550i Touring no more

[r999]

Although the 550i Touring appears in BMW UK's 5-Series printed price list dated January 2014, it has disappeared from the 'Build my BMW' section of the UK website.

When I asked why, BMW UK informed me that production of the 550i Touring ceased on 9 February 2014.

So the F11 LCI models are going to be very rare indeed, having been in production for just six months. I forgot to ask BMW UK whether they actually sold any at all.

I know there are some 550i Touring fans on PH apart from me. If anyone knows of an F11 LCI that might be for sale, please post!

[cerb4.5lee]

The E61 550i was rare too...its a sad sign of the times now pretty much everyone goes diesel.

[jboy72]

The e61 550i was even rarer in SE spec than Sport - Sometimes I wonder whether mine is the only one on the road!

[theboss]

I find it odd that BMW don't sell (or now produce) large engined estates when Audi and Merc seem to do so well out of them.

I wonder if this will affect Alpina in any way as presumably their current B5 is based on a 550i?

[r999]

jboy72 said:

The e61 550i was even rarer in SE spec than Sport - Sometimes I wonder whether mine is the only one on the road!

That makes two of us.

What I am fairly certain of is that if one considers optional extras, each of these cars is unique in the UK. The first owner of mine put £14,000 of options on it. Then he drove it just 2000 miles a year. Thank you very much, sir!

[ladderino]

theboss said:

I find it odd that BMW don't sell (or now produce) large engined estates when Audi and Merc seem to do so well out of them.

I agree - was really hoping that the M3 would be offered in Touring guise this time round. Apparently no market for them, but seems so odd given the number of C63 estates and the Audi RS now being estate only.

Apparently it's due to lack of sales of the M5 Touring (heard only 1000 were ever sold globally), but I want one!

[gizlaroc]

theboss said:

I find it odd that BMW don't sell (or now produce) large engined estates when Audi and Merc seem to do so well out of them.

I wonder if this will affect Alpina in any way as presumably their current B5 is based on a 550i?

Mercedes seem to have dropped them as well.

New C Class is only getting the C200cgi as a petrol (so 2 litre 4cyl)in saloon or estate form.
The E Class has dropped the E350cgi and is not getting the new E400 in saloon or estate guise either, so just the E250cgi, twin turbo 2 litre.

Just when I see a few people going back to petrol as they are realising that going diesel is saving them sod all money as well.
Well folks, it's too late, all the nice engines are going!

[CooperS]

gizlaroc said:

theboss said:

I find it odd that BMW don't sell (or now produce) large engined estates when Audi and Merc seem to do so well out of them.

I wonder if this will affect Alpina in any way as presumably their current B5 is based on a 550i?

Mercedes seem to have dropped them as well.

New C Class is only getting the C200cgi as a petrol (so 2 litre 4cyl)in saloon or estate form.
The E Class has dropped the E350cgi and is not getting the new E400 in saloon or estate guise either, so just the E250cgi, twin turbo 2 litre.

Just when I see a few people going back to petrol as they are realising that going diesel is saving them sod all money as well.
Well folks, it's too late, all the nice engines are going!

However from a fuel front there is a lot of difference between a 550i and say a 535d..... But I agree with the sentiment and wish petrol wasn't so damn expensive to make people feel they need to go diesel.

[gizlaroc]

CooperS said:

However from a fuel front there is a lot of difference between a 550i and say a 535d..... But I agree with the sentiment and wish petrol wasn't so damn expensive to make people feel they need to go diesel.

Is there that much difference though?

Say you buy a new 535d or 550i sport touring.
Or buy one a year old with 25% off list, they will depreciate at around £500 to £600 a month over 3 years.
You then have servicing and tyres, insurance and road tax.
So add another £50 a month.

535d will do around 35mpg average, being realistic.
The 550i will do around 28mpg, this is from someone who went from a 2009 535d into an F10 550i. (I had an early 535d and that averaged 26mpg but the newer ones do better).

Say you do 15000 miles a year.
535d will cost you £53 week in fuel.
550i will cost you £60 week in fuel.

Is £7 more in fuel each week really make people go for the 3 litre diesel over the V8?
When you consider what the overall running costs are to own either of these cars then the saving by going diesel is just not a consideration imho.

[Leins]

theboss said:

I wonder if this will affect Alpina in any way as presumably their current B5 is based on a 550i?

I'm a bit fearful for Alpina's future, as the //M department seem to be encroaching on them of late

[daemon]

gizlaroc said:

Just when I see a few people going back to petrol as they are realising that going diesel is saving them sod all money as well.
Well folks, it's too late, all the nice engines are going!

All manufacturers are going for smaller petrol engined but higher output solutions, rather than sticking with v6's and v8s.

I'm not convinced that people are "going back to" petrol either. I'd say diesel still makes up 90% of sales for 3 and 5 series.

[daemon]

gizlaroc said:

When you consider what the overall running costs are to own either of these cars then the saving by going diesel is just not a consideration imho.

I think realistically though, most people are "afraid" of the possible resale values of something likea 550i therefore go for the "safe" diesel option, thats going to give you similar power but you know you're not going to be treated like you've got AIDS come trade in time.

And again, most new BMW metal is sold on PCP deals, and i'd say the residual price set might not be that strong on a new 550i...

[Synchromesh]

gizlaroc said:

535d will do around 35mpg average, being realistic.
The 550i will do around 28mpg, this is from someone who went from a 2009 535d into an F10 550i. (I had an early 535d and that averaged 26mpg but the newer ones do better).

But the 550i won't average 28mpg in the real world though, will it? My dad's got a W211 E500 wagon with the newly designed (in 2006) 5.5 litre V8 producing 400bhp. In every way it's a comparable setup to the 550i, he drives sensibly yet he's averaging 22mpg. Yes, it's possible to get low-30s on a restrained motorway schlep, but unless you never venture into towns there's no way you'll average high-20s.

[redtwin]

Also what would the BIK company car tax be on a 550i vs a 530d?.

I can't see there being that many new private buyers of any new 5 series, so company car tax will weigh heavily on engine choice.

[gizlaroc]

daemon said:

I think realistically though, most people are "afraid" of the possible resale values of something likea 550i therefore go for the "safe" diesel option, thats going to give you similar power but you know you're not going to be treated like you've got AIDS come trade in time.

And again, most new BMW metal is sold on PCP deals, and i'd say the residual price set might not be that strong on a new 550i...

I agree completely, it is too late for decent petrols.

My 335i used to average slightly more than my 535d.
The 330i I was lent returned 38mpg over the 2 days and 500 miles I had it, which was only about 6mpg behind the 123d my wife was in at the time.

But when it comes to laying down £40,000+ of your own money are you going to gamble on going petrol???

I know I find it hard and I know that in the real world there is not much to be saved going diesel, unless you go for a small well geared 4 cyl and nanny it everywhere.

[gizlaroc]

Synchromesh said:

But the 550i won't average 28mpg in the real world though, will it? My dad's got a W211 E500 wagon with the newly designed (in 2006) 5.5 litre V8 producing 400bhp. In every way it's a comparable setup to the 550i, he drives sensibly yet he's averaging 22mpg. Yes, it's possible to get low-30s on a restrained motorway schlep, but unless you never venture into towns there's no way you'll average high-20s.

Well I know two people who have owned the F10 550i, Golfer who posts on here, and another one of my customers, both saloons and both said they were averaging 28mpg in it.
Golfer had a 35d X6 before, so would be interesting to see what he got from that, the other guy had an LCI 535d and he used to average 35 from it.

The official combined is 27.8mpg and I always seem to hit combined in petrols, so I have no reason to doubt them.
Another customer of mine has the X5 50i and he says he is getting 23mpg in that, a much heavier car. He said his older 2008 30d used to average just over 26mpg, so the 50i was actually cheaper to fuel when you do the maths. Which I don't think is quite right, but it is near as identical.

The E500 is a pretty thirsty beast, but then my E320cdi W211 used to sit around 28mpg a lot of the time.

I had a 3.2fsi quattro avant and that used to get 26/27mpg on my 10 mile commute, 35 on a run. When I was lent a 3.0tdi fwd avant for 2 weeks as mine was in for a problem with the MMI, that used to only see 25 on that same run, it was winter and it never got to temperature.
Although on a long run it was near 40 so slightly better.

But I just don't think people buy the engine that really enthralls them. I have been in diesels for the last few years and they are fine, they are all nice cars, but I bought an old 2.8i Z3 the other week as a bit of a project, and I have forgotten just how much nicer a petrol car is in every single area other than effortless motorway cruising, and that is not what excites me from a car.

[gizlaroc]

redtwin said:

Also what would the BIK company car tax be on a 550i vs a 530d?.

I can't see there being that many new private buyers of any new 5 series, so company car tax will weigh heavily on engine choice.

But then if you took a 530d as a company car it is pretty pointless as the BIK tax is as much as the monthly rate.

The 535i is the real comparison, and that is still so, so much nicer than the 535d.
I am really surprised more people don't go with it.

[daemon]

gizlaroc said:

daemon said:

I think realistically though, most people are "afraid" of the possible resale values of something likea 550i therefore go for the "safe" diesel option, thats going to give you similar power but you know you're not going to be treated like you've got AIDS come trade in time.

And again, most new BMW metal is sold on PCP deals, and i'd say the residual price set might not be that strong on a new 550i...

I agree completely, it is too late for decent petrols.

My 335i used to average slightly more than my 535d.
The 330i I was lent returned 38mpg over the 2 days and 500 miles I had it, which was only about 6mpg behind the 123d my wife was in at the time.

But when it comes to laying down £40,000+ of your own money are you going to gamble on going petrol???

I know I find it hard and I know that in the real world there is not much to be saved going diesel, unless you go for a small well geared 4 cyl and nanny it everywhere.

Yes, thats the truth of it. Even when i was buying my 535d new 7 years ago, the sales manager couldnt recall the last time they'd sold a 540i or 550i. Ironically sheer rarity has probably made a 550i worth more.

My son had a very nice 1.8i VTEC Civic and got a diesel BMW to cut his fuel costs. He was getting an easy 37mpg from the Civic, but the 120d is only doing about 43mpg. Granted, more power, but hardly earth shattering.

RE: the small well geared diesel nannyed everywhere, thats what i have now and do - I've a 1.6TDI golf as i've a 90 mile return daily commute. Getting 65.6MPG over the last 15,000 miles brimming it each time. Thats worthwhile, but even at that if i hit DMF and / or DPF and EGR valve problems, those bills could wipe out any savings anyway.

[daemon]

gizlaroc said:

But I just don't think people buy the engine that really enthralls them. I have been in diesels for the last few years and they are fine, they are all nice cars, but I bought an old 2.8i Z3 the other week as a bit of a project, and I have forgotten just how much nicer a petrol car is in every single area other than effortless motorway cruising, and that is not what excites me from a car.

At the time when i bought my 535d it "had" to be that engine for me. However any time i've bought something subsequently "for the weekend" or a bit of fun, its been a 330Ci or a Jag S Type or XJ 3.0.

Older diesels are just too much risk, and rarely pleasant.

[tali1]

Don't worry the 550i will return soon.
......Probably as a 3.5 twin turbo