Which bimmer to buy next |
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keithc
Really Senior Member I Joined: 28-January-2004 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 491 |
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What about an E39 Alpina. I've seen them go for silly money and they are fantastically kitted out. I'll be gettin one.....some day!! |
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BMW's in family: 2004 E46 - Replaced by 2006 E90 ; 1992 E32; 1986 E28 (x2); 1986 E30 (x2)
Wishlist: 2002 Turbo; E28 M5; E24 M6; E46 M3CSL; E39 M5 |
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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I'm telling you a 545i is the way to go! 30 mpg with a big boot and top performance to boot. Get it de-badged before the Mrs sees it and it isn't an M model which she may just notice. You would get one for not a lot of cash I would think as nobody will want them anymore. Andrew |
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
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Given some concern for Fuel economy my choice in that price range would be a 530 or a 330. I can't see them getting much worse mpg than the 323/525 and you get a bit more grunt. The V8 has quite a bit more pwer but dspite what Andrew says it will get worse mpg and it will cost more come service time. |
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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afsar
Senior Member II Joined: 25-November-2007 Status: Offline Points: 172 |
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530 seems a good choice to me too. Incase I decide on
330 shall I go for saloon, coup or convertible? I love hardtop convertibles but would it be comfortable enough? I know it may be difficult to get a 330 hardtop in this budget. What do you say? |
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II Joined: 31-January-2003 Location: North Somerset Status: Offline Points: 3015 |
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But isnt that offset by the V8? Am I the only one on here who's wife works on the basis that if I don't get the engine/power I want/like then I'll be a nightmare so lets me get on with it??!!? But then again its my car...she can't drive. As for the baby not standing it......it'll have your wallet in its mitts before too long so get your own back in advance. My kids loved the M3 and the 540, and no I don't drive it exuberantly when they're all in the car. |
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Gentlemen I may not have a brain but I do have an idea
Past; E39 540T/E46 328CI/ E39 535/ E39 520/ E36 M3/ E36 318iS jet black Mtech/ E46 320d/ E36 318iS diamond black/ E36 318iS blue Mtech kit |
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dutch
Really Senior Member I Joined: 17-December-2005 Location: lakeside Essex Status: Offline Points: 438 |
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E39 530i doe's what it says on the tin! fast comfortable loads of room, all the bells and whistles for you to play with, problem i found with the vert and coupe's is the doors are so long,can't fully open it in car park to get the nipper in or out of the back.(unless you drop the top!)
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e39,1200 bandit
cooper S, Z3 topazbleu |
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
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Get the 530 or a 330 saloon. If it was me and I had kids I would forget the 330 coupe/convertible. IMO the 530 is a much nicer car than a 330. Lots more space than a 330, more refined and in general a nicer drive.
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
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Sometimes you have to set a limit in terms of running costs. |
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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afsar
Senior Member II Joined: 25-November-2007 Status: Offline Points: 172 |
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Thanks for your advise my friends. I am less confused
then before. 530 seems better option to me now. Having decided on model lets get in more details. ;-) What shall I expect in a car before I commit a deal. e.g. bluetooth, rain sensing wipers, swivel headlights, heated seats, even lane departure warning system (if I am not asking too much ), harmon kardon system, alloys etc. I am not sure if these systems are by default or not possible in 5 series at all! Please guide me here too. ~~Afsar~~ |
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II Joined: 31-January-2003 Location: North Somerset Status: Offline Points: 3015 |
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Oh blow that, cross that bridge when you come to it. |
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Gentlemen I may not have a brain but I do have an idea
Past; E39 540T/E46 328CI/ E39 535/ E39 520/ E36 M3/ E36 318iS jet black Mtech/ E46 320d/ E36 318iS diamond black/ E36 318iS blue Mtech kit |
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II Joined: 31-January-2003 Location: North Somerset Status: Offline Points: 3015 |
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Well, if you're worried about space and practicality for the little 'un go for the touring then you'll never have to worry about space again.
Satnav/TV is a nice addition but not an option I'd pay over the odds on, sports pack is good, I think you're looking at the E60 with options like lane departure system and driver-adjustive headlights aren't you? IMHO the E60 comes alive style-wise in a dark colour (think Henry Ford or blue etc) with bigger wheels. Edited by Stone-IslandV8 |
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Gentlemen I may not have a brain but I do have an idea
Past; E39 540T/E46 328CI/ E39 535/ E39 520/ E36 M3/ E36 318iS jet black Mtech/ E46 320d/ E36 318iS diamond black/ E36 318iS blue Mtech kit |
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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Must disagree with you there sir. Since the 20th of August my car has returned the following average mpg when filling it up, calculated by hand not going on the cars computer. 30.0, 31.3. 30.7, 34.4, 34.4, 30.7, 30.7, 29.1, 31.0, 28.8, 23.5, 29.1, 21.9, 22.4, (Towing a caravan for the last two) 29.4, 30.7, 26.4, 27.9, 24.3, 29.4 and 29.4. All on Shell VPower. (info recorded for my ongoing VPower v Unleaded experiment) So that lot averages out at 28.8 mpg. So yes I must apologise profusely to everyone when I said my car gets on average 30.0mpg. Sorry knuckles duly wrapped! It will quite clearly give me more than 30.0mpg on some runs but when you then drive thru stop start commuter traffic on the M8 it brings it down to the above figures. Return run to Edinburgh for a Saturday nightshift and I got 33 mpg, now that I have driven on the M8 three times in commuter traffic it is now down to about 31 mpg IIRC from this morning. Still 28.8 mpg is not much worse than my E39 (31mpg at best) and way better than my old Senator. If you take out the two rouge ones when I was towing a caravan it averages out at 29.5 mpg. Remember that is around 29 mpg from something that will crack 60 in under 6 seconds and is pegged back at 155mph and scare the brown stuff out of E46 M3 owners. It's when the back end wiggles and the traction control checks your progress when you are accelerating hard at 40-50mpg, that is the scary! As said by others the cheaper older V8 with higher running costs is offset by paying less for it in the first place. Andrew |
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II Joined: 31-January-2003 Location: North Somerset Status: Offline Points: 3015 |
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Having checked pistonheads recently and the prices shown there I'm still plumping for an M5 and buy the wife a cruise with the change to keep her happy!!!
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Gentlemen I may not have a brain but I do have an idea
Past; E39 540T/E46 328CI/ E39 535/ E39 520/ E36 M3/ E36 318iS jet black Mtech/ E46 320d/ E36 318iS diamond black/ E36 318iS blue Mtech kit |
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
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If you were scaring the brown stuff out of E46 m3 owners then you wouldn't be getting 29mpg. I bet that you have to take if fairly gently to get 29mpg out of your car. Either that or you spend a lot of time on the motorway at 70mph. You will certainly not be driving it hard to get that MPG. Am I right?
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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I can assure you Peter that I do have fun in the car. Just not all the time.
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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afsar
Senior Member II Joined: 25-November-2007 Status: Offline Points: 172 |
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Guys,
Sorry to invoke this old thread but I couldn't buy in the first quarter due to my job uncertainty. Now things seems be a bit better and promising then before. I am quite keen to buy 535d as I find reviews quite positive. I never owned a diesel before but as said in various posts above that diesel is not recommended, may I know a subtle reason why diesel should not be considered. Given the combination of mpg and performance of 535d I think it is quite reasonable. They say it is world's best diesel car ever made, also I heard 530d at BMW showroom and it wasn't that loud when we started the engine keeping all windows down. I don't find E60 cheaper either, my 15k budget won't get me anything what I want. As said in first post I am after automatic, 2006 onwards, 40kish on clock with sat nav, xenons, possibly lane departure featured model. Actually price for this car never dropped in past 6 month, they are still coming for appx. 20k, which is a lot and well above my budget. But by selling my current 318i I can consider spending that much but I need ur say before I go ahead with any deal next month. Thanks for reading, -Afsar Edited by afsar |
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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If you must buy an oil burner then todays 535d and 335d are the ones to get. They are both twin turbo engines and not single fan driven stuff which will have noticeable turbo lag. Little turbo, no lag at low engine rpms gets you going then when the revs build up they are suifficent for the bigger turbo to kick in which then sends you well on your way. 0-60 6.4 secs, t'is no slouch. The 535d comes standard as automatic. I wouldn't have thought you could get a 535d for 15k yet. If you search Youtube you might find a clip from TopGear when JC reviewed the 535d. (This clip keeps getting pulled off so my links never work and I can't access Youtube at work) He liked it for a diesel but he proved that no matter how many units of torque you have it can be out done by sheer power or POOOOOOWWWWWWWEEEEEERRRRRR as Mr Clarkson would say. 286 bhp and 580 Nm of torque from the oil burner vs 333 bhp and 450 Nm of torque from the V8. Big difference in torque but wasn't enough to match the power from the V8. Very close but, just not quite. If conditions dictated that I had to get a diesel, that would be the one I would get. And more importantly there have been no horror stories of turbo's failing. Andrew Edited by Andrew Rolland |
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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alym786
Really Senior Member II Joined: 03-May-2007 Location: Stirling Status: Offline Points: 907 |
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535d Sport is the one to have, I've seen a few around for about 16k but with over 70k on the clock!!!
I test drove the 335d and the power delivery is very impressive! You won't be disappointed! Edited by alym786 |
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E46 328ci now sold :(
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mjansari
Advanced Newbie Joined: 01-June-2009 Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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760 sport |
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mjansari
Advanced Newbie Joined: 01-June-2009 Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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duh just realised 335d sport or 535d sport
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