[Viju]

Guys

I have kind of narrowed down my options, but still confused. Really in need of advice from the F10 experts here! (How do I tag GTO?)

I have kind of short-listed the following two cars:

(1) 2014 523i Touring Luxury (Silver)

• Positives: LCI, fits within 75% of my budget, relatively newer, love the color

• Negatives: 2L engine, no sunroof, 37000 km

(2) 2013 535i Touring (Black)

• Positives: 3L engine, panoramic sunroof, only 22000 km done, love the color, yummy 19 inch BBS Y-spokes and the exhausts on either side

• Negatives: Pre-LCI, 10% over my budget, relatively older

• The cheapest 535i LCI I can find is more than 50% over my budget (strict no-no at the moment).

• I do plan to do refurbishment after the purchase, and the 523i gives me more wiggle room here for some TLC (PPF, ceramic coating, accessories etc).

• This would be my first non-Japanese car, first RWD (not counting the Nano here!), and I would like to enjoy it for the next 5 years at least (around 10,000 - 15,000 km per year).

[Sreesh1009]

Go for the 2014 523i. The money saved can be used to install a remap. It somehow looks more appealing than the 2013 535i

[carthick1000]

Good to hear from you after narrowing down the options. BMW - Good choice there

Originally Posted by Viju

Guys
2014 523i Touring Luxury (Silver)

This would be my option given the following reasons:

1. For a BMW, 22000kms or 37000kms does not make much of a difference. Also a 7 year car having driven only 22000kms sounds a bit strange. I am not sure about the usage behaviour of Japanese commuters.
2. BMW's silver colour has a good presence. Also from safety standpoint during night drives, has a better visibility than black. It's simple physics
3. Recent model with LCI having all the niggles of pre-LCI corrected.
4. Has luxury packet. Indeed you cannot retrofit most luxury packet options, but you can always choose a different set of wheels.
5. 2L engines are pretty decent and also fuel efficient. Less visits to tank stations.
6. Last but not least. Infact a very important one: 75% of your budget is a sweetspot. You can reserve the rest for any maintenance or upgrades. Overspending makes the experience of car ownership less pleasant. And it is always wise to reserve some % of your budget, esp. while choosing used German cars.

[Viju]

Thank you guys for your replies!

The twin turbo 6 cylinder of the 535i is definitely alluring, but there is no real need for it here in Japan. Without driving either, I assume the refinement and low to mid range of the 535i will be better than the 523i.

Nevertheless, my usage will be limited to short school runs or grocery runs during the weekdays and longer drives every other weekend. With this kind of usage, I don't think I will be doing any favors to the life of the twin turbos either.

I have filtered the cars to those with complete service / running distance records. There is nearly no chance of odometer tampering here in Japan in such cases.

22000 km usage in 7 years is low, but most Japanese commute to work by trains, and the cars end up being used only for outstation trips.

Yes, the silver is good without a doubt. But nearly all our cars until now were silver or white. Was just hoping I will have a black car finally.

Yes, 75% of the budget is indeed a sweet spot. And I do plan to spend a decent sum on preventive maintenance once I get the car.

I will wait for any contrarian views. If nothing comes up, I need to schedule an appointment with the dealer to see the 523i in the flesh.

[Viju]

In an unexpected turn of events, the listing for the silver 523i has disappeared overnight! Guess someone else thought it was a good VFM car as well. I am back to square one!

[BANDHAV]

All the practical point aside if I were you I would have picked that 2013 535 just for the way it looks. That stance is to die for.

[Viju]

I hear you. Surprisingly, both the listings have disappeared. Just hoping the listings just expired and the dealers will relist them. Fingers crossed.

Else I will just have to be patient for a bit longer.

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by Viju

I will just have to be patient for a bit longer.

Always there will be a next listing of another good car. Never getting too emotionally connected to a car before buying is good for your wallet

[Viju]

Totally unanticipated, but I have decided to hold off the car purchase for the next 6 - 8 months. Instead I am planning to invest the money into starting my own small business. Thanks for all your help, guys. And wish me luck!

[Viju]

Anti-climax to the station wagon search!

Just booked the Mazda CX-8 Gasoline AWD 2.5 Turbo. The next couple of months of wait are going to be really hard!!

[carthick1000]

Thanks for the update. Mazda is indeed a good choice. Had an MX-5 ND in the past. No nonsense engineering and a pretty upmarket cabin for a decent price point. Reliabilty levels that no other OEM can match (may be except some porsche's)!

After delivery, share pics and probably a review if you have time!

I wonder if you started that business you were talking about?!

[Viju]

Thank you, Carthick and sure I plan to post a review.

As far as the business is concerned, yes, I am in the process of registering my corporation since the beginning of January. Legal processes take time in Japan, and especially longer now due to the pandemic related restrictions.

Hopefully, the car and the company should be registered around the same time.

As I went way over my original budget for a used car, I did end up availing a loan. Paying the whole amount upfront would have meant very little capital left for the business. At 1.99% interest rate, the loan terms are relatively good.