2000 BMW 5 Series 528i review from North America

It has been incredibly reliable except for, and this is funny, the front cup holders. I never drink coffee, but friends of mine do. Their cups apparent spilled on the cup holder and caused both it and the fan switch to stick. Bizarre. You would think they would make the area around the cupholders liquid-proof. It was all covered under warranty, but if it wasn't it would probably be expensive to fix (relative to the repair).

This is the most reliable car I have ever owned, and I have owned BMWs, Mercedes, Toyotas, Hondas, Chevys, and such. Absolutely nothing has gone wrong and this car has seen all sorts of conditions from city driving to the autobahn (I did European delivery) to country roads to everything in-between. The DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) is a lifesaver in snow and/or rain. The funniest part is the gas mileage. It is rated 19/29 which is roughly the same mileage as many smaller cars including the new Nissan Sentra SE-R! The 16-way sport seats (optional) are not the most comfortable, especially on long trips. There is also some quirky ergonomic stuff (like the rear view mirror, rain sensing wipers) but that is very minor. The car is heavy, but the BMW engine has grunt when you need it. And that's what I love about BMWs. They are docile when you need them to be (i.e. commuting) and a real terror when you want to have fun.