[hrk997]

This is the thread I've been looking for all my life! I literally just finished reading your civic thread, and then i googled 530D, and here I am. I've been facing a dilemma regarding which car to get. The budget is 20L, and like you, I'm only concerned about the performance and handling of the car. Apart from the polo gt tsi, I couldn't find anything fun to drive under the budget. I've been pushing for used cars but the family is not okay with it, primary concern being unexpected costs. I've looked at all manner of used cars from old school beemers to more recent examples of superbs and Octavias. After two months of picking my brain over what to get, i am completely unable to find an answer. The price of civics have come down exponentially and can be acquired for 2 to 3L now, and i was mulling over getting one and turning it into the car to satisfy my speeding needs. Then i googled my fantasy car and surprise! I'm back on your thread. I joined team bhp looking for a thread exactly like yours that goes into the specifics of everything. What would you recommend that I get? I'm open to considering all options, both new and used cars, under 20. If i were to get a civic, i would definitely want to modify it, maybe add a turbo. How much would it cost me to get a civic that can go 0-100 in under 8 seconds? And in the event of a 330i or 530d, what are the service and spare costs that i should brace myself for? Also, is the difference between the prices of the spares of the 3 and 5 series substantial? I won't be taking it to the service centre unless absolutely required, there are pretty good independent workshops in my place. Please do help out, I'm kind of exactly where you were when you first started modding your civic. My knowledge on this subject is limited, but I'm sincerely hoping to make a blisteringly fast car for myself, probably with mods. Thanks!

[jayanttalwar]

Originally Posted by hrk997

This is the thread I've been looking for all my life! I literally just finished reading your civic thread, and then i googled 530D, and here I am. I've been facing a dilemma regarding which car to get.

I would recommend you to go for the 320d (2015-16) or a 328i if you can find one. The main reason for this is because you'll find a newer 3 series compared to a 5 series. A normal service for both these cars can vary a lot ,also depending from where you service these cars. I personally think of a lakh per year for maintenance costs on my e class as parts can turn out to be expensive.Usual services will end up in 20-30 range and changing brake pads will make the cost shoot up. I recommend you to go for a 320d which would cost around 16-17 lakhs and leave the rest for maintenance,you could remap etc if you want to. A 7-8 year old civic specially if you have the budget for a newer better car does not make sense.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Just got back from the car's first road-trip from Gurgaon to Jodhpur and back! The car was flawless throughout

She is built for the open road. There is no other car I've enjoyed on the highway as much as the 530d because of its combination of speed + practicality.

Of-course, if you want to slingshot past everything, just pull the paddle a few times, and off one goes.

Hope you're using the paddles for engine braking too.

I am going to go by the condition based sensor(CBS) for the oil change. It is decreasing by 1km for roughly every 2km that I drive. For example, after my Jodhpur trip of 1200km, the distance to go before oil change reduced from 4600Km to 4100Km.

I have seen this too after long highway trips.

Originally Posted by hrk997

And in the event of a 330i or 530d, what are the service and spare costs that i should brace myself for?

530d only if you are very comfortable with cars, have excellent knowledge & a good independent garage. For 20 lakhs, you could either get a good 530d or a bad one (30 lakhs can get you an excellent piece).

If you aren't mechanically inclined & want to lessen your risk, pick a newer 320d.

Don't waste your time on turbo Civics. 9 / 10 aftermarket turbo installs end up being a headache. Factory horses are factory horses. If you want a turbo-D1 segment sedan, consider the Octavia 1.8 TSI.

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by el lobo 6061

On my X1 CBS reduces distance by 2 Km for every 1 Km covered.

It has to do with EGR delete. Otherwise it's impossible CBS to go down by just 500 Km after covering 1200 Kms.

So even before the EGR delete it was going down by around 1km for every 1.5Km I drove. My logic is that after the last service, the car was initially run by the previous owners in congested west Delhi with slow avg speeds and extended idle time, bringing the reading lower. Now that the car sees average speed of above 30Kmph and FE of 12+kmpl in most journeys, it is adjusting the reading. I could be wrong though. Did some more research and figured out that the oil condition sensors has capacitors which measure changed electrical property of the engine oil(dielectrics) and this is relayed to the ECU which then does its various calculations.

Originally Posted by GTO

She is built for the open road. There is no other car I've enjoyed on the highway as much as the 530d because of its combination of speed + practicality.



Hope you're using the paddles for engine braking too.



I have seen this too after long highway trips.





Don't waste your time on turbo Civics. 9 / 10 aftermarket turbo installs end up being a headache. Factory horses are factory horses. If you want a turbo-D1 segment sedan, consider the Octavia 1.8 TSI.

Yes, I was using the paddles as well when I needed to brake, puts so much lesser strain on the pads. Glad to know that you have seen similar behaviour with the CBS readings, I was wondering if mine was broken.

True, a turbo civic in India is not for everyone, I speak with experience.

Originally Posted by jayanttalwar

I would recommend you to go for the 320d (2015-16) or a 328i if you can find one. The main reason for this is because you'll find a newer 3 series compared to a 5 series. A normal service for both these cars can vary a lot ,also depending from where you service these cars. I personally think of a lakh per year for maintenance costs on my e class as parts can turn out to be expensive.Usual services will end up in 20-30 range and changing brake pads will make the cost shoot up. I recommend you to go for a 320d which would cost around 16-17 lakhs and leave the rest for maintenance,you could remap etc if you want to. A 7-8 year old civic specially if you have the budget for a newer better car does not make sense.

Agree with this post. With 20 Lakhs as a budget a good 320d is the best buy. A remapped 320d will easily do 0-100 in 6 odd seconds, and is decent fun to drive and quite reliable. Also, however good an independent garage is, I'd just get it serviced at BMW, as does the FNG really use LL-04 oil, or Low viscosity brake fluid? Plus, the number of fake filters doing the rounds is tremendous, and they may not even realise its fake.

[hrk997]

Maybe, but a used civic would work out significantly cheaper, allowing me to buy a second car. And what about the difference in the prices of the parts? I would opt for the 530d if the service costs are going to be in the same vicinity as the three series. Roughly how much would i have to keep in reserve for a 530d? 320d is good, but a 3 litre engine is what i would really like.

[bhuvan_prasad]

Touch-wood, the car is running flawlessly. The long term fuel average is around 13.7Km/L and I have covered around 6000km since I bought the car. All the running has been in NCR itself, save for the one highway trip to Jodhpur back in June. Lot of updates to report.


Odo at 58k Km. Close to 800km range with 75% fuel.



My front brake pads were due to be replaced, so I got a set of EBC red stuff front and rear from the U.K for about 13k. Replaced the fronts for now by myself. Got the wear indicator also, and replaced that as well. People say you can reuse the wear indicator if the warning has not been triggered, like in my case, but I did not want to reuse it.



Replaced the wear lead indicator




EBC Red Stuff Pads. EBC's most premium non-track brake pads.




I got the oil, oil filter, air filter, cabin filter, brake fluid replaced at BMW itself in September, so as to keep the service record intact. Also purchasing a BMW LL-04 rated oil outside was turning out to be quite expensive.



I received the ZF pan and downpipe and needed to set aside one full day to carry out the full gearbox service and downpipe install. I also, needed Akshay from GT Tunerz to be around, as once the downpipe goes in, he would have to remap the car, in order for it to run properly. This finally happened end November.


The ZF pan + filter. Comes with fresh pan bolts and fill bolt.




The ZF8HP70 in all its glory




ZF recommended fluid for this gearbox. Need around 6-7 litres for a service.



The pan bolts need to be tightened to the specified torque in a certain sequence. Oil needs to be filled in between 30-50C. First with everything off, and then with the engine running so that more oil is pulled in via the torque converter. You are supposed to manually cycle through and select each gear. We waited for the oil to come down to the specified temperature range before again refilling.




Also, took this chance to replace the fuel filter since all the plastic cladding at the bottom was remove for the gearbox service and downpipe install.



Unbolted the full exhaust in order to be able to remove the cat-con and DPF part easily. The muffler on the 530d is as big as fuel tanks on some hatchbacks.




After some wriggling about and disconnecting the sensors from the top, we could see the turbo. No oil leaks anywhere.



New downpipe vs old part. Downpipe was custom made by Venkat of Blackworks.



New downpipe installed



After the gearbox service the gearshifts have become smoother in the lower gears and the slight lurching during downshifting in the lower gears is gone. It's not like the gearbox before this was bad, but this just makes it so much smoother and extends the life of everything inside. High RPM and higher gear shifts are smooth and fast as usual. Again, ZF recommends a 80-120k KM or 8 year service. For Indian driving conditions I would say 80k KM should be the benchmark for a change.


After the down pipe the car is now at 320bhp and 640Nm, a Quantum tuning map, done by Akshay of GT Tunerz. It revs way faster now and the power comes in relentlessly. Even in normal mode, it just lunges forward, and there is almost no need to go into sports mode. A few seconds of keeping the throttle pinned is enough for you to do stupid speeds and find yourself slamming the brakes to get back to reality. I frankly have been busy with work and the car has only been doing the home-office round trip, so i haven't got a chance to properly stretch her legs out. Will post some timed runs and a detailed driving experience post soon.



Car looks amazing and people do not believe me when I tell them its 8 years old.

[GTO]

Your car looks incredible! And you are clearly enjoying it .

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Odo at 58k Km. Close to 800km range with 75% fuel.

Your odo is at 58k and mine at 41k. The guys on international F10 forums will laugh at us. They are regularly discussing maintenance at 125,000 - 150,000 miles on their still-reliable F10s .

I got the oil, oil filter, air filter, cabin filter, brake fluid replaced at BMW itself in September, so as to keep the service record intact. Also purchasing a BMW LL-04 rated oil outside was turning out to be quite expensive.

Smart decision.

After the down pipe the car is now at 320bhp and 640Nm, a Quantum tuning map, done by Akshay of GT Tunerz. It revs way faster now and the power comes in relentlessly. Even in normal mode, it just lunges forward, and there is almost no need to go into sports mode.

I recently got the remap too. A fast car has become faster. The mid-range is scary aggressive.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Car looks amazing and people do not believe me when I tell them its 8 years old.

Beautifully maintained Bhuvan. Seeing this only reinforces my conviction to hold on to my 4 years 2 month old 3 GT for 9 - 10 years.

Originally Posted by GTO

Your odo is at 58k and mine at 41k. The guys on international F10 forums will laugh at us. They are regularly discussing maintenance at 125,000 - 150,000 miles on their still-reliable F10s .

.....

I recently got the remap too. A fast car has become faster. The mid-range is scary aggressive.

Haha! I am also at a mere 39.5k clicks in about 50 months. At the current run rate, 9-10 years looks easy peasy. Even I am considering a remap of some sort very soon. Already love the M Sport paddle shift steering I had added. A remap will definitely be an added sweetener to the ownership.

The only thing that occasionally causes me to waiver is the odd sparingly used Disco Sports that I see in the market. Those are TEMPTING!!

[Chab]

Your car looks great Bhuvan. My 2016 520d is due for a front brake pad replacement too. How is the performance of your new EBC brake pads with the older brake rotor? I am unable to find EBC stuff in Hyderabad but Brembo brake pads are more readily available around here.

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by GTO

...

Your odo is at 58k and mine at 41k. The guys on international F10 forums will laugh at us. They are regularly discussing maintenance at 125,000 - 150,000 miles on their still-reliable F10s .

...

Life in India is particularly hard for both man and machine. 100,000 km in India is probably like 150,000 km in the US or Europe. Most people there have long commutes - 100 to 150 km per day is common and driving on the great highways there is low stress. I think the most harmful thing to cars there is winter road salt that can cause horrific corrosion.
So 58k in India is nothing to be sniffed at.

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by GTO

I recently got the remap too. A fast car has become faster. The mid-range is scary aggressive.

Do post your remap impressions. Also, would highly recommend the xHP gearbox tune for the ZF. I just got it and it really makes the gearbox behave like two different boxes.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Beautifully maintained Bhuvan. Seeing this only reinforces my conviction to hold on to my 4 years 2 month old 3 GT for 9 - 10 years.



Haha! I am also at a mere 39.5k clicks in about 50 months. At the current run rate, 9-10 years looks easy peasy. Even I am considering a remap of some sort very soon. Already love the M Sport paddle shift steering I had added. A remap will definitely be an added sweetener to the ownership.

The only thing that occasionally causes me to waiver is the odd sparingly used Disco Sports that I see in the market. Those are TEMPTING!!

Please hold on to your car. Even if you get a Disco sport, given the somewhat questionable reliability of Land Rover's, I'd still suggest you keep the 3GT.

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Life in India is particularly hard for both man and machine. 100,000 km in India is probably like 150,000 km in the US or Europe. Most people there have long commutes - 100 to 150 km per day is common and driving on the great highways there is low stress. I think the most harmful thing to cars there is winter road salt that can cause horrific corrosion.
So 58k in India is nothing to be sniffed at.

I'd say 1:2, especially since most of the miles in the U.S are freeway miles.

Originally Posted by Chab

Your car looks great Bhuvan. My 2016 520d is due for a front brake pad replacement too. How is the performance of your new EBC brake pads with the older brake rotor? I am unable to find EBC stuff in Hyderabad but Brembo brake pads are more readily available around here.

The braking is fine, not great. I got the fluid changed at BMW, and that improved the pedal feel but it still requires a firm shove for rapid braking. I get EBC pads carried down by relatives/friends from the U.K.



As mentioned above I got the xHP stage 3 gearbox tune for the ZF8 in my car. This claims to do the following:
- Gear Display in all modes

- Torque Limiters removed

- More boost allowed during brake-boosting

- Much quicker shifts in Sport and Manual mode


With the car in sports plus and manual mode, using the paddles is akin to driving a sports car equipped with a DSG, I kid you not! There is a nice whack at every upshift and a crisp downshift. Launches also are just brutal and a lot of fun.



On the other side, comfort mode has become way smoother, you can barely notice the shifts. The car literally seems like it has 2 different gearboxes now. A better transmission has become even better!


Flash Process. All via a smartphone.




Gears are displayed in all modes now.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Please hold on to your car. Even if you get a Disco sport, given the somewhat questionable reliability of Land Rover's, I'd still suggest you keep the 3GT.

Absolutely hear you. Actually, if it costs me 20 lakhs to fund the replace (differential price in a swap situation), I always feel its much better to keep my GT and add a sweet product like a new Seltos D A/T as a SUV or maybe even an EV. That way one has two cars, one of each style and one never misses out on the BMW sedan factor.

I recently test drove the Seltos AT and it felt amazing, much better than my recall of how I felt about the Creta D A/T for some reason.

For now, the BMW stays for sure. I might add an EV or a mid segment SUV / cross over if I feel a compelling need.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Life in India is particularly hard for both man and machine. 100,000 km in India is probably like 150,000 km in the US or Europe.

Agreed to an extent. However, in a place like Boston, the winters are really harsh & hard on the car. The roads are as good or bad as I've seen in Bombay & the rush-hour traffic equally terrible. Ditto for New York.

By the way, 50 - 60% of the km of my car are on the highway as well.

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Do post your remap impressions.

Here you go - link.

Originally Posted by Axe77

For now, the BMW stays for sure. I might add an EV or a mid segment SUV / cross over if I feel a compelling need.

Smart decision .

[.cArMaNiA]

Sorry for my late entry to this thread. Congratulations bhuvan for your new car. I have been driving pre-owned 530d in gurgaon for almost two years now, believe me it's extremely satisfying car to own and drive on highways.

After the down pipe the car is now at 320bhp and 640Nm, a Quantum tuning map, done by Akshay of GT Tunerz. It revs way faster now and the power comes in relentlessly. Even in normal mode, it just lunges forward, and there is almost no need to go into sports mode.

Man I am seriously considering the Remap, only thing holding me back is that car is still in warranty period.

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

As mentioned above I got the xHP stage 3 gearbox tune for the ZF8 in my car. This claims to do the following:
- Gear Display in all modes
- Torque Limiters removed
- More boost allowed during brake-boosting
- Much quicker shifts in Sport and Manual mode

I was not aware about ZF8 gearbox tune. Coming from skoda Laura background, Gear display is something I always miss on 530d. Don't know how it will look on full digital display cluster.

Will definitely catch up with you on some weekend to get the feel of remap and gearbox tune. Because you are technically sound, I will also get to learn from you which might help me to work on my car in future after warranty period.

[Amit_GetzCRDI09]

Hi guys,

I have recently purchased a pre-owned 2012 530d with 60k of running. I went through the entire service history of the vehicle before purchase and the previous owner had taken care of most of the issues that came up.

The only issue that is present is an engine oil leak and I want to arrest that( though the engine oil sensor does not indicate anything in my 1500km of driving in a month).

GTO, can you help me with a very competent garage in Mumbai that can help me diagnose the engine oil leakage issue. Also need help to understand what a standard service can cost me at the ASC.

The car runs like a dream and makes me delighted every time I drive it. Thanks and would welcome your inputs.

I ordered the rear brake pads from boodmo but they have not delivered it to me for a month now and all that I get from them is revised delivery dates. I have asked for a fixed delivery date or a refund now. Can you recommend another vendor who can deliver faster with the precise part