BMW 5 Series Good Buy

Irishder

Going to look at this today :

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/520-D-E6/201331217458159/advert?channel=CARS

What are people's views? would it be a good buy, Does the price look reasonable? He is getting the timing belt done before the sale.

Head is wrecked looking for a car!!!!

weekaizer

Strikes me as a bit expensive for an 8 year old se model I have to say.

Henry Ford III

A good one is great but there are quite a few lemons around.

I wouldn't go near one without a full, comprehensive, and verifiable service history. Is it an import? Ideal candidate for clocking with relatively low mileage.

Be wary.

Irishder

As always thanks for the great advice. Henry are you saying an import is more likely to be clocked? Will a cartell check show me mileage from MOT/NCT?

Supergurrier

Ugh the colour

Also its overpriced by about 2 grand

Irishder

I actually don't mind the colour and was actually thinking of offering him 7000 if everything checks out.

Irishder

Any alternatives? was looking at A4's but they seem to be going for crazy money.

Spipov

timing belt change??

colm_mcm

Irishder wrote: »

Any alternatives? was looking at A4's but they seem to be going for crazy money.

A6 is closer in size. Leave the A4s for the RS4 TDI brigade

coolisin

Irishder wrote: »

He is getting the timing belt done before the

This is the part I would go right, no longer interested.
As 1 he is pretending he's spending money he's not.
AND
2 he obviously knows nothing about the car he's selling.

There are other cars out there too walk away from this one.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

i'd go with a 530D tbh, being driving one quite a bit lately and its a cool car i have to admit and it has power, fecking frightening when your accelerating and you think its pulling fast and THEN the turbo kicks in ! :eek:

alright cars but can give big trouble - id never own one though

the culture of deference

Henry Ford III wrote: »

A good one is great but there are quite a few lemons around.

I wouldn't go near one without a full, comprehensive, and verifiable service history. Is it an import? Ideal candidate for clocking with relatively low mileage.

Be wary.

He is selling it for a retired friend, he is also selling another car
He hasn't got detailed service history,
Car is an import and he will not give UK reg, says cartell report is enough
He will not let me use an ECU reader on the car to verify mileage, and then said he would not sell to me.

Ask him to put through NCT

OP do yourself a favour

Alanstrainor

the culture of deference wrote: »

He is selling it for a retired friend, he is also selling another car
He hasn't got detailed service history,
Car is an import and he will not give UK reg, says cartell report is enough
He will not let me use an ECU reader on the car to verify mileage, and then said he would not sell to me.

Ask him to put through NCT

OP do yourself a favour

So what you are saying is...

He's a part time trader, who at least knows the car is clocked, and would rather not waste his time with someone who knows his stuff and wait for an easy target instead. Sound chap!

bazz26

Spipov wrote: »

timing belt change??

Indeed, it would be strange getting a timing belt changed on a car with a timing chain.

coolisin wrote: »

This is the part I would go right, no longer interested.
As 1 he is pretending he's spending money he's not.
AND
2 he obviously knows nothing about the car he's selling.

There are other cars out there too walk away from this one.

Indeed, a google of the mobile number shows up that the seller was selling a second hand turbo over on vagdriver.net a few years ago so if he is dealing in car parts you would imagine he has some sort of knowledge of cars or at least engines.

Voodoomelon

Surely a 520d doesn't have rear heated seats? I kinda like the colour.

the culture of deference

Alanstrainor wrote: »

So what you are saying is...

He's a part time trader, who at least knows the car is clocked, and would rather not waste his time with someone who knows his stuff and wait for an easy target instead. Sound chap!

I do not think I could say that exactly.


I have been trying to buy another car for a while now. Here is my experience

Most adds on donedeal are PT traders

Carzone is on a different planet with prices

Dealers salespeople just want to talk and spout irrelevant details about the car, they really dislike people who interupt them to ask important questions, they never seem to know the answer to FSH and accident queries offhand.

There was a 2012 C3 hdi for sale 2 weeks ago that turned out to be an ex car rental import from UK with Cat C. The seller lied until he had to tell.

Also the amount of known dealers that lie about where the car came from. I phoned a very well known place about a 2007 Jag.

Dealer said yea we just got it in last week from Spirit, spirit give us all their trade ins over 5 years of age FSH everything perfect.

I phoned spirit and spoke to the boss, yes they sold the car new and that was the last they heard of it, they have no one person in the trade that they sell specifically too.


Smaller dealers may have 1 owner cars that have been floating about to trade for up to a year, so the car could have gone through 6 or more trades and have been used by anyone in that time.

YbFocus

A 530d is much more of a car if you can afford it, my 04 cost 5500. They sell cheaper because of the tax I suppose, but with the price difference you can have three years motoring and break even with the 20's.

The 20's aren't as reliable As the 6 cylinders and they're only getting into their stride at motorway speeds.

If you were to get it you'd want to be getting it between 2000-2500 cheaper, but I'd say get a 530.

Henry Ford III

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

i'd go with a 530D tbh, being driving one quite a bit lately and its a cool car i have to admit and it has power, fecking frightening when your accelerating and you think its pulling fast and THEN the turbo kicks in ! :eek:

alright cars but can give big trouble - id never own one though

Steady on there! It's a relatively powerful engine but it's no Ferrari.

YbFocus

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Steady on there! It's a relatively powerful engine but it's no Ferrari.

I agree that they're no powerhouse but as day to day cars there's hardly many that can give that power and torque and return 40mpg on calm runs.

Irishder

Thanks all for the feedback, went to look at it today and in fairness it is fully loaded with extra's but as some posters have pointed out it is overpriced with a not so clear history. So the search continues. On top of that my 00 Vectra broke down today, belt that drives the the power steering snapped.

Comhrá

Is it just me or is the front door slightly mis-aligned where the lower chrome strip meets the centre pillar?

colm_mcm

I think its the strip rather than the door

YbFocus

Common problem with the chrome strips lifting, if you look at the door line under that itself it is straight.
That's turn me of a car though, I wouldn't be able to sell a car with something like that hanging there.

the culture of deference

Irishder wrote: »

Thanks all for the feedback, went to look at it today and in fairness it is fully loaded with extra's but as some posters have pointed out it is overpriced with a not so clear history. So the search continues. On top of that my 00 Vectra broke down today, belt that drives the the power steering snapped.

what history did he have?

Irishder

the culture of deference wrote: »

what history did he have?

It had a dealer service history from the uk and an independent history since been in Ireland. It looked OK, but priced too high and questions over the mileage as above turned me off.

Sobanek

It's got the dual zone climate control - very rare for a 520d.

KwackerJack

Bmw, merc, Volvo, Audi etc

Always buy from main dealer with full service history and warranty!!

A lot of people with high end cars are not/cannot afford to look after them properly leaving the nest buyer with big problems.

Alanstrainor

KwackerJack wrote: »

Bmw, merc, Volvo, Audi etc

Always buy from main dealer with full service history and warranty!!

A lot of people with high end cars are not/cannot afford to look after them properly leaving the nest buyer with big problems.

What a load of nonsense. And where do the dealers get there second hand cars from?

There are good enthusiast owned cars that will have been maintained to very high standards out there.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Alanstrainor wrote: »

What a load of nonsense. And where do the dealers get there second hand cars from?

There are good enthusiast owned cars that will have been maintained to very high standards out there.

I agree, and there are some very well kept cars out there but there are an awful lot of idiots that don't know when to service a car too !

I think he was just saying buy from a main dealer to avail of a warrenty incase something pricey happened and you only just bought it.

I think hes right and so are you but there are too many people that just drive their cars jnto the ground so just to be safe !

_Kaiser_

Alanstrainor wrote: »

What a load of nonsense. And where do the dealers get there second hand cars from?

There are good enthusiast owned cars that will have been maintained to very high standards out there.

To be fair I see where he's coming from.. yes there are enthusiasts (like many of the posters here) who look after their cars properly but in the main those are in the minority where Irish motorists are concerned.

I certainly wouldn't be comfortable dropping a large amount of cash on a modern car without any sort of comeback or warranty - look at the issues I had with my first A6.. I would've been rightly stuck if I hadn't been able to bring it back where I got it.

KwackerJack

Alanstrainor wrote: »

What a load of nonsense. And where do the dealers get there second hand cars from?

There are good enthusiast owned cars that will have been maintained to very high standards out there.

True but i can tell you my Volvo has been serviced to the highest standards but that doesn't mean that i is?

You have more chance of buying a good solid car from a BMW dealer and if all goes wrong you can return it under warranty.

You think if you buy a used car privately that the previous owner will entertain you in 3 months when the engine or gear box gives way??

The majority of high end cars are owned by a finance company and do you think that if the owner is struggling financially that he will spend top dollar maintaining and servicing it??

Id rather spend a little extra and get a warranty instead of trusting a stressed owner trying to get rid of it and telling lies.

May i add the OP link proves my point to an extent

colm_mcm

Paying a few extra k's on a €20k car is one thing, but on a €7000 car, the comeback from a main bmw dealer will be a big chunk of the price, you will get less car.

_Kaiser_

colm_mcm wrote: »

Paying a few extra k's on a €20k car is one thing, but on a €7000 car, the comeback from a main bmw dealer will be a big chunk of the price, you will get less car.

Every 2nd hand car is a trade-off/compromise to some degree though, and I wouldn't necessarily agree that it makes the idea pointless at the lower end of the market.

I think I did quite well price-wise on both A6's and the 2nd one (coincidentally from a main BMW dealer) worked out as 1k extra for a massive spec and full dealer warranty.. 2 things that would have potentially cost me a lot more on a private car (assuming I could even get the former which was unlikely from the ones I looked at - plus I had a trade-in to consider as well of course).

The private market definitely has its place, but given the poor track record in regards maintenance of the Irish motorist it's not one for the feint-hearted either.. and not everyone knows how to strip an engine or has access to someone that does, nor can they afford the huge bills that may come with the wrong gamble. For those people it makes sense to take the hit of the dealer price for the security and comeback it brings with it.

KwackerJack

colm_mcm wrote: »

Paying a few extra k's on a €20k car is one thing, but on a €7000 car, the comeback from a main bmw dealer will be a big chunk of the price, you will get less car.

Maybe but all you do is shop around. I picked my Volvo S80 because the price was right and I got a full Warranty.

I looked at several cars in the same range and picked the Volvo due to the warranty and if buyers become more aware dealers will change there attitudes and offer better service to seal a deal!

YbFocus

I like to look at this in another light.

When I bought my 530d I did so privately. If I bought through a dealers the same car would have been 3000 more or so. I would have been given a 6 month warranty at best.

So now i saved 3000 I have a 3000 euro unlimited warranty

I also made sure I had a proper good car to start with too

Just an opinion and if nothing goes wrong I'm 3000 up, if not then I could solve a lot with it.

Max Power1

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

i'd go with a 530D tbh, being driving one quite a bit lately and its a cool car i have to admit and it has power, fecking frightening when your accelerating and you think its pulling fast and THEN the turbo kicks in ! :eek:

alright cars but can give big trouble - id never own one though

Should try a 535d

unkel

the culture of deference wrote: »

He is selling it for a retired friend

I'm surprised you even rang him

9k for an 8 year old 5-series is silly money. You could buy a petrol one for about half that!

I'm in the market myself for a petrol BMW 5-series, E60 model. Anyone know a good one, please let me know. Must be excellent value for money

KwackerJack

YbFocus wrote: »

I like to look at this in another light.

When I bought my 530d I did so privately. If I bought through a dealers the same car would have been 3000 more or so. I would have been given a 6 month warranty at best.

So now i saved 3000 I have a 3000 euro unlimited warranty



I also made sure I had a proper good car to start with too

Just an opinion and if nothing goes wrong I'm 3000 up, if not then I could solve a lot with it.

True, but would you be happy if you had to spend your 3k on repairs?

YbFocus

KwackerJack wrote: »

True, but would you be happy if you had to spend your 3k on repairs?

Oh dear god no, but it's a valid point i think.
In that if the turbo went ya could pulling it off the car and have a garrett 2260v in my case for much less than the dealership would cost to fit etc.
Probably 700-800.
It'd kill me but I would still be up in the long term.

the culture of deference

unkel wrote: »

I'm surprised you even rang him

9k for an 8 year old 5-series is silly money. You could buy a petrol one for about half that!

Just rang him to see what he was lying about

YbFocus wrote: »

I like to look at this in another light.

When I bought my 530d I did so privately.

So now i saved 3000 I have a 3000 euro unlimited warranty

Or 2 years tax, I have nearly bought 2 530d, but the tax just keeps pushing me away, I would pay 700 a year max.

KwackerJack wrote: »

Bmw, merc, Volvo, Audi etc

Always buy from main dealer with full service history and warranty!!

Problem is the car you buy from a dealer could have been around on the market for ages, or sat on a forecourt for ages. And the warranty could be useless unless it is in writing. Also what some dealers class as FSH is not.

here are some of my questions that annoy

If car is untaxed I always ask when the tax ran out

How many owners and how long since last owner

how long have you owned the car (or car on forecourt)

What exactly will the warranty cover (written)

Has the car been crashed, repaired, recalled or is it on a cat c or d database

the culture of deference

unkel wrote: »

I'm surprised you even rang him

9k for an 8 year old 5-series is silly money. You could buy a petrol one for about half that!

I'm in the market myself for a petrol BMW 5-series, E60 model. Anyone know a good one, please let me know. Must be excellent value for money

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-520-automatic-cream-leather/5449367

YbFocus

the culture of deference wrote: »

Or 2 years tax, I have nearly bought 2 530d, but the tax just keeps pushing me away, I would pay 700 max

It's really 4 years tax if your giving 700 willingly anyway
I don't know how you could turn a 530 down!

KwackerJack

If your going 530 get a 7 Series

Max Power1

YbFocus wrote: »

It's really 4 years tax if your giving 700 willingly anyway
I don't know how you could turn a 530 down!

Its the same reason that the vast majority buy 520ds (or god help us all, the new f10 518d).

For some reason 700 is ok but 1400 is not. Both are ridiculous sums of money to pay for tax, but if I am paying a ridiculous amount anyway, I may aswell get some power for it!

YbFocus

Max Power1 wrote: »

Its the same reason that the vast majority buy 520ds (or god help us all, the new f10 518d).

For some reason 700 is ok but 1400 is not. Both are ridiculous sums of money to pay for tax, but if I am paying a ridiculous amount anyway, I may aswell get some power for it!

Yeah for 2 euro a day I have my 2 extra cylinders Thank you

Oh dear god, a 518d? Developed and sold only in the irish market I presume!

darragh o meara

What's the MPG like on the petrol 520s like the one posted above? I'll be in the market for a 5 series soon and was contemplating the 530d or 535d but if the petrol one wasn't too bad on juice I'd certainly look at one. I drive 100 miles a day 6 days of the week so would need something someway efficient.

YbFocus

darragh o meara wrote: »

What's the MPG like on the petrol 520s like the one posted above? I'll be in the market for a 5 series soon and was contemplating the 530d or 535d but if the petrol one wasn't too bad on juice I'd certainly look at one. I drive 100 miles a day 6 days of the week so would need something someway efficient.

Christ god you need a diesel!

Max Power1

yeah! Wouldnt even consider 500miles/week in a petrol 5 series.

I do that kind of miles in my 535d and get about 28-30mpg. 42mpg is the best I saw and that was on a 500mile round trip.

YbFocus

Ah god the 30's can get 37 usually closer to 40. Again also saw 42 before also.
Is 8mpg less liveable with for 80Nm's more

Max Power1

YbFocus wrote: »

Ah god the 30's can get 37 usually closer to 40. Again also saw 42 before also.
Is 8mpg less liveable with for 80Nm's more

80 nms, 50 odd hp and an extra turbo :P But I would think so. Heart says yes brain says probably not!

YbFocus

Max Power1 wrote: »

80 nms, 50 odd hp and an extra turbo :P But I would think so. Heart says yes brain says probably not!

I would love to see the difference