BMW 530i - opinion on car wanted

jamesk_irl

Hi,

take a look at this car and let me know what you think.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/530i-SE-/201103200967657/advert?channel=CARS

Its a 530i 2007 (early model no efficiency dynamics I think) with 60k miles with a sticker price of 14950EUR.

The car tax for the 530i is 1264 EUR.
I have low mileage each year with less than 10000 miles.
I understand the mpg is about 25 and I don't think the fuel costs would be too much a factor at such low mileage. I would be planning to hold onto the car for about 3 years.

I would like a 530d but can't see any at a reasonable price for 2007 or 2008 with prices in the range of 25k to 35k.

How would you compare a 520d to the 530i. How much of a performance difference would I see in day to day driving? I am wondering whether to be smart and wait until I can buy a 2008 low tax 520d/530d.

Go on tell me I should buy the 530i .

Thanks for any feedback.

Mr.Boots

Its a manual
I wouldnt buy it because of that.
Maybe it would float your boat though.

SpannerMonkey

why the hell would you want a auto 530i , a 530d yes but a petrol has to be manual ,

@op they are a great engine i had a 330i with the same engine they started as 258bhp and were uprated to 272 bhp they are rev happy and sound fantastic mine was the 258bhp and i got 32 mpg all day every day no matter how i drove it , you cant compare it to a 2 litre diesel its just soo much nicer to drive and live with , i have had 2 x 320d aswell and they are a great car but i could never love the diesel rattle and crap rev range , i would highly recommend the 530i lad you wont regret it :cool:

Anan1

It's poverty-spec manual 530i. Buy it if you like it, but on the basis that it'll be worth very little come resale. Personally, i'd pay a bit more for an auto with a decent specification.

Alanstrainor

A 530i is a joke as a manual!

Max Power1

Anan1 wrote: »

It's poverty-spec manual 530i. Buy it if you like it, but on the basis that it'll be worth very little come resale. Personally, i'd pay a bit more for an auto with a decent specification.

+1

A manual BMW is simply not going to hold any residual value in 3 years time. Its like trying to sell one with cloth seats or something.

Plus, you also need to think of driving it yourself, do you really want a manual 530? Bear in mind that at that price youre going to be stuck to the car for years.

SpannerMonkey

Anan1 wrote: »

It's poverty-spec manual 530i. Buy it if you like it, but on the basis that it'll be worth very little come resale. Personally, i'd pay a bit more for an auto with a decent specification.

whats poverty spec about it its full leather ,walnut trim ,sunroof ,alloys this is ireland poverty spec here is cloth seats, nasty plastic dash and barely a cd player.
forget residuals are you buying the car for you or for the next person , besides a 3 petrol wont have good residuals regardless of auto or manual
i wouldnt buy a 530i in auto it would guzzle petrol and be boring to drive an auto 530i is for old retired folk :P, much much nicer to drive in manual form
and before ye start i drive an Auto Bmw myself

Anan1

davy_b wrote: »

whats poverty spec about it its full leather ,walnut trim ,sunroof ,alloys this is ireland poverty spec here is cloth seats, nasty plastic dash and barely a cd player.

Wake up, davy_b, it's 2011, not 1987! Were I in the market for a 530i, i'd be wanting adaptive xenons (or even just plain old xenons), decent music with DAB, heated sports/comfort seats (power & lumber would be nice too), top tint windscreen, folding autodim mirrors, auto wipers and of course automatic. And that's just the basics, really.

davy_b wrote: »

i wouldnt buy a 530i in auto it would guzzle petrol and be boring to drive an auto 530i is for old retired folk :P, much much nicer to drive in manual form
and before ye start i drive an Auto Bmw myself

Fair enough, but you're in a very small minority. Most of the people who'd want a 530i manual aren't in the market for such a car anyway, the money will heavily favour the auto.

SpannerMonkey

WAKE UP ANAN its ireland youd barely find those extras in an M5, extras cost money and paddy irish man donesnt pay for these

about the auto i know what your saying and as i said i drive an auto bmw myself a 645Ci , but if he is holding onto this car for a few years it will be worthless in any guise and 99% of people wont want it anyway the only hope is a petrol head who wants a powerful fun car and thats a manual


BTW it has auto headlights and wipers , comfort seats arent on a 5 series only 7 and neither were folding mirrors

Mr Benevolent

davy_b wrote: »

WAKE UP ANAN its ireland youd barely find those extras in an M5, extras cost money and paddy irish man donesnt pay for these

about the auto i know what your saying and as i said i drive an auto bmw myself a 645Ci , but if he is holding onto this car for a few years it will be worthless in any guise and 99% of people wont want it anyway the only hope is a petrol head who wants a powerful fun car and thats a manual


BTW it has auto headlights and wipers , comfort seats arent on a 5 series only 7 and neither were folding mirrors

Yes, but the basic point is that it's a manual. That will ensure it doesn't appeal to most potential 530i owners, will depreciate heavily more than an auto and won't be as nice to drive in normal situations such as traffic etc.

the only hope is a petrol head who wants a powerful fun car and thats a manual

I can think of better, cheaper cars that can do just that.

Eric Cartman

dont buy the 520 , buy the 530i , Auto is the only way to go , and if your concerned about the 'real' :rolleyes: driving feel, just get something like this http://www.mrpaddleshift.com/index_after.htm

jamesk_irl

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Understand that manual will affect the resale and auto is more convenient for city driving.

I am very tempted. I think the price is good and most of the depreciation has already happened.

I am trading up from a 1.9TDI so would be an improvement

SpannerMonkey

Eric Cartman wrote: »

dont buy the 520 , buy the 530i , Auto is the only way to go , and if your concerned about the 'real' :rolleyes: driving feel, just get something like this http://www.mrpaddleshift.com/index_after.htm

ok ok
1st at cartman i have used that system and its crap doesnt feel any different to tiptronic which is slow and ads nothing to the driving experience ,

2nd the op is obviously happy with manual or he wouldnt be looking at it ,

3rd the vast majority of 530's are auto so if there is someone looking for a manual they will be limited in choices good for op,

4th i have bought 330i and 330d in manual and sold them both very very quickly one within hours the other in 10 days, despite most people telling me i was mad to buy manual ones. both buyers commented how hard it was to find a manual ,

5th, auto are quite a bit heavier on fuel and have higher emissions

6th: i dont hate autos i like them i drive one !!! i just think they are better suited to a diesel or a big torquey petrol

7th : quite a lot of people hate autos

8th :i agree it will add to the sell price if it is auto but you are trying to sell with a lot more competition with a much bigger selection of 530 autos against you

9th autos always feel slower than manuals

anyway back at the op

its a nice car looks like it has a few nice extras , forget the 520d its a good car but a bit boring , and the 530i will be a lot smoother to drive , im not saying dont look at an auto if you are after a serene driving experience thats relaxing and calm and smooth get an auto , but if you like to drive a car and not be driven get a manual

Bodhan

I have always had a soft spot for both the 530 and 535d, personally I don't like BMW manual shift, it's a bit sloppy and long. The auto box has a much more refined feel, but if you're happy in a manual then there's nothing wrong with the car.
Just do the usual checks, motorcheck and mechanical and you'll be happy for life

Tea 1000

I only know two people who'd actually want to buy a 530i, me and one other guy. Both of us would only want manual. Feck all you auto lovers!
Actually, the 530i in E60 guise came as 231bhp first, then 258 then 272. The 231bhp is really underwhelming, don't know about the other two, haven't driven them.
And you're better off without extras like active steering and adaptive suspension, they will go wrong and will cost you when they do.
I also had Xenon lights in my last car, and with auto levelling problems and €150 to replace a bulb, no thanks!

rabbitinlights

The main reason I would not buy that car is that it is an SE, who in their right mind specced a 530i in SE with a manual box in 2007?

530i M-Sport with a manual box would be more like it, no problem selling that to people looking for a drivers car.

It's a great engine, but I would not touch that car.

S.

Padraig Mor

davy_b wrote: »

BTW it has auto headlights and wipers , comfort seats arent on a 5 series only 7 and neither were folding mirrors

Comfort seats are most certainly available on the 5 series.

jamesk_irl

Tea 1000 wrote: »

I only know two people who'd actually want to buy a 530i, me and one other guy. Both of us would only want manual. Feck all you auto lovers!
Actually, the 530i in E60 guise came as 231bhp first, then 258 then 272. The 231bhp is really underwhelming, don't know about the other two, haven't driven them.
And you're better off without extras like active steering and adaptive suspension, they will go wrong and will cost you when they do.
I also had Xenon lights in my last car, and with auto levelling problems and €150 to replace a bulb, no thanks!

Thanks - quick question. How can you tell if 231/258/272 bhp? The car mentioned is early 2007 so don't think it is the 272version which I think was the efficiency dynamic version.

Hmmm don't like the idea of underwhelming. The only reason I was even thinking of 530i was for something with a fair bit of omphhh

robtri

jamesk_irl wrote: »

Thanks - quick question. How can you tell if 231/258/272 bhp? The car mentioned is early 2007 so don't think it is the 272version which I think was the efficiency dynamic version.

Hmmm don't like the idea of underwhelming. The only reason I was even thinking of 530i was for something with a fair bit of omphhh

take it for a test drive .... only you can tell if it has enough oooph for you.... 231bhp could be enough for you...

if youa re happy with manual, dont let the talk here put you off, its your car, so you pick whats best for you....

Personally i buy a car that I like for me... not for its residuals or do i think about the next guy who will be driving it....

Anan1

robtri wrote: »

Personally i buy a car that I like for me... not for its residuals or do i think about the next guy who will be driving it....

+1. The transmission and lack of spec would kill it for me, but if they don't bother the OP and he gets the car at the right price then why not?

ShadowHearth

Damn, i must be getting old or something.... When the feck auto became better in car enthusiast forum?!

Op does not care its manual, i presume he even like that, as he is not looking for eco/luxo brick on 4 wheels, but something with ooomph!

I have to agree with few people here, whosaid manual will be even better to resell, as you will be aiming at someone who wants manual, not an auto.

I was looking for clk200, and all of them were damn autos! It took me awile to get manual one, but when i found it, i bought it.

Not saying auto is bad, its good, when you are not looking for oomph ir you are old lazy driver who had his fun with manuals allready.

Anan1

I wonder whether motorists were so divided when manual ignition advance controls first started disappearing from steering wheels..

Matt Simis

I ignored this thread for no particular reason but I had a 530i SE Auto and the Auto box does not suit this engine at all. IMO, it ruined it. The 530i is revvy, not torquey. The Auto box saps power, ruins the dynamic range the engine was designed around and overall makes a for a dull boring drive with poorer economy. It never likes to rev high enough to get power out of it, a problem entirely avoided with a manual, noting the OP wants it to feel fast, the Auto just wont.

An Auto 530i is maybe a 28mpg car, a Manual is 30. A Manual is fun to drive, the Auto isnt (not actually referring to general terms, I mean on a 330/530i). I would totally support the idea of the auto on a 530d yes, not a good match to the petrol engine.


EDIT: OP I assume that year/model is the 258bhp version. I had a 235bhp model FWIW.

Tigger

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1854189

cadaliac

Tigger wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1854189

The petrol seems much better value to me. If I were looking at the 530i, I wouldn't be worrying too much about fuel bills.
Anyway, 133k on the clock, 5 years old and he is looking for nearly €15k?
Nah, not for me. Especially what the petrol has only 60k or there abouts.

SpannerMonkey

finally some support for the manual brigade

@ Op your car is at least the 258 bhp version if not the 272 bhp version the 272 came out in late 06 so you may have to ring bmw with the reg no / chassis number to find out , its a great engine and when released was the lightest 6 cylinder engine in the world and was on wards 10 best engines of the year in 2006 and 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward%27s_10_Best_Engines

PS : get a manual if you want it for the power , autos are good but they are for lazy driving getting from A-B as easily as possible and in a relaxing way , manuals are more fun and can be revved , as said the 530i is not a torquey engine and would feel dead as an auto as a manual it would feel crisp and eager , and as for the manual shifts on a bmw all newer bmws- 2005 on have a fantastic manual box its unbelieveably exact in the way it slots in each cog , as richard hammond said in his review of a different bmw of that era " changeing gears is like sliding the bolt in a lee enfield rifle " ie smooth and precise

i had a 330i with the 258bhp engine and believe me you will not want for power in it its fantastic , especially the way it revs all the way up to 8000 and the way is sounds :cool:

see here for more info on it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_N52

ottostreet

If I was after a car like that, having it in manual would be a plus point for me, not a minus.