Prospective BMW buyer

[MKay30]

Hi All,

I'm new here and have seen how everyone collaborates in helping others.. Big ups to that.

I'm looking to buy my first car and have decided to go for either an E90 330d LCI, en E60 530d or F10 530d/535d all auto.

With a budget of between 200 and 250k I know I'm not getting anything low mileage but I would like to know your opinions or advice on the models mentioned.

As a wild card please add advice on the E70 30d auto

Also recommendations of trusted mechanics and service shops in the Pretoria area, from what I've read, I need to be friends with them.

Thank you

 

[firaz]

Hey there, I recall seeing a e90 330d for sale in the for sale section. If I was in the market I would have bought this in a heartbeat.


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[MKay30]

Hey there, I recall seeing a e90 330d for sale in the for sale section. If I was in the market I would have bought this in a heartbeat.


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Hi, thanks for the info, I'll go check it out

 

[///M Individual]

Hi bud. Great motor. Ensure they have good service history and once you get it make sure you do some preventative maintenance like gearbox services, vibration dampers etc. and you should be good.

Also check out the F30 330d Luxury that was just advertised.

 

[sash]

I had a facelift e60 530d for quite a while. I can say that the comfort found in the 5 series is definitely better than the 3 series (equivalent). The drive feel is also a bit different. You will find the 3 series feeling more nimble than the 5 on stock msport suspension. Finding good parts for the E60 can be challenging at times. My personal preference is OE Supplier, OEM then OEM+. If i couldn't find the part made by the company who supplies BMW ( textar, mahle, sachs etc), then I would consider BMW themselves, only if they were cheaper than an OEM+ part. An example would instead of buying OEM disks and pads from BMW, for similar pricing, i got ATE disks, had them heat treated and slotted as well matched them with EBC pads. Another example was when i wanted to replace sway bar bushes, the powerflex ones came in at a similar price of OEM.

Other than that, have some budget to do maintenance based on age as well as preventative maintenance. Depending on the previous owner, some might have been done. it is a good idea when buying from a private seller to enquire about parts used. This information is very difficult to get from a dealer, unless they are willing to let you chat to the previous owner but with Popi i highly doubt it.

My recommendation would be to hold out for a good f10 530d, preferably from a reputable dealer or private sale. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get good aftermarket parts for the e60. You can find the parts from Goldwagen, Imcomex and Midas, but the quality is all over the place.

You can see where my bias lies...

 

[MKay30]

I had a facelift e60 530d for quite a while. I can say that the comfort found in the 5 series is definitely better than the 3 series (equivalent). The drive feel is also a bit different. You will find the 3 series feeling more nimble than the 5 on stock msport suspension. Finding good parts for the E60 can be challenging at times. My personal preference is OE Supplier, OEM then OEM+. If i couldn't find the part made by the company who supplies BMW ( textar, mahle, sachs etc), then I would consider BMW themselves, only if they were cheaper than an OEM+ part. An example would instead of buying OEM disks and pads from BMW, for similar pricing, i got ATE disks, had them heat treated and slotted as well matched them with EBC pads. Another example was when i wanted to replace sway bar bushes, the powerflex ones came in at a similar price of OEM.

Other than that, have some budget to do maintenance based on age as well as preventative maintenance. Depending on the previous owner, some might have been done. it is a good idea when buying from a private seller to enquire about parts used. This information is very difficult to get from a dealer, unless they are willing to let you chat to the previous owner but with Popi i highly doubt it.

My recommendation would be to hold out for a good f10 530d, preferably from a reputable dealer or private sale. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get good aftermarket parts for the e60. You can find the parts from Goldwagen, Imcomex and Midas, but the quality is all over the place.

You can see where my bias lies...

I highly appreciate your input and advice on how to maintain the car. My cousin agreed to loan me his car for a bit so I might just hold out for the F10.