hey all, im in the search to buy my first bmw 5 series e60(used), like to stay with the 6 cylinder and possibly manual tranny....Loooking to spend up to 25000$, Any buyers beware,what to look for that you all can give me and any good year to look at and between 525i or 530i to get

i looked at a 2004 525i auto the other week, liked it but wanted to look for others....I also heard the auto trannys have problems after 100k? or would I be okay buying a car with an auto or SMG..thanks alot..

 

definitely recommend the manual tranny--bulletproof. lots of issues with either Steptronic auto (clunky shifts) or SMG.

I like your idea for the 6 cylinder, just be careful of the turbo 535. There are issues with the high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) that required recall/service bulletin action.

your biggest decision should be RWD or xDrive, then sport package or not. If you want the best possible driving experience, go with RWD and sport package.

 

Completely agree - great advise. I would also suggest deciding what all you would need if you live in the cooler parts of the US (AWD, winter package etc.) Finally, you have to see if you need navigation or not.

For 25K, I would take a few routes:
1. A 2008 or later car which is around 40-50K miles, AWD with sports and winter package.
2. A 2006-2007 car with 20-30k miles, very good condition, AWD and top of the line, possibly a CPO.
3. A 2004-2005 car with really low miles, excellent condition, possibly from someone who knows their cars and whom I can trust to keep the car well maintained. Again, a decent amount of stuff seems to start needing attention after 5-6 years like batteries, fluids, brakes, bushings etc.

PS: Know of the HPFP issue.

 

Hey! Welcome to the forums! Couple of things that I went by when I got mine:

1. Get all the options you want when buying, really look for the right car. It really makes a difference down the road.
2. Look for a car with known history, and/or a good owner, as much as possible.
3. CPO and aftermarket warranty is not something I would overpay for.
4. I went for a manual 6 cylinder for many reasons, such as frugality, the fact that it's what a BMW "should" be - what they are known for, and of course, the fact that Auto box is really expensive to fix. I later did a short shifter retrofit on my car and it's even better now. You can also eventually get a performance clutch and flywheel, which would really improve performance. On Auto these things aren't realistically doable.

I'm sure others will add some more pointers soon. Good Luck with the purchase and don't be a stranger


Lastly, a little shameless plug

I am selling my 2006 530Xi (all wheel drive) manual transmission, sport with lots of nice mods. I'm asking 21K, but if you're interested, PM me - I'm flexible within reason.
Car is fully loaded and well taken care of. All maintenance and preventative care up to date.
Plus, it already has the sport suspension, BBS wheels, Dension iPod/iPhone/USB adapter... lots of improvements! I got married and moving onto to a more sedate transport

check out my latest photoshoot and my for sale threads for more info

Here's a pic:



Again, Apologies for the plug. Just thought you might like the car Good luck!!!

 

Congrats.... for $25k you can get a VERY good E60 especially if you are looking for a 6 cylinder. infact, at $25k, you can get a pretty good 550i (8 cylinder) just look around, take your time

Good luck!

 

The HPFP issues shouldn't br a problem for you so long as you take the car in to make sure the dealer replaces the HPFP and fuel injectors for FREE since it was a recall item. So many people are over concerned with this issue but they fail to realize that recalled problems are fixed by the dealer at no charge to the consumer. At least that's what I was told by my dealer. My recommendation would be to go with the 535 (v6 twin turbos) or any v8 model. Otherwise you will be spending money on mods trying to catch up to the amount of horse power these cars already have straight from the factory. If power is not a big thing for you then disregard. Btw carmax has plenty of models at or near 25k so don't be discouraged if all your seeing is over priced 530s etc at dealers.

 

Is that the sound of a whip (not meaing car) I hear? Sorry to see you sell the car. I actually did the opposite.. got married 10 months ago and picked up the car 4 months ago.

 

She actually wants me to keep the car. Hey, I know she's a keeper