3 series vs 5 series (2007)

Associate
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So I'm looking buy a car and I've narrowed it down but I'm not sure which to get...

2007 5 series 2.0 turbo diesel - 130,000 miles

Vs

2006 3 series 2.0 petrol - 110,000 miles


Both are £4000, what do you guys think?

In terms of reliability/running costs and generally driving.

I currently drive an X reg Corolla :p


Thanks guys
 
Man of Honour
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A £4000 2007 5 Series is going to be an absolute nail.

On that basis I'd pick the 3 Series because although it's not exactly amazing it's less likely to be a house of horrors at this budget.

Truthfully I don't think £4k is enough money for either of these cars especially if you are keen on reliability and running costs.
 
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I can understand that, but would that still apply/make a difference if I'm currently driving a 17 years old Corolla?
 
Soldato
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On balance your Toyota is likely to be a more reliable car than either (even now) tbh. The only thing that usually kills them is rust /boredom

What drives you towards the BMW's instead of say a Mondeo or Mazda 6? Most newish generation cars will feel like a massive interior step up
 
Man of Honour
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I can understand that, but would that still apply/make a difference if I'm currently driving a 17 years old Corolla?

I don't think whether you currently drive a 2016 Focus Zetec or a 1926 Model T Ford has any bearing at all over whether a £4k 2007 5 Series is going to be crap or not.
 
Man of Honour
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You are missing my point - the issue isn't because it's a 2007, its because it's a 2007 that's only 4 grand. It's too cheap, therefore it's probably a nail.

The only 2007's for much under £4k on Autotrader have 200,000 miles or are insurance witeoffs - it's the absolute bottom of the market and is not where the cherished and looked after examples sit.

What do you want - the 320i is quiet yet inefficient and slow, the 520d is noisy and unrefined yet reasonably efficient (In terms of fuel economy, anyway, it'll eat all your savings in new turbos, new engines when the chain snaps, etc etc...)
 
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I don't think you've searched auto trader for it then as there are a few for around that much.

I don't care about quiet, Im sure both will be a massive improvement in speed compared to my current car, insurance is not a problem, mpg will probably be the same if not better than my current car - so really the only thing I am worried about is how often I will be fixing something in the car.
 
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Come to think of it, I just want a fun car thats probably why I want to go for these 2, I don't mind selling them in a year or 2 - but I don't want to be throwing money at it every couple months.

I know it doesn't seem like a fun car but when you come from an x reg corolla, every recent car is fun - Ive searched through other cars and the looks of these 2 are my only options.
 
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It does seem that way and its quite silly I know, but I want a good looking car and those 2 are the only ones that interest me unfortunately.
 
Man of Honour
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I'm not sure how I can be any clearer. This is too cheap for a 2007 5 Series, do not buy one for this budget.

If you want a reliable car with sensible running costs then don't buy a bargain bucket 5 series. If you want a 4k BMW then do not buy a 2007 520d.
 
Man of Honour
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Come to think of it, I just want a fun car thats probably why I want to go for these 2, I don't mind selling them in a year or 2 - but I don't want to be throwing money at it every couple months.

Neither of these cars are fun cars! This thread is beginning to make no sense at all.

If you want a cheap BMW for fun look at a Z4 or an E46 330ci.
 
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i got an 06 320i e90, in the 3 and a bit years i've owned it, the only thing that's gone wrong is the air con motor getting stuck which cost £140 to get it sorted, a remap that cost £280 (and regular maintenance/servicing/new set of tyres).
but that being said, i got it with 37,000 on the clock and it's still now sub 50k.

fuel consumption-wise, i'm getting ~26mpg with a reasonably heavy right foot. ymmv ofc. for *regular* city driving, the performance is fine. if you're a petrolhead then look elsewhere. (imo if you're gonna do lots of miles, the 320d is a better bet than a 320i
 
Soldato
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Yep neither of those are remotely fun! A nice 330i would be great but good ones are like hens teeth. They're old enough to have been used and abused but not old enough where the majority are enthusiastic owned

Don't corollas do 60 in about 4.2 seconds anyway? If a 320i is fun then something equally average like a mondeo will be just as fun and not as much of a liability.
 
Soldato
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i got an 06 320i e90, in the 3 and a bit years i've owned it, the only thing that's gone wrong is the air con motor getting stuck which cost £140 to get it sorted, a remap that cost £280 (and regular maintenance/servicing/new set of tyres).
but that being said, i got it with 37,000 on the clock and it's still now sub 50k.

fuel consumption-wise, i'm getting ~26mpg with a reasonably heavy right foot. ymmv ofc. for *regular* city driving, the performance is fine. if you're a petrolhead then look elsewhere. (imo if you're gonna do lots of miles, the 320d is a better bet than a 320i

So pretty much same fuel consumption as a 330i but none of the performance?
 
Man of Honour
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the 330i was out of my price range when i was looking, and besides i only use it for regular driving <4,000 miles a year, so the 320i did what it needed to do, for me
 
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