[jborchel]

I'm looking for an F10. In my Consumer Reports 2018 Buying Guide there is a topic called "Used Cars to Avoid". In the BMW 5 Series section it mentions model years 2010-2012 and 2015. This suggests I should look for a 013 or 014 model. Is this really true or just a coincidence because of the reporting habits of BMW owners that subscribe to CR's survey?

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by jborchel

I'm looking for an F10. In my Consumer Reports 2018 Buying Guide there is a topic called "Used Cars to Avoid". In the BMW 5 Series section it mentions model years 2010-2012 and 2015. This suggests I should look for a 013 or 014 model. Is this really true or just a coincidence because of the reporting habits of BMW owners that subscribe to CR's survey?

I quit trusting CR years ago. We bought a TV based on their recommendation and the power supply failed a month after the warranty expired. It was cheaper to just buy a new TV than have the power supply replaced.

CR gets their data subscribers so their results are, IMHO, quite skewed. Back when we subscribed I was sent a survey on the car we owned at the time. The questions on maintenance/repairs were VERY subjective leaving too much weight on whether the owner thought a repair was "normal" (such as shocks and brakes) or needed and shouldn't be.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by jborchel

I'm looking for an F10. In my Consumer Reports 2018 Buying Guide there is a topic called "Used Cars to Avoid". In the BMW 5 Series section it mentions model years 2010-2012 and 2015. This suggests I should look for a 013 or 014 model. Is this really true or just a coincidence because of the reporting habits of BMW owners that subscribe to CR's survey?

Does appear strange to single out say the 2015 builds. Guess it is how the statistics are compiled.

Reminds me of a few years back when a very rural country road up here in the Highlands of Scotland, was reported as the most dangerous road in the UK that year. Got on the BBC national news. Locals thought it was a joke, we all knew we had (in reality) much more dangerous roads, even locally. What had happened that year, there was one very unusual accident with deaths on that road. That statistically swung the deaths per mile on a defined section of road, to make it statistically the most dangerous recorded.


I'd have to dig a bit deeper, see why it is reported that way.

[bake]

If you are looking at a 550, I would avoid pre-2014. For a 535, it doesn't matter as much as the powerplant had no significant changes. And if you are here, you shouldn't be considering a 528 anyway.