[syed]

Hey just wanted to come on here and ask if it’s a good idea to buy a higher mileage m550i. I’m currently looking at a couple m550s that have around 60-75k miles, all clean titles and have good service records. Is there anything I should keep in mind before purchasing one?

[AP]

There are a coupe of other threads here at the moment about 550 and 60k mileages or so

Worth a look

If you are talking specifically about the m550 rather than any car with that sort of mileage, the only one I would highlight are coolant leaks which the range ( not just the 550) seem to suffer from.
So I guess look for any coolant residue in the engine compartment and level of the coolant. Possible it may have already experienced it and been fixed in the past

Not sure if you can pull up service records for it?

Engines seem fine, not seeing any issues with them in this forum

Personally would stay away from anything that’s been tuned as that to me would suggest it’s been thrashed .

[silverydragon72]

Agreed avoided anything that is tuned, stock is best. See Maintenace records as well if possible. Id also recommend not stretching your budget to buy one. If you can do so comfortably, find one you like, and have some money on the side for repairs if they do come up enjoy.

[jphcbpa]

get the route 66 extended warranty (or other) if you do.

[Warp Ten]

Good advice here. Personally I would suggest getting a lower mileage car but I am sure this is a budget consideration. As the old adage goes, the most expensive car I ever bought was the cheap one. i see you are in the Chicago area. If you can fit it in your budget, I would suggest getting a certified used one from a reputable BMW dealer like Knauz or Fields in the Northern suburbs. Unless you have a very good independent (like the Werkshop in Libertyville), developing a good relationship with a service department is always a good idea. Which is not to say 550s or 540s are problem cars--they are not. Simply always a good idea just in case. My personal experience with BMW 5 Series over the past 15 years or so has been excellent--mine have been very reliable. Just my$.02, but in the spirit of full disclosure, I did work for Knauz and Fields selling BMWs in my early retirement, so I am a bit biased. Good luck with your search. --Bob

[Joe-BMW33]

As long as you really have done your homework and due diligence on the cars, especially getting a grip on what the prior owner was like. I can spot a "car guy's" car in 5 minutes. Meaning it has been cared for cosmetically and mechanically.

The thing with 60-75k miles is that that is the magic number for plugs, coolant flush, transmission fluid, air and cabin filters, etc. Your looking at a couple of grand if it wasn't done, so see if it was or use it to negotiate and have them do it.

Look for coolant leak history in the service records, if there are entries, that's a good thing because they have been repaired and some with upgraded parts that won't fail.

But so far so good with higher mile M550's. Coolant leaks have been the only issue, most fixed under warranty.

[WallaceWhite]

The suggestions are great! Thank you so much, All.

[AP]

Post up pics when you eventually get one. Be patient and get the car you want.
Great car

[OnlyGerman]

Interesting in this as well, my last v8 BMW has scared me to go back

[QtheGenius]

on the topic of avoid cars that have been tuned, can you tell if a tune was applied, but then removed? If someone had a PnP JB4 tune for 50k miles, then removed it before selling, how would one know?

[NC M550 VADER]

Originally Posted by WallaceWhite

The suggestions are great! Thank you so much, All.

Or just get this one ;-)

https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=30857735

[the_wok]

My 2018 M550i has 103k miles now. I have done no major repairs, just been sticking to the maintenance schedule. This car is exceptional at telling you what needs done. The only issue I've had is with the DRLs, which you will see tons of threads about. When buying these cars you just need to make sure maintenance records are available. Mine was a two owner vehicle and nothing major was replaced during its previous ownerships.

Every time I drive this car i think to myself I could've bought a brand new Toyota Camry/Honda Accord/Kia Whatever for MORE than I paid used for my M550i. I have absolutely zero regrets and I feel like I got the deal of the century. Some guy paid 85k for this car in 2018 just so I could buy it for 22k in 2023.. LOL!

Trust me, you wont regret buying this car. It's the last of its kind, as we won't see any more 5 series with V8s considering BMW's EV direction. It's good at EVERYTHING and you can even squeeze out 30 MPG on long drives with Eco Pro mode. It's the ultimate road trip machine.