BMW F10 5 series estate - suitable for three kids in back?
Discussion
Dear readers,
It is with regret I need to sell my 2011 X5 thanks to our London Mayor extending the ULEZ zone!
My budget is around £18k so I cannot afford a slightly later model of the X5 (which would be ULEZ compliant). Therefore, I am thinking of going down the estate route. I have three kids (7,4 and 2 years old). The eldest is in a booster seat and it won't be too long before the 4 year old will be in one too. I know the middle seat in the back suffers from no floor space (due to the transmission tunnel). Is the back big enough for three? We only do a couple of long journeys a year as a family of five, hence why I am more reluctant in not getting a VW Sharan people carrier or something else similar!
If anyone has owned a BMW 5 series estate (2016 F10 model ideally) I would be much appreciative to hear your thoughts on the vehicle before I spend all this money which I don't want to really do! I am leaning towards the 2.0 D engine.
Thank you for reading
It is with regret I need to sell my 2011 X5 thanks to our London Mayor extending the ULEZ zone!
My budget is around £18k so I cannot afford a slightly later model of the X5 (which would be ULEZ compliant). Therefore, I am thinking of going down the estate route. I have three kids (7,4 and 2 years old). The eldest is in a booster seat and it won't be too long before the 4 year old will be in one too. I know the middle seat in the back suffers from no floor space (due to the transmission tunnel). Is the back big enough for three? We only do a couple of long journeys a year as a family of five, hence why I am more reluctant in not getting a VW Sharan people carrier or something else similar!
If anyone has owned a BMW 5 series estate (2016 F10 model ideally) I would be much appreciative to hear your thoughts on the vehicle before I spend all this money which I don't want to really do! I am leaning towards the 2.0 D engine.
Thank you for reading
If you're willing to show some disloyalty to BMW and look at the Mercedes E Class estate instead then those are occasionally available with 7 seats. Mostly a 5-seater estate but for occasional times the pop-up seats in the rear can be used.
Here's a ULEZ compliant petrol version with a nice spec: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306309...
If you can stretch your budget a bit you could get a later model with a Euro 6 diesel.
Here's a ULEZ compliant petrol version with a nice spec: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306309...
If you can stretch your budget a bit you could get a later model with a Euro 6 diesel.
The F10 estate is an F11. There are thousands of 520D F11s about and a fair few are manuals. The 8-speed auto is obviously preferred. There are lots of spec variations so do your homework, Post 2012 cars are LCI updated models
All F10s and F11s suffer from misted-up headlights - particularly the passenger side for some reason - and while this is fixable it's not something you'd ask a dealer to repair. They also suffer from water ingress via the "yellow grommet" and from clonky front suspension due to worn suspension bushes
F11s also can suffer from rear suspension compressor faults but a late model shouldn't have that fault yet
Ideal options are adaptive suspension, comfort seats, rear camera and adaptive bixenon lights. I can't comment to rear seat capacity
All F10s and F11s suffer from misted-up headlights - particularly the passenger side for some reason - and while this is fixable it's not something you'd ask a dealer to repair. They also suffer from water ingress via the "yellow grommet" and from clonky front suspension due to worn suspension bushes
F11s also can suffer from rear suspension compressor faults but a late model shouldn't have that fault yet
Ideal options are adaptive suspension, comfort seats, rear camera and adaptive bixenon lights. I can't comment to rear seat capacity
ugene425 said:
Dear readers,
It is with regret I need to sell my 2011 X5 thanks to our London Mayor extending the ULEZ zone!
My budget is around £18k so I cannot afford a slightly later model of the X5 (which would be ULEZ compliant). Therefore, I am thinking of going down the estate route. I have three kids (7,4 and 2 years old). The eldest is in a booster seat and it won't be too long before the 4 year old will be in one too. I know the middle seat in the back suffers from no floor space (due to the transmission tunnel). Is the back big enough for three? We only do a couple of long journeys a year as a family of five, hence why I am more reluctant in not getting a VW Sharan people carrier or something else similar!
If anyone has owned a BMW 5 series estate (2016 F10 model ideally) I would be much appreciative to hear your thoughts on the vehicle before I spend all this money which I don't want to really do! I am leaning towards the 2.0 D engine.
Thank you for reading
A combination of a booster seat and short legs makes the central transmission tunnel less of a problem for kids. We fit 3 kids in the back of our F 3-series so you should have no trouble in a 5 series but as always all it takes is a trip to the dealer with the relevant children and their seats. Shame you cannot stretch to a 6-pot diesel they really are excellent.It is with regret I need to sell my 2011 X5 thanks to our London Mayor extending the ULEZ zone!
My budget is around £18k so I cannot afford a slightly later model of the X5 (which would be ULEZ compliant). Therefore, I am thinking of going down the estate route. I have three kids (7,4 and 2 years old). The eldest is in a booster seat and it won't be too long before the 4 year old will be in one too. I know the middle seat in the back suffers from no floor space (due to the transmission tunnel). Is the back big enough for three? We only do a couple of long journeys a year as a family of five, hence why I am more reluctant in not getting a VW Sharan people carrier or something else similar!
If anyone has owned a BMW 5 series estate (2016 F10 model ideally) I would be much appreciative to hear your thoughts on the vehicle before I spend all this money which I don't want to really do! I am leaning towards the 2.0 D engine.
Thank you for reading
get the 5 series gt, you wont miss the x5 at all
yes the rear suspension does go but the new bags are cheap like £50 the pair new off ebay and you can change them easily, im not a mechanic but it took me 20 mins per side
invest in ista software its £30 for the download and a fiver for the yellow cable
and yes ive had the 2016 and 2019 estate , the gt is miles better for the family
yes the rear suspension does go but the new bags are cheap like £50 the pair new off ebay and you can change them easily, im not a mechanic but it took me 20 mins per side
invest in ista software its £30 for the download and a fiver for the yellow cable
and yes ive had the 2016 and 2019 estate , the gt is miles better for the family
Thanks. I have heard only good things about those. They are quite expensive though.
CrippsCorner said:
We got a Multimac for our three, similar to your ages... 6, 4 & 1. Brilliant thing to be honest, and means 3 (or 4) kids can fit in the back of almost any car. Plus you can take it with you when you change cars.
Wish I could afford another for my own car (it's in the missus car)
Wish I could afford another for my own car (it's in the missus car)
I would need to get Euro 6 model for the ULEZ I gather. £18k can get you a 2016 BMW model which I would prefer over the Merc E Class.
ingenieur said:
If you're willing to show some disloyalty to BMW and look at the Mercedes E Class estate instead then those are occasionally available with 7 seats. Mostly a 5-seater estate but for occasional times the pop-up seats in the rear can be used.
Here's a ULEZ compliant petrol version with a nice spec: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306309...
If you can stretch your budget a bit you could get a later model with a Euro 6 diesel.
Here's a ULEZ compliant petrol version with a nice spec: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306309...
If you can stretch your budget a bit you could get a later model with a Euro 6 diesel.
I have not come across the 5 series GT on Autotrader within my budget, I don't think the boot would be big enough to fit all the paraphernalia which we have to lug around!
Re your Ista software, can you explain in more detail about this please? I appreciate the sat nav will be old on a 2016 model but I tend to only use Google maps or Waze on my phone..
Re your Ista software, can you explain in more detail about this please? I appreciate the sat nav will be old on a 2016 model but I tend to only use Google maps or Waze on my phone..
jamie750xx said:
get the 5 series gt, you wont miss the x5 at all
yes the rear suspension does go but the new bags are cheap like £50 the pair new off ebay and you can change them easily, im not a mechanic but it took me 20 mins per side
invest in ista software its £30 for the download and a fiver for the yellow cable
and yes ive had the 2016 and 2019 estate , the gt is miles better for the family
yes the rear suspension does go but the new bags are cheap like £50 the pair new off ebay and you can change them easily, im not a mechanic but it took me 20 mins per side
invest in ista software its £30 for the download and a fiver for the yellow cable
and yes ive had the 2016 and 2019 estate , the gt is miles better for the family
Good to know about these things to look out for. I would only look at an automatic which I gather has the 8 speed. M sport comes with the comfort seats I think.
bolide said:
The F10 estate is an F11. There are thousands of 520D F11s about and a fair few are manuals. The 8-speed auto is obviously preferred. There are lots of spec variations so do your homework, Post 2012 cars are LCI updated models
All F10s and F11s suffer from misted-up headlights - particularly the passenger side for some reason - and while this is fixable it's not something you'd ask a dealer to repair. They also suffer from water ingress via the "yellow grommet" and from clonky front suspension due to worn suspension bushes
F11s also can suffer from rear suspension compressor faults but a late model shouldn't have that fault yet
Ideal options are adaptive suspension, comfort seats, rear camera and adaptive bixenon lights. I can't comment to rear seat capacity
All F10s and F11s suffer from misted-up headlights - particularly the passenger side for some reason - and while this is fixable it's not something you'd ask a dealer to repair. They also suffer from water ingress via the "yellow grommet" and from clonky front suspension due to worn suspension bushes
F11s also can suffer from rear suspension compressor faults but a late model shouldn't have that fault yet
Ideal options are adaptive suspension, comfort seats, rear camera and adaptive bixenon lights. I can't comment to rear seat capacity
What engine are you referring to with the 6 pot diesel? The road tax and insurance will only increase for me if I go up from the 520D.
A combination of a booster seat and short legs makes the central transmission tunnel less of a problem for kids. We fit 3 kids in the back of our F 3-series so you should have no trouble in a 5 series but as always all it takes is a trip to the dealer with the relevant children and their seats. Shame you cannot stretch to a 6-pot diesel they really are excellent.
[/quote]
A combination of a booster seat and short legs makes the central transmission tunnel less of a problem for kids. We fit 3 kids in the back of our F 3-series so you should have no trouble in a 5 series but as always all it takes is a trip to the dealer with the relevant children and their seats. Shame you cannot stretch to a 6-pot diesel they really are excellent.
[/quote]
ugene425 said:
Dear readers,
It is with regret I need to sell my 2011 X5 thanks to our London Mayor extending the ULEZ zone!
My budget is around £18k so I cannot afford a slightly later model of the X5 (which would be ULEZ compliant). Therefore, I am thinking of going down the estate route. I have three kids (7,4 and 2 years old). The eldest is in a booster seat and it won't be too long before the 4 year old will be in one too. I know the middle seat in the back suffers from no floor space (due to the transmission tunnel). Is the back big enough for three? We only do a couple of long journeys a year as a family of five, hence why I am more reluctant in not getting a VW Sharan people carrier or something else similar!
If anyone has owned a BMW 5 series estate (2016 F10 model ideally) I would be much appreciative to hear your thoughts on the vehicle before I spend all this money which I don't want to really do! I am leaning towards the 2.0 D engine.
Thank you for reading
I'd second the recommendation for the 5 Series GT they're underrated spacious (they have more interior room than the 5 Series)& the boot is big too:It is with regret I need to sell my 2011 X5 thanks to our London Mayor extending the ULEZ zone!
My budget is around £18k so I cannot afford a slightly later model of the X5 (which would be ULEZ compliant). Therefore, I am thinking of going down the estate route. I have three kids (7,4 and 2 years old). The eldest is in a booster seat and it won't be too long before the 4 year old will be in one too. I know the middle seat in the back suffers from no floor space (due to the transmission tunnel). Is the back big enough for three? We only do a couple of long journeys a year as a family of five, hence why I am more reluctant in not getting a VW Sharan people carrier or something else similar!
If anyone has owned a BMW 5 series estate (2016 F10 model ideally) I would be much appreciative to hear your thoughts on the vehicle before I spend all this money which I don't want to really do! I am leaning towards the 2.0 D engine.
Thank you for reading
2017 530d GT under budget:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304286...
High Spec ULEZ compliant 2015 520d GT:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306058...
I have an F11 and it's not great for 3 kids car seats. The middle seat is very narrow, the side seats are inset and the seat belts arent on stalks so its hard for the kids do up their own seat belt.
I have similar aged kids and end up with one in the front if all 5 are travelling which isn't ideal.
As others have mentoned the GT cars 3, 5 or 6 have really good rear leg room but I'm not sure they are much better for rear sit width.
Unfortunately BMWs are generally designed to seat 4 in comfort and the 5th is just an addon.
I have similar aged kids and end up with one in the front if all 5 are travelling which isn't ideal.
As others have mentoned the GT cars 3, 5 or 6 have really good rear leg room but I'm not sure they are much better for rear sit width.
Unfortunately BMWs are generally designed to seat 4 in comfort and the 5th is just an addon.
ugene425 said:
ninjag said:
Can petrol be an option, or does it have to be diesel?
yes it canGassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff