Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So the other day I had to shoe-horn both of my kids into the back seat of my Mustang. They are still small enough to fit, but that was a real pain to get them in and out. It got me to thinking that the little coupe's days are numbered in this family man's home. It pains me to say it, but kids have a way of forcing us to move on.
So I've been considering a worthy successor. I like sporty cars, but I need 4 doors. BMW is an obvious choice, as well as the Taurus SHO. I'm not a "Ford guy" but I have owned a few different Fords over the years and never had a major problem with any of them. I considered a 3 series, but when I looked closely at the 5 series, I decided that if I'm going to upgrade to 4 doors, I may as well get a little more space, and the 3 series is hardly more space than my Mustang. So my wife and I agreed that we'd go with the 5 series.
Now the sticker price on a SHO is just shy of $44,000, and the 5 series (assume I go with the 528i for budget reasons) is going to be closer to $53,000. Then you've gotta add on taxes, fees, interest, etc... So the Taurus is slightly cheaper, but the BMW has a little more name credibility.
Other comparisons: Taurus has 365 hp, 350 ft-lbs of torque. V8 power with V6 efficiency. The 538 will get me 240 hp and 230 ft-lbs of torque. I'd really be trading performance for reputation by choosing the BMW, but that's OK because I don't really drive hard/fast anymore anyways.
Both have a very nice feel inside, but the advantage here clearly goes to the BMW. The build quality of the interior is just better. But Ford has come a long way in the last 10 years, and the SHO is definitely a very nice car inside. It has a lot of the same features too, blue tooth, USB, navigation, etc...
I just question the long-term reliability of the BMW. I have heard from several owners that they are maintenance heavy vehicles, though great to drive. One guy even told me that he had to get a break job on his at 35K miles. Also that the electronics that make the car so fun at the beginning make it a pain after 4-5 years due to malfunction. Not my idea of a quality vehicle, especially with a price tag north of $50K.
So what are your recommendations? Assume I'm probably going to wait about another 8-12 months (I really take my time with these sort of decisions). Is the Taurus SHO a worthy alternative to a BMW 5 series?
I'd go w/ the BMW. I also own a BMW and LOVE IT! May be getting a 2nd in the next 6 months. Remember, BMW covers ALL warranty and maint. for the first FOUR YEARS! In the first four years that I owned my 06 3 Series (went w/ it over the 5 since it is going to the teenager ) I did not spend more than $10 on maint minus new tires as EVERYTHING is covered w/ BMW. Except tires and that is your only expense and gas. Everything else they take care of. I can not complain about the level of service, the quality of the vehicle or anything about the car. It has been a wonderful experience. As I said, in 6 months I have to get myself a new ride when the teenager takes over the BMW. The 5 series is one possibility as is a 6 convertible. I'd LOOOOVE an M6 convertible (drooling). Since we knew we were keeping the car we did go ahead and buy the extended warranty for another 4 years. If anything does go wrong then it will be money well spent. If not, it was reassuring to know we would not be out big bucks for anything that could have gone wrong.
After the warranty period, remember, you can take the car to any service tech you find that you are comfortable with that is knowledgable about the vehicle. That DRASTICALLY cuts down the costs of repairs if anything does come up.
Bring the entire family with you to test the two cars. By test, I mean get everyone inside and buckled up and see how much room is available for the family. Compare crash test results. Interior comfort and crash safety for the family trumps performance.
Based on the requirements you state, I'd say BMW, like you said, better interior quality (especially the newest one, my gosh that's a spectacular car), great looks and a phenomenal drive, and lets not forget the superb 8-speed auto.
The myth that BMW's remain fault ridden certainly maintains momentum a lot better stateside than it does here in Europe. The BMW 3 series is not only one of the most efficient cars on the market (the BMW 320di Efficient Dynamics WAS and might still be the most efficient actually), they're also very reliable, the E90 being one of the ten most reliable cars of the decade.
I don't know if it's just that the larger capacity BMW engines are less reliable, if the electronics are of lesser quality (they use a different wiring loom etc in America) or simply that the myth of it's inferiority living on unfairly wrong.
It might be a mix of all three, but my bet would be it's primarily the latter, knowing how many still thinks a car needs 3k mile oil changes and tires should be rotated.
I would definitely not shy away from buying the BMW due to reliability.
well....after doing some research, the BMW 5 still handles better and has a bigger interior (by a couple of inches but inches can make a difference) than the Taurus SHO.
many still thinks a car needs 3k mile oil changes and tires should be rotated.
I would definitely not shy away from buying the BMW due to reliability.
On the newer BMW's one does not change the oil except every 10K miles and for the first four years everything associated w/ this is covered 100% by BMW so there is no out of pocket expense at all. You DO add oil though when it needs it in between and this is covered 100% by BMW. I can not rotate the tires on my BMW as the front and rears are not the same size. On some vehicles this still holds but not on many of the newer performance vehicles.
I to would not shy away from the BMW as the reliability issues all seem to come from some that have never owned one of the cars in question but rather "a friend of a friends brother in laws second cousin.....". Sure, every car manufacturer is going to have one that comes off the line that is going to have issues. Overall, BMW does build a very reliable product and one they are willing to stand behind 100%.
Good inputs, all. Thanks. Another thing I would consider an advantage to the BMW is the engine configuration. I6 tend to be easier to maintain than a V6, and power delivery is much more smooth.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) I did not spend more than $10 on maint minus new tires as EVERYTHING is covered w/ BMW. Except tires and that is your only expense and gas. Everything else they take care of. I can not complain about the level of service, the quality of the vehicle or anything about the car. It has been a wonderful experience. As I said, in 6 months I have to get myself a new ride when the teenager takes over the BMW. The 5 series is one possibility as is a 6 convertible. I'd LOOOOVE an M6 convertible (drooling). Since we knew we were keeping the car we did go ahead and buy the extended warranty for another 4 years. If anything does go wrong then it will be money well spent. If not, it was reassuring to know we would not be out big bucks for anything that could have gone wrong. 
