BMW 5 series - money pit?

yoshiktk · 12-02-2022 8:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118621998#Comment_118621998

Welcome to club. Whenever I load DD/Adverts I change my mind. Currently on list have Accord, BMW 5 series, Audi A6. All can be great and expensive in the same time.

Found lovely A6, low mileage, great spec, vented seats yeeay, few months nct left. Only issue it's on other side of the country, I live in Wicklow it's in Limerick. Dunno whether I would travel 2.5h to see a car, would prefer something closer. Was surprised to see that insurance was a 150€ cheaper compared to 5 series.

Like someone mentioned it earlier, maybe Mazda 6? I had first gen, would stick to corners like crazy, really good driver, comfy inside.Presumably newer gen is better. May suit You.

tabby aspreme · 12-02-2022 8:49pm

That lad selling the accord is a bulls*itter, you won't get 60 mpg, have one here with 340k miles on it, engine never had a penny spent on it, other than oil and filters, wishbone ball joints are it's weak point.

Vikings · 12-02-2022 9:21pm

The 07 A6 in Wexford could be worth a punt despite no NCT.

yoshiktk · 12-02-2022 9:36pm

I'm aiming 2008+, few great cars had to land in no no zone because of it, just can't justify paying 1000€ for a tax with car worth 3000€.

bazz26 · 12-02-2022 11:16pm

What diesel 5 Series or A6 are costing 1k to tax?

BorneTobyWilde · 12-02-2022 11:20pm

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz-e-class-2010/30272731

I'd go for a Merc .

bazz26 · 12-02-2022 11:33pm

A manual Merc, doesn't get more Irish than that.

BorneTobyWilde · 12-02-2022 11:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623194#Comment_118623194

less to go wrong, and a drivers car,

yoshiktk · 12-02-2022 11:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623120#Comment_118623120

Wasn't thinking exactly about them, there are others cars which are great, comfy limousine pre 2008 which are killed by the stupid tax.

My old boss had lovely 2004 7 series, second owner, from new always serviced in BMW. Car in spotless condition, tried to sell it couple years ago, no luck. Ended going to Poland or Romania dont remember, for twice the amount he could get here.

I started looking on petrol, few nice Audi's out there. Feel like a kid in goddamm toyshop, so many that don't what to choose.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a5-coupe-1-8-tfsi-170bhp-6speed-se/30377581

arthursway · 13-02-2022 12:07am

As a BMW owner I find the most expensive part of running the car is putting the low profile 19 inch run flats on every year otherwise it is no less reliable than any other car I've owned before.

bazz26 · 13-02-2022 12:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623263#Comment_118623263

Lol. A diesel E Class is not a drivers car.

BorneTobyWilde · 13-02-2022 12:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623345#Comment_118623345

Depends who's driving. They're a fast diesel

bazz26 · 13-02-2022 12:26am

Sure, whatever.

Wildly Boaring · 13-02-2022 12:35am

That car has 337k km on it.

Unless the op does 5k a year it's going to cost money to run it.

yoshiktk · 13-02-2022 12:55am

Last year maybe I did 15k, due covid I wasnt really doing any longer trips. Before it would be around 25k-35k.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/318i-touring-only-passed-nct-08-01-23/30356985

bazz26 · 13-02-2022 1:21am

Saab 9-3?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/saab-93-diesel-180bhp-turbo-edition/30242883

Claims to have a service history and bit of work done (timing belt) as well as a warranty.

BorneTobyWilde · 13-02-2022 1:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623409#Comment_118623409

I dunno, high miles can mean everything is repaired by now, sometimes it's a good thing, if history is there

Manic Moran · 13-02-2022 4:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118617890#Comment_118617890

I'm 2m tall myself, and a 5-series owner so I can share your pain. That said, I also own an S4, there's no reason I don't fit in a smaller car, the problem occurs when there are people in the back seat, and even the 5-series isn't great (For the record, for many years I drove a Fiesta). The S4 becomes a three-seater, people behind me just won't work.

However, given the several thousands of dollars of repairs and maintenance gone into my 2015 550 in the four years I've owned it, (Fortunately mostly under warranty, but I've still put four figures into it), I would be extremely skeptical of a 2008 5-series, even well-maintained, being anything close to 'affordable to run'. My 2005 S4, which I have owned and babied for 17 years, getting every service done on time and stamped in the record book, has been basically off the road except for reserve duty (such as now, with the BMW in the shop) due to the amount of dollars of repairs I need to put into it to bring it back up to daily operational status.* Honestly, I expect to move the 5-series to become a second-line car in my garage in a year or so, to keep the annual mileage (and thus repair costs) down.

When I went looking for a mid-size to replace my 2004 A6 back, oh, 7 years ago, I couldn't yet afford a good 5-series or A6, so I went with a VW Passat. Plenty big enough, and affordable. It seemed to be bullet-proof as well (diesel, it was). Absolutely not 'fun' or 'engaging', or even 'luxurious' (even being the top-of-the-line SEL version), but if you want a big car which will do the job of getting you around, that or the Skoda equivalent may well be worthwhile. Possibly a Mondeo, though they strike me as being a bit smaller.

* I mainly keep it as a collector car now, only a few hundred of the Cabrio V8s were ever imported into the US and it's a manual transmission. Probably only a few dozen of the type left, so I'm keeping it even though it makes more sense to trade it in.

Wildly Boaring · 13-02-2022 9:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623460#Comment_118623460

Like the e class above 220k miles or over 350k km is a lot to me.

It's the end of the line for a lot of cars. Not all, but a lot. There was a thread on here about 2 months ago with a chap claiming BMWs were a heap of junk and moneypits. He bought one with 300k km and couldnt understand how he kept having to replace everything.

Having ovned 3 series and 5 series, the 3 is a lot smaller inside. It's a completely different drive too. 5 cruises along sweepping through bends. 3 is tighter and more nimble

Whatwicklow · 13-02-2022 9:32am

Had an 09 e60 n47 and it was great until it rolled over 300k the dpf automatically stopped regenerating, which created back pressure which blow the turbo at 320k

Wildly Boaring · 13-02-2022 9:39am

Yeah my father has ran 2 cars from new to say 350k. Avensis and Vento.

Both wanted for nothing.

Both basically calved at that mileage and were scrapped. He was putting in more money than the cars were worth.

Father on law just did similar with a passat. 320k km. It could be still going somewhere in Donegal? No end of dpf and sensor issues. Handbrake issues (09 passat, never got it right). Driver's seat was getting bad. Climate control had given up.

Gant21 · 13-02-2022 9:49am

I’d say your father in law had a bad mechanic with that Passat. It’s a horse and cart you will be advocating for next.

yoshiktk · 13-02-2022 9:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623671#Comment_118623671

Don't shatter my dreams. I know, I know, even though I still would love to go for one there's a slim chance, especially because I'm perfectionist so I would need to have everything, even the smallest thing fixed, so that's the last nail in the coffin.

Passat is great choice, that's why I already have one. Was laughing to my wife that we will just get another one, as besides service we haven't had to do much, 2014 with 200k on the clock, but she wants something "new". When we bought it we test drove Mondeo as well and I don't know how Ford did it, but for me personally it felt worse than the previous generation. At that time we had 2006 Mondeo Ghia and the comfort especially on seats was completely different. When we swapped at test from Mondeo to Passat it was like mowing from cheapest IKEA sofa to a proper Italian one. So Mondeo is on "no list"

I'm back to square one, now its Accord vs A6 but probably the A6 would be in the same danger group as 5-series.

As for the Volvo or Saab, don't laugh but can't get one as my wife don't like the control panels in them, so she will never agree to one, eh woman.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/honda-accord-2008/30282688

Not perfect, NCT almost gone, but gives me breathing room for all the service and insurance to be paid in one go and some spare money for few other things like radio.

Wildly Boaring · 13-02-2022 2:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623848#Comment_118623848

Nope i'm advocating for less than 200k miles

It's high mileage.

If you're buying second hand you need to be buying something with a couple years in it at least

Vikings · 13-02-2022 4:11pm

A superb / Octavia vrs would be on my list too but finding a good one is tough.

Worse is, whatever I buy will be replacing my motorbike which gets me from A to B very quickly

yoshiktk · 13-02-2022 4:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118624710#Comment_118624710

In my budget the ones which I saw interesting had or small mileage under 200k but without things which I want or over 300k but with nice spec.

Have to make myself a trip to Dublin to check few cars and maybe decide.

Im slowly loosing hope to find something decent for my peculiar taste. Was calling about few Accords today, or at least I tried, no response and even when I get one, I felt like CIA agent trying to get something from enemy.... Its like people dont want to sell the cars in the end. I even started checking petrol, dont see anything worth checking.

Ok, whats big, have nice petrol engine and fun to drive? Maybe Ill try from this angle.

coolbeans · 14-02-2022 12:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623194#Comment_118623194

'Evergreen' ditchfinder tyres on her too. Plenty of expense will have been spared.

yoshiktk · 14-02-2022 12:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118627141#Comment_118627141

Isnt it obvious that after spending so much on car You have to cut the corners somewhere. When I was a teenager I've worked in Poland on petrol station, the amount of people driving BMW just so they could fill it with 5€ worth of fuel was quite big. But hey, they could say that they have BMW.

I for now have setup few search alerts on dd/adverts, I'll wait for something to pop up.