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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum 2013 528i v. 2013 535i - Just Can't Decide...Help me out!
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      07-14-2012, 01:37 PM   #1
DitrasetMan
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2013 528i v. 2013 535i - Just Can't Decide...Help me out!

Friends,

I have been gearing up to buy my first 528i, but recently I began getting paranoid that I would be throwing my money away (for resale) if I don't "go for broke" and get a 535i.

Is the market for a used (loaded) 528i that much less as compared to a 535i if I decide to sell the car in four or so years?

Option 1: 2013 528i
  • Premium Package
  • Driver Assistance Package
  • Technology Package
Total price (including taxes): $52,325

Option 2: 2013 535i
  • NO premium package (to save money since the 535i comes with leather, but I would be losing the comfort access system, which I don't need and satellite radio, which I won't be using - Pandora instead)
  • Driver Assistance Package
  • Technolog Package
Total price (including taxes): $55,277


Factors:
- I do NOT drive fast. In fact, I like to drive very slow. So, the speed increase for the 535i is not a factor.
- I like the rims on the 535i better than the 528i
- But, I like the gas mileage on the 528i better (23 city, 34 highway) as compared to the 535i (21 city, 31 highway)
- But, the 535i might command a higher resale?
- But, the 535i (as configured) is $3,000 more!

Thoughts?
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      07-14-2012, 06:12 PM   #2
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Get what you want.
In four years the resale difference won't be much more than the difference of original price.
But your enjoyment of the car is worth far more than any resale difference!
Good Luck!!

Last edited by RxCritical; 07-14-2012 at 09:51 PM.. Reason: -2 spelling
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      07-14-2012, 07:09 PM   #3
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Driving fast is not the issue. If you obey the speed limits, both cars are limited to the same speed.

The questions I would pose to you are these...
Do you like to ACCELERATE?
Do you like the drive of one particular one over the other?
Have you looked into getting the handling packages? You don't have to drive fast to enjoy good handling...
Have you looked into getting the better seats (multi countour seats)?

I would not worry about resale, but how much you enjoy the car you have. If you don't enjoy the car...which is more than speed, but how you FEEL when you drive/ride in it...any difference in cost is well below what you save...
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      07-14-2012, 07:49 PM   #4
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The different is well below 10% get 535. Where I live (southeast asia), it is almost 30%, no brainer in my case.
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      07-14-2012, 09:06 PM   #5
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The worst thing to do would be to make a decision you'd later regret. If you'd be happy w/ the features and drive of the 528, go for it. But if there's an inkling of doubt that 6 months down the line, you may be kicking yourself wishing you had the 535, well do the 535 now. It's a decision that I think should be based on more than just what looks good on paper.
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      07-15-2012, 09:10 AM   #6
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DitrasetMan, according to Kelly's blue book, a four year old 528i is worth $25000 and a 4 year old 535i is worth $27000. The difference is $2000, therefore, in reality, you are only paying $1000 more for the 535i. Its a no brainer, go for the 535i.

Last edited by The X Men; 07-15-2012 at 11:00 AM..
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      07-15-2012, 09:38 AM   #7
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The 528 is an awesome daily driver. In Eco-Pro in gets 37-38 mpg.
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      07-15-2012, 10:19 AM   #8
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If resale is that important to you then you should worry about a Msport / non Msport car. Demand for that package will seperate you from other F10s

Alan
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      07-15-2012, 01:02 PM   #9
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If resale is your paramount concern, then I suggest buying a used Lexus rx350. Those things seem to appreciate.

Now, if you want a car that you will enjoy, then get the 5 series with the most power that you can afford. An underpowered 5series is a horrible thing to do to yourself.
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      07-15-2012, 01:18 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sholaesq
If resale is your paramount concern, then I suggest buying a used Lexus rx350. Those things seem to appreciate.

Now, if you want a car that you will enjoy, then get the 5 series with the most power that you can afford. An underpowered 5series is a horrible thing to do to yourself.
^^^* this
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      07-15-2012, 06:57 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PUN72 View Post
The 528 is an awesome daily driver. In Eco-Pro in gets 37-38 mpg.
Well, the only benefit the 528i has over the 535i is the price; and the gas mileage. But, doesn't the 535i have the eco-pro/engine top start as well?

In reality, the 528i gets 21 mph city, and the 535i gets 20 mph city. That is pretty much the same for a city driver.

I drove the 535i today, and it was definitely faster than the 528i. It was nice.

The only problem is, if I get the 535i, I won't be getting the comfort access system (because I won't be getting the premium package to save $1,500 to stay within budget). I would still have leather, as the 535i (unlike the 528i) comes with leather.

Ugh, decisions decisions decisions....
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      07-15-2012, 07:13 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sholaesq View Post
If resale is your paramount concern, then I suggest buying a used Lexus rx350. Those things seem to appreciate.

Now, if you want a car that you will enjoy, then get the 5 series with the most power that you can afford. An underpowered 5series is a horrible thing to do to yourself.
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      07-15-2012, 08:06 PM   #13
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Don't let the lack of CA hold you back. Its nice but not a deal breaker in my opinion.
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      07-15-2012, 09:53 PM   #14
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Take over a 6-12 month old 535i lease (swapalease or something) with less than 6k miles and buy it outright instead of lease transfer. Let the 1st owner pay substantial depreciation

More BHP is always good!

If you want fuel economy, just get a Chevy Volt for now (wait for BMW i-series) with solar paneled garage/charging station and you probably would never buy gas or electricity (the solar panels on your roof will charge your car for free).
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      07-15-2012, 10:06 PM   #15
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For you I would say get the 528i.
But I would say skip the driver assistance package. There is no replacement for simply turing your head before you change lanes. I saw a study that said cars with these systems actually have a higher crash rate. This is most likely due to driver relying on them instead of looking. Anyway I would say go for the Muti-Function Seats or Premium Sound.

Seriously the people that say get the 535i obviously didn't read your post. Because wheels are very easy to get (although they are expensive) and you said that you didn't like to drive fast.

Last edited by bimmerjph; 07-15-2012 at 10:12 PM..
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      07-16-2012, 10:46 AM   #16
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The forum bias here is to get more power if the price is somewhat similar. I would retort by saying the 528i has been tested by several car mags to have plenty of low end torque and passing acceleration from 50-70 mph. You can also get more options, and outfit the car as more of a luxury car, which might appeal to you. The engine note and the upper register (4-7k rpm) is the reason the get the n55. Its all about priorities - if you want a nice luxury car with great economy and adequate usable power, the 528i. If you are biased towards more power, revs, engine sound, the 535. Dont feel like ure getting a weak engine with the n20, it is plenty enough for a 4000 lb car.

IMHO, given the current fuel climate, i wouldnt be surprised if the 528i actually holds a slightly better % residual than the 535i.
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      07-16-2012, 12:04 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATX78703 View Post
The forum bias here is to get more power if the price is somewhat similar. I would retort by saying the 528i has been tested by several car mags to have plenty of low end torque and passing acceleration from 50-70 mph. You can also get more options, and outfit the car as more of a luxury car, which might appeal to you. The engine note and the upper register (4-7k rpm) is the reason the get the n55. Its all about priorities - if you want a nice luxury car with great economy and adequate usable power, the 528i. If you are biased towards more power, revs, engine sound, the 535. Dont feel like ure getting a weak engine with the n20, it is plenty enough for a 4000 lb car.

IMHO, given the current fuel climate, i wouldnt be surprised if the 528i actually holds a slightly better % residual than the 535i.
Other things to keep in mind... while the 4 Cylinder is a performance model, the N55 is even more of a performance engine. in my opinion even the 535i needs a little extra pep to move the 4000lb car around. Ive driven both along with the 550i. I think the 535i gives a nice balance of power and refinement. the 528 is the mst economical. Its also my least favorite because its slightly under powered. But you said you do not drive fast. Why not get a 528i then... makes the most sense...
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      07-16-2012, 02:42 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DitrasetMan View Post
Friends,
Option 1: 2013 528i
  • Premium Package
  • Driver Assistance Package
  • Technology Package
Total price (including taxes): $52,325

Option 2: 2013 535i
  • NO premium package (to save money since the 535i comes with leather, but I would be losing the comfort access system, which I don't need and satellite radio, which I won't be using - Pandora instead)
  • Driver Assistance Package
  • Technolog Package
Total price (including taxes): $55,277
Thoughts?
It doesn't look like you are ordering anything that will make a difference in between 528 and 535 except power.
535 in the past has higher popularity among the car modders.

Here are some thoughts.

I have a 528ix 2012 model. my feeling was mixed. Sometimes I wish I had chosen the 535 just because a Subaru STI 4 banger is making 300hp while mine is making only 240hp. But I felt proud of my choice when I found out my car sips gas less than my girlfriend's 2006 Honda civic. Daily driving fuel consumption is about 8.5l/100km(27.5mpg) . My STI friend told me his combine fuel consumption was 12l/100km!

528ix's engine from outside the car sounds absolutely terrible to my ear, but who cares, you can't hear anything inside the car anyways. And it makes a nice discussion topic every time when someone asked me whether my bimmer is a diesel. I think the era of listening to the sound of engine is pretty much over now anyways as high compression ratio engine with direct injection becoming more and more popular.

For the rims, people have different taste. I personally think neither 528 nor 535's stock rim looks good. If you are going to buy sport/M package, than 528 and 535's rim will be quite different. 528's rim will be more economical since the radius is smaller than 35's.

Last edited by polesx; 07-16-2012 at 02:56 PM..
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      07-16-2012, 04:37 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DitrasetMan View Post
Well, the only benefit the 528i has over the 535i is the price; and the gas mileage. But, doesn't the 535i have the eco-pro/engine top start as well?

In reality, the 528i gets 21 mph city, and the 535i gets 20 mph city. That is pretty much the same for a city driver.

I drove the 535i today, and it was definitely faster than the 528i. It was nice.

The only problem is, if I get the 535i, I won't be getting the comfort access system (because I won't be getting the premium package to save $1,500 to stay within budget). I would still have leather, as the 535i (unlike the 528i) comes with leather.

Ugh, decisions decisions decisions....
Both the 528i and the 535i have the A.S.S. system, automatic start and stop system. I thought the 4 banger was rougher when it starts in the automatic start and stop system, but you can judge for yourself.
In the city, both car gets pretty good gas mileage. On the highway, the 4 banger is better on gas. The 535i is has better highway passing power.
My wife loves her comfort access, I can take it or leave it. CA is more pf a advantage for a female, they dont have to dig thru their handbag for the keys, whereas I keep the fob in my front pocket for easy access.
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      07-16-2012, 06:34 PM   #20
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I have a 2011 535xi; however, I am by no means an authority or expert, here are my opinions:

- I do NOT drive fast. In fact, I like to drive very slow. So, the speed increase for the 535i is not a factor.
In my opinion, the N55 is not always about driving fast, although it is very fun to do so. It's all about the amount of torque and horsepower. For example, you wouldn't have to rev the car out because of the torque that is available almost immediately; therefore, you get a refined, smooth ride. This is less of a deal now with the turbo 4.
- I like the rims on the 535i better than the 528i
Check.
- But, I like the gas mileage on the 528i better (23 city, 34 highway) as compared to the 535i (21 city, 31 highway)
Is that really a sufficient difference to make a decision? 3 MPG?
- But, the 535i might command a higher resale?
A car will lose value no matter what. It is never a winning investment.
- But, the 535i (as configured) is $3,000 more!
I think in the 50,000 plus range 3,000 is a drop in the bucket. IMO.
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      07-21-2012, 03:40 PM   #21
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go with the 535i, its a small price to pay for what feels like double the performance, in addition you get the dual exhaust, and still can get great fuel economy.
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      07-21-2012, 08:22 PM   #22
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Definitely go with the 535i. Not sure if you have noticed, but the European car trend is gearing towards smaller 4 cylinder engines with turbos (Audi/VW, Merc, BMW, Volvo). There are also news that they are working on 3 cylinder engines as we speak! While the performance is stellar, the N20 engine is still a 4 cylinder 2L engine.

I'm sure that this 6 cylinder engine in the 535i will be a thing in the past in 4 years time. So this is probably the last chance to still get a 6 cylinder engine with a decent price. I'm guessing maybe only the 550i will get the 6 cylinder in the future (maybe with tri or quad scroll turbos)?

And IMO, $3000 divided in 4 years is not much. If you can promise yourself to keep the car stock and not modify it, I think you are safe. Not many people realize that just a few aftermarket mods here and there can blow $3000 away easily (especially with BMWs).
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