Please help me pick a wagon

[chuckitinbro 10]

Im a total n00b when it comes to bmw but here's some background and requirements/wants. Would greatly appreciate advise from those that have owned.
For the last 6 years i've had D40 Navara. For the last 2 i've been thinking about getting something nicer to drive but still do most of the tasks i want. I sold the ute a few weeks back so i need to replace it.

Requirements:
Price range is ideally under 11k

Be a a wagon. Have a family that it needs to carry and occasionally dogs in the back. I do a bit of DIY and making things so with roof racks it could carry timber etc. Thats pretty much got me set on an E61

Decent size engine. I have a boat that i don't use as much as i should but need to be able to at least tow it to the ramp and pull it out of the water. I had it narrowed in order of preference to 530d, 550i, 525d. 530d's are apparently like unicorns and hard to find. 525d's arent much easier. There's a few 550i's around in my price. Had a friend look at one in auckland for me and he said it was solid. its had a lot of the common issues resolved and good service history while the guy has owned it. But i have read a few things that those motors can be time bombs. Im prepared for maintenance costs but not equipped for repairs in the thousands. I'm pretty hand DIY and mechanic but not engine internals. Given the rarity of the diesels will a 530i be ok or will it suck completely at towing? Figures say its got 20nm more torque than my navara and double the kw at 200. 535 not available in a wagon it seems unless you go to an F11.

Nice to haves:
M Sport. They look great but i'd take a non M if it was a good deal
Dark interior. I've seen a decent priced F11 535i but it has a cream interior that would get dirty if you looked at it the wrong way.

Appreciate peoples thoughts mainly about the e61's engine options related to towing. If the 530 will do it and not suck more than a D40 i can live with it if it means a more reliable engine. Or if im better to hold out for a unicorn white msport 08 530d.

 

[kiwi535 538]

not sure of the tow figures on the BMWs,rsearch options and toungue weights.Some of the bmw tow bars are nifty fold away or removeable items but they have a very low toungue weight..How far do you want to tow the boat ?I would think a 530i will easily do what you want ,but they will be pricey at the pump compared to the navara.No contest in any other comparison.I am pretty sure the in line six is very solid compared to the V8s which .All the issues with all of the e60/61 are very well known now

[chuckitinbro 10]

Should have added the boat i believe is 1400kg with trailer. Im in Hawkes Bay, furthest i've towed it so far is taupo but possibility of a corromandle trip once a year. Otherwise its only a 5 min trip to the ramp. i was more concerned with having grunt to pull it out of the water up a slippery ramp.

Figures seem to be 1800-2000kg braked so its within that. just wanted some personal experience vs figures on a page. Good to note about different towbar types 

[treone 648]

X5 diesel?

[balancerider 758]

Doesn't seem to be much out there in the diesel category atm for E61's. 

Impressive mileage on this 530d but not sure I'd go there. 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2669279541.htm

X3 3.0d? (may not be big enough inside)

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2637405208.htm

[kiwi535 538]

its the downward weight on the ball that will possibly be the issue withthe fancy BMW towballs,and they will amost ceritainly be a 50mm ball too

I think its matt here had an e61 diesel wagon for ages. 

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Diesel facelift E53 X5 is probably your best bet. Any M-sport BMW is not really an option for practical people.

[Olaf 3317]

N62.  Not time bombs, as long as they're looked after.  

• Valve Stem Seals.  Yep, costly to do, though can be done without removing head.  5000-7500km oil & Filter changes are a good idea.
• Coolant tube.  Mitigate this with annual coolant flush and replacement.
• Trans.  Same as every other ZF 6HPyy-equipped vehicle.  Regular filter (pan), mechatronics sleeve. And proper oil.  Very clever trans, lots of money to fix if the f#ck-up fairy...

More later!

•  

[chuckitinbro 10]

Thanks for the x suggestions but im not after an SUV at all. Towing would be like 2% of the vehicles workload so i'm happy to compromise in that area as long whatever I get can do it safely.

Do the valve stem issues occur even with good service history or is it cause by neglect?

[Olaf 3317]

Uncertain; the seal material has changed which I think indicates a (in hindsight) less-than-great material choice.  Note that the same seal material is found in N42, M54, N52 etc so not solely a risk with N62 V8.  I *think* neglect exacerbates things, poor oil choices or missed oil changes.

[zero 1162]

I'm pretty sure the same valve seal material is not in the m54 motor as they don't suffer prematurely from this problem, unlike the N series engines, particularly the N42 and N46.

[aja540i 1906]

On 6/29/2020 at 10:27 PM, Young Thrash Driver said:

Diesel facelift E53 X5 is probably your best bet. Any M-sport BMW is not really an option for practical people.

I beg to differ, my M5 tows regularly and has practicality up the wazoo! ?

[balancerider 758]

On 6/30/2020 at 7:43 AM, chuckitinbro said:

Thanks for the x suggestions but im not after an SUV at all. Towing would be like 2% of the vehicles workload so i'm happy to compromise in that area as long whatever I get can do it safely.

This makes me very very happy as a wagon fan. Sit tight and wait for an E61 LCI 530/535d IMO

Edited July 1, 2020 by balancerider

[treone 648]

30 minutes ago, aja540i said:

I beg to differ, my M5 tows regularly and has practicality up the wazoo! ?

This! As there is always the exception to the rule! So, if you can find one buy an E61 M5. ?

For complete practicality but without the frugality, HSV Avalanche or Holden Adventra LX8 haha!

Just kidding on the last suggestion... ?

 

[chuckitinbro 10]

15 hours ago, balancerider said:

This makes me very very happy as a wagon fan. Sit tight and wait for an E61 LCI 530/535d IMO

This would be ideal. i just dont know how long im going to have to wait and riding a motorbike in winter isn't always fun

 

[nzpanda92 16]

On 6/30/2020 at 12:05 AM, Olaf said:

N62.  Not time bombs, as long as they're looked after.  

• Valve Stem Seals.  Yep, costly to do, though can be done without removing head.  5000-7500km oil & Filter changes are a good idea.
• Coolant tube.  Mitigate this with annual coolant flush and replacement.
• Trans.  Same as every other ZF 6HPyy-equipped vehicle.  Regular filter (pan), mechatronics sleeve. And proper oil.  Very clever trans, lots of money to fix if the f#ck-up fairy...

More later!

•  

Yes agree here with Olaf. I just had my valve stem seals done in my 550i - luckily still under the dealer warranty. Don't want to think about how much it would have cost - it was at the mechanics for around 2 weeks. Not to scare you off, they are an amazing car - definitely plenty of power. Good luck - and keep us in the loop with what you end up going for!

Jimmy

[Olaf 3317]

N62 valve stem seals I think it's around a $2k5-3k job, with the heads remaining in place.  The auxiliiary electric coolant pump plastics disintegrated when the hose was removed, so that's another cost in that job.  The seals themselves cost little.  It's a labour-intensive job, there's other gaskets and seals, Valvetronic Timing tools to rent etc, Coolant, Oil, Oil Filter.

[NZ BMW 368]

On 7/17/2020 at 3:41 PM, nzpanda92 said:

Yes agree here with Olaf. I just had my valve stem seals done in my 550i - luckily still under the dealer warranty. Don't want to think about how much it would have cost - it was at the mechanics for around 2 weeks. Not to scare you off, they are an amazing car - definitely plenty of power. Good luck - and keep us in the loop with what you end up going for!

Jimmy

How many kms were on the car when the seals failed?

I had the 4.8 in my E70 and drove it from 70k to 120k without incident. Brakes were actually one of the biggest costs...

For what it’s worth I did 10k oil changes and tend to do the transmission fluid every 30-40k.

Only issue I had with the cooling system was the expansion tank developed a split which I consider to be part of all BMWs as disappointing as that is. 

[nzpanda92 16]

On 7/19/2020 at 7:42 AM, NZ BMW said:

How many kms were on the car when the seals failed?

I had the 4.8 in my E70 and drove it from 70k to 120k without incident. Brakes were actually one of the biggest costs...

For what it’s worth I did 10k oil changes and tend to do the transmission fluid every 30-40k.

Only issue I had with the cooling system was the expansion tank developed a split which I consider to be part of all BMWs as disappointing as that is. 

It was at 93k when the seals failed. Once it got sorted, it’s all good now. 
I’ve just hit 10k and put it through a service at Continental. Only thing that they mentioned was my oil level sensor needs to be changed ($400 just for the part!?). 

[chuckitinbro 10]

Me again, 4months on and still without a wagon. Seen a few good deals come and go. Found my expectations on price are a little lower than what's being asked at the moment in most cases.

I'm considering flying up to Auckland and having a look at a few
This isn't too bad but I think i'd want to pay closer to 9 for it.
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/2806390929?bof=1KgtUF3G

This is the same seller. Asked him a few questions and he said that the list price is his bottom dollar. I'd hope to pay around 11 max for it but it is pretty well specced. Not a huge fan of the colour
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/2758084114?bof=yFplG427

Then there's this very nice looking 550i with a busted sunroof. Via text he said he'd go 13500. That's still a bit outside what i want to spend and doesnt leave me anything for repairs. ( I don't overly mind the sunroof not working as long as it doesnt leak.
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/2793443844?bof=sZhjcLCt

Any thoughts on those ones and the pricing? Or just peoples opinions in general of a 530i/550i touring prices. Ideally after doing more research I'd like an 07 LCI but i can live with an 06 for the right price and condition. I've given up the idea of ever finding a 525,530d or 535d.

Does anyone know of something fitting my bill for sale? I've scoured trademe, driven.co.nz, turners and facebook as much as possible. Is there another way to search all car dealers sites/listings?

Appreciate any help. whilst i love riding my motorbike sharing 1 car with the wife is wearing thin.

[balancerider 758]

NZ new V8? (valve stem seals may need doing?) Price looks reasonable though.Well specced - looks like probably a display car given registered Mar 2006, manufacture Aug 2004...

WOF history looks very clean with only one fail in 14 years.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/2830748086

 

Edited October 23, 2020 by balancerider

[qube 3570]

An LCI is definitely a bit nicer  

I see a couple f11 wagons for 15k ish if you wanted to up the budget a bit. Arguably a better car

[balancerider 758]

none of the LCI's have a V8 in them for <10k though

agree F11 528i would be a big step up.

Edited October 23, 2020 by balancerider