BMW and M Power Owners

Are 2007/2008 E61 535d M Sport LCI a silly buy with fairly high mileage (up to around 80k), or are they fairly reliable and not likely to throw up to many big bills or are they just an accident waiting to happen?

I assume anything with under 100k makes sense to carry on BMW warranty if possible, or take out 3rd party warranty (warranty wise)?

From what I can gather, they seem to be fairly reliable if looked after and serviced regularly.
 
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The BMW warranty on a 5 Series over 60k miles is excessively expensive so I doubt you'll want to bother with that.

Frankly I think the 535d LCI's are massively overpriced for what they are. Many of them are F10 money and I'd sooner lose a bit of performance and take an F10 525d instead which is a better car in absolutely every way possible bar the extra power.
 
I'm looking at estate cars to make transporting bikes a bit easier.

I know I should be looking at something dull and newer but I'm also tempted by a 3 series touring. I know they're not actually that big but I'm hoping it'll be a good compromise between my current Mini Cooper S and something like a diesel Megane which I'm sure will bore me to tears.

I don't commute by car and don't do massive miles so don't need a diesel. I think fuel economy will only be a bit worse than the Mini but what about other costs, servicing etc?

This one is local so I'll head up there tomorrow. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...pe/ymal/dealer-id/128818/usedcars?logcode=flp
 
I quite like the 325, it's a nice engine even if not got a massive amount of power.

Be sure the 3 has enough room for you if you're looking for an estate. Good for small dogs or if you can pile stuff up high, but there's not a massive amount of room back there - though I think you'll be alright with a couple of bikes (I would fully line the back even with some of the cheap wipeable covers you can get).

I'd also try and find a car with idrive, if only for the nicer dash.
 
Yes idrive would be a bonus. I do like the sat nav in the Mini even though it's outdated (same as E46/E39).

Head says something newer and sensible, heart says try and get something a little bit interesting. I don't need to rush into buying anything so will spend some time driving a few cars.
 
So the N53 now appears to be getting through oil rather quickly. I stuck a litre in about 6 weeks back (probably less than 1k miles), and now it's back on min. Don't think it's leaking - I would have noticed spots on the ground.

At 73k miles, any idea what might be causing it? It's under warranty, so I guess I'll just get BMW to sort it out at the next service.
 
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Sadly you won't because currently there is no 'fault' as its not using more than a litre per 600 miles, the accepted tolerance in the handbook :(
 
So did around a 130mile trip yesterday in the Z4, Averaged 37mpg most of the way, that is fantastic for a 3L car, and it was comfortable the whole way.

Hugely impressed with the car.
 
dhill said:
Not being all the familiar with BMW's, what makes the F11 so much better than an E61?
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It's the next generation - it has a massively better interior, it has better infotainment (Some of the later E61's will have the same version, but they are very rare plus you still get the smaller screen and the lack of proper integration with the instrument cluster), it has a better engine (Power aside, the N57 engine is newer, more refined and nicer), it has a far better gearbox (The ZF 8 Speed), its just a better car.

It's also more expensive than an E61 as a result - so I wouldn't normally recommend one to an E61 buyer - but you could probably get a 525d (218bhp 3 litre six cylinder N57) for similar money to a sensible mileage E61 535d and I'd take the 65bhp power deficit every day of the week for the fact it's just massively better in every other way.
 
[TW]Fox;28412852 said:
Sadly you won't because currently there is no 'fault' as its not using more than a litre per 600 miles, the accepted tolerance in the handbook :(
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600 miles! Eek.

So if I've just got a thirsty engine, I need to find a way of getting cheap oil then. Preferably by the 1l.
 
growse said:
600 miles! Eek.

So if I've just got a thirsty engine, I need to find a way of getting cheap oil then. Preferably by the 1l.
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Not sure what grade yours uses but I use castrol edge 0w30 in my M54 engine, you can get it in costco for less than £30 for 4L. Mine appears to be using a litre every 2000 miles so isn't really that costly to keep topping it up, although uses more oil than any other car's I've had including an EP3 type r that got driven very hard.

I just decant it into an old 1 litre top up bottle and keep this in the corner of the engine bay for if the oil light comes on and I'm not at home.
 
A litre every 600 miles is rare with a 300k+ Scania HGV - 13 litre turbo diesel - (usually put about two litres every 2500 miles on mine)and would be deemed excessive even with such a vehicle type yet whilst its an old issue with certain BMW's ,the high oil consumption, I still think their take on it being acceptable is pretty shoddy for a supposed premium marque.

I'm lucky having said that, the notoriously oil thirsty M54 in my 530I barely uses any, an exception alas, not what should be the norm imo.
 
First full tank gone, good blend of motorway and urban. Along side some hooning from time to time. Averaged 41mpg. Not too bad!
 
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