[Turbanator]

530i Highline, 12/2007 Manufactured (as per VIN) 2008 registered, 47000 kms run, full service history available, mileage checks out, car in very good condition, single owner

will prefer 5 series , older one looks beautiful & will drive & handle far better then 3 , novelty of less Km on 3 series will go as soon as you put some miles on this & then it will depreciate faster then 5 . Cost of spares & service for both should be same given 6 cylinder engines on both .

[evoque]

Originally Posted by VSD

I would say 325i, as i owned one of the few 325i's sold back in the day and this car is just great. It may not have many latest tech features et all, but drives and handles superbly. Go with this option, according to the mileage one can hope that no major issues are faced in the near future.
Also, check if the major 5 year/90,000km service had been carried out or not. If this service has not been carried out then this could cost you a lot. Negotiate the price a little more as I sold mine 3 years ago for similar price (in Delhi, though it had done 75k).

As mentioned above, I am leaning towards the 325i too.I just saw another car today with 37500 on the odo, same 2008 made / registered, ready to close the deal at 12 Lakhs. The odo and service records check out OK. I am sending the car for technical evaluation tomorrow at BMW for complete peace of mind before I finalise it. It's going to be a well spent 9k I believe.

Can you pls confirm the avg. fuel consumption you were getting on your 325i? Both the cars I test drove were showing more than 21l/100km translating to less than 5kmpl. Is this what I should expect? Also, I believe you had the older iDrive. Were you able to add a USB to it / get navigation activated. Pls also let me know of any specific areas to look at before finalising the car.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

will prefer 5 series , older one looks beautiful & will drive & handle far better then 3 , novelty of less Km on 3 series will go as soon as you put some miles on this & then it will depreciate faster then 5 . Cost of spares & service for both should be same given 6 cylinder engines on both .

I agree that it looks, feels and handles much better than the 3 any day. The snob value is also much higher. But I was concerned about the fuel consumption and also the future maintenance aspect. You might be right about the spares & service cost to a certain extent because they are both 6 cyl engines but the 325i is a 2.5L whereas the 530i is 3L. Also, the cost is almost double to begin with for a new car. So I am sure the other spares including cosmetic / transmission / suspension / brakes etc. are going to be much higher than the 3. I would be glad if all of you could throw some light on this and let me know if my understanding is right. Also, there are some people who put this in my head already that 530i at 13L is too good to be true. As mentioned various times on this forum, if it is too good to be true then maybe there is something fishy. So I am approaching this with a little caution for now. Am I on the right track?

[VSD]

I would say consumption is somewhat close to 6kmpl in city drive, you can manage same efficiency on both 325i & 530i depending on how your drive. Mostly got about 4.5kmpl due to keeping the car at high revs most of the time (that is how i enjoyed the car the most)
This car is brilliant, i miss it for its engine and it's awesome handling, but all that comes with a price;
1. Low Mileage
2. Low profile tires will get bust way too easily. (I blew a few)
3. This car had few parts issues, more so as BMW had just begun operations.(it could be better now)

I-drive was plain useless, at the most i used aux cable for music but then i am not a big fan of listening to songs on the go.

To be honest, i think you may be able to find a new age diesel for a little more than the price for this car and if you can push your budget and you are willing to put some miles on it, i would recommend you stay away from petrol powered Bimmers.

[Turbanator]

they are both 6 cyl engines but the 325i is a 2.5L whereas the 530i is 3L

I doubt , both should have same capacity .

other spares including cosmetic / transmission / suspension / brakes etc

Yes , 5 will be tad expensive but not like twice .

there are some people who put this in my head already that 530i at 13L is too good to be true.

No , its a fair value . I am getting around 22L for my 2011 530-D with about 60 k on odo .

consumption is somewhat close to 6kmpl in city drive, you can manage same efficiency on both 325i & 530i depending on how your drive. Mostly got about 4.5kmpl

That looks too low but I have no experience with petrol ones so can't confirm . Best will be to check on car itself with an extended test drive

Low profile tires will get bust way too easily. (I blew a few)

One can simply change to non RFT's with little higher profile

a new age diesel for a little more than the price for this car

6 cylinder they used in the last generation does make more sound then the present one and will definitely be expensive to buy then Petrol

My question will be - Why are you buying the car ? Is it to be used as daily commute or just occasional use ? Negotiate better rates with BMW Dealer and get both 5 & 3 evaluated and then take a call . Do factor the price you might get if you were to sell in say 6 months

[arnabchak]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

If its pre-owned from a BMW dealer, then it might be possible to get a 2 year BSI for an additional price. That would make a lot of sense if you are buying a car which is out of BSI.

IIRC, BSI is not transferable to the second owner.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

IIRC, BSI is not transferable to the second owner.

It is indeed transferable. However there was a thread recently about the change in this facility internationally. The same is yet to be applied in India. Hence technically BSI is still transferable in our country.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/intern...ia-follow.html

[evoque]

Originally Posted by VSD

I would say consumption is somewhat close to 6kmpl in city drive, you can manage same efficiency on both 325i & 530i depending on how your drive. Mostly got about 4.5kmpl due to keeping the car at high revs most of the time (that is how i enjoyed the car the most)
This car is brilliant, i miss it for its engine and it's awesome handling, but all that comes with a price;
1. Low Mileage
2. Low profile tires will get bust way too easily. (I blew a few)
3. This car had few parts issues, more so as BMW had just begun operations.(it could be better now)

I-drive was plain useless, at the most i used aux cable for music but then i am not a big fan of listening to songs on the go.

To be honest, i think you may be able to find a new age diesel for a little more than the price for this car and if you can push your budget and you are willing to put some miles on it, i would recommend you stay away from petrol powered Bimmers.

1. I did a reset of the OBC yesterday and took a long test drive which included empty stretches and heavy traffic as well (like my daily drive) and the mileage turned out to be around 4.9. This is what I should expect I believe. Considering what you feel while driving it, I think this price is worth paying

2. The tires have been changed to 225/45/R17 (Stock Size?) regular tubeless tires. Should I still expect this to happen?

3. I'm sure it is a lot better now with BMW having full fledged operations and also the market filled with OEM options. I was at Bird BMW yesterday to get the technical evaluation done and was glad to know that the only issue seems to be the rear break pads / discs replacement. Even the front break pads will go for another 15,000 kms

Rest of the points were all about minor scratches here and there. It was 11,500 INR well spent in my opinion. For the rear break pads + discs, the quotation from BMW is about 55,000 INR and my regular garage quoted 22,000. I am getting 25,000 off from the negotiated price from the owner to cover this. The final price I am closing this deal at is 11,60,000

BMW is even researching on adding a USB and Y cable to the current set up and also the iPhone 5S adapter connections. They are also looking into updating the iDrive software and control knob at the service center itself but have already confirmed that it is possible to get it done outside without any qualms. I must say I was pretty surprised and happy by the way they were going all out to cater to my needs and requirements, even though I was there only for a technical evaluation.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

I doubt , both should have same capacity .

This is as per RC records as well as VIN records. The 325i comes with a 2.5L 160KW (215BHP) whereas the 530i is a 3.0L 200KW (269 BHP!!)

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Yes , 5 will be tad expensive but not like twice .

Yes, I believe you're right.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

No , its a fair value . I am getting around 22L for my 2011 530-D with about 60 k on odo .

Thank you for confirming. As of now my situation is that the BEST price I can get the 530i is 13L whereas the 3 is coming out to be 1.4L cheaper. I'm thinking I can keep this money in the bank for any unforeseen expenditures in the near future (although the tech evaluation yesterday has cleared this doubt and even the 530i needs a break pad replacement soon)

Originally Posted by Turbanator

That looks too low but I have no experience with petrol ones so can't confirm . Best will be to check on car itself with an extended test drive

I took your suggestion and went for an extended test drive. It is hovering around the 4.5 - 5 KMPL.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

One can simply change to non RFT's with little higher profile

As mentioned above, this has been done already. So hopefully this is OK now.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

6 cylinder they used in the last generation does make more sound then the present one and will definitely be expensive to buy then Petrol

My question will be - Why are you buying the car ? Is it to be used as daily commute or just occasional use ? Negotiate better rates with BMW Dealer and get both 5 & 3 evaluated and then take a call . Do factor the price you might get if you were to sell in say 6 months

To be honest, the biggest reasons for buying it are as below.
1) Upgrade from Cruze (my current car)
2) Badly need an automatic in my daily drives.
3) Love the way it drives and I love driving. So a give and take between me and the car maybe.
4) Snob value. Owning a BMW has always been a dream. This car at this price seems to be the best entry into this segment. This is going to be my daily drive which comes to around 30 kms / day except weekends. Also, I keep traveling and am hardly in Gurgaon for 10 - 15 days a month.
I already got the evaluation done on the 325i and am pretty happy with the result and the final price.

[Turbanator]

BSI is not transferable to the second owner.

wrong - there is no such restrictions here

his is going to be my daily drive which comes to around 30 kms / day except weekends. Also, I keep traveling and am hardly in Gurgaon for 10 - 15 days a month.

Are these cars in Gurgaon- maybe I missed - could have helped you in getting evaluated :(


I will still suggest you to try 5 series .

[evoque]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

IIRC, BSI is not transferable to the second owner.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

It is indeed transferable. However there was a thread recently about the change in this facility internationally. The same is yet to be applied in India. Hence technically BSI is still transferable in our country.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/intern...ia-follow.html

I think Akshay was referring to the warranty that BMW provides when we buy a used car from their "BMW Premium" division. I can confirm that this is available. I saw a 2011 520D with Bird BMW yesterday. They were quoting 32L for this. The car is run for 32000 kms and is refurbished by BMW. They are providing a 2 year warranty on this car. He said he can close it at 30L if we can accept just one year warranty. According to them, once we purchase this car, the car / owner / warranty details will be entered into BMW system and will be valid at any BMW service center. They pay some money to BMW for this "kind of" BSI on used cars. However, we cannot take this on cars purchased from outside.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

wrong - there is no such restrictions here



Are these cars in Gurgaon- maybe I missed - could have helped you in getting evaluated :(


I will still suggest you to try 5 series .

That is so nice of you. This proves the spirit of this forum which I so respect it for. To give you an update, it seems like I am back to square one now. The car that I was about to finalize is a DL number but I live in Gurgaon. The mediator (not dealer per se) has offered me to handle the registration on some other Delhi address but in my name. I insisted I do not want that to happen and want the address to be mine. I now realize that would mean paying HR RTO the road tax of 9% of IDV value which will be above 1 Lakh Rupees. Also, the insurance on this car has expired last month which would mean taking an insurance in the name of the previous owner and getting it transferred to my name after the RTO transfer. Even though I was prepared for the insurance hassle and the owner sharing half the cost of insurance, this including the RTO deal seems too much of a hassle now. I shifted to Gurgaon only recently and was under the impression that NCR will be considered as one region for car transfers

So I have dropped the deal for now and looking at other options, specifically HR registered. I have also broadened the search to include C220 and A4 TFSi along with the 3 and the 5. Do let me know if you know someone looking to sell their car.

Also, now that you have offered, I will definitely get in touch with you the next time I want to get a car evaluated.

[VSD]

Originally Posted by evoque

2. The tires have been changed to 225/45/R17 (Stock Size?) regular tubeless tires. Should I still expect this to happen?

3. I'm sure it is a lot better now with BMW having full fledged operations and also the market filled with OEM options. I was at Bird BMW yesterday to get the technical evaluation done and was glad to know that the only issue seems to be the rear break pads / discs replacement. Even the front break pads will go for another 15,000 kms

I think the size is OEM, just switched to tubeless tires. If you are careful, you will not have any troubles with the tires.

If you have the car in Gurgaon then there shouldn't be any problems for car servicing et al. Just go ahead with the 325i, you will love it especially because you love driving. I drive an F10 but still feel the E90 drove better.

EDIT: I guess the particular E90 is out of discussion.

You can check with a few dealers in Gurgaon, there are many options in this segment OR maybe try online and see if you can find something.

[Turbanator]

I think Akshay was referring to the warranty that BMW provides when we buy a used car from their "BMW Premium" division.

once we purchase this car, the car / owner / warranty details will be entered into BMW system and will be valid at any BMW service center. They pay some money to BMW for this "kind of" BSI on used cars

Its additional warranty that Dealer pass when you buy old cars from them - not BSI - which are service packs . Yes - they must be paying something to BMW but I heard there are some caveat's like some cost sharing or limit to maximum claims so that dealer does not pick up something which needs too much expenses . This definitely adds peace of mind . But asking 32 Lac for 525 - 2011 is too much in my opinion since they valued my Dec 2010 - registered in 2011 - 530D with BSI pack for 20 Lac :(

[ChocksOff]

Hello everyone.
Wishing everyone here at tbhp a Happy and a Safe Diwali!!
I have been reading and following tbhp for the past 4 years or so. The information here is fantastic, and the warmth with which everyone accepts the new joinees is commendable. So here's me saying a big HELLO to everyone out there from Mumbai, and hoping to learn something new and making new friends.

I am living in Mumbai and have been driving my father's OHC type 2 for all these years. Fantastic car which has lasted with me all these years, 15 to be precise.

Finally after taking care of all the responsibilities i had, i have decided to upgrade. I am looking at the used car market with a budget of 15Lacs.

Did a test drive of two cars today.
a) Skoda Superb Elegance (Petrol) Aug 2011 - 33k driven with a Price tag of 10.7Lacs
b) BMW 530i (Petrol) with Avante Garde 355 Alloys Aug 2008 - 59k driven with a price tag of 15Lacs

Both cars have been company owned before this.

Both cars felt powerful enough throughout the ride, although the drive was slightly better on the Skoda, it felt more responsive. Also the wear and tear on the skoda appears lesser compared to the BMW.

I love to drive, although don't get enough time for it. The car would generally run approx 50 kms in a week on an average. May be for a few road trips once in three months to nearby places like Lonvala.

I have always dreamt of owning a Bmw, and after driving the 530i today my heart wants me to go and grab it. I need opinion from you guys how should i go about it. What all checks do i need to do apart from the ones mentioned in the Used car checklist.

Both cars have been maintained only at Authorised service centres, i have already cross checked that. My only worry is that whether the 530i will last me another 5 years or not without much heartache for maintenance. Especially since it is 59k on the odo and is 7 years old already. One of the Tyre needs a replacement within the first month on the bmw for sure, its side wall is damaged at one particular point.

So the logical person in me tells me to buy the skoda, but my heart is reaching out for the 530i. Which one should i buy!!

[kkkkkaran]

Incase you want to keep the cars for long, id touch neither of the cars!
Id rather look for a newer, lesser run Skoda Laura, post 2013 will easily be found around 12-13 lacs.
The BMW is just too old, to be very reliable now.
The skoda superb has a terrible reputation, and the huge limo like feel is not really fun to drive.
Infact, if you do come across any, you might even find the new octavia probably a pinch higher than your set budget in the 1.8 tsi DSG variant.

[octane1002]

Originally Posted by ChocksOff

Did a test drive of two cars today.
a) Skoda Superb Elegance (Petrol) Aug 2011 - 33k driven with a Price tag of 10.7Lacs
b) BMW 530i (Petrol) with Avante Garde 355 Alloys Aug 2008 - 59k driven with a price tag of 15Lacs

Both cars have been company owned before this.


So the logical person in me tells me to buy the skoda, but my heart is reaching out for the 530i. Which one should i buy!!

Steer clear of the Skoda if you intend to keep it long term.As an ex-Skoda owner (have owned both the vRS and the Superb) I can tell you Skoda service can be a real pain.From what Ive heard from fellow Skoda owners in Mumbai their service isn't exactly prompt.Are you prepared to wait for days at end for parts if God forbid you require something out of the routine?Last but not the least an automatic Superb is not really a fun-to-drive car aided in no way by its sheer size and comfort oriented suspension.You'd do well to look around for a manual Laura RS in case you're hell-bent on a Skoda.

The 530i is 7 years old and 60k run and should be gettable for 12-12.5.For 15L wait it out for a 525-30d with a running of less than 45-50k which is doable.Also remember spares and service for non-BSI BMWs are expensive.The BMW diesels are torque monsters offering much more fun than their NA petrol siblings.

[octane1002]

Time to edit my earlier response expired so posting back to back. Real issue in your case is that a 7 year old BMW is just too old a car to be had for that kind of money.

Id personally stay off a German that's been driven any more than 3-3.5 years by someone else.Also look for BSI covered cars as spares and maintenance can be a killer.For your needs Id suggest a newer (2011-12) pre-owned 320d (which is the ideal size as well for an enthusiast rather than the bulky 5 series) with BSI cover for 15-16L. You'll be amazed at how well the BMW diesel drives inspite of having a smaller engine to the 525-530i. Keep looking. Patience is the key to a good pre-owned buy.