911SC

Hi everyone. Just joined this forum but not sure if it was a good idea as a few hours of browsing have left me somewhat confused!

I have just ordered a new BMW through my company car scheme. My current car is a 2003 Audi A6 Sport 1.9TDI 130 manual with full leather/stacker CD and several other options. Looks great on 17" TT alloys and good colour. I have been really pleased with it and having driven more pwerful cars in the past, I suspect the engine gives more than 130bhp! However, after 3.5 years and 70000 miles its time for a change.

I looked at another A6 but im not sure about that new "beardy" front end. My company have a neat deal with MB and I could get an E220CDI Avantgarde with loads of extras (but no ability to specify anything myself other than colour) on a 2 year deal at almost GPB120 per month less than my chosen BMW. But after factoring in the tax implications (Co2 etc) the price is much much closer and my 15 year daughter thinks the E class would better suit her grandad! She is right of course. Similarly "ageist" comments also saw the Jag S type consigned to the bin and everyone laughed when I fancied a Chrysler 300C CRD- again the co2 tax implications saw it bite the dust!

So Ive now ordered a BMW 520d M-Sport manual. Est delivery date of March 07. Ive gone for Carbon Black with beige leather interior and light poplar wood (didnt like the aluminium!). Ive also gone for a 6 stacker CD and heated seats. Im now well into my own money for option top-ups so ive limited options to these.

BUT.... now i read that a new 5 series is out in March! What should i do? My scheme cant confirm but have stated that with any new model, they wont have the ability to order until 6 weeks after launch and there will be a 12-18 week delay. It could be late summer on that basis. I also spoke with a local dealer and he didnt think it was due until Sept and thought the M-Sport would hardly differ. Anyone know the real facts? I have until next week to cancel if I want!

ALSO... i visited a local dealer today just to look at a car in similar spec to mine and discovered an 18 month old 530D M-Sport manual with 19000 in almost identical spec but with a few more goodies for cGPB 25000. Should i come out of the scheme, take the cash and buy this beut? I have an allowance of approx GPB 550 p.m but my scheme pays for everything except private petrol. Ive got the calculator out now!

Any thoughts on my choice and my current dilemas (wait for new model/buy second-hand) would be welcomed!

KAF

IMHO the 'new' model is only a facelift, it's not new.

You would probably find the 530D more fun, it has way more power. depends if you want the 'cachet' of a new car or if you would be happy with a used model.

Personally, I would take a used 530 over a new 520 any day, but there will be a lot of things affecting your decision.

baadaaboo

I guess there is only a minor facelift not as bad as model upgrade next March. Mostly is the turbo upgrade on 3.0 gasolin. It has a very minimum impact on 520D. No worries...

jagman

When I read your posting it was a very similar dilemma that I went through a few months ago.

In my case I wanted an estate car and looked at the E220/E280CDi / A6 and 5 Series (I had previously had the last 5 series Sport Tourer).

My thoughts were very similar to yours the E220 was at best boring and long in the tooth, the A6 S Line was a very close contender but the ?G? band rating and in my case and the low residuals stopped me. I looked at the 520 and drove a demo car, it was nice but you really had to make it work hard to compensate for the lack of power. I think the engine capacity is probably better suited to the 3 series (I know that comment will cause controversy but I like ?power on demand driving? it is not a derogatory comment against the 520).

In the end I went for a 5 series 530d Sport with an auto box and have not regretted it for a minute.

I suggest you try them back to back and not just round the block, drive them under the conditions you would normally encounter (70K in 3.5 years means you spend a long time in your car like I used to) and then after the back to back runs I think you will like the 530 for its effortless power and torque, especially if you are going manual (try an auto you will be pleasantly surprised but it is all about personal choice).

You can pick up a fairly well specified 530d or a 525d without too many miles on the clock, if you haven?t checked out the BMW UK ?advanced car finder? on their web site I suggest you use this, it is how I have found my cars and forget the price you see that is just a starting point and each dealer prices up their own stock so look ?nationally? there are bargains out there.


You had a close escape by ignoring the S Type Jaguar , 3 years ago I had one for 6 weeks and traded it in for a 5 series and like you I think the Chrysler 300C is magic but my other half refused to even get in one ( almost made it even more tempting!!).

I am sure you will get a lot of good advice from the forum members, good luck.

Nevermind

As a company car the 520d is difficult to beat. In terms of BIF tax you will pay 50% extra for the privilege of driving an Auto 530d. For me this wasn't worth it. In reality the fuel consumption and performance of the 520d is just acceptable. To gain speed it needs revving, but once rolling it is ok. The 3.0d is a far superior engine and, in manual form, gives almost as good fuel consumption. The 525d is to be avoided. You get the consumption and BIK tax rating of the 3.0 with the performance of the 2.0. Its main benefit over the 2.0 is in town where it has more torque between 1k and 2k revs. I went for a light colour exterior and dark interior because it is easier to keep clean.

In terms of current versus facelift. That is an easy one. If you need to have your car straight away then current, otherwise facelift. Even if it doesn't look much different, especially in M-Sport guise, you can be sure that there will be a multitude of minor improvements because, make no mistake, there is room for them. A pre-facelift 5 series will be better than an E-Klasse or A6.

My views on the competition were exactly the same as yours. I came from an AUDI, but was not impressed with the overly fussy styling, both inside and out of the A6. It did drive well though and if the styling hadn't put me off I would have taken a 2.0Tdi in preference to a 520d SE because despite giving away 23BHP and (allegedly) 1.5 seconds to 60MPH it actually felt more alert engine wise in that typical VW group way. The M-Sport was different though, engine wise it still feels less fun than the A6 but the comfort and steering precision were much improved, as was road noise. On the Merc E Klasse, at one point we had three E320CDIs in the family (Father, Mother, Brother) and without a doubt in Avantgarde spec it is a formidable car and probably the best car of its type available. It is however intensely boring and does imply that the owner is a little older than the equivalent Audi or Bm.

Merv the Derv

Get the HiFi stereo option as its 10 times better than the standard UK spec version, Believe me I've had both. Your daughter will love it.

xBMWx

The new car will have around 175hp instead of the current 163hp and also some more torque. The interior also has some enhancements. With an M-Sport pack on it, I cannot imagine there will be any noticable changes on the outside. All in all, there is not much of a difference between the two, but worth waiting for *IF* you have the patience?!

What about the prices?? In Germany the prices go up slightly at around that time of the year, so you may not be able to get as much car into your budget. Definately worth checking.

The 530d M-Sport is IMHO the ideal E60 for those doing a lot of travel and cautious of fuel costs. (A 535d is the ultimate ofcourse!)

I once asked someone what they thought the best car was. Their response was... "a company car"!
Its a case of no worries and fixed costs.

If it were my choice, I would go for the 530d providing I was confident that it was well maintained / looked after, had the specs I was after, and BMW provided a comprehensive service deal for the duration of the lease. I.e. minimise your risk. This is assuming my estimated costs were not too much more for the 530d vs. 520d - you don't want to break the bank afterall.

As you rightly stated, its a question of calculating carefully to see what suites you best.

Cheers

steve_gus

as was described earlier, in the UK company cars attract tax on their cost price new, against a formula of emissions from the exhaust.

So, even if its a company car, its not a freebie. In my case I get cash to subsidise a car, and this doesnt attract the tax. For me, it was a balance of what I could afford, and psycologically, how much money I wanted to spend each month on a car thats gonna have approx 120k on it in 4 years, being effectively a total financial loss........

I think my 520d was a good choice, all the other diesels are a big leap in purchase cost. Even the waste of time 525d with 14 more HP costs 3k ($5500 dollars) more, just not worth it. I can imagine im gonna be pi$$ed in march if the 520d gets more power....

wonder if that can be programmed up by the dealer?

cheers

steve

911SC

Thanks for your replies guys. I think Im going to go ahead with the company order for the 520d M-Sport as planned. I will be quite peeved if the new car is significantly different (and more powerful) but i dont want to wait until summer for a new car!

Also it turns out the car i fell for at the dealership is a petrol 530i M-Sport not a diesel and i dont want to feed another thirsty car every day. Roll on early March!

xBMWx

...don't worry, you won't be disappointed!

Cheers