Hello guys,
After many years of Lexus LS (kind of boring) I would like to go back to BIMMER World. I used to have 2001 740i SPORT and LOVED the car but got very tired of repairs.
Now, we are relocated and I am facing a log drive (40 miles each way) to work.
I love the 5 series look and want to know what do you say about 3.0 diesel option, 2012 - 2015 years:
What is Reliability ? Its very important to me, I drive about 20 000 miles a year.
Should I get extended warranty?
What is MPG do you usually get ?
What do you think of RWD versus Xdrive?
Thank you very much and Happy Holidays !
IL
I have a 2014 535d. Have owned it for about 2 months. It has about 39k miles. Getting 36-37mph on the highway. Very comfortable car for my weekly commute of about 700 miles. So far so good.
Thank you for your replay Jeff.
Is this you first BMW?
IL
Yesterday I traded my 2005 545i for a 2015 535d M Sport with only 28000 miles on it. I had read years ago posts by e60 535d owners discussing the merits of their car and was jealous of them because it wasn’t available in the U.S. My 545i was approaching 100,000 miles and exhibiting symptoms of the aging N62 V8 that are very difficult and expensive to fix. I am extremely impressed with the performance of the 535d and all the other improvements BMW has made over the years. This car is terrific! It rides smoother, handles better, and has a kick in the seat acceleration I’ve never experienced before. I know the 0-60 is about the same as my 545i, but the diesel gets there in a much more exciting yet almost effortless way. I can only hope the engine is better built and more durable than the N62.
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My first car was an E34 and not so long ago I switched to F10 520d, God, the thing is just amazing for me as a guy who isn't really experienced.
I have a 2014 530d which in New Zealand has the 258hp engine. I think it badged as 535d in the US. The 535d in Nz has around 300hp and is a bit of a beast.
One thing to note is that the LCI model came out in 2013 and this came with more power and better economy. So if you're buying a 2012 it may be pre LCI and less economical. Would pay to confirm this with someone with knowledge of the US spec F10s. Spend more for LCI up front and you may recover the cost difference on fuel economy.
I don't particularly like the look of the pre LCI non motorsport F10s, but I also didn't want the motorsport suspension (value comfort over performance) so it was a limited market looking for a m-sport with suspension delete in a small country. Luckily I think the non motorsport LCI is far better looking so I didn't need to look for a motorsport.
I can't talk to economy or reliability from my own experience but looking back through the previous owner's service records over the last 50k city miles from new, it's been reliable and service costs are reasonable. Again note we are in different countries so your pricing may be different (probably better than ours).
I prefer diesel for driving. It's effortless power: accelerating and overtaking there's no dropping 3 cogs and engine revving to get into the petrol powerband. the diesel just does it without drama.
If you're doing 400miles a week then the option list is what you want to look at. Use mdecoder.com with the last 7 digits of the vin. Note that cruise control with brake function is not the same as adaptive cruise control. Comfort seats are great but they do compromise rear legroom (depending how tall you are). I can't tell you what the sport seats are like.
rwd v xdrive - I'm rwd, see no need for xdrive for the driving I do in the climate I live in. xdrive to me is more things to go wrong.
Also note you can have these diesels remapped for say 20% power increase (258 to 310hp and 560 to 680 torque), and will improve economy when driving Miss Daisy. I'm looking at a remap but need to get my head round the pros and cons before doing it. Note there may be US emissions or regulations you need to consider - others here can probably clarify and there's bound to be a number of threads on remapping.
Good luck with the hunt
Last edited by rogan; 02-19-2019 at 05:46 AM.
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