terrymac

First post so first thing to say is thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post previously.

The forum is an invaluable source of info and was a great help in deciding to wait for the LCI as my next company car and then specifying the options etc.

It's a solid black 523i SE auto (see sig for options).

The high gloss black interior and grey interior is a great combo (if you like black and grey like me of course )

The car was delivered on 31/08/2007 (great pre-sales service from start to finish by Halliwell Jones in Warrington) so I had to wait all day until midnight before I could drive it on 57 plates.

After almost 8 weeks and just under 5000 miles I'm generally pretty pleased with it.

The mid-range performance is definitely lacking compared to the turbo diesels I'm used to but it isn't really what you would call slow and can be lively in DS.

The Logic 7 sounds superb which was a relief after seeing the posts about how the LCI Logic 7 was worse than the pre-LCI Logic 7.

I know audio is very subjective but compared to the factory-fit Harmon Kardon setup in my previous car (which sounded great but the sub enclosure was in the roof of the boot (like on the E39?) and the door cards vibrated) this sounds even better.

I was about to arrange to take it in to the dealer for an intermittent rough idling problem when they called me to arrange to collect it for a software update (to reduce risk of damage to the fuel pump) so they suspect possibly an injector or pump fault which they'll check out when it is in.

The only disappointment is how much wind and traffic noise gets into the cabin. The other two pre-LCI E60s at work don't have the same problem so I'll drive a couple of other LCIs to see if it just mine or general to the LCI. It only seems to come from the area of the windscreen so if it is just a problem on mine I'll have the dealer check for a badly-fitted screen or poor seal, missing grommet etc.

It isn't massively noisy but it is noticeably noiser than everything I've driven in the past few years and I didn't expect to hear wind noise at speeds as low as 45 mph and for the first few days I thought I'd left a window open.

Does anyone else have the same problem or am I blessed with ears like a bat?

Thanks again to eveyone who has contributed to the forum!

Cheers

TerryMac

Russ1974

Welcome! I am just down the road from you Terry. I got my car from Sytner Coventry (due to a deal I could not turn down) but Halliwell is my local dealer. Have had 2 x E60 and 1 x E70 (new X5) from them. I was in there just today about my squeaky brakes! I have my location as "Manchester" so non UK people know where I am. But I am actually near Daresbury labs in Sandymoor. Where abouts in Warrington are you? I know it very well, have been up here for around 12 years (originally from Oxford).

If you want to meet up and compare your wind noise to mine, drop me a PM. I am actually off work tomorrow with very little to do so am available any time during the day any time up until about 3.30pm.

terrymac

Cheers Russ and thanks for the offer. I'm booked solid all day tomorrow but our offices are at Preston Brook so pretty handy for you, I'll definitely take you up on that offer.

We live at Kingswood (near Gemini, IKEA, M&S etc).

Russ1974

Preston Brook is my doorstep ... if you have 5 minutes spare tomorrow let me know, no problem to pop over to your office and go for a quick spin ! I'll PM you my mobile and email so just give me a shout if you feel the urge

(Edit - PM seems to be broken !!). Can meet up pretty much any time as long as I'm not out of the area - occasionally have to go overseas or London/Chester, but other than that I work locally and can nip out without a problem.

terrymac

Halliwells collected the car from the office today; they have just called to tell me they need to keep the car overnight as it needs a new injector and they won't have it in stock until the morning.

They have left me a 320D Sport to get around in and I should have mine back tomorrow.

Mine was a mid-July 07 build (week 30) so maybe BMW hasn't quite got to the bottom of the N53 fuelling issues just yet?

Can't fault the customer service so far though

Russ1974

That's good ... is the 320d quieter than your 5? Might be a good comparision regarding the "noise". Mine is really quiet, or so I think, with everything "off" and "closed" ! PS - I ordered a sprint booster

UK 5 Series

I was interested to read your post as I'm about to order a new UK 5 series. Is yours the 'new' model with the direct injection engine and new chrome / angled gear selector? If so, I'd be curious to know what sort of MPG are you getting (BMW UK quote 37.7mpg average) and whether the engine sounds smooth and like a 6 cylinder petrol at idle and under acceleration (I've read reports that the new set up makes it a little 'rougher' at low revs).

I'm currently in a 320d SE Touring (new model) which has all the performance you need but only circa 42mpg (some 6 mpg below BMW's claims and 6mpg worse than my previous generation 320d SE Touring). I am tempted by the new petrol engines as the company car tax is now, for the first time, less than the diesels, but was worried if they'd seem sluggish compared to the diesel engines. I would be going for a 525i though. Do you think the extra 28bhp and 30nm of torque over the 523i would be enough to address your slight dissapointment over performance?

I'd love to know the answers to these as well as any other views you'd be happy to share. No BMW dealers in the South have petrol 5 series to drive - just diesels. They are all clueless about the new engines and haven't bought in to them at all, simply stating that "over 95% of 5 series now sold in the UK are diesels" and "there's no demand for the petrol versions so we don't run them". Infuriating!!

anit999

post some pics

Russ1974

Welcome!!

When weighing up the pros and cons for diesel vs petrol, remember that in the UK, diesels will retain their resale value better and will give much better mpg than their petrol counterparts. A diesel will never sound as nice as a petrol, nor will it give the same off the line acceleration. You seem to be torn between speed/sound/performance on one hand, and economy and price on the other. You need to choose one or the other as you can't have both. I opted for the 535d which gives great performance and (for me) good mpg (average 33), whilst knowing it will retain it's value quite well. But it wasn't cheap. I could have got the 540i for around the same price, but 10mpg less.

28bhp and 30nm is not that much to be honest ... it'll be a noticeable difference, but not enough to blow your socks off if comparing the two side by side.

One thing though ... if 95% of 5 series being sold in the UK are diesels ... I think that should tell you something about which one to go for unless you have some strong compelling reason to go for petrol?

UK 5 Series

Hi Russ
Thanks for the response.
As it will be a company car, I don't have to worry about resale values. If it was a private purchase then I agree it's a no brainer as a petrol version will lose around 20% more of its value than a comparable diesel.
Bizzarely, due to the way my company re-imburses fuel (at Inland revenue recommended rates), it will actually cost ME less to run a petrol. Odd I know, but true.
So, as the petrols cost me less, the choice for me is either a 520d or a bigger engined 525i.
If running costs aren't an issue (as either version would actually cost me the same), would you personally go for the 4 cylinder diesel (better torque and less stops for fuel) or the 6 cylinder petrol (more refined & better BHP)?
What Car magazine recommend the 525i specifically as the 'Best Executive Car', which has influenced me. Also, a 6 cylinder engine seems better for an executive car and I can't stretch to the 6 cylinder diesels.
It's also worth remembering that the main reason 95% of 5 series in the UK are diesels is due to our company car tax rules which have made them considerably cheaper than their petrol counterparts. This all changes now with the new direct injection engines as the petrol versions are now lower tax than the diesels (which have the 3% weighting). he buying public (and BMW dealers for that matter) haven't woken up to that fact so are still ignoring petrol E60's.
It's great to have this debate now before I place the order, especially as I can't drive a petrol car and the new 177bhp diesels aren't available as demonstrators yet as they're all sold!
So, honest answer - if total running costs are identical, should I go for a 520d or a 525i ??