[VSD]

It was time to part with our 2007 E90 325i that had done more than 63,000km. I will say just one thing about it; it’s the best car I have ever driven till date. It had its own issues, the low profile tires, stiff ride and some other minor problems, but it completely made up for it with sheer driving pleasure. To sum it up, it was a brilliant car.

Then why sell it?

That’s because it had started giving us problems lately as some major parts required replacement and that was a really big expense on us. Also there was a high possibility of the car demanding other bigger expenses in the future once it crosses 90,000km/5year mark.

Moreover, the petrol prices were only heading upwards and resale value for our car had managed to go the opposite direction. We had to sell it.


It was finally passed on to a dealer for a very low amount and then the hunt for a new car begins in December 2011.

A picture of the 3er from one of our trips to Ajmer.



Search

Many cars are tested; all of them are good in their own particular way.
Lots of confusion; I personally had many sleepless nights researching about cars and their features, comparing every model I could possibly imagine.

We hadn’t set out a budget; in fact we didn't even know which segment car we wanted to buy. Researched online and shortlisted all the offerings by every possible company.

Trust me when I say this; it’s really confusing out there with all those options available in the market today. We aren't big fans of long waiting periods and we needed a car to fill in for the 3-series as soon as possible.


The car will be used quite a bit, and a diesel is the best option to go with this time. On average we would be doing about 30-40kms per day and many other outstation trips as well. We were looking at Audi, BMW, Mercedes and JLR. No specific model chosen, we would buy any car that would suit our needs.




JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER

JLR have really good cars in the price range of 50 lakhs, the Evoque, Freelander and my personal favorite Jaguar XF. They are all good cars in their own way.

Evoque had a long waiting period.

Freelander is too less of a car for too much money.

Jag XF is a very good and you can’t compare it to the other German counterparts.

After some talk and re-thinking we opted not to go for JLR vehicles.
Main reason to leave out JLR is because they are slightly new entrants in the market and have just started setting up services in the country. I think few years down the line, once JLR is all setup in the country, I would definitely like to go for their cars.



MERCEDES

Both M350 and E350 were considered. The engine was not responsive enough, I dint feel connected to the car. Everyone at home also prefers driving rather than using a driver and these cars aren’t meant to be self-driven. So both these cars are out.

I like the new CLS, but it is only offered in petrol at the moment.



AUDI

I crossed out the A6 at first look, all-new interior has improved, but it still isn't of our liking. The exterior looks are good but we couldn't get ourselves to spend money on something we just cannot see ourselves driving in.

The A7 looks awesome; drives even better. The engine is powerful and very responsive. Switch to sports mode, the paddle gearshifts are so quick and the car just transforms into a high-revving sports car. Almost 9lakh discount was offered on the car that was already pre-loaded with many optional extras. It was a good deal but I couldn’t persuade my dad to spend extra 20 lakhs premium on a car that’s based on the A6 sedan except the coupe like shape.




BMW

Duetsche motoren had really bad customer service, they weren’t even bothered to attend to us properly when we visited their showroom. So instead we went to Bird automotive in gurgaon.


Checked out the 5GT, it’s the same story here like the A7. BMW demands a huge premium for exclusivity and different styling while underneath it is a 530d. It was offered for 70lakhs after discount of 8lakhs or so. I have been in love with the GT for 2 years now. I like how it looks and the rear seats are just wonderful. Although to make an overall fair decision, I had to opt out and look at other models.


The X5 is a brilliant SUV, it drives perfectly, and the wide stance of the car gives it the muscular look. Everything except the interior feels great on the X5. The interior is really bland compared to other new offerings by BMW and it also has a really small screen on the dash, which looks out of place. Plus, not many paint choices were available. They were offering Havana with beige interior, which was boring and white with beige interior which we didn't like.


We go for a test drive in a 530d, taking turns on the car as he drove it around the inside lanes, to check the ride comfort and I took the wheel to check the speed, braking and handling. It was fun to drive; the suspension was good and the back seat was fairly comfortable too. (Compared to the stiff ride on the E90)

The interior design is superb; the quality of materials used is top notch. The fine-line ash trim on the dash looked good with those aluminium bits on the bottom. The glove box and storage areas had velvet like feel instead of the usual rubber. That gave a premium feel to the car.




Decision

We had made up our mind for the 530d and then the stock list was checked. There was only one car available in Alpine White with oyster dark interior. We didn't want a white car, especially not a white car with white interior. New stock for the 530d was going to be available in a month’s time with a price rise of 1lakh. We had already got a chequebook along and the plan was to drive home in a new car.

The guy told us to have a look at the 525d, as he also had many colour options available in stock. He explained the features we will be missing compared to the 530d. It had the same 3ltr engine but with slightly less power, 204bhp compared to 245hp in the 530d. The bigger I-drive screen, HUD, navigation and the variable suspension were missing on 525 variant as well.

They were only offering discount of 1.5lakh on the 5-series. It was the year-end and he had to clear his stock so we pushed him to give us a better offer for the 525. Talks went on between the manager and us. After some serious bargaining, the car is offered at 43.8lakh on road. Just 80k more than the ex-showroom price.

This looked like a good deal to us and then we decided to look at paint options available that very day. Grey with oyster dark interior was available, while it looked good; the car was even more spectacular in the combo of black sapphire and cinnamon brown interior.

We went for the 525 as my father will use this car mostly and he was fine with whatever features were available on the 525. My brother and I both study out of the country and are only home for 2-3 months in a year.

I will be done with my studies in June and back home for good. He said whatever money we save here, I can spend it on the car i will be buying for myself. How could i say no to that


The decision is made and we are going home with a Black Sapphire F10 525d.


A teaser pic. More coming soon.

[VSD]

Likes

1) Refined engine and the new 8-speed gearbox works really good.
2) Superb Torque figure (450Nm) for powerful acceleration.
3) Flawless looks inside out, more like the 7-series (I'm a Big 7-series fan)
4) Familiar controls and the new full I-drive is even better to navigate through.
5) White DRL's look better than yellow any day.
6) It does what its meant to do, it puts a smile to my face every time, it is, in fact a true BMW


Dislikes

1) Electric steering, and also the size of the steering wheel is slightly big.
2) Should have keyless entry as well, so you don’t need to get the key out of the pocket at all.
3) Climate control settings in the back are missing.




Engine

A 3litre in-line 6-cylinder motor churning out almost 200+ bhp and 450Nm of torque does the job perfectly. The gear changes are pretty quick and it just keeps climbing upwards without hesitation. There is hardly any turbo lag felt.



Drive

Driving in the city takes a while getting used to the length of the bimmer, especially when I would swap over from my other cars. In city traffic the auto hold function works perfectly. Put it on sport mode and you will hardly notice when the gear has changed as you will be too busy looking at how quickly you covered that stretch of road.

On the highway, this is the car to be in. It just glides on and on without any hassles. Comfortable ride, hardly any road or wind noise noticeable. Turn on cruise control, set it to 90kmph and enjoy the ride (which won't last long on our roads, but still I use it).



Fuel Economy

The efficient diesel motor will leave you in total comfort when you look down at the fuel gauge and it’s still half a tank remaining after 400kms. I had to fuel my 325i after every 500kms of city driving. The diesel motor in the 525 returns a good 9kmpl in city and around 14 on the highway. This is gigantic change in terms of fuel economy. Well, fuel economy is one of the main reason we bought this car and it hasn't disappointed us.



BSI (BMW service Inclusive)

We didn't opt for the BSI package as we didn't feel the need for it. I hope we really do not need it.

The option for 5years and 100,000km was costing us around 5lakhs.
This is how we calculated the cost of maintenance on us if we drive it for 100,000kms or 5 years.

Regular service cost = Rs. 25k(max) x 5 = Rs. 125,000
Brake pad changes = Rs. 15k(max) x 5 = Rs. 75,000
In total on regular maintenance it should cost us about Rs.200,000. I didn't see the point of spending 500k. Rest whatever parts i may need later, i'll see to that when the problem arrives.

I don't know how many tire changes would be required in 100k kms. But even after including that cost it shouldn't be too much.



Problems faced

The car has done about 8000kms till date and i haven't faced any major problems. Just a few minor scratches here and there, once the ash tray got stuck because apparently i had left a coin in there.

One major issue faced, the windshield got cracked after the car was left in sun light outside the office for a few extra hours. I was told by the driver that the car had a lot of dust on the windshield and before leaving the office he was cleaning the glass so he lifted the wipers. Once he put them back down the glass cracked in the center.

Who knows what made that happen, but we got it changed now. Cost, well, around 1k for us, 64k for the insurance company.





Few changes noticed compared to the old 325i;

• The acceleration doesn't feel much different in 525d even though it is a diesel. Surprisingly the car loses traction much easier than the 325i when u give it full throttle from stand still. I sometimes wonder maybe it is the good-year tires. (happened many times after exiting toll booths and i got stared at, not in a good way)

• Seat belt warning chime only works for the driver side and not for the passenger side. I think it is because this car is a CKD.

• The dipper and the high-beam are the exact same intensity whereas in the the 3-series the dipper was of lower intensity than high beam so it doesn't affect the vision of the cars approaching from the opposite side.

• In the 3-series i just wanted to push it hard. I loved being out in the front on traffic signals and go flat out while i watched other objects in the mirror get smaller and smaller. Whereas in the 525 i prefer just cruising along, nice and easy. (Not all the time though)

• The 5 has rear fog lights which actually work unlike in my old car that had rear fog lamp switch, button that didn't really do anything.

Attaching a few pictures.
I am really bad at clicking pictures, even these have been clicked using my phone. I will try and take more pictures soon.




The front looks aggressive from this angle


Powerful xenon lights, can blind you at night time.


Beautiful interior. There is no match for cinnamon brown leather.


Fine-line ash trim with aluminum strip underneath and the CB leather looks perfectly matched.


Easily accessible dvd/cd changer nicely tucked away in the glove box. Also the velvet like finish inside the compartment is a nice touch.


Rear-seat entertainment (hardly ever used)


Love the detailing in the tail lights.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Maverick5490]

@ VSD Excellent choice and a very good write-up along with nice pictures. I would recommend going in for the 5yr/60K BSI package especially for repairs beyond the warranty period. Service costs are much higher than your calculations. Brake services are pretty expensive as on the first brake service (15k kms pads are replaced) costs around 11k while on the second brake service the brake disc also needs replacement and that alone would cost around 50k. If you intend to use the car for more than 60k kms, the BSI package is worth it, there are many BMW owners here who would vouch for it. Also BSI does not cover tires.

All the best and happy motoring!

[S_U_N]

Excellent review. Many congratulations.
64K for windshield is really expensive. I think the windshield will be not of better quality than the ones found in other cars (e.g. VW, Skoda, Mitsubishi). After all, they are mostly outsourced to companies like Saint Gobain, ASAHI, et. al.
Other windshields are available for 10K or so.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Congratulations !
Whatever made you think you are bad at clicking pictures ? They are fantastic in my books !
I also noticed this statement of yours -

'The acceleration doesn't feel much different in 525d even though it is a diesel. Surprisingly the car loses traction much easier than the 325i when u give it full throttle from stand still'

Your 2007 325i had 250/270NM of torque depending on when it was manufactured.
You f10 525d has 450NM of torque.
Go figure !

[VSD]

Originally Posted by Maverick5490

@ VSD Excellent choice and a very good write-up along with nice pictures. I would recommend going in for the 5yr/60K BSI package especially for repairs beyond the warranty period. Service costs are much higher than your calculations. Brake services are pretty expensive as on the first brake service (15k kms pads are replaced) costs around 11k while on the second brake service the brake disc also needs replacement and that alone would cost around 50k. If you intend to use the car for more than 60k kms, the BSI package is worth it, there are many BMW owners here who would vouch for it. Also BSI does not cover tires.

All the best and happy motoring!

Thanks for the comments, I will be using the car more than 80k or 100k for sure, but i am not sure i'll be keeping the car for more than 5 years.
I will look into BSI once more, i asked the dealer for service costs and then did my calculations. Brake jobs like pads and rotors i usually get on my own and get them installed for my known mechanic who does these small jobs at my house itself. I think the company overcharges for services and these regular maintenance. Owning a BMW for past 5 years has kind of made that pretty clear.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Excellent review. Many congratulations.
64K for windshield is really expensive. I think the windshield will be not of better quality than the ones found in other cars (e.g. VW, Skoda, Mitsubishi). After all, they are mostly outsourced to companies like Saint Gobain, ASAHI, et. al.
Other windshields are available for 10K or so.

Thanks mate. 64k for the windshield is including labour charges etc and they also change the sensors and few other things too i guess. I can't say about the quality of the windshield but the job done was perfect at the company workshop. Other companies like u stated are not cheap,VW charged me 79k for changing the windshield in my Touareg.

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

Congratulations !
Whatever made you think you are bad at clicking pictures ? They are fantastic in my books !
I also noticed this statement of yours -

'The acceleration doesn't feel much different in 525d even though it is a diesel. Surprisingly the car loses traction much easier than the 325i when u give it full throttle from stand still'

Your 2007 325i had 250/270NM of torque depending on when it was manufactured.
You f10 525d has 450NM of torque.
Go figure !

Thanks for the comments, glad you liked the pictures. I still thought because of the weight and length of the car it gives away traction too easily, but i am not complaining !!

[nirmaljusdoit]

Congrats on the excellent buy ! As you have rightly pointed out, the F 10 is the best choice for self driven cars in that segment.

Some more pictures, please !

From my personal experience, on our 3 series, the pads and discs all around had to be changed at the 40 K mark. cost was around a lakh rupees. Our A6 also had to have a complete overhaul of the braking system around the 45 K mark, came to around a lakh and twenty thousand. Im sure the 5 could be priced around the same range.

Im not sure that the BSI covers all these replacements ? My guess you will have to go through 2 such overhauls within the 100K mark !

Also, from my personal experience, even if something does go wrong, out of warranty, BMW is still open to replacing parts & partly/fully bearing the cost of them considering Goodwill warranty, as long as one's argument is reasonable.

You had also mentioned that you had got it done at home ? I guess you must be importing the parts online ? I remember there were a load of sensors & wiring also which were changed as a part of the overhaul.

Berj/Sun - These are low volume parts made by specialist manufactures and need to be imported. Being fragile parts also adds to the cost. Yes, the cost seems to be crazy, but then there are many spares which are priced ridiculously and will give you a cardiac arrest !

[ajmat]

A reason for the windscreen to crack is that it is thinner than normal windscreens to save weight. Supposed to be common occurance for E60's abroad also!

[androdev]

Congratulation, it is a gorgeous looking car.

The thread title is one of the best on the forum. We have the exact black + CB combination and we like it a lot. I wish it were jet black though.

Happy motoring!

[VSD]

Originally Posted by Berj79

10k for a skoda/vw windshield? which model the polo/fabia?
so you comparing the polo/fabia to a f10?

Even getting a polo windshield costs 13k if done from outside windshield experts. The company would definitely rip you off. VW has been the worst after sales service experience till date according to me, even my skoda workshop was better than them.

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

Congrats on the excellent buy ! As you have rightly pointed out, the F 10 is the best choice for self driven cars in that segment.

Some more pictures, please !

From my personal experience, on our 3 series, the pads and discs all around had to be changed at the 40 K mark. cost was around a lakh rupees. Our A6 also had to have a complete overhaul of the braking system around the 45 K mark, came to around a lakh and twenty thousand. Im sure the 5 could be priced around the same range.

Im not sure that the BSI covers all these replacements ? My guess you will have to go through 2 such overhauls within the 100K mark !

You had also mentioned that you had got it done at home ? I guess you must be importing the parts online ?

I used my 325 for 65k kms and i never had to get the rotors changed, only brake pads were changed a few times. I don't know exactly as i was mostly out of the country for studying. My dad himself made these calculation according to the previous maintenance costs. Though i will still look into the BSI package just to be completely sure.

I get the parts from my mechanic who used to work in the bmw, vw, mercedes workshop before he started his own garage. Now hes moved to audi gurgaon workshop. So, he sources parts at almost half the price compared to the company and they are all imported from germany and i get proper invoices for them as well.

[BIG SARAN]

The F10 looks much more aggressive. Good choice.

Are you by any chance an ex-Mayoite??

[VSD]

Originally Posted by ajmat

A reason for the windscreen to crack is that it is thinner than normal windscreens to save weight. Supposed to be common occurance for E60's abroad also!

They should have looked for better alternatives to save weight when they were already having these problems in the earlier model.

Originally Posted by androdev

Congratulation, it is a gorgeous looking car.

The thread title is one of the best on the forum. We have the exact black + CB combination and we like it a lot. I wish it were jet black though.

Thanks androdev, i loved the black + CB combo as well. Though its a pain to keep it clean for more than 10 minutes.

Originally Posted by BIG SARAN

The F10 looks much more aggressive. Good choice.

Are you by any chance an ex-Mayoite??

Thanks big saran, I am not a mayoite, but my brother studies there so we went to drop him. That is one heck of a school i must say.

[coolboy007]

Congratulations on the 525D VSD , looks so so gorgeous in that shade. Agree its a pain to the car clean in black but when it is, there is nothing like it. I dont know why i have a soft corner for BMW over Audi or Merc, when i have that kind of money, it would always be a Beemer, looks just class apart.

Loved your write up as well, wish you all the best with your new 525.

[VSD]

Just planning to do minor mods, adding a boot spoiler and vinly wrapping the chrome window trim to gloss black which BMW likes to call shadowline.
Looking for best options for a boot spoiler offered by different companies out there, till now M-tech carbon fiber spoiler has looked the best out of all.

Until then it's time for a full on spa treatment for the bimmer, it's reaching the 10k mark pretty soon. Will book a full day of pampering in the coming week, need to get back that shine which the car came with freshly out of the showroom.


Few more pictures i hadn't attached previously.

The car looks Matt black in this picture, looks good. hummmm*deep thinking* Oh well, maybe in the future, who knows


German rivalry, it is difficult to choose which one to drive out in. This is the good kind of confusion.


A pic of the cars at home, missing innova and swift dzire at the moment.


Few days back, the car was parked outside someone's house, came home and noticed the front number plate was smashed and had few scratches on the grill and the bumper. I don't know what could have happened, but this looks like it is done deliberately.
How can you smash the number plate like that?

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Congratulations on the 525D VSD , looks so so gorgeous in that shade. Agree its a pain to the car clean in black but when it is, there is nothing like it. I dont know why i have a soft corner for BMW over Audi or Merc, when i have that kind of money, it would always be a Beemer, looks just class apart.

Loved your write up as well, wish you all the best with your new 525.

Thanks for the comments coolboy. I too have always preferred the bimmers over mercs and audi's. The only two audi's i do like from the current range offered here, are the A7 and R8 V10.