2010 BMW 520d advice

Bigcheeze

blingrhino wrote: »

Is there any changes from a 2011 f10 sport as opposed to buying a new one now apart from visual . I.e indicators . New steering wheel, xenons .

Is the power output the same ?

Seats etc all seem the same ?

Was there talk of a 520d twin turbo ?

There's a new engine just out which produces 190bhp up from 184 and 400nm of torque up from 375nm. It's reported to be a quieter engine.

dharn

Where is the timing chain ?

mossym

TJJP wrote: »

Ah no, sorry no offence intended, I just thought through typo funny, a Freudian slip if you will (as opposed to a timing chain slip!). I'm sure more than a few N47 owners are kept warm in their seats thinking about the chain issue. (-:

ah right got you now, nicely done, i was totally baffled by what you were getting at

TestersWanted

dharn wrote: »

Tell the bean cheile that leather is awful cold on her ass;)

Thanks for this wise advice, and to everyone else who replied. One more quick question if I may...

I have narrowed it down to two contenders... both 2010 520d automatics at the same price.

One is an Irish car with the pro media pack (i.e. sat nav and wide screen display) but it has 67,000 miles.

The other is a UK import without pro media or sat nav but it has only 39,000 miles plus it has a sunroof.

I never thought I'd be bothered about sat nav etc. but having driven the one with pro media first, the other one looks very bare inside without it. My heart says take the one with the toys but my head says take the one with the lower mileage. What should I do?

TJJP

That's a tough call. I have the pro media, big screen and navigation and it does look a whole lot better. The pro comes with a good few extra toys, voice command, connective drive, traffic and so on. Problem is that most of it is pretty useless over here as it isn't properly enabled on pre 2013 and it doesn't seem you can retro activate. If the lower milage car has usb audio import (save mp3 to the car) and good bluetooth, I'm not sure I'd bother with the screen and navigation. The navigation isn't great, a tom tom beats it hands down, but does clutter the car. BMW map updates are €€€€ but you can get it done cheaper. As an option there's a cic unit on adverts for 500 or so you you could get that fitted and coded to have pro media. Not quite sure what else pro entails over your standard unit though so it's probably worth researching a bit more just be sure. Ideally you should do a vin lookup, you'll find it on the Web free. You run the last six digits and it will give you the build sheet with all the specs listed for each car so you can compare fully.

Something like this - http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=829706

Bigcheeze

TJJP wrote: »

That's a tough call. I have the pro media, big screen and navigation and it does look a whole lot better. The pro comes with a good few extra toys, voice command, connective drive, traffic and so on. Problem is that most of it is pretty useless over here as it isn't properly enabled on pre 2013 and it doesn't seem you can retro activate. If the lower milage car has usb audio import (save mp3 to the car) and good bluetooth, I'm not sure I'd bother with the screen and navigation. The navigation isn't great, a tom tom beats it hands down, but does clutter the car. BMW map updates are €€€€ but you can get it done cheaper. As an option there's a cic unit on adverts for 500 or so you you could get that fitted and coded to have pro media. Not quite sure what else pro entails over your standard unit though so it's probably worth researching a bit more just be sure. Ideally you should do a vin lookup, you'll find it on the Web free. You run the last six digits and it will give you the build sheet with all the specs listed for each car so you can compare fully.

Something like this - http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=829706

I'd agree with this. I have the pro-media pack and it looks great having the nav on the display all the time but I don't really use it for navigation. Harsh reality for all sat nav companies is that it's easier to search for places on Google maps on your phone.

mossym

TJJP wrote: »

If the lower milage car has usb audio import (save mp3 to the car) and good bluetooth, I'm not sure I'd bother with the screen and navigation.

not sure i;d agree with this. i think you;re better making sure the car has a usb port in between the seats. the inbuilt hard drive has what, 6gig of storage? i;ve a 32 gig usb stick stuck in the usb port of mine and it works flawlessly. stick cost less than a tenner. spotify from the phone over bluetooth and you've more music than you could ever use. i;d fill that 6 gig straight away

i may be wrong, but i thought the professional unit allowed playing back video? that would be one reason to go for it i guess. i have the smaller unit and never really wished i had the bigger. sat nav on phone, most of the live functionality never works in Ireland anyway, plus Google maps tends to have a better database of addresses and businesses

TJJP

On the on-board I get 12Gb of storage (upped from earlier 8Gb during a software update). Good point re the between seat USB though, handy for iPhone compatibility if its enabled. But again test it, some are USB charge points only (for a phone or such), and they don't allow direct mp3 playback like mossym's does. On video in car I used it once, but its isn't enabled during driving so you'd have to get that coded if you really wanted that.

blingrhino

i love the pro nav screen , i split it in to two so that you can have two different perspectives and everybody always comments if they were never in the car before. ive no complaints about the maps either rarely have they let me down.
And it looks 100 times better than an audi/merc sat nav which stick out of the dashboard like a sore thumb !
This would actually put me off buying an A6.

Bigcheeze

blingrhino wrote: »

i love the pro nav screen , i split it in to two so that you can have two different perspectives

What do you have on the split screen ? I have Nav and Journey computer, just wondering what the other options are. Don't have the car long so haven't really played with it.

R.O.R

TJJP wrote: »

On the on-board I get 12Gb of storage (upped from earlier 8Gb during a software update). Good point re the between seat USB though, handy for iPhone compatibility if its enabled. But again test it, some are USB charge points only (for a phone or such), and they don't allow direct mp3 playback like mossym's does. On video in car I used it once, but its isn't enabled during driving so you'd have to get that coded if you really wanted that.

Any of the 5 Series I've driven with the USB integration, play MP3 files from a music player/phone/USB stick.

It's only Apple products that have an issue, and it takes a special Y cable to enable playback and control of an I-Pod/Pad/Phone.

There are now 2 cables available for the I-Phone 5 and which one you require depends on which version of the Nav or Bluetooth and which model I-Phone 5 you have - all very complicated now.

blingrhino

Bigcheeze wrote: »

What do you have on the split screen ? I have Nav and Journey computer, just wondering what the other options are. Don't have the car long so haven't really played with it.

You can have two types of map .I.e north orientated, direction of travel or perspective view with different zoom in ability per screen if that makes sense !

bbari

I got my 1st every BMW 4 weeks ago, the only extra I got was the Pro Nav and I have to say that it worth every cent.
Maps are great, as blingrhino said that you can get two types of maps, then split screen, search direction on your phone and send the direction on the car maps, 3D maps, actual pics of the buildings, street view - its just wow!!
Media - it plays all sort of files, mp3, wma etc...
You can play a youtube video on your phone and audio will be streamed to the car system.
Video - you can't play video from the usb but u can play from the dvd player in the dash.
Hard drive is 20gb, i never need to import songs on to that as the usb drive I have is 64gb.

On split screen you can run panoramio, it shows you pics of the area you are in and the quality of pics is superb. or you can have the weather widget, digital clock etc.

Then BMW online apps like weather, news etc are good add on. though you don't use all of that but its still cool to have it


Apart from all the features of Pro Media, the wider screen makes the car looks classy.

bbari

R.O.R wrote: »

It's only Apple products that have an issue, and it takes a special Y cable to enable playback and control of an I-Pod/Pad/Phone.

.

Can you not stream the audio via bluetooth ? Probably sound quality isn't as good then ?

Bigcheeze

bbari wrote: »

I got my 1st every BMW 4 weeks ago, the only extra I got was the Pro Nav and I have to say that it worth every cent.
Maps are great, as blingrhino said that you can get two types of maps, then split screen, search direction on your phone and send the direction on the car maps, 3D maps, actual pics of the buildings, street view - its just wow!!
Media - it plays all sort of files, mp3, wma etc...
You can play a youtube video on your phone and audio will be streamed to the car system.
Video - you can't play video from the usb but u can play from the dvd player in the dash.
Hard drive is 20gb, i never need to import songs on to that as the usb drive I have is 64gb.

On split screen you can run panoramio, it shows you pics of the area you are in and the quality of pics is superb. or you can have the weather widget, digital clock etc.

Then BMW online apps like weather, news etc are good add on. though you don't use all of that but its still cool to have it


Apart from all the features of Pro Media, the wider screen makes the car looks classy.

I take it this is a new car ? Anyone know if older pro-nav (2011) is upgradeable.

bbari

Bigcheeze wrote: »

I take it this is a new car ? Anyone know if older pro-nav (2011) is upgradeable.

Yes, it's a new one. Probably the old pro media have the same features too.

TestersWanted

Just a quick update in case anyone is interested... ended up importing a 2010 (Sept) 520d from the UK with 86k miles, full BMW service history, the beige leather so adamantly specified by the bean cheile, and pro media. I wasn't bothered about the sat nav for the rare times I'll need it nor will I ever play a DVD, but the wide screen looks great and the additional media features are great as you can imagine for someone whose previous car was an 01 E200. It hasn't got heated seats or USB between the seats, but they are minor irritants. Cost me €19k to import, so with the VRT the total will hopefully be a little under €25k.

Thanks for the comments - if it wasn't for what I read here I wouldn't have held out for the pro pack, but I'm glad I did.

bazz26

Good luck and well wear with it.

Did you buy it privately or from a garage? The reason I ask is that I may be taking a trip across the Irish Sea myself to buy an F10 if I cannot find something suitable here for reasonable money.

TestersWanted

bazz26 wrote: »

Did you buy it privately or from a garage? The reason I ask is that I may be taking a trip across the Irish Sea myself to buy an F10 if I cannot find something suitable here for reasonable money.

I couldn't spare the time to go over myself so I bought it from a garage - Draytons in Ealing. Website is draytons dot co dot uk (as a new user I can't post links). They specialise in exporting cars to Ireland. I contacted them and told them what I was looking for. A few weeks later they found it and delivered it. No hassle.

bbari

Congrats!

TestersWanted

bbari wrote: »

Congrats!

Same to you :-)

bbari

I have recently gone thru the VRT process so let me know if there's anything I can assist you with. Its quite straightforward anyway.

TestersWanted

bbari wrote: »

I have recently gone thru the VRT process so let me know if there's anything I can assist you with. Its quite straightforward anyway.

Thanks. As I understand it, all I have to do is make an appointment at an NCT centre within a week and then I have a month to get it assessed and settle up.

But now that you mention it two things have puzzled me about VRT...

First, when I checked the VRT calculator it gives about 7 identical menu options for "520D SE" but there is the guts of €1000 difference in VRT depending on which one you pick. I know it's only for estimation purposes but how do you know which one to pick?

Second, the VRT calculator is telling me the OMSP is around €29k but in reality it's a lot less than that. I just did a quick check on Carzone and every one I saw around the same year and mileage is advertised for less, a lot less in some cases. When you get it assessed and they give you a figure, is there any mechanism to question it if you think they have got it wrong?

bazz26

Is yours an E60 or F10? E60 is the 2003 to 2010 5 Series whereas the 2010 onwards 5 Series is the F10. This would explain the different drop down options for 520d, double check the Co2 rating on your car against that on the calculator as they will go by the Co2 rating on the car's V5 document.

Unfortunately Revenue source the OMSP valuation from the motor trade (S.I.M.I.) here and the only way to challenge it is by paying it first and then appealing it. The good news is that alot of the appeals are successful.

TestersWanted

bazz26 wrote: »

Is yours an E60 or F10? E60 is the 2003 to 2010 5 Series whereas the 2010 onwards 5 Series is the F10.

It's an F10. There are seven options for "D F10 SE 4DR AUTO" on the website.

bazz26 wrote: »

double check the Co2 rating on your car against that on the calculator as they will go by the Co2 rating on the car's V5 document.

Thanks. I'll do that.

bbari

+1 Bazz26.

I thought to give you the Statistical Code from my VRT assessment but that isn't going to work for you as its for M Sport. You are right, there are 7 options for your car.

Why not take a print out of the cheapest option you see and present to them along with your documents. Print it on the day though as the valuation keep changing.

Appointment can be made online ( www.ncts.ie/vrt.html ) and you can keep calling them if you would like to avail a cancellation.

bbari

Wow, 102 posts, now I can post links