BMW 5 series / 7 series diesels

griffin100

Looking for a bit of advice on BMW 5 series (or even 7 series) diesels. I currently have a Volvo S60 D5 which has 180k on the clock and is now starting to cost me money to keep on the road (leaking intercooler, engine mounts, alternator pulley) so rather than sink another couple of grand into the car I was thinking of getting a 'new' car (not a volvo!).

I have a budget of about €12k ish and I drive about 30k miles a year so was looking for something comfortable and diesel, preferably auto. I'm not bothered by age.

I have been looking at 5 series diesels from about 2004, all with close to 100k on the clock. My question is how reliable these cars are above this mileage. I'd like to think I'd get to 200k with proper servicing. Is this feasible? Are they expensive to maintain when they get older? Is there anything I need to look out for? Same questions with 7 series diesels (although I think a 5 series is more realistic).

Or does anyone have other suggestions for a comfortable auto diesel at this price (not a volvo, I've had volvos for 10 years and want a change).

Cheers.

Leonard Hofstadter

The 5 series is by far and away the more reliable of the two if you're looking at earlier models.

The 06 onwards sevens (facelifted models) are meant to be much more reliable.

If you're looking at the five, I'd be looking at a six cylinder diesel rather than a four cylinder(520d) - the larger engines will have an easier life and will be better capable of coping with high mileage. Plus, a 'proper' BMW always has six cylinders.

A 530d strikes the right balance of power(they go like stink), economy(not a lot less economial than a 520d, and a 525d is the same as a 530d for fuel consumption), reliability(no twin turbos like the 535d and the large engine having an easier life should guarantee good reliability) and running costs(yes I know tax is high, but the tax savings on a 520d may be wiped out by something like turbo failure and aside from tax, they really aren't any dearer to run than a smaller engined 5 series).

The 7 is of course a more comfortable car, but a 5 series is hardly shabby in that department either once you go for an SE with 17 inch wheels.

Whatever BMW diesel you do decide on, remember to change the ATF fluid every 60k-100k miles, and also get the swirl flaps removed. Once these precautions are taken, and make sure it gets proper servicing, there is no reason why you shouldn't top 200k miles in one - I know of 530ds with 250k and they're still going strong.

dergside

Both the e60 5 series (from late '03) and the e65 7 series from '02 are fairly complex beasts, the 7 especially so. This means that a lot of you repair and maintenance will arise in aspects of the car that won't be avoided by the choice of a diesel. The i-drive, various control systems, sensors, etc can be a bit frustrating and bothersome. Just to put in context, the active steering system fitted as an option on many can be troublesome and a steering rack replacement can be €2.5k in parts for the rack alone.

All BMW diesels need to be watched for the usual diesel concerns of turbo's, fuel pumps and injectors, nothing BMW specific here. One specific issue for the BMW's is the swirl flaps fitted to the inlet manifolds. These can break away and make a big mess of the engine if ingested. There is a mod available that removes the flaps and replaces them with blanking plates. It doesn't seem to have a detrimental effect on the engine performance and is a reasonably cheap price for peace of mind.

A suggestion, depending on your budget for purchase and running costs, would be to buy the best e39 530d (up to 2003) you can find in terms of mileage and history (and spec - many Irish cars are a bit bare in the creature comfort department) rather than a leggier and more complex e60 530d.

Don't rule out a petrol 5 series as an alternative. I rack up 20-25k per year and I'm haven't been able to justify a diesel in terms of total cost of ownership. One big diesel specific bill for a turbo, injectors or fuel pump would wipe out a lot of the benefits gained. A swirl flap issue and you are looking for a complete replacement engine, a couple of grand fitted from a breaker - maybe €5k from a dealer?

Comparing a 530i and a 530d, most repair, maintenance and running costs will be basically the same over time. Fuel cost difference based on 25k per year using 32mpg avg for a 530i (achieveable) and 40mpg for a 530d comes to €25 per week. If you assume that a petrol will be worth (or cost you) less at the start and the end of the ownership period then the chances are that the comparison will come out about even. Being used to the running costs of a car in this class, with the S80, you'll know that the difference is in the "hardly matters" category.

I've put over 120k on a pair of e39 5's (petrols) in the past few years and can't praise them enough. For comfort, reliability and peace of mind they are unbeatable imho. My first one has screamed past 160k with a pal of mine that I passed it on to and shows no worries about racking up 10's of thousands more.