BMW and M Power Owners

[CaptGadget]

The only 6 cylinder petrol 5 Series in the current generation (2017 onwards) is the 540i (which has become the 545e in the facelift saloon). These are considerably more expensive than the 520i - to the point that you get a 3-4 year old 540i for the price of a less than 6 month old 520i. The 530i is the same engine as the 520i, but with more power.

thanks for the info, I think it will be out of my budget in that case.

Are there any known issues with the 520i that I should look out for?

the 2.0 engine should be fine for my needs as a normal family car.

Something like this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103130086832

 

[The Chemist]

Had a photoshoot of my M4 with my mate's new Supra (which is very BMW as most know)

Warning - pic spam, most will hate, but it's a BMW, it's a BMW thread, so there you go

Amazing shots - whats your camera set up?

 

[muon]

thanks for the info, I think it will be out of my budget in that case.

Are there any known issues with the 520i that I should look out for?

the 2.0 engine should be fine for my needs as a normal family car.

Something like this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103130086832

Just the usual car giant caveats.

Make sure the first service has been done and it is on the BMW digital service record.

Don't believe anything the salesperson says.

Also see if you can add a BMW warranty for cheap still.

edit:

Just checked £853 with 250 excess. So it's too late to get the cheaper rate. In order to get a cheaper rate you need it to be below 3 years old. However, no point paying too much extra to try and get a car just under 3 years.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Just checked £853 with 250 excess. So it's too late to get the cheaper rate. In order to get a cheaper rate you need it to be below 3 years old. However, no point paying too much extra to try and get a car just under 3 years.

You're confusing things a bit here - the car is eligible for the lower rate warranty as it's got less than 60,000 miles. However, there is a further discount if you are renewing a car which currently has a BMW warranty. It doesn't matter if it's 3 years old or 6, it's the presence of an existing policy that determines whether you pay the new policy price or not

 

[muon]

You're confusing things a bit here - the car is eligible for the lower rate warranty as it's got less than 60,000 miles. However, there is a further discount if you are renewing a car which currently has a BMW warranty. It doesn't matter if it's 3 years old or 6, it's the presence of an existing policy that determines whether you pay the new policy price or not

I'm referring to the rate where you extend before the prior one runs out (standard manufacturer warranty). It's a big difference.

If the prior owner has extended then yes, it is more than 3 years. But that's never gonna be the case for what they are looking at.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Yes, the renewal price. As I said above.

So provided BMW don't change the terms in the next year when it comes up for renewal next year you'll get that rate, because it's based on the fact it's a renewal not purely the age of the car.

 

[CaptGadget]

Thanks for the tips and info guys. I don’t think I’ll be buying from car giant but that’s pretty much the spec I’ll be going for.
I’ll try and get an approved used for the 12m warranty and peace of mind

 

[SDK^]

Something like this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103130086832

Looks decent enough.
I ran a base spec 520d Touring for 3 years and it's pretty much all the car you need. The Navigation with traffic and voice commands works great and the interior is nice

 

[[TW]Fox]

I've had a 520i as a loan car - it isn't fast, but neither it is slow. It is however quiet and refined. Given the bargain prices they seem to command (Under £20k for a 3 year old current model M Sport 5 Series with low mileage?) I think they make a nice buy.

 

[CaptGadget]

I've had a 520i as a loan car - it isn't fast, but neither it is slow. It is however quiet and refined. Given the bargain prices they seem to command (Under £20k for a 3 year old current model M Sport 5 Series with low mileage?) I think they make a nice buy.

Yep this is pretty much it. It ticks all the boxes. Under 3 years old. Low mileage. Comfortable. Has more tech than I’d need and looks good. Good boot space and ideal for motorway trips, Hopefully reliable.

 

[IC3]

Finally joining the M family! Convinced the wife she needed a better and faster car. Having owned a 1.2 polo 9n3 for the past 6 years shes finally moving up lol. She was sad to see it go but it was rusting quite badly.

Opted for the M140i in Alpine White with the ZF box and a nice list of optional extras.

Nice, I picked one up over the weekend too! Call these M Lites or people with M cars will eat you alive

Spec: Adaptive Suspension | HK | ProNav (Updated Firmware for Auto Car Play)| PDC | BCD | Heated Leathers | Cruise Control | Upgraded Intercooler with Guards | 1 Previous Keeper & BMW FSH (Had plugs, oils, filters etc. changed) Most importantly it has all original paintwork!

 

[IC3]

When I said original paintwork, I mean it... The amount of cars that we saw which were repainted, not even that but the amount of putty and some bodge jobs were shocking.

Here's one from a BMW Dealership, apparently it meets the "BMW Standards"... I always ask before measuring the car, but the highest reading I had from this was 1900 microns. The panel had tsunami waves going across it and the leftover mess from sanding... Shortly after pointing this out to the salesman, he went to grab a manager.

I forgot to add the price, £24k! I asked, if this imperfection would get sorted and been told NO.

 

[Robbo]

When I went to collect my AUC 7 Series from Stratstone BMW the rear bumper had the most horrendous rattle can repair you've ever seen. Stood out from a mile away. They claimed they hadn't noticed it but that's next to impossible.

It was sorted in the end after I expressed my horror, it's still in need of a bit more refining even now, which I'm sorting in the coming weeks. The guy I was dealing with was the 'retail manager' too.

You have to have expectations in the gutter when dealing with car dealerships, even for the 'premium brands', all they're interested in is getting you in and out of the door after signing up to some sort of finance package.

 

[jpaul]

Spec: Adaptive Suspension | HK | ProNav (Updated Firmware for Auto Car Play)| PDC | BCD | Heated Leathers | Cruise Control | Upgraded Intercooler with Guards | 1 Previous Keeper & BMW FSH (Had plugs, oils, filters etc. changed) Most importantly it has all original paintwork!

does that modify the warranty ? or, bmw fitted.

I always ask before measuring the car

expensive piece of kit , this I guess - https://www.amazon.co.uk/NexPTG-Professional-Paint-Coating-Thickness/dp/B07BHKPGC9

 

[ChrisD.]

expensive piece of kit , this I guess - https://www.amazon.co.uk/NexPTG-Professional-Paint-Coating-Thickness/dp/B07BHKPGC9

Not really that expensive considering that it can save you an awful lot of hassle and no doubt it'll last for years. A worthwhile investment I'd say.

 

[IC3]

When I went to collect my AUC 7 Series from Stratstone BMW the rear bumper had the most horrendous rattle can repair you've ever seen. Stood out from a mile away. They claimed they hadn't noticed it but that's next to impossible.

It was sorted in the end after I expressed my horror, it's still in need of a bit more refining even now, which I'm sorting in the coming weeks. The guy I was dealing with was the 'retail manager' too.

You have to have expectations in the gutter when dealing with car dealerships, even for the 'premium brands', all they're interested in is getting you in and out of the door after signing up to some sort of finance package.

I always say this to all my friends/family that buying from a dealer isn't always a great idea, I only have bad experience with dealers... Crazy to think that someone would go in with a rattle can anywhere near a newer 7 series, its an exec class car! lol

does that modify the warranty ? or, bmw fitted.


expensive piece of kit , this I guess - https://www.amazon.co.uk/NexPTG-Professional-Paint-Coating-Thickness/dp/B07BHKPGC9

I've 3rd party warranty with the car, but even if it had BMW warranty it would get voided as I don't trust anyone near my cars...

That's the one, its a great piece of kit! You can get cheaper paint meters that will do the job, this one is great if you're into detailing as its really accurate. Its important to know how thick the paint is before you go in with a DA+hardcut compound, as you could damage the paint...

 

[Greebo]

When I said original paintwork, I mean it... The amount of cars that we saw which were repainted, not even that but the amount of putty and some bodge jobs were shocking.

Here's one from a BMW Dealership, apparently it meets the "BMW Standards"... I always ask before measuring the car, but the highest reading I had from this was 1900 microns. The panel had tsunami waves going across it and the leftover mess from sanding... Shortly after pointing this out to the salesman, he went to grab a manager.

I forgot to add the price, £24k! I asked, if this imperfection would get sorted and been told NO.

What should the thickness be a the car please? And how do you find this out for different manufacturers of cars?

 

[IC3]

What should the thickness be a the car please? And how do you find this out for different manufacturers of cars?

This varies, you can have the same Make/Model and the cars could show different values. It also depends, if the car has been polished/detailed... This can sometimes trick the meter to think the panel wasn't painted, a sharp eye for cutoff points and over spray or signs of residue from sanding/paint is always a bonus. If you have a skilled tradesman who knows his stuff, his work could easily trick another person in the trade. But when the finish is that good, does it even matter anymore? It takes a lot of work to get to that finish though, in 99% of cases it doesn't make sense to go to that extent.

I would say it could be between 70-180 microns, from the cars I have measured myself. It's not an official figure, but over 200 usually means that the car had some type of cosmetic work done. However, some manufactures like McLaren have horrendous paint from factory and the values are all over the place.

I'm by no means a professional, I'm a self taught amateur.

 

[Junglist]

Deposit paid - haven't even gone for a test drive yet (I have sat in a fairly recent 1 series though) but I'm going to be surprised if I don't fall in love with it.

Need to get rid of my Golf GTi now. Gertrude has been a good ride for a few years and even converted me into a dirty automatic driver but it's time she is put to rest.

Now roll on July when I get to meet Bruna

 

[MissChief]

Deposit paid - haven't even gone for a test drive yet (I have sat in a fairly recent 1 series though) but I'm going to be surprised if I don't fall in love with it.

Need to get rid of my Golf GTi now. Gertrude has been a good ride for a few years and even converted me into a dirty automatic driver but it's time she is put to rest.

Now roll on July when I get to meet Bruna

Brunhilde surely?