E60 Diesels - 520d LCI or 530d Pre Lci?
Discussion
Hi All
as above, i have found a lovely 57plate 520d which seems to tick the boxes - wide screen nav, spider wheels etc - leathers but not heated which is annoying. However, i do like the thought of a 530d, but the LCI 530d's seem to be out of budget for me (£7k max).
The car will be for largely motorway duties, with a 70mile round trip everyday. I think the 520d will be fine, but I'm struggling to dismiss a 530d simply because its a 6 banger and for that will be more 'smooth'. i read that the autos in the post LCI's are a bit pants though. Are the fuel costs similar (again referring to mostly long drives, i know the 530 will suffer around town which it wont be used for anyway) and will i really miss out on the power of a 30?
Another question.. iPhone 6s users, does the bluetooth connect ok with these as i assume the tech is older?
Post LCI 530d or LCI 520d! i welcome your opinions. i haven't dismissed a 525d, but they don't seem to be here or there regarding a decent spec.
as above, i have found a lovely 57plate 520d which seems to tick the boxes - wide screen nav, spider wheels etc - leathers but not heated which is annoying. However, i do like the thought of a 530d, but the LCI 530d's seem to be out of budget for me (£7k max).
The car will be for largely motorway duties, with a 70mile round trip everyday. I think the 520d will be fine, but I'm struggling to dismiss a 530d simply because its a 6 banger and for that will be more 'smooth'. i read that the autos in the post LCI's are a bit pants though. Are the fuel costs similar (again referring to mostly long drives, i know the 530 will suffer around town which it wont be used for anyway) and will i really miss out on the power of a 30?
Another question.. iPhone 6s users, does the bluetooth connect ok with these as i assume the tech is older?
Post LCI 530d or LCI 520d! i welcome your opinions. i haven't dismissed a 525d, but they don't seem to be here or there regarding a decent spec.
roofer said:
helix402 said:
Google N47 problems, then buy a 530.
Indeed, and it 'Leather' ffs.Irony.. check your own grammar and spelling before commenting on someone else's, you boring person. Cheers for the advice on the N47 issues, I'll read that up.
Edited by irfan1712 on Monday 6th February 08:37
We run a pre-LCI 530d as a daily, now on 116k and no major issues so far. It gets 35mpg on the daily commute, 40mpg on a run. It's had the Evolve 260bhp (allegedly) map flashed on to it and it seems to have made a difference in power, without seeming to affect economy.
Yes the 6 speed auto isn't as good as the newer 8 speeds etc but it's perfectly good IMO. Some people get hung up on always having the newest, latest thing but with 6 gears it's worlds on from the 4 speed boxes of the 80s. Plus you can change gear manually if you want to.
The wife has a new iphone and it works fine with the car.
I personally wouldn't look at a 4 cylinder diesel, the 6 helps smooth out the peaky torque delivery IMO. So buy the 530d!
Yes the 6 speed auto isn't as good as the newer 8 speeds etc but it's perfectly good IMO. Some people get hung up on always having the newest, latest thing but with 6 gears it's worlds on from the 4 speed boxes of the 80s. Plus you can change gear manually if you want to.
The wife has a new iphone and it works fine with the car.
I personally wouldn't look at a 4 cylinder diesel, the 6 helps smooth out the peaky torque delivery IMO. So buy the 530d!
Edited by mon the fish on Monday 6th February 11:18
mon the fish said:
We run a pre-LCI 530d as a daily, now on 116k and no major issues so far. It gets 35mpg on the daily commute, 40mpg on a run. It's had the Evolve 260bhp (allegedly) map flashed on to it and it seems to have made a difference in power, without seeming to affect economy.
Yes the 6 speed auto isn't as good as the newer 8 speeds etc but it's perfectly good IMO. Some people get hung up on always having the newest, latest thing but with 6 gears it's worlds on from the 4 speed boxes of the 80s. Plus you can change gear manually if you want to.
The wife has a new iphone and it works fine with the car.
I personally wouldn't look at a 4 cylinder diesel, the 6 helps smooth out the peaky torque delivery IMO. So buy the 530d!
just what i wanted to hear.. brill. Even Pre LCI 530d's are holding their money well, so i just wanted to check that paying reasonably strong money i wouldn't be getting a dinosaur! We have a 420d with the ZF8 box and its brilliant - but if i remember correctly the ZF box in the LCI is a 6 speed? could be wrong.Yes the 6 speed auto isn't as good as the newer 8 speeds etc but it's perfectly good IMO. Some people get hung up on always having the newest, latest thing but with 6 gears it's worlds on from the 4 speed boxes of the 80s. Plus you can change gear manually if you want to.
The wife has a new iphone and it works fine with the car.
I personally wouldn't look at a 4 cylinder diesel, the 6 helps smooth out the peaky torque delivery IMO. So buy the 530d!
Edited by mon the fish on Monday 6th February 11:18
be interesting to know the realworld diffence in MPG (on a run) between a Pre LCI 530d, and an LCI 525 + 530d.
i have found a few lovely LCI 525d's with the newer 3.0 engine. Both have leathers but thier not heated! Not a massive deal breaker but just...why!
Edited by irfan1712 on Monday 6th February 16:38
I'm not sure what sort of mileage you are looking at but I just sold a 2008 LCI 530D M Sport with 122k in space grey for £7k. Apart from being on 18" MV2's it was pretty well specced. Condition wise it was excellent and had plenty of life left in it. So with your £7k budget im sure you can find a decent LCI 6cyl. imo I wouldnt go for a 4cyl mainly because I don't think the lack of refinement suits the 5 and also because overall it seems like the 6cyl diesels are pretty reliable. The chain tensioner would be a worry for me with the 4 cyl models
some early LCI 2007 520s had the M47 engine which doesn't have timing chain problems so that is a potential option... you can check which engine it has by putting the VIN in http://bimmer.work
If you do find a nice N47, I know a guy that's s
t hot on engine rebuilds, he replaces the chain as preventative maintenance and gives 2 year warranty for £900. If you go down this route you will really really benefit from the awesome MPG the N47 has to offer. with a manual box it can get close to 950miles/tank!
If you do find a nice N47, I know a guy that's s
t hot on engine rebuilds, he replaces the chain as preventative maintenance and gives 2 year warranty for £900. If you go down this route you will really really benefit from the awesome MPG the N47 has to offer. with a manual box it can get close to 950miles/tank!cracking input guys, thank you.
i've dismissed the 2008 520d i found purely on the N47 issue. Otherwise it was a well spec'd car and i would have had it in a heart beat. I've read a lot of horror stories about the iDrive system (CCC?) freezing up due to a chip on the board failing, and / or because of over heating due to design issues.. seems most well spec'd BMs of this age have iDrive screens of some sort so i will have to jsut swallow this pill i think.
my search is narrowed down to two cars ( both very different!)
one is a 56 plate 530d M Sport (Pro Nav, heated leather, bluetooth, 19'' spyder wheels) with 105k miles and FSH.
the other is a 57 plate E92 325d (3.0) M Sport Coupe (Pro nav (rare in a 3 series?), heated leather, Bluetooth, 18s) 120k miles and FSH.
done my own head in now, cant for the life of me decide but id like to come home with one of these on saturday. The car will be purely used for commuting 70 miles per day, 90% motorway driving. I dont 'need' 5 doors but i do think its more car for the money, only its older. I already own a 5 door C63 for playing about in. What would you do?
i've dismissed the 2008 520d i found purely on the N47 issue. Otherwise it was a well spec'd car and i would have had it in a heart beat. I've read a lot of horror stories about the iDrive system (CCC?) freezing up due to a chip on the board failing, and / or because of over heating due to design issues.. seems most well spec'd BMs of this age have iDrive screens of some sort so i will have to jsut swallow this pill i think.
my search is narrowed down to two cars ( both very different!)
one is a 56 plate 530d M Sport (Pro Nav, heated leather, bluetooth, 19'' spyder wheels) with 105k miles and FSH.
the other is a 57 plate E92 325d (3.0) M Sport Coupe (Pro nav (rare in a 3 series?), heated leather, Bluetooth, 18s) 120k miles and FSH.
done my own head in now, cant for the life of me decide but id like to come home with one of these on saturday. The car will be purely used for commuting 70 miles per day, 90% motorway driving. I dont 'need' 5 doors but i do think its more car for the money, only its older. I already own a 5 door C63 for playing about in. What would you do?
irfan1712 said:
cracking input guys, thank you.
i've dismissed the 2008 520d i found purely on the N47 issue. Otherwise it was a well spec'd car and i would have had it in a heart beat. I've read a lot of horror stories about the iDrive system (CCC?) freezing up due to a chip on the board failing, and / or because of over heating due to design issues.. seems most well spec'd BMs of this age have iDrive screens of some sort so i will have to jsut swallow this pill i think.
my search is narrowed down to two cars ( both very different!)
one is a 56 plate 530d M Sport (Pro Nav, heated leather, bluetooth, 19'' spyder wheels) with 105k miles and FSH.
the other is a 57 plate E92 325d (3.0) M Sport Coupe (Pro nav (rare in a 3 series?), heated leather, Bluetooth, 18s) 120k miles and FSH.
done my own head in now, cant for the life of me decide but id like to come home with one of these on saturday. The car will be purely used for commuting 70 miles per day, 90% motorway driving. I dont 'need' 5 doors but i do think its more car for the money, only its older. I already own a 5 door C63 for playing about in. What would you do?
70 miles is a long distance, I would prefer the E60!i've dismissed the 2008 520d i found purely on the N47 issue. Otherwise it was a well spec'd car and i would have had it in a heart beat. I've read a lot of horror stories about the iDrive system (CCC?) freezing up due to a chip on the board failing, and / or because of over heating due to design issues.. seems most well spec'd BMs of this age have iDrive screens of some sort so i will have to jsut swallow this pill i think.
my search is narrowed down to two cars ( both very different!)
one is a 56 plate 530d M Sport (Pro Nav, heated leather, bluetooth, 19'' spyder wheels) with 105k miles and FSH.
the other is a 57 plate E92 325d (3.0) M Sport Coupe (Pro nav (rare in a 3 series?), heated leather, Bluetooth, 18s) 120k miles and FSH.
done my own head in now, cant for the life of me decide but id like to come home with one of these on saturday. The car will be purely used for commuting 70 miles per day, 90% motorway driving. I dont 'need' 5 doors but i do think its more car for the money, only its older. I already own a 5 door C63 for playing about in. What would you do?
Well, took the plunge and i came home with an E60 on Saturday. its a pre LCI 56 plate 530d with 120k miles, 4 owners, Full BMW dealer/Specialist service history and in BMW Silver Grey, with the 19'' Spyders.
Its remapped aswell and its quite the beast - would probably give my c63 a good run for its money for mid-gear grunt!
i will start a thread on readers rides for those who are interested.
Again thanks for the input - all much appreciated!
Its remapped aswell and its quite the beast - would probably give my c63 a good run for its money for mid-gear grunt!
i will start a thread on readers rides for those who are interested.
Again thanks for the input - all much appreciated!
kurt535 said:
Have the blanking plates been done?
Its had swirl flaps deleted along with the DPF - which i wont be able to confirm till i book it in for a service, or can i tell from the offset? The plan is getting into a local BM specialist for a full service inc. oil and gearbox oil change. I will be changing thermostats too all for my piece of mind.
irfan1712 said:
kurt535 said:
Have the blanking plates been done?
Its had swirl flaps deleted along with the DPF - which i wont be able to confirm till i book it in for a service, or can i tell from the offset? The plan is getting into a local BM specialist for a full service inc. oil and gearbox oil change. I will be changing thermostats too all for my piece of mind.
kurt535 said:
irfan1712 said:
kurt535 said:
Have the blanking plates been done?
Its had swirl flaps deleted along with the DPF - which i wont be able to confirm till i book it in for a service, or can i tell from the offset? The plan is getting into a local BM specialist for a full service inc. oil and gearbox oil change. I will be changing thermostats too all for my piece of mind.
was hard enough trying to find one with xenons, widescreen nav and heated leather... most seemed to have one but not the others!
Congrats on purchase then.
Pano roof pain in the butt!!
I do recommend changing oil between services. Engine and turbo will thank you.
Also, at the end of a journey, killing the engine instantly is not recommended. They are complicated beasties and just giving it time to settle down for a minute does them the world of good.
Pano roof pain in the butt!!
I do recommend changing oil between services. Engine and turbo will thank you.
Also, at the end of a journey, killing the engine instantly is not recommended. They are complicated beasties and just giving it time to settle down for a minute does them the world of good.
Major thread bump! Interesting thread and I thought I'd add on to this rather than start a new one...
I'm hoping you helpful lot might be able to advise me further.
I'm looking for an E60/61 diesel for the missus, probably a manual as we prefer manual and they seem more economical. Max budget about 5k. Looking on autotrader I thought I'd set my targets on an LCI 520d because of the cosmetic updates and I was also led to believe increased economy and power in the 520d engine, from 163bhp to 177bhp. However, after reading an official BMW pdf document with all the tech specs, it appears the LCI 520d still only has 163bhp and no improvement on economy?? Can anyone clarify this? Also after reading this thread, the later engine does not seem desirable?
So I'm left in somewhat of a quandry about what to go for? Is the LCI 525d a good option? Or a pre-LCI 530d? Budget won't stretch to a LCI 530d. Are the extra costs on fuel/tax/general running costs worth it?
The car will be used for a variety of different journey types.
Please help! Cheers :-)
I'm hoping you helpful lot might be able to advise me further.
I'm looking for an E60/61 diesel for the missus, probably a manual as we prefer manual and they seem more economical. Max budget about 5k. Looking on autotrader I thought I'd set my targets on an LCI 520d because of the cosmetic updates and I was also led to believe increased economy and power in the 520d engine, from 163bhp to 177bhp. However, after reading an official BMW pdf document with all the tech specs, it appears the LCI 520d still only has 163bhp and no improvement on economy?? Can anyone clarify this? Also after reading this thread, the later engine does not seem desirable?
So I'm left in somewhat of a quandry about what to go for? Is the LCI 525d a good option? Or a pre-LCI 530d? Budget won't stretch to a LCI 530d. Are the extra costs on fuel/tax/general running costs worth it?
The car will be used for a variety of different journey types.
Please help! Cheers :-)
530d any day of the week. So much more refined than the 4 cylinder cars IMO. Never mind the pleasing engine noise when booting it - more induction roar that exhaust turbo hiss.
Don't discount the SE models but the seats are not as comfortable as the Sport ones. I had an SE and SWMBO had to use a cushion all the time. Manual box is a bit of a tractor long throw- but I still prefer it to the auto box.
Don't discount the SE models but the seats are not as comfortable as the Sport ones. I had an SE and SWMBO had to use a cushion all the time. Manual box is a bit of a tractor long throw- but I still prefer it to the auto box.
I think you should be able to tell if the swirl flaps have been deleted by feeling for the linkage. On my E39 530d, M57 engine, the flaps were on the underside of the inlet manifold with the actuator at the back. There is a rod linkage all the way from the actuator to the front flap, I suspect you will find something similar on your engine or diamond shaped blanking plates where the flaps were if they have been removed.
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