Buying advice F30 330d/335d and F10 530/535d

[A320Pilot]

Hello everyone,

I am hoping to get some advice from all you BMW owners and fonts of knowledge.

I am currently driving a 2011 VW Passat CC and to give it its dues, its been a great car; I bought it when it was 4yrs old and now seems like a good time to move it on as i'm starting to see niggles with it.

In theory I would like to downsize and I like the exterior look of the 3 series but not a massive fan of the interior, but I have my heart set on a 5 series which should be of similar size to my current car and I like both exterior and interior though I'm not sure we really need that size any more. I have also read that the build quality of the 5 series interior is far superior to that of the 3 series. What I definitely know i DO want is performance so I am looking at the 30/35d engines; i'd like something which will be fun to drive and will pin me to my seat when I want it to.

My plan is to change my car in favour of a 3/5 series on PCP, as I change my vehicle every 3yrs or so; makes more sense.

So my questions are as follows:

- Is the ride quality very dissimilar between the 3 and 5 series M-Sport models?
- Does the 3 series being lighter make it 'much' quicker than a 5 series if you are comparing the same engines i.e. 330d vs 530d?
- What should I be looking for if looking to buy a 2-3yr old 3/5 series in terms of faults or common problems?
- Is there anything anyone would recommend to try and get included/discounted as part of a deal?

Ultimately I will need to make an appointment with my local dealer however, I don't want to go in and seem like a waste of time wanting to look at a few models and them become uninterested in helping. Would be good to get some views so I can be forearmed. Any other advice for someone who hasn't owned a BMW before would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Chestrockwell]

A320Pilot said:

Hello everyone,

I am hoping to get some advice from all you BMW owners and fonts of knowledge.

I am currently driving a 2011 VW Passat CC and to give it its dues, its been a great car; I bought it when it was 4yrs old and now seems like a good time to move it on as i'm starting to see niggles with it.

In theory I would like to downsize and I like the exterior look of the 3 series but not a massive fan of the interior, but I have my heart set on a 5 series which should be of similar size to my current car and I like both exterior and interior though I'm not sure we really need that size any more. I have also read that the build quality of the 5 series interior is far superior to that of the 3 series. What I definitely know i DO want is performance so I am looking at the 30/35d engines; i'd like something which will be fun to drive and will pin me to my seat when I want it to.

My plan is to change my car in favour of a 3/5 series on PCP, as I change my vehicle every 3yrs or so; makes more sense.

So my questions are as follows:

- Is the ride quality very dissimilar between the 3 and 5 series M-Sport models?
- Does the 3 series being lighter make it 'much' quicker than a 5 series if you are comparing the same engines i.e. 330d vs 530d?
- What should I be looking for if looking to buy a 2-3yr old 3/5 series in terms of faults or common problems?
- Is there anything anyone would recommend to try and get included/discounted as part of a deal?

Ultimately I will need to make an appointment with my local dealer however, I don't want to go in and seem like a waste of time wanting to look at a few models and them become uninterested in helping. Would be good to get some views so I can be forearmed. Any other advice for someone who hasn't owned a BMW before would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

I have a 430d GC (basically a 330d) and I have driven my friends F10 520d, both M sport and both on 19 inch wheels.

The 5 series rides a lot better, it’s a lot more comfortable, more spacious with better seats, I actually the prefer the interior of the 4 series as it’s more driver focused, you sit lower and everything is closer, it basically feels more engaging.

In terms of what is quicker, I don’t think the difference could be noticed as the models you’re looking at have a boat load of torque which can mask the weight penalty of the 5. Another thing would be a 330d will feel quicker than a 535d even if it isn’t, the 5 series is a car made for comfort and refinement so it won’t ‘feel’ as quick.

For perspective, I drove 4 of my friends to Manchester in my car, 4 grown men, 150kg extra give or take and the only time I felt the weight affecting the performance was when accelerating from 0, once you’re moving, say 30mph, there was hardly any difference. I think you should forget about what’s quicker and what isnt as both are powerful diesels with more power than needed. If you were comparing petrol models, then I’d say the 335i is a lot quicker.

If you drive a 330d and a 530d/35d, preferring the 330d but don’t like the ride of the 330d, the 335d x drives don’t come with M sport suspension so it will be a lot more comfortable.

In terms of problems, I’ve had my car 2 years and I haven’t any major issues, small niggles replaced under warranty, some of which I wouldn’t have bothered with if it was out of warranty.

The main thing here is you deciding to go down the PCP route, it’s not a good idea buying a used car on PCP, last time I checked, BMW FS interest rates were 9.9% plus the additional mark up on the car as it’s approved used. I bought mine from BMW using a personal loan at 2%.

And of course, if you’re after the new G30 5 Series, it shouldn’t even be debates as the new model is a new generation BMW that’s miles ahead in every respect, including the engine’s.

Edited by Chestrockwell on Sunday 13th January 19:46

[A320Pilot]

Chestrockwell said:

I have a 430d GC (basically a 330d) and I have driven my friends F10 520d, both M sport and both on 19 inch wheels.

The 5 series rides a lot better, it’s a lot more comfortable, more spacious with better seats, I actually the prefer the interior of the 4 series as it’s more driver focused, you sit lower and everything is closer, it basically feels more engaging.

In terms of what is quicker, I don’t think the difference could be noticed as the models you’re looking at have a boat load of torque which can mask the weight penalty of the 5. Another thing would be a 330d will feel quicker than a 535d even if it isn’t, the 5 series is a car made for comfort and refinement so it won’t ‘feel’ as quick.

For perspective, I drove 4 of my friends to Manchester in my car, 4 grown men, 150kg extra give or take and the only time I felt the weight affecting the performance was when accelerating from 0, once you’re moving, say 30mph, there was hardly any difference. I think you should forget about what’s quicker and what isnt as both are powerful diesels with more power than needed. If you were comparing petrol models, then I’d say the 335i is a lot quicker.

If you drive a 330d and a 530d/35d, preferring the 330d but don’t like the ride of the 330d, the 335d x drives don’t come with M sport suspension so it will be a lot more comfortable.

In terms of problems, I’ve had my car 2 years and I haven’t any major issues, small niggles replaced under warranty, some of which I wouldn’t have bothered with if it was out of warranty.

The main thing here is you deciding to go down the PCP route, it’s not a good idea buying a used car on PCP, last time I checked, BMW FS interest rates were 9.9% plus the additional mark up on the car as it’s approved used. I bought mine from BMW using a personal loan at 2%.

And of course, if you’re after the new G30 5 Series, it shouldn’t even be debates as the new model is a new generation BMW that’s miles ahead in every respect, including the engine’s.

Edited by Chestrockwell on Sunday 13th January 19:46

Thank you for your reply; much appreciated and some good points there. As far as BMW are concerned, this will be a cash deal. We use a specific finance house to finance a small pool fleet for our business so we will be using their finance options.

Sounds like I need to maybe have a sit in both to begin with and then drive one/other or both. One gripe I do have is that the 3 series has a manual handbrake which I find a bit old fashioned. I haven't used one of them for years; if it had an electronic one i'd perhaps be more eager to look at the 3 series.

Your comment regarding the 335d not coming with m-sport suspension; does this also apply to the m-sport model or non m-sport only? And does not having the m-sport suspension set-up have a detrimental effect on the drive quality? Sounds like it would be a firmer ride....

[Smuler]

There must be you tube tutorials on how to use a handbrake
335d is Xdrive aka 4 wheel drive on all iterations and lots of threads about it’s lack of M Sport suspension (on all iterations) and it sitting higher.
I’d say getting adaptive dampers and 18 inch rims and non run flat tires make a 3 series a lot more comfortable. Probably not more than a 5 with same variables , but may be sufficient if you prefer it from other perspectives.
If you’re looking at 2-3 years old and want an extra , ask for a 2nd year warranty. All BMW Approved Used come with 1 year as standard, unless they are new enough to still have greater than a year remaining of the manufacturers 3 year warranty.
The warranty will cover you for known faults.
I don’t know the common faults , but try and dig into history of the car/s you like and see if any issues occurred. I subscribe to the view past performance predicts future performance so for example with my 335 I picked one with no problems and it had only injectors go wrong (under warranty) until I sold @ 85k miles.

[Pica-Pica]

The manual lever parking brake is not a hassle at all, a welcome common-sense facility.
The 335d M sport has standard suspension. Mine has 19” runflats and is fine without adaptive suspension.

See also

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...