Looking for used 5 or 7... Best years, or specific models and options

[radarcontact]

Hi,

i currently have a 2006 330ci convertible with the ZHP performance pak. Love it, but it's gonna be the wife's ride soon and I'll be getting something a little bigger for my 52 mi/day (mixed city/hwy) commute and for road trips.
I'm 50, love to drive and go quickly from A to B. Mechanically inclined, but back issues make it harder and harder to DIY now.

budget will be about $30k, preferably less than 50k miles on it. I looked in AutoTrader and this is a realistic goal as there are many.

Many 740Li and many various 5's. Was thinking about a 550 with the turbo 8.
just concerned about reliability and astronomical repair costs with either. (My 3 has been great though...).

Opinions? Year/model/option pax preferred. Please add a few word justification with your response so I can then do my own research on the answers I get.

Thanks so much!

// Radar //

[BimmerBreaker]

I'd get an E39

[radarcontact]

I'd get an E39

You didn't give much supporting info there...but...I don't think I'd find one with the mileage I'm looking for. And 2003 is a little old considering I've seen 2013's to be had for the $30k I'm looking to spend.

Thanks though.

[pbonsalb]

Buy a 2-3 year old cpo 5 series, like a 535 or 550.

[ptarditi]

Stay away from the V8's, F10 535 is a nice ride.

[radarcontact]

Buy a 2-3 year old cpo 5 series, like a 535 or 550.

CPO - Good call on that; not sure exactly what it provides but I'll research it.

Thanks!

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Stay away from the V8's, F10 535 is a nice ride.

Can you take a sec and support "stay away from the V-8's"? Reliability? Cost of repairs? Fuel economy? You prefer 6's??

I'll do my own research, but need something to start with.

Thanks

[beshannon]

Can you take a sec and support "stay away from the V-8's"? Reliability? Cost of repairs? Fuel economy? You prefer 6's??

I'll do my own research, but need something to start with.

Thanks

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=731460

I had a 2009 550 that I bought pre-owned and wish someone would have given me this advice before I bought.

Even though I had some warranty left, this car quickly became a money pit, mostly due to "normal" maintenance. 22K miles in ~30 months and close to 9K in bills.

Never again.

[BimmerBreaker]

I'd still get an E39

or an F10 528i if I needed something from that gen that was somewhat reliable. All the turbo engines are experiencing reliability problems from that generation, especially the V8's.

[radarcontact]

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=731460

I had a 2009 550 that I bought pre-owned and wish someone would have given me this advice before I bought.

Even though I had some warranty left, this car quickly became a money pit, mostly due to "normal" maintenance. 22K miles in ~30 months and close to 9K in bills.

Never again.

So it's a reliability issue...ok, I appreciate that.

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I'd still get an E39

or an F10 528i if I needed something from that gen that was somewhat reliable. All the turbo engines are experiencing reliability problems from that generation, especially the V8's.

lol, that's twice you've told me I should get an e39 with no reasoning.

I'll just assume you like them and think they are better cars than what BMW made after them.

I wouldn't be against an e39, btw, I just would have to find and absolute virgin cream puff with that many years on it.
(my 06 is deteriorating in front of my eyes due to the Florida sun, even though I keep the top half covered 70% of the time.)

[beshannon]

So it's a reliability issue...ok, I appreciate that.

Well I will go way beyond reliability.

When the dealer does a total transmission replacement at 22K miles 1 month out of warranty without batting an eye . . .
When the dealer tells me that "parts wear out, yes it is only 2 years and 15 k miles but that needs to be replaced" . . .
When the dealer tells me to "stop by anytime for a free leak check" . . .

When my wife says "why are we keeping this car?" . . . I could not sell it fast enough.

As far as a 740iL, I know someone who nearly went bankrupt (foolishly) throwing repair money at that car. Run fast, run far!

Again, I wish you the very best of luck.

[RyansBMW]

lol, that's twice you've told me I should get an e39 with no reasoning.

I'll just assume you like them and think they are better cars than what BMW made after them.

I wouldn't be against an e39, btw, I just would have to find and absolute virgin cream puff with that many years on it.
(my 06 is deteriorating in front of my eyes due to the Florida sun, even though I keep the top half covered 70% of the time.)

Its a great car that will last a while. Build quality is better than the e46. Great for highway cruising. Mechanically, its similar to the e46 so if you can DIY the e46, the e39 will be easy. Even if you go to an indy for service, parts aren't too expensive. These news 5's and 7's have so much electronic gizmos and require everything to be coded to the car by a dealer or indy with the latest software.

The run of the mil e39 might be tough to find at under 50k miles but they do pop up. If you look at an M5, you might have some more luck. You want a highway monster, the M5 is what you seek.

[radarcontact]

Well I will go way beyond reliability.

When the dealer does a total transmission replacement at 22K miles 1 month out of warranty without batting an eye . . .
When the dealer tells me that "parts wear out, yes it is only 2 years and 15 k miles but that needs to be replaced" . . .
When the dealer tells me to "stop by anytime for a free leak check" . . .

When my wife says "why are we keeping this car?" . . . I could not sell it fast enough.

As far as a 740iL, I know someone who nearly went bankrupt (foolishly) throwing repair money at that car. Run fast, run far!

Again, I wish you the very best of luck.

WOW! So sorry to hear that man. That's just bad for everything, including the marriage!

Thank you for taking the time! Advice heeded. ����

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Its a great car that will last a while. Build quality is better than the e46. Great for highway cruising. Mechanically, its similar to the e46 so if you can DIY the e46, the e39 will be easy. Even if you go to an indy for service, parts aren't too expensive. These news 5's and 7's have so much electronic gizmos and require everything to be coded to the car by a dealer or indy with the latest software.

The run of the mil e39 might be tough to find at under 50k miles but they do pop up. If you look at an M5, you might have some more luck. You want a highway monster, the M5 is what you seek.

Thank you -- that makes sense and was what I've been trying together...are the new models going to be just too expensive to fix for me to enjoy ownership.

Thank you for the great info! (Actually looked at a few ads for M5s this afternoon; I agree, they may be the best chance for a well taken care of low mileage "specimen"!)

[Mless5]

I'd get an E39

As a previous owner of 3 e39s - hell nah!

F10 535 is a nice ride.

Agreed, however it is less sensory driving as e39.

[radarcontact]

As a previous owner of 3 e39s - hell nah!



Agreed, however it is less sensory driving as e39.

Hell "nah" as in "no"? Bad experience??

[pbonsalb]

You will also find people who have had little to no trouble with late model 5 and 7 series. A factory extended or quality aftermarket warranty will hedge your risk. I bought 2 CPO cars in 2011, an 08 E61 535xi and an 08 E90 M3. I don't want to buy a 13 year old car to replace my 10 year old car. If I determine the newer BMW that I like are too unreliable when the time comes for newer cars, and I don't think that is the case today, I will buy some other brand of car.

[radarcontact]

You will also find people who have had little to no trouble with late model 5 and 7 series. A factory extended or quality aftermarket warranty will hedge your risk. I bought 2 CPO cars in 2011, an 08 E61 535xi and an 08 E90 M3. I don't want to buy a 13 year old car to replace my 10 year old car. If I determine the newer BMW that I like are too unreliable when the time comes for newer cars, and I don't think that is the case today, I will buy some other brand of car.

True. The only other brands I like are Audi (too popular right now though) and MB AMG's (talk about $$$$ to fix!)

[Mless5]

Hell "nah" as in "no"? Bad experience??

They are great cars, but they require a lot of maintenance.

[BimmerBreaker]

They are great cars, but they require a lot of maintenance.

Compared to a twin turbo BMW V8 out of warranty I can't imagine any E39 would be maintenance intensive. I'm doing timing chain guides on a 540i now and while it's not a great experience, I simply can't imagine wanting to wrench on one of these newer BMW's nor would I even want to think about maintenance costs if taking it to a shop.

lol, that's twice you've told me I should get an e39 with no reasoning.

I did also mention the F10 528i. It's the newer body style with the added benefit of actually being reliable. The N52 in the 528i may be a bit slower than most the other powerplants, but still quicker than most things on the road and it is a vastly more reliable engine with much cheaper parts and maintenance costs when things do break, not to mention lower insurance costs and better mpg. Were I considering an F10 5 it'd be a 528i if I was on any sort of reasonable budget or an M5 if the sky was the limit.

Keep in mind the 550i also has tons of problems... BMW just released a recall for them... source

For those unfamiliar with BMW engine terminology, the N63 powerplant is the twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V-8 with 402 horsepower that saw use in every 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series, X5, and X6 model that have names ending with "50i" and were manufactured between 2008 and 2013. Having the service bulletin number B001314, the recall may take several days for each vehicle involved and could include replacement of the fuel injectors, mass airflow sensors, battery, crankcase vent lines, fuel pressure sensor, the engine’s vacuum pump and last, but certainly not least, replacement of the timing chain.

I would not trust one of these cars for many years even if the recall work was done. Historically BMW has replaced "bad" parts with the same "bad" parts and even if upgrades were made with the new/replacement parts, not all cars will have all the work done, its just a mess... these things will depreciate like a rock because of this, its already happening... look how cheap the 7 series models with these engines are now. There are already sub-$20k cars in my area now, depreciating ~ $80,000 in 5 years. There are some F10 550i's near me around $18k... BMW's always get hit hard with depreciation but people are getting rid of these moneypits before they file chapter 7. The market speaks for itself - they are beautiful cars, but the maintenance costs associated with them make people want to get rid of them. The 528i's as far as I can tell are selling for more (by almost 40%) at least in my area, because people know that a naturally aspirated engine, an evolution over almost 70 years now, is going to be a lot more reliable than a newly designed twin turbo V8...

My recomendation with the E39 wasn't so much to spend your entire budget on an E39, but rather to get something cheaper that honestly, minus some frills and thrills, is as good a car as anything offered now... driving a good E39 around town with $20k in your pocket will feel better than watching your checkbook empty as you pay mechanics to fix problem after problem on an N63... Just my .02...

[radarcontact]

I'm still doing some research, and I'm sorta leaning toward an E60 (preferably 2010, last year made) 535i RWD with sport pkg & sport tranny. I think this would be a great car for a few years (6-8) before I was ready to spend more for something newer and better. I recently rode and and subsequently drove one, and I was pretty impressed. He had got a Burger (?) tune done to it and routinely runs a gas/e85 mix which he says makes it scream; I drove it while drinking gas only, so I can only imagine.

Anyway...
if there are any E60 owners out there:
Were front ventilated seats avail on it? Which pkg?
Was a HUD avail? Again, pkg?

The seats are something I would LOVE to have living in Florida and coming out of work at 3pm into an oven. If not on the E60, does anyone know when BMW started offering them?
The HUD is something I've had before and really learned to love it. Not a deal breaker though, just be fun to have again.

Thanks for all the past input, and for any new info.

p.s.
Looked into E39s and as I suspected, it's very difficult to find cherries out there in such an old offering. ��

V/r
// Radar //

[shoman24v]

I would stay away from automatics for their tendency to fail. Manual is just more fun and reliable, but that is my opinion.

If I had to pick between the few listed below, the 540 manual would be my definite choice, but I know the V8's may require more maintenance than the straight 6's.

Here are several E39 5's with your preferred mileage.

2002 540i 6-speed 41k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=112120347447

2002 525i 5-speed 44k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=191955166290

2002 525i Automatic 52k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=191955834290

2002 525i Automatic 44k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=191960903440

[XAlt]

I would stay away from automatics for their tendency to fail. Manual is just more fun and reliable, but that is my opinion.

If I had to pick between the few listed below, the 540 manual would be my definite choice, but I know the V8's may require more maintenance than the straight 6's.

Here are several E39 5's with your preferred mileage.

2002 540i 6-speed 41k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=112120347447

2002 525i 5-speed 44k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=191955166290

2002 525i Automatic 52k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=191955834290

2002 525i Automatic 44k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-Series...m=191960903440

The 5HP24 is reliable provided you change the fluid. Cream Puffs won't get you that much in a BMW by the way, they'll still be due for some maintenance.

If he wants power, 540i Manual or Stage III Auto Tune. Everything else will be too similar to ye olde 330ci.

E63 would be decent, maybe

[pbonsalb]

Our 6 speed auto is doing fine. 2008 535xit, 105k. I changed the fluid and pan/filter and mechatronic sleeve at 90k as preventative maintenance. I use a JB4.

[RyansBMW]

If you go the E60 route, I haven't heard many complaints about the auto trans, especially with the 535. From my understanding, these turbo cars have much stronger transmissions compared to the previous E39/46.

OP, you just gotta go drive some of these. My dad has a '10 535 (non-sport) and while its fast ( and a simple tune can make it much faster) Im not the biggest fan of the car itself. That's all subjective tho.

[radarcontact]

Our 6 speed auto is doing fine. 2008 535xit, 105k. I changed the fluid and pan/filter and mechatronic sleeve at 90k as preventative maintenance. I use a JB4.

The power available with the JB4 is pretty impressive! I was almost hooked on going with an F10 but after checking out the website, the N54 is much more of a tunable beast than the N55 is.
Tough decision...nicer/newer/slower or older/uglier/faster. Hmmm... (28 years ago that was my thought process about women...lol)

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If you go the E60 route, I haven't heard many complaints about the auto trans, especially with the 535. From my understanding, these turbo cars have much stronger transmissions compared to the previous E39/46.

OP, you just gotta go drive some of these. My dad has a '10 535 (non-sport) and while its fast ( and a simple tune can make it much faster) Im not the biggest fan of the car itself. That's all subjective tho.

Yeah, you are right, I should. I liked my buddy's though, and he just had the tune and coliovers.

Btw, found out that the ventilated seats and HUD were F10 items only, starting I think in 2012. Oh well.

Still gravitating toward the e60 2010 model. It has the biggest potential for speed, which I like, and I can prob get everything I want including tax/tag (6% in FL) for under $20k, prob with less than 30k-40k miles. But I'm still on a lot of fences...just the way I go about things.

Thanks again to all!
// Radar //

[radarcontact]

Still looking!

Almost bought one last week but the BMW dealer was dishonest and wasted my time and money ($106 for an indy inspection).

Was wondering though...
This car I almost bought had 57k miles on it. Is it sometimes better to get one with maybe 20k more miles, say 70-75k so that all the crap that goes wrong around 60k is sure to have been fixed?

(Just seems like a lot of expensive maintenance happens around 60k)

// Radar //