[GTO]

Saw a very poorly done up 5-Series recently. Don't like the fake badge, fake exhausts, exhaust cutout, rear windshield spoiler, number-plate frame, rim choice & skinny looking tyres.


Meanwhile, a recent picture . Love the stance & timeless styling:

[GTO]

Wild bunch of fast cars on the expressway, including Ferraris, Porsches, AMGs, ///Ms and more. This 11-crore rupee SF90 is <1 week old and was hence being driven at 80 kmph (running-in?). Owned by a fellow in Panvel I think.


You know your car has an explosive mid-range when, while sipping coffee, you suddenly floor it and the coffee spills over your vest + seatbelt


The mug is fairly tight too. Not like an open cup.


Good times .

[revsperminute]

Hello GTO, my friend is looking at F10 LCI 530ds and had some queries. Figured I’d ask the guru himself.

He has a max budget of 35 Lakhs which should cover the car+immediate maintenance. He’s alright with the upkeep costs of the machine in the future.

This will be a replacement to a Chevy Cruze AT and the primary reason he’s looking at the 530d is his usage. The car will be used almost exclusively on the highways in Gujarat/Maharashtra and occasionally on late night city drives. He does at least one ~1000 km highway drive every month. Space isn’t really an issue since only the front seats will be occupied for 80% of the time. The car will not be a daily driver but needs to be reliable when doing high speeds for hours on end. Also, he’ll be holding onto the car for 18 months at max.


Do you think the 5 will be a good fit for him? Please feel free to add any other cars you think will make the cut.

[GTO]

Just realised that the last time the 530d visited the workshop was in Feb 2022! Loving the car's dependability & reliability. Working in a totally fuss-free manner for urban commutes as well as highway runs (just had one a weekend ago).

BMW's condition-based service means she is not due at the workshop for another 4 months. That will make it 1.5 years between a workshop visit. Not bad for a 10-year old German machine:

Originally Posted by revsperminute

He has a max budget of 35 Lakhs which should cover the car+immediate maintenance. He’s alright with the upkeep costs of the machine in the future.

35 lakhs is a very healthy budget for a 530d. He'll get a great example at a lower price than that. If he can up his spend, then tell him to get a G30 530d instead. If 20 - 30 lakhs, then F10 530d.

[np23]

Quick question, albeit for the G30, but this being the most informative thread on the 5 (Across generations), thanks to GTO for keeping this so relevant and interesting.

After a recent trip to the hills, which can be seen here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post5525594 (BMW 530i Review (G30) : 2 years & 30,000 km) the car was asking for a rear brake pad change in 500km, so decided to send in for the replacement.

They initially advised brake fluid change also which was due soon, which I consented to. However when they removed the brake pads, they called to say that the rear discs also need to be replaced. They measured and it was at 18 instead of the minimum 18.4mm as allowed by BMW. The car has done 60,000 km and as per the advisor, most 5 series across Generations need this around 40,000 km and because of my relatively easy driving its lasted this long.

Could anyone with more knowledge confirm the same. Its a heavy bu(i)mmer at the end of the day and done 60,000km in 4.5 years (55,000km in Delhi traffic).

Thank you
NP

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by GTO

BMW's condition-based service means she is not due at the workshop for another 4 months. That will make it 1.5 years between a workshop visit. Not bad for a 10-year old German machine

That's because till 2014, BMW Engine Oil Service Interval was 2 years / 24,000 Kms.

After 2014 it became 1 year / 12,000 Kms.

[Jagatvir]

Here's the latest acquisition, is it just another impulsive decision or is it a vehicle that will sketch long lasting memories, only time shall tell.

Like most of us, after some mindless scavenging through the classifieds this beaty propped up for sale, luckily it was within the same vicinity. When I say the same vicinity, it truly was less than a KM away from my residence. Quickly dropped a text and the person who owned the car turned out to be an acquaintance. It's always an added bonus when you know of the owner of the car who's word can be trusted for.


The car in question is a one owner, 2013 BMW 530d M Sport that had run 56,000 KM. The owner of the car had always taken the car to the BMW authorized workshop for each and every service. Heck, even the run flat tyres were ordered and replaced at the dealership itself.

The car was certainly priced at a premium over the market price, but it's always worthwhile to pay the premium at the first instance in return for the peace of mind.

The car is an absolute joy to drive. It's truely incredible that despite being ten years old, most of the elements of the car are very much relevant today. The design has aged really well and it looks fairly contemporary even today.

Enough has already been said about the N 57 inline 6 cyclinder engine and the wonderful ZF 8 speed gearbox, both of which work seamlessly together.

Still, the urge to get more power doesn't get satiated so easily.

Would like to get suggestions if I should go ahead with a stage 1 remap. If yes,
(a) what are the possibilities of the reliability being affected?
(b) I'm situated in Chandigarh, who should I get the remap done from?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Jagatvir

The car in question is a one owner, 2013 BMW 530d M Sport that had run 56,000 KM.

Congrats! Our cars are very, very similar (year, colour, odometer reading & even the choice of Team-BHP sticker ).

Would like to get suggestions if I should go ahead with a stage 1 remap

Would suggest enjoying the car first. Put in a couple of months getting to know her & understanding her. There is enough power on tap in stock mode. Then, move onto mods = engine remap, gearbox remap, tubeless tyres (when your current tyres wear out). Other than these, there is not much to do to the 530d. It has everything.

Immediately, what I'd recommend is debadging, sporty black grille, coding & a long highway drive . Many options in the hidden menu. Some which I found very useful are putting the idling start / stop OFF by default, ORVM fold when you long-press the lock button etc. Go to a coder and play around with the options in the hidden menus.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by Jagatvir

Here's the latest acquisition, is it just another impulsive decision or is it a vehicle that will sketch long lasting memories, only time shall tell.

Like most of us, after some mindless scavenging through the classifieds this beaty propped up for sale, luckily it was within the same vicinity. When I say the same vicinity, it truly was less than a KM away from my residence. Quickly dropped a text and the person who owned the car turned out to be an acquaintance. It's always an added bonus when you know of the owner of the car who's word can be trusted for.
[

Congrats on getting a great car with low running from an acquaintance, something only most people wish they could.

The car is serviced at BMW, but according to them, the gearbox is sealed for life, given the car's age, do you think it needs transmission oil change?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

The car is serviced at BMW, but according to them, the gearbox is sealed for life, given the car's age, do you think it needs transmission oil change?

I have NEVER believed the "sealed for life" claims for any gearbox. If it's mechanical, it requires maintenance. Period.

ZF itself disagrees with BMW as they recommend a fluid change at the 7-8 year mark. I have gotten it done for my car. I forgot how much, but the gearbox took in a lot of oil and there was a special filter etc.

@ ZF-owners, don't miss this crucial maintenance for your lovely gearbox.

[GTO]

I usually change my cars at the 9 - 10 year mark, but the competence levels of the 530d, that beautiful engine & gearbox, interiors that still feel fresh and the top-class reliability mean I am keeping the Bimmer for another 2 - 3 years minimum. The car feels absolutely fantastic. Its resale value today will barely be 12 - 15 lakhs and I don't see the sense in spending another 40-lakhs to bring a newer 5-Series home which will be an incremental upgrade at best. A W222 on the other hand? Hmmmm.

Rather invest that money for now.

I am very particular about keeping the car in top mechanical & aesthetical shape. Sent her to Selvin Jose who's been part of the car industry for a while. He runs a shop called XSEL MotorWorX @ Kohinoor in Dadar.

Got to love the man's attention-to-detail. Outstanding quality of work & prompt updates via WhatsApp. Will send my other cars to him as well. She came back all glossy and looking like new!

















Had also sent my Jeep over to him for a post-offroading wash. Best quality wash I've ever seen:

[cosmic_ocean]

Originally Posted by np23

Quick question, albeit for the G30, but this being the most informative thread on the 5 (Across generations), thanks to GTO for keeping this so relevant and interesting.

After a recent trip to the hills, which can be seen here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post5525594 (BMW 530i Review (G30) : 2 years & 30,000 km) the car was asking for a rear brake pad change in 500km, so decided to send in for the replacement.

They initially advised brake fluid change also which was due soon, which I consented to. However when they removed the brake pads, they called to say that the rear discs also need to be replaced. They measured and it was at 18 instead of the minimum 18.4mm as allowed by BMW. The car has done 60,000 km and as per the advisor, most 5 series across Generations need this around 40,000 km and because of my relatively easy driving its lasted this long.

Could anyone with more knowledge confirm the same. Its a heavy bu(i)mmer at the end of the day and done 60,000km in 4.5 years (55,000km in Delhi traffic).

Thank you
NP

Well, the brake discs on mine wore out around the 58k mark leading to a judder under hard braking on highways. So pretty fair to say change the discs at that mileage.

[AbhiJ]

Originally Posted by GTO

I have NEVER believed the "sealed for life" claims for any gearbox. If it's mechanical, it requires maintenance. Period.

ZF itself disagrees with BMW as they recommend a fluid change at the 7-8 year mark. I have gotten it done for my car. I forgot how much, but the gearbox took in a lot of oil and there was a special filter etc.

@ ZF-owners, don't miss this crucial maintenance for your lovely gearbox.

Hey GTO

Does BMW offer this service?

[AbhiJ]

I have been searching for a used 2011 F10 530D, and I've finally come across one that caught my interest. Just to give you some context, I currently own a 2014 F30 320d, which I bought brand new. I plan to make the 530D my project car.

The car is currently at a used car dealership, and it seems that they have fixed the exterior, as it's in good condition. However, the interior is a different story. The driver's seat leather is worn, and overall, the interior has deteriorated. The switches have faded, all 3 screens in car have degraded and cracked. The dealer claims it's due to the car being parked in the sun.

Here's the intriguing part - despite being a 12-year-old car, it has only accumulated 40,000 kilometers. The dealer has quoted an attractive price for it.



Now, here are my concerns and questions:

1. The level of wear and tear on the interior doesn't seem to match the mileage. Is it possible that the odometer has been tampered with?

2. So far, I've only taken a short test drive. However, I can arrange a longer one. What specific things should I be cautious of or pay attention to during the test drive?

3. I happen to have access to an OBD scanner. I plan to use it to scan the car for any potential errors. Apart from that, what other aspects should I check for before making a decision?

I appreciate any advice you can provide on this matter.

[androdev]

How can you be attracted to this car? C'mon. You can do better. F10 is already super depreciated with plenty of supply.