Tell me about the (E60?) 525d Touring SE

mr tommo

mr tommo

mr tommo

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Hi dads looking for an estate and I've manage to persuade him to go for a BMW. He wants something fuel efficeint but not underpowered, lowish mileage < 50k, Diesel - regardless of how much the petrols are better and hardly use more fuel and it must be automatic.

He has seen one a few miles from where he lives which is a 56 plate for £13,999. Here is a link to it http://www.randlessportsandprestige.co.uk/417279/used-cars.htm

With that sort of budget and his stubborn criteria does that look like a decent buy? He doesn't have to be that big as a 3 series estate would be big enough for its needs. I suggested this, a 320d M Sport Touring http://www.gordonlamb.co.uk/cgi-bin...year=@transmission=@fuel=@to_price=@keywords=

I've never driven a 5 series but I imagine it to be much better than a 3 series on long motorway runs.

What sort of MPG should he expect to get from a 525d Touring in real life figures? Any key points to take into consideration? Whats the idrive all about and what spec is that 525d in the first link, is it bog standard or are some of the features added options?
 
My dad gets mid-high 30s on our (pre-LCI) E60 525d auto.
I get mid-high 20s :D

I can't comment on what to look for, as we've had no technical issues, but then it hasn't even done 50,000 miles in 5 years..
The only issues are bits of trim falling off.

Good cars and I've learnt to appreciate it a lot more after sliding around and drifting in the snow these last few days. Very well balanced car.

As for the options, I can't see what satnav that has, but I'd hold out for the 16:9.
I'd also want Automatic climate control, rather than the 'manual' one.

We've also got the Pro Logic HiFi and comfort seats, which are brilliant but very rare I would've thought.
 
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The 525d is a pretty pointless car - it isn't any more economical than a 530d (Not that the diesel autos are particularly economical on the first place, as mjt has demonstrated) but it's noticeably slower.

The car in the advert is a prefacelift one - so not particularly well built and not a particuarly asthetically pleasing interior, and it has no options aside from leather and an autobox.

I certainly wouldnt be hugely impressed after spending £14k on it, thats for sure.

The non Advanced Climate is simply terrible as well - it has hugely glaring omissions such as an inability to demist the front windscreen, no fogging sensor, no sun load sensor, etc etc.
 
Sun load sensor adjusts the climate control to take into account the sun's effect on cabin temp. Fogging sensor aids demisting of the window.
 
The pre-LCI E60 isn't that bad a car. It's actually quite good.
But when you compare it to the facelift then yes it can come across a bit poor.

Certain options are a must though and a lot of the cars come with very poor specification.
I'd find a 530d though as in the UK (re: tax, etc) I can't really see the point of a 525d.
 
Cheers for the reply like I said I know nothing about the 5. When was the facelift introduced?
Ive got to say I'm suprised at the mpg figures. Is the 2.0d worth looking at? WWW.newhallcars.com/1058451.htm?Image=2&RSpage=2

That has auto aircon but a little more expensive. That still a pre-lci?

Don't want.go.above 16k and would only really want to go that high for a sport.
 
Cheers for the reply like I said I know nothing about the 5. When was the facelift introduced?
Ive got to say I'm suprised at the mpg figures. Is the 2.0d worth looking at? WWW.newhallcars.com/1058451.htm?Image=2&RSpage=2

That has auto aircon but a little more expensive. That still a pre-lci?

Don't want.go.above 16k and would only really want to go that high for a sport.
 
Why have you settled on this choice? The criteria was "He wants something fuel efficeint but not underpowered, lowish mileage < 50k, Diesel"

We know nothing about his driving habits etc, and there's been a massive leap made to "I've managed to persuade him to buy a BMW". Now you appear to be looking at post LCI E60s for your budget, which is only going to see you with a poor, underpowered example.

Are you looking at what he wants, or what you want?
 
I have to say that with the critiera listed and the budget in mind a 5 Series is probably not the answer to this question. The closer to £10k you get the older and higher mileage these cars are going to be.

I think we had an E60 once. I say think because it's been parked down at BMW for 3 weeks now. I wonder if it'll ever come back :rolleyes:
 
Apologies for the last past it was from a phone.

Well it's a work car, I started a thread a week back when we just started looking. The reason I have some input is because I'll be driving it the majority of the time.

For around £9k-10k you could pick up something like a low mileage 2007-08 Passat 170 DSG estate.

The BMW's were out of the equation as they were too old too high mileage.

Then he asked how much a new shape 3 series or the E60 5 series were. He really likes the 5 series and said he wouldn't mind paying extra if it meant getting something quality like a nice BMW touring. However it needed to be diesel and not a lot more to run that the Passat or similar car.

Would you say hes better off going down the 320D route I posted in the first post? Its a sport so looks better and I imagine it will be quite abit more economical than a 525d?

This one looks decent apart from the lack of leather which isn't really a problem for a work car. Is a standard 3 series M sport fairly well specced to start with? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...t/page/1/postcode/st16xh/radius/100?logcode=p
 
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Why are you going to be driving your Dads car the majority of the time when you have your own car and you presumably don't live with him (You sold your Z4 for a house a year ago right)?

Why not let your Dad pick a car for him rather than saddling him with a car that might be unsuitable or a potential money pit just so you get to drive a smart looking car for free :confused:

What are your DADS priorities here? It seems running costs are important to him - maybe something newer and less 'posh'?
 
Quite how my Z4 manages to make its way into every thread I start is bemusing.

Maybe I should have been more clear. I work in my family business, so when I say dad wants a work car it is literally for work. He won't be driving it, I'll probably be the main driver along with another employee.

He's given me a budget of £10k to find a car that was a Large hatchback/estate, Diesel, no more than 5 years old, <50k miles, Automatic, something that would look acceptable turning up at clients.

To me the Passat fit the bill on all of those points. He then saw this 525D and asked me to look into and also find what 3 series that kind of budget would get.

So thats where I am now, he seems set on the BMW at the moment and I'm just trying to point him in the right direction to spend £15k-ish. He wants it to be posh, hence the step up from the Passat I suggested. Having a 3 litre diesel for the extra performance doesn't really matter as it will still look the same and it will never be as underpowered as the Renault Megane it will be replacing. He'd rather it be economical over extra power/enjoyment.

As for being after endorsements as to how great the 320D is erm... :confused:
 
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I thought this woudl be a (private) purchase for your dad rather than the company.
In that case, I recommend you find a 520d.

There's no need for the 6cyl really and all it'll do is cost you more in fuel.
Spec doesn't really matter either, although you might as well go for one with proper Climate Control and the 16:9 if you come across one..
 
If he isnt going to drive it why must it be an auto? The auto part is half the problem, you'd get a decent, newish, warrantable 320d for under £15k.
 
mjt said:
I thought this woudl be a (private) purchase for your dad rather than the company.
In that case, I recommend you find a 520d.

There's no need for the 6cyl really and all it'll do is cost you more in fuel.
Spec doesn't really matter either, although you might as well go for one with proper Climate Control and the 16:9 if you come across one..
Click to expand...

Yeah I should have been more clear. I will put him off this one then. There is a 520d I tried to link to earlier that had auto climate. However it was priced at £15k.

[TW]Fox;18078199 said:
If he isnt going to drive it why must it be an auto? The auto part is half the problem, you'd get a decent, newish, warrantable 320d for under £15k.
Click to expand...

I've had this discussion with him as it's the auto criteria that is making it a lot harder to find the right car. But with him only been able to drive an auto he wants the option of being able to drive a car he's paid that sort of money for. There probably will be the very odd time where this happens, maybe a couple of times a year.

With there being quite a lack of choice it's also hard to guage if i'm paying over the odds aswell.
 
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