5 Series Diesels - Which one?
Discussion
Hi all,
Due to a nasty incident with my Lotus and a bin lorry, and due to the fact me and MrsHeeed are expecting our first baby in the new year I've decided to take a step away from two seeters and am looking at a nice big comfortable 5 series.
I'm pretty much certain it's going to be a Diesel M Sport, but I'm totally confused by the model range and what the differences are both technically and in the real world between engines and specs.
I'll be looking at a maximum budget of £15K
Mileage isn't that much of an issue as long as it has full BMW service history.
Obviously the 535d M Sport is the preference but will I really notice the difference between that and the 530d?
And then there are the lower engines... I've been told they are easy to chip to gain more grunt but I'm still unsure.
Basically I'd appreciate a bit of clarity about the whole thing and perhaps some advice and suggestions as to whats the best option.
As far as MrsHeeed is concerned she wants the top notch spec list in terms of full leather, Pro Sat Nav etc.
Oh and it has to be an Auto.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Heeed
P.S.
If you want to see what a bin lorry does to a Lotus then check this out Ouch
I walked away somehow (With a little help from the air ambulance and paramedics) without any broken bones, but have got a badly mashed shoulder hence the desire for an auto.
Due to a nasty incident with my Lotus and a bin lorry, and due to the fact me and MrsHeeed are expecting our first baby in the new year I've decided to take a step away from two seeters and am looking at a nice big comfortable 5 series.
I'm pretty much certain it's going to be a Diesel M Sport, but I'm totally confused by the model range and what the differences are both technically and in the real world between engines and specs.
I'll be looking at a maximum budget of £15K
Mileage isn't that much of an issue as long as it has full BMW service history.
Obviously the 535d M Sport is the preference but will I really notice the difference between that and the 530d?
And then there are the lower engines... I've been told they are easy to chip to gain more grunt but I'm still unsure.
Basically I'd appreciate a bit of clarity about the whole thing and perhaps some advice and suggestions as to whats the best option.
As far as MrsHeeed is concerned she wants the top notch spec list in terms of full leather, Pro Sat Nav etc.
Oh and it has to be an Auto.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Heeed
P.S.
If you want to see what a bin lorry does to a Lotus then check this out Ouch
I walked away somehow (With a little help from the air ambulance and paramedics) without any broken bones, but have got a badly mashed shoulder hence the desire for an auto.
Blimey what a mess - glad to hear you're OKDon't know much about the diesels, but would personally go for a 530 or 535 rather than messing around with chips/etc - you'll always see a 530 and wish you had one instead - badge snobbery is a wonderful thing!
Don't see many 535's around, but that would be where my money went
Ouch!
I own a E60 530D M sport, took me 3 months to get the right spec one too.
I test drove a few 535's and a few 530's as the overall spec was more important to me, the 535 is very fast, however the 530 is no slouch, I have a DMS remap on mine now and it has a dyno proven 600nm torque and still returns 38mpg after some enthusiastic driving.
My budget was 16k and I got a 1 previous owner with full BMWSH, carbon black, adaptive bi-xenons, pro sat nav, logic 7, heated electric leather comfort seats and had only covered 38k.
Take your time finding the right one for you, there are loads to choose from, good luck.
I own a E60 530D M sport, took me 3 months to get the right spec one too.
I test drove a few 535's and a few 530's as the overall spec was more important to me, the 535 is very fast, however the 530 is no slouch, I have a DMS remap on mine now and it has a dyno proven 600nm torque and still returns 38mpg after some enthusiastic driving.
My budget was 16k and I got a 1 previous owner with full BMWSH, carbon black, adaptive bi-xenons, pro sat nav, logic 7, heated electric leather comfort seats and had only covered 38k.
Take your time finding the right one for you, there are loads to choose from, good luck.
Assume you'll get a touring to fit all the kiddie-stuff ?
Sounds like you want / need pretty much what I chose. 535d M Sport (They're all auto's), Full comms pack with pro-nav, voice control, bluetooth etc..., full leather. Other options that are handy are the Xenon lights (the halogen are ok, but a bit weak). Don't bother with a panoramic roof - they can rattle, leak and were a very expensive option (mine added £1800 iirc). If I specced mine again, it would have an auto rear load cover (with the manual one, when you lift the boot, the cover rises and you often forget to pull it down again, only realising when you've sat back in the drivers seat and can see naff all out the back), blinds are also useful for kids in rear, and the option to switch off front passenger airbag. Mine's done 210,000 now and still plodding along happily at 35mpg on the motorway, since I was recently encouraged to slow down a bit ;-)
Think it's now worth about £7k (only 17ppm depreciation so far !) - it's a lot of car for the money and would leave change for a bit of fun ----if you can find a similar high motorway mileage, FBMWSH car like mine
Sounds like you want / need pretty much what I chose. 535d M Sport (They're all auto's), Full comms pack with pro-nav, voice control, bluetooth etc..., full leather. Other options that are handy are the Xenon lights (the halogen are ok, but a bit weak). Don't bother with a panoramic roof - they can rattle, leak and were a very expensive option (mine added £1800 iirc). If I specced mine again, it would have an auto rear load cover (with the manual one, when you lift the boot, the cover rises and you often forget to pull it down again, only realising when you've sat back in the drivers seat and can see naff all out the back), blinds are also useful for kids in rear, and the option to switch off front passenger airbag. Mine's done 210,000 now and still plodding along happily at 35mpg on the motorway, since I was recently encouraged to slow down a bit ;-)
Think it's now worth about £7k (only 17ppm depreciation so far !) - it's a lot of car for the money and would leave change for a bit of fun ----if you can find a similar high motorway mileage, FBMWSH car like mine
Edited by juliann on Friday 8th October 11:51
Having driven both a 535d and a 530d (and the fact that we have a 530d in the household), I can say that the difference between the two is not as overwhelming as I imaginged.
I would say that a 530d is more than capable in standard form, and with a remap will be silly quick. I would say you would getter a better car (i.e. better spec and lower miles) looking for a 530d than the 535d for the same money.
Auto box is a joy to use, and with all that torque, it moves very vell for a big car.
End of the day, if you really want a 535d, go for it, but just dont get "sold" it becuase of the badge. In the real world, day to day motoring, I think you would be hard pressed to really feel the benefit of 535d over a 530d.
I would say that a 530d is more than capable in standard form, and with a remap will be silly quick. I would say you would getter a better car (i.e. better spec and lower miles) looking for a 530d than the 535d for the same money.
Auto box is a joy to use, and with all that torque, it moves very vell for a big car.
End of the day, if you really want a 535d, go for it, but just dont get "sold" it becuase of the badge. In the real world, day to day motoring, I think you would be hard pressed to really feel the benefit of 535d over a 530d.
OMG you were lucky ! Lorry versus Lotus is not a fair contest - glad you are OK 'ish ....
FWIW I drive 530d's at work and have recently changed car from a Z4M Roadster to a 320d auto coupe .
I tried a 335d and found it no quicker feeling than a 530d ... Although it obviously is when you look at the speedo the 530d feels 'quick enough'.
I can't comment for a 520d but found the 320d was OK enough for me at the moment - and that comes from someone who has had a string of quick cars. Even a 520d is low 8's to 60. None of the diesels are slow but the 530d is a superb car and you should find it OK enough for 'normal' driving at 7 secs to 60.
FWIW I drive 530d's at work and have recently changed car from a Z4M Roadster to a 320d auto coupe .
I tried a 335d and found it no quicker feeling than a 530d ... Although it obviously is when you look at the speedo the 530d feels 'quick enough'.
I can't comment for a 520d but found the 320d was OK enough for me at the moment - and that comes from someone who has had a string of quick cars. Even a 520d is low 8's to 60. None of the diesels are slow but the 530d is a superb car and you should find it OK enough for 'normal' driving at 7 secs to 60.
Nothing's as fast as a chipped 35d, but I also am a big fan of the chipped E60 530d with Auto which we've had for a few years now. Sublime cruiser and great on a B road blast as well and the autobox is simply brilliant IMO.
Only issue we've had is the swirl flaps, which I believe is not an issue on later cars and is actually cheaply preventable on the earlier ones (new inlet manifold). Not a cheap fix if they fail though.
Thoroughly suggest you get a test drive to see if it suits you. Practicality is also good, we fit a large buggy & plenty of gear in the boot and you can still fit 5 in the car with a baby seat.
Only issue we've had is the swirl flaps, which I believe is not an issue on later cars and is actually cheaply preventable on the earlier ones (new inlet manifold). Not a cheap fix if they fail though.
Thoroughly suggest you get a test drive to see if it suits you. Practicality is also good, we fit a large buggy & plenty of gear in the boot and you can still fit 5 in the car with a baby seat.
GR4 said:
Other thing to consider (I have recently been checking on here myself) is that there was a mid life update for the 2007 model year. More power, better auto box, and improvements to lights & trim. Not much more than your budget gets you into the lower end of this territory.
I've driven both pre and post 'facelift' .... the extra power is not really noticeable at all and the 'newer' auto box I found is programmed in a way I ddn't like - it seems to want to use the torque more than change down which gives the car a slower feeling. On the plus side the suspension with runflats seemed better than the previous version (SE - not tried M sport). Trim was a bit better but hardly noticeable really.FWIW I have driven probably all the variations of 530d since it came out. There has been a fair number of tweaks to the handling and suspension - try one but do not assume the next will be the same ! Try a few and see which one you like ... they are all sure to vary
Blimey that's a shocking accident and a good illustration to all of us of how you can be involved in a serious collision through absolutely no fault of your own. Glad the OP is relatively unharmed, that could have been so much worse. Would be interested to know of the outcome when the bin wagon has been properly scrutinised, the prospect of total loss of steering in one of those is alarming to say the least.
All the BMW diesels are very good in their own right so whether you get a 520 or a 535 you can't really go wrong. I have the 35d lump in an X3 and it's great, very smooth power delivery for a diesel. Does it have to be a diesel though, presumably if coming from a Lotus you weren't doing mega miles? You should check out a 530i as it won't be wallet crippling on fuel and would surely be more satisfying than a diesel, especially having come from an Elise.
All the BMW diesels are very good in their own right so whether you get a 520 or a 535 you can't really go wrong. I have the 35d lump in an X3 and it's great, very smooth power delivery for a diesel. Does it have to be a diesel though, presumably if coming from a Lotus you weren't doing mega miles? You should check out a 530i as it won't be wallet crippling on fuel and would surely be more satisfying than a diesel, especially having come from an Elise.
We run a 535d SE touring from 2004 until 2008 as a 2nd car, fully optioned with everything and delivered new to me at a cost of 54k. In all honesty it was and remains one of the best cars we ever owned and I have run most things. As for power there is very little in the real world of everyday motoring that comes close, at the time we were also running a new bentley GT and following my wife up the A303 to London it was amazing how hard I had to rev the Gt to keep up with the 535d. On the subject of the Panoramic roof its a great but expensive option new, and 3 days before the warranty was up ours leaked and filled the boot with water, ruining amplifer, audio and TV equipment in the boot resulting in a warranty bill which included replacing the whole roof of 5k! so we had a lucky escape there, the rear tyres are a frequent cost every 10,000 miles and they wear terrible on the inside, rear pads are frequent as well ( something to do with the torque and DSC) Adaptive steering was excellent and good if you are in the town, Dynamic drive was worth the money, The Tv never got used once and neither did the heated rear seats, heated steering wheel was great in the winter as was Logic 7 Hi-Fi, power bootlid is great but troublesome (3 seperate warranty claims for that) Ventilated seats never got used, Xenons are worthwhile, Comfort seats are also supurb, having owned a 530d touring and a 530i touring the 535d will be very rewarding prospect, the ultimate Q car
dazzalse said:
We run a 535d SE touring from 2004 until 2008 as a 2nd car, fully optioned with everything and delivered new to me at a cost of 54k. In all honesty it was and remains one of the best cars we ever owned and I have run most things. As for power there is very little in the real world of everyday motoring that comes close, at the time we were also running a new bentley GT and following my wife up the A303 to London it was amazing how hard I had to rev the Gt to keep up with the 535d. On the subject of the Panoramic roof its a great but expensive option new, and 3 days before the warranty was up ours leaked and filled the boot with water, ruining amplifer, audio and TV equipment in the boot resulting in a warranty bill which included replacing the whole roof of 5k! so we had a lucky escape there, the rear tyres are a frequent cost every 10,000 miles and they wear terrible on the inside, rear pads are frequent as well ( something to do with the torque and DSC) Adaptive steering was excellent and good if you are in the town, Dynamic drive was worth the money, The Tv never got used once and neither did the heated rear seats, heated steering wheel was great in the winter as was Logic 7 Hi-Fi, power bootlid is great but troublesome (3 seperate warranty claims for that) Ventilated seats never got used, Xenons are worthwhile, Comfort seats are also supurb, having owned a 530d touring and a 530i touring the 535d will be very rewarding prospect, the ultimate Q car
That's one hell of a spec and someone ended up with a very good 2nd hand buy All i can say, from a 335d prospective; the 335d and the 330d aren't too dissimilar. Having driven both and also following a 330d coupe in my 335d coupe flat out; the 335d does have the legs but it's quite subtle. In gear acceleration, it's pretty damm rapid though.
Why not just get a really high spec 530d and de-badge, i don't think there's much visual difference on the 5-er? Unlike the 335d twin pipes etc. Both excellent engineering examples considering what can be achieved. A brilliant all round package. Even for me, in my coupe, with 2 kids, a brilliant family car.
Thanks for the info guys.
MrsHeeed and I have pretty much decided we're gonna go for a 530d M Sport rather than the 535. THis way what we would spend extra on getting a 535 we can put to getting as much spec as possible from a 530.
INterestingly I went to the local BMW dealer yesterday to see if they could help and was told that "They are rare cars and I'd struggle to find one" then was shown a whole host of stuff I want really interested in culminating in 325i SE with M Sport Interior and full spec for £12995.
Needless to say we'll be looking at the non-main dealer market and have already found a car pretty local that I want MrsHeed to see and hopefully take for a drive later today. Unfortunately its not an M Sport but at the very least it will give her an idea of what one's like - just a shame I'm not up to driving yet.
One bit of interesting investigation I did last night lead me to Big Motoring World in Kent. They seem to have a fair few 530s and 535s on their forecourt. After doing a bit more research on them it seems they acquire most of their stock from BCA So having checked on that site I found a fair few cars that are obvioulsy straight from fleet. Mileages seem to be decent as do service historys. So should I pass these on to a close friend in the motor trade and ask him to go take a look (He's about to open a specialist second hand BMW garage and knows what to look for etc)? I'm thinking I could get a lot of car for my budget.
I know that what ever I get from an Auction will no doubt need a service, tyres and possibly brakes, but if the buying price is low enough I can budget for the service etc in order to make the car spot on from the word go.
Am interested in anyones thoughts.
Cheers
Heeed
MrsHeeed and I have pretty much decided we're gonna go for a 530d M Sport rather than the 535. THis way what we would spend extra on getting a 535 we can put to getting as much spec as possible from a 530.
INterestingly I went to the local BMW dealer yesterday to see if they could help and was told that "They are rare cars and I'd struggle to find one" then was shown a whole host of stuff I want really interested in culminating in 325i SE with M Sport Interior and full spec for £12995.
Needless to say we'll be looking at the non-main dealer market and have already found a car pretty local that I want MrsHeed to see and hopefully take for a drive later today. Unfortunately its not an M Sport but at the very least it will give her an idea of what one's like - just a shame I'm not up to driving yet.
One bit of interesting investigation I did last night lead me to Big Motoring World in Kent. They seem to have a fair few 530s and 535s on their forecourt. After doing a bit more research on them it seems they acquire most of their stock from BCA So having checked on that site I found a fair few cars that are obvioulsy straight from fleet. Mileages seem to be decent as do service historys. So should I pass these on to a close friend in the motor trade and ask him to go take a look (He's about to open a specialist second hand BMW garage and knows what to look for etc)? I'm thinking I could get a lot of car for my budget.
I know that what ever I get from an Auction will no doubt need a service, tyres and possibly brakes, but if the buying price is low enough I can budget for the service etc in order to make the car spot on from the word go.
Am interested in anyones thoughts.
Cheers
Heeed
Pumpkinheeed said:
One bit of interesting investigation I did last night lead me to a certain big motor dealer in Kent.
Interesting link...Edited by theboss on Sunday 10th October 18:52
theboss said:
Pumpkinheeed said:
One bit of interesting investigation I did last night lead me to a certain big motor dealer in Kent.
Interesting link...Edited by theboss on Sunday 10th October 18:52
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