E60 2.2 Automatic

Sexual Chocolate

Have been offered a clean 04 520i with 130k and a years nct for a good price. Looking to see what peoples opinions on them are, specifically the automatic in them ?

grogi

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Have been offered a clean 04 520i with 130k and a years nct for a good price. Looking to see what peoples opinions on them are, specifically the automatic in them ?

Automatic is good for its time - 6 speed ZF - 6HP19 as far as I remember. Won't blow your socks off, but it is fine. There is slight delay in kickdown/downshifts.

M54B22 is again a solid offering. 6 straight gives smooth power delivery and sounds nice. There isn't that much power (168 hp) though when ~€950 tax bill comes. 2.5l is generally better value for tax-money - but with used cars you take what's in good condition.

If the price is good enough (it starts with a 1), you can probably risk it. Have in mind they are barges - great on motorway, not so great to throw around the corners.

Sexual Chocolate

Cheers grogi

Yea I understand that its no dsg performance wise but I've heard a couple of financial horror stories with the newer BMW boxs so I'm just doing my homework on the older ones.

I'll be coming from a 170 hp Mondeo so slight decrease in power I'm assuming mainly because its an auto and heavier, but the interior and comfort makes up for it.

Im assuming that swapping over bits and pieces from the LCI such as lights won't be any hassle ?

grogi

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Cheers grogi

Yea I understand that its no dsg performance wise but I've heard a couple of financial horror stories with the newer BMW boxs so I'm just doing my homework on the older ones.

If anything goes that bad, you'd just scrape it. In worst case you'll loose 3 months of tax and what you put into the car...

I'll be coming from a 170 hp Mondeo so slight decrease in power I'm assuming mainly because its an auto and heavier, but the interior and comfort makes up for it.

If that mondeo is turbocharged, you might feel underwhelmed.

Im assuming that swapping over bits and pieces from the LCI such as lights won't be any hassle ?

Don't know if it is doable - but even if it is, don't... That's money down the drain with very very little benefit.

Idbatterim

I'll be coming from a 170 hp Mondeo so slight decrease in power I'm assuming mainly because its an auto and heavier, but the interior and comfort makes up for it.

the engine is a straight 6 and will be far superior to the engine in the mondeo... I take it that the car is an SE op?

FirefighterT7

Can be oil burners, same engine as E39 m54b22 and they have a habit of gunk building around ring and letting oil past.. I'm currently in that position, great driving cars though and not as sluggish in auto as you would think..

Sexual Chocolate

Idbatterim wrote: »

the engine is a straight 6 and will be far superior to the engine in the mondeo... I take it that the car is an SE op?

Just to clarify that im referring to a manual V6 mondeo and not a four pot. And yes it is an SE spec.

Leonard Hofstadter

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Just to clarify that im referring to a manual V6 mondeo and not a four pot. And yes it is an SE spec.

They're really not that fast. I've driven that engine with the (admittedly older five speed) auto box in an E46 3 series and it wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding. The manual E46 is OK but not great, it really doesn't feel like there's 168 bhp in them.

The M54 is an absolutely fantastic engine, though, it's so smooth and refined and such a joy to work hard, it makes a great noise when you give it some, it's called smiles per gallon for a reason:D. Even driving to the shops will make you feel special with that glorious engine, it shows how wrong it is that so few BMWs these days have the straight six.

Common faults include oil leaks through the oil filter housing gasket and the rocker cover gasket, and of course the oil breathers (CCV) can get blocked in them. Expect it to use up to a litre of oil every 600 miles / 1000 km, it is entirely normal if this happens. Not sure about the E60s but on the older BMWs with this engine the cooling system is a known weakness. Other than that they're a reliable car, the engine is bulletproof once you do the few preventative maintenance jobs.

Sexual Chocolate

Cheers for the replies. Unfortunately the deal fell through from the sellers end. Was looking foward to changing to an automatic and had even sorted a reasonable insurance quote for it.

Ah well.

Leonard Hofstadter

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Cheers for the replies. Unfortunately the deal fell through from the sellers end. Was looking foward to changing to an automatic and had even sorted a reasonable insurance quote for it.

Ah well.

Sorry to hear, but probably a blessing in disguise, those 2.2s haven't much oomph in them. I was used to driving a 1.8 Avensis and the 2.2 in the 3 series left me cold, the automatic felt slower than the Toyota and the manual, while a fair bit faster, wasn't all that much faster really - so I'd say you'd have been disappointed since you're used to a six cylinder already.

You wouldn't believe what a difference the 2.5 makes (in the 3 series at least), only 21 bhp and 26 lb ft extra, but it feels like it's about 40 bhp stronger really, the 2.5 manual can definitely get a move on in the 3 series that's for sure, obviously it's not the fastest car in the world, but it can move pretty nicely all the same.

If you do come across a 525i I'd say go for it, well worth the €100 extra tax, also after about March 2005 they were upgraded to the N52 engine (you'll know which engine it has because the N52s have a rev counter which goes to 7500 rpm, whereas the rev counter goes to 7000 rpm in the M54s), which has 215 bhp and will do a bit more mpg, that said because I have an E46 325, I do have a real soft spot for the M54 engine.

bazz26

OP, this 325i was posted in the Bangernomics thread, might be up your street?



https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-e90-325i/16400107

Sexual Chocolate

captainspeed wrote: »

Sorry to hear, but probably a blessing in disguise, those 2.2s haven't much oomph in them. I was used to driving a 1.8 Avensis and the 2.2 in the 3 series left me cold, the automatic felt slower than the Toyota and the manual, while a fair bit faster, wasn't all that much faster really - so I'd say you'd have been disappointed since you're used to a six cylinder already.

Sure I came to accept that it be slightly slower than what I already have but in exchange for the luxury I didnt mind, the car is also belonged to a family member so I knew it was well looked after.

captainspeed wrote: »

You wouldn't believe what a difference the 2.5 makes (in the 3 series at least), only 21 bhp and 26 lb ft extra, but it feels like it's about 40 bhp stronger really, the 2.5 manual can definitely get a move on in the 3 series that's for sure, obviously it's not the fastest car in the world, but it can move pretty nicely all the same.

If you do come across a 525i I'd say go for it, well worth the €100 extra tax, also after about March 2005 they were upgraded to the N52 engine (you'll know which engine it has because the N52s have a rev counter which goes to 7500 rpm, whereas the rev counter goes to 7000 rpm in the M54s), which has 215 bhp and will do a bit more mpg, that said because I have an E46 325, I do have a real soft spot for the M54 engine.

Yea im gonna keep my ear to the ground towards the end of the year for another one preferably a 525i, I couldn't be arsed with 523i, its figures seem far too similar to the 2.2. Depending on insurance of course

My own company (kenco/first ireland) wouldnt quote me on the 2.2 at all so I was preparing to move to liberty for 1400 with my mother as a named driver, which brought it down from 1700, still 400 more then my own car. I also would of losing the ncb that ive built up this year so far though. However the years tax and nct on the e60 still outweighed it as well as the getting third party extension back

@bazz. If i hadn't taxed mine yesterday I'd of probably having a look at that e90. Saying that I just fixed a rocker cover leak on my own as well so I'm stuck with it for another while. The 2.2 deal was just too good to turn my nose up at.

* Might be nitpicking here but theres no fog lights on the e90 :eek: :pac:

bazz26

They are down at the bottom corners of the bumper.