Which BMW 5 series?

CraigN

CraigN

CraigN

Soldato
Joined
30 Jul 2005
Posts
3,186
Location
Bristol
New job, going be driving to London from Bristol a lot. I have a focus ST estate, horrid clutch, uncomfortable seats but good spec in terms of tech.

I want comfort, automatic gearbox and a little bit of grunt.

Dad has always had BMW's last two have been X3 and X4 both auto and they have been ok but feel a little under powered and go round corners like a double decker bus.

So i like the idea of a 530d. What confuses me is the existence of a 5 series GT. I do not think i want another estate. Having looked at a few at the local dealer and online i want the M Sport for looks and i massively dislike the versions with the silly small screen in the dash and the large bits of plastic that cover up the fact there should be a bigger screen there.

I google 5 Series GT and a ton of 2 out of 5 star articles pop up. But not for the 5 series saloon. Are they not the same car? Just one with a weird rear end?

Lastly any must haves on one of these? I will be looking at 2014 or 2015 vehicles i think.
 
Budget?

530d estate is super lovely. My father just got rid of his. 50K miles, pretty much all the options on it. Really really comfy ride, really quick as well. One of the nicest cars he's owned in a while.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201710190452927?make=BMW&model=5 SERIES&utm

Edit: If you want, I can find out the dealer his went to, as I believe it was the M Sport package with black grills etc. He's based in the south, and believe he dropped it into Bristol.
 
The 5GT is essentially a hatchback 5 Series but it has an interior design thats similar to that of the F01 7 Series as it came out a little before the F10 5 Series. It shares the platform of the 5 Series. Lots of people refer it to as a 'hatchback 7 Series' as its partially built on the 7 platform but so is the saloon.

They are very marmite - if you like the look of them they are an excellent car but it's fairly heavy so is generally slower and more thirsty than a saloon. You can often get good deals on them as they are less popular.

I have a 2015 530d M Sport Saloon and I'm very happy with it. You need to find one with at least Professional Navigation which will rid you of the stupid small screen, if you get a March 2014 or newer car you'll also get the full black panel dash as standard too. £25k should buy you a nicely specified 2015 car.
 
GT has a longer wheelbase than the regular 5, giving more rear legroom. It also gives it a more relaxed, 7-Series-like waftiness.
You'll (probably) get a newer/lower-mileage GT than a regular 5 in your budget. If you can stand the looks, I think it'd make a great cruiser for your London-Bristol runs.

It is noticeably bigger than a F10 though, which can make it a less wieldy in narrow streets and multi storey car parks.
 
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thanks all,

I had toyed with the idea of an older 7 series. I will check out the GT, i don't mind the looks. If it feels like a tank might put me off. Worth a test drive.
 
If you're a music fan, I definitely suggest finding a model with the Harman Kardon kit included. The standard BMW kit is pretty awful, and the HK is a fairly good upgrade.
 
Hello again,

Had a look at a few and they all seem much of a much. is the 535d worth considering over the 530d?

also a lot of these seem to be high mileage im guessing these have been motorway warriors. Some are considerably cheaper due to the mileage. When do problems start to crop up with these? anything in particular to look out for/avoid?
 
Most of the problems were sorted by the time the car a got to the age you're looking at. I believe there have been issues with egr valves but if the mileage is sub 60k get the bmw warranty and you're fine.
 
Check honest John for an extensive list of issues and models they relate to.

The 5 saloon as a nice drive with the m sport suspension, and the 30d or 35d are both more than enough for motorway overtaking etc.

I'd try to find one with:
Pro navigation
Comfort seats (exceptionally comfortable)
4 way climate control
At least the BMW loudspeaker system, but higher specs are available.

Anything else is a bonus really:
Heated seats
Extended storage
Adaptive lights


In terms of mileage, the higher mileage are OK if you make sure it has full service history and low owners.
 
Heated seats are standard on all but the first model year. Comfort seats are very rare and 4 zone AC is largely pointless unless you are an airport taxi driver.
 
I didn' realise they were standard.

Are comfort seats that rare? I saw plenty specd with it before I bought mine.

4 zone I guess may be pointless unless you have people in the back, I use it all the time when the kiddie is in the back with the wifey.


What options would you say are essential?
 
Professional Navigation is the only essential option on a facelift car, professional navigation and xenon headlights on a pre facelift car.

Everything else is nice to have but not essential.

Even the standard stereo is ok, I was always happy with it in my last one. I have Harmon Kardon now and it's very good but it's not like the stock one was unacceptable.
 
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