[TO740]

Looking for a little guidance here. I have been driving BMW’s since 1989 - An ’84 733i 5 speed manual. Traded it in, in ’97 for a ’96 740iL. Put around 300KM’s on both of them - lots of coast to coast road trips. Moved to a 2009 328i Coupe in 2010.

The 328 has been the most trouble free, but I am finding it a bit cramped and looking to upsize. Now, I would love a 550 or 535, but I have a major concerns about long term reliability issues with both of those engines. HPFP, turbos etc etc.

I am more than happy with the power of the 328, which has 48 more horsepower than my old 733, and only 50 less than my 740! Although the current 4 cylinder turbo offers comparable power, it fall far short of the smoothness of the 3 liter normally aspirated six. The only F10 to offer this engine is the 2011. I have found a CPO 2011 - Sport Package - Premium Sound - with 80,000 KM’s/50,000 miles on it with warranty to mid 2017. It’s pretty basic - no Nav. With current smart phones, do we really need nav? Are there any issues that I should be looking for in this 528i?

[FriskyDingo]

Wow, I had no idea they made an N52 F10. Crazy.

It's a sweetheart of an engine, but I'd go at least 535 or bust. Just my .02.

[TO740]

Indeed, it is sweet. And yes, the 535 would be nice. In general, a 535 looks to be a bout $10k more, so that is an issue.

Mods - I just realized that this is posted in the F30 thread. Any way to move it to the general F10 thread?

Thanks!

[FriskyDingo]

All the sub-forums share this section. It's universal.

[TO740]

Then all is well

[overcoil]

I really like the 2014 4cyl 5-series. Some reviews said not sporty enough. I though it had the best interior of just about any car. The only negative thing I found on the car was the mat finished B pillar.

[TO740]

Thanks Scott. I'd love to go newer, but a CPO 2014 528i is about $20k more, so is a problem. Maybe when the G30 hits, F10's will come down in price. Unfortunately, not many CPO's in Canada.

Still looking for thoughts on tech. With current large screen cell phones, is there much of an advantage to having factory gps?

[FriskyDingo]

I've never thought factory Nav was much to get hung up on. Rather use my phone as long as it's charged.

[BigKutta]

I test drove both versions back in late 2011, right before the N20 engine came into the F10. I was disappointed in the 2011 N52, because although it was smooth, it didnt seem to have enough get-up-and-go. Anyhow, while procrastinating, the N20 2012 came out and I went and drove it. While I was concerned about a 4 cylinder, it really proved to feel much faster than the N52. Sure its not as smooth as an inline 6, but I think its actually a better fit for the F10. This actually makes sense because they have designed and tuned this chassis/engine/transmission for atleast 5-6 years of the F10's life

Just my $.02

[Bbb34]

I did a quick search on bmw.ca 2011-2013 with less than 60K km. and seems that you can buy 2013 528 for about the same price as 2012 535, a bit of negotiation and some luck and, well you get the idea. I didn't directly compare all the options, so might not be as straight forward as I'm describing it, but I'm sure you've done your research on this.

For me, perfect balance between great handling, features and power was 535i. While I don't think there's anything wrong with other two models, I found that 528 engine and power delivery just wasn't as smooth (N55 is silky smooth in my opinion, at any speed, almost any RPM range).
550 to me felt a bit heavy (front heavy to be more specific) and I couldn't justify spending more on gas on daily basis for something I wasn't fully sold on. Also (and I don't think I am, but might be wrong on leather seats) some of 528s I looked at didn't come with leather seats, folding rear seats or pass-through. Given the type of vehicle 5 series is, those were the deal breakers for me.

There's really no "right answer" as to which to pick, you can only decide based on your priories and preferences. All of us have different criteria and will give you different advice. Most people seem to want "more power" and I can understand that, but try to be realistic on what your daily needs are. As for tech features/navigation, personally, I would love this car even without iDrive, never-mind navigation, but again, depends on what you are after.

[TO740]

BigKutta - appreciate your thoughts. Re: the N52 vs N20. I'd much rather have the smooth linear power of the the six than the four. Loved the BMW inline 6 since my old 733i.

Bbb34. I haven't driven an N55, but find the N52 in my 328i is more than adequate - raw power days are well behind me.

You are right about the 2011 528. The one I am considering has leatherette. Never sat on these seats, so don't know how it differs from leather (had the old MBTex in a 60's Mercedes a lifetime ago) I think I will hold off on my decision for a few months to see what shows up out there. I'd hate to make the wrong choice and feel like I'd bought a bare bones fleet vehicle!

[ndinh]

First off, I would love to own a '84 733i 5 spd manual. Very cool indeed. Secondly, test drive a '12 or '13 528i and they may impress you more than you think. Obviously, these aren't the typical 4 bangers we had years ago. We bought a '12 528i for my wife and we both agree it has more than enough power, plus gets crazy gas mileage. The only reason to purchase navigation is that it's a good reselling option, that's it. I use my phone everytime. Back up camera on the other hand, is one of life's necessities.

[TO740]

The 733i was an awesome car. Considering my vehicle before it was a 79 Ford Fairmont Station Wagon, it was an awakening! Time to go for some test drives

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by TO740

...I haven't driven an N55, but find the N52 in my 328i is more than adequate - raw power days are well behind me.

Oh I get that, but it wasn't "raw power" that I was referring to. Lots more choices for raw power out there - 550 is one of them.

N55 is however silky smooth and effortless, power comes fairly early and it never seems to run out of steam. Get it in the right RPM range if you want to push and hang on, otherwise, its' just great long distance cruising machine.

Originally Posted by TO740

You are right about the 2011 528. The one I am considering has leatherette. Never sat on these seats, so don't know how it differs from leather (had the old MBTex in a 60's Mercedes a lifetime ago)

I had leatherette in some of my own cars and few loaners, and honestly I didn't mind it. Mostly because all of those had sticker price significantly below 5 series. Personally I don't think leatherette should be spoken in same sentence as 5 series or any car in this price range but that's just me.

[Jcbama85]

I recently purchased a 2013 CPO and I am very pleased. The 2.0 twin turbo provides plenty of power for my needs and it was just over half the price of a new one. The mileage is insane, recently did a 600 mile round trip from Houston to Ft Worth and back and got 35.8 mpg doing 72-75 mph on the road. For the money it was the best value for my use.

[TO740]

If I'm not mistaken, BMW offers cloth outside of North America. Much better choice for our hot and cold climate. As for leather - when my wife ordered her new MY2000 323 Ci, leather was a $2400.00 option and alarm system was another $500.00. Crazy. She still has the car, so I guess it amortized out fairly well

[535MSport]

Run, the tranny's in the 2011's are crap, ours jerks, hesitates and has been programmed umpteen times and still ticks me off every time I drive it.

[535MSport]

And, I will reiterate what has been said here a hundred times, you do not want to own a later model BMW without some sort of warranty. There are a lot of really expensive things that can go wrong, and do go wrong.

[TO740]

Warranty is at the top of my list. I had my 740 for five years after the CPO ran out and I was spending from $3 to $5k a year to keep it in top shape. Definite diminishing returns. I will move the sliding scale forward to MY13 at the earliest.

Jebama, we did a road trip over Christmas from Toronto to Ottawa in my 328 and averaged 33mpg, so the four cyl is more economical, for sure.

I'll let you all know what I finally get into when it happens.

Thanks for your replies.

Bob

[ARfan395]

I've had my 2011 528i just shy of 3 years now and I'm just as happy with it today as I was when I purchased it. I came from a 2009 328i and to me this car feels better in every way. I have 59,000 miles and have had zero issues. Yes the transmission is slightly jerky at low speeds on occasion but thankfully it is very rare in my cars case. I don't feel like NAV is necessary if you have a smartphone but the larger screen does look nice. My car was pretty well optioned but I do wish I had the multi-contour seats.

Acceleration is more than adequate and I have never wished I had more power when passing or merging. FYI Ihave driven 600 miles round trip on one tank and can average up to 38 MPG if I'm cruising 60-65mph....fuel economy is awesome! The N20 is a nice engine but I don't feel like it suits the F10 style and you can never substitute the sweet sound the N52. I plan on keeping this car a LONG time.

Choose the car that best fits you!

[TO740]

ARfan, the problem here in Canada is the lack of decently optioned CPO'd 2011 528's. There is only one CPO in all of the country and it is bare bones - leatherette, no Nav, but does have Sport Package and Premium Sound Package. I don't need to make a decision for a few months, so will continue browsing Autotrader etc. I'll keep looking for that perfect fit!

[ezaircon4jc]

Flat land; the 4-banger is probably just fine. Load up the family (w/luggage) for the Griswold family vacation and you will probably want at lest the straight-six. We went to Yellowstone last May with 3 adults and a full trunk. I had no problems climbing the mountains maintaining speed. I don't remember exactly, but over the trip I think I averaged 28+ish mpg. I was quite pleased considering my speed (85+ in Utah and Idaho) and mountain driving.

From the trip...