Gonna miss my G
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CROONEY1970 (02-19-2015)
02-19-2015, 04:38 PM
#17
Registered User
I have a G37 and E60, both are great cars. BMW is loaded with tons of features, many hidden or unexpected, so read your manual cover to cover to fully appreciate the car. Makes I-drive much easier to navigate. For instance, hidden in your glove box is a flashlight that gets recharged by the car. Under the passenger foot well and inside the trunk are hidden 12V outlets. There was a post here the other day about the ONE awesome G37 ambient light in the overhead console. My E60 has about 15 of these LEDs. There are literally two in each door. Vehicle data is logged into your key fob. Take the fob to the BMW dealer and he can tell you any trouble codes, when the last time that fob started the car and how many miles were on it, etc all from the fob. In the trunk mounted tool kit is an Allen wrench. Its to close the moonroof incase of a failure. mine doesn't have this feature, but some E60's will make minor adjustments to the power seats after driving for long periods. Says it keeps you from getting fatigue, cramps. Pretty cool stuff.
Best advice I'll give.....
Battery is mounted in the trunk. Simple enough. There is also a small explosive charge on the battery cable (under the car) to "disconnect" power in the event of a major crash. It contains enough explosive whatever to damage the cable.
Well.... I went to Fort Sill in southwest Oklahoma to pick up my Army brother for a weekend pass. When you enter the base military police with M16's and dogs inspect your car. On mine, the bomb sniffing dog alerted to it. I had a lot of eyes on me, not a good position to be in. I told the guy I might have had ammo or a gun in the car at some point weeks prior, but there was nothing in it now. Dog disagreed. Fortunately a dog handler came from inside the base who had training in Germany and knew the BMW's had this "explosive charger" on the battery cable. I was allowed on the base, but scared me bejesus out of me.
Best advice I'll give.....
Battery is mounted in the trunk. Simple enough. There is also a small explosive charge on the battery cable (under the car) to "disconnect" power in the event of a major crash. It contains enough explosive whatever to damage the cable.
Well.... I went to Fort Sill in southwest Oklahoma to pick up my Army brother for a weekend pass. When you enter the base military police with M16's and dogs inspect your car. On mine, the bomb sniffing dog alerted to it. I had a lot of eyes on me, not a good position to be in. I told the guy I might have had ammo or a gun in the car at some point weeks prior, but there was nothing in it now. Dog disagreed. Fortunately a dog handler came from inside the base who had training in Germany and knew the BMW's had this "explosive charger" on the battery cable. I was allowed on the base, but scared me bejesus out of me.
02-19-2015, 05:20 PM
#18
I have a G37 and E60, both are great cars. BMW is loaded with tons of features, many hidden or unexpected, so read your manual cover to cover to fully appreciate the car. Makes I-drive much easier to navigate. For instance, hidden in your glove box is a flashlight that gets recharged by the car. Under the passenger foot well and inside the trunk are hidden 12V outlets. There was a post here the other day about the ONE awesome G37 ambient light in the overhead console. My E60 has about 15 of these LEDs. There are literally two in each door. Vehicle data is logged into your key fob. Take the fob to the BMW dealer and he can tell you any trouble codes, when the last time that fob started the car and how many miles were on it, etc all from the fob. In the trunk mounted tool kit is an Allen wrench. Its to close the moonroof incase of a failure. mine doesn't have this feature, but some E60's will make minor adjustments to the power seats after driving for long periods. Says it keeps you from getting fatigue, cramps. Pretty cool stuff.
Best advice I'll give.....
Battery is mounted in the trunk. Simple enough. There is also a small explosive charge on the battery cable (under the car) to "disconnect" power in the event of a major crash. It contains enough explosive whatever to damage the cable.
Well.... I went to Fort Sill in southwest Oklahoma to pick up my Army brother for a weekend pass. When you enter the base military police with M16's and dogs inspect your car. On mine, the bomb sniffing dog alerted to it. I had a lot of eyes on me, not a good position to be in. I told the guy I might have had ammo or a gun in the car at some point weeks prior, but there was nothing in it now. Dog disagreed. Fortunately a dog handler came from inside the base who had training in Germany and knew the BMW's had this "explosive charger" on the battery cable. I was allowed on the base, but scared me bejesus out of me.
Best advice I'll give.....
Battery is mounted in the trunk. Simple enough. There is also a small explosive charge on the battery cable (under the car) to "disconnect" power in the event of a major crash. It contains enough explosive whatever to damage the cable.
Well.... I went to Fort Sill in southwest Oklahoma to pick up my Army brother for a weekend pass. When you enter the base military police with M16's and dogs inspect your car. On mine, the bomb sniffing dog alerted to it. I had a lot of eyes on me, not a good position to be in. I told the guy I might have had ammo or a gun in the car at some point weeks prior, but there was nothing in it now. Dog disagreed. Fortunately a dog handler came from inside the base who had training in Germany and knew the BMW's had this "explosive charger" on the battery cable. I was allowed on the base, but scared me bejesus out of me.
This is actually......... Pretty awesome stuff 
Sorry to hear that you had to endure that situation, but I had no idea that all of those random cool things were hidden in those cars!
02-19-2015, 06:47 PM
#19
In the context of that beautiful 530 cabin, you won't miss our drab dashboard. And now you have all kinds of wider, more comfortable space, with back seats to fit the basketball team.
My friend traded his 2004 530i 6MT for a 2011 650i Vert autotragic, and while he's happy as a clam, I always thought his 5-series was a Class-A ride, the softer handling and power notwithstanding. Damn attractive, too, after putting larger M6 rims on the car. Lord, those M6 wheels were nice.
Anyway, you've got a decent car there. Enjoy it.
My friend traded his 2004 530i 6MT for a 2011 650i Vert autotragic, and while he's happy as a clam, I always thought his 5-series was a Class-A ride, the softer handling and power notwithstanding. Damn attractive, too, after putting larger M6 rims on the car. Lord, those M6 wheels were nice.
Anyway, you've got a decent car there. Enjoy it.
Kind of surprised the 5xx is that much bigger. The M is not really that much bigger front to back on the inside as compared to the G. But I drove an RDX while the kids were in rear-facers, so I get it. I had a WRX when my duaghter was born, and it was doable, but when we started working on the second one I got the Acura. As soon as we moved them to boosters I started shopping for sedans, lolololol.
02-19-2015, 06:56 PM
#20
Administrator
iTrader: (9)
Well, that's true. Can't help it... I find the 2004 530i dashboard a more upscale and appealing design than the Stone interior of my G. Hopefully, the OP feels the same, because he's driving one now. Although my Sport Seats are better than those big, flat buckets. Hands down.
02-19-2015, 08:22 PM
#23
Registered User
02-19-2015, 10:16 PM
#25
Registered User
Thread Starter
Nice photo. But our rear facing car seat now comes now where close to the front seat back like it did in the G. It's one thing to pack it in.......llbut another to have plenty of room for seats plus bags n such. Plus the trunk is HUGE and can handle 2 strollers with ease. For a compact car the G rules in every category. The 5 series in not a compact.
02-20-2015, 09:25 AM
#28
The good news is my wife has an Acura MDX for when we need kid gear. It even has an Elmo potty bungee corded in the back. Yeah, a potty. We're that cool
02-20-2015, 04:01 PM
#30
According to Edmunds.com:
2004 530i
Rear Leg Room - 36 in
Rear Head Rm - 37.9 in
Rear Shoulder - 57.2 in
Trunk Cargo - 14 cu ft
Interior volume - 99.1 cu ft
2011 G37XS
Rear Leg Room - 34.7 in
Rear Head Room - 37.2 in
Rear Shoulder - 55.2 in
Trunk Cargo - 13.5 cu ft
Interior volume - 110 cu ft
I never did understand why the G is compact and 5 series GS's and E Class are a class above/bigger when they are so close. I checked all of the specs in the E350, the GS350 and the A6 along with the G37 and they were so close if not higher (like interior volume of the G37 compared to the 530i) that it was ONE of the main reasons I chose the G. Just my observations.
David
2004 530i
Rear Leg Room - 36 in
Rear Head Rm - 37.9 in
Rear Shoulder - 57.2 in
Trunk Cargo - 14 cu ft
Interior volume - 99.1 cu ft
2011 G37XS
Rear Leg Room - 34.7 in
Rear Head Room - 37.2 in
Rear Shoulder - 55.2 in
Trunk Cargo - 13.5 cu ft
Interior volume - 110 cu ft
I never did understand why the G is compact and 5 series GS's and E Class are a class above/bigger when they are so close. I checked all of the specs in the E350, the GS350 and the A6 along with the G37 and they were so close if not higher (like interior volume of the G37 compared to the 530i) that it was ONE of the main reasons I chose the G. Just my observations.
David