Dacia, what say you?

[PeterS]

The list of my car, albeit with £9k on options, is over £4k more than I paid for a new M3 9 years ago, and only £6k less than I paid for a new 645 in 2005.

The 520d M Sport saloon starts at £35,255. I negated the £9k of options on top of that through negotiation, but when you look at the A6, 5 series and E Class new prices you start to see how much cars have gone up in price over recent years.

List prices of cars have shot up, I agree, but the level of discount / dealer support / finance deals out there mean some of the, depreciate more quickly than ever I think, and standard specifications are far higher. Don't 5 series now come with xenons, leather and sat nav as standard?

My 5 series is the first time I've bought a second hand 'main car' for I dont know how long. It's an ex London 2012 fleet car (the V5 actually has the first keeper as BMW UK London 2012!!) and had under 1,400 miles on it when I bought it at 12 months old. BMW UK had thrown around £7k of options at a car with a basic list price of £31k I think. I paid £21,500. It smelt new!! BMW registered 800 520d EDs for London 2012, and there are still a fair few on the AUC website now, some with less than 100 miles! Likewise when I bought the E Class a couple of years ago discounts were huge.

I agree that the current 5 series is an extraordinarily competent car, and very very impressive in so many ways, but I haven't completely 'gelled' with mine for some reason, and and a few things irritate compared to the MB. The ride is worse - BMW didn't spec VDC, which was inconsiderate of them, but then the Merc was on standard (avantgarde spec) suspension. The boot carpet is woefully cheap - I think our Up! has better carpet in its boot - and the paint finish has far more 'orange peel' to it. On the other hand the design and layout of the dash is far better, and the navigation system and connectivity stuff is streets ahead of MB. Fuel economy is slightly better but performance worse, though to be fair I am comparing a manual 520d to an auto E250CDi.

I guess what it also shows is the importance of choosing the right options. I saved a fortune compared to a new car, but the car is not the car it could have been. I'd have happily swapped the £2k or so that BMW 'spent' on a Euro VI emissions pack, privacy glass, folding mirrors and DAB radio for VDC and an estate boot, which has a proper carpet

[cruiser647]

How much for a tyre? [insert shocked smilie]

I could understand that tyre size on 540d or 550i etc, but a 520 or 525, that is ridiculous as many of these will be company car buyers/fleets looking for low running costs.

What is the standard tyre size?

A woman at work has a new 535d and I saw the tyre size of 275 or 265 19s on the back, and I was quite surprised there.

Do the new A6s and Es have those size tyres too?

[NewNiceMrMe]

We've got several 520d's on the fleet and i'd have to agree with you, great cars, however, if I was buying for myself, i'd have gone for a bigger engine, it's impressive for what it is, but it's just not the same as say, the 35 or 40d engines.

 

But you wouldn't if you were also buying a 40d in an X6 and you had the same reasons I did for buying the 520d.

 

See, I went to look at a 530d and 535d.  In talking about what I'd be using it for - almost all business use, the salesman (who knows me very well) questioned why I'd want the 530d and 535d when I'd get much better mpg out of the 520d and he didn't think I'd miss the performance because of the type of driving I do (I do absolutely zero leisure/pleasure driving).

 

He brought a 520d for me to drive, despite saying he was going for the 530d.

 

I was stunned.  It has all the power I need for my trips, will cruise at a speed that would lose me my licence and I have not once missed any of the power I've had in the 35i, 645 or two M3's before it - and I say that in complete sincerity.  It is a spritely car that would surprise many as how well it goes.  Ask Booster - they're not the underpowered slug you might think.

 

I get 50mpg, sometimes 52-55.  I wouldn't get anything like that in a 535d or 530d and I'd have paid more for power I'd not be using.  If I thought I'd use the power from a 535d I'd have bought one - but it would have been completely wasted.  It made no sense.

 

I bought the perfect car for me and you know how much I hated the Z4 and wasn't shy to say it.

[NewNiceMrMe]

How much for a tyre? [insert shocked smilie]

I could understand that tyre size on 540d or 550i etc, but a 520 or 525, that is ridiculous as many of these will be company car buyers/fleets looking for low running costs.

What is the standard tyre size?

 

But most fleet buyers will be running them on 17" or 18" and in SE spec.  Most of the company 5 series you'll see on the roads aren't M Sport models.

 

I wanted it to look nice too though so I chose the 19" and the M Sport spec is significantly higher than the SE (and the exterior trim finish makes the car have a much nicer stance in my opinion).

[Twinspark]

New car prices are horrendous - and discounts mean nothing to anyone with a company car.

 

My 120d  came in at £31k in the end - and that was without a media pack  or navigation - I'd have been up at £33k with Pro Navigation.

 

Also a bit puzzled by the 5 series LCI - the 520ED disappeared and a 518d has appeared - not sure I'd want 140bhp in a car that size.

[NewNiceMrMe]

Don't 5 series now come with xenons, leather and sat nav as standard?

 

Nope.  Xenons were an option.  You get standard Nav but I'd never choose that and wanted Nav Pro.  It's just a much better display.

 

I had my car professionally detailed, not prepared by the dealer and the detailer said the paint was remarkably good.  There's certainly not a blemish on it now (even if there ever was).  I can't say I've really looked at the boot carpet.  Peter...move away from the boot...

 

Here it is.  Not sure if I've ever shown the car exterior.  It is a bit shiny.

 

 

I find the ride superb.   An Avantgarde is always going to be much softer in ride than an M Sport though.  I wouldn't change the ride one bit.  It is incredibly comfortable on B roads yet I can fling it around if I want to (though I'll admit I don't purely because that's not what I wanted it for.  I have twice used the paddles on the 8 speed sport box, coupled with a 'spirited' run when I wanted to get home sooner from a business trip - it handled very well indeed.

 

The brakes are soft compared to my previous cars.  I guess I should expect that and I've just got used to them now.

[PeterS]

New car prices are horrendous - and discounts mean nothing to anyone with a company car.

My 120d came in at £31k in the end - and that was without a media pack or navigation - I'd have been up at £33k with Pro Navigation.

Also a bit puzzled by the 5 series LCI - the 520ED disappeared and a 518d has appeared - not sure I'd want 140bhp in a car that size.

I *think* the 520ED disappeared because the standard 520d now has sub 120g CO2 emissions. The 518d is just to lower the entry level price point for a 5 series as far as I can see. But is does increase the overlap with the 3 series range. I haven't looked, but it wouldn't surprise me if a 518d with standard leather, nav and xenons is cheaper than a 318d with the same options! It won't be any ball of fire, but I bet it's OK for a lot f people

Edited to add that as xenons aren't standard perhaps there is a small difference in price, but the 5 is a better car all round I'd say :-)

[Twinspark]

Just looking at the 518d spec - Business Navigation, leather as standard. If the 140bhp lump is adequate, I'll have to look at one next time.

[PeterS]

 

I find the ride superb.   An Avantgarde is always going to be much softer in ride than an M Sport though.  I wouldn't change the ride one bit.  It is incredibly comfortable on B roads yet I can fling it around if I want to (though I'll admit I don't purely because that's not what I wanted it for.  I have twice used the paddles on the 8 speed sport box, coupled with a 'spirited' run when I wanted to get home sooner from a business trip - it handled very well indeed.

 

The handling is brilliant IMO given the kind of car it is, and it never feels its size. But I'm comparing standard ED suspension (which I think is SE spec but lowered slightly) with MB avantgarde. The issue (issue exagerates the point i know!) is not so much on B roads, though potholes are far more noticeable on its 17" wheels than in the Merc in 18s, but round town where it bumps and thumps over potholes in a far crashier manner than the E class ever did. But as I say, mine hasn't got VDC which would probably improve things significantly

[NewNiceMrMe]

Just looking at the 518d spec - Business Navigation, leather as standard. If the 140bhp lump is adequate, I'll have to look at one next time.

 

I think it'll probably be a superb cruising car.  MrsMe had a 318d for 5 weeks when we waited for the X6.  The 3 series isn't as quiet as the 5 series, nothing like as quiet in fact, but I can't say the 318d felt poor.  It did what you expected it to....returned 64 mpg!!!!!

[PeterS]

The BMW press site seems to indicate that xenons are standard on the 5 series now?

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/gb/pressDetail.html?title=new-5-series-heads-bmw-changes-for-2013&outputChannelId=8&id=T0141994EN_GB&left_menu_item=node__2234

It's under the section titled 'sporting allure'

[Twinspark]

My long term average is still the wrong side of 50mpg.

[PeterS]

That looks very very shiny NewNiceMrMe . What colour is that?

 

Mine is grey - Sophisto Grey II I think, but it looks black pretty much all of the time:

 

 

That's after a fivers worth of Homebase carwash :-)

 

 

 

 

[NewNiceMrMe]

The BMW press site seems to indicate that xenons are standard on the 5 series now?

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/gb/pressDetail.html?title=new-5-series-heads-bmw-changes-for-2013&outputChannelId=8&id=T0141994EN_GB&left_menu_item=node__2234

It's under the section titled 'sporting allure'

 

Sorry, yes they are NOW.  As of the facelifted model with the chrome inserts in the front valance, new rear lights and - Xenons as standard.

 

I had to weigh up waiting a month for those or taking 19.2% discount out of the car......I didn't have to think about it for long.

 

Especially as I then discovered that if I wanted to I could retro-fit the chrome inserts (although having selected matt highline finish it is highly unlikely) and even the rear light covers if I really want to (although I've seen a couple of facelifted models in the showroom now and I couldn't tell you the difference until I got very close to the rear lights).

[NewNiceMrMe]

That looks very very shiny NewNiceMrMe . What colour is that?

 

Jet Black.

 

I went for flat on the basis that I knew what the detailer could do with it and I'd never wash it myself.  So he did a full new car prep on it and it goes back to him every week (or sometimes fortnightly if I'm busy).  His premises are 2 minutes from my office.  I call him, he picks it up, gives it a full interior/exterior clean, and then brings it back.

 

It has just had its first quarterly reglaze - although believe it or not...that picture is before it was done.

[Rachel]

Interesting about the Me's comments on his tyre prices...

Out here in the real world the bizarre fact is that 18" and 20" tyres are both easier to obtain AND cheaper than 19" tyres.

Not sure what the rules are for bigger rims such as the 21" and 22" monsters now coming on many hot German machines.

[NewNiceMrMe]

I know the tyres on the X5's 20" rims cost a fortune - about £400 a corner.  It'll be the same on the X6 in all probability, althought they're slightly thinner and not as low profile on the 40d as on the 50i (I think).

[Twinspark]

BMWs colour choices for the 5 are particularly uninspiring.

 

Grey, black, silver or white.

[NewNiceMrMe]

Ah yes, but that's because they know how to get people to choose the individual paint at much higher cost!  Clever, or just typical.  Both.

[Twinspark]

The 'individual' range was just as uninspiring, though!

 

You can't even get Valencia Orange, ffs!

 

(Oh, how I'd love to have a big barge in a completely inappropriate colour whilst someone else pays the depreciation!)

[NewNiceMrMe]

You can give them any colour you wish them to match.  Prices start from £1,800 up to £6,000....

[garcon magnifique]

You can spec an M5 in Valencia Orange... although why in God's name you'd want to I'm not sure.

[shao_khan]

Why wouldn't you, it'd look ace

[Twinspark]

'

 

You can spec an M5 in Valencia Orange... although why in God's name you'd want to I'm not sure.

 

'Because you can'.

[Twinspark]