BMW 5 320d se- any reason not to buy?
BMW 5 320d se- any reason not to buy?
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Discussion

Tall_martin

Original Poster:

63 posts

90 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
First time post, a longtime lurker on here

I’m looking at a 2012 plate BMW 320d see.

Anything to watch out for on a 20,000 mile car?

Specifically that’s not a huge amount of miles on a 6 year old diesel car- will it have killed the engine/ dpf filter? If so, is it worth fixing? I kept last car 10 years and my wife has had hers a similar amount of time, so we are in it for the long haul.

We would be doing 15k per year.

I've had a Honda civic estate for the last 3 years and it has pretty much confirmed I never drive at 10 tenths so however much I want a civic type r, it will be completely wasted on me for 99% of the time.

Cheers for any suggestions :-)

S54Love

155 posts

104 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
3000 miles pa is pretty low for a diesel, I'd be worried if I am honest.

Any reason for opting for a low mileage car? I'd expect that you're also paying a premium for these lower miles too, hence I'd look at a newer one with more miles on it.

Something like this might be better:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or for slightly more you could get a 520d:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Both are Euro6 compliant, something which I don't think a 2012 320d would be.

sparks_E46

12,738 posts

233 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
Would I fk by a diesel with that little mileage. Not driving them is the worst thing you can do.

Wombat3

14,285 posts

226 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
BMW N47 engine.

Avoid.

Tall_martin

Original Poster:

63 posts

90 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
Thanks for that, Low miles =less likely to go wrong?
Mostly it's seening a 20,000 mile car when the other ones in the same price bracket were up to 90,000 for similar age with the bigger engines

Tall_martin

Original Poster:

63 posts

90 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
Wombat3 said:
BMW N47 engine.

Avoid.
Is it all the 3 and 5 series with that engine that have the possibility if chain problems, or just some years?

Some of the bits I've read suggest the problems stopped at 2009

bearman68

4,903 posts

152 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
At 20k miles it's gonna be fine. I know it's got a N47 engine with timing trouble. and a DPF, and a DMF, and all sorts of other expensive initials. Buy it, drive it until it reaches 80k and sell it. Under those circumstances I would be surprised if there's too much that will go terribly wrong.

kurokawa

662 posts

128 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
Tall_martin said:
First time post, a longtime lurker on here

I’m looking at a 2012 plate BMW 320d see.

Anything to watch out for on a 20,000 mile car?

Specifically that’s not a huge amount of miles on a 6 year old diesel car- will it have killed the engine/ dpf filter? If so, is it worth fixing? I kept last car 10 years and my wife has had hers a similar amount of time, so we are in it for the long haul.

We would be doing 15k per year.

I've had a Honda civic estate for the last 3 years and it has pretty much confirmed I never drive at 10 tenths so however much I want a civic type r, it will be completely wasted on me for 99% of the time.

Cheers for any suggestions :-)
a friend of mine who use LCI E91 as cab, his timing chain snap at around 170k mile
BMW quote about 1500, and you could get it done by independent garage less than 800
20000 mile for 8 year old car is low, but DPF regen depended on temperature, my first diesel have 160k mile in 6 years life and never have a DPF problem, my 2nd diesel done less than 30k mile in 4 years no DPF problem as it is mostly used in long motorway trip, a low milage old car may not be city driving, it could simply be a less use car
i would test drive it, blocked DPF would have some significant symptoms