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      11-25-2011, 06:16 PM   #1
MalithS
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520D SE Buying Advice

Hi,

I am thinking of getting a used F10 520D SE. The spec I am thinking of is:

520D SE - about an year old preferably an Efficient Dynamics version

6 Speed Manual
Pro Sat Nav
Visibility Package
Folding/Dimming Side Mirrors
Oyster/Black Dakota Leather - I think lighter seats give the impression of having more space inside

Nice to have options (not essential):
Split rear seat
Sunroof
Service pack

Now I have a couple of question.

I am looking for a car about 12 months old so late 2010 model. Would this mean the pro sat nav doesnt have full post code search? I'd really like to have full post code search if possible. When did this come in?

Are there any other changes that I should be aware of that were not in the 2010 cars?

Now I was initially thinking of a budget of around £25k for this. Having looked around I have seen a few cars with the spec I want but all of these are quite high mileage (~30k miles) and are mid to late 2010 models. Am I being realistic with my budget or should I be looking to go up? I'd be ok with a car upto about 15k miles probably no more than that.

Thanks,
MalithS
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      11-26-2011, 06:52 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MalithS View Post
...Would this mean the pro sat nav doesnt have full post code search? I'd really like to have full post code search if possible. When did this come in?...
My Sep '10 535d, with pro sat-nav, has full UK postcode search.
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      11-27-2011, 01:06 PM   #3
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Hi, For full 7 digit postcode search the F10/F11 needs to have been manufactured in September 2010. Remember this is different from the "registered" date. I took a quick look on the BMW AUC site and there were at least 2 F10s with Pro Sat Nav for around £25k with relatively low mileage.

All of the F10s have the BMW efficiency dynamics so it is just about getting the best specification for your budget.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MalithS View Post
Hi,

I am thinking of getting a used F10 520D SE. The spec I am thinking of is:

520D SE - about an year old preferably an Efficient Dynamics version

6 Speed Manual
Pro Sat Nav
Visibility Package
Folding/Dimming Side Mirrors
Oyster/Black Dakota Leather - I think lighter seats give the impression of having more space inside

Nice to have options (not essential):
Split rear seat
Sunroof
Service pack

Now I have a couple of question.

I am looking for a car about 12 months old so late 2010 model. Would this mean the pro sat nav doesnt have full post code search? I'd really like to have full post code search if possible. When did this come in?

Are there any other changes that I should be aware of that were not in the 2010 cars?

Now I was initially thinking of a budget of around £25k for this. Having looked around I have seen a few cars with the spec I want but all of these are quite high mileage (~30k miles) and are mid to late 2010 models. Am I being realistic with my budget or should I be looking to go up? I'd be ok with a car upto about 15k miles probably no more than that.

Thanks,
MalithS
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      11-27-2011, 06:46 PM   #4
MalithS
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Thanks for the replies. So I guess I will have to call and check with the dealers is the build date is Post Sep 2010.

Another question. Does anyone know what happens to the BMW assist online portal once the subscription runs out? Dealers said the online services are only there for the first 3 years while its under warranty but they couldnt tell me what it would cost to extend after the 3 years. Does anyone know what sort of cost this would be?

Thanks,
MalithS
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      11-29-2011, 05:13 PM   #5
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Hi, BMW connected drive for Pro Nav costs €250 per year after the first 3 years and if you have Internet, that will cost an additional €150 per year. Internet is so slow there is no way the extra is worth it. As for Connected Drive, once my 3 years is up that'll be the end for me. Just don't make nearly enough use of it. I really only use it as I have 5 digit postcode search so being able to upload a route from the pc to the car overcomes that limitation.
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      11-30-2011, 01:07 AM   #6
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On the BMW auc site look for Yorkshire registered cars Y's as these are ones that belonged to BMW group and mostly driven by BMW employees (not the dealers) and mileage will be about 8k, anything over that and it may have been a hire car or insurance courtesy car. Spec is spot on, as the other post said only buy one build post sept '10 and you get the combox and this gives the better nav experience, full post code etc. check under the bonnet left hand side half way along will be a black sticker grey writing saying month and year or build, don't trust the dealer (they just want to sell the car) and check your self....
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      12-17-2011, 08:44 PM   #7
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Hi,

I've managed to find a car that meets my spec

Pro nav -oct 10 reg
Visibility pack
Folding mirrors
Oyster seats
Sport auto box - changed my mind on the manual as it was quite hard to find manual cars with my spec. Heard good reviews about sport auto box.

Its an ex BMW car with less than 8k miles on it. Have managed to talk dealer down to £27.7k but he is saying he can't do service pack for that price so I have to pay for that. Does this seem a good price for this car? I have seen newer cars 11 reg for about the same money but not with spec I want so I'm just wondering if this sounds like a good deal?

MalithS
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      12-18-2011, 06:19 AM   #8
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Is it a 520d?
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      12-18-2011, 08:40 AM   #9
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Yes Jon it's a 520d
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      12-20-2011, 03:15 AM   #10
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Considering the low milage, the price looks pretty reasonable, but it's a shame you can't stretch to a 6 cyl
Good luck; let us all know how you get on.
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      12-20-2011, 09:17 AM   #11
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MalithS: Don't be at all sad that it is a 4 cylinder engine. The new technology is amazing. The smoothness and performance will not disappoint you, even if (like me) you have driven 6 cylinder cars in the past.
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      12-20-2011, 12:08 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by SpikeUK View Post
MalithS: Don't be at all sad that it is a 4 cylinder engine. The new technology is amazing. The smoothness and performance will not disappoint you, even if (like me) you have driven 6 cylinder cars in the past.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the 4 cyl and I found it to be very impressive for 2 litres, it's just that the 335d is a great deal more powerful, vastly smoother and far less clattery. It also puts a bigger smile on your face when you put your foot down
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      12-20-2011, 08:25 PM   #13
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Thanks for all the help and advice. I managed to do the deal this evening and we are due to pick up the car next week

Final details:
520d SE oct reg (sep build just after pro nav update)
Space grey
Oyster seats with black carpets
Visibility pack
Pro nav
Folding mirror
Dynamic pack
Sport auto transmission

When I asked about BMW assist subscription when it runs out after 3 years dealer checked and confirmed that the current rate is £125 per annum which sounds quite reasonable to me.

Car has 7.5k miles and is an ex-BMW car and managed to haggle and get price down to £27.6k but had to pay extra for service pack and road tax also got half tank of diesel thrown in (couldn't get full tank )

I was quite impressed with the 2.0l engine I think this will give me a good balance between power and economy. Also very impressed with sport auto box and loved the paddle shift. I was concerned about the 19 inch wheels with the dynamic pack but it didn't feel too bumpy to me on the test drive and the sports seats were nice too.

Something I did notice was while scrolling through the service info the car was showing 31k miles for front brake pads but only 9k miles for rear pads !! Should I be worried about this? I'm thinking of ringing dealer tomorrow to ask about this. I also noticed that the head lamps had what appeared to be condensation inside the lamps. Anyone experienced this before?

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      12-27-2011, 06:51 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MalithS View Post
Thanks for all the help and advice. I managed to do the deal this evening and we are due to pick up the car next week

Final details:
520d SE oct reg (sep build just after pro nav update)
Space grey
Oyster seats with black carpets
Visibility pack
Pro nav
Folding mirror
Dynamic pack
Sport auto transmission

When I asked about BMW assist subscription when it runs out after 3 years dealer checked and confirmed that the current rate is £125 per annum which sounds quite reasonable to me.

Car has 7.5k miles and is an ex-BMW car and managed to haggle and get price down to £27.6k but had to pay extra for service pack and road tax also got half tank of diesel thrown in (couldn't get full tank )

I was quite impressed with the 2.0l engine I think this will give me a good balance between power and economy. Also very impressed with sport auto box and loved the paddle shift. I was concerned about the 19 inch wheels with the dynamic pack but it didn't feel too bumpy to me on the test drive and the sports seats were nice too.

Something I did notice was while scrolling through the service info the car was showing 31k miles for front brake pads but only 9k miles for rear pads !! Should I be worried about this? I'm thinking of ringing dealer tomorrow to ask about this. I also noticed that the head lamps had what appeared to be condensation inside the lamps. Anyone experienced this before?

MalithS
Brake pad wear on my 530d is pretty similar to what you are seeing so don't think you need worry. Saw some condensation once in one of the headlamps on a cold wet day but nothing since.
Was worth you paying for the service pack , I just had first service and it was £335.
Enjoy your car.
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      01-18-2012, 05:23 PM   #15
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Hello,

So after having the car for a couple of weeks now I am absolutely loving the car. It is so quiet and the ride is superb even on the 19" wheels. I am so glad I went for the sport auto box as it is just amazing and suits the car perfectly and as others have said the 520 is quite powerful I'm sure its not as smooth or powerful as the 6 cylinder engines but it does the job quite well. Pro nav is also quite nice although the voice controls aren’t that good as my old Honda Civic's voice control were much better (was able to control almost everything with voice control including climate). The visibility pack with the cornering lights are also very nice. Only thing I'm not happy with so far is the MPG figures as they are nowhere near the BMW quoted figures. I am getting around 49-52 MPG on motorway journeys (cruise at 70-75) and around town it goes down to about 30 MPG I guess it’s not bad considering the size of the car but I was expecting a bit more. I don’t know if the MPG will improve as the mileage goes up. Thanks again for all the advice and help.

Here are some photos:
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      01-18-2012, 07:17 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MalithS View Post
...Only thing I'm not happy with so far is the MPG figures as they are nowhere near the BMW quoted figures...
Early days yet, economy will improve as you build up the miles and, if you rigorously observe the recommended break-in procedure, you'll end up with a car which uses hardly any oil.
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      01-19-2012, 01:25 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon D
Quote:
Originally Posted by MalithS View Post
...Only thing I'm not happy with so far is the MPG figures as they are nowhere near the BMW quoted figures...
Early days yet, economy will improve as you build up the miles and, if you rigorously observe the recommended break-in procedure, you'll end up with a car which uses hardly any oil.
And the cold weather doesn't help either....
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      01-19-2012, 01:48 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon D View Post
Early days yet, economy will improve as you build up the miles and, if you rigorously observe the recommended break-in procedure, you'll end up with a car which uses hardly any oil.

What is the break in procedure? How long should this be done for? I thought the bedding in was only for about 1500 miles.
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      01-19-2012, 04:33 AM   #19
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And the cold weather doesn't help either....
Yes, of course, a major factor. Odd that I omitted to mention that, considering where I live
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      01-19-2012, 04:47 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MalithS View Post
What is the break in procedure? How long should this be done for? I thought the bedding in was only for about 1500 miles.
It's in the manual and, yes, the recommended figure is 1.5k miles, but that doesn't mean you should immediately drop two gears and floor it at 1501 miles!
There's been a good deal of discussion about this and there are two schools of thought - 1. don't bother and 2. take it easy. My age and engineering background tell me that there's no harm in following the latter and, with my 535d, I gradually started to build up the RPM after about 2k miles and didn't really start to boot it until I'd covered well over 3k miles. I now have a sublimely smooth engine and, more importantly, one that hasn't burnt any oil since new.
As well as keeping the RPM below the stated limit, it's important that you should vary the revs and not overload the engine, but that's unlikely to happen with the 8 speed auto.
Enjoy the car.
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      01-19-2012, 02:18 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon D View Post
It's in the manual and, yes, the recommended figure is 1.5k miles, but that doesn't mean you should immediately drop two gears and floor it at 1501 miles!
There's been a good deal of discussion about this and there are two schools of thought - 1. don't bother and 2. take it easy. My age and engineering background tell me that there's no harm in following the latter and, with my 535d, I gradually started to build up the RPM after about 2k miles and didn't really start to boot it until I'd covered well over 3k miles. I now have a sublimely smooth engine and, more importantly, one that hasn't burnt any oil since new.
As well as keeping the RPM below the stated limit, it's important that you should vary the revs and not overload the engine, but that's unlikely to happen with the 8 speed auto.
Enjoy the car.
I guess as the car has now covered just over 8k miles the break in procedure doesn't really apply any more. All I can do is just hope that whoever drove the car brand new followed the break in procedure.
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      01-19-2012, 02:41 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MalithS View Post
I guess as the car has now covered just over 8k miles the break in procedure doesn't really apply any more. All I can do is just hope that whoever drove the car brand new followed the break in procedure.
Over the length of this discussion I missed the fact that you were looking at a used car. At 8k miles it will be well and truly broken in, so you can relax and enjoy it. However, it won't hurt to keep an eye on the oil level.
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