Which One???

[griff430]

Sadly, I think the time has come for me to give up my beloved TVR Griffith, due to the arrival of an additional family member....

I figure that I still need something fairly rapid, but obviously something with four seats and a bit of safety, so I've decided on a 5 Series BMW. I'm looking to spend about £13,000 to £15,000, and I don't want anything with less than 3 litres under the bonnet. At the same time, I'm obvously on a budget, so an M5 is out of the question, so I've kind of narrowed the search down to the 530 Sport, 530d Sport, or the 535 Sport. The trouble is, I can't decide which one. My sensible head says "get the the diesel", because of the obvious fuel economy. And if I were to go for the 530, the it would probably be the diesel option. However, my TVR/petrolhead, says "go for the 535 for the V8 noise/power". I know there is a serious fuel consumption issue, but after owning a TVR, that doesn't scare me. Apart from the obvious better 0-60 time, what is the mid-range power like on the 535? Is the torque much better than the 530d? Are there any other advantages to having a 535 over the 530 or 530d, like more kit as standard etc?

Please can somebody help me decide!?

Thanks,

Dan.

[XM5ER]

In all honesty if I were you I'd get the diesel and save up for something daft for the weekend. Alternatively the 540 will give you far more thrills than the 535 sport for similar outlay in petrol cash.

However, I drove a 530d sport a while back which I think was chipped slightly and to be frank it was damn near as fast as my e34 M5 and in everyday use probably was faster (ie you dont drive everywhere at the red line). Try one.

If you must get a petrol AND fuel consumption is important then get the 530 straight six which steers and handles better than the v8s (rack and pinion steering and a lighter front end). And the engine sounds glorious (imo).

[wingchundave]

540!

A friend of mine had a 540 and it was simply gorgeous.

[griff430]

Hmmmmm...... A 540.... That's thrown a whole new light on the subject. Apart from the extra performance (and fuel bill....), what else makes the 540 so good? Is it a 4 litre, or a 4.5 litre engine? has it got any extra toys?

Dan.

[Ashok]

Go for the M5 Dan! You know you want it and there are a bunch of good 'uns around at your price bracket. Have a look in the p/h classifieds section and also at m5board.com

[dcb]

griff430 said:

I've kind of narrowed the search down to the 530 Sport, 530d Sport, or the 535 Sport. The trouble is, I can't decide which one.

Drive a few of them. I've got a 530 SE and I'm very happy with it.

I drove a 530 sport and it was way too firm for me. You might like it.

I haven't driven a 530d, so can't comment on them.

Moving from the six cylinder 530 to the eight cylinder 535 will significantly increase the fuel consumption.

Is the extra fuel and insurance worth about half a second off the 0-60 time and about a second off the 0-100 time ?

griff430 said:

Are there any other advantages to having a 535 over the 530 or 530d, like more kit as standard etc?

Not that I know of. They are severely under specced in standard trim from the factory.

[griff430]

Thanks for all the advice/suggestions. Although I love the thought of a V8, the 530d is sounding like the sensible option.

Dan.

[XM5ER]

griff430 said:

Thanks for all the advice/suggestions. Although I love the thought of a V8, the 530d is sounding like the sensible option. Dan.

Chip it and you get more torque than an M5.

[richardp]

I bought a 2001 (E39) 530i Sport in March having had a Cerbera for 5 1/2 years. It feels reasonably powerful for a big saloon and I get 35/36 mpg on a long run and about 28 round town, which isn't bad for a 3 litre petrol. The engine is fantastically smooth right up to the red line.