[blackwasp]

The 6th-gen BMW 5-Series was launched in 2010. The philosophy of the F10 is different from its predecessor's. While the E60 had quirky styling, the F10 is classy & timeless. While the E60 was a proper sports sedan, the F10's focus is more on comfort. In fact, the F10 is essentially a shorter 7-Series.

Positives

• Classic BMW styling. A timeless design, no quirkiness like the new Bimmers
• Wide, luxurious interiors with awesome seats. 520 litre boot too
• Ferocious 6-cylinder diesel gives it f-a-s-t performance. Economical 4-cylinders available
• Fast, butter-smooth 8-speed ZF Automatic is the best in the business
• Outstanding reliability! Many cars on the forum have done high km without any serious issues
• Comfortable ride quality + enormous grip levels
• 5-star NCAP rating & safety equipment
• Facelift models get higher ground clearance, making them more practical for touring
• 12 - 14 km/l on the highway
• Lots of car for the money they are trading hands at

Negatives

• Nowhere as "sporty" to drive as the E60, or as tight a handler
• Major repairs can be eye-wateringly expensive
• Less legroom than a Baleno! Facelift models have shockingly cramped rear seats
• Boot has no wheel well. Spare wheel takes away a lot of boot space
• Tyre life of merely 20,000 - 25,000 km. Tyres are expensive too
• Big floor hump makes it more of a 4-seater than 5
• 530d gets merely 6 - 7 km/l in the city
• Pre-facelift models have just 141 mm of GC!
• An annoying deletion of equipment on the Indian car (e.g. no keyless entry)
• Forget the authorised dealer; you'll need a very competent independent garage

Related Threads

• GTO's pre-worshipped 530d

• Tanveer_2558's remapped 530d

• bhuvan_prasad's high mileage 530d

• Mumbai to Lansdowne in a 5-Series

• androdev's 520d

• Amey's 525d

• BMW's spare-tyre stupidity

Mod Potential:

Very good. Remaps, transmission maps, suspension upgrades (e.g. Bilstein B6s) and aesthetic upgrades are readily available in India. You can take a 530d to 300+ BHP in 30 minutes. Tanveer's ownership thread has lots of discussions on mods.


Image Source

Availability:

Good, and with a wide price range too. We've seen healthy 2010 520ds trading hands for 10 lakhs, and reasonably good 530ds for 15 - 20 lakhs. If you want a newer, immaculate 530d, then budget for 25 - 35 lakhs.

Here are some examples on sale - 2015 530d with 41,000 km, (2011 69,000 km 520d, 2014 38,000 520d, 2014 20,000 530d, 2015 75,000 km 530d).

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Indian Car Scene. Thanks for sharing!

Voted yes; put my money where my mouth is. My '13 530d has exceeded my expectations. Because of that, I might hold onto her for longer than the 10 years I had originally planned. I look forward to the engine + gearbox + luxury even today. She is 7 years old, but top quality construction + a timeless design have made her age well. Even the cabin looks as good as new. Pictures shot earlier this month:

[Reinhard]

YES
Gem of a car & looks are simply hard to match again. Its from a lost breed of simple clean & powerful looks. Leaves no doubt that there is massive power under those understated looks & doesn't need flamboyance. The plush interiors are enviable. Quality of materials is fabulous & mechanical capabilities are proven. Reliable too! The car can make a heart beat the brain with a hammer.

I'll buy one any day. And when one buys a car like this one - he or she should NEVER think about future maintenance costs or "resale value". If these 2 factors are in the equation - buy a simple Japanese/Korean car.

[Sreesh1009]

Voted a Big Fat YES! The 5 Series has an amazing engine+gearbox combo. Combining that with Handsome exteriors and classy interiors, makes it a sweet ride. Only grouse is finding a well maintained one with a good price tag( it's like finding a needle in the haystack especially in Karnataka).

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Will not buy one unless i know the car.

Finding a gem of a car is tough. I would look for one where between 3-5 years with BSA package & the running has been low (30-40k). Considering germans, I would not like to set apart a warchest for potential repairs. Would prefer to buy a new one where there would be peace of mind.

Other wise with a 25-35 lakhs budget, I would buy a new Endeavour/Octavia and wait for another 5-6 years before taking the plunge.

[PPS]

Voted Yes. I aspire to own this car someday,just wish I had 25 lakh cash lying around! And going by the ownership threads here, this car seems to be somewhat reliable as well.

[bhuvan_prasad]

I obviously voted "YES", as I did buy one, a year and a half back, and it has been a fabulous experience, to say the least. However, this does not mean everyone with a 15-35 Lakh budget should go and start buying 530d's of varying vintage and mileage, as owning, running and maintaining one is not everyone's cup of tea. Since almost everyone here is aware of the smooth, powerful and fairly reliable engine, trouble-free and long lasting suspension components and good build, I will actually focus on why one should not buy a 530d, or rather the points one should give a second thought about before thinking about picking one up.

1.) It is very long and wide. You cannot just park this outside your house on typical Indian colony roads, and will need a dedicated parking for it. Also, driving it in most cities in crowded traffic while not painful due to the smooth auto, will not be very rewarding, due to the large dimensions, and constant need to be extra careful(accident repairs will be extremely expensive).

2.) Alloys wheels that are prone to cracking, and expensive to replace along with pricey tyres, especially if you have the staggered setup. Cannot treat this like a regular car over potholes. Especially for 18" wheels and runflats.

3.) While a normal oil and filter change will be around INR 30k from BMW, brake pads/discs and other parts are very expensive. The after market is full of fakes, so you have to be extra careful. Most after market garages fill these cars non BMW-LL04 oil, which means the DPF's life is shortened massively. Hence, stick to a car with full BMW service records only.

4.) This may be very specific to me, but I do not like the attention a big, shiny BMW gets. I'd be glad to have this engine/gearbox combo in something like a 1 series, which would be fairly discreet, especially because my car rarely seats more than 2 people(driver included).

5.) Lot of these cars see excessive idling, as the owners don't want the AC turned off when stepping out for shopping etc. This means the EGR/intake manifold will be clogged and any car with more than 50k Kms will need a full cleaning. Further the AC compressor clutch has failed in a few cars, I know off.

6.) Cars which have been parked outside tend to collect dust and leaves in the water drain channels, which can lead to electrical issues, so another issue to be on the lookout for.

If you are not very mechanically inclined I would suggest picking up a car which still has 2-3 years of warranty left, and please get the BMW paid inspection done before hand, to be aware of possible, upcoming replacements. If you are mechanically inclined, I still would recommend getting the BMW paid inspection done, and you must pay extra attention to the points mentioned above. Most 530d's have high mileage, but I'd rather pickup a car with 75k of easy highway driving instead of one which has done 40k kms in a congested city, all its life.

The intent of my post is to make sure people are fully aware of what they are getting into, before committing to one. Please drive around and park the car in question in your usual driving surroundings, to get a good feel and idea of the car, and whether it is what you are looking for.

Ending my post with an obligatory pic.

[ramki.grandhi]

Voted NO.
My judgement might be right/wrong, but if want a non-sporty and comfortable luxury car, I would prefer a merc from similar class. Interiors would be much better, plush ride(air suspension?), better rear leg room,

[CEF_Beasts]

Voted YES

This F10 530d is one of the best sedans in the pre-owned market right now. Period. I spend my free time looking for used 530d’s at decent prices. The engine, the performance, the grip is all top class and main reason it’s so popular is it’s reliability, as proven by many on the forum. Ownership costs will obviously be on the higher side, at the end of the day you are getting yourself a premium car.

[lamborghini]

Voted Yes.
The 5 series has proven itself to be fairly reliable if taken good care of, and has a brilliant blend of ride & handling. It's well equipped, and would be the enthusiast choice (with the W212 being the more family choice for reasons listed below though more expensive to maintain).

Compared to the peers - the XF (previous gen feels dated, service probably the worst of the lot from reports, lethargic to drive and not that spacious either, etc.), the A6 (let down by average reliability + average service quality) - the F10 & W212 are the more established choices which helps when buying pre-owned as parts will be more easily available & more reputed independent garages who have experience on these models.

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Voted NO.
My judgement might be right/wrong, but if want a non-sporty and comfortable luxury car, I would prefer a merc from similar class. Interiors would be much better, plush ride(air suspension?), better rear leg room,

The E Class didn't get air suspension, barring the V213 E350d.
From that generation, only the A6 had air suspension stock.

[WhiteKnight]

Voted Yes.

My reasoning is simple. If you wish to buy a luxury brand as used, you can't go more than one generation behind, unless you are buying a classic. Else, people will think you are broke.

Having said that, I won't buy one, as I do not like the attention it gathers.If my daughters' school principal sees me coming in 5 series, I'm done

[ZMG]

Voted an empathetic yes.
This car looks brilliant, drives reliable and pumps out crazy power (530d)
If I were in the market for a 25 - 30 lakh rupee car, I would get this eyes closed, instead of a Skoda Octavia or a Jeep Compass.
That being said, I would also have to remember that this car is going to cost a bomb to maintain, so I would probably get it when I have 40 lakhs to spare.

[neo_narender]

A definite YES for me. It's a heart over head decision of course. Just the concerns over repair bills, should any part go kaput. Needless to say, it will definitely be a very costly affair.

I had driven a 4 & a 3, but never drove a 5. Although the E60 generation was my favourite among the BMWs of that era, especially the M5.

I would blindly go for any BMW provided it isn't as bad a money pit as one fears.

Neo

[landcruiser123]

How much are 535is in the same generation?

A friend was looking for a used example of the 530d and dropped the idea due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his father is opposed to diesels. He's planning for a brand new Lexus ES or any other Lexus Hybrid in 2 years.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

..you can't go more than one generation behind, unless you are buying a classic. Else, people will think you are broke.

More like you will be broke spending for repairs

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

How much are 535is in the same generation?

He's planning for a brand new Lexus ES or any other Lexus Hybrid in 2 years.

I'd reckon the 535i being rarer & also more powerful will command a premium similar to the 530d.
If your friend isn't a driving enthusiast, then the cheaper and newer LCI 520i could be a good bet.

If he is, a newer pre-owned G30 530i would be worth the additional outlay as it would keep him very happy for a longer term.