[dickmidnight]

hey forum, i’m brand new so apologies if this is in the wrong place…

i have a 2009 650i that i like, but don’t love. it’s great looking and fun to drive, but the upkeep on a 15 year old car is never ending.

i turned my wife’s lease in this morning at a dealership preowned lot and they have a 2019 540i x drive sitting on the lot for 22k

they offered me 6500 for my 650, which puts me out the door for 15,500 for a car that’s 10 years newer, with all wheel drive and a real back seat.

the car is immaculate in and out, comes equipped with the m sport package, premium package, and driver’s assist package. it’s cobalt black metallic over black interior.

the only hesitation i have is that it has 101K miles. apparently the guy who turned it in commuted from CT to NY for work everyday.

i’d appreciate any advice here. is the mileage enough to scare you away? i’ll post a link to the car listing, if that’s allowed. if it’s not, i’ll provide any more info you guys think is necessary to help me make an informed decision.

thanks in advance!

[URL="http://https://www.danburypreowned.com/used/BMW/2019-BMW-5+Series--323c49f80a0e083419ed7d006e71cf7a.htm"]

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

hey forum, i’m brand new so apologies if this is in the wrong place…

i have a 2009 650i that i like, but don’t love. it’s great looking and fun to drive, but the upkeep on a 15 year old car is never ending.

i turned my wife’s lease in this morning at a dealership preowned lot and they have a 2019 540i x drive sitting on the lot for 22k

they offered me 6500 for my 650, which puts me out the door for 15,500 for a car that’s 10 years newer, with all wheel drive and a real back seat.

the car is immaculate in and out, comes equipped with the m sport package, premium package, and driver’s assist package. it’s cobalt black metallic over black interior.

the only hesitation i have is that it has 101K miles. apparently the guy who turned it in commuted from CT to NY for work everyday.

i’d appreciate any advice here. is the mileage enough to scare you away? i’ll post a link to the car listing, if that’s allowed. if it’s not, i’ll provide any more info you guys think is necessary to help me make an informed decision.

thanks in advance!

[URL="http://https://www.danburypreowned.com/used/BMW/2019-BMW-5+Series--323c49f80a0e083419ed7d006e71cf7a.htm"]

The price seems fair but for a car with 101k miles on it, the upkeep could soon become neverending, which would defeat the purpose of getting into a newer car for you. Otherwise, the G30 540i is a wonderful car and assuming mostly highway miles, the wear and tear might not be that bad despite the mileage. Posting links always helps as people spot things.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by adhrp

The price seems fair but for a car with 101k miles on it, the upkeep could soon become neverending, which would defeat the purpose of getting into a newer car for you. Otherwise, the G30 540i is a wonderful car and assuming mostly highway miles, the wear and tear might not be that bad despite the mileage. Posting links always helps as people spot things.

thanks, appreciate the reply.

the car definitely wasn’t abused. the seats are clean, no sagging or tears in the leather. the wheels are pretty much spotless, no curb rash or bends.

i’ll try negotiating for a pre purchase inspection before signing anything. i know the dealership inspects and services the car before turning it around for sale, but id like some impartial eyes on it if they’ll allow it.

i tried putting the link in my OP but i don’t know if it worked. here is the listing again..

http://https://www.danburypreowned.c...006e71cf7a.htm

[jsf721]

I love my 2019 540. IX.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

thanks, appreciate the reply.

the car definitely wasn’t abused. the seats are clean, no sagging or tears in the leather. the wheels are pretty much spotless, no curb rash or bends.

i’ll try negotiating for a pre purchase inspection before signing anything. i know the dealership inspects and services the car before turning it around for sale, but id like some impartial eyes on it if they’ll allow it.

i tried putting the link in my OP but i don’t know if it worked. here is the listing again..

http://https://www.danburypreowned.c...006e71cf7a.htm

That link didn't work for me, but Google helped. Let's see if this link works: https://www.danburyvw.com/used/BMW/2...0d8fd61304.htm

It is a two-owner car. The first one barely drove it, but the second one really made up for that and went to town with it... 44K miles/yr, wow! Look for any paint jobs if you do a PPI. And mechanical of course.

OCIs seem to be around 11K to even 20K miles on the latest one! Seems kinda high, but hey it has been running so it may be okay. Possible that the owner did their own oil changes in between, not sure how you might verify that though.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by adhrp

That link didn't work for me, but Google helped. Let's see if this link works: https://www.danburyvw.com/used/BMW/2...0d8fd61304.htm

It is a two-owner car. The first one barely drove it, but the second one really made up for that and went to town with it... 44K miles/yr, wow! Look for any paint jobs if you do a PPI. And mechanical of course.

OCIs seem to be around 11K to even 20K miles on the latest one! Seems kinda high, but hey it has been running so it may be okay. Possible that the owner did their own oil changes in between, not sure how you might verify that though.

It also has an emergency call system malfunction. IIRC, that's a failed battery behind the headliner by the CHMSL.

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

hey forum, i’m brand new so apologies if this is in the wrong place…

i have a 2009 650i that i like, but don’t love. it’s great looking and fun to drive, but the upkeep on a 15 year old car is never ending.

i turned my wife’s lease in this morning at a dealership preowned lot and they have a 2019 540i x drive sitting on the lot for 22k

they offered me 6500 for my 650, which puts me out the door for 15,500 for a car that’s 10 years newer, with all wheel drive and a real back seat.

the car is immaculate in and out, comes equipped with the m sport package, premium package, and driver’s assist package. it’s cobalt black metallic over black interior.

the only hesitation i have is that it has 101K miles. apparently the guy who turned it in commuted from CT to NY for work everyday.

i’d appreciate any advice here. is the mileage enough to scare you away? i’ll post a link to the car listing, if that’s allowed. if it’s not, i’ll provide any more info you guys think is necessary to help me make an informed decision.

thanks in advance!

[URL="http://https://www.danburypreowned.com/used/BMW/2019-BMW-5+Series--323c49f80a0e083419ed7d006e71cf7a.htm"]

Definitely get a pre-purchase inspection. And I thought the 2019 models had touchscreen climate and the full digital cluster (mine does), but that might be a US vs. Europe thing.

Otherwise, price looks pretty good. I paid well over twice that only a few years ago (with about 20k miles). Over here, these engines are said to generally be good for at least 300k before anything goes majorly wrong, so a low enough price should cover you for most other niggles.

My car has been great so far and I cannot think of anything in the segment I would replace it with. The I6 is a Sahnestück as they say here, and if you are a modder ~500 reliable hp is only a flash and downpipe away.

[Joe-BMW33]

Looks pretty clean. You don't see the blue interior much. Car is nicely equipped. Dakota leather is the base leather, but it actually wears slower than Merino or Nappa because it's so hard.

adhrp has some great comments and feedback, follow up on those.

Miles are high, but the trade off is a lower price. Definitely negotiate an aftermarket warranty or look into Route 66. It's tough to size up pricing and potential wiggle room for negotiating when you are trading. This is why I negotiate without mentioning a trade and then introduce the trade once I have beaten the shit out of them. You don't know whether they can come down on the price or go up on the trade or if they are already high on the trade.

In terms of the wheels, keep in mind, dealers have prep guys that fix the wheels and spray the bumpers in the parking lot before listing. So perfect wheels are more suspect for me than indicative of the prior owners driving habits and care. It this car was going into the city daily, no way can the wheels be perfect and the bumpers clean without repair. Doesn't mean it wasn't cared for, just keep in mind the dealer probably prepped it.

The I6 is BMW's bread and butter. You can run that engine over 300k miles.

[dickmidnight]

i really appreciate everyone’s input.

i went back to test drive the car today. i put about 20 miles on it, both highway and surface streets. it runs great. shifts are smooth, no lag on the engine. i drove in both comfort and sport mode and both were equally nice. no rattles from the interior and all buttons and switches seem to work perfectly.

the interior is clean. i checked closer for scuffed or sagging leather and didn’t find any evidence of the seats being abused. there’s some minor scratching on the center console between the shifter and the arm rest compartment but it looks like it would clean up nicely.

the body is straight. no dents or gaps, no creaky doors or misaligned hinges.

that’s all the good…

here’s the bad…

the front bumper is covered in rock chips. they’re heavily concentrated on the passenger side but they’re pretty much across the entire bumper. not only that but there chips are surrounded/covered in white marks that seem like they won’t rub off. i have pictures, but can’t figure out how to attach them.

the pre owned dealer said they’d have no problem with me getting a PPI done, so im calling around to arrange that. the local bmw dealer said they don’t do them?

so here are my options, and i’m open to advice:

i can take the car for 22,000 less my 6500 trade-in and get the bumper repainted by my body shop

i can take the car for the listed price of 22,350 and the dealer will respray the bumper for me.

i can walk away without spending any money and find something nicer to trade my 650i in on.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

i really appreciate everyone’s input.

i went back to test drive the car today. i put about 20 miles on it, both highway and surface streets. it runs great. shifts are smooth, no lag on the engine. i drove in both comfort and sport mode and both were equally nice. no rattles from the interior and all buttons and switches seem to work perfectly.

the interior is clean. i checked closer for scuffed or sagging leather and didn’t find any evidence of the seats being abused. there’s some minor scratching on the center console between the shifter and the arm rest compartment but it looks like it would clean up nicely.

the body is straight. no dents or gaps, no creaky doors or misaligned hinges.

that’s all the good…

here’s the bad…

the front bumper is covered in rock chips. they’re heavily concentrated on the passenger side but they’re pretty much across the entire bumper. not only that but there chips are surrounded/covered in white marks that seem like they won’t rub off. i have pictures, but can’t figure out how to attach them.

the pre owned dealer said they’d have no problem with me getting a PPI done, so im calling around to arrange that. the local bmw dealer said they don’t do them?

so here are my options, and i’m open to advice:

i can take the car for 22,000 less my 6500 trade-in and get the bumper repainted by my body shop

i can take the car for the listed price of 22,350 and the dealer will respray the bumper for me.

i can walk away without spending any money and find something nicer to trade my 650i in on.

The bad is relatively minor and easily fixed. The important aspects seem to have checked out, pending a PPI. I would be fine with option 1 or 2. With how little you're paying for it, even an additional $2-3k in maintenance and sprucing it up to your liking doesn't sound bad to me.

As others have said, you can easily drive the car to 250K+, so some might consider a well-maintained/treated B58 at 100k miles to be barely broken in.

[dickmidnight]

thanks @adhrp. that’s good input.

i was definitely a little let down when i saw the front bumper. it was raining when i saw the car last week and i didn’t really notice the bumper because it just looked wet/dirty and i didn’t get down to take a close look.

i’m leaning towards not having the dealer paint it and taking it to my own shop. i’d rather know it’s done correctly.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

i really appreciate everyone’s input.

i went back to test drive the car today. i put about 20 miles on it, both highway and surface streets. it runs great. shifts are smooth, no lag on the engine. i drove in both comfort and sport mode and both were equally nice. no rattles from the interior and all buttons and switches seem to work perfectly.

the interior is clean. i checked closer for scuffed or sagging leather and didn’t find any evidence of the seats being abused. there’s some minor scratching on the center console between the shifter and the arm rest compartment but it looks like it would clean up nicely.

the body is straight. no dents or gaps, no creaky doors or misaligned hinges.

that’s all the good…

here’s the bad…

the front bumper is covered in rock chips. they’re heavily concentrated on the passenger side but they’re pretty much across the entire bumper. not only that but there chips are surrounded/covered in white marks that seem like they won’t rub off. i have pictures, but can’t figure out how to attach them.

the pre owned dealer said they’d have no problem with me getting a PPI done, so im calling around to arrange that. the local bmw dealer said they don’t do them?

so here are my options, and i’m open to advice:

i can take the car for 22,000 less my 6500 trade-in and get the bumper repainted by my body shop

i can take the car for the listed price of 22,350 and the dealer will respray the bumper for me.

i can walk away without spending any money and find something nicer to trade my 650i in on.

I can't comment on whether you should walk away or find something better or keep the 650, that's your decision, but I can tell you none of what you call "bad" is anything to walk away over.

So if you like the car and feel good about it and the deal, take it somewhere else to have the bumper done. Trust me, all that dealer is going to do is have the spray and pray guy come and sand and spray it in the parking lot and in a year, the clear coat will be peeling and you will have to do it again anyway and pay. The proper way to re-do a bumper cover is to remove it to ensure the clear coat wrap all around every edge and angle. That's not going to happen by the parking lot guy.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I can't comment on whether you should walk away or find something better or keep the 650, that's your decision, but I can tell you none of what you call "bad" is anything to walk away over.

So if you like the car and feel good about it and the deal, take it somewhere else to have the bumper done. Trust me, all that dealer is going to do is have the spray and pray guy come and sand and spray it in the parking lot and in a year, the clear coat will be peeling and you will have to do it again anyway and pay. The proper way to re-do a bumper cover is to remove it to ensure the clear coat wrap all around every edge and angle. That's not going to happen by the parking lot guy.

oh for sure. im not about to pay them to paint the bumper badly lol.

trying to set up the PPI now (do bmw dealerships not do this?) and then hopefully gonna make the deal early next week.

[Chappers 71]

You’ve gotta expect road rash with those kinda miles & at least it shows that it’s honest.

When I bought my G31 it all looked great but once I’d got it home & cleaned it a few time I started noticing stone chips & ended up sorting the bonnet myself.
The front bumper had a few but not as many as the bonnet so I lived with it but over the last few months I noticed lacquer peel & just had the bumper repainted last week along with all the black trim & it’s now perfect.

So better you see it as is rather than it having had a quick blow over & noticing it needs work later

[Warp Ten]

Originally Posted by jsf721

I love my 2019 540. IX.

Ditto! But mine only has 20,000 miles on it. Maybe you can get a lower mileage 540 that is certified, or at least a lower mileage one. By the way, I am surprised they would put it on the lot with a bumper in need of paint. Is this a BMW dealer? We always had a car with a bumper like that painted if it needed it. Our dealership has a company called Carnica on call to do simple things like bumper painting and stone chip touchups. But then, our dealership would never have a car on the lot with that much mileage. Straight to the auction. Good luck! --Bob

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by Warp Ten

Ditto! By the way, I am surprised they would put it on the lot with a bumper in need of paint. Is this a BMW dealer?

not a dealer, it’s a pre-owned center for the bmw/audi/vw dealerships in the area. it’s where people go return their leased cars.

PPI is set for monday morning, so fingers crossed everything comes back clean

[BlueSander]

have you checked around for similar sales? I feel 22k with 100k+ miles 540i is a bit high.

Assuming the car was never abused, at 100k plus you are looking into certain required maintenance coming soon. To name a few - water pump, thermostat, belts, brakes & rotors.

Also, these cars are heavy so the shocks and springs are worn out to some extend given the miles. Used car dealers can lubricate parts to make the test drive smooth, however, after a few months, the squeaky noises will come back. Ride will be fine but just a bit noisy pulling out first thing in the morning. This is from my own personal experience with these cars for many years now. Replacing all 4 corners to restore the ride is not cheap even if you do it yourself with BMW parts.

Lastly, balls joints, axle boots, oil pan gasket.... all coming as well.

If it was cheaper, sure! 22k is a tad steep.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by BlueSander

have you checked around for similar sales? I feel 22k with 100k+ miles 540i is a bit high. .

i haven’t. i wasn’t even looking for this car, i just kind of stumbled on it when i returned my wife’s lease to this place.

i did a quick search local to me. there are a couple of 18-19 m550i for sale for 26-27K but i’d really rather the v6 engine as a daily driver.

the 19 540i x drives for sale locally with less miles (50-60K) are all a good 10K more than the car i’m looking at.

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

i haven’t. i wasn’t even looking for this car, i just kind of stumbled on it when i returned my wife’s lease to this place.

i did a quick search local to me. there are a couple of 18-19 m550i for sale for 26-27K but i’d really rather the v6 engine as a daily driver.

the 19 540i x drives for sale locally with less miles (50-60K) are all a good 10K more than the car i’m looking at.

Inline 6 not V6. Considerable differences in smoothness and overall efficiency. The I6 is more or less the perfect engine, particularly for sporty applications where big power is desired, but weight would sour the handling. For a long time, BMW was the only one who stuck with it, and rightly so.

I wouldn't want an N63 past 70k or so. Over here, most of the shops will tell you to avoid them. I've yet to see any '50 variant on the Ring here either, which is interesting.

[BlueSander]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

i haven’t. i wasn’t even looking for this car, i just kind of stumbled on it when i returned my wife’s lease to this place.

i did a quick search local to me. there are a couple of 18-19 m550i for sale for 26-27K but i’d really rather the v6 engine as a daily driver.

the 19 540i x drives for sale locally with less miles (50-60K) are all a good 10K more than the car i’m looking at.

As long as you know what you are getting yourself into and be prepared, I think you should be fine.

I agree with what Neusser said said above, the straight 6 is the best engine BMW has ever produced and perfect as a daily driver.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by Neusser

Inline 6 not V6.

my bad, i meant i6…thank you for the correction.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by BlueSander

As long as you know what you are getting yourself into and be prepared, I think you should be fine.

I agree with what Neusser said said above, the straight 6 is the best engine BMW has ever produced and perfect as a daily driver.

i appreciate you pointing those things out though. i have a great indy mechanic who specializes in bmw so if i go through with the deal, the car will go right to him to address any 100K maintenance issues right away at the same time that the bumper gets painted.