Got hooked on BMW's when my older cousin got a brand new 330ci, and from the time I saw that car in person I was head over heels in love with BMWs, even though I am a hardcore JDM guy.
I had a 2007 530i that I bought in my senior year of high school which I loved dearly but sold with only 120k because I felt the mechatronics unit going and I didn't want to invest the money in parts. Sold it and broke even.
I then bought a 2012 Infiniti M56s that was fully loaded on my 19th birthday, kept it for 3 weeks while I continued to notice several egregious faults with the vehicle, eventually resulting in the dealership unwinding me out of the car because I no longer wanted it (hole in the floorboard!!!)
When I was shopping for another car, I refocused on the 5 Series, and I knew it had to be an F10... which is a strange car for a 19 year old to want. But I am a family oriented person, and wanted a nice car I could take my parents out in for dinner or go on a road trip and be comfortable. Thus F10.
I wanted either a 535i, and in my mind it HAD to be an M-Sport. That was my only real requirement. When I started browsing, I was shocked to see that the 550i's were in about the same price range as the 535i's I was looking for. Most of the cars in my budget were in the 50-60k mile range, which I thought would be pretty safe. I remember seeing so many tempting 550i's with pretty low mileage and very nicely optioned that I was watering at the mouth for... but for one reason or another I didn't buy.
My dad tells me he found a 535i for sale locally, and it was a 2011. I asked him to see the listing and when I saw the picture I immediately said "nope. not an M-Sport, I don't want it, I don't care. " but when he told me it only had 19k miles... I ended up buying that car out from under another client who had already put a deposit down on it.
So I am 19 years old, with a 2011 BMW 535i xDrive finished in Alpine White over Oyster Dakota Leather and Anthracite trim. Adaptive HID's, soft close doors, HiFi audio, Comfort Access II, Cold Weather Package, Backup Camera, PDC, iDrive Pro etc. etc.
But there's a problem. It's sitting on 18 inch Style 237 wheels, wrapped in Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires, and has that hideous base model 2011 front bumper. I knew all of that would change... in due time. I was just happy that I was able to find such an amazingly clean, low mileage car at such a young age.
Now, it sits on H&R Sport Springs, 666M Reps (ikik, sue me
), stopped by R1 Concept Carbon Geomet Rotors and Pads, K&N CAI, JB4 w/ Bluetooth module, VSRF Catless Downpipe, and finally did the M-Sport front bumper swap by Kies Motorsports, finished off with M4 Style Carbon Mirrors, M5 Style Carbon Fiber Kidney Grilles, and M5 Comp Style Rear Spoiler.
I couldn't be happier with the ownership experience I've had with this car. I have not had a single CEL, warning or fault pop up on the car since I have owned it. It always starts, even when it sits for 3 weeks because its no longer my daily driver. It goes through the gears beautifully, gets 28 mpg cruising on the highway, and has made me look WAY more wealthy than I actually am
It now has 43k miles, and I am planning to do some extensive servicing at the 50k miles mark, which will probably be towards the end of this year at the current rate of me driving it. Oil change, spark plugs, trans fluid, diff fluid, brake fluid, coolant, filters, etc. I do not baby my car, if I do take it out for a drive, once its up to temps I definitely give it the beans, but I don't neglect it either. The N55 isn't the most powerful engine in the world, but it has proven to be pretty reliable and trouble free, and it certainly isn't lacking in power either.
I am SO glad I didn't let my young, power hungry brain pull the trigger on a 60k mile 550i pre-LCI... I'd probably be buried in repairs up to my neck!
Thanks for reading
