RE: BMW 535d Estate: Spotted
Discussion
It would be interesting to import an F11 M550d (LHD) or the latest G3x M550d with its 450odd bhp.
Brakes
My front discs lasted 95k miles and had two pads in that time
My rear discs are still going and should be on 150k with 3 pads. No scoring no vosavle lip nada.
Tyres my runclats fronts lasted 50k miles and the rears 45k+ incredible.
I like the parallel parking mode - well used it 5 times in over 4 years.
Brakes
My front discs lasted 95k miles and had two pads in that time
My rear discs are still going and should be on 150k with 3 pads. No scoring no vosavle lip nada.
Tyres my runclats fronts lasted 50k miles and the rears 45k+ incredible.
I like the parallel parking mode - well used it 5 times in over 4 years.
I have a 2013 F11 525d (2.0 engine with 218bhp) with the auto box, and is mapped up to 260bhp. On a recent run to Berlin, it cruised at 150 indicated mph on the autobahn without too much fuss. My spec highlights are VDC, Pano Roof and Comfort Seats. I too have the small nav (bluetooth streaming is present), no gearshift paddles (yet), and an even more beige interior than the 535d in the article (I have the matching dash top too, which doesn't reflect!). MPG wise it sits at 42 average, which is fine! Mine also has Eibach front springs, 18in BBS CK wheels, and the rear suspension is lowered by 20mm.
I have Carly, INPA and E-Sys for fault finding and coding, so pretty self-sufficient.
6 months and 4000 miles in to my stewardship, and I have to say it's a superb car in every respect. The interior is light and airy, the ride is comfortable in all modes (The have Eco, Comfort/+ and Sport/+), the seats are sublime, and my 6ft 4in 17 year old fits comfortable in the rear seats (unlike in my old E90 LCI). The boot (also beige carpets FFS) is plenty big for a family wagon.
It's the best car I've ever owned, and when the time comes, it's probably going to be a 7 series on the drive. I can't see anything else topping this.
I have Carly, INPA and E-Sys for fault finding and coding, so pretty self-sufficient.
6 months and 4000 miles in to my stewardship, and I have to say it's a superb car in every respect. The interior is light and airy, the ride is comfortable in all modes (The have Eco, Comfort/+ and Sport/+), the seats are sublime, and my 6ft 4in 17 year old fits comfortable in the rear seats (unlike in my old E90 LCI). The boot (also beige carpets FFS) is plenty big for a family wagon.
It's the best car I've ever owned, and when the time comes, it's probably going to be a 7 series on the drive. I can't see anything else topping this.
Chestrockwell said:
The thing is with these powerful diesels is that they have so much torque, it’s hard to stay at 70 on the motorway because you think you’re taking it easy and next thing you know, you’re on 85, then some plonker in a 1.0 fiesta decides to over take a middle lane hogger but stays at 70 while doing so, so you end up up his behind, foot on the brake and viola, you’re tailgating him! Then he takes forever to move so you get annoyed, floor it past him til someone else decides to do the same. Rinse and repeat.
See - BMW Motorway Bully
My XJRS used to sit (annoyingly) at 3000RPM at 80, right in the middle of it's substantial torque curve and geared to use it effectively, so the tiniest winciest flex or the toe would send it surging forward without any of the lag that a DBW turbo diesel sitting in 8th gear at 1800RPM would experience.See - BMW Motorway Bully
I still managed not to tailgate though. Not even when it was a 520d rattling along at 90 getting in the way.
I do agree that it does take self control not to end up doing hyper speed in a halfway powerful car on a clear motorway.
Heathrow said:
Late model F11 535d M-sport barge here. Slightly oddball spec - adaptive dampers, pano roof, Head-up display and towbar (!)
Just because you have rear PDC, doesn't mean that the person who would usually reverse into you, does. Towbar very useful for avoiding that! 
Edited by corcoran on Tuesday 20th November 14:12
Helicopter123 said:
Ares said:
Helicopter123 said:
Quite a few of these would have been lease cars hence very basic spec.
Not sure why lease cars are basic spec? Any leased car I've had, or seen has been the opposite?Ares said:
Again, not sure why that would indicate leased? Any leased car I've had, or seen has been the opposite? (i.e, plenty of extras, easier to factor in cost/mth)
Whilst you don't agree, many leased cars are at basic spec to keep the monthly costs down. If a "user chooser" has £xxx to spend per month, adding options can blow the budget. Many leasing companies will cost the options over the term of the lease. They don't believe there is any residual value in them. e.g. an option costing £2,400 will add an additional £100 per month to a 24 month lease. Some company car schemes I know dictate that the employee chooses the car, and any extras that the employee wants needs to be paid in full over the term of the lease by the employee. I think the only exception is metallic paint. You would really need to want those extras - but that's why lease cars generally have near-factory base spec.
Getting 39.8 mpg out of ours compared to the 43mpg we got out of the 14 plate 2.0d Audi A6
the BMW is also much nice to drive, partly the engine, but mostly the chassis and steering and how it responds to inputs, less roll yet more comfortable
its also Euro6 - so should be safe from the emissions police for a few years yet
the BMW is also much nice to drive, partly the engine, but mostly the chassis and steering and how it responds to inputs, less roll yet more comfortable
its also Euro6 - so should be safe from the emissions police for a few years yet
Wynn Duffy said:
The wife has a F11, its a so called poverty model 20d, it really can do 700 miles to a tank, something which the 535d will never be able to do in the real world, unless you coast everywhere, its hard enough to get 600 miles out of ours.
Its quick enough for her, got the bog standard Nav, we are planning on keeping it till it stops, so not bothered about the lack of large screen etc, we just plug the ipod into the USB port instead.
I would not buy a Sport Model without the VDC though, it makes a massive difference.
And its a 5 Series, although I keep calling it 'the Volvo' in reference to her old car, 850 T5, which we had for almost 20 years, as such it is a worthy successor, if not as mental.
ours usually says 600 - 640 miles range when filled up Its quick enough for her, got the bog standard Nav, we are planning on keeping it till it stops, so not bothered about the lack of large screen etc, we just plug the ipod into the USB port instead.
I would not buy a Sport Model without the VDC though, it makes a massive difference.
And its a 5 Series, although I keep calling it 'the Volvo' in reference to her old car, 850 T5, which we had for almost 20 years, as such it is a worthy successor, if not as mental.
Edited by custardkid on Tuesday 20th November 12:42
Had a F30 335D (DMS remap) previously and it was a car I respected a huge amount but never loved. At VMAX with a passenger and full tank it ran 4.1 seconds - 60mph, 10.5 seconds - 100mph and 167mph through the traps (still accelerating slowly), all recorded on a Vbox. It averaged 39 mpg over 16,000 miles of mixed and often very hard driving. It was hilariously rapid for a diesel saloon away from the lights (4.6 seconds - 60mph not using LC and just planting your foot) but man it was dull. It was a combination of the heavy engine up front blunting the handling if you were pushing on coupled with the complete lack of aural excitement from the engine (although also didn't have any of the aural displeasure of the 4 cylinders) and lack of drama owing to the xdrive system.
As a device to slot into your life and cover every base and probably leaving you a bit smug, hard to beat this 535D i suspect. As something in which to relish early morning drives and that makes you want to take the long way home, sorely lacking. I guess that was never the point of a big diesel estate car though.
As a device to slot into your life and cover every base and probably leaving you a bit smug, hard to beat this 535D i suspect. As something in which to relish early morning drives and that makes you want to take the long way home, sorely lacking. I guess that was never the point of a big diesel estate car though.
Ares said:
Helicopter123 said:
Ares said:
Helicopter123 said:
Quite a few of these would have been lease cars hence very basic spec.
Not sure why lease cars are basic spec? Any leased car I've had, or seen has been the opposite?GTEYE said:
Big GT said:
snake_oil said:
It's got the cheap nav. I'm out.
Why would that make a difference? Why is it missing some roads, does it not recognise Lincolnshire?
Great car. Personally i would go for the 530d or xf 3.0d s sportbrake.
Either way these are one of the very few irreplaceable cars due to there alround ability
It’s the question everyone will ask when you’re selling so beware.
Paco Jones said:
Not bad in a straight line, fantastic feeling of build quality, lots of space, lovely place to be, dull as ditchwater to drive, entices you to bully other people on the motorway, tells everyone you're a Tory f
ktard, makes all the other tw@ts at the golf club envious. Perfect for Pistonheads, sadly.
You must be a troll, surely nobody is that retarded and full of sktard, makes all the other tw@ts at the golf club envious. Perfect for Pistonheads, sadly.t? 
PH at it's finest! ^^^^Helicopter123 said:
Ares said:
Helicopter123 said:
Ares said:
Helicopter123 said:
Quite a few of these would have been lease cars hence very basic spec.
Not sure why lease cars are basic spec? Any leased car I've had, or seen has been the opposite?
...but no I'm not, My car is leased. The car before my last car was ex-lease, Mrs Ares car is ex-leased, and from 1994 to 2003 all my cars were (company) leased.
I do get point though, must just be different case by case (or dependant on extra). On my current car, each option added about 60% of its cost to the 4/yr monthly figure.
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