BMW 530i/540i running costs?
Discussion
Hi all,
Long term lurker, not very frequent poster as I've not currently got a car that suits this forum
Hopefully, this will change soon.
For some time now, I have planned to replace my Ford Mondeo in the next few months with a 2000-2002 BMW 530i Sport. I'm looking to spend between £7-£10k and don't mind a car with 6 figure mileage - looking around, this doesn't seem like an unreasonable expectation.
However, I was suprised today to learn that despite my circumstances (I'm 21) I can actually afford to comprehensively insure a 540i for about £1200 - pretty much the same as I've been quoted for the 530i.
Now, I appreciate the technical differences between the two cars - the 530i is said to handle better as it has a lighter engine and doesn't have the V8's re-circulating ball steering setup, but the lure of the V8 is quite strong so I'd like to get as much information as possible on the actual running costs of a car of this type.
So far I've covered insurance, fuel and tyres. I know it's going to do 15mpg, but I'll probably be doing 6000 miles a year or so around town so this isn't much of an issue. I also know it's going to eat tear tyres at £130 a corner.
But what other costs should I associate with running a car like this? How much should I expect to be spending on servicing and keeping the car on the road? With my Mondeo, a full service is under 100 quid, once a year. Happy with that but I'd be neive to expect the same with a 530 or a 540.
I would really appreciate it if somebody sensible could give me a run down of the running costs of both a 530i and a 540i, and perhaps offer some opinion as to whether it really is sensible to be considering the V8 model - I think i've discounted the 535i on account of the fact it appears to be massivly more thirsty than the 530i but without any real performance difference to make up for it.
I intend to either service the car at an independant and maybe move to DIY servicing as the mileage gets high enough for the residual value to be irrelevent anyway.
FWIW the only E39 I've driven properly is a 530d SE and I thought it was astounding, but I'm concerned about the cost of turbo/injector failure on higher mileage 530d's so I've pretty much discounted this option. Finding a dealer keen to let me test drive either a 530i or a 540i is also no mean feat.
One other thing I was wondering - manual v automatic. I'd prefer a manual but every facelift 540i and the majority of the 530i's are Steptronic. Is this almost as good as a manual? More importantly, whats the reliability like? I know Mondeos well, and I know the autobox is rubbish and breaks after 70k miles and costs a grand. Is the BMW box similar, or is it a paragon of reliability unlikely to ever give trouble?
Any other general 5 Series info I might need to know would also be gratefully appreciated - cheers guys!
Long term lurker, not very frequent poster as I've not currently got a car that suits this forum
Hopefully, this will change soon.
For some time now, I have planned to replace my Ford Mondeo in the next few months with a 2000-2002 BMW 530i Sport. I'm looking to spend between £7-£10k and don't mind a car with 6 figure mileage - looking around, this doesn't seem like an unreasonable expectation.
However, I was suprised today to learn that despite my circumstances (I'm 21) I can actually afford to comprehensively insure a 540i for about £1200 - pretty much the same as I've been quoted for the 530i.
Now, I appreciate the technical differences between the two cars - the 530i is said to handle better as it has a lighter engine and doesn't have the V8's re-circulating ball steering setup, but the lure of the V8 is quite strong so I'd like to get as much information as possible on the actual running costs of a car of this type.
So far I've covered insurance, fuel and tyres. I know it's going to do 15mpg, but I'll probably be doing 6000 miles a year or so around town so this isn't much of an issue. I also know it's going to eat tear tyres at £130 a corner.
But what other costs should I associate with running a car like this? How much should I expect to be spending on servicing and keeping the car on the road? With my Mondeo, a full service is under 100 quid, once a year. Happy with that but I'd be neive to expect the same with a 530 or a 540.
I would really appreciate it if somebody sensible could give me a run down of the running costs of both a 530i and a 540i, and perhaps offer some opinion as to whether it really is sensible to be considering the V8 model - I think i've discounted the 535i on account of the fact it appears to be massivly more thirsty than the 530i but without any real performance difference to make up for it.
I intend to either service the car at an independant and maybe move to DIY servicing as the mileage gets high enough for the residual value to be irrelevent anyway.
FWIW the only E39 I've driven properly is a 530d SE and I thought it was astounding, but I'm concerned about the cost of turbo/injector failure on higher mileage 530d's so I've pretty much discounted this option. Finding a dealer keen to let me test drive either a 530i or a 540i is also no mean feat.
One other thing I was wondering - manual v automatic. I'd prefer a manual but every facelift 540i and the majority of the 530i's are Steptronic. Is this almost as good as a manual? More importantly, whats the reliability like? I know Mondeos well, and I know the autobox is rubbish and breaks after 70k miles and costs a grand. Is the BMW box similar, or is it a paragon of reliability unlikely to ever give trouble?
Any other general 5 Series info I might need to know would also be gratefully appreciated - cheers guys!
Ive got a 540sport (click on profile).
Good news is that you will get around 18mpg around town, low 20's on A roads and mid to high 20's on a motorway.
Bad new is that Rear tyres (265/18's) are about 170 once fitted,balanced,valved,disposed-of and vatted. Fronts a bit cheaper - avoid cheapo tyres. Rears last about 10k.
I only do about 6-8k a year too, I think ive only had it serviced once in the 3 years since Ive owned it (approaching next one soon). It doesn't use any oil at-all. The only problem that Ive had in three years was a faulty battery (replaced when it was under warranty) - so running costs have been pretty low (apart from tyres basicly)
I was considering an M5 at the time, but this was far cheaper to insure and run and I wanted an Auto.
The 540 was featured in last months "5k Supercar" feature in PPC Magazine. I personally hate 5's without the big M sport bumpers.
Good news is that you will get around 18mpg around town, low 20's on A roads and mid to high 20's on a motorway.
Bad new is that Rear tyres (265/18's) are about 170 once fitted,balanced,valved,disposed-of and vatted. Fronts a bit cheaper - avoid cheapo tyres. Rears last about 10k.
I only do about 6-8k a year too, I think ive only had it serviced once in the 3 years since Ive owned it (approaching next one soon). It doesn't use any oil at-all. The only problem that Ive had in three years was a faulty battery (replaced when it was under warranty) - so running costs have been pretty low (apart from tyres basicly)
I was considering an M5 at the time, but this was far cheaper to insure and run and I wanted an Auto.
The 540 was featured in last months "5k Supercar" feature in PPC Magazine. I personally hate 5's without the big M sport bumpers.
TWFox said:
Now, I appreciate the technical differences between the two cars -
the 530i is said to handle better as it has a lighter engine and
doesn't have the V8's re-circulating ball steering setup, but the
lure of the V8 is quite strong so I'd like to get as much
information as possible on the actual running costs of a car of
this type.
The running costs of the 540 are always going to be more than
the 530i. In the case of fuel, significantly higher, for about
1 second off the 0-60 time and not much different top speed.
To quote "Parker's Guide" - the 530 is about as far as you need
to go.
TWFox said:
But what other costs should I associate with running a car like
this? How much should I expect to be spending on servicing and
keeping the car on the road? With my Mondeo, a full service is
under 100 quid, once a year. Happy with that but I'd be neive to
expect the same with a 530 or a 540.
A BMW will need a service about every 15 - 18,000 miles depending
on how you drive it.
For a 530, basic oil service about 200 quid at the dealers.
Inspection 1 about 300, IIRC, and the fully monty Inspection 2
about 400 quid.
A 540 will always have higher charges. All those prices are cheaper
away from the BMW dealer network.
TWFox said:
I would really appreciate it if somebody sensible could give me a
run down of the running costs of both a 530i and a 540i, and
perhaps offer some opinion as to whether it really is sensible
to be considering the V8 model
I don't think the V8 is worth the extra expense.
Why not get the 530, and if you find it lacking power,
get the 540 ?
TWFox said:
One other thing I was wondering - manual v automatic. I'd prefer a
manual but every facelift 540i and the majority of the 530i's
are Steptronic. Is this almost as good as a manual?
Better, in my opinion. Seamless changes and load less aggro.
It seems the market agrees with me, since few people want
a manual.
Fuel consumption suffers a bit, of course.
TWFox said:
More importantly, whats the reliability like?
Provided it's looked after, nearly Japanese levels of reliability.
I think you will find it a substantial step up from a Mondeo.
Ok, couple of things to counter the anti-V8 bit:
1) For some bizarre reason V8's are cheaper than equivalent 6's - people are misguided to think that the 520i is economical!!!
2) With the auto the V8s have great torque delivery - the 3.5 is a little low on torque, but the 4.4 is great
3) Fuel economy isnt as bad as they say - mine is getting an average of 28 on the whole tank!
4) The are quick - no massive revving or waiting to build speed - 4.4 is better again
5) V8's are almost without exception better equipped
6) That noise, although muted, is simply fantastic!!!!
For the money its a steal. Less money to buy, slightly quicker and better equipped? Why not?
1) For some bizarre reason V8's are cheaper than equivalent 6's - people are misguided to think that the 520i is economical!!!
2) With the auto the V8s have great torque delivery - the 3.5 is a little low on torque, but the 4.4 is great
3) Fuel economy isnt as bad as they say - mine is getting an average of 28 on the whole tank!
4) The are quick - no massive revving or waiting to build speed - 4.4 is better again
5) V8's are almost without exception better equipped
6) That noise, although muted, is simply fantastic!!!!
For the money its a steal. Less money to buy, slightly quicker and better equipped? Why not?
Hi,
I ran a 98 540 for 3.5 years and averaged 24 mpg over 90,000 miles. Ok, most of my driving is motorway driving, but I swapped to a 525 expecting a massive increase in mpg and got 26mpg!
The only difference in service costs to a 530 is if you have to change the spark plugs. Get a 540 and stick 18" wheels on it.
Tim
I ran a 98 540 for 3.5 years and averaged 24 mpg over 90,000 miles. Ok, most of my driving is motorway driving, but I swapped to a 525 expecting a massive increase in mpg and got 26mpg!
The only difference in service costs to a 530 is if you have to change the spark plugs. Get a 540 and stick 18" wheels on it.
Tim
off_again said:
Ok, couple of things to counter the anti-V8 bit:
3) Fuel economy isnt as bad as they say - mine is getting an
average of 28 on the whole tank!
You must drive very gently or possibly have a manual gearbox.
Another poster indicates they get 24 mpg from their 540 over
90K miles. That sounds reasonable.
I get 27 mpg, averaged over 30K miles, in my 530 auto.
This includes some town driving, some UK driving and some
Euro driving [ check my profile ].
off_again said:
4) The are quick - no massive revving or waiting to build
speed - 4.4 is better again
There's less than a second in it 0-60. Other speeds might be
different.
off_again said:
For the money its a steal. Less money to buy, slightly quicker
and better equipped? Why not?
Fuel consumption in the high teens around town ?
Thanks for your replies.
Fuel consumption is not a concern - I will probably only be doing about 5-6k a year around town, and I've calculated that this will only be an extra 700 quid or so in fuel over the cost of my Mondeo which does about 26mpg around town.
My main concern I guess is reliability and servicing costs - although my Mondeo is but a humble Ford the fact that I bought it 2 years ago with 115k miles and ever since have simply had to put petrol in it and service it once a year is impressive - flies through MOT's with no advisories. Can I expect the same thing with a 5 Series, and if not, how much should I budget for repairs each year?
How reliable are the 6 and 8 cylinder engines? So reliable I shouldn't even consider repair costs of, say, a head gasket? From looking at prices it appears it will be easier to get a 530i for my budget as most of the 540i's are older, and another thing I've been thinking about is trim level - I can insure a 530i Sport or a 540i SE, bizarrely I cannot get a quote for under £1750 on the 540i Sport, but the SE is fine at £1150. I've no idea why this is - performance is identical, repair costs to bodywork would be the same as a 530i Sport, which is insurable, but insurance companies and logic are normally mutually exclusive. Guess I should be thankful I can insure any of them at my age.
Ideally I'd love a Sport in Avus Blue with the 17" or 18" alloys - but I'm prepared to compromise. Not sure whether I'd get the most of out of the extra performance offered by the 540i - it's more that V8 rumble thats appealing...
As an outsider, what do you guys think of the 525d? My ideal E39 is a 530d Sport but I cannot afford a good one as they are all £12k+ - is the 525d a good compromise? How does it compare to the 530d performance wise and are the stories I keep hearing about the reliability of the commonrail engines at over 100k based on truth or hearsay? I know it sounds strange, considering a 540i on one hand and a 525d on the other but I just loved the way the 530d drove - effortless performance in any gear, its more the power delivery style I like rather than the economy.
Cheers.
Fuel consumption is not a concern - I will probably only be doing about 5-6k a year around town, and I've calculated that this will only be an extra 700 quid or so in fuel over the cost of my Mondeo which does about 26mpg around town.
My main concern I guess is reliability and servicing costs - although my Mondeo is but a humble Ford the fact that I bought it 2 years ago with 115k miles and ever since have simply had to put petrol in it and service it once a year is impressive - flies through MOT's with no advisories. Can I expect the same thing with a 5 Series, and if not, how much should I budget for repairs each year?
How reliable are the 6 and 8 cylinder engines? So reliable I shouldn't even consider repair costs of, say, a head gasket? From looking at prices it appears it will be easier to get a 530i for my budget as most of the 540i's are older, and another thing I've been thinking about is trim level - I can insure a 530i Sport or a 540i SE, bizarrely I cannot get a quote for under £1750 on the 540i Sport, but the SE is fine at £1150. I've no idea why this is - performance is identical, repair costs to bodywork would be the same as a 530i Sport, which is insurable, but insurance companies and logic are normally mutually exclusive. Guess I should be thankful I can insure any of them at my age.
Ideally I'd love a Sport in Avus Blue with the 17" or 18" alloys - but I'm prepared to compromise. Not sure whether I'd get the most of out of the extra performance offered by the 540i - it's more that V8 rumble thats appealing...
As an outsider, what do you guys think of the 525d? My ideal E39 is a 530d Sport but I cannot afford a good one as they are all £12k+ - is the 525d a good compromise? How does it compare to the 530d performance wise and are the stories I keep hearing about the reliability of the commonrail engines at over 100k based on truth or hearsay? I know it sounds strange, considering a 540i on one hand and a 525d on the other but I just loved the way the 530d drove - effortless performance in any gear, its more the power delivery style I like rather than the economy.
Cheers.
I used to own a chipped E34 540i with some induction modification. That was an awsome piece of kit. Those engine will do 300'000 miles with no problems when locked after. (nikasil should not be an issue with the current fuel)
I now drive a E39 530 sport. Better road holding but not as quick as the 540.
Would you be able to insure a E34 M5? This is a car you want to include into your options!
My advice in order of what I would get with your budget:
1.) E39 540 Sport. (they do come up as manual but are rare)
2.) E34 M5 (the 3.8)
3.) E39 530 Sport
4.) E39 540SE (the Sport is a lot better for handling)
5.) E34 540 (they are cheap as chips now)
I now drive a E39 530 sport. Better road holding but not as quick as the 540.
Would you be able to insure a E34 M5? This is a car you want to include into your options!
My advice in order of what I would get with your budget:
1.) E39 540 Sport. (they do come up as manual but are rare)
2.) E34 M5 (the 3.8)
3.) E39 530 Sport
4.) E39 540SE (the Sport is a lot better for handling)
5.) E34 540 (they are cheap as chips now)
pitsnow said:
My advice in order of what I would get with your budget:
1.) E39 540 Sport. (they do come up as manual but are rare)
2.) E34 M5 (the 3.8)
3.) E39 530 Sport
4.) E39 540SE (the Sport is a lot better for handling)
5.) E34 540 (they are cheap as chips now)
Crikey, so the original poster is coming from a Ford Mondeo
and you recommend all sorts of V8 kit and the most extreme
version of the 5 series, the M5 ?
That's a bit of jump, isn't it ?
The original poster doesn't tell us which Ford Mondeo he has,
but checking a car comic most of them are 4 cylinder jobs of
about 120 - 160 BHP.
Only top of the range Mondeos break 200 BHP.
I think he and his bank manager will be happier with something
a bit less extreme than an M5.
Unless he really fancies moving from something very mainstream
to something exceptional.
I have a Mondeo 2.0 Ghia X which I've had for just over 2 years, got it when I was 19.
As much as I admire the M5, I am nowhere near ready for one yet, I would be foolish to let myself loose in one at my age.
I think a 530i or a 540i, probably the 530i, will be more than suitable for me and more than enough power for somebody of my age
I'll have an E39 M5 one day, but not yet
As much as I admire the M5, I am nowhere near ready for one yet, I would be foolish to let myself loose in one at my age.
I think a 530i or a 540i, probably the 530i, will be more than suitable for me and more than enough power for somebody of my age
I'll have an E39 M5 one day, but not yet
dcb said:
Crikey, so the original poster is coming from a Ford Mondeo
and you recommend all sorts of V8 kit and the most extreme
version of the 5 series, the M5 ?
That's a bit of jump, isn't it ?
The original poster doesn't tell us which Ford Mondeo he has,
but checking a car comic most of them are 4 cylinder jobs of
about 120 - 160 BHP.
Only top of the range Mondeos break 200 BHP.
I think he and his bank manager will be happier with something
a bit less extreme than an M5.
Unless he really fancies moving from something very mainstream
to something exceptional.
My requirements when I upgraded from my 328ci was
a)must be auto
b)Must be quicker than current car.
540 was the only one that met that requirement. Yes slightly more thirsty, but as ive previosly posted not a huge diffrence between that and the e36 325 that i got as a run-around for the wife.
Just dont get too upset when a geezer in a Civic type R overtakes you and you think 'bugger should of got the v8' - even then you will only be evens with him.
>> Edited by eliot on Saturday 28th January 16:27
Sorry, I must have missread the original question then.
I thought you are asking which one was best for your given budget.
And yes,the E39 530 is a bid slower than a E39 540. But not by that much that it makes it a "slow" car. It you are concerned of not being able to control yourself in a 540 and choosing the 530 on that account, you are kidding yourself.
As for the E34 M5, yes it is a quick car. But again, your budget would get you one. And with 6000 miles per year you would not pay a lot more for service / fuel than for the 540. The insurance might be a different story.
But you would get one hell of a car for the money.
Lets face it, you dont want to change to a 530 Sport or 540 because of the built quality of the car, do you?
I thought you are asking which one was best for your given budget.
And yes,the E39 530 is a bid slower than a E39 540. But not by that much that it makes it a "slow" car. It you are concerned of not being able to control yourself in a 540 and choosing the 530 on that account, you are kidding yourself.
As for the E34 M5, yes it is a quick car. But again, your budget would get you one. And with 6000 miles per year you would not pay a lot more for service / fuel than for the 540. The insurance might be a different story.
But you would get one hell of a car for the money.
Lets face it, you dont want to change to a 530 Sport or 540 because of the built quality of the car, do you?
I want to change to a 530i or 540i for many reasons, one of which is is the build quality.
I have been a huge fan of the E39 ever since I saw my first one at the age of 12 - I decided one day, I would own one.
Now I have an opportunity to own one, and wish to do it before the magic fades and they become yet another old BMW. I love everything about the car - the styling, the interior, the performance, the way they drive, the awesome build quality, they are fabulous cars and last year I convinced my father to buy an 02 530d on that basis. Unfortunately he lets me drive it, and I now know they drive as well as they look
I just want to make sure I know EXACTLY what I am letting myself in for and exactly what the potential pitfalls I need to be aware of are. The Mondeo is a dependable, reliable car that.. just works and cost pennies if it needed any new parts. I know the BMW is not going to be like this, but I'd like to find just how unlike it it'll be.
Everyone says I'm mad and that at my age I need a Civic Type R or something but they just don't hold the same appeal.
I have been a huge fan of the E39 ever since I saw my first one at the age of 12 - I decided one day, I would own one.
Now I have an opportunity to own one, and wish to do it before the magic fades and they become yet another old BMW. I love everything about the car - the styling, the interior, the performance, the way they drive, the awesome build quality, they are fabulous cars and last year I convinced my father to buy an 02 530d on that basis. Unfortunately he lets me drive it, and I now know they drive as well as they look
I just want to make sure I know EXACTLY what I am letting myself in for and exactly what the potential pitfalls I need to be aware of are. The Mondeo is a dependable, reliable car that.. just works and cost pennies if it needed any new parts. I know the BMW is not going to be like this, but I'd like to find just how unlike it it'll be.
Everyone says I'm mad and that at my age I need a Civic Type R or something but they just don't hold the same appeal.
TWFox said:
I want to change to a 530i or 540i for many reasons,
one of which is is the build quality.
If you want excellent build quality, get a Japanese car.
Maybe a Lexus or Mazda would suit ?
TWFox said:
I have been a huge fan of the E39 ever since I saw my first one at
the age of 12 - I decided one day, I would own one.
My E39 is my first BMW. It won't be my last.
Never given them much thought in the past.
I'm disappointed with myself for not considering them sooner.
TWFox said:
Unfortunately he lets me drive it, and I now know they
drive as well as they look
German car fan, eh ?
TWFox said:
I just want to make sure I know EXACTLY what I am letting myself
in for and exactly what the potential pitfalls I need to be aware
of are. The Mondeo is a dependable, reliable car that.. just works
and cost pennies if it needed any new parts. I know the BMW is not
going to be like this, but I'd like to find just how unlike it
it'll be.
Provided it's got FBMWSH, I suspect it will be similar, with
slightly increased costs.
TWFox said:
Everyone says I'm mad and that at my age I need a Civic Type R or
something but they just don't hold the same appeal.
Horses for courses. Some say Jags and Mercs are old man's cars,
but they do sell to some youngers buyers as well.
It is rare for the under 30s to be interested in the 5 series.
Usually they haven't got the money.
Broccers said:
Under 30s dont need a bloody huge car you mean.
Having owned 3 series cars for the past 8 years, I replaced my E36 328i Touring with an E39 530i Touring. My petrolhead and fellow BMW enthusiast mate's comment was "That's it. You're officially middle aged now"
You'll find lot's of useful and informative stuff on these forums.
http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/
The're a friendly bunch too!
Don't get me wrong I've had a few 530s while my car was being fixed.
They are a superb vehicle for people needing more space, I don't and won't for a while and am not far off mid 30s
Will be interesting to see how the secondhand market goes with the warranty issue. Non Ms are still a fortune to fix.
They are a superb vehicle for people needing more space, I don't and won't for a while and am not far off mid 30s
Will be interesting to see how the secondhand market goes with the warranty issue. Non Ms are still a fortune to fix.
dcb said:
If you want excellent build quality, get a Japanese car.
Maybe a Lexus or Mazda would suit ?
Afraid not - we've got a Japanese car in the family and whilst I respect the awesome reliability etc etc, the interior is dull and boring and the build quality - ie, the quality of the plastics etc, is nowhere near on a par with that of the 5. Sure, Lexus is probably the same in the quality department but they just don't appeal.
Broccers said:
Under 30s dont need a bloody huge car you mean.
My first car was a Citroen Xantia, my second a Ford Mondeo - I don't do small cars even though I don't need the space
Thanks for that forum link Sparky, might post a thread over there and get some owner experiences of just how much your bank balance diminishes by when it breaks!
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