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F11 523i

Skidder

Skidder

Skidder

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Joined
28 Nov 2007
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Anyone driven the F10/F11 523i?

I've seen one locally and might go for a test drive. I have an E61 pre LCI 523i which I find a little uninspiring but it is a manual SE and the new (i know now replaced by the 4 pot turbo) 523i does have better power output.

My one has around 170hp and the new one is around 204hp I think so should feel a bit more interesting to drive.

I don't want a 520d and this seems like an upgrade. It's an M sport with quite a few extras.

My alternatives are a 530d gt which gives me a better engine but less practical boot with dogs. Or an older X5. The F11 m sports looks lovely. Anyone driven one / have a view?
 
[TW]Fox;22367440 said:
It's the same engine as the one in my parents previous 525i. Whilst it was never 'wow, this is fast' it was never 'crikey, this is slow' either. Perfectly adaquete (in the context of a 5 Series, it is for example considerably swifter than a Focus 1.6!) in the performance stakes. It does not, however, offer sufficiently more power to make it 'more interesting to drive' if you were dissapointed by your 170bhp 523i.

It is fitted with the N53 engine which gives you really rather fantastic fuel economy figures at the expense of reliability, though with an F10 I'd imagine you'd keep the warranty up so no issues there.
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I've learnt the hard way in terms of letting the warranty lapse on the E61 just before the gearbox went pop. That won't be happening again.

I'm not sure I need wildly more power it's more the idea of a bigger engine as I was set on a 530d gt. The reality though is a lot of short journeys which I am not sure the diesels are suited to. I do also like the smoothness of mine.

As you know the market's flooded with 520ds and I just can't do it. I test drove one and didn't feel special. Not sure how often I've actually needed more power than I have, when can you use it really:p

The car is a really nice spec, m sport: 19" M Double-spoke style 351M alloy whee
Ext. mirrors - folding. auto dimming
Fineline Anthracite wood
Media package - BMW Professional
Metallic paint
Roof rails. High-gloss Shadowline
Seat heating. front
Sport automatic transmission
Sun protection glass
Visibility package

Anything major missing from that?

I'm really struggling. I much prefer the look of the F11 to the GT and the practicality, the X5 has its merits in terms of practicality. Making me very indecisive which isn't normally a trait of mine!

Don't think I'll find a 530i or 530d anywhere near the £25-26 bracket but may be a 525d.
 
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There's one with a virtually identical spec and mileage for around 3k more at another nearby dealer. I'm tempted to get this bought:) I'd probably even choose the colour combo or very similar if i was buying new.
 
I came really close to buying a GT twice before but something is holding me back. They are great inside but agree they are a bit of a struggle from the outside. My wife isn't too keen on the GT either.

It's basically go for the car I really like with a more modest engine but more practicality (the F11), a car I am a bit torn on with a better engine but to be honest pretty rubbish for my dogs in the GT, or an older x5 which will have plenty of power, space and third row seating as a bonus but not sure I want the 4x4 aspect 99% of the time (and they are ten a penny around here). Grrrrrrrr
 
Em3bbs said:
Less than £5000 more I believe. But wow that 523i is amazing value, I might keep my eye on those.
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was that for the 530d that someone got?

Have someone pricing up a 528i for me at the mo (more money but hoping they are keen to shift it) - it's the original F11 528i so 6 cylinders not the 4 pot turbo
 
Hopefully there is some room, haven't been to see it, have an appointment. With the 523i I'm getting the usual it's not like the old days where there is a lot in the car to play with chat and have told them they are going to have to work to make a sale. Some young girl who seems a bit scripted so may escalate before I go in.

The 528i is on at well over £30 but he said about knocking 1.5k off before I even started pressing him, so clearly there is further room there. Told them both to go and look what they had in the car and tell me what they can do to sell it to me. Will take it from there :)

I hate dealing with car salesmen! any tips?!
 
Just got the whole, nothing much in this car will look at ways of getting to a deal. Prepare for paint protection:p

Confident I can get something reasonable off though.
 
Right, have the 528i down form £32,888 to 30 dead, with 500 more on my car than I was being offered elsewhere. How much do we think the extra 50 HP is worth?

looks like in the round it will cost me about 3k extra for the bigger engine.

Spec is otherwise almost identical to the 523i but business advanced media rather than the professional. It's the 254hp n53
 
thanks very much, that's perfect:)

Just had a complete waste of time call from the people with the 523i, nothing off the car, rubbish part ex, pathetic APR - go away and look at it properly!

Based on the quote I have just had the 528i would cost me less!
 
Feeling pretty p'd off right now! the 523i people linked above, have offered a grand less for my car than the other group and a 13.4% APR!!! on PCP and have said they will not budge! & have said nothing off the sticker price! Their conclusion if I am not interested in that, there is no deal to be done. Where is the deal? bad part ex, no budging on price and crazy APR (they tried twice to quote flat)
 
Housey said:
Laugh at them and tell them to spin. There might not be much in the car but that finance rate is beyond a joke unless you are a former bankrupt. Which dealer is it may I ask?
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It's Cooper. They haven't even asked about my circumstances to give me that! Just crazy. I have told them in no uncertain terms that they have wasted my time and they need to get the APR to a normal level, chip the price of the car and improve the PX.

The other dealer I'm talking to offered 8.9% APR at first but when I pushed for bigger discounts he came to a higher 10.8% APR but with almost £3k off the car and more on mine. That is for this:

http://www.bmwauc.com/AUC/WBAMY52070C316513/digi-pdf.pdf

discounted supposedly from £32,888 (edit typo originally) to £30k but was listed as POA (although have found some mentions of it at that price on other sites)

Thoughts on that?

This second dealer are doing the whole it's getting shipped off to another dealer tomorrow bit as they've had it for a while. Wouldn't do such a big discount but it's last chance to retail it. Sounds like a bit of a crock but it has gone off their website today. But I suppose how hard is that to do if you think it may help you make a sale.
 
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:D so business nav is that bad!

Well I may as well go into Cooper and stick the 523i on my Amex then, it'll probably cost the same.
 
I'm on friends and family with someone at BMW so will have another crack at that on Monday (he's on hols). Last search they didn't have anything very exciting.


OllyM said:
You could get the finance from somewhere else if the rate is an issue? It's not as easy to arrange but it might save you a fair bit.
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Yep, good point. Still not convinced there is much benefit to going used with PCP versus some of the better contract hire deals too.
 
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Dandle said:
The other 528i that has been there for a couple of weeks was at Vines in Guildford. I went to look at it to get a feel for the colour combo. It was rough and not worth the money with scratches down the drivers side and some of the buttons inside were marked/scratched and again no vis pack.
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Thanks. I saw a 530d F11 in Coopers Thames Ditton recently that was pretty battered looking inside given how new it was. The trim had a harder life than my 55 plate. Still sold quickly though.

going to let both of these slide unless Cooper do some serious back pedalling on the 523i. Wife is telling me that these cars aren't meant to be and that I should get an x5 (which she clearly prefers!)
 
Dandle said:
The condition some of the cars BMW sell are in is shocking, just hope that mine is in great condition or I'm coming home with no car.

Vines was also one of the dealers that valued my E61, the sales man said he would give me trade (13k) and that my car was in exceptional condition only to phone ne back next day and say his manager says 10k tops.
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when I got my E61 I had them agree to change some of the plastic around the boot, which was bit scratched, before I agreed to take it. One of the parking sensors was faulty as well. In fairness all done very quickly and with no fuss.
 
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