E60 BMW 5 series on a shoestring

E60 BMW 5 series on a shoestring

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Discussion

Lozw86

Original Poster:

871 posts

131 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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Hi all,

Having reached the end of a PCP and wanting to avoid further monthly payments and depreciation on a car, I have made a move from new to old..

I have spent the last 3 years and 32k miles driving an F30 BMW 328i M Sport 245ps saloon. This has been a great car, and what I consider an excellent all rounder, being able to transport 4 adults with luggage in comfort over long distances or hold tight during spirited B road blasts. The car has been without issue, the ZF 8 speed box excellent and an average economy figure of 29.9mpg over its life so far.





So armed with a budget of £3,000 I set out to purchase a replacement. My main requirement was something comfortable that can soak up miles when needed, have space for friends or family and maintain a reasonably smart image. I was very happy with my previous BMW and have become something of a fan, so focused my search on BMW's.

After looking at E39 5 series cars, the 540i in particular, and conceding that in my price range I could be destined for issues and expense, I decided the later E60 cars were a safer bet. With no desire or requirement for a diesel engine, and no 545i's or 550is in budget, I settled on the 530i. I had to fight budget drift somewhat, but held strong.. It would be pre facelift and SE spec.

So after a little searching, I drove up to Birmingham on Saturday and purchased a 530i SE in black with black leather. 130k on the clock. I paid £2,600 and happily drove the 100 miles home



The car feels very different.. It is now clearly apparent to me where the term "barge" comes from. Compared to my F30 this feels big, wallowy and barge like. This of course is to be expected in a medium size saloon in SE spec. It is however very comfortable and the straight 6 motor very smooth.

I plan to keep this car for a few years and have some money set aside to perform any maintenance or upkeep that is required. I thought I would document any work or improvements here and keep track of costs. So far it's had new front wiper blades (£29.99) and a replacement locking wheel nut adaptor key, as the original was missing. (£9.25)

The car goes in to my local BMW specialist tomorrow for a vehicle check and service. Once the car is back I'll give it a wash and take some more pictures

Thanks for reading

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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£2600 eek
That's a steal!

shalmaneser

5,930 posts

194 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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sleepera6 said:
£2600 eek
That's a steal!
What he said. A lot of car for the money!

How do you find the 6-cylinder after the 4 pot in the 328? Much smoother?

Lozw86

Original Poster:

871 posts

131 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
quotequote all
Yes the 6 cylinder feels turbine like, whereas the 4 pot has more of a growl to it. The 6 is smoother

I will miss the ZF 8 speed box in the F30, which I think pairs very well with the x28i engine. The 6 speed ZF unit in the E60 feels like a real step backwards, a proper slush box

benjijames28

1,702 posts

91 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
quotequote all
It does not sound like your too happy with your new motor, but making comparisons between new and old cars won't ever end well.

I think it looks a good motor.

BlueHave

4,636 posts

107 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
quotequote all
sleepera6 said:
£2600 eek
That's a steal!
Looks a lot of car for the money, I had an E38 728i years ago which could have been summed up by the word 'waft'. It wasn't slow but it just wasn't very fast either.

Although I can't complain spending £600 and spending only £70 in 6 months before flogging it for more than double.

Avoid BMW main dealers like the plaque or you could spend that amount before you can say 'B-M-W'

al1991

4,552 posts

179 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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I have been looking at these recently, for the same reasons as you.

Be interested to see how you get on, particularly with regards to running costs.

Budleigh

128 posts

162 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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Looks good. The E60s get a bad rap, but they're lovely cars, especially in good nick.


hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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BlueHave said:
Avoid BMW main dealers like the plaque
Agreed. If there's any teething issues best stick to a specialist.

lindrup119

1,228 posts

142 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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hornetrider said:
BlueHave said:
Avoid BMW main dealers like the plaque
Agreed. If there's any teething issues best stick to a specialist.
Make sure they're filling the service booklet in properly too. And ask them to check for any decay on the hoses and seals.

As above though, you might get more wisdom from a specialist.

Lozw86

Original Poster:

871 posts

131 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
quotequote all
Perhaps I came across a little negative.. I'm happy with the car and knew it would be different to my previous vehicle. There are definite pro's and cons however and it would be misleading to suggest everything was great.

My favourite aspects of the car so far are the comfort and the sound and smoothness of the engine

As mentioned, the car has been in for a vehicle check today - this is at my local bmw specialist Indy. No way I would use a main dealer for a car of this vintage.

The bonnet was not closing correctly and appeared to be slightly open on one side, despite being securely closed. This was fixed.

Given the age and mileage I thought it wise to have the automatic transmission oil changed, so this has been done along with a new filter and sump pan. This has improved the function of the box, it seems smoother and like it's in the correct gear sooner

There were a couple of advisory notes that I am not sure what to make of:

"Slight oil leaks from cam cover gasket"

"Possible engine sump pan oil leak, requires further investigation".

I questioned the sump pan leak and they said it seemed like a small leak. They cleaned it up and said it should be monitored. I suppose I'll check the oil level every couple of days for a reduction in oil level. I would have preferred a little more certainty or a fix.

Other than the 2 advisories, there were no major issues or items requiring immediate attention. £450 spent, £250 for the gear box oil, filter and sump kit, 2 hours labour and VAT

It's booked in for 2 new rear tyres tomorrow

SirSquidalot

4,039 posts

164 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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Love these! Have fond memories of riding in a 530. Very smooth bit of kit.

broster

489 posts

176 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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I have a 525d lci Msport and love it, i keep thinking of swapping it but struggle to find anything that matches it, so it'll stay! Just changed the thermostats at 98,000 miles and it keeps going

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Friday 9th December 2016
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Valve cover gaskets are common failure point on the M54, and they do use some oil generally. Mine is on the low side at a litre every 4-5k. A litre every 2,000 miles isn't uncommon. The Crankcase breathers can block too, increasing oil usage.

funkyrobot

18,789 posts

227 months

Friday 9th December 2016
quotequote all
OP, your thread got me looking last night. I found your car as it's still on AutoTrader.

Initially, I thought ooh, that's nice. Then I realised where I had seen it before. hehe

Lozw86

Original Poster:

871 posts

131 months

Friday 9th December 2016
quotequote all
Haha. It's taken I'm afraid

Just had new tyres on the rear axle and tracking done, £250

Unfortunately they found one of the rear wheels to be cracked, so this will need replacing. Likely this is the cause of the air loss on that tyre that has been occurring

broster

489 posts

176 months

Saturday 10th December 2016
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No need to replace a cracked wheel just get it welded, shouldn't cost more than £40.

lindrup119

1,228 posts

142 months

Monday 12th December 2016
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broster said:
No need to replace a cracked wheel just get it welded, shouldn't cost more than £40.

Barchettaman

6,282 posts

131 months

Monday 12th December 2016
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Saw this on the smoker barges thread, nice work OP.

Watch the locking wheel nut adaptor key, they´re made of a soft cheese-like material.

Best of luck!

Lozw86

Original Poster:

871 posts

131 months

Monday 12th December 2016
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I have read mixed reports on welding of damaged alloy wheels and it seems it is OK provided a skilled welder completes the work, and the damage is not "beyond repair"

I don't particularly want to buy a new wheel so I am thinking of having it welded. At the same time I'll have all 4 wheels refurbished; stripped down and re-sprayed and powder coated. They are a bit flakey at the moment, so this should freshen the car up

The car is feeling better since the gearbox oil was replaced and the new tyres were fitted on the rear

On Wednesday it's going for a second opinion on the sump pan gasket leak and the cam cover gasket leak. The oil level doesn't look to have dropped since Friday.

450 miles covered so far, mixed driving but a fair bit of town and cold starts. It's averaging 23mpg