![]() | #571 |
BHPian ![]() | ![]() Dear Hashed, I don't want to confuse you, but did you consider newly launched 3GT 330i? |
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![]() | #572 | |||
Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai
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@Sail: Super alternate suggestion. As a 3 GT owner who regularly ogles at the Endy let me throw in my bit. - There's no comparison in the performance of the 530 (I'm sure) with the 3 GT. - Having said that, the 3 GT is exciting enough to drive and if you're ok with petrol, Sail's excellent suggestion will help bridge the performance to practicality dilemma in good measure. To GTO's point, if long drives with 5 on board is a requirement i would rather own the GT which is nicer to take on such an outing than my more practical beater car option like a Sunny - but that's just me. On the point of Endy, it is awesome to drive in a very different way to a GT. Both cars will bring a smile for very different reasons when it comes to driving pleasure. Your call which one of these works for you. Clearly the Endy is much more practical in a certain sense but its also a lot more real estate to move around and you need to decide whether that works for you. The GT - great performance sedan with oodles of practicality. 530D: all performance, reasonable comfort, less practical though on space etc. Endy: Super practicality, luxurious - cant match performance of a german sedan though. Great for touring as well. GT petrol. All of the diesel GT with much better performance. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably pick between the Endy or one of the GTs. Cheers | |||
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BHPian | ![]() GTO, I read your review of your 530D with great interest. Close to 2 years ago I bought a pre-owned 525D dating from 2012. It's the 6 cylinder model...I live in Bangalore. I did the first service under my watch (around 11 months ago) privately, after buying the consummables/spares form Navnit Motors. The technician was a friend that tunes Porsches and Lamborghinis, and he did a damned fine job. However, I found it an expensive proposition. Could you advise me of alternative routes to buy OEM spares? Navnit obviously adds a profit margin over the import duty... Is it a viable option for instance to import them, if so, from where? I've an oil change service due next month. Would appreciate any pointers. |
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![]() | #574 | ||||
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1. Stock up on parts from GSF. They ship internationally and come highly recommended from Moderator Ajmat who has first-hand experience with them. Quote:
3. Order from the likes of Shetty Motors (I've been their customer since the 90s), Spareshub (nice people to deal with) or Boodmo (no personal experience with them). Talk to Somnath @ Shetty Motors - he ships all across India. 4. Get it through your independent. My C220 used to visit Ajay Parekh @ Walkeshwar. He used to get OEM parts from Dubai. Was dirt cheap compared to dealership pricing. Last edited by GTO : 9th November 2016 at 10:16. | ||||
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![]() | #575 | |
Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai
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I was keenly waiting for this reply. Thanks for the info. A friend of mine also uses an independent mech on his 90,000 kms run Freelander 2. He mentioned his mechanic's view was that Dubai is not always reliable on authenticity of parts and he preferred to import from U.K. This I think not just because it's JLR but for Germans too. I have no view or intel on this. Just repeating what I heard but I'd be interested to know if you have any thoughts on this Dubai vs UK aspect. I'm always happy to run my cars for as many years as possible (my civic is in its 7th year and I may well run it for another 2-3 years). I'm mentally prepared to sell the GT however on 5th anniversary given it's an expensive German but it's interesting to hear about the ability to hang on to it with lower reliable service through the independents. | |
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![]() | #576 | ||
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I bought her with 54 K on the clock, and in 2 years have taken that to 70+ K. Tremendous machine especially in the hills where the relentless torque put a lasting smile on the mug (Bangalore -Yercaud). She's big and ungainly in Bangalore's crazy traffic where autos and motorcyclists literally sit on your bonnet without a qualm, but I take her long-distance whenever possible....most frequently to Chennai/Mysore etc. I love the way she drives on the highway. The car's mass is well concealed, but you can never hide from it, so having to scrub off speed when other vehicles loom out of nowhere is a pain, but she delivered me as fresh as if I'd flown in an A320, every single trip. Quote:
Last edited by GTO : 10th November 2016 at 00:05. Reason: Fixing quote | ||
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![]() | #577 | |||
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![]() When I had my C220, the cost of maintenance each year varied between 50 - 100k (IIRC). I think it had averaged to 75k as the car was nearing the 9 year / 100,000 km mark. Considering my Jeep costs me 12 - 15k a year and so did the Civic, it didn't bother me to pay that kind of money for a premium European. Even if the 530d settles at an average of 1.5 lakhs a year post-warranty, I'm okay with that. It's a small price to pay for a luxury car with this kind of astonishing performance. Plus, you always think when the car is old - for what value she offers, the resale is peanuts. My C220 sold for a piddly 5.xx lakhs and I can tell you, it was one heck of a car. Accord V6 owners who can't get over 3 - 4 lakhs for their ride must be feeling the same way. As long as you find a good independent (there are PLENTY in Bombay), you should be all set. Part supply isn't an issue in a big city either. As long as the reliability doesn't get horrendous with time, these cars are keepers. Quote:
![]() Dude, your car looks drool-worthy. What I wouldn't give to change my body colour to white or silver. Last edited by GTO : 10th November 2016 at 00:23. | |||
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![]() | #578 | |
BHPian | ![]() Quote:
I swapped two cheap-and-cheerful (meaning junk) Korean rear tyres for Pirelli P Zero I think a couple of months ago. When I asked around if it was advisable to migrate to staggered sizing that I was keen on, almost all said an emphatic 'no' so I stuck with OEM. Now I'm waiting for the front tyres to wear out; what's your opinion on a staggered setup? Given I'm a superbike rider that gets his buzz from speed, it's hugely ironic I'm aware that I have yet to try the manual gear override. Even up the ghats to Yercaud I left her in auto and simply stomped on the go-pedal. I think a huge chunk of the magic of the machine is thanks to the alchemy of its ZF gearbox. Of course, the engine is a gem. I saw half a dozen machines with the new twin-turbo 4 cylinder engine that actually generates more BHP, but I'm really glad I stood my ground till I found the butter-smooth in-line 6. Friends that I've transported were astonished when I informed them it was a diesel! Last edited by Vid6639 : 10th November 2016 at 11:42. Reason: fixing the quote tag. thanks. | |
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![]() | #579 | ||||
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Silver is the best of both worlds. Easy to maintain, fantastic to look at. Quote:
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- Little more grip when accelerating and cornering - Looks But make no mistake, the 245 mm tyres are also thick. Get a good brand (like your P Zero) and you have awesome grip. 245 mm all around is definitely more practical and the preferred option. Advantages: - Tubeless tyres available (not so in 275 mm) - Easier to rotate - Cheaper Quote:
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![]() | #580 |
BHPian Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 116
Thanked: 38 Times
| ![]() I am pleasantly surprised to see that Mumbai has a great used car market. I am in the market for a 2.5 year old x3 and the are exactly 0 options across all platforms put together here in. Bangalore ! Most cars are 2012 and have some funny history - how I wish we had no state wise registration challenges |
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![]() | #581 | ||
Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 10,169
Thanked: 11,272 Times
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Do use the manual gearbox, its great fun, though I suspect GTO will have a little more fun since his car has the sport auto transmission which yours is missing. Quote:
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![]() | #582 | |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: BLR-PY-ORD-NYC
Posts: 206
Thanked: 199 Times
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They replaced the mounts and the vibrations have definitely come down but the knocking issue in the suspension wasn't fixed due to non availability of parts*thats what they say* so they just retorqued the suspension components but now there's knocking on both sides. Asked them to come and check it out throughly again. Overall the ASS is a bag of mixed opinion. Planning on lowering the car and adding the Vorsteiner Front CF splitter before the performance mods. | |
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![]() If you drive on the highway a lot, please don't. The enhanced ground clearance is a big plus of this car. I don't have to think twice before taking the 530d anywhere. In fact, I don't even remember the last time she scraped her underbelly anywhere (despite a minimum of one highway run per month). | |||||
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![]() | #584 |
BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 60
Thanked: 113 Times
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Finally purchased RFT's from the company with exact same specs and brand. Thanks GTO for the thoughtful view on this topic. |
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![]() | #585 | |
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