BMW F11 535d (313 hp)
Discussion
Hi all,
I have, at least I think I have, narrowed my next car choice down to an F11 535d, E350 cdi or Skoda Superb 3.6.
The BMW and Mercedes are both around £11,000 whilst the Superb is £5,500. All are estates and will be used as the family car.
This BMW 535d estate has cropped up.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190416703...
It will need non-winter tyres (£600 all in) but the rest sounds good after I spoke with the seller.
I have owned lots of older BMWs so not as familiar with these.
Does this look like a good deal?
Thank you
I have, at least I think I have, narrowed my next car choice down to an F11 535d, E350 cdi or Skoda Superb 3.6.
The BMW and Mercedes are both around £11,000 whilst the Superb is £5,500. All are estates and will be used as the family car.
This BMW 535d estate has cropped up.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190416703...
It will need non-winter tyres (£600 all in) but the rest sounds good after I spoke with the seller.
I have owned lots of older BMWs so not as familiar with these.
Does this look like a good deal?
Thank you
I have a 535D F11, and have owned it for 4 months.
Things I would say are worth being aware of:
i) Ride quality - probably better than BMWs on runflats were a few years ago, but still overly notchy in my view.
ii) Feels more cramped than I would have expected for a 5 series, both front and rear.
iii) Not that much stowage space in either front or rear. Surprisingly poor, actually.
iv) Average fuel economy so far is about 34mpg, resulting from a mixed bag of long motorway hauls and shorter local journeys.
v) Aluminium trim seems fairly damage-prone and scuffs can't be polished out in the way that wood trims would have allowed.
vi) Electric handbrake has an "auto-release" feature which can't be disabled and allows the car to move off with just a small input on the accelerator even when the handbrake's been applied.
On the plus side, it handles very well, is very quick indeed for a car that will still crack 30mpg with ease, and is generally a nice place to be.
If passenger space is a significant consideration, the Skoda would be worth a second look.
Things I would say are worth being aware of:
i) Ride quality - probably better than BMWs on runflats were a few years ago, but still overly notchy in my view.
ii) Feels more cramped than I would have expected for a 5 series, both front and rear.
iii) Not that much stowage space in either front or rear. Surprisingly poor, actually.
iv) Average fuel economy so far is about 34mpg, resulting from a mixed bag of long motorway hauls and shorter local journeys.
v) Aluminium trim seems fairly damage-prone and scuffs can't be polished out in the way that wood trims would have allowed.
vi) Electric handbrake has an "auto-release" feature which can't be disabled and allows the car to move off with just a small input on the accelerator even when the handbrake's been applied.
On the plus side, it handles very well, is very quick indeed for a car that will still crack 30mpg with ease, and is generally a nice place to be.
If passenger space is a significant consideration, the Skoda would be worth a second look.
Thank you for your reply.
What you have said is interesting.
I would like space and thought even the E350 was lacking in rear space. Boot was huge but my old ST220 felt bigger.
The real world ‘ease’ of the engine appeals but, for me, only if the downside of a diesel was the reward of good mpg. I own 2 x 5.0 V8 petrols so not an mpg chaser but that is supposed to be the benefit of diesel. The Superb will do mid 30s on a motorway run.
The Superb May be worth a look but the 535d still appeals as it is good looking, more modern and offers a good blend of performance, economy and versatility......
...... but then the E350
What you have said is interesting.
I would like space and thought even the E350 was lacking in rear space. Boot was huge but my old ST220 felt bigger.
The real world ‘ease’ of the engine appeals but, for me, only if the downside of a diesel was the reward of good mpg. I own 2 x 5.0 V8 petrols so not an mpg chaser but that is supposed to be the benefit of diesel. The Superb will do mid 30s on a motorway run.
The Superb May be worth a look but the 535d still appeals as it is good looking, more modern and offers a good blend of performance, economy and versatility......
...... but then the E350
Engine wise I much preferred the twin turbo diesel 3 litre in my 640d(same engine as the 535d), to the single turbo 3 litre V6 in my Merc GLC350d. The Bmw engine is miles more punchy low down and it is stronger higher up the revs too.
Nothing wrong at all with the reliability of the Merc engine but I'd rather have the Bmw engine in comparison.
Nothing wrong at all with the reliability of the Merc engine but I'd rather have the Bmw engine in comparison.
The BMW engine and gearbox are both superior to the Mercedes units IME. I ran both and F10 and E-Class of the same era as company cars and would never choose the Mercedes. 7G box was an average unit whereas the ZF8 was a peach. 5 Series interior also a lot nicer place to be and not really understanding the comment above about space. I'm 6.4" and regularly ran the car 4 up with tall passengers + luggage and never had an issue.
On the space topic, I suspect I was a bit spoiled by my previous E65 7 series, but the lack of stowage space in the 5 did surprise me.
As has been stated, the 8 speed ZF gearbox is stunningly good. I should have mentioned that in my original reply.
I doubt that you'd be unhappy with a 535 but I don't have experience of the alternatives...
As has been stated, the 8 speed ZF gearbox is stunningly good. I should have mentioned that in my original reply.
I doubt that you'd be unhappy with a 535 but I don't have experience of the alternatives...
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff