaking noises.

Phone Compatibility is a bit a nightmare (i.e. iPhone will not reliably work in 5 series cars from 2005).

General Comments:

Very comfortable, fast, quiet and reliable car.

Downsides are the size of the car and - especially in parkings - the height of the rear trunk (especially with the limousine).

Other than that: Very good car.

Don't make the error to order 16" rims for winter tires as the car starts to understeer badly. Go for the 17", maybe even better 18" rims if you (like I do) hate understeer.

Interior is very solid made, no wear & tear at all. Diesel consumption is at about 7.5-8.5 liters/100km. Pay attention: Winter and short distance drives easily add another 2 litres / 100KM since the engine is not really fast in getting it's normal temperature.

Turbo Lag is sometimes a bit annoying. If you can't live with it, go for the 535d which has two chargers.

I have switched back to a 3 series diesel estate (exchanged the car) recently. The 3 series is the more direct car, the 335d is a stunner.

Still, I think the 5 series 4 door is one of the best looking cars BMW ever made.

If you're searching for a car to do long journeys, the 5 series is your car.

Faults:

- Since the lease began in January of 2005, I have had recurrent problems with various functions of the I-Drive, which activate randomly without need.

- The windshield suddenly cracked severely while I was driving the car, leaving a huge mark through the center comparable to the kind made by a very sharp knife. My dealer identified it as a stress fracture and covered the damage under warranty.

- The brakes squeal like a 1984 Toyota Tercel, which I find truly embarrassing of a car of this caliber.

General Comments:

- I leased this car with high expectations. Prior experiences with a 2002 BMW 525i were generally positive. I expected more from the 2004 generation, and was willing to overlook an undeniably less attractive exterior design for a car that I believed was groundbreaking in other respects.

- Perhaps I got a lemon, but my experiences with the 2005 530i have left a bitter taste in my mouth. Aside from the problems I've already mentioned, I'm rather disappointed with the output of the engine. 225 horsepower just isn't enough. The engine feels taxed on hilly, winding roads, where it really ought to be shining. Frankly, it doesn't feel much different from the 185 horsepower powerplant in the 525i I used to have, except the fact that the pedal feel is worse, and the I-Drive interferes with the overall driving experience. BMW improved somewhat with the 30 horsepower increase in 2006, and the 300 horsepower twin-turbo V6 for this year.

- Fortunately, the folks at the dealer have always been friendly and eager to help (or else I'd truly be upset).

- When my lease expires in a few months, I'll probably be considering American again for the first time in 18 years when I purchased a Ford Taurus. Perhaps a Cadillac DTS?