Owned a month with a 'funny story' behind it?
Done 107k but history only to 48k?
Bonnet sits higher?
Run a mile, I would say. There are a lot more dodgy BMW's out there than you would think.
Much safer to go to a reputable auction than buy this car.
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Ask for a test drive run it to trader and see how much he will give for it £2.5k if your lucky
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I don't like the sound of that car at all. The E39 530i is an excellent car though and don't listen to people who say older ones are money pits it simply isn't true. A 3 yr old could easily give as much or little trouble as one 5 or 6 years old.
Above all buy on condition and service history- the exact opposite of the car you are talking about.
I think the 530i makes an excellent choice for the lower mileage driver because they seem to be easier to find with higher spec and for less money. Which of course buys an awful lot of fuel.
Plus you have to remember the E39 530D only came with the lower power variant diesel engine. That straight six in the 530i is one of the all time greats as well. It was the best thing about my 330i.
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I don't believe people who tell me they arn't money pits one of GSF biggest sale items are BWM suspension parts and what a price a 530 will guzzle petrol cost a young person a fortune to insure and tax,the suspensions start going at around 5 years and if you have ever looked at all the links and bushes its like spaggetti junction its not just beamers but most old well used big motors are best stayed clear of if the wallet is a little tight.Funny thing about the older 5 series the saloons are worth more than the estates most get shipped out to Russia and surrounding areas but they do want saloons lhd or rhd they are not bothered but estates they turn their nose up at.
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.. the older 5 series the saloons are worth more than the estates most get shipped out to Russia and surrounding areas ..
so how do the russians and surrounding people afford these moneypits?
i suppose they dig diamonds and oil and coal form the siberian pits to pay for them.
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so how do the russians and surrounding people afford these moneypits? i suppose they dig diamonds and oil and coal form the siberian pits to pay for them.
I'm guessing that the labour rates aren't as high as in the UK and that maybe parts are cheaper too. Insurance and fuel costs will be lower too.
Anyone who's been to Moscow recently will know that the majority of people are priced out of the central areas and live way out in the extensive suburbs in modest flats. Many people prefer to spend their money on projecting an image of success, cars are a huge status symbol and a 530 would really mark you out as a successful person.
Cheers,
Lou
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you're not wrong; one of the s/w engineers here is Russian - he drives an M5....
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The E46 is worse than the E39 in many ways and well known for going through wishbones and balljoints. That said my cars (I've had 2 one getting on for 5 yrs old when I got rid) never had any problems with them at all of any sort.
A manual 530i will return 30mpg+ on a run and mid 20's in mixed driving. Pretty respectable figures for such a big car. It also drives better than most cars designed this decade never mind the early part of the last. Fantastic cars and better in many respects than the E60 in my opinion. My insurance was £400 a year in the UK on my 330i in 2005 and I'm not old although I didn't live in some inner city slum and had full NCB.
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.. The E39 530i is an excellent car though and don't listen to people who say older ones are money pits it simply isn't true
oldhand, i will second that. some people do talk stuff and nonsense about bmw cars.
howeever, in the specific case of the o.p.'s 530, he needs to confirm its history including services a bit more thoroughly.
don't let heart rule the head.
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For not a great deal more than the OP was talking about here seems a decent 530i on the trader:
h
Cheers,ttp://atsearch.
L
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For not a great deal more than the OP was talking about here seems a decent 530i on the trader: ..
except that the o.p. is specifically looking for a sport model "...in sport trim, has to be a manual ..."
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except that the o.p. is specifically looking for a sport model "...in sport trim has to be a manual ..."
Ok. 530i Sport Manual, from trade so will have some warranty
tinyurl.com/2j6awh
Right as you now have the record for the longest link in the world since www.llanfaipwllgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwllllanfairt...k can you use the tinyURL link at the top of the page from now on please ?! - PU
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What a beautiful looking car.
What do these do to the gallon on the motorway?
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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Yes - saw that whilst I was searching - not sure about the interior though - although I like the tan leather - I don't think it goes well with the grey trim / carpets!
Shame - though a good car otherwise.
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"Plus you have to remember the E39 530D only came with the lower power variant diesel engine"
Apologies for the thread highjack, but I believe that the 530D was initially shipped with the 184bhp derivitive although this was changed to the 193bhp model around 2000. My 2003 (E39) model definately has 193bhp.
The 330D of that era was only supplied with the 184bhp power plant though.
Back to the subject though and I'd like to add another vote for not buying this 530i.
Cheers!
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I think you're correct, I was counting the 193bhp version as more or less the same as the 184bhp versions which may well be wrong. I believe both map to similar power figures of just over 210bhp though being basically the same engine.
The only older 3.0ltr BMW diesel I'd consider is the 204bhp found in the E46. I had the 204bhp remapped to 230ish and it was 'adequate' in the lighter E46, in fact faster than my 330i in gear. However the 330i was a much more satisfying car to drive if you actually enjoy that sort of thing.
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An E39 can be found in SE trim with the sports suspension fitted as an option. Unless you like slightly higher premiums and slighly dodgy bodykits and bits of stick on tat then they shouldn't be ignored (I had the oh-so tacky sport myself)
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If you can live without the sports suspension (which let's face it on a 5 yr old car isn't going to be in it's first flush of youth anyway) then why not this one and a set of new uprated dampers?
530i Manual, 78,725 miles, MANUAL, Oxford Green Metallic with Sand Beige Leather upholstery. FULL SATELITE NAVIGATION & TV, ABS, Climate controlled Air conditioning, Electric Windows, Central Locking, Multiple Airbags, Factory Imobiliser and Alarm, Alloy wheels, Audio remote control, Multi-function steering wheel with Cruise control, Body coloured bumpers. Long MOT and Road Tax. Any Inspection welcome, Exceptionaly good condition inside and out. £6,945
Private Seller:
Contact number: 01189 842831 or 07798 84309
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There are now shedloads of E39's of all descriptions floating about the auctions and the first models are dropping into the banger market. The Diesels are holding their money, but the petrols are now pretty cheap compared to even a year ago, so don't rush into anything. I have picked up two cheap petrols (525 and a 530 auto) since Easter and sold at a decent profit.
I have seen a lot of East Europeans buying scrappers/damaged cars (presumably to ship back for parts).
Like ANY car, you need to judge each vehicle as you see it and not jump to conclusions or let your heart rule your head. If you don't know a lot about cars then an older 530i can bite back in a big way. Your local GSF/ECP factors will have all the suspension parts in stock because they do wear. If you can DIY then its no problem because R&R is straightforward. If you have to pay for someone else to do it then it can get dear.
Check for oil being burnt (on start-up and on over-run) due to worn valve guides. This can happen from about 70-80k onwards. They are OK if they smoke a little bit, but consumption above 800mpp means head off, valve stem oil seals etc, which books at around 15 hours of labour.
If its a manual then check 1-2 and 2-3 shifts for snagging synchro when the gearbox is cold.
A good one is very good, a bad one can be very bad.
Ideally have an RAC/DEKRA inspection or get it taken to a BMW specialist for a look over.
Apologies to the 'BMW's never go wrong or wear out' guys, I know you don't like 'negative talk'. Anyone sceptical about my comments above should contact a local BMW independent, I'm sure most will offer a few words of helpful advice.
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Apologies to the 'BMW's never go wrong or wear out' guys I know you don't like 'negative talk'. Anyone sceptical about my comments above should contact a local BMW independent I'm sure most will offer a few words of helpful advice.
Why apologise to people who haven't yet posted on the thread?
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Why apologise to people who haven't yet posted on the thread?
Why not?
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I have a late 2001 530i Sport and my father has a 2 month newer 530d SE. Mine has high mileage on it - 150k now. It's absolutely awesome and utterly pristine inside and out. It's just been for it's Inspection service at the BMW main dealer - surely a great chance for them to fleece for me for loads of impending work - and the best they could come up with is brake pads.
This is not to say that Aprilias opinion should be rubbished, becuase a lot of what he says is true. E39's CAN and ARE money pits if you buy the wrong one, and the suspension and cooling system of the E39 is the area of the highest typical expense. Lower control arm bushes are popular to go, as are upper control arms. Radiators go, etc etc.
But if you buy the right one, you really do an excellent car.
If I was buying my 530i again I'd do exactly what I did this time - worry not about mileage but instead car about the cars history and condition. I feel the reason why mine is in such excellent condition (We have a 50k mile 530d SE to compare it - it's as good if not better) is becuase I bought the car from the original owner. He was able to explain exactly what he used the car for, with documentation to back up his claim it was used to travel to his office 150 miles away. He had every single invoice ever for the car, all at the local BMW main dealer. He bought the car, himself, new. He renewed the BMW warranty every single year (And indeed, I had the balance of this warranty).
I believed him and have not yet regretted purchasing the car and I've had it nearly a year now.
I viewed a LOT of E39's before I bought this one and took 6 months to find it. I saw lots of potential nightmares. Cars with 70k on the clock with rear seats that, condition wise, looked straight from the back of a minicab. Cars with noticeable wear on the steering wheel which mine still does not have. Cars which just felt iffy. All looking nice and tempting on Autotrader at £6k. You cannot buy a truely mint 530 for £6k unless you are very lucky.
If it doesn't feel almost like new, walk away. I still have no rattles, no squeeks, no clonks, nothing. Some of the ones I drove had many despite half the mileage - clearly abused around town by many previous owners. I don't honestly think mileage is as important with these cars as how they have been used - a point illustrated by comparing both the 530's we have, one of which having 3 times the mileage.
I think the crucial thing is that to most people, a car is worth to them what they paid for it, not its current value. A 4-5 year old car is worth, to its original owner, £35,000. Becuase thats what he paid for it. Yet the same car on its 4th owner is worth to the current owner whatever he paid - perhaps as little as 10k. And the less you spend on the car, the less you are inclined to lavish on it.
As for people saying the regular running costs are expensive, I do not find this to be the case. I bought the car when I was 22 and paid £1000 to insure it. Servicing costs are £150 for an Oil Service at my local main dealer, £140+oil for an Inspection 1 and £200+oil for an Inspection 2. This is not expensive given that its only every 15k and is the reason why despite the mileage and the fact I do not intend to sell the car, I still have it serviced by the main dealer.
Fuel consumption is excellent for the sort of car it is - high 30's on a long motorway trip, low 30's on a general run, but low 20's around town. It's about 4mpg worse for every condition than my previous 2 litre Mondeo. This, again, is more than acceptable.
Faliures I've had to pay for this year are a radiator and thermostat @ £300 and a clean of the idle control valve by my local indy @ £50. I have fitted 4 tyres @ £530.
Would I recommend them to others? If you can find a good one by all means but 530i Sport manuals are rare as it is, let alone pristine ones, so it's not usually a car I recommend in conversation. The right 530 is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, all round cars you can possibly buy. The wrong one is everything Aprilia says it is.
FWIW, I keep £1000 tucked away for unexpected repairs at all time.
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Oh and someone said it cost a fortune to tax.
Eh? It's £210, the same as any other half decent car and a staggering £15 a year more than a 1999 Citroen Saxo 1.6.
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and that is the best £15.00 you'll ever spend !
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Faliures I've had to pay for this year are a radiator and thermostat @ £300 and a clean of the idle control valve by my local indy @ £50. I have fitted 4 tyres @ £530.
For better picture of how much upkeep of well maintained, good example of 5 series really costs, without pink sunglases on - IIRC your car also had considerable amount of work done and covered by BMW extended warranty package. How much would it cost you if you had to pay for it from your own pocket? ;)
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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snipquote! Please pay more attention to the message "please keep this thread as readable as possible by EDITING the quote to INCLUDE ONLY RELEVANT TEXT" that appears on your screen when you click the Quote original message button
How much would it cost you if you had to pay for it from your own pocket? ;)
It had a new gearbox because of a common issue with them refusing to spring back to 5th. Cost to BMW, lots. Had I not had the warranty I would have simply ignored it - so cost to me had I had no warranty, nil.
It had a new propshaft due to a worn propshaft centre bearing. This is £200 to replace at your local indy. BMW refuse to only replace the bearing, so the warranty paid for a replacement.
So to answer your question, it would have cost me an extra £200. Not the answer you were expecting I'm sure - sorry to dissapoint you :)
I did forget to mention that I had the clutch replaced, but there was nothing wrong with the old one, it just seemed prudent to have it replaced at nil labour charge whilst they did the box.
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It had a new gearbox because of a common issue with them refusing to spring back to 5th. Cost to BMW lots. Had I not had the warranty I would have simply ignored it - so cost to me had I had no warranty nil.
(...)So to answer your question it would have cost me an extra £200. Not the answer you were expecting I'm sure - sorry to dissapoint you :)
No, no, that's exactly the answer I expected. Is there such thing as cheap to maintain prestige car? People can pretend ownership of such cars cost them nothing, but in truth, if it wasn't for previous owner forking out for BMW extended warranty, which in exchange took care of some aspects of your car's maintenance (at their own cost), the chances are the next driver to buy that 530i from your hands would end up with alledgedly well maintained car, with loads of history etc, and, in this particular example, with a gearbox that doesn't always spring back to 5th.
Ownership of prestige cars can be cheap as chips. Maybe not to the previous owner. Maybe not to the next. But to the guy in the middle, it can be.
In your stories the upkeep of 530i costs just the £200 for propshaft bearing.
And some rubber.
And radiator.
And thermostat.
And the idle valve..
And between you and BMW, those few grands that they forked out to keep your car running smooth.
But generally, high mileage BMW, when taken from good hands are not that expensive to maintain. Are they? ;)
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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No no that's exactly the answer I expected. Is there such thing as cheap to maintain prestige car?
Have I said they are super cheap to maintain? Of course not.
snipquote once more!But generally high mileage BMW when taken from good hands are not that expensive to maintain. Are they? ;)
So my 'high mileage' car is expensive to run becuase it needed 'some rubber'?
'My stories'? Are you for real? You do realise that a car with 30k on the clock might need some tyres as well, right?
FWIW our other 530d had a failed fuel pump the other month, at a cost of £300 to fix. It's got 56k on the clock.
Not that I expected anything else from you, v0n. Still taking depreciation hits on Almeras?
Show me where I've said you can run a 530i for 'dead cheap' 'on a budget'. Becuase I've not. I've even stated I keep £1k in reserve for unexpected faliures. I've been completely straight up with the costs of owning a car like this.
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Let me mix the quotes from original post a little, this way we'll have a better flow in the conversation:
Show me where I've said you can run a 530i for 'dead cheap' 'on a budget'.
There was no "on the budget" talk to begin with. To people saying the costs of running 530i are expensive, you replied, you did not find this to be the case. I found that to be heavily biased. So I asked few questions. And, apparently you expected nothing less of me.
So my 'high mileage' car is expensive to run becuase it needed 'some rubber'?
No, and don't hide behind that "rubber", you know that's not the point. The fact you didn't have to pay for the whooping part of the work needed doesn't make your car inexpensive to keep and run. Try to see if from a different angle, look at it as a bystander - you bought very good example, well looked after, fully serviced, essentially - you hand picked your 530i. And over the last several months it only needed this and that, and the other thing, and some more stuff and .. oh.. what seems like a better part of drive train already replaced. But it's ok, because only the bad ones are money pits. It's not paid from your pocket and if it was you would refuse to have that expensive work done, so in your eyes a cost of driving 530i is a tad over £200.
FWIW our other 530d had a failed fuel pump the other month at a cost of £300 to fix. It's got 56k on the clock.
Exactly. When they break, and they do, they can be expensive, new or old. They are only cheap to own and maintain when you run them to the ground. If everyone understood that there is no such thing as prestige car with cheap running and maintenance costs it would be much easier to actually find a well maintained good example of 3 litre 5 series and you wouldn't have to search for them for months, all over the country like for a white elephant.
Not that I expected anything else from you v0n. Still taking depreciation hits on Almeras?
Yeah. Almeras. Primeras. Various imports. Nissans, generally. Generally most of the stuff you never driven or sat inside. Should I be ashamed of it or something? How is "Almera" supposed to work as an insult exactly - am I expected to feel deeply upset, throw "Mondeo" in your face and then we draw pistons at dawn, or was I meant to storm out of the Back Room or something? :D
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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There was no "on the budget" talk to begin with. To people saying the costs of running 530i are expensive you replied you did not find this to be the case. I found that to be heavily biased. So I asked few questions. And apparently you expected nothing less of me.
I don't think they are expensive. I still don't - but of course, we are speaking relatively. Compared to a Nissan Micra or a Ford Focus, of course they are expensive. But a well looked after example will not be costing thousands and thousands of pounds a year to keep on the road in the same way a money pit will. Surely you can see this?
There is a world of difference between not thinking something is expensive, and thinking something is cheap.
An Omega Seamaster is not an expensive watch, as far as watches go. But of course, it's far from a cheap watch, would you not agree?
It's a £35,000 list-price new car - it's not going to run on £20 tyres, do 60mpg and cost £50 to tax. My opinions are based on everyone who reads them understanding and appreciating this material fact first. In the realms of cars of this type, it is not expensive.
>> So my 'high mileage' car is expensive to run becuase it needed 'some rubber'? No and don't hide behind that "rubber" you know that's not the point. The fact you didn't have to pay for the whooping part of the work needed doesn't make your car inexpensive to keep and run.
You've clung to the warranty stuff like a dog with a bone in the past despite me explaining it to you quite clearly.
I'll explain it again, for clarity, one last time.
The work which was carried out on my car under warranty was work which was NOT required. It's work which many used vehicles 'could do with' but many owners quite easily and acceptably ignore. So the gearbox was a bit annoying. It was no big deal, in the same way as a line of pixels missing from the dash display on older V8 E39's isn't a big deal, or water ingress in the rear light of a Mondeo again, isn't a big deal. The same with the centre bearing on the propshaft. It went 'clink' when I pulled away. So what? What other used car drives exactly like a brand new one? How about very few. They are the sort of things everyone would ignore. I bet your gearbox on whatever you currently drive does not shift with the exact ability it did when it was brand new. But it's not a big deal.
However, the car had a BMW Warranty on it, so I saw absolutely no harm in reporting these issues. Which BMW replaced by replacing huge chunks of the drivetrain. Again, not my problem, and arguably, not really needed. A friend with a 330d had the same issue with the gearbox and his local Indy replaced a spring and billed him £30. I will never know exactly why BMW deemed the whole box neccesary (The dealership said 'That'll need a whole box' after simply looking at the interior of the car, 3 minutes after I reported the issue), nor will I know why they insist on replacement of the entire propshaft when a simple replacement bearing will do.
But the fact remains, had the warranty not existed, these issues would not have instead left me facing bankruptcy as I struggled with a £4000 bill. Either becuase a) I'd have ignored them or b) My local Indy would have replaced the faulty component rather than half the drivetrain at the expense of BMW Financial Services. I've no idea why BMW operate a 'replace everything' approach. I don't particularly care either.
Lets consider an analogy. You buy a Nissan Almera, used. It's a lovely car, but you notice when you go over bumps, you get an annoying rattle from inside the dash. Your car has Nissan Warranty. The dealer simply replaces the ENTIRE dashboard at a cost of many pounds. Do you now rush around saying 'My giddy aunt! My Nissan! It's so expensive to fix! Thank goodness for the warranty!' or do you simply think 'That was handy, a minorly irritating rattle I'd otherwise have put up with, and I got a whole new dash out of it!'.
Perhaps another for you - again, we'll pick Nissan. As a 200SX approaches 80k miles, it will almost certainly develop VVT rattle at cold startup. This is harmless, and the car will easily cover another 80k without problems. Most of the S14A 200SX's are now so afflicted. But you've got a Nissan Warranty, so you pop into Nissan who.... replace the entire engine. Does this mean you'd have been faced with a big bill had you not had the warranty? Of course not, you'd just have been like every other 200SX owner with rattly VVT at cold startup.
Now, is that completely clear to you?
Try to see if from a different angle look at it as a bystander - you bought very good example well looked after fully serviced essentially - you hand picked your 530i. And over the last several months it only needed this and that and the other thing and some more stuff and .. oh.. what seems like a better part of drive train already replaced. But it's ok because only the bad ones are money pits. It's not paid from your pocket and if it was you would refuse to have that expensive work done so in your eyes a cost of driving 530i is a tad over £200.
I believe I've covered this above. The only additional non-service costs to myself were the radiator and cleaning of the ICV. The thermostat I had replaced as a matter of course becuase it seemed prudent whilst the radiator was out. Now, stop me if I'm wrong, but I really don't find radiator replacement an unacceptable and money-pit inducing cost for a 5 year old car with more than 100k miles.
Do you?
Exactly. When they break and they do they can be expensive new or old. They are only cheap to own and maintain when you run them to the ground. If everyone understood that there is no such thing as prestige car with cheap running and maintenance costs it would be much easier to actually find a well maintained good example of 3 litre 5 series and you wouldn't have to search for them for months all over the country like for a white elephant.
But the thing is, nobody has said, well I've not said, that they are cheap to own and maintain. I've never said this. And I don't recommend that all and sundry runs out and buys a 330i or a 530i immediatly becuase they are oh-so-cheap. I've always been happy to acknowledge the potential pitfalls of E39 ownership.
Why else would I state, in more or less every thread on this subject, that I find it prudent to keep the sum of £1000 on standby for unexpected costs? For a laugh?
My opinion is that the E39 5 Series, when bought well, from a trusted source, is a fantastic car which is not expensive to run. It is not, however, a cheap car to run by any stretch of the imagination. Nothing which takes tyres at £140 each for the rears is cheap to run.
>> Not that I expected anything else from you v0n. Still taking depreciation hits on >>Almeras? Yeah. Almeras. Primeras. Various imports. Nissans generally. Generally most of the stuff you never driven or sat inside. Should I be ashamed of it or something? How is "Almera" supposed to work as an insult exactly - am I expected to feel deeply upset throw "Mondeo" in your face and then we draw pistons at dawn or was I meant to storm out of the Back Room or something? :D
Just trying to further understand why you seem to lay dormont for months waiting for me to post in a 5 Series thread, in much the same way as you were prepared and ready to spring into action in Mondeo threads of old.
btw, the Mondeo, now on 140,000 something miles, still hasn't had anything break on it I'm afraid :)
Blasphemy within certain parts of this post changed for alternate words
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You've clung to the warranty stuff like a dog with a bone in the past despite me explaining it to you quite clearly.
I've clung to your warranty in past? When? When do we ever post in the same topics anymore? Was I not supposed to remember you wrote somewhere about that gearbox change ages ago? Was it faux pas to ask? What am I missing dude? Why the personal attack, what's the story?
Just trying to further understand why you seem to lay dormont for months waiting for me to post in a 5 Series thread in much the same way as you were prepared and ready to spring into action in Mondeo threads of old.
See, now, this is where our mono topical clashes get really ugly. We happen to post on just two of the same motoring related forums, for many years now, each following their own threads, topics and matters, and when our paths cross once in a blue moon you dare to accuse me of "laying dormant for months waiting for you to post". Granted, regarding us clashing few times on subject of old Mondeo, but that's no wonder - that car was pretty much all you were talking about, so if we ever posted in the same threads they would have to be about Mondeos. But laying dormant??? Waiting for you??? Says the guy clutching to my Almeras for insults? What on earth is wrong with you kid? Who do you think you are? Surely this is a joke a tad too far, don't you think?
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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Why the personal attack what's the story?
SNIPQUOTE ONCE AGAIN for the lazy person who doesn't read the message that appears on his screen when he clicks the 'the Quote original message button'. The message that says "please keep this thread as readable as possible by EDITING the quote to INCLUDE ONLY RELEVANT TEXT"
Oh do come off it - it was hardly a personal attack, was it?
Surely this is a joke a tad too far don't you think?
It's rather interesting that of the quite large amount of text I had in that reply, you single out only these two for reply. Am I to take it that you agree with the rest of it now, and understand my point?
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Oh do come off it - it was hardly a personal attack was it?
Well, let's see you accused me, in written, in public of "laying dormant waiting for you", just because we post every now and then on the same forums. That's personal attack. Whichever way you take it. And it is nothing to take Michael about, Michael.
The weirdest thing of all - this is how, in short , our discussion went - "upkeep of my 530i is not expensive" said you, to which I replied "all in all, even your well maintained beemer needed considerable expense to run like it does, it's just that expense was to BMW Finance", then you effectively agreed - you don't drive around with notchy gearbox because that maintenance was performed, at considerable expense. Normally "you are right" would suffice in such situation but you decided to run with some strange "yeah but no but yeah but no, I'm always right anyway, get off me" routine instead, jump me and then throw a libel into the mix. It's not on. That's not how people behave. In case you missed the hint this is where you stop pratting about and publicly apologize, not talk AT me some more. Have you completely lost your mind? What happened to you man?
It's rather interesting that of the quite large amount of text I had in that reply you single out only these two for reply. Am I to take it that you agree with the rest of it now and understand my point?
Surely you understand you don't get to behave like semi god accusing people of stocking you in forum threads and actually get to participate in further, serious discussion with them?
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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v0n,
I apologise for accusing you of 'laying dormant waiting'. This wrong of me, and I hope you will accept my apology.
However, given that every discussion we have ever had over the last what, 5 years, has ended up going exactly the same way I am curious though as to why you are suprised this one went the way it did. You must have known the response you would get from posting what you did?
I, however, stand by the fact that just becuase a warranty replaces a notchy gearbox does not suddenly make a car very expensive to run. Please do read my two analogies again, becuase they explain the situation and circumstances very well. It didn't NEED considerable expense, it just so how happened that a mechanism existed for me to have such expense lavished on it anyway.
Surely you see my point?
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SNIPQUOTE ONCE AGAIN for the lazy person who doesn't read the message that appears on his screen when he clicks the 'the Quote original message button'. The message that says "please keep this thread as readable as possible by EDITING the quote to INCLUDE ONLY RELEVANT TEXT"
With respect I did just that - you'll note the quote was smaller than it would have been had, as you imply, simply ignored the message. It would appear our definitions of the word relevant differ, rather than me being lazy.
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Why would you? Why not apologise to people who think BMWs are useless cars overshadowed by Protons exec efforts as well?
It's pointless and seems like pointless self agrandising to an objective observer. So what, you're a grease monkey with limited anecdotal experience- ghee-whizz.
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So what you're a grease monkey with limited anecdotal experience- ghee-whizz.
LOL! Not quite old boy. Won't put my full CV here, but it includes a PhD in Engineering, MBA, and being paid lots of money as a consultant to some of the best known names in the industry...And a couple of books (inc. for the SAE). Which is why I can take 3-4 months of the year off and be posting on here late at night. I buy and sell a few cars and play about with them in my workshop mostly for fun these days and to stay 'grounded' - oh, and it pays for the holidays....
The above may sound boastful, sorry, but you did ask for it....
Anyway, some people must think I'm worth listening to because I've been asked to do another fact finding/research trip around the Japanese automotive industry (fantastic place!) at the end of September - and they actually PAY me to do it. Oh joy...!
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Anyway some people must think I'm worth listening to because I've been asked to do another fact finding/research trip around the Japanese automotive industry (fantastic place!) at the end of September - and they actually PAY me to do it. Oh joy...!
I'm jealous and not only becuase you can easily afford to maintain these money pit BMW's :D
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The above may sound boastful sorry but you did ask for it....
It does but if you feel you need to justify yourself and tell us about your 'success' that's fine. Some of us have more restraint and less active imaginations.
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It does but if you feel you need to justify yourself and tell us about your 'success' that's fine. Some of us have more restraint and less active imaginations.
Don't be so antagonistic, Aprilia is one of the most valued BR members and has helped lots of people out with informed comments.
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>> The above may sound boastful sorry but you did ask for it.... It does but if you feel you need to justify yourself and tell us about your 'success' that's fine. Some of us have more restraint and less active imaginations.
Of course he felt the need to justify himself, you were running him down as being a 'grease monkey'.
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.. you were running him down as being a 'grease monkey'.
i thought aprilia volunteered that he was an "engineer", and ph.d. and an mba ? [ the last qualification is akin to admitting to be a bmw owner/driver ! ;-) ]. oh, the shame of it.
[ p.s. - in case you didn't know, i too belong to that same club ].
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Sadly, many people in the UK consider the terms Engineer, Ph.D and MBA to be mutually exclusive...... :-(
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Of course he felt the need to justify himself you were running him down as being a 'grease monkey'.
Just to wade on into an issue that has nothing to do with me! :-)
Aprilia has made a variety of excellent posts over the years and helped me out with good advice on a couple of occasions, to be honest, I don't bame him for justifying his posts, although I don't think he should have to.
Blue
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Of course he felt the need to justify himself you were running him down as being a 'grease monkey'
..........and he is one by his own admission. Calling someone a grease monkey isn't running them down either. However, suggesting their knowledge is out of date and parochial in outlook, probably is. Besides I have no problem with him revealing he's my educational, social and professional subordinate. If people are so impecunious they feel there is value in a cod diagnosis delivered wholly textually rather than visit a local professional then that is their misfortune.
Back onto the 530 a poster suggested 10% of the E39's out there are good. I think that's being a tad harsh but they are such great cars it's well worth finding that one in ten. When you do they don't cost a fortune to run either. Unless of course you're used to living at the bottom of the automotive ladder. Find one with extended BMW warranty or better within their used approved scheme and you can spend the rest of the warranty period having every niggling fault corrected at their expense. Often worth the extra couple of grand it will cost you to buy one and give you a car you can have confidence in over many years to come.
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Besides I have no problem with him revealing he's my educational social and professional subordinate.
That is possibly the saddest and most unintentionally revealing thing ever posted on the internet.
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Oh please, get off your high horse. I rarely post on here as mentioned before, but they arent many posts on this forum by Aprilia that dont contain great thought, experience and knowledge. Aprilia really does add to the backrooms.
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but they arent many posts on this forum by Aprilia that dont contain great thought experience and knowledge.
Just goes to show one man's idea of 'great thought and knowledge' is another's out of date, generalised innacurate nonsense. Isn't it wonderful we all have our own opinions and feel able to express them?
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"couple of books" - what are they called/about? judging by some of your useful/interesting posts, might be worth a read.
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An E39 can be found in SE trim with the sports suspension fitted as an option. Unless you like slightly higher premiums and slighly dodgy bodykits and bits of stick on tat then they shouldn't be ignored (I had the oh-so tacky sport myself)
The Sport looks absolutely fantastic and really changes the look of the E39. It definately isn't slightly dodgy and the only tat 'stuck on' an E39 Sport is the rear lip spoiler.
Here is mine:
www.rodge.force9.co.uk/my530.JPG
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>>"I feel the reason why mine is in such excellent condition (We have a 50k mile 530d SE to compare it - it's as good if not better) is becuase I bought the car from the original owner. He was able to explain exactly what he used the car for, with documentation to back up his claim it was used to travel to his office 150 miles away. He had every single invoice ever for the car, all at the local BMW main dealer. He bought the car, himself, new."
Actually this is a very good point. Owners can make or break a used car by the time it gets to 3-4 years old - and that applies to Porsches or Protons.
Earlier this year I checked out a 2002 530i sport manual in dark blue with 80k. It was for sale at a local 'boutique' used car dealer for £10k. The potential purchaser was mad keen. The car was just shot though. Everything worn and loose feeling - the car had clearly been totally hammered.
Similarly I check out a 2003 520i manual with just 35k - for sale at a well-known car supermarket near East Midlands Airport. Get there with the potential buyer expecting to see a mint car. Mechanically it was good. But the paintwork had loads of little scratch marks on it. I reckon it was owned by someone who lived along a narrow lane and got rubbed by bushes every morning. Who wants a prestige car with marks all over the paintwork? - and a proper respray is £1000's. Also trim had various marks and scratches and it was fittend with 'Achilles' (Indonesian) tyres - tells you a great deal about how the owner felt about the car......
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Exactly right - whereas mine had 4 Dunlop SP Sport tyres all round - the OEM fitment from the factory.
And 9 invoices from the tyre depot, where he bought.. the exact same tyre, every single time. It's this sort of thing which can be used to guage what sort of owner the guy before you was.
If he was the right sort, the car is almost certainly a very good buy.
But if he was the wrong sort, oh dear.
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I'm always reminded of a car that came in as a part-ex when I was working at the Ford dealership.
It was a 7 year old whale tail Sierra Cosworth with 120,000 miles on the clock. One guy had owned it from new. It had a fully stamped service book with receipts and invoices for every penny spent on it from services to tyres, to bulbs, to MOT's to the additional 3,000 mile oil and filter changes that he'd had done. The bodywork was totally immaculate. The odometer only went to five digits and you would have been forgiven for thinking it had done 20,000 miles. It still pulled like a train, still smelled "new" inside, and you just knew it had been cherished. We gave the guy 3 grand for it! It would be worth 3x that now, easily.
Anyway, the point is that the owner makes a bigger difference than the mileage. This was fitter and sweeter than most at half this mileage.
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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If you are looking for a decent 530i Sport manual with full BMW service history, my son will be selling his in approx 2 weeks. The car has covered 80k, is in metallic grey (rare colour for the Sport model) with black leather and is in excellent condition with only 2 owners from new. Reason for sale is that he is buying an almost new E92 BMW Coupe, but he will not be selling it for less than £8.5k as genuine cars with full history are still in great demand, as they are regarded by many as better looking with higher build quality than it`s replacement E60 model.
This car regularly returns 34 mpg at 80 mph motorway cruise, which is outstanding for a powerful 3 litre engine, the manual version being approx 10% more fuel efficient than the autos. Most of BMW production was for the auto version, hence the scarcity of manuals, - my son took months to locate this vehicle when he was originally looking to buy.
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I agree - think the Sport finishes the car off well, looks good in an understated way. The SE looks a bit unfinished in the styling department IMHO. It's almost as though it was designed as a Sport model first, and someone then decided to release a plain looking SE version instead!
Having said that an SE is better value for money, and more plentiful.
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I thought the 193 bhp was a slightly different spec (different injectors, not sure though). The Turbo failure on some cars (not as bad as the 320d), does worry me.
Anyone know if the Vanos is reliable / trouble free on the 530i?
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I am not sure of the VANOS faliure rate - although I rarely ever see threads complaining of it on the various forums - but it's not the problem it was on the E36 M3 Evolution.
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I am not sure of the VANOS faliure rate - although I rarely ever see threads complaining of it on the various forums - but it's not the problem it was on the E36 M3 Evolution.
There are reports of early M5's suffering it to. It's not that common on the 'lesser' cars. A bigger problem was the nikisil liner on the 528i's.
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Any beamer over 5 years old is a money pit to run properly
Not if they have been looked after properly in the first place they're not! Same goes for any car.
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Dream on,to look after them properly costs a small fortune especially when the they start getting old all the rubber suspension and steering joints and mounts start to rot as does the prop shaft mounts nomatter how it was looked after.Never driven an old 5 that has not got some sort of wheel vibration no matter how small.Out of all the 5 year + old 5 series out there on the market 10% are ok and the other 90% are rats.
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