BMW: I test drove a 2005 BMW 525..., bmw 525 series, bmw 5 series

Question
I test drove a 2005 BMW 525 series in Sept 2005. In Nov 2005 I test drove that exact same car and was told it was considered a 2006 model because BMW changes  car designs every seven years and all cars are considered current models . Is this true? Nell Levy

Answer
Nell,

 I am not certain about the car you drove, but its not uncommon for manufacturers to release the next year models during the present year.  Ford is known for this, as you can walk on any dealership and find 2006 Fords for sale.  
 If you were told that this was a 2005 model the first time, then you were told it was a 2006 model, then the dealership is probably just trying to tell you a car, or they messed up previously.  
 All BMW 5-series are made in Germany.  From manufacturing to arrival in the states, this can take several months.  One way to be certain when the car was made, is to open the driver's door, and look for a build tag.  This is usually black, and contains all of the information about the car (VIN, weight, restrictions and BUILD DATE). It will be on the body door jamb, not the door its self.  If it's not there, it might be under the hood (rarely) on the fenderwell above the driver's front tire.  Look for a date on this sticker/tag and it will tell you when the car was made.  
 The salesman who you were talking to was not knowledgable on his vehicles, or either trying to take your money.  The "design change" he was talking about happened in 2004.  2004 was the first year for the newly styled 5-series.  So that being said, he is WRONG about the design change being in 2006 (unless it was some specific change like steering wheel design that only happened in 2006).  
 Looking at the build dates is still not 100% accurate.  Look at the month of build, if it's early in the year, i.e. 2/2005 then it is most likely a 2005 model.  If it is mid year, i.e. 8/2005 it "could" be a 2006.  But in your case, if you open the door and see 5/2004, then you know it's a 2004 or 2005, and not a 2006 model.  
 Try this out, and hopefully it will help you.  If all else fails, run a carfax report on the VIN to determine.  Also Mileage should be a factor as well, if it has 50k miles... it's probably a 2004.  If it's a 2006 it should be lower mileage (sub 10k)
 You could try calling other area dealerships to find out other ways to determine, they should be happy to help you, as they want you to buy from them instead of the guy you are buying from.
 Good luck!
 Josh