E61 BMW 550i Touring
Discussion
My car history goes as follows:
Fiat Cinquecento Sporting (no picture but yellow)
VW Golf GTI 16v (mk 3)
E46 BMW 330i Sport Touring
As much as I loved the 330 (facelift, good spec, 6 speed manual), after two children I had outgrown it a bit and started looking around for alternatives. An E61 5 series seemed logical and so I bought a 2009 530i M Sport Touring.
It was a good car, but after the E46 it felt a bit sensible.
Then a year ago I got my wife a Fiat 500, which relieved my car of midweek duties ferrying the children around. Fuel consumption, particularly in town, no longer became such an issue.
My internet searches remained in place and the other day up popped an LCI well-specced 550i Touring with 108,000 miles on the clock. I hastily did the deal, of my 530i plus some more in cash, and I am now the very happy owner of this carbon black 550i (with apologies for (a) the rubbish iPhone pictures and (b) the dirty car - it needs a good clean).
New and old
The bad stuff
The front bumper needs repainting, which I will arrange to be done.
The electric adjustment to the thigh support on the driver’s seat has gone, which is a common fault. Hardly major, and have ordered a new metal cog for the inside of the mechanism to replace the plastic one that has probably broken. Apparently the job is a bit fiddly.
The fuse for the comfort access (keyless entry) had been removed by the previous owner. I know why – it is draining the battery. I may see if someone can pinpoint the exact issue within the system but for the moment I have removed the fuse again.
Spec-wise all I miss is DAB radio, but can do that through my phone if necessary.
Some worn out buttons on the dash.
The good stuff
THE ENGINE. Power, torque, noise, speed, refinement, smooth delivery – it is all there.
The spec:
Carbon black
Champagne leather
Panoramic roof
Comfort seats with memory
Heated front seats
Active backrests
Digital TV
Head up display
The later CIC iDrive
Logic 7 hifi
Adaptive Xenons
Active cruise control
Removable towbar
Comfort access
Electric tailgate
Soft close doors
172M 19 inch alloys on non run-flats
Privacy glass
I have only done about 90 miles in it so far, but I have a longer drive in store this weekend. Excellent to drive and the comfort seats are very aptly named. I am a very happy camper.
Fiat Cinquecento Sporting (no picture but yellow)
VW Golf GTI 16v (mk 3)
E46 BMW 330i Sport Touring
As much as I loved the 330 (facelift, good spec, 6 speed manual), after two children I had outgrown it a bit and started looking around for alternatives. An E61 5 series seemed logical and so I bought a 2009 530i M Sport Touring.
It was a good car, but after the E46 it felt a bit sensible.
Then a year ago I got my wife a Fiat 500, which relieved my car of midweek duties ferrying the children around. Fuel consumption, particularly in town, no longer became such an issue.
My internet searches remained in place and the other day up popped an LCI well-specced 550i Touring with 108,000 miles on the clock. I hastily did the deal, of my 530i plus some more in cash, and I am now the very happy owner of this carbon black 550i (with apologies for (a) the rubbish iPhone pictures and (b) the dirty car - it needs a good clean).
New and old
The bad stuff
The front bumper needs repainting, which I will arrange to be done.
The electric adjustment to the thigh support on the driver’s seat has gone, which is a common fault. Hardly major, and have ordered a new metal cog for the inside of the mechanism to replace the plastic one that has probably broken. Apparently the job is a bit fiddly.
The fuse for the comfort access (keyless entry) had been removed by the previous owner. I know why – it is draining the battery. I may see if someone can pinpoint the exact issue within the system but for the moment I have removed the fuse again.
Spec-wise all I miss is DAB radio, but can do that through my phone if necessary.
Some worn out buttons on the dash.
The good stuff
THE ENGINE. Power, torque, noise, speed, refinement, smooth delivery – it is all there.
The spec:
Carbon black
Champagne leather
Panoramic roof
Comfort seats with memory
Heated front seats
Active backrests
Digital TV
Head up display
The later CIC iDrive
Logic 7 hifi
Adaptive Xenons
Active cruise control
Removable towbar
Comfort access
Electric tailgate
Soft close doors
172M 19 inch alloys on non run-flats
Privacy glass
I have only done about 90 miles in it so far, but I have a longer drive in store this weekend. Excellent to drive and the comfort seats are very aptly named. I am a very happy camper.
I have already done my first fix. The buttons for the heated and active seat on the driver’s side were looking a bit sad:
I ordered a new button set from BMW and they arrived from Germany very promptly. I gingerly took the dash apart: mostly pulling trim out, plus two screws that hold the aircon panel in place.
Given that I am useless it is a surprise I did not break anything. Result:
I ordered a new button set from BMW and they arrived from Germany very promptly. I gingerly took the dash apart: mostly pulling trim out, plus two screws that hold the aircon panel in place.
Given that I am useless it is a surprise I did not break anything. Result:
forrestgrump said:
Out of interest what gearbox is in this?
Different shifter to your usual car of the era, unless it's just an electronically actuated 6-speed like in the E65?
The LCI got the updated shifter, but this has the optional sport automatic, with a different lever, paddles on the steering wheel and a sport button that locks out 6th, improves throttle response and puts a bit more weight in the steering.Different shifter to your usual car of the era, unless it's just an electronically actuated 6-speed like in the E65?
Thank you for all your comments, I am looking forward to spending much more time behind the wheel and I agree that it will be a hard act to follow in the future!
As to it's previous owner, he had had it since around 2012 but not sure whether it was TexasJohn. The care was Winchester-based before.
I will keep the thread updated
leglessAlex said:
YES!!
What an ace car, full PH points. Does anyone know how many were ordered in the UK? Is it actually rarer than the E61 M5?!
I believe circa 200 M5 Tourings.What an ace car, full PH points. Does anyone know how many were ordered in the UK? Is it actually rarer than the E61 M5?!
550i Tourings = 22!
https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&...
ATM said:
I dont read it that way.
Actually you might be right, I think I ran away with myself a bit. Having scrolled down further - I didn't notice there was a "550i M Sport Touring A" row as well as a "550i M Sport Touring Auto" row. If you add in that and the SEs then the number is higher
Small update
The previous owner obviously was not one for a spacesaver - the recess for that was part filled with the tow bar attachment and the solution to a flat tyre was this:
Not terribly useful for when you have a big load to carry. Spacesaver purchased, although sadly could not find any available with the official BMW jack etc for a reasonable price.
I had to remove the felt lining under the boot floor to allow the spacesaver to fit but voila
Full size spare safely stored at home, helpful if I ever crack an alloy
The previous owner obviously was not one for a spacesaver - the recess for that was part filled with the tow bar attachment and the solution to a flat tyre was this:
Not terribly useful for when you have a big load to carry. Spacesaver purchased, although sadly could not find any available with the official BMW jack etc for a reasonable price.
I had to remove the felt lining under the boot floor to allow the spacesaver to fit but voila
Full size spare safely stored at home, helpful if I ever crack an alloy
Small update
A minor but quite pleasing improvement! The driver's seat thigh support is meant to move electrically but was not working when I bought the car. Some internet searching revealed this to be a common fault, caused by a small plastic cog in the motor falling apart.
New cog thing bought from internet:
With the assistance of a more mechanically-minded mate, thigh support off:
Mechanism removed from under the seat:
And broken plastic cog seen here:
Then put it all back together again and it is all functioning nicely! Took about 45 minutes.
Otherwise little else to report. Trip computer says fuel consumption on current tank (all in town) is about 10.5 mpg
A minor but quite pleasing improvement! The driver's seat thigh support is meant to move electrically but was not working when I bought the car. Some internet searching revealed this to be a common fault, caused by a small plastic cog in the motor falling apart.
New cog thing bought from internet:
With the assistance of a more mechanically-minded mate, thigh support off:
Mechanism removed from under the seat:
And broken plastic cog seen here:
Then put it all back together again and it is all functioning nicely! Took about 45 minutes.
Otherwise little else to report. Trip computer says fuel consumption on current tank (all in town) is about 10.5 mpg
ATM said:
Have you noticed the little lines on the rev counter moving yet as the engine warms up?
I have learned a new fact - they removed this from the LCI models for some reason, no idea why.On Boxing Day I had this gift from iDrive:
Flashing light on the PDC button and none of the sensors appeared to be picking anything up. Strangely every so often it would fix itself and work perfectly, so I thought perhaps a loose wire/connection. Finally took it to my local garage yesterday - turned out to be one faulty sensor so all fixed and working properly again.
Otherwise not much else to report, a couple of trips to Northampton recently, the adaptive cruise control is brilliant in the endless average speed camera zones on the M1.
I did park the other day next to a neighbour and his 520d badged E61 M5, I've been trying to bump into him for ages to have a chat but I never seem to be able to catch him.
bolidemichael said:
Hey Alistair, I just came across this thread. As you commented on mine, we should meet up and compare petrol guzzling wagons!
My long term average seems to be just under 20mpg, though I use it a lot for urban driving, interspersed with long drives, as you would have read.
Sounds like a good plan! As you said - some middle aged hoonery on the A3 no doubt including a stop for some V Power.My long term average seems to be just under 20mpg, though I use it a lot for urban driving, interspersed with long drives, as you would have read.
My mother in law has a 2007 SL500, I assume it's the same engine to yours? If so I have always enjoyed driving it!
Petrol costs aside, which I don't mind as my mileage is pretty low, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it does not throw up too many big bills. The major bill on my old 530i was when the high pressure fuel pump went - not cheap - but otherwise it was niggly things, lots of bits in the tailgate, new LCI sport shifter (twice). The 550i has many more gadgets, therefore much more to go wrong. But it has a big V8 so I don't care.
Front brakes
I put on new front discs and pads yesterday evening, just in time before the miserable weather over the next few days. One stubborn bolt apart, it went without problem.
Zimmermann discs - cost £190
Brembo pads - cost £57 (50% off from ECP)
Old discs lipped and very rusty
Forgot to take a picture of the new disc in place before putting the wheels back on!
I put on new front discs and pads yesterday evening, just in time before the miserable weather over the next few days. One stubborn bolt apart, it went without problem.
Zimmermann discs - cost £190
Brembo pads - cost £57 (50% off from ECP)
Old discs lipped and very rusty
Forgot to take a picture of the new disc in place before putting the wheels back on!
A long overdue update!
I last updated this in April 2020, so quite a lot to report. I may have to do it in stages. In summary though, the 550 is an amazing all rounder. Family wagon, motorway express, Ring weapon (of sorts, keep reading...) and generally lovely place to sit, with plenty and plenty of power when you need/want it. A friend with an E93 335i borrowed it over the summer to take his kids away and he was somewhat blown away with it.
I last posted in April, in the prime of lockdown 1. I had changed the brakes - new discs and pads front and rear and not much else. Having bought the car in October 2019 I was desperate to do a long run in it.
My brother lives in France (in the Alps) and had his first baby in June. As soon as restrictions were eased between here and France in July 2020, I jumped in the car (with my mother!) and headed down there for a long weekend.
I cannot think of a better car for the trip for this kind of money. Radar cruise control on, sat nav on the HUD, some decent playlists and the 550 monstered the autoroutes: over on Eurotunnel, A26 to Reims, then Troyes, Dijon, Macon and Lyon. From there east to Chambery, then the twisty autoroute to Moutiers and up the valley into the 3 Valleys area. I had ordered an Emovis tag for the tolls, which was revolutionary - I never got bored on slowing down to 20mph then flooring it as soon as the barrier lifted. Massively cuts out any toll queues too.
Excellent 3 days in the mountains, in the sunshine. Before drinking too much rose, I managed to find a couple of excuses to head out onto the mountain roads solo - sport mode on, using the paddles - such a turn of pace from a big car, the V8 making a fantastic noise.
Then home again, the same way I had come.
I am afraid no photos of the car - just a Eurotunnel shot (boring when you can't get out) and my stats from the OBC
More to follow...
I last updated this in April 2020, so quite a lot to report. I may have to do it in stages. In summary though, the 550 is an amazing all rounder. Family wagon, motorway express, Ring weapon (of sorts, keep reading...) and generally lovely place to sit, with plenty and plenty of power when you need/want it. A friend with an E93 335i borrowed it over the summer to take his kids away and he was somewhat blown away with it.
I last posted in April, in the prime of lockdown 1. I had changed the brakes - new discs and pads front and rear and not much else. Having bought the car in October 2019 I was desperate to do a long run in it.
My brother lives in France (in the Alps) and had his first baby in June. As soon as restrictions were eased between here and France in July 2020, I jumped in the car (with my mother!) and headed down there for a long weekend.
I cannot think of a better car for the trip for this kind of money. Radar cruise control on, sat nav on the HUD, some decent playlists and the 550 monstered the autoroutes: over on Eurotunnel, A26 to Reims, then Troyes, Dijon, Macon and Lyon. From there east to Chambery, then the twisty autoroute to Moutiers and up the valley into the 3 Valleys area. I had ordered an Emovis tag for the tolls, which was revolutionary - I never got bored on slowing down to 20mph then flooring it as soon as the barrier lifted. Massively cuts out any toll queues too.
Excellent 3 days in the mountains, in the sunshine. Before drinking too much rose, I managed to find a couple of excuses to head out onto the mountain roads solo - sport mode on, using the paddles - such a turn of pace from a big car, the V8 making a fantastic noise.
Then home again, the same way I had come.
I am afraid no photos of the car - just a Eurotunnel shot (boring when you can't get out) and my stats from the OBC
More to follow...
ATM said:
I find the mpg only really gets low on the motorway when you are doing a fixed 50mph. A slight increase to 60mph and it drops. Then again at 70mph and so on. These older autos are revving quite high at sensible cruising speeds compared to more modern eco friendly machinery.
Yup, I entirely agree.Update 2
August 2020: family holiday. We had an Airbnb booked for late August in Provence, and had provisionally booked another one near to my brother in the Alps. Would France go back on the quarantine list? Would it not? If it did, would we go? It did, and we did.
As a consequence on France going back on the quarantine list, Eurotunnel was eerily quiet - other than a quick comfort break in the terminal, we drove straight through and on to a train.
Same route as before, and effortless in the 550. We left London at 6pm and arrived in Bozel in the Alps at 6am. Due to driving overnight I set the lane departure warning on (just in case) but I didn't have any drowsiness at all, stopping every 2.5 hours or so for toilet/unleaded/coffee. I jumped out at the other end feeling sprightly - just a nap needed to catch up on sleep.
Trip stats: 9 hours 49 mins, 666 miles, 27.9 mpg, 69.6 mph - 4 up and with a half full boot of luggage.
Excellent week alternating between exercise and then food consumption. Not bad scenery:
Then on to Provence. I forget the exact route but I think to Grenoble, then Valence, then autoroute to near Carpentras. If on my own I may have hunted out the Route Napoleon but with children it was just too far from the direct route. As the temperature crept up and up I noticed that my air con was getting weaker and weaker. This was not ideal! However getting to the Airbnb was worth it:
Can highly recommend the Airbnb which is in Pernes les Fontaines, a very picturesque Provencal village.
The home at the end of the fortnight, a very long drive due north to Lyon, then Dijon, Reims etc which we did in a day. Lots of time saved with the toll tag, zipping past the toll queues whilst slightly sweaty due to the anemic air con!
Total for the holiday: 31 hours 45 minutes, 1,708 miles, 25.6 mpg and 55.7mph. Not bad at all (particularly given the several cases of wine now in the boot), and other than the air con, the car excelled itself. We then dealt with 2 weeks of quarantine at home, but it was worth it for the holiday.
Incidentally, BMW 550i review by my children:
9 year old: "It makes me sick" (this is probably just my driving)
6 year old: likes the heated seats in the front and the TV
August 2020: family holiday. We had an Airbnb booked for late August in Provence, and had provisionally booked another one near to my brother in the Alps. Would France go back on the quarantine list? Would it not? If it did, would we go? It did, and we did.
As a consequence on France going back on the quarantine list, Eurotunnel was eerily quiet - other than a quick comfort break in the terminal, we drove straight through and on to a train.
Same route as before, and effortless in the 550. We left London at 6pm and arrived in Bozel in the Alps at 6am. Due to driving overnight I set the lane departure warning on (just in case) but I didn't have any drowsiness at all, stopping every 2.5 hours or so for toilet/unleaded/coffee. I jumped out at the other end feeling sprightly - just a nap needed to catch up on sleep.
Trip stats: 9 hours 49 mins, 666 miles, 27.9 mpg, 69.6 mph - 4 up and with a half full boot of luggage.
Excellent week alternating between exercise and then food consumption. Not bad scenery:
Then on to Provence. I forget the exact route but I think to Grenoble, then Valence, then autoroute to near Carpentras. If on my own I may have hunted out the Route Napoleon but with children it was just too far from the direct route. As the temperature crept up and up I noticed that my air con was getting weaker and weaker. This was not ideal! However getting to the Airbnb was worth it:
Can highly recommend the Airbnb which is in Pernes les Fontaines, a very picturesque Provencal village.
The home at the end of the fortnight, a very long drive due north to Lyon, then Dijon, Reims etc which we did in a day. Lots of time saved with the toll tag, zipping past the toll queues whilst slightly sweaty due to the anemic air con!
Total for the holiday: 31 hours 45 minutes, 1,708 miles, 25.6 mpg and 55.7mph. Not bad at all (particularly given the several cases of wine now in the boot), and other than the air con, the car excelled itself. We then dealt with 2 weeks of quarantine at home, but it was worth it for the holiday.
Incidentally, BMW 550i review by my children:
9 year old: "It makes me sick" (this is probably just my driving)
6 year old: likes the heated seats in the front and the TV
The Ring part I
Neglected to mention: MOT passed in August 2020 with no advisories - result.
I was invited by a friend with a similar interest in cars to join a trip to the Nurburgring with some other like-minded blokes. It did not take me long to say yes. On the way out we had the 550, an E93 335i, a Range Rover Sport SVR and a chipped F11 535d. Some others came from Switzerland meeting us there with an E46 M3, 2 x 997.1 GT3s and a far from stock Audi S1.
Many, many highlights including watching a Range Rover go round the Ring, plus some fantastic tuition from the passenger seats of the Porsches and the M3, as their owners have done many, many laps before. Having done many a lap on Gran Turismo back in the day I thought I knew it, but the bonkers altitude changes, and the sheer scale of the thing, simply don't come across via Playstation.
The first lap in the 550, with someone telling me which way the next corner went and when to brake, was mind boggling, with more 911 GT3s than you've ever seen bombing past you, plus the odd local in a 30 year old Polo. Insanely good fun, and the 550 was surprisingly good, hanging on around the corners although obviously very heavy, and the brakes were sadly not really up to it. The active seats have never been so busy! I think I did 3 laps over the course of the weekend in my car, plus many more laps as a passenger in others.
The autobahns were relatively busy, with speed limits imposed on some of the normally derestricted stretches, but still saw an indicated 135 mph on a derestricted stretch. The car was pretty stable, and have more to give, although I think air resistance was beginning to make itself firmly heard.
We stayed in a hotel next to the GP track, and hit the Pistenklause one evening for excellent steak on hot stone.
I think the Karrussell must have shaken my car to bits. The drive home revealed:
- air con still not working (as I hadn't got round to sorting it out)
- washer fluid leaking
- something not right at the front - suspension, wheel bearings, alignment?
- brakes not up to track work, unsurprisingly
Neglected to mention: MOT passed in August 2020 with no advisories - result.
I was invited by a friend with a similar interest in cars to join a trip to the Nurburgring with some other like-minded blokes. It did not take me long to say yes. On the way out we had the 550, an E93 335i, a Range Rover Sport SVR and a chipped F11 535d. Some others came from Switzerland meeting us there with an E46 M3, 2 x 997.1 GT3s and a far from stock Audi S1.
Many, many highlights including watching a Range Rover go round the Ring, plus some fantastic tuition from the passenger seats of the Porsches and the M3, as their owners have done many, many laps before. Having done many a lap on Gran Turismo back in the day I thought I knew it, but the bonkers altitude changes, and the sheer scale of the thing, simply don't come across via Playstation.
The first lap in the 550, with someone telling me which way the next corner went and when to brake, was mind boggling, with more 911 GT3s than you've ever seen bombing past you, plus the odd local in a 30 year old Polo. Insanely good fun, and the 550 was surprisingly good, hanging on around the corners although obviously very heavy, and the brakes were sadly not really up to it. The active seats have never been so busy! I think I did 3 laps over the course of the weekend in my car, plus many more laps as a passenger in others.
The autobahns were relatively busy, with speed limits imposed on some of the normally derestricted stretches, but still saw an indicated 135 mph on a derestricted stretch. The car was pretty stable, and have more to give, although I think air resistance was beginning to make itself firmly heard.
We stayed in a hotel next to the GP track, and hit the Pistenklause one evening for excellent steak on hot stone.
I think the Karrussell must have shaken my car to bits. The drive home revealed:
- air con still not working (as I hadn't got round to sorting it out)
- washer fluid leaking
- something not right at the front - suspension, wheel bearings, alignment?
- brakes not up to track work, unsurprisingly
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