Having agonised over which A6 diesel to get last year I'm now changing my job and have the oh so awful task of choosing another new car.
Considering a 5 series this time (although may stick to the A6), but wondered which diesel to go for. I suspect it'll be between the 520d and the 525d, as I suspect I'll be struggling to get all the options I want if I go for the 530d. Performance wise the 2.0d looks fine - but interested to hear from anyone who has experience of both.
I drive on my own most of the time, but occasionally haul the family plus luggage.
ta
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At the end of the day, you need to assess whether you want maximum space or optimum performance for your money.
As a comparison the 525d SE costs list price of £29535, with overall fuel consumption of 42.2 (manual) and 0 - 62 mph in 7.5 secs.
The new E90 3 Series 330d SE costs list £29720 (only £185 dearer) with av fuel consumption of 43.5 (manual) and 0 - 62 mph in an amazing 6.7 secs. In fact an owner of this model on BMWLand.co.uk has just averaged well over 60 mpg at a steady motorway cruise, which is quite impressive for a 155 mph diesel.!!!!!
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3 series isn't big enough, dude - I've had saab 9-3, audi A4 etc before and test drove them again before i got the A6 and with 2 growing kids I want A6/5 series room in the back.
Good question re A6/beemer - haven't really made my mind up - love my A6, but I've read the BMW is a better drive.
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Shoot me down for sticking my nose in, but do you have to get a Beemer ?
I have (& love) a Chrysler 300C and it has several advantages over a BMW.
its standard kit includes
Leather seats that are
Heated and
Electrically controlled and
have memory functions
Xenon headlights
a 280 watt Boston acoustics sound system
Reversing sensors
Cruise control
Automatic gearbox
Metallic paint
Dual zone climate control
A wonderful 3 lt V6 diesel from Uncle Mercedes
Its not a BMW
and all of this costs you £25750.
I think that a similar specced BMW 530SE would be nearer £40000.
Size wise its a lot bigger than a 5 series, bigger than a 7 seies in the back.
Very similar outright performance to a 530D SE
The looks may not appeal to you - granted.
I have one and most people think it looks marvellous.
Just thought I'd drop the idea in !
MTC
Just think what you could do with the near £15000 that you've saved !
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To be honest I've never really thought beyond BMW/Audi/Merc, but that could be worth looking into - ta.
Haven't actually seen the car list for new job, but the cash alternative's £7k, so I'm assuming lease costs of about £550.
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Haven't actually seen the car list for new job, but the cash alternative's £7k, so I'm assuming lease costs of about £550.
That would be a good place to start - you could be agonising over cars that you can't have.
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Shoot me down for sticking my nose in, but do you have to get a Beemer ? I have (& love) a Chrysler 300C and it has several advantages over a BMW.
This is the age old connundrum when choosing a company car, do you get the 'cheap' car with loads of toys, or go for something a bit more special with a bit of quality.
If you are going to mentian Chrysler, you might as well start saying why not go for a very high spec Ford etc etc..
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Hi Roly93
the Chrysler is most definitely a "cheap" car. Absolutely fantastic value for money - definitely. But "cheap" - no way.
May I suggest that if you have a few minutes spare that you do a quick google search on 300C CRD roadtests. You may well be very surprised. The road test from honestjohn can be found here www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=193
and I thought that the final line of the honestjohn road test to sum it all up rather well.
"My advice is to get your order in now before they sell the whole year?s allocation". I put my money where my mouth is and I bought a Black 300C crd and for the first time in years I am enjoying my motoring again.
MTC
by the way I drove a near brandnew 520DSE touring this weekend and I was surprised and how poorly it performed (& how expensive it was - unbelievable)) against my 300C. Of course my car does not have a BMW dasge on it and some people cannot see past that.
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If an A6 is on the table, why would you want a BMW?
--
let me be the last to let you down....
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If an A6 is on the table, why would you want a BMW?
Perhaps Andy wants a 'driver's car'?
Andy: Although I have not driven one, people who do own the 520D do say it is quite adequate in terms of performance. Have look on the BMW forums.
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Thanks - which BMW forums? Couldn't get bmwland.co.uk to work.
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www.bmwland.co.uk is temporarily off line for website updating, - keep trying as IMHO it`s the best BMW forum of the lot!!!!
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Try and get a 6 cylinder one, depending on your life choices the 330 is arguably a nicer car.
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There were some amazing deals on 5's last quarter of last year I was offered a lease 525 Sport Touring for less then a (outgoing 320d Touring)from a BMW dealer. The deal was given some fancy name 'BMW contribution' or suchlike - but I think it boils down to disappointing sales of the 5 - may have improved now though.
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There were some amazing deals on 5's last quarter of last year I was offered a lease 525 Sport Touring for less then a (outgoing 320d Touring)from a BMW dealer. The deal was given some fancy name 'BMW contribution' or suchlike - but I think it boils down to disappointing sales of the 5 - may have improved now though.
Do you drive something other than a BMW? There were quite chunky bonus rebates available to BMW dealers who switched people into BMW from other makes. MB were also apparently also offering stunning lease deals on E Class - that way they can improve sales without appearing to be cutting prices.
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Bill
It happened the other way I got a big discount on a MB C class estate - I did have a BMW. Although if the New 3 Touring had been avaible I would have probally gone for that. I didn't want a car as big as a 5
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www.bmwland.co.uk is temporarily off line for website updating, - keep trying as IMHO it`s the best BMW forum of the lot!!!!
I'll second that.
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This is an oft-repeated debate on the forum, but no less interesting for that.
Try a test drive in a 525d and see whether for your style of driving it's in any way superior to the A6. Generally if you drive 'to the limit' you may find a BMW more rewarding. Personally I like to get a move on but also relax while driving, and I find an Audi (A4 2.5 TDI) perfect for my needs.
Always go for the biggest engine you (or your company allowance) can afford - it's worth it in the long run and a 2.5 in the same body won't use much more fuel than a 2.0 (BMW) or 1.9 (Audi).
If Embsay is the one in North Yorks, presumably you get more ice and snow than we do in the South, so a front-wheel drive (or quattro) Audi will be a lot more use than an BMW in those conditions.
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can afford - it's worth it in the long run and a 2.5 in the same body won't use much more fuel than a 2.0 (BMW) or 1.9 (Audi).
Most Audi TDi's are 2.0, 2.5 or 3.0 now. The old 1.9 is pretty much phased out.
And there is a BIG difference in economy between the 2.5 and 2.0, for not a lot of power increase.
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MoneyMart
Current car: 55-reg Audi A4 2.5 V6TDi Quattro flappy-paddle
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>>>> And there is a BIG difference in economy between the 2.5 and 2.0, for not a lot of power increase.
But there is IMHO a big difference in the driving experience.
I have a 2.5TDi A6 and just had a couertesy car A4 2.0 TDi - great performance, but noisier rumble and more vibration, more revs than 6 cyl, less relaxed - and no V6 subdued growl
but the 2.0 TDi is impressive I have to say
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Always go for the biggest engine you (or your company allowance) can afford - it's worth it in the long run and a 2.5 in the same body won't use much more fuel than a 2.0 (BMW) or 1.9 (Audi).
What you are saying is true, provided the engines have the same number of cylinders. By experience I know that the 520i is not that much more economical than a 530i (very few people beleive this).
HOWEVER, you will find that the 520D is significantly more economical compared to a 525D or a 530D.
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I currently have a 2.5 Tdi Audi A4. My mate has a 2.0 TDi with a performance ECU, and the performance is practically identical to mine.... but he gets about 10mpg more than I do! :-(
My next Audi will be a 2.0TDi with the afore-mentioned ECU!
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MoneyMart
Current car: 55-reg Audi A4 2.5 V6TDi Quattro flappy-paddle
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>> Always go for the biggest engine you (or your company allowance) >> can afford - it's worth it in the long run and >> a 2.5 in the same body won't use much more fuel >> than a 2.0 (BMW) or 1.9 (Audi). >>
I think this is a 'petrol engine' way of looking at things, there is little significant benefit in performance of the 2.5 diesel over the 2.0 diesel, except perhaps for being slightly smoother, but there is a significant difference in fuel consumption between the two. Personally, I cant see why anyone would go for the 2.5, unless they wanted to regularly tow something quite heavy.
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" I think this is a 'petrol engine' way of looking at things, there is little significant benefit in performance of the 2.5 diesel over the 2.0 diesel, except perhaps for being slightly smoother, but there is a significant difference in fuel consumption between the two. Personally, I cant see why anyone would go for the 2.5, unless they wanted to regularly tow something quite heavy."
No, mine's a 2.5 TDI. I tried both before going for the 2.5 and I found it a lot smoother and (particularly) quieter: with the multitronic transmission the 4-cylinder 2.0 makes a not particularly pleasant drone. Subjectively the extra torque of the 2.5 seemed to make it feel much faster, and for the long trips I do (though no towing, thank goodness) its effortless cruising is a real bonus.
Fuel consumption is about 6-7 mpg worse than the 1.9 TDI Golf estate I had before - on balance I think it's worth this penalty.
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I've driven both BMWs and would go for the 520d. Sure, you're not getting the sound of the V6 and there are very minor cosmetic differences but with the 520d you getting a lot of the performance but with better economy and importantly, significantly lower emissions. The 525d is to be replaced/updated next year. Both cars are great to drive and the ride is softer then the A6, though apparently it's much better without the runflats. The emissions are also lower than the A6 and the engine is more refined and powerful than the 2.0tdi. Thought the interior is a step down from the a6 and you'll want to spec up the standard audio (which is woeful) and possibly the climate. Have a look at this thread forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=22072 . This E60 forum seems to have genuinely useful contributions.
If you don't know, the A6 standard spec has been boosted since you and I got ours with 17" alloys, satnav, cd changer, deluxe a/c and high gloss.
The 530d has a new engine and is a fantastic drive but the tax hit will knock the wind out of you.
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Ok, I admit it, I'm biased.
Save your money and get a car with much better performance, much more space and much higher psec and get one of these.
Sadly, if you ordered it today, you would not get one until June - supply is limited and demand is high.
i1.tinypic.com/nwy1c1.jpg
MTC
p.s the car in the pictute is mine !
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The 530d has a new engine and is a fantastic drive but the tax hit will knock the wind out of you.
I'd second that....
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In a similar situation I took the money and shopped around for special deals from lease companies: There are a few offering E Class Mercs from just over 300 quid a month, IIRC.
I got a CLK for 299, plus a bit extra for automatic, plus a few miles more, plus VAT. Still less than 400, all in.
Depends upon how much your company pays per mile as to whether this would be good for you?
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Just found out that there's no tax hit, as they provide the money for you to take the car from their fleet provider (or just have the cash).
They provide £360 a month net - any idea what I'd get for that (plus a bit from me as I'm not paying the tax)?
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Not sure if I'm allowed to mention names, etc, but I get quite a few cars from YourFleet.co.uk in Leeds.
Last time I looked they had an A6 for 359 + VAT, not sure what exact spec or mileage allowance.
Talk to Jodi on 0845 226 9090.
I'm nothing to do with the company, just a satisfied customer.
Good luck.
And sorry, Mr Moderator, if I've infringed rules!
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Just found out that there's no tax hit, as they provide the money for you to take the car from their fleet provider (or just have the cash). They provide £360 a month net - any idea what I'd get for that (plus a bit from me as I'm not paying the tax)?
You don't *appear* to know much about this - apart from funding the car, you'd normally also have to pay for your own insurance, which may well be a chunky amount depending on your circumstances, and maintenance.
Have a look at www.cashorcar.com to give you a rough idea of what's involved and the sort of car you could get. You might be able to get a better on the car than they indicate, but it's a good guide.
£360/mth net isn't 530d territory, unless you buy a used one, and then the maint cost would likely increase.
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I think I know a bit more than perhaps it appears from my rather clumsy explanation - I get the option to take 7 grand a year instead of the scheme - I understand that if I do that I'm on my own for maintenance and insurance.
However, the alternative is to put the £360 net towards their scheme (with lloyds/tsb leasing, i think). You can then put in more (and I was thinking of up to a couple of hundred, as i wouldn't be paying the company car tax). Their scheme includes insurance and maintenance.
It's basically the same as a normal company car scheme except they give me money that i immediately give back to them - plus any extra if i want to upgrade - which I can afford to do as I'm not paying the tax. My current car costs me £4500 off my tax code (or c£150 a month). So - £360 plus say £200 = £560.
Has anyone got any experience of these schemes?
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Yes:
A sister company of ours runs a scheme called Provecta.
I considered it for my company, but it was incredibly complex to administer, and didn't offer massive savings for the car user.
Had to pay all kinds of premiums to allow early hand back, etc, management fees, scheme fees......
Also, limits you to taking cars from just one supplier.
If you have the option of taking the money and doing your own thing, then you could shop around for the cheapest deal, or get a "pre - owned" motor, or whatever you fancied.
Means a slightly higher level of risk, potentially, but you can still lease on a full service basis if you wish.
So, you pay your own insurance, and everything else is covered.
You pays your money........
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Thanks DrS - someone's put a couple of examples on the 'company car scheme' thread that look pretty good - although as you say the savings aren't massive.
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I had the good fortune to take a neraly brand new 520d estate out this weekend and I was staggered by how poor the performance was against my 300C. The lack of interior space in the BMW I expected, because my Chrysler truly is huge inside, but the Beemer just didn't go. And then when he told me how much he had paid for the car, I was stunned. It was thousands and thousands more than my car and it was so lacking in so many ways.
Andy from Embsay, you owe it to yourself to at least take a Chrysler for a test drive before parting with your hard earned. You may not like it, fair enough. But in my opinion the 520d is so over priced/under performing to be laughable.
MTC
p.s. one are where the Beemer won hands down was the "how to make an easy job difficult, oh I know lets invent the Idrive idea". What a load of pants. If I wanted to play computer ganes I'd get a playstation.
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