Insurance: dont ask me

Diesels are more suited to high mileage, but a well-kept petrol should not have any problems.

Parts are expensive, just have the pre-buy checkout at the BMW retailer then go to a service shop with a good reputatio

Hi Rob,

I had a 5 series which I got at 118k on the clock & used it for frequent blatts up & down the country until the head gasket went at 150k - everything I ever needed mechnically for the car was a lot cheaper than expected (a bonus of expecting a high price). I even managed to get the entire propshaft refurbished for under 200 pounds (BMW wanted 400 plus labour (90 p/h) to fix just one part of the propshaft - it comes in three parts). As Craig has said, find a good independant specialist & your laughing. The car was awsome to drive & I would take the old 5 series over many cars that were a lot newer any day of the week. Fuel consumption for the 518 was about 30mpg around town, although I'd imagine that the newer 528i would return about the same figures, given the 1.8 engine is really to small for a car of the 5's size.

Since the 518 I've moved onto my current 730i, which is in another league, a stunning car for long journeys, very comfortable & unbelievably quiet. It'll return 30mpg on the motorway & 20mpg around town, however on really short trips like a mile to the shops, you'll get about 8mpg with a cold engine - but that's a 3 litre V8, so it's not going to be the most economical - does sound good though.  

Insurance is roughly about 400 a year fully comp for the 7, although that is with 0 no claims bonus & I'm 32.

Have a butchers here mate, a really cracking site, with lots of helpful members: http://www.bmwland.co.uk/talker/

Feel free to ask any questions that come up.

Cheers,

TSC.

I used to have a 3-series and will NEVER buy a BMW car again (their motorbikes are another matter).
However that said diesel engines tend to be bomb proof

Darn, we are going to lose another one to the dark side......

Crash (Mercedes-Benz forever)

Quote:


Crash, hope you have one of these. A must for the discerning Merc driver



Matt

Cheers everyone, I'm off out tomorrow to have a look at a few estate cars, BMW being the preferred marque (still) but as has been pointed out to me I can get, for instance, a Mondeo estate on a "54" plate (September 2004) for the same price as a BMW 5 series tourer on a V-W (2000) plate.

Dare I say the Vword...

Modern (late 90s onward) Volvo estates will have had someone pay off the best part of 90% of their devaluation. I was looking at a V40 earlier this year (admittedly you'd be looking at a larger model), and was surprised at what I'd get for £2-3K (1999is, less than 80K)...