BMW 520d MHT reliability

[JRdrums]

I am currently looking at various 3year old 520d tourings. Most tend to be mild hybrids. I do 30,000 miles a year as a working musician and am wondering if these are reliable cars?

[numtumfutunch]

My 530d is the same generation although its not a mild hybrid albeit a different powertrain obvs

Either way it has enough emissions and electrical gubbins on it that it will be the first car for which I ever take out an extended warranty and I speak as somebody who once ran a RR Sport for 8y

Its a stunning car and I cannot imagine what I would replace it with for vaguely sensible money - definitely a keeper

And if you're making enough cash from drumming to run a 3y old G31 are we likely to have heard you perform?

One of my sons is at music college and I appreciate that most musicians are on the breadline

Cheers

[JRdrums]

Thanks for your reply, without realising you have helped me massively. I’ve looked and driven one 2 miles from my home but it’s from a supermarket with 90 day warranty. There are no warranties that I could buy that would come close to a BMW warranty unless I’m mistaken. Ones from dealers are the same price but the only other one that’s low enough miles for me from a main dealer is 4 hrs away. I just need to be patient for the right one to come.

That’s very kind of you to say about affording a 3 yr old 5 series. I have owned many humble but solid cars. I currently own a 6yr Leon Estate and have had Focus’s etc. all solid great cars but I also have a growing family and the Leon is a bit small for a family of 4. I fancy something more premium now.

Being a career musician has many variables available to you. I work at 4 private schools as a drum teacher. I play and perform in various bands some you may have heard of some are wedding party bands. I’m very blessed and am very busy. Sometimes I can go 15 days without a day off. Sometimes I get a couple of weeks off which I just did over Xmas. The main thing is that I love my job. I get up every morning excited about the day ahead. You spend a big % of your life working so it’s great to do something I love. In terms of breadline , there are definitely more well payed careers but all my colleagues either at my school or in the bands I play in all own their own homes (except the young ones) and can afford to live comfortably. I wish your son well with his career. The main thing that got me here was supportive parents who still live the dream with me.

Cheers

[numtumfutunch]

Thanks for the detailed answer, great you're making a comfortable life however we generally don't value musicians in the UK

Some boring extra BMW stuff, the car is lovely as standard however considering your trade I'd insist on the Harmon Kardon speaker upgrade. Basic BMW audio can be rubbish, I had a recent 3 series and it was utterly dreadful, however the HK in mine and a different 3 series years ago pretty good.

The comfort pack probably also worth sniffing out too. Electric seats, reversing cam which has made me a convert, folding mirrors and keyless which u admit is controversial

Cheers

[JRdrums]

Thanks for the advice, the supermarket 520 doesn’t have HK and I would regret not getting that as plenty of them do come with it.

Thanks

[Muzzer79]

I’ve ran a G31 520d for 60k miles over the last 4 years.

It has never ‘broken down’.

However, there have been several recalls, one of which was related to it using coolant.

There have been electrical niggles, all sorted by switching it off and on again.

A few weeks ago, I got a warning for an Ad Blue system failure. That stuck around for a day and a half, then disappeared never to be seen since.

It’s hard to describe - I can’t term it as an unreliable car, but it feels like something could go wrong at any time.

I’ve extended the BMW warranty every year….

[JRdrums]

Thanks for this. I’m definitely going to buy through BMW for a decent warranty as I hear a lot on the Facebook group that the Ad Blue system has niggles.

[heisthegaffer]

JRdrums said:

Thanks for the advice, the supermarket 520 doesn’t have HK and I would regret not getting that as plenty of them do come with it.

Thanks

A bit of a faff but if it were me, I'd speak to a local car audio place and get a price for a speaker upgrade. I reckon that would be a better sounding option.

[sly fox]

heisthegaffer said:

A bit of a faff but if it were me, I'd speak to a local car audio place and get a price for a speaker upgrade. I reckon that would be a better sounding option.

Good point - John Kleis Audio in Reading have BMW specific upgrades to deal with the woeful standard audio.
Upgraded the system in my old 640D and it was 10x better.

When inspecting the car at the supermarket - look at brake disc/pad condition. Discs are not cheap especially if you have Msport upgrades fitted.

[RicksAlfas]

JRdrums said:

Ones from dealers are the same price but the only other one that’s low enough miles for me from a main dealer is 4 hrs away.

I'm sure they will deliver it if you like the car. My last three cars have been bought "over the phone" as I wanted a particular spec I couldn't get locally.

[Muzzer79]

heisthegaffer said:

A bit of a faff but if it were me, I'd speak to a local car audio place and get a price for a speaker upgrade. I reckon that would be a better sounding option.

Not a bad idea if audio is particularly important to you. I'm not a big stereo-guy, but one of my first disappointments when driving the car home was how crap the Harmon Kardon audio is.

RicksAlfas said:

JRdrums said:

Ones from dealers are the same price but the only other one that’s low enough miles for me from a main dealer is 4 hrs away.

I'm sure they will deliver it if you like the car. My last three cars have been bought "over the phone" as I wanted a particular spec I couldn't get locally.

Location isn't important. I bought mine from a dealer 175 miles away - it was all done over the phone, the first time I saw the car physically was when I went up to collect it and bring it home.

[RicksAlfas]

Muzzer79 said:

Location isn't important. I bought mine from a dealer 175 miles away - it was all done over the phone, the first time I saw the car physically was when I went up to collect it and bring it home.

The first time I saw mine was when the delivery guy pulled up in it.