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1. renton - Member

   We are loking for an estate car or an mpv, had originally decided on a vw touran but the 2 I looked at really didnt inspire me at all so Im back looking around now.

   Currently looking a the BMW 520d touring which Ive always liked the look at but thought would be out of my budget.

   However Ive seen a few 07 or 57 plates in budget albeit with slightly higher miles circa 90k

   do any of you drive a 520d and if so can i get opinions please!!

   is 90k a lot of miles for a beemer diesel engine and are servicing cost likely to be higher than your average vw/vauxhall car??

   cheers

   Steve

   Posted 3 months ago #
2. renton - Member

   bump !!

   Posted 3 months ago #
3. wwaswas - Member

   I've no idea on that exact model. One of my colleagues has just had a turbo go on a petrol 3 series and BMW are asking over £3k to fix it so service costs can be higher!

   Posted 3 months ago #
4. molgrips - Member

   Oh Surf-Mat, how we miss you!

   Re miles - 90k is not a lot for any engine. The thing is, nowadays they don't wear out after a certain number of miles, you have a fixed probability of something expensive suddenly going bang. This seems to happen randomly regardless of mileage.

   It's not like you have say 100k miles before it needs a rebuild with big ends, valves, piston rings and all that stuff any more. The rest of the car will die long before that lot goes.

   Posted 3 months ago #
5. hora - Member

   90k's nowt however VAG parts can and do go wrong throwing up some silly bills. Bro in laws 59 plate VW Golf TDI has just had its EGR? and turbo replaced and thats only done 70k.

   I'd look at the 520d but also look at the T&C's of aftermarket warranties to make sure whats covered within the engine bay.

   Servicewise- BMW Indie specialist

   Posted 3 months ago #
6. Harry_the_Spider - Member

   Having seen the way that Beemers coped with 10mm of snow at HTN I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole unless I lived in Nevada.

   Posted 3 months ago #
7. randomjeremy - Member

   That didn't take long. Just FYI all RWD cars suffer in snow. It's a decision owners have to make ; do the benefits of RWD for most of the time outweigh the negatives of RWD when it's snows and you just HAVE to drive? I leave my car at home or drive the 4x4 the one or two days a year this is an issue for me.

   Posted 3 months ago #
8. SBrock - Member

   Bro in laws 59 plate VW Golf TDI has just had its EGR? and turbo replaced and thats only done 70k.

   I bet it was just out of warranty? What a ball ache bloody cars are!

   Posted 3 months ago #
9. hora - Member

   Never had an issue in my old MX5's which are RWD.

   I think the Beemer issue is having big fat Continental straight-line grooved tyres not 'RWD' per se?

   Posted 3 months ago #
10. bikebouy - Member

    I've owned 2 530d sport tourings in the past, both bought new, first one I put 145k on and the second I put 230k on. Both never ever broke down, caused trouble, failed to start or annoyed in any way. I had a tow bar on the second one and thule roof bars. Ave mpg was 45ish which wasn't bad considering I was towing boats around with them.

    Can't rate them highly enough.

    Posted 3 months ago #
11. jambalaya - Member

    IMO Audi are making better cars than BMW these days. 2.0d would seem a little underpowered to me for a 5 series.

    We have an 5yr old A6 Avant Quattro 2.7 TDI and the car is in outstanding condition and running really well with 90k on the clock. Terrific long distance car, fast quiet comfortable. Wonderful grip in snow, better than a lot of jeep style 4wds (BMWs and Merc's are terrible btw). Only criticism would be it's tricky to park due to shape of bonnet (front/rear sensors sometimes fitted and worth looking for)

    Dealer servicing is reasonably cheap, repairs/major work less so but there are lots of independents.

    Posted 3 months ago #
12. Brycey - Member

    The current 520d is a gem, but the last shape was a bit underpowered so may have been ragged a bit. That said, it probably did 99% of its 90k under little stress on the motorway with some middle-manager/rep at the wheel.

    Posted 3 months ago #
13. renton - Member

    the model im looking at has the 177bhp engine !!

    Posted 3 months ago #
14. allmountainventure - Member

    I had a much older one, 1993 I think. Had over 300k miles by the time it was scrapped in 2007 with no issues except a replaced radiator.

    I reckon it would had gone a lot further but it was crashed into and the insurance wouldn't pay for the repairs.

    Posted 3 months ago #
15. Brycey - Member

    The new engine is only a few more (184), but is much cleaner and seems to pull better.

    Posted 3 months ago #
16. iainc - Member

    I have a 318d Tourer as a company car and when it's up for replacement in a year the 520d tourer will be top of my list. cracking cars

    Posted 3 months ago #
17. renton - Member

    dms can remap the model im looking at to 220bhp so if i find it underpowered i can have this done.

    will it cost more to service than a "normal" car ie mondeo etc, wont be done at bmw just at my local garage as if we get one we will be keeping it for a while !!

    also ive heard the run flats are crap, can you fit normal tyres to it??

    Posted 3 months ago #
18. randomjeremy - Member

    You can fit normal tyres yes but runflats haven't been crap for a few years now, I wouldn't run anything else now.

    Posted 3 months ago #
19. bikebouy - Member

    Mine had runflats on it, they were a bit harsh on crappy roads and concrete motorways were a bit noisy, other than that I never had problems with them. You can change them for normal stuff, bit expensive at £220 per tyre but I'd get 60k out of the rears and then swap the fronts over when changing the rears.

    Solid and reliable and understated. Perfect.

    Posted 3 months ago #
20. hammyuk - Member

    I've had the 320d, 520d and now the 330d.
    The 2 , 2lts were great on fuel, went forever but the 330d puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.
    Change of business very soon means it's being replaced with a Maxi-Life DGS so I don't have to run 2 vehicles.
    Other than that - just watch out for wishbone rear bushes and tyres on the staggered alloys.

    Posted 3 months ago #
21. JonEdwards - Member

    I test drove 520d and 320d wagons (E61 and E91 shapes). The 5er is a big old car. Fantastic seating for cruising in - proper big armchair feel, but it felt a bit underpowered (this would have been a 163bhp version), so would need driving harder than the 3. While it handles pretty well it's still a big old hefty car, so not so nimble on the twisties. I ended up buying a 320d, but still have a hankering for a 5 - ideally 530d or 535d...

    Runflats are shite - get rid of. Get a wheel alignment checked, it'll drive & ride much better if it's set up bob on. Ride will vary from stiff to harsh depending on wheel choice. If economy is a bit off, try cleaning the EGR system, and also check/replace the main and EGR thermostats - the engine runs cool which drags economy down (should be mid 90s - accessible through a hidden menu)

    The boot is huge in terms of acreage, but very shallow in terms of height - you might get a bike in without taking the luggage cover out, but it'll be close.

    Posted 3 months ago #
22. Spin - Member

    Can all you beemer owners confirm whether or not they actually have indicators?

    I always thought it was a legal requirement but although BMWs seem to have the necessary lights I've never actually seen one in action.

    Cheers.

    Posted 3 months ago #
23. b r - Member

    Only trouble with any car that already has 90k on is how has it been looked after - and a stamp in the book doesn't count unless they're receipts available.

    Be careful as new cars have gone to low servicing in the first +60k, to keep costs down (mainly for leasing companies) - but this can amplify costs later; e.g. 20k between oil changes.

    You'd be better not overreaching and spending all your budget, as a £40k car costs £40k money to run, even if you only spent £5k on it.

    Posted 3 months ago #
24. mastiles_fanylion - Member

    the model im looking at has the 177bhp engine !!

    
    That *could* mean more longer term issues as wringing more power out of smaller engines will decrease their life over the same but lower output variant.

    Posted 3 months ago #
25. mastiles_fanylion - Member

    I assume the old 5 has the same split lid boot as the new one? That is a handy feature especially if planning on loading it up on family holidays.

    Posted 3 months ago #
26. djglover - Member

    For ageing BMW I'd be looking at petrol. Infact I just have. Too many potential issues with a Diesel of that milage, petrol is cheaper and faster. Obviously costs more to fuel it.

    Posted 3 months ago #
27. passtherizla - Member

    If you turn all the driver aids off in BMW's they're actually alright in the snow, Its stops the computer sending power to the wheel with no grip through the diff, essentially locking the diff. My dads 2.5 Z4 works ace in the snow.

    I'd say go for it.

    Posted 3 months ago #
28. JonEdwards - Member

    Can all you beemer owners confirm whether or not they actually have indicators?
    

    Mine has a lever sticking out of the steering column that flashes arrows on the dash board. No idea if they're connected to anything else.

    Oh - and winter tyres seem to make all the difference in the snow. (as well as turning the TC off)

    As far as the 90k goes - mine's on 110k now and hasn't missed a beat since 83k when I bought it. The only real worry on that gen of engine is turbo failure, but that's a potential issue on any TD. 177bhp is fine, newer ones are mid 180s, and they're remappable to 200+bhp without any extra issues, so long as it's been done well. Mine's been done and it was good for an extra 5mpg (brim to brim) when driven gently, or one hell of a lot faster when driven hard. The only servicing effect it's had is that I change the oil a bit sooner that it says I need to.

    Split boot lid is standard I think. It is on the 3, so I'd expect it on the 5.

    Posted 3 months ago #
29. Fishd - Member

    Not driven the 4-cyl 2.0 ... but the 6-cyl 3.0 sounds amazing... even though it's an oil-burner.

    I like to confuse other drivers in mine by not only using the indicators (not sure if they were specified as an option on mine) ... but also by using that first lane that they put on motorways... you might have seen it while you were blindly sat in the middle lane wondering where all the trucks were...

    And as someone else has said, for the couple of days a year we get snow... I'll stay indoors (or look into changing my tyres)... then enjoy my driving every other day of the year.

    Posted 3 months ago #
30. molgrips - Member

    Winter tyres aren't just for when you have snow.

    Posted 3 months ago #
31. shooterman - Member

    I've had a 320dSE for coming up to seven years. I bought it with 17k on the clock and it now has 169k.

    The turbo went at around 100k. This is apparently a common problem. A reconditioned turbo and a local mechanic still cost nearly £1200.

    I drove VW's before. Add about 30%-40% above VW for servicing. For example, a standard oil and filter change at the dealership cost me £330. I now pay £120 to a local mechanic.

    I got into a number of difficulties in the snow last year. You simply could not touch the brakes or the car did a waltz. I put £400 worth of winter tyres on this year but, to be honest, they made little difference.

    The car is, however, fantastic to drive. I thought of changing at the end of last year and test drove a 5 series, a standard A4 and an A4 Quattro but they couldn't match the driving experience of the 320d, even with huge mileage on it.

    Go for it I say but buy with your eyes open to the increased running costs.

    Posted 3 months ago #
32. Fishd - Member

    Would consider those auto-sock things first anyway... but I get your point. With temps and conditions fluctuating so much in the UK (or certainly where I am in the UK), it's tough to seriously consider keeping two sets of tyres.

    Posted 3 months ago #
33. randomjeremy - Member

    I reckon the 5 series touring is probably the most complete car on sale right now. The lease is up on my current everyday car at the end of the year and I'm sorely tempted by an M550D touring, might even get a Euro model, from what I hear they are going to be 4WD. Perfect car?

    Posted 3 months ago #
34. Inbred456 - Member

    The most unreliable 4x4 is apparently the A6 AllRoad. Self leveling suspension seems a real problem and is big money to fix. I'd look at a Subaru Legacy, very reliable but fuel costs can be a bit on the high side.

    Posted 3 months ago #
35. steveh - Member

    With any newish modern (manual) diesel buy one that's had the clutch and dmf done or expect a bill of £1k or even more (at an independent on a bmw) to get it done sooner rather than later. If the turbo goes that'll be another £1k to spend.

    If your mileage isn't massive the benefits of the fuel economy benefits of a diesel can be wiped out very quickly! Check how much more petrol car you get for your money too!

    Posted 3 months ago #

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