Where would you go next...

Casati · 17-06-2021 01:33PM

Wailin wrote: »

Absolutely MM. 540i is more than quick enough here. 550i is too close to the m5 that anyone in the market for such a car will probably go the full hog and get the m5.

Surely a 545e is a better purchase than a 540i?

carsfan2 · 17-06-2021 02:02PM

mickdw wrote: »

GT motors have lots advertised, maybe not so many in stock. I enquired about one recently. Ad was live when i sent enquiry and the response I got was that the car was 'well sold' and that any more that would be coming in would much much dearer as prices are up 15 percent in uk.
This was an 18 530e at 35k.

Some nice stock on Carzone now.
Do they take trade ins?

Wailin · 17-06-2021 02:04PM

If it's economy your after, then yes, certainly.

Performance is much the same. The 3 litre engine in the 540i is 340bhp while in the 545e its 280bhp, the hybrid system brings it up to 387bhp but at the cost of a lot of weight, a massive 200kg more than the 540i. Not as practical either as you lose over 100 litres of boot space with the battery.

Economy isn't the top of my list at all so I'd prefer the 540i without question.

maddness · 17-06-2021 02:06PM

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

They even have Barney's car for sale...

I absolutely love that

digiman · 17-06-2021 02:47PM

carsfan2 wrote: »

You getting it from GT motors? They seem to stock very high spec cars wherever they get them from.
Any grief or sweetener offered by BMW dealer when you wanted to cancel?

Yeah, getting it from GT motors. It's on the dearer end of the 530e but to be fair its got about 30k of extra spec that the majority of 530e don't have so don't mind paying a few thousand extra for that considering if I was buying it new I would have speced up most of it anyway. Looking forward to getting it now.

MetzgerMeister · 17-06-2021 02:58PM

maddness wrote: »

I absolutely love that

Buddy Bubs · 17-06-2021 04:40PM

carsfan2 wrote: »

Some nice stock on Carzone now.
Do they take trade ins?

They do but they lowballed me last year more than anyone else did. They even have a note on their ads they will give trade values and there won't be much movement on their asking prices. They do have nice stock though.

Cyrus · 17-06-2021 04:57PM

digiman wrote: »

Almost bought and XC90, really liked it, but it’s huge and would be a pain to commute in and out to work with, especially parking everyday in a multi-storey type carpark.
.

just curious on this, is the XC90 not basically the same size as an x5? any dimensions ive looked at has them largely similar

carsfan2 · 17-06-2021 07:49PM

Buddy Bubs wrote: »

They do but they lowballed me last year more than anyone else did. They even have a note on their ads they will give trade values and there won't be much movement on their asking prices. They do have nice stock though.

Prices aren’t rock bottom but they all have good spec.
I wonder where they get their stock?
Ex fleet? They have a number of similar spec cars on sale at any one time.

Comhrá · 17-06-2021 08:53PM

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

They even have Barney's car for sale...

Reminds me of a box of Cadbury's Milk Tray.

Buddy Bubs · 17-06-2021 09:11PM

carsfan2 wrote: »

Prices aren’t rock bottom but they all have good spec.
I wonder where they get their stock?
Ex fleet? They have a number of similar spec cars on sale at any one time.

Yeah they're cars main dealers would love to get their hands on. Not sure where they get them but the time I was in there the sales guy, who I believe was the owner, was telling me both himself and his wife/gf flew over to uk the day before and drove 2 of the cars back. Both 530e, both very high spec.

digiman · 17-06-2021 09:41PM

Cyrus wrote: »

just curious on this, is the XC90 not basically the same size as an x5? any dimensions ive looked at has them largely similar

This is true, the xc90 is only about 2” longer. The difference is I has the XC90 on an overnight test drive so drove it on my work route which is down Knockmaron Hill through Chapelizod and anyone who knows that road will know how tight it is for cars coming at each other. I had to stop every time I met a car of else risk scratching the alloys or another car hitting me. Also drove it to the shops and realised getting out of it just how wide the vehicle is, how big the doors are and how little space there is in our tight car parks.

With the X5 I just had it on a short test drive on the N7 so didn’t realise any of the above points, but they would have existed as well, I think thr X5 is even wider actually!!

It really goes to show that a short test drive doesn’t really give you the feel for how to car will perform for you in everyday life!

bazz26 · 18-06-2021 01:05PM

Somewhat interesting comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-VAGguzfKY

Cyrus · 18-06-2021 01:51PM

digiman wrote: »

This is true, the xc90 is only about 2” longer. The difference is I has the XC90 on an overnight test drive so drove it on my work route which is down Knockmaron Hill through Chapelizod and anyone who knows that road will know how tight it is for cars coming at each other. I had to stop every time I met a car of else risk scratching the alloys or another car hitting me. Also drove it to the shops and realised getting out of it just how wide the vehicle is, how big the doors are and how little space there is in our tight car parks.

With the X5 I just had it on a short test drive on the N7 so didn’t realise any of the above points, but they would have existed as well, I think thr X5 is even wider actually!!

It really goes to show that a short test drive doesn’t really give you the feel for how to car will perform for you in everyday life!

it should be an olympic sport i reckon someone from dalkey would the world champion given the prevalence of large SUVs and the amount of tiny roads

ustari · 19-06-2021 11:42PM

Cyrus wrote: »

it should be an olympic sport i reckon someone from dalkey would the world champion given the prevalence of large SUVs and the amount of tiny roads

I've an XC90 and this is more of an issue than I expected. Especially in the city centre car parks. Trying to get a child out of the car seat just adds to the fun.

Cyrus · 20-06-2021 12:11AM

ustari wrote: »

I've an XC90 and this is more of an issue than I expected. Especially in the city centre car parks. Trying to get a child out of the car seat just adds to the fun.

Etron is a similar size I don't do multi storey personally!

Andrewf20 · 20-06-2021 01:02AM

Waiting and watching to see if a manual one of these pop up for sale in Ireland. Depressingly rare to find one for sale here. Months have passed since I last saw one.

I was a hair away from buying one in 2018 and it eating me alive since that I didn't. The 3.0 is the best engine I ever drove. Ill sell the NC MX5. The na engine is getting so rare these days and id love to get one before they get too old.

If anyone hears of someone looking to sell, please let me know.

eljono · 20-06-2021 10:31AM

@Andrewf20 Have you driven one? I drove one a year ago, 3.0 si manual, thought it would make a great weekend car. Engine was a peach but I really didn't like the steering, it felt very artificial and weird and the front tyres tramlined like crazy. Not the type of steering that would give you confidence or encourage fun driving. Shame because as said, the engine was lovely and made a sweet noise.

Mickiemcfist · 20-06-2021 10:56AM

eljono wrote: »

@Andrewf20 Have you driven one? I drove one a year ago, 3.0 si manual, thought it would make a great weekend car. Engine was a peach but I really didn't like the steering, it felt very artificial and weird and the front tyres tramlined like crazy. Not the type of steering that would give you confidence or encourage fun driving. Shame because as said, the engine was lovely and made a sweet noise.

Thats meant to be sorted by getting rid of runflats.

Wibbs · 20-06-2021 11:15AM

I had a drive of one myself two years ago. Lovely looking car, nice enough to drive and plenty of poke, but like Eljono I found the steering really let it down. I didn't notice the tramlining, but yeah the steering felt odd alright and the one I drove didn't have run flats. I didn't press on because it wasn't my car, but I wouldn't have been comfortable doing so. That said I run outa talent in a peddle car so there's that.

carsfan2 · 20-06-2021 12:50PM

bazz26 wrote: »

Somewhat interesting comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-VAGguzfKY

I watched this earlier. If it was his own money he’d have a 540i which says it all!
Mat Watson said he’d have the m550i over the m5 as it’s just too fast for uk roads.
I don’t think we’ll ever see a 550i in Ireland.
Smart money is an approved used M5

Leonard Hofstadter · 20-06-2021 01:07PM

Andrewf20 wrote: »

Waiting and watching to see if a manual one of these pop up for sale in Ireland. Depressingly rare to find one for sale here. Months have passed since I last saw one.

I was a hair away from buying one in 2018 and it eating me alive since that I didn't. The 3.0 is the best engine I ever drove. Ill sell the NC MX5. The na engine is getting so rare these days and id love to get one before they get too old.

If anyone hears of someone looking to sell, please let me know.

That engine is truly incredible, it takes all the wonderful things of its predecessor (engine noise, refinement, character, low down grunt by the standards of NA engines), the M54, and then makes them 15-20% better, but the best thing of all is that the two biggest weaknesses of the M54 engine (namely throttle response - really poor for a NA engine and the rubbish cooling system) are gone.

It's a terrible pity BMW gave up on naturally aspirated six cylinder engines, they really are such wonderful engines to drive. You have to get a V8 or bigger really to get something that offers such an enjoyable driving experience.

Cyrus · 20-06-2021 01:19PM

Andrewf20 wrote: »

Waiting and watching to see if a manual one of these pop up for sale in Ireland. Depressingly rare to find one for sale here. Months have passed since I last saw one.

I was a hair away from buying one in 2018 and it eating me alive since that I didn't. The 3.0 is the best engine I ever drove. Ill sell the NC MX5. The na engine is getting so rare these days and id love to get one before they get too old.

If anyone hears of someone looking to sell, please let me know.

Had one of those in montego blue albeit it was an auto lovely car and felt properly quick

carsfan2 · 23-06-2021 11:16PM

did you get your 530e Digiman?
if so how are you finding it?

Rowley Birkin QC · 24-06-2021 11:06AM

bazz26 wrote: »

Somewhat interesting comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-VAGguzfKY

Did I hear him right that only the M5 can be made fully RWD?

Also, are those "computer" keys an extra or do they come on all the new 5 series? Look a bit daft but I'm sure there's functionality in there that becomes really useful once you get used to it.

Leonard Hofstadter · 24-06-2021 11:12AM

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

Did I hear him right that only the M5 can be made fully RWD?

Also, are those "computer" keys an extra or do they come on all the new 5 series? Look a bit daft but I'm sure there's functionality in there that becomes really useful once you get used to it.

Yes, that's correct. The F90 M5 and M5 Comp can both be put in RWD mode.

In fact some versions of xDrive are RWD by default, such as the version fitted to the 8 series. They only use 4WD when necessary. To me that's a much better compromise than permanent 4WD, it's the best of both worlds in that it's a proper rear driven BMW driving experience most of the time but for those times when it's handy to have the extra traction of 4WD (such as in the snow or when you're flooring it on takeoff), you've got the benefits of that, too.

hooch-85 · 24-06-2021 11:27AM

Some Xdrive systems are essentially a haldex system

Leonard Hofstadter · 24-06-2021 01:46PM

hooch-85 wrote: »

Some Xdrive systems are essentially a haldex system

That's in the smaller FWD stuff, though. They only drive the rear wheels when the extra traction is required.

frozenfrozen · 24-06-2021 01:53PM

https://www.xdelete.app/

I'd never use it but you can set seemingly most xdrive to be fully rwd

vintagevrs · 24-06-2021 02:22PM

Yeah wouldn't touch that app. I read about it when I had the 3 series.

Xdrive is very well suited to Ireland I think. Ok it's a bit heavier, and less "ultimate driving machine" but the idea of putting your foot down and just going with zero dramas is very useful in a daily car when it's so often wet and greasy, never mind the colder months.

Where would you go next...

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