[speedmunster]

Congratulations on the new ride, Varun. I have seen this car up close and it sure is a stunning looking machine. Wishing you many trouble free miles.

Cheers

[Adarsh.E]

Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy

I, by this time, wanted to get rid of the itch for better. Called up the BHPian who owned the 525d. He was in two minds about the sale in between. Had asked him if he'd part ways with it now. After a bit of back and forth, he caved in and I jumped in. Everything fell in place and the car should be home today. People might say the mileage is a bit high (at ~ 94k kms as on date) but I never really bothered about the mileage as long as it was well kept (and being brutally honest, beggars cannot be choosers). Most mechanical bits have been addressed and hopefully no immediate expense in the next month or two. So yeah, a man in his 20s going through quarter life crisis makes yet another brash decision. But YOLO.

Congratulations on your new ride, Varun! The car looks fantastic in that colour, is it a wrap? The M-Sport Bodykit and the colour makes it stand out from the numerous F10’s in Hyderabad.

Actually, I am looking to buy a used F10 530d as an upgrade to my 140k kms driven 2011 Škoda Superb 2.0 TDI DSG.

Thanks to GTO’s 530d thread, I want only a pre-worshipped F10 530d as my next car and nothing else!

I have been looking for the past 6 months for the same but could hardly find 2-3 examples all over Telangana, all of which were badly abused.
Could you please help me with any contacts or leads in finding a similar kind of car?

Could you please share me your contact number in PM to discuss, as I’m unable to send the same, as I’m a Newbie.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Originally Posted by GTO

You got yourself a beautiful car, Varun! The F10 in 6-cylinder guise is just a phenomenal sedan. Mine is 9 years old and I have no intention to part with it for now. Great styling, fast engine, fast gearbox, luxurious cabin and comfortable ride.

How much did you pay for it in total?

Your km reading is way above my comfort level. While I would certainly drive my own car even past 150,000 km, just never been comfortable bringing someone else's 100,000 km car home. But hey, to each his own. As long as you are happy & convinced, it's all that counts.

Enjoy your upcoming highway drive. That's what the 5-Series is really built for. You'll hit silly speeds without even realising it, and you'll thoroughly enjoy flying past slower traffic in manual mode @ 5400+ rpm. Pay careful attention to the delicious engine note, the opulent cabin experience, superb NVH etc.

I paid around 13-lacs for the car in total. A couple of things need attention (very minute IMO) and I'm looking at carrying out ATF replacement in the coming week once the Jetta is back from the workshop.

I've been lucky with high mileage cars thus far. I picked up my Jetta at the exact same mileage a year ago. As long as they've been maintained well, mileage hasn't really been a cause of hindrance for me. But again, my risk appetite has gone up multifold thanks to my previous cars

Maiden highway drive went really good. Drive to the destination was through a different route which took me on an undivided section of road which made up for the majority of the drive. It was fun driving the 5. The engine and gearbox really are well mated. They just know what you want at that given point of time. On the way back home, took the usual route which was a 4-laned highway. Made it back home in a record time. Mom and dad were shell shocked and never really realised the speeds I did. Despite all of this, car returned a very respectable 14.5 kmpl on the MID. Highway is where this car truly shines. Need to buy a spare wheel and dump it in the boot before I head out for my solo roadtrip come end July.

Originally Posted by anandavinash

Congratulations varun_hexaguy. Wish you many happy miles on this one. I've had the pleasure of driving this car on a highway. An absolute joy.

Thanks a lot man. Can relate to your experience.

Originally Posted by speedmunster

Congratulations on the new ride, Varun. I have seen this car up close and it sure is a stunning looking machine. Wishing you many trouble free miles.

Cheers

Thanks Biswa!

Originally Posted by Adarsh.E

Congratulations on your new ride, Varun! The car looks fantastic in that colour, is it a wrap? The M-Sport Bodykit and the colour makes it stand out from the numerous F10’s in Hyderabad.
Actually, I am looking to buy a used F10 530d as an upgrade to my 140k kms driven 2011 Škoda Superb 2.0 TDI DSG.
Thanks to GTO’s 530d thread, I want only a pre-worshipped F10 530d as my next car and nothing else!
I have been looking for the past 6 months for the same but could hardly find 2-3 examples all over Telangana, all of which were badly abused.
Could you please help me with any contacts or leads in finding a similar kind of car?
Could you please share me your contact number in PM to discuss, as I’m unable to send the same, as I’m a Newbie.

Thank you. My current car was previously finished in a satin silver wrap. Which has now been removed and the car has gone through a complete overcoat in the hands of the old owner before I got her home. She's on the stock colour now.

Have mailed you my contact number. Feel free to ping me for any help.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Congratulations, the 5-Series is coincidentally my dream car for India. Timeless and elegant designs have inexpressible appeal. Wishing you many more miles on it.

[LilBimmer]

Congratulations on the car. Many trouble free miles of driving!!

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by GTO

You got yourself a beautiful car, Varun! The F10 in 6-cylinder guise is just a phenomenal sedan.

Isn't the 525 a 4 cylinder 2 litre diesel? (Same as the 3 in India albeit with a bit more power)

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

Isn't the 525 a 4 cylinder 2 litre diesel? (Same as the 3 in India albeit with a bit more power)

All E60 525D, and Initial models of the F10 were 6 cylinder.
It was later replaced with a 4 cylinder.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

Congratulations, the 5-Series is coincidentally my dream car for India. Timeless and elegant designs have inexpressible appeal. Wishing you many more miles on it.

Thank you. Hoping your dream also would come true someday

Originally Posted by LilBimmer

Congratulations on the car. Many trouble free miles of driving!!

Thank you

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

Isn't the 525 a 4 cylinder 2 litre diesel? (Same as the 3 in India albeit with a bit more power)

Initial lot of F10 5-series rolled out with the 3.0 ltr N57 inline-6 engine (same engine as the 530d). It was mated to a ZF8HP45 transmission. While the 530d with the same engine was mated to a ZF8HP70 transmission. Former is rated for 450nm of torque while the latter is rated for 700nm. Major reason why I wasn't really in for the 525d but the bug had really bit hard. Will trade this for a 30d LCI (2016 and later preferably) come 2023.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

All E60 525D, and Initial models of the F10 were 6 cylinder.
It was later replaced with a 4 cylinder.

This.

[evil_grin]

Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy

There's a thin line between being gutsy and foolish and I'm afraid I'm gravitating towards the other side real quick.

I am in awe of your guts, man! Many of us dream for getting a machine like this. Precious few have the guts to do so.

The good things is that your risk isn't very high. Even if this turns out to be a money pit (which you don't seem to mind), you can still sell it without huge losses.

[Maky]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

All E60 525D, and Initial models of the F10 were 6 cylinder.
It was later replaced with a 4 cylinder.

Curious, were these initial 6 cylinder batch models of 525d able to be tuned to 530d specs via simple ECU tune? or were the rest of the actual hardware parts besides engine inferior in those 525d and this was not possible without reliabiltiy issues.

[viXit]

Originally Posted by Maky

Curious, were these initial 6 cylinder batch models of 525d able to be tuned to 530d specs via simple ECU tune? or were the rest of the actual hardware parts besides engine inferior in those 525d and this was not possible without reliabiltiy issues.

The engines are the exact same in all F10 525d and 530d cars

The drawback in the 25d drivetrain was the gearbox. Although it is said that the 25d gearbox tuning and mapping was done well from the factory in contrast to the 30d drivetrain, the maximum torque you can push through the 25d's ZF8 gearbox is much lower than the 30d car.

If I remember correctly, the 30d cars ZF8 can handle upwards of 700nm with ease. Whereas the 525d tops at somewhere around 500nm.

Was discussing the same during a brief spin in the 5 with varun yesterday.
....


Congratulations Varun!

A beemer is a Big deal !

.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Originally Posted by evil_grin

I am in awe of your guts, man! Many of us dream for getting a machine like this. Precious few have the guts to do so.

The good things is that your risk isn't very high. Even if this turns out to be a money pit (which you don't seem to mind), you can still sell it without huge losses.

Thanks a lot, Samir! But as I've said already, there's a thin line between being gutsy and foolish

Originally Posted by Maky

Curious, were these initial 6 cylinder batch models of 525d able to be tuned to 530d specs via simple ECU tune? or were the rest of the actual hardware parts besides engine inferior in those 525d and this was not possible without reliabiltiy issues.

My car is running on a stage-1 remap from Quantum tuning (GT Tunerz). Makes about 250-hp and 500nm of torque. Anything beyond this, you're pushing it on your gearbox. The ZF8HP45 as said in the previous post is what comes in the 525d. Rated for 450nm. While the 530d came with a ZF8HP70 rated for 700nm. Hence the 530d is more tuner friendly. Engine wise, both get the same N57 inline-6 3-ltr engines. Out of factory the 525d mated with the ZF8HP45 makes lesser power than 530d. A simple tune can get it to stock 530d levels. But that's where you hit a roadblock.

Originally Posted by viXit

Congratulations Varun!

A beemer is a Big deal !

.

Thanks Prithvi!

[ajs85]

Congratulations Varun, this is the best-looking 5 series in my opinion. The design is timeless and the machine is reliable, just 2 cents from my side keep your ear open for any rustling sound from the engine (timing chain/ gear), get your rubber parts inspected and keep one OBD scanner handy with you always. Also getting all the fluids (steering, differential, coolant, brake oil) flushed will surely help and the condition of the oils shall also help in understanding if there are any upcoming expenses. Also, the AC compressor and coils tend to leak/ fail near the 8-10 years.
Once again congratulations and wishing you happy miles with the beautiful beast.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

1000-kms up! Took delivery of the car on the evening of 16th June 2021. Four days in, car has clocked a 1000 kms.

I think I've used it enough to make my first set of impressions about the car.

Likes:

- Looks really good. Especially with the M-Sport bumper on my car. The F10 is probably one of the best looking 5-series ever made. Period.
- Fuel efficient. Off the 1000 kms, 750 kms are from my city runs only. When I mean city, it has been used across a variety of conditions. From roads with no traffic to roads with dense traffic and avg speeds ranging at ~ 10-kmph. Despite all of this, car managed a pretty decent 12-kmpl to the tank. I wasn't expecting anything like this when I picked the car up in all honesty.
- Engine+gearbox combination obviously. The sole reason I have a F10 5-series standing in my parking. Enough has been spoken about how good the N57+ZF8 combination is, but it really deserves the compliments it gets. This thing is bloody quick and hits silly speeds even before you realise. What's even better are the brakes which help you do such speeds and even shed them in a jiffy. The best part, all of this happens without any drama whatsoever. Even before you realise, you're doing speeds you shouldn't be doing otherwise. The passengers are taken aback by the car's performance in most occasions. Cruise at sane speeds and then you tap ever so slightly on the accelerator, your passengers are thrown back into their respective seats.
- Refinement levels. Coming from a VW Jetta Mk5 1.9 PD TDI DSG, this is from another planet when it comes to NVH levels. While ambling around in city speeds, you cannot hear the engine at all. Which is quite impressive for a diesel.
- Comfortable front seats. It's as comfortable as my recliner from the living room.
- The Hi-Fi sound system sounds quite nice. Despite the setup showing its age in a certain things, it still sounds quite good. Plus I'm back to the good old CDs. Courtesy of no Bluetooth streaming for audio. Bit of a hassle honestly in today's day and age. But the overall audio output is well worth it at the end of the day.
- Feature kit. For a car that's over a decade old, the feature list is still pretty relevant barring a few exceptions.

Dislikes:

- Dimensions. The car is quite huge. It's longer and wider than my Hexa and it shows. It's a royal pain to navigate the 5 through the neighbourhood I currently live in. Four days into the ownership, I'm already tired of going through the hiatus of manoeuvring this car day in, day out.
- In continuation to the first point, the extra large dimensions on the outside do not really translate into usable space on the inside. While it has more than acceptable space for most (case in point, my mom and dad found the car to be really spacious ). But this isn't a car where in two 6+ feet guys sit behind one another. On one of the joyrides with the bois back home (BHPian ViXit and Pratyushforza), both tried sitting behind each other. 15 mins into the drive, ViXit just couldn't bear it anymore and switched sides. Also we tried squeezing in three people at the back. Needless to say, the passengers at the back weren't exactly comfortable.
- Boot space. Coming from a Jetta Mk5, practicality and overall usability has gone down by several notches. I had to ferry some stuff in the 5 today. Shallow opening coupled with not so deep boot meant I couldn't haul in a lot of stuff. Now this coupled with the fact that I do not have a spare wheel at the moment in the boot, I can only imagine how hard it will be going forward. Plus the rear seat cannot be folded down to make more room.
- Car has a lot of pockets and slots to place your things in, but none of them are actually useful. The cupholder in front of the gearshifter cannot even hold my phone properly (I use an iQOO 7 Legend). One slight tap on the accelerator, the phone flies like a projectile and lands in the passenger seat. The storage area under the armrest is fine but it is damn inconvenient to remove the phone everytime you keep it there. There's no real space provided for the bottles either. The door pockets are pretty average sized. Can squeeze in disposable bottles at best given their flexibility.

Despite its practical flaws, I'm loving every bit of owning the 5. Every time I floor the car, it manages to leave a wide grin on my face. That makes all of my practical compromises well worth it.

Here are a few pics to complement the post. Picture courtesy: ViXit














Future enthusiast in the making. The kid was in awe with the car and took his own sweet time to explore what the 5 had to offer. In the end, the smile on his face made me happy.


Beast waiting to be unleashed.


BHPian Pratyushforza on the left, ViXit in the middle. Their neighbour on the other end. All of them enjoyed their drive and appreciated the car overall minus the rear bench (which is obvious from this picture)


BHPian ViXit wanted a pic with the Bimmer. And I obliged


Signing off with my most favourite shot of the car.

That's all for now.


Cheers!

[GTO]

Someone's clearly having a lot of fun with the car already .

Originally Posted by ajs85

Congratulations Varun, this is the best-looking 5 series in my opinion.

You can say that again. It's my favourite looking 5-Series, with the E39 being no.2.

Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy

Despite all of this, car managed a pretty decent 12-kmpl to the tank. I wasn't expecting anything like this when I picked the car up in all honesty.

Highway FE is good because of the super tall 8th gear. In the city, my car gives 6 - 7 kmpl.

While ambling around in city speeds, you cannot hear the engine at all. Which is quite impressive for a diesel.

What's better is that, at 5000+ rpm when you hear the engine, it sounds awesome! A rare nice-sounding diesel. The sound has clearly been tuned for pleasure by BMW, it's got a muscular note.

Plus I'm back to the good old CDs. Courtesy of no Bluetooth streaming for audio. Bit of a hassle honestly in today's day and age

The 525d I tested on launch had a USB socket under the driver armrest. Use that for MP3s (I had hooked up an iPod to it).

Even better, just swap out the head-unit with one that has Android Auto & Apple CarPlay. Many owners have done it. Your steering controls etc. are retained.

The car is quite huge

You'll easily get used to it. In fact, I'll go a step further and say it's the "biggest" sedan that India can handle. It's one of the factors stopping me from upgrading to a W222 S-Class. I take my 530d everywhere, through narrow village roads and what not. Some of these places, a W222 won't be able to reach.

While it has more than acceptable space for most (case in point, my mom and dad found the car to be really spacious

Your car has better legroom than mine. My car has those comfort something seats which are way thicker and chew away rear legroom.

Get that spare tyre, pronto.