E61 535d Touring buying advice
Discussion
Hi - first poster here and appreciate your thoughts.
Wife is losing her company car in a couple of weeks (Golf 1.9 TDi) so on the lookout for a practical replacement.
Looking forward to rejoining the BMW fold (my previous car was a M3 CSL - only car I regret selling!) towards the end of the year as I hear the new 5 series will be launched around September and hoping to take advantage of some knock-on to the current model.
Test drove a facelifted 535d on Sat and was v. impressed with performance and overall package. Interior was good both in terms of materials and particularly build quality. Have missed small details like switchgear and fabulous sports seats with adjustable thigh support!!
Ride was good, not as stiff as I was expecting, steering sharp (although M sport wheel was a bit fat for my liking) and cornered v. well - flat with little body roll. Brakes were v. responsive, sport auto gearbox was good although slightly annoying that it seemed to revert to auto and down change out of sport / manual if you left it in too high a gear and were cruising. And of course that engine and torque!!
Less impressed with economy. On the short A-road test route we did it averaged 23mpg. Admittedly, I was exploring the engines performance so that couldn't have helped but am hoping that on the more typical journeys we will do i.e. motorway slogs between London and Nottingham that I'll see more palatable figures in the late-30s. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it though!
Anyway, hoping you can give me some feedback
On the lookout for a LCI 535d (assume after Mar-07)
Must have:
- Medi pack
- Visibility pack
- Bluetooth
- Front seat heating
- Sport Auto
Nice to have:
- Logic 7 / Prof
- USB (I hear that this can be retro-fitted?)
- Panoramic sunroof (have heard that this has had reliability issues)
Anything else people would recommend spec wise?
Also, what are the running costs like in terms of servicing, brake discs / pads, tyres. Anything else I need to be aware of? Assume BMW warranty is recommended as I have heard some horror stories related to swirl flaps and turbos. What are the warranty costs like?
Car I drove was a Sep 07 with 18K on the clock up for £32K which I thought was a bit rich - apart from that was pretty much my ideal spec.
Thanks for your feedback in advance.
Wife is losing her company car in a couple of weeks (Golf 1.9 TDi) so on the lookout for a practical replacement.
Looking forward to rejoining the BMW fold (my previous car was a M3 CSL - only car I regret selling!) towards the end of the year as I hear the new 5 series will be launched around September and hoping to take advantage of some knock-on to the current model.
Test drove a facelifted 535d on Sat and was v. impressed with performance and overall package. Interior was good both in terms of materials and particularly build quality. Have missed small details like switchgear and fabulous sports seats with adjustable thigh support!!
Ride was good, not as stiff as I was expecting, steering sharp (although M sport wheel was a bit fat for my liking) and cornered v. well - flat with little body roll. Brakes were v. responsive, sport auto gearbox was good although slightly annoying that it seemed to revert to auto and down change out of sport / manual if you left it in too high a gear and were cruising. And of course that engine and torque!!
Less impressed with economy. On the short A-road test route we did it averaged 23mpg. Admittedly, I was exploring the engines performance so that couldn't have helped but am hoping that on the more typical journeys we will do i.e. motorway slogs between London and Nottingham that I'll see more palatable figures in the late-30s. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it though!
Anyway, hoping you can give me some feedback
On the lookout for a LCI 535d (assume after Mar-07)
Must have:
- Medi pack
- Visibility pack
- Bluetooth
- Front seat heating
- Sport Auto
Nice to have:
- Logic 7 / Prof
- USB (I hear that this can be retro-fitted?)
- Panoramic sunroof (have heard that this has had reliability issues)
Anything else people would recommend spec wise?
Also, what are the running costs like in terms of servicing, brake discs / pads, tyres. Anything else I need to be aware of? Assume BMW warranty is recommended as I have heard some horror stories related to swirl flaps and turbos. What are the warranty costs like?
Car I drove was a Sep 07 with 18K on the clock up for £32K which I thought was a bit rich - apart from that was pretty much my ideal spec.
Thanks for your feedback in advance.
We have the early SE version with most extras (less economical and no doubt a number of other changes been made since). 2 things I'd go for/change:
1. Dynamic drive - corners on rails
2. Ditch the runflats - handles much better
Panoramic sunroof never given me any issues, but v.noisy at speed. Best enjoyed sitting in back seats. Economy wise I've just reset computer to UK gallons from US and jumped from 26mpg to 30. Better!
No doubt the DMS brigade with 320bhp or more, will be along soon.
Are you sure the new model coming out this year?
1. Dynamic drive - corners on rails
2. Ditch the runflats - handles much better
Panoramic sunroof never given me any issues, but v.noisy at speed. Best enjoyed sitting in back seats. Economy wise I've just reset computer to UK gallons from US and jumped from 26mpg to 30. Better!
No doubt the DMS brigade with 320bhp or more, will be along soon.
Are you sure the new model coming out this year?
The 5 Series GT might be launched later this year but the new 5 series is a little way off yet - certainly not this year.
I have a pre-LCI E60 535d M Sport. With mixed driving including around 50% motorway miles I get a pretty consistent 32-33 MPG overall. LCI versions are likely to be around 3 MPG better I believe.
I have loads of options on mine - some essential (Media pack etc) and some needless but nice (electric memory seats/dynamic steering etc). I have Logic 7 and it is good but not outstanding - don't make it a deal breaker. Sun Protection Glass looks good I think but has no practical use - certainly doesn't protect from the sun for example.
I have 19" wheels on mine and tyres can be expensive - around £900-£1,000 for a decent set - about £600 for a budget set (which I would avoid).
Mine is 3 years old later this year and normally I'd be thinking of a change but I just can't think of a car which better suits my needs. Great car and an E61 makes it even more practical - go for it.
I have a pre-LCI E60 535d M Sport. With mixed driving including around 50% motorway miles I get a pretty consistent 32-33 MPG overall. LCI versions are likely to be around 3 MPG better I believe.
I have loads of options on mine - some essential (Media pack etc) and some needless but nice (electric memory seats/dynamic steering etc). I have Logic 7 and it is good but not outstanding - don't make it a deal breaker. Sun Protection Glass looks good I think but has no practical use - certainly doesn't protect from the sun for example.
I have 19" wheels on mine and tyres can be expensive - around £900-£1,000 for a decent set - about £600 for a budget set (which I would avoid).
Mine is 3 years old later this year and normally I'd be thinking of a change but I just can't think of a car which better suits my needs. Great car and an E61 makes it even more practical - go for it.
Edited by richterswil on Tuesday 28th July 19:43
I have a 163,000mile 535d Tourer, owned from new, May 2005. Bulk of mileage is motorway (surprisingly !)
Panoramic roof - I'd forget it unless they don't charge a premium for it. I specced mine with it new and think the only time I use it is for an initial cool when the cars been standing in the sun for a while. No problems with mine in 4 yrs - but as said, hardly used.
Turbo's - no problems
Intake Manifold - replaced under warranty at c. 90k, I wasn't aware of an issue, it just appeared on the service report.
Discs / Pads. Discs last 80k, pads about the same (with my journeys)
DPC (Diesel Particle Filter) - expensive to replace I think, due at c. 120k, I didn't replace mine and its passed both MOT's since with zero particle readings.
MPG - 31.7 from new, but again mainly motorway miles at quiet times, and I'm on an early block.
Electrics can be a pain - mine went through a phase of PDC 'failures' , was indicating that 2 sensors were faulty (turn on PDC, put finger over sensor and see if it buzzes). Rectified itself - think it was damp weather related. I Drive locks up from time to time, usually in hot weather in slow traffic - probably bluetooth module but not frequent enough to replace yet.
Gearbox - This does need seeing to now, the well spouted 150k life of ZF boxes seems to hold true. Probable that exploiting the effortless towing abilities hasn't helped.
Only other niggle is the rear suspension creaks from time to time - probably a poor seal somewhere in the NS air unit and grit gets in. Happens about 4 times a year and is sorted by a long run on wet roads - all works ok just noisy.
Apart from that, feels like its got loads of life left in it.
edit : Tyres - don't be tempted into cheap tyres - waste of money generally - poor, uneven & fast wear. Unlike most, I've now reverted back to runflats (Goodyear) having used normal tyres for the past 100k (mainly to avoid being stranded now I'm out of warranty) and am very surprised that they are wearing very slowly and ride is no where near as bad as it was when the factory fits were on (probably a sign of suspension getting sloppy now !)
Still miss my CSL though !
Panoramic roof - I'd forget it unless they don't charge a premium for it. I specced mine with it new and think the only time I use it is for an initial cool when the cars been standing in the sun for a while. No problems with mine in 4 yrs - but as said, hardly used.
Turbo's - no problems
Intake Manifold - replaced under warranty at c. 90k, I wasn't aware of an issue, it just appeared on the service report.
Discs / Pads. Discs last 80k, pads about the same (with my journeys)
DPC (Diesel Particle Filter) - expensive to replace I think, due at c. 120k, I didn't replace mine and its passed both MOT's since with zero particle readings.
MPG - 31.7 from new, but again mainly motorway miles at quiet times, and I'm on an early block.
Electrics can be a pain - mine went through a phase of PDC 'failures' , was indicating that 2 sensors were faulty (turn on PDC, put finger over sensor and see if it buzzes). Rectified itself - think it was damp weather related. I Drive locks up from time to time, usually in hot weather in slow traffic - probably bluetooth module but not frequent enough to replace yet.
Gearbox - This does need seeing to now, the well spouted 150k life of ZF boxes seems to hold true. Probable that exploiting the effortless towing abilities hasn't helped.
Only other niggle is the rear suspension creaks from time to time - probably a poor seal somewhere in the NS air unit and grit gets in. Happens about 4 times a year and is sorted by a long run on wet roads - all works ok just noisy.
Apart from that, feels like its got loads of life left in it.
edit : Tyres - don't be tempted into cheap tyres - waste of money generally - poor, uneven & fast wear. Unlike most, I've now reverted back to runflats (Goodyear) having used normal tyres for the past 100k (mainly to avoid being stranded now I'm out of warranty) and am very surprised that they are wearing very slowly and ride is no where near as bad as it was when the factory fits were on (probably a sign of suspension getting sloppy now !)
Still miss my CSL though !
Edited by juliann on Wednesday 29th July 06:02
I've got a June 07 LCI Saloon
53000 miles so far
Full leathers - nice, not standard
Comfort seats - wonderful and fully adjustable, 8 way I think with memory for both, much better and more comfortable than sports seats
Heated seats - nice in winter. I suffer from a bad back occasionally and they help sooth it!
Sports Auto Transmission - I think my car was first in the UK (June 07) and I really didn't know what I'd spec'd. Absolutely the best auto ever. Lightning fast changes, paddles, throttle becomes more sensitive, steering becomes heavier and I drive in Sport M nearly all the time.
19" wheels - nice, finish the car nicely. Touring's have only just had these as an option
Full media pack (voice control, sat nav etc) good and works well with every phone I've had including current iPhone
USB - very good, never had a cd in the car. Current 3Gs iPhone is not supported for charging through this system. Not BMW's fault, but bloody Apple tinkering!
Zenons/Adaptive lights - very good, very bright and I've always spec'd adaptive as it does make a difference
Extended light package - OK, more lights on the doors!
Privacy glass - nice, drug dealer bling
Through load with ski bag - a must of you don't have the Tourer
Problems with the car - nothing major to date apart from small turbo changed under warranty which it turned out hadn't failed but they left it on the car anyway! Had a sensor go twice (can't remember which one it was) and this gave loss of power (hence they thought small turbo), fixed quickly under warranty.
MPG - average 33mpg. Drove to South of France last month and averaged circa 40mpg over 2500 miles which I was more than happy with.
Tyres - I go through rears every 10k miles and although it had conti sports on when delivered I soon tried a different tyre. I have put Falkens on the car and they were very good, but offered no protection to the sidewall on the rears and I scraped both wheels badly. I have now had all four wheels professionally refurbished at a cost of £250 the lot. I now have Goodyear Eagle F1's on the car and they seem fine. £700 the lot fitted at Micheldever Tyres who are always very. very competitive.
Do I like the 535D - in a word YES!
over the last 5 years I've had a Boxster S and 996 C2 Cab and X5 3.0D sport all from new and a 6 month old X5 4.8iS and I can say without doubt the 535D is still the best all round car I have ever owned.
It's not to every ones taste but it is such a complete all round package.
Oh, I also drove down to a certain tuning company and had it fettled at about 1k miles and that makes all the difference
53000 miles so far
Full leathers - nice, not standard
Comfort seats - wonderful and fully adjustable, 8 way I think with memory for both, much better and more comfortable than sports seats
Heated seats - nice in winter. I suffer from a bad back occasionally and they help sooth it!
Sports Auto Transmission - I think my car was first in the UK (June 07) and I really didn't know what I'd spec'd. Absolutely the best auto ever. Lightning fast changes, paddles, throttle becomes more sensitive, steering becomes heavier and I drive in Sport M nearly all the time.
19" wheels - nice, finish the car nicely. Touring's have only just had these as an option
Full media pack (voice control, sat nav etc) good and works well with every phone I've had including current iPhone
USB - very good, never had a cd in the car. Current 3Gs iPhone is not supported for charging through this system. Not BMW's fault, but bloody Apple tinkering!
Zenons/Adaptive lights - very good, very bright and I've always spec'd adaptive as it does make a difference
Extended light package - OK, more lights on the doors!
Privacy glass - nice, drug dealer bling
Through load with ski bag - a must of you don't have the Tourer
Problems with the car - nothing major to date apart from small turbo changed under warranty which it turned out hadn't failed but they left it on the car anyway! Had a sensor go twice (can't remember which one it was) and this gave loss of power (hence they thought small turbo), fixed quickly under warranty.
MPG - average 33mpg. Drove to South of France last month and averaged circa 40mpg over 2500 miles which I was more than happy with.
Tyres - I go through rears every 10k miles and although it had conti sports on when delivered I soon tried a different tyre. I have put Falkens on the car and they were very good, but offered no protection to the sidewall on the rears and I scraped both wheels badly. I have now had all four wheels professionally refurbished at a cost of £250 the lot. I now have Goodyear Eagle F1's on the car and they seem fine. £700 the lot fitted at Micheldever Tyres who are always very. very competitive.
Do I like the 535D - in a word YES!
over the last 5 years I've had a Boxster S and 996 C2 Cab and X5 3.0D sport all from new and a 6 month old X5 4.8iS and I can say without doubt the 535D is still the best all round car I have ever owned.
It's not to every ones taste but it is such a complete all round package.
Oh, I also drove down to a certain tuning company and had it fettled at about 1k miles and that makes all the difference
Keep 'em coming!
Have posted my query on so-called dedicated 5 series E61 forums but had no response - pistonheads rocks!
Anyone compared 535d with other variants (e.g. 530d / 530i) or makes (RS6, M5 Touring) care to share their opines?
There's a 550i Touring on Autotrader that keeps grabbing my attention...
Have posted my query on so-called dedicated 5 series E61 forums but had no response - pistonheads rocks!
Anyone compared 535d with other variants (e.g. 530d / 530i) or makes (RS6, M5 Touring) care to share their opines?
There's a 550i Touring on Autotrader that keeps grabbing my attention...
richterswil said:
The 5 Series GT might be launched later this year but the new 5 series is a little way off yet - certainly not this year.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/238417/bmw_5series.htmlEdited by richterswil on Tuesday 28th July 19:43
In showrooms later this year most and on road early next year - 2010 first reg? Can't vouch for the accuracy of Autoexpress though...
But clearly residuals are going to take a hammering so all you 535d Touring owners should flog your sharpish!
Particularly if they are LCI models with spec mentioned above...
I have a Aug-07 535d M Sport Touring - and I love it.
Overall average MPG is 29 - though that is with frequent non-economical driving (and a chip) - I'd say 31 would be more typical - and more than 35 easily possible on long journeys.
I don't think the USB can be retro-fitted - but an iPod connector can (though expensive).
Runflats were 100% trouble for me - I had three failures in 5 months at 250/tyre - since changing to 100 quid each Khumo's I've had no problems, handling is miles better and grip/wear great - and at 100 each I'm not afraid of replacing them when the time comes.
Overall average MPG is 29 - though that is with frequent non-economical driving (and a chip) - I'd say 31 would be more typical - and more than 35 easily possible on long journeys.
I don't think the USB can be retro-fitted - but an iPod connector can (though expensive).
Runflats were 100% trouble for me - I had three failures in 5 months at 250/tyre - since changing to 100 quid each Khumo's I've had no problems, handling is miles better and grip/wear great - and at 100 each I'm not afraid of replacing them when the time comes.
You can buy an adapter so your 3gs charges by the way.
USB is retro fit-able as well. If you have bluetooth and nav then you probably have the module so just need £30 worth of cables and some coding, local Autologic dealer can code it in for you.
If not you need to replace your bluetooth module with the usb/bluetooth at around £500 and then code.
I had my 535d sport touring for a year and 22k miles. I loved it, only thing I would say is I only averaged 26mpg. This was a 2005 old block though, new one will see 30-35mpg.
I also had the heads up, this would be a must have for me now, I loved it.
I bought another M3 though and an A6 3.2 Avant, but if I could only have one car I would buy another E61 for sure, but do think I would get a 545i or 550i, or if I could find one an Alpina B5 touring. M5 is just too impractical, I borrowed a saloon and doing the same driving I was only getting 170 miles befre having to fill it up again, just a pain, and when the B5 will see 300 miles between fill ups I like I would take a bit of luxury over a bit of ballistic.
USB is retro fit-able as well. If you have bluetooth and nav then you probably have the module so just need £30 worth of cables and some coding, local Autologic dealer can code it in for you.
If not you need to replace your bluetooth module with the usb/bluetooth at around £500 and then code.
I had my 535d sport touring for a year and 22k miles. I loved it, only thing I would say is I only averaged 26mpg. This was a 2005 old block though, new one will see 30-35mpg.
I also had the heads up, this would be a must have for me now, I loved it.
I bought another M3 though and an A6 3.2 Avant, but if I could only have one car I would buy another E61 for sure, but do think I would get a 545i or 550i, or if I could find one an Alpina B5 touring. M5 is just too impractical, I borrowed a saloon and doing the same driving I was only getting 170 miles befre having to fill it up again, just a pain, and when the B5 will see 300 miles between fill ups I like I would take a bit of luxury over a bit of ballistic.
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