Age or specification?

NickXX · 10 Mar 2006 at 22:35

Ahhhh, you're *that* guy

How much did you pay for it in the end?

lordrobs · 10 Mar 2006 at 22:42

Adz said:
In this context, definitely newer. The 530i Sport has more than enough kit for me.

Exactly

s0ck · 10 Mar 2006 at 22:54

The facelift beamers look so much better than their predecessors.

Buy the older one and stick the tat on

Replicant · 10 Mar 2006 at 22:59

Newer one everytime, remember your coming from a mondeo so even a basic (ish) spec 530i is gonna be great in comparisson

Firestar_3x · 10 Mar 2006 at 23:04

For a main car age is a big problem for me, it must not break down since i need it for work, if it does it needs to be fixed like asap thats why i love the manufacturers warranty so much.

However in your position fox i would get the higher spec older car, more toys are always nice and you can make it look the way you want

Morba · 11 Mar 2006 at 00:04

spec then do it up.

agw_01 · 11 Mar 2006 at 00:06

IainB said:
Older higher spec everytime

Ditto!

The GSi is 6 months older than the SEi. The only differences in spec (forgetting the engine) are electric mirrors, boot spoiler and side spats.

Fett · 11 Mar 2006 at 00:32

Does the Sport pack include the M Sport suspension, steering wheel and alloys, shift knob, short shift kit etc?

I'm a little bit lost now, I have the M Sport pack, but refer to it as a 330d Sport...because it seemed a bit crap to refer to it 330d M Sport as it's not really an M car, is it?

NickXX · 11 Mar 2006 at 00:39

Fett said:
Does the Sport pack include the M Sport suspension, steering wheel and alloys, shift knob, short shift kit etc?

I'm a little bit lost now, I have the M Sport pack, but refer to it as a 330d Sport...because it seemed a bit crap to refer to it 330d M Sport as it's not really an M car, is it?

I think it does.

On my e46 it includes Sport suspenion, door sills, gear knob, steering wheel, 18" wheels, Sport skirts, Sport bumpers. It's really just a styling pack - but it does turn the car into what it should have always been.

[TW]Fox · 11 Mar 2006 at 01:38

tzang said:
On a more honest note, I would choose a newer 5-series over the old one. The facelift models look much better IMO. Why buy an older car and try to make it look like a newer one? It is still an old pre-facelift car... a bit like sticking M-badges all over a 316ti Compact, it is still a 316 at the end of the day (ok, not the best of examples but you know what I mean).

Becuase the difference between a facelift car and a prefacelift car is the front and rear bumper and front and rear lights. Thats fundamentally it.

Why? Well, like I said, it would, age aside, allow me to get more for my money, or to spend less money

The prefacelift non Sport E39's are beginning to start looking dated, whereas IMHO the facelift ones, especially in Sport form, still look fresh.

Here is a useful comparison shot between a prefacelift SE and a how it would look either a) As a facelift Sport or b) With £1500 of bits:

Spending a couple of quid or a couple of hundred on modifications sound fine... especially if that car isn't 200 years old I just can't see why someone would spend £1500+ on modifications on probably a 10+ year old pre-facelift model vehicle

No way am I going 10 years old, we are talking probably 99 or 00 instead of 00-02.

[TW]Fox · 11 Mar 2006 at 01:44

Fett said:
Does the Sport pack include the M Sport suspension, steering wheel and alloys, shift knob, short shift kit etc?

I'm a little bit lost now, I have the M Sport pack, but refer to it as a 330d Sport...because it seemed a bit crap to refer to it 330d M Sport as it's not really an M car, is it?

Prior to the introduction of the E60 and the E90, where Sport was renamed M Sport, Sport added:

Bodykit - in the case of the 5 Series, identical to that found on the M5
Different wheels
M sills
M sport steering wheel (I have to have this, luckily it was a seperate option and loads of SE's have it)
M Sport suspension (Not that fussed)
Alcantara Sports seats (Hmmmm......... tempting).

Now, there are two key categories of additional tat..

a) Stuff to 'facelift' the car

Front lights, rear lights. Total £500

b) Stuff to 'Sport' the car

Front bumper, rear bumper, foglamps, approx £1000.

Tempting option is a 99/00 528i Sport - all I'd need then is the lights, but for some odd reason they seem no cheaper than 00/01 530i Sport's which *are* facelift cars. It's the prefacelift SE's that are getting noticeably cheaper now. Of course, another option is a facelift SE + adding the Sport pack.

Then of course there is the issue of if I go for a 6 cylinder the 528i is 193bhp whereas the facelift 530i (Replaced the 528i) is 231bhp..

It really is a very difficult decision and currently I have no idea which option I prefer. I just want a really great 5 Series. Just though opinions on whether age really matters or not might help - I think it does but I'm prepared to accept my opinion may be unfounded or incorrect.

DRZ · 11 Mar 2006 at 01:45

Stop being a fanny!

Choose the car that is the most sensible. For you, that is the higher specced, older, cheaper model.

I expect the purchase to be completed by the end of the month.

[TW]Fox · 11 Mar 2006 at 01:45

DRZ said:
I expect the purchase to be completed by the end of the month.

You'll be dissapointed then becuase purchase is planned to commence May 1st and I hope to have it sorted by, the latest, end of June. It took me 4 months or so to find the right Mondeo, hopefully the right 5 will be easier.

DRZ · 11 Mar 2006 at 01:48

[TW]Fox said:
You'll be dissapointed then becuase purchase is planned to commence May 1st and I hope to have it sorted by, the latest, end of June. It took me 4 months or so to find the right Mondeo, hopefully the right 5 will be easier.

If you werent so rectal about piddly little things then you could have one on your driveway tomorrow.

May... pfff.

[TW]Fox · 11 Mar 2006 at 01:51

DRZ said:
If you werent so rectal about piddly little things then you could have one on your driveway tomorrow

Yup and then I might regret something further down the line

I was stupidly fussy with buying the Mondeo, had to make sure everything was right and that I knew exactly what I wanted first. It paid off. Now it's even more important I make the right choice - I have to keep this car for 4+ years and it's more money than the Mondeo was.

NickXX · 11 Mar 2006 at 10:25

You need to go to Car Giant. You'll end up buying the perfect car in 6 hours, even though you didn't go to buy one.

willd58 · 11 Mar 2006 at 10:32

Depends, how does the older kit compare to modern day kit?
No good having an older car with all the gadgets if the gadgets themselves are old and not cutting it compared to more modern versions of themselves, or is this not a factor?

If the gadgets and what not are still good in this day and age, id go older and higher spec.

NickXX · 11 Mar 2006 at 10:34

willd58 said:
Depends, how does the older kit compare to modern day kit?
No good having an older car with all the gadgets if the gadgets themselves are old and not cutting it compared to more modern versions of themselves, or is this not a factor?

If the gadgets and what not are still good in this day and age, id go older and higher spec.

Yeah, I reckon this too. If it does come with a TV, it'll be the crappy 4:3 one which will need changing to the 16:9. The nav computer will almost certainly need upgrading too to be any good.

panthro · 11 Mar 2006 at 10:41

panthro said:
I think I would go for the newer car, but this is just my personal preference.

Dont know if I should retract that above statement, as my new car is exactly 1 year older than my last car.....but so much nicer.

I think if it was a choice between the 2 bmws I would take the newer one though.

GSXRMovistar · 11 Mar 2006 at 10:51

I'd probably go spec over age. Seeing as it's already been replaced by a newer model and you are going to have the car a few years then they will both be considered (by some) as old anyway.