E60 5er

[///Maniac]

So I'm considering getting one of these for my dad. My money is on the 530d but would also consider the 525i. Have already come up with a few 525i's for sale but only one is a facelift. There are a few things I would like to clarify though:

1) Is the 525i motor "strong" enough to lug the heavy body around? (Not looking for blistering performance but don't want a car that will battle to overtake slow traffic as the car will be used on the long road primarily)
2) Was the gearbox on the facelift different or was it just the gear lever that was updated with the new trigger type?
3) What else was updated on the facelift models?

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[hoosain]

i owned a 2004 525 E60 i can tell you the car has more than enough power and the ride is excellent
go for it

 

[OppositeLockMT]

I've driven pre-facelift 525s and they didn't feel like they were lacking in power. BMW inline sixes are great drives regardless of power output, they love to rev...you may have to push a 525 to get it going, but when it does it goes on and on. These engines are meant to be pushed.

---

Facelifts (as far as i know). Updated power output (525), quicker gearbox, LED indicator lights for the rear, Integrated DRL Angel Eyes, slightly different interior layout (barely noticeable)...an untrained eye wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a facelift and a pre-facelift.

 

[abmi0000]

I would be lying if I said I found the 525i motor to be adequate. Car wasnt tired with high mileage (70 odd on clock), so I believe that this was just the way it performed.

However, it needs to be noted that I had an E90 330i (190kw) at the time of looking to upgrade. The 530i (200kw) I test drove certainly had no issue with power and torque. This is a very good all rounder if you are afraid of diesel.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the 530d which naturally has the torque required to keep the driving experience pleasant and effortless. It isn't always about the accelleration times. If it happened to be a sportpack model, I would have seriously considered this one as the option for me at the time.

The 550i naturally tickled my buds most since I enjoy the option of turning hooligan :rollsmile: and this was my initial requirement which just took longer to find since they aren't very popular.

Option for M5 went out the window when I seen the repair costs for one I almost bought. What a choker.

Oh, never bothered with the 523i since my wife owned a 323i E90 and I found that torque wasn't available at times. Naturally this would feel worse in an E60.

Good luck and hope that you are happy with your final decision. Remember to post pics :thumb:

 

[///Maniac]

Thanks for the replies guys. Hmmm. Found a 2005 525i with 51000kms. But now having second thoughts lol. I think we need to drive one and take it from there. I also came across two 550i's but I must admit I'm afraid of the fuel bill.:fencelook: Anything in particular to look out for on the E60s?

 

[UpNcOmiNg!]

Drive it the see. I say, find a 530d

 

[Naruto]

For a 5, I'd go 530 and higher...that's just me.