[np23]

A Bavarian to accompany my Stuttgart Spatzle, turned out to be a beautiful recipe

Fellow Friends and Members alike, firstly I hope everyone and their families are keeping safe in these testing times.

At the time of writing, Mileage on Vehicle ~ 30,000 km , Age of Vehicle 2 years on 28.07.2020
the boy from Munich accompanying the Statesman from Stuttgart




[b]Best angle of the vehicle


Anyways, coming to the cars in hand.

Brief Background:-

1. Fresh out of high school, on my 18th birthday, my father gifted me a beautiful red coloured Swift VXI which I drove for 2 years and absolutely loved, infact I still have it in my garage and it's been very useful for those visits to the Vets, grocery stores etc and is going solid at 1.2 Lakh Kms already.

2. After 2 years, of that I fell in love with then launched Chevrolet Cruze, and I was gifted one (a blue coloured Chevy Cruze LTZ Automatic) by my parents on my persistent (not so fair) and repeated pleading, to be honest we've all been there as young adults which we later realise that weren't really fair and appreciate what our parents do for our happiness only later as we mature. After 3 years with this lovely beast, I moved to Mumbai for work at my father's friends law firm and then went to England for my masters and job for 2 years, so decided to sell it off in just over 3 years, and thankfully Cruze were selling like hot cakes then and I remember I got a great deal, heck it eventually went on to be bought by some lawyer from the broker, and I often see this car shining along in the Court parking and yes I still do a get a grin when I see this. The thread for this beauty is https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...automatic.html (My Blue Beast....I meant my new Chevrolet Cruze Automatic)

3. Well, 2014 November, I move back to Delhi for various reasons but mostly for my dogs, (call me immature) and also because I love staying in India with my family, work takes me to the UK and Europe every month (Well till pre-covid; atleast) and that's the balance I love. After returning, I was deciding between the 3 Germans, the 3, C and the A4, my father earlier owned the 325i E90 so I had a soft corner for that, but was never a huge fan of the F30 and in 2014 BMW had stopped Petrol cars, so it was ruled out. The A4 didn't appeal to me then and it was decided that I'd get the C200 (W204, White with the black panoramic roof), and because the W205 was round the corner and having driven it in England, I was not a fan and we finalised a great deal on the outgoing one. However my dad had something else in mind, well see unlike me who gets tempted by these "Marketing strategy" of big discounts on outgoing models, my father doesn't believe in the same and always states "Don't look at when the model stopped production, see when it was introduced, and suddenly the car which went out of production just 1 month ago is also a decade old model", and thank god for that, well when I went to the showroom with him and a friend to pick up the C class, I was a bit surprised that there wasn't one in the delivery area, but I didn't think much of it (atleast then that is). It was then that they had planned a surprise for me and didn't inform me but changed the booking to W212 Facelifted E200 (Silver with black interiors), remembering this still excites me and man I loved this car so much, it drove like a dream and still does, I have taken to the hills, forests and desert alike and it has been so enjoyable, it still has the most comfortable front seats of any car I have driven over a long distance. I will use this thread to throw light on this as well, and how beautifully this car has helped up in these 6 years. Apart from regular maintenance once an year, the only two things which I have changed are the Auxiliary batter (Changed twice, first in warranty), main Warranty (Fair enough after 5 years) and the Thermostat Radiator (This was unexpected on a then 4 year old car and I had only taken the 3 year warranty), the bill quoted was about 1.2 Lakhs including other related parts, but a stern mail to Mercedes India, sorted it out and under goodwill, they offered to replace it (Kind of free), I was eventually made a bill of approximately Rs 30,000 which I didn't mind and also in the one week they were sourcing the part and repairing the car, they gave me a beautiful W205 C220d to drive around, so full marks to MB India and T&T Motors Delhi. This vehicle has done about 45,000km but around 40,000km were done in 4 years and only 5000km in the last 2 years, more on that below.

Pertinent to mention, in 2016 my father bought the previous gen 740Li and his 2011 F10 530d (Alpine White with Beige interiors) came to me, and I was so surprisingly disappointed as I wanted to relegate my E200 to my official drives with chauffeur and drive the 530d as my daily drive to work and elsewhere, but having driven the W212 for 2 years, the floaty suspension, dead steering were just so disappointing, the beautiful gearbox and engine were enough to put a lovely smile on my face, but on our not so perfect roads and undulations, it was just too bumpy and floaty to enjoy the 6 pot, and hence I made it my chauffer car, the rear seat screens were fancy and I continued to use my E200 as my daily driver. Nonetheless, I stick my head out and say the f10 looked ever so elegant and still when I see one on the road especially the LCI versions, it doesn't feel like a 2010 shape.

Few pictures of the ever so elegant W212



From the mighty Himalayas








....to the fiery Thar



4. Come July 2018, the Punjabi genes in me lure me to the urge of spending some money on a depreciating asset to please my heart when having no need whatsoever, and please my heart this decision did. I decided to sell off my 530d primarily because I wasn't taking any full advantage of the 6 cyl and also because of the 10 year rule, the prices for the 30d were falling fast. Hence, started the process of short listing my next purchase, my parents advised me to go for a SUV, and the X5 was shortlisted (It felt old and again only a diesel, though I did end up buying it as well the base X drive with 5 year BSI and BRI), for my office and the huge boot helps in shifting the files and juniors from my office to court, and it's occasionally put to family use like during family weddings/occasions to ferry goods and people between Delhi and Chandigarh. I ruled out SUV's on one simple advise by a friend, I can buy a SUV at any stage of my life, but a sedan maybe not really in a few years down the line and I prefer the dynamics of a sedan over the raised position of a SUV any day. We picked up 4 cars together and got a great deal, more on that below.

The X5 I picked up




STALKING, DATING AND SETTLING DOWN:-

Well, I stalked quite a few vehicles, went on Test dates with fewer still, and eventually settled down with the Bimmer.

a. The E Class (V213) was checked but ruled out as it was offering the same engine/gearbox then , though subsequently they added the 9G tronic and also updated the horses, but still didn't feel like one I'd daily drive and also it felt way lighter than my W212 and hence we moved to the next one. I still say it's a beautiful car and if I didn't already own the W212 I would've definitely gotten it as it gives you 2 cars in one, and inspite of the Long wheelbase, it still drives very well and feels reasonably compact from the driving seat.

b. The Audi A6 was next, it felt old , period!, infact when I bought my W212 in 2014, they still had the same A6 in July 2018, there was no way I was picking that up inspite of some wonderful deals, the other downer was that the Petrol was only available in the 1.8 L TFSI with front wheel drive (which I have experienced extensively in my mother's Superb LK and though good, it's nothing great and also has a huge tendency of gulping oil, so much that our driver always keeps cans in the boot).

c. Then came the Jaguar XF, well though the Petrol engine was brilliant in the 25t form, the premium for it was unreasonably high for pretty much the same engine in a higher tune, if they had the 6 cyl Petrol, I might have very well gone for the Jag, because when it comes to exteriors, I feel it looks the best of the lot, and the interiors are the worst, the plastic, the leather seats, it's as if they sent to an aftermarket accessory dealer to get those stuff, and hence was ruled out, what further didn't help was that the TD vehicle was only the 20d and no petrol.

d. Next came the very beautiful Volvo S90, this was the car I would've bought if they offered it in petrol, it's beautiful and every drive has a sense of occasion, but the fuel type was non-negotiable in this purchase.

e. I also checked out the Lexus ES300h particularly after being suggested by @Turbanator, but the price difference then (CBU Cars) and also that they hadn't launched the new version then, was not convincing enough for me.

f. Eventually we came to BMW, the 5 series seemed erringly similar in the beginning to my F10 which I exchanged with Deutsche eventually, and I was not initially really sure, but one test drive was all it took, for me to say yes. This was the BMW I loved, this was like going back to the E90, but without the extremely heavy hydraulic Steering in Delhi and the ultra-harsh ride, the G30 was roomier than my F10, but while driving it felt so small and wrapped around me, it was way ahead of my F10's chassis and I knew this was the car. Though they tried their best to get me the 520d luxury line, I was clear I only wanted the Petrol, the only thing I inquired was if they could install the full LEDs on the 530i sport line, to which they replied in the negative and it was fine, because the present ones grew on me, they're partially smoked out and look sporty, also they are the only ones with the Corona Rings and they feel retro, in other departments the sport line had better driver oriented features than the luxury line anyways, including the sport seats, Aluminium and black trims instead of those chrome, sharper looking alloys and few more. So it was decided the 530i it would be, though I wanted the black and Cognac combination, it was only available with the diesel, in the petrol they were giving black and beige, so I shifted to Imperial Blue and Cognac.

We finalised 4 cars including 3 530i's, I convinced two of my friends to replace theirs with this and we worked out the financials, one upgraded from an A6 2.0 TDI to the 530i (White with Black/Blue interiors), he wanted a white exterior and I begged him to get this interior, as very few cars were available with the blue leather, my other friend upgraded from her C class to the 530i (Same colour combination as mine), and the last was X5 30d X drive (imperial Blue with Beige) for my office.

Well it took about 4 weeks for the 5's to come from the plant as our choices were not readily available but that was fine, the X5 was delivered in the meantime and I got my 530i on 28.07.2018 and gave them my 540d while wishing it a good life ahead, with someone who appreciates and enjoys it (I saw it in traffic the other day, and unfortunately the new owner has ruined it black wrap on the roof, EU Style license plates and something else, but heck it's his car and his decision).

Though I thought of creating a thread when I bought the car, I eventually decided against it, as we already had a thread on the new car, and a few ownership threads already on the way, in particular of @Monsoon.84 of the same very vehicle/colour as mine so would not have added value, however now after 2 years, I think it will be immensely helpful to others.

To begin with, let me tell you I love driving this car, inspite of the last 4 months of lockdown and very limited driving, it's done 30,000 kms in 2 years, and that too with only 3 short highway trips (Twice to Chandigarh and Once to Agra), so when I say it's addictive to drive I am serious.

My E bidding goodbye to the old f10 530d, yes this picture is when the vehicle was 8 years old, you can see what a timeless design it is and how beautifully it was maintained as well in my garage

Two evergreen designs complimenting each other white
Attachment 2035991

[np23]

DAILY NUANCES:-
Once, the initial new car phase was over, and I started living with on a daily basis, I realised the few areas where it sorely lacks and can improve, and then some where it's close to perfection.

It's a beautiful vehicle inside and out, but as with all good things there a few areas where it can improve so beginning with this:-

1. Rear Seats:- I use the E when I am driven around , but for most this might be their main car, and the seats are a bit too upright to accommodate the spare wheel and also the legroom though acceptable is nothing to write home about.



2. Front Seat Lumbar:- Though the sport seats are lovely and hug you, they lack lumbar support which is unpardonable and stand no chance next to my W212's throne like front seats.



3. Air Conditioning:- Again, though acceptable in comparison to my E200 and GLA 200, it is just poor, in my E I have never had to put it below 22 C even in peak Delhi heat, with the fan at 2 and 3 briefly to begin with, but in the 5 for an equivalent cooling it needs to be at 18/19 with the fan in higher speeds to begin and settling at 2, infact at Speed 1 the fan is too slow to the point you wonder if it's even working, this is similar to my F10, it never had the strongest AC. Though one very interesting part of this 2 zone AC is that even the blower settings are independent and when I am solo in the car, I only switch on my Ac and Fan, and the front pax side can remain off.



4. Light throw:- Again, though totally acceptable, having moved from driving me E's full LED jewel lights, these are definitely poor and I often have to use the high beam briefly on not so perfectly lit roads.



5. Audio Quality/ Set up: Again acceptable but not quite the Harmon setup in the other trims, and leagues below the one's in the Audi's Bose/Volvos B&W/Mercs Burmester

6.Cost Cutting:- I have while using the vehicle daily come across some cost cutting measures which are not expected at this range, these include:-

a. No memory seats for the front Pax, only two memory settings that too only for the driver, my E, GLA and my F10 had three for each of the front pax, though intelligently there are different memories for every key, so with my smart key it remembers my settings, and when my chauffeur uses the other key its his settings, but still not acceptable in a drivers oriented car (Hello S class)



b. No Lumbar support for either front seats,



c. No "Weight detection sensor" for the front pax, so there's no chime or alarm if the front pax does not wear the seatbelt, which in my opinion is the most petty omission of them all.

d. Wireless Charging, I think this is a non negotiable feature which must be present in a car retailing for 63 Lacs, also considering that the fancy display key, needs to charged if you want to use the screen, or pre cool (and seldom pre heat) the vehicle, wireless charging would have made it much more practical, though I use my display key daily, I cannot even remember the last time I took out the flimsy USB Cable to charge it.



You must've more good than bad that I chose you:-

1. The Engine:- the 30i is magical, both in refinement and performance, its just 0.4 seconds behind the 30d, and I will take this any day. Further, when you press it hard, it sounds so good revs till the 7k redline at ease, further drive it in town with a reasonably light or heavy foot (no end of the extreme i.e. not too dull and not like a lunatic) and it gives some very impressive Fuel Economy figures of 9-10 kmpl in Delhi traffic and 15 odd on the highways. It's got next to negligible lag, and is much better suited in B2B traffic than the diesels in my experience.
On highways, overtaking and cruising is non noticeable, whereas within city limits the ZF keeps this in the power band in most times. The Eco Pro mode however, is dead and best avoided, I get pretty decent fuel economy even with the car in Comfort mode.



This is after a 450 km round trip to Agra



2. The Gearbox:- Well, its been repeated by everyone here including the ever so talented Moderators, like GTO, Karan and others so there is not much I can add, except that it feels even better tuned now and in sports mode with Launch control can be proper aggressive if you want it, further even the gear lever is a much more modern adaptation of the previous ones and feels more premium.



3. The Interiors:- They are an evolution from the F10, and I felt right at home, they have improved at the correct areas and everything is where it ought to be, the steering thankfully is made of much softer leather unlike the last one which never felt special to me. The Cognac/Beige/ Black combination compliments each other and adds to the sense of occasion. The footwells and upper dash are black where as the lower dash, seats etc cognac and the pillars and roof beige to make it feel more open.The egronmics are perfect though not as much as a visual delight as the Mercedes or Volvos. The Ambient lighting is classy, and you choose 6 colours in 12 combinations as each can chosen with a white contrast, they really elevate the mood in the dark and unlike the BMW's of yester years wherein the only colour for ambient lighting was Amber, they've included more colours though they are still subtle like Blue, Lilac, Green and retained Rust/Amber and not gone for the full blown 64 colours available in the Mercedes's of today.




Much more premium and softer material used on the steering than my F10



4. The Exteriors:-Though at first it looked similar to my F10, over time its grown on me , it looks more elegant and aggressive, if that even make sense, the front is more hunkered down, and thankfully the grills are the correct size. The side profile is the best angle of this car, and show's how losing some weight projects the correct curves on a pretty body. The rear lights are magical, albeit similar in shape to the Ciaz and the Honda City.







5. The Chassis:- The chassis setup is a step back in the right direction and it feels all so familiar BMW, while not as hard as the E90 on not so perfect roads, its tight and there's no to minimal body roll. The ground clearance seems to have improved, and unless on a full load of pax and goods, you just need to reasonable with the breakers.

6. The RFT/Spare wheel:- How have the Run Flats come ahead with times, I remember the headache (Along with backaches) these brought to us in 2007-2010, though they greatly improved with the F10 in 2011. However now I can safely say they are as good if not better than Tubeless tyres, in my 30,000km stint, I have not had a single puncture, the wear and tear is very acceptable and they still have alot of life left in them. In my vehicle the stock wheels were Pirelli P7 245 45 R18 though my friends car came with Bridgestones so I think it depends on the lots and not variant specific. What I also appreciate is the cavity in the boot for the spare wheel which gives great peace of mind, though I wish they planned it better so the backrest could have had a better angle.

7. ICE:- The idrive gets better every time and I particularly like that though have given Spotify and World radio inbuilt, they still kept not only the CD player but also the hard disk (with a very simple copying interface) for their older users who transition from one 5 to the next. I appreciate this and don't have to stream songs I listen regularly which is very helpful. The Maps are beautiful and crisp, and the 3d views are worth checking out. I hardly use the apple car play as I find the I drive system better. The Instrument Cluster is all digital but with minimal interference and the right binnacle adding up for GPS directions, music, Telephone etc which I prefer without being distracting.





7.Gesture Controls:- I've seen critics label it as a gimmick, it might be so in the 6 or 7, which are primarily chauffer driven, but in the 5 I use them naturally now, especially the volume, next track and Hanging up an incoming call are very useful, once you use it you realise, that even for the steering buttons, you need to reposition your right hand from which ever position you prefer to the 3 o clock one, but with this its just much more convenient especially in the city when your left hand is mostly resting on the armrest/gearnob.

8. Executive Sedan:- I am a person who loves driving to work and an on vacations, and I think for me it's the perfect sedan, its the right size, engine, comfort and presence. I have been contemplating of buying a SUV since a while now, but I think better sense has prevailed and I will continue with this unless they launch the 540i with the facelift. I love that I have the E for my chauffeur use for those work meetings, and evenings and when my 5 as my daily.

Driving Experience and Service Records:-

Well, it must be truly addictive to drive that I have notched up 30,000 kms in practically 19 months without much outstation travel. Infact in totality, the mileage this car has done on the highways is in the range of 1600 km in 3 trips including two visits to my hometown Chandigarh and once to Agra.

Everytime, I sit in it I enjoy it, its refined, silent and quick, you seldom realise how smoothly it picks up pace, and on those night drives when you can enjoy it a bit, out it in sports mode and enjoy the fun reasonably. It's for practical purposes got the same horses as the 530d and only slightly lesser torque as the 520d, though the lighter weight and the wider torque spread more than makes up for it, and I enjoy this.

When I compare it to the 530d, where it loses out is that instant massive torque you get when you once in a while floor it in those traffic gaps, but then I have gotten used to the more mature performance of the petrol, and to be honest you seldom push it in those gaps anyways if you are a sensible driver.

Caught a F10 in the same shade in the parking so clicked this



Though, I have not taken it to the hills yet, but the way it holds its line on curves exiting flyovers and toll roads is something to be felt, especially coming from the F10, here you can keep gathering speed on the turns as well if its safe and the car doesn't swing it's tail or feel unsettled and that is the most important improvement or throwback this generation has made.

Another feature worth mentioning are the adaptive dampers, they make a huge difference in the car body control and I believe personally are a great compromise between the ultra potent but risky air suspension and regular steel springs.

Adaptive Dampers



The Seating position goes down all the way the floor and is an enthusiasts delight, the ergonomics are next to perfect and I cannot think of anywhere they've cut costs in the plastics or materials, except maybe the small storage below the lights knob, which feels to be of inferior plastic.

Speaking of storage, the Four cup holders are adequate enough, and the also all 4 bottle holders are accommodating for bigger bottles.

The boot though otherwise big, because of the space savers cavity is practically smaller, thought still on a recent trip, I managed two big and two cabin sized suit cases with little permutations and combinations.

The peace of mind of that spare wheel more than makes up for this loss for me, I remember once returning from Chandigarh in our F10, with my Dad driving, it suffered a puncture near Sonipat, and called BMW who advised us to continue to Delhi and were confident on the phone, by the time we were entering Delhi the tyre had literally burnt out and in the meantime we had called our driver with the other car to come and pick us from the Delhi border, RFT's have come a long way since then, repairing punctures on them now are common unlike in the past, but still a space saver gives the ultimate peace of mind, though it remains to be seen, if now with the new Government notification, of not requiring a spare wheel for passenger cars, will BMW go back to their old ways and not include a spare.

Servicing and Maintenance:-

When I bought the car, the BSI Plus plans were exorbitantly expensive, and further the fact that they were the same for the 30d/20d and 30i it made no sense, to pay that much for a petrol vehicle and hence I decided to forgo it.

However, it was only my vehicles second service, that BMW correctly came out with cheaper Maintenance Packages for the Petrol versions, which made sense but by then I had already paid for two services and decided to continue and pay ad hoc.

For regular servicing, it's been serviced thrice till now and on an average at intervals of about 9000 km each, and they've done the regular oil changes, air filter was cleaned at 9k and replaced at 18k and 27k, whereas the rear brake pads were changed at the 28k mark.

Services Details:-

Service no Mileage (Km) Total Cost (INR) Extra Component
1 8,603 19,102.00 Regular/Oil Change/Cleaning of Filters etc
2 17,573 35,117.00 Regular/Oil Change/New filters.etc.
3 26,280 53,374.44 Regular/Oil Change/New filters/Rear Break Pad.etc.

Unexpected visits to the Workshop:-

1. The first was when a low coolant warning came after about 6000km and was topped up outside my office within 2 hours of calling them and has never occurred ever, and



2. The other was when my vehicle was only a few months old, an Aged retired Air Force Officer, reared my vehicle in moving traffic, though you feel angry especially when someone rear ends your new vehicle for no fault of yours, at the end you have to move on. The Officer was apologetic enough and because it happened near the PM's residence the Cops came, the Officer gave me a written note/ apology which I submitted to the Police also for their records and kept one for me, and he also offered to pay the NCB loss I'd face, which I asked him to deposit in the PM Relief Fund, which he did and sent me a proof. I've realized one thing, these things happen, own up to it, thank god there are no injuries or loss of life and move on. They kept the vehicle for long because they didn't have the sport line bumper trims and the muffler which also had to be replaced, so for those 2 weeks they gave me a new X1 diesel.




3. They issued a recall for the sport line headlamps and they were exchanged the same day.

On a side note, in 2016 we purchased a GLA 200 replacing our aging accord, which I often use when for outstation trips in particular to the forests and therefore the relatively lower outstation mileage of my 530i.




I have started a new thread after a decade, so hope my writing has matured well with my age

Further, I shall let the pictures do the talking and I hope this will help other owners and prospective buyers alike, looking forward to taking this forward and answering all queries.

Till then stay safe and Drive only if essential.

[sv97]

Do you stay around Lodhi road?
Your house looks like the ones on Lodhi Road and Opposite Khan Market.

Just like the Government official bunglows.

[aman-bh]

Lovely post, and what an amazing spread of vehicles. I own an X3 30i and just love driving it on Delhi roads/traffic lol. After I got the 30i, I've also shifted to petrols and don't think I can ever go back to a diesel BMW now.

Where is this snow clad road that the E200 is parked on?

I've never seen a 5 series with blue interiors, it would be great if you could post some pictures of your friends 530i interior please.

[GTO]

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

Your car is going to the homepage today .

[adityasatish]

Amazing review! With the G30, BMW has honestly reduced that gap in performance between the petrol and diesel variants.
Just one question, in retrospect, do you feel it would have been cheaper to take the BSI plus plan you were initially quoted looking at the costs incurred so far?

[shree_shell]

Thanks for your wonderful 30,000 km ownership. You have definitely owned a lot of German cars in a relatively short time.

I can buy a SUV at any stage of my life, but a sedan maybe not really in a few years down the line and I prefer the dynamics of a sedan over the raised position of a SUV any day.

Since you had this thought, why not go for something more focused at the same time daily driveable? Perhaps a Porche 911 Carrera? or even a Macan?

I was in the market recently for car shopping and had the Germans on my list. I never had any bias towards any specific brand however, looking at the merits of the current/recent German lineup, I quickly realized that - If you want uncompromised luxury, you go to the Mercedes. If you want a sporty daily driver, you go to Porsche. I struggled to understand the point of buying a BMW or an Audi for that matter since it is an obvious compromise which some term as best of both worlds when it is not. I do not know any BMW owner in my circle and the ones I've seen around the internet are just Bimmer fanatics. It would be great to get a perspective from not just you, but perhaps other BMW owners as well.

[TheGearBox]

What an ownership history you have!
I did not know the GLA comes with memory for the front seats. The C 200 does not have it!
Any mods planned for the future? Performance remap, exhaust upgrade, etc?

[karan561]

Congratulations NP for the G30.

The B48B20 motor of your 530i is truly a gem & a high point of 4cyl Turbo Technology for BMW.

Also loved hearing stories, pictures of your Mercedes E Class (W212) & was particularly nice to go through how you managed the Accident involving the rear bumper being damaged.

As you've already done 30k kms, i believe its best to move this thread to the Long Ownership Term section (Mods can decide & re-position this thread accordingly)

Regards !

[RS90]

Originally Posted by np23

A Bavarian to accompany my Stuttgart Spatzle, turned out to be a beautiful recipe

Congratulations NP on completing two years with this the Bavarian boy and six with the stuttgart statesman.

This review is not only comprehensive and descriptive, which would help prospective buyers make a much more informed decision but also a splendid and intriguing read, specially the analogy between the current gen 5 series with the previous gen E class all the while blending it with your automotive journey thus far. *Clap-clap*.

Buying a Swift Vxi while the country was flocking to get their hands on the Vdi despite lengthy waiting periods during what some people call the Diesel-age proves you were ahead of time. Had you got yourself a Vdi, I am sure it wouldn't be with you now.

Your love for the Cruze is well deserved. Cruze was one of the best handling cars with a very planted feel. I remember the first time I sat in the Cruze, the blue lights on the buttons and dials amazed me. Like wisemen say, you are known by the kinds of friends you have, the Cruze was a casualty of its under performing siblings and hence is dying a slow painful death. I say painful because you rarely see a Cruze on the road these days which has not fallen a victim to irresponsible and ugly modifications.

‘Is it really worth saving a few big ones on a vehicle nearing the end of its generation knowing you will be getting a decade old design?’ wise words my friend! Baap baat Hota hai!
I can imagine your astonishment and elation when you found out you got an E200 while anticipating to take the delivery of a C200. A beautiful surprise indeed.

The pictures posted are mesmerising, the hills are calling me soo bad! Cant wait for this time to pass and go on an at least two weeks holiday in the mountains. Specially love the E Class on the snow. To think of it, you have tested the E in most of the terrains, Snowy Mountains, Deserts, Expressways, et all.

Knowing you since nearly 25 years of my 29 year old life, I can vouch for the veracity of the facts you have put forward. You do not abstain to set forth a dislike and your views are unbiased about the 5, despite it being your latest acquisition.

Independent blower setting for the passenger, sounds nifty! The closest other brands have gotten to this is to have knobs or flaps to shut off AC vents.

Getting the Accent driver to donate in the PM relief fund was quite an innovative way of dispute resolution, almost like punishment by community service. It was a clear message stating ‘I don't need your money but you better be careful on the road’.

I would like to sum up with thanking you for sharing such a rave review. Wish you many more happy miles with your current and future cars. God bless.

Being my 25th thread on this forum, I am looking forward to graduate to a Bhpian now. Yay!

[np23]

Originally Posted by adityasatish

Amazing review! With the G30, BMW has honestly reduced that gap in performance between the petrol and diesel variants.
Just one question, in retrospect, do you feel it would have been cheaper to take the BSI plus plan you were initially quoted looking at the costs incurred so far?

Thank you, I agree there's hardly any gap between the two fuels and that's why the same denomination of "30". They both have their own pros and cons, and depends on your needs and preferences, what you enjoy more.

Well, as tempting as the BSI Plus now is, I think I'd even in retrospect not take it, because what I have noticed with my X5 (for which I managed it complimentary while working the deal) and a friends G30 520d who took the BSI Plus, is that alot of wearables especially filters, are not changed till absolutely necessary, and when mine were changed in the subsequent services threrefore, the increase in the service, there's were cleaned and put back, so a major reason of the service cost increasing is preventive maintenance, which in the packages I feel they save out on, and hence the latter the replacement, the higher the chance they'd have to replace it less or better still replace it after the BSI has expired, after all its almost always about the money

Originally Posted by shree_shell

Thanks for your wonderful 30,000 km ownership. You have definitely owned a lot of German cars in a relatively short time.

Thank you, indeed always been fancied by them like our fellow Bhpians, I like to believe, you buy two sorts of cars, one you need and the other you want, and I think a solid compromise between the two keeps both the heart and mind happy.

Since you had this thought, why not go for something more focused at the same time daily driveable? Perhaps a Porche 911 Carrera? or even a Macan?

Well, the 911 is out for me, it's too impractical for our roads, if I did decide to go for a sports car I'd rather save 60% of that money and get a Cayman instead, which is the most practical sportscar one can buy in India, and even sensible on the wallet.
I did think of the Macan, but even with the facelift it feels old especially beacuse they did not give it the full LED panel treatment to bring it inline with the 911 and Cayenne, so was out. Not to forget the ever so unrealiable Porsche network in India, last I checked they were still operating out of a coffee shop of the Westin hotel in Gurgaon inspite of the new dealer having taken over , over an year ago.
On a side note, I got a message from the dealer few days back that they are selling of their demo cars, so if any one isterested DM me.

I was in the market recently for car shopping and had the Germans on my list. I never had any bias towards any specific brand however, looking at the merits of the current/recent German lineup, I quickly realized that - If you want uncompromised luxury, you go to the Mercedes. If you want a sporty daily driver, you go to Porsche. I struggled to understand the point of buying a BMW or an Audi for that matter since it is an obvious compromise which some term as best of both worlds when it is not. I do not know any BMW owner in my circle and the ones I've seen around the internet are just Bimmer fanatics. It would be great to get a perspective from not just you, but perhaps other BMW owners as well.

Well being in North Cali has it's benefits, you cannot compare the Porsches to the Germans here, infact now even Audi is in that list as they don't assemble anything here anymore, and it shows in the price and sales. The CBU players cannot compete with the CKD ones, so in India it's not an apples to apples comparison.
Coming to your opinion, though I agree with you on the Mercedes point, but you;d be surprised how Audi has off late caught up on that front, and how good Mercedes have become to drive, I love my GLA200, any day over the new loaner X1 I had briefly, infact I have primarily used my Mercedes when I intend to go on outstation trips, and the BMW in the city, so I do not with utmost respect by your argument that BMW's are the sportiest, there are alot of competent vehicles from all, which are changing preset notions, heck Mercedes off late, look the sportiest as well.

Originally Posted by TheGearBox

What an ownership history you have!
I did not know the GLA comes with memory for the front seats. The C 200 does not have it!

The GLA does indeed, and that too 3 for both front pax, infact all Cars priced above the GLA do not get it and having seen the number of people in India being chauffeured around in the C class, I would like to believe they have decided to save cost by eliminating in the C/E/S as well as the base GLE.

Any mods planned for the future? Performance remap, exhaust upgrade, etc?

Well, I personally don't like to do any mods, and try keeping my stock and as close to showroom conditions as practically possible.

Originally Posted by karan561

Congratulations NP for the G30.

The B48B20 motor of your 530i is truly a gem & a high point of 4cyl Turbo Technology for BMW.

Thank you Karan, appreciate and I agree it's hit the sweetspot.

Also loved hearing stories, pictures of your Mercedes E Class (W212) &

Well I know a lot of people in India who don't really drive their Germans, and have pretty much bought them for occasions, I tend to believe the other way, if I've paid for them I better enjoy them daily and that's why I've taken these cars to quite a lot of corners from Delhi, ofcourse subject to road conditions.

was particularly nice to go through how you managed the Accident involving the rear bumper being damaged.

Yes, I used to get very worked up earlier with these minor incidents, but I guess with age you mature and realise the greater things in life, I hope more people start accepting it and life can get happier, so often do we notice people blocking traffic and leading up to jams even in the smallest of touches, and unfortunately they don't even drive to kerbside, but instead make a huge cry right in the middle of the traffic.

As you've already done 30k kms, i believe its best to move this thread to the Long Ownership Term section (Mods can decide & re-position this thread accordingly)

Regards !

By all means,
Best

[vredesbyrd]

First and foremost, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart as you take these beauties on proper road trips unlike 90% of the buyers in India, who use it just for office, show-off or parties and these pretty beasts never leave the city limits.

P.S. Put up some travelogues with them

[Sandeep500]

A very honest and balanced review. Gives the true virtues and negatives of the car. Secondly a fabulous car collection you have. Truly blessed guy.

[shaheenazk]

Originally Posted by np23

DAILY NUANCES:-

Attachment 2036016

You forgot to hide the Registration number in this picture. Anyway, I wonder what purpose it serves.

[amsidhu]

Originally Posted by np23

with age you mature and realise the greater things in life, I hope more people start accepting it and life can get happier

Very true. I liked the way you ensured proper documentation of a minor traffic incident. Many don't even know the repurcussions of not following proper legal way.

Great cars and insightful review of BMW vs W212. Thanks