BMW 5 Series 2.0 M Sport Diesel

[muff666]

Hi

I'm hoping to buy a BMW 520D M sport E60 model. I have bottom money for one so would of done 120k or so. I was wondering if there is anything i should look out for when purshasing one, ive read that there great cars but am aware of the highish milege. Any help would be great.

many thanks

[carlejo]

I can't comment on mileage or anything helpful really but I just picked up mine last saturday......58 plate 520d m sport, space grey, it's very, very nice.... 72 k
The only thing I don't like about it the lack of decent stereo and you can't really do a lot about it as the main head unit is connected to the idrive system.
I've have bluetooth which is very handy and the ride is very good, feels planted to the ground and a much better drive than my 02 plate e46 325 sport I just got rid of.

I've just completed 320 miles from full tank and I have just a little over half a tank left!!
Plenty of power without really needing to drive it hard to get from A to B, I must be getting old.

In summary I love it, i would have loved the 535d but couldn't justify an older car with more mileage, although I've heard the power the have is unspeakable!!

I like the RFL and the MPG......can't beat it.

Enjoy

[Fox-]

I don't see the point in bottom of the market 520d's.

You buy a 520d because you want low running costs. But a 120k mile bottom of the market E60 with no warranty will simply replace your fuel costs with repair bills instead, making it a fundamentally pointless buy.

[daemon]

Fox- said:

I don't see the point in bottom of the market 520d's.

You buy a 520d because you want low running costs. But a 120k mile bottom of the market E60 with no warranty will simply replace your fuel costs with repair bills instead, making it a fundamentally pointless buy.

Conversely a 120K 520d will use less fuel than a 120K 530d which will not only cost more to buy, but you'll have similar or greater running costs.

So a 120K mile 520d will have low running costs - compared to say a 120K mile 530d

[PJ S]

muff666 said:

I'm hoping to buy a BMW 520D M sport E60 model. I have bottom money for one so would of done 120k or so. I was wondering if there is anything i should look out for when purshasing one, ive read that there great cars but am aware of the highish milege. Any help would be great.

Don't be too fixated on that model - 525d or petrol variants could be just as cost effective.
If you go petrol, you'd want manual to gain the extra 6-8 mpg over auto.

[Mr E Driver]

carlejo said:

The only thing I don't like about it the lack of decent stereo and you can't really do a lot about it as the main head unit is connected to the idrive system.

When I bought my E92 the first thing I noticed was the rubbish sound, I couldn't believe how a top manufacturer would install such a rubbish system.

After a bit of googling I discovered it was the rubbish speakers and overworked amps that were to blame and that BMW have an Alpine upgrade for around £300 ish as it was a couple of years ago.... duly bought and a local ICE company fitted another amp, speakers in the door and A pillar door corner speakers and it has transformed the sound, well worth the extra for me.

Maybe there is a replacement kit for the 5 series?

[Fox-]

daemon said:

Conversely a 120K 520d will use less fuel than a 120K 530d which will not only cost more to buy, but you'll have similar or greater running costs.

So a 120K mile 520d will have low running costs - compared to say a 120K mile 530d

I think the alternative is 'something else' not a 530d of the same mileage/vintage.

[va1o]

Why does it have to be an M-Sport? Surely a lower mileage and better condition SE for the same money would be batter buy, no?

[Neil.D]

This months total BMW have a 520d buying guide which may help.

[Kong]

Fox- said:

I think the alternative is 'something else' not a 530d of the same mileage/vintage.

If the man wants a E60 M-Sport on a budget whos to say he shouldn't have one? I leggy 520d is hardly going to be the most expensive car to run.

Besides i don't see why it should need that many repairs. Chances are at 120k much of it will have been easy motorway work. Ok a set of injectors won't be far away and maybe a turbo, but after that i don't see why it wouldn't sail up to 200k without major issue.

[Fox-]

Kong said:

If the man wants a E60 M-Sport on a budget whos to say he shouldn't have one?

Whats the point if he's on a budget only to then blow said budget replacing turbos and idrive systems and whatnot?

[Kong]

Fox- said:

Kong said:

If the man wants a E60 M-Sport on a budget whos to say he shouldn't have one?

Whats the point if he's on a budget only to then blow said budget replacing turbos and idrive systems and whatnot?

Because he wants an E60 M-Sport, therefore 'something else' misses the point!

[Fox-]

Kong said:

Because he wants an E60 M-Sport, therefore 'something else' misses the point!

Perhaps he doesn't realise that he'll spend his fuel savings fixing it?

I want an E60 M5, but I dont drive one because guess what, purchase price isn't the only thing about running car..

Just seems pointless - the 520d is the eco-model, there is nothing eco about a bottom of the market 5 Series, they are just money pits. Therefore rendering the concept of a 520d pointless. Heck he'd probably be better off just getting a 530i. At least the turbo wont fail.

You admit a set of injectors wont be far away and maybe a turbo. Thats £2k right there! Bet he wont be saving £2k in fuel costs...

Edited by Fox- on Sunday 29th May 15:24

[Kong]

Fox- said:

Kong said:

Because he wants an E60 M-Sport, therefore 'something else' misses the point!

Perhaps he doesn't realise that he'll spend his fuel savings fixing it?

I want an E60 M5, but I dont drive one because guess what, purchase price isn't the only thing about running car..

Just seems pointless - the 520d is the eco-model, there is nothing eco about a bottom of the market 5 Series, they are just money pits. Therefore rendering the concept of a 520d pointless. Heck he'd probably be better off just getting a 530i. At least the turbo wont fail.

You admit a set of injectors wont be far away and maybe a turbo. Thats £2k right there! Bet he wont be saving £2k in fuel costs...

But we don't know his circumstances. Maybe he only has £XXXX to buy the car with but will have the money to maintain it, perhaps he does a big mileage, perhaps he doesnt need extra performance.

If you use my (very rough) example above, buy a 520d (50mpg) at 120k and £2000 of turbo/injectors will take it to 200k. A 530i (30mpg) would cost approx £6000 extra in petrol, more to tax, more to insure, more in depreciation and thats assuming nothing breaks on that either. Unless the i-drive is something which is more likely to break with mileage then, engine aside i don't see why one is more likely to give you trouble than another - whatever age/mileage it is. You should know this, hasn't your E39 been to the moon and back?

You say the 520d is the 'eco' model. But it does everything else the same as the other models and 160bhp is enough to make progress.

[Fox-]

Depreciation? A 5 Series with 200k miles is worthless irrespective of the engine. And if you think you can put 80,000 miles on a 5 Series replacing only the injectors and turbo you are way off. It'll need a complete suspension overhaul in that period as well at the very least, and thats just preventative stuff not allowing for any other failures!

These cars are too complex for the bottom of the market ones to be worth bothering with anymore. The money you save on purchase price you end up blowing elsewhere anyway.

Buy a nice one with a nice warranty. Or buy a Ford Mondeo. Or buy the 520d but realise it's going to cost you a lot of money to keep. Enough money that really, if you can afford it, you can do better than the bottom of the market stuff.

[Kong]

Fox- said:

Depreciation? A 5 Series with 200k miles is worthless irrespective of the engine. And if you think you can put 80,000 miles on a 5 Series replacing only the injectors and turbo you are way off. It'll need a complete suspension overhaul in that period as well at the very least, and thats just preventative stuff not allowing for any other failures!

I meant £2000 injectors/turbo OVER AND ABOVE the cost of maintaining the petrol version. You cant say one car will cost lots and another won't when its the same car! It also depends on condition, i bought my Z4 on 90k, 25k hard miles later and its hardly needed anything. I'm sure the OP is aware that a 120k BMW 5 series will cost more to run than a Mondeo, give him some credit. The problem with doing that is that you end up with a Mondeo.

Re: depreciation, im not saying it will be significant. But a 200k 520d will be worth more than a 200k 530i. My point is that it all adds up.

I totally understand what you are saying, i just think you're scaremongering a little. If you were talking about an E60 M5 with 120k on the clock then i would agree.

[Fox-]

Ah but you drive a Z4.

I'd happily buy a 120k mile Z4. I dont think its the scary prospect a bottom of the market E60 is at all. It's one of the last of the more simple cars..

[daemon]

Fox- said:

daemon said:

Conversely a 120K 520d will use less fuel than a 120K 530d which will not only cost more to buy, but you'll have similar or greater running costs.

So a 120K mile 520d will have low running costs - compared to say a 120K mile 530d

I think the alternative is 'something else' not a 530d of the same mileage/vintage.

Who says?

[Fox-]

I am clearly mistaken. A bottom of the market 530d does infact have Toyota Hilux rivalling reliability and will be 100% dependable and never give you a bill. Infact they are such as astonishing value it's a wonder anyone buys anything but a bottom of the market E60. A totally risk free purchase ideally suited to those on a budget.

[daemon]

Fox- said:

I am clearly mistaken. A bottom of the market 530d does infact have Toyota Hilux rivalling reliability and will be 100% dependable and never give you a bill. Infact they are such as astonishing value it's a wonder anyone buys anything but a bottom of the market E60. A totally risk free purchase ideally suited to those on a budget.

Alternatively you could stop behaving like a cock (again) and maybe accept that the guy really wants an e60, likes the M Sport variants and quite fancies the most popular variant?

I'm sure he'll do his homework on running costs before he takes the plunge.