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BMW 5-Series (G30) Forum 2017+ BMW 5 Series (G30) General Discussions BMW g31 520d (1yr old) vs 530d (3yr old) - which to buy?

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      04-08-2021, 01:37 PM   #1
D123d325d330d
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BMW g31 520d (1yr old) vs 530d (3yr old) - which to buy?

As the title says, I'm searching for a G31 (upgrading my existing 330d xDrive) due to needing the additional space. For the same money, I can get a very well specced 530d xDrive with about 18,000 miles on the clock that's 3 years old - massage seats, ACC, comfort pack, technology pack, visibility pack, etc. Or, I could get a less than a year 520d xDrive which has the newer live cockpit professional, fairly similar spec but missing the massage seats and ACC. Obviously I'm currently used to the 330d engine but I rarely use anything like the full power and think the 520d would likely be fine, if missing the 6 cylinder noise and torque. Any thoughts on what people would go for? I'm thinking that the 2 years newer 520d makes sense from the viewpoint it is less likely to go wrong, and would like to avoid expensive repair bills where possible.
Thanks.
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      04-08-2021, 01:48 PM   #2
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Yes, you've hit the nail on the head there - might make more sense to go with the newer car as then you have factory warranty and more time before you need to start worrying about potential expense e.g. new brake pads/discs, more extensive servicing etc.

The other points that you need to factor in are how many miles do you tend to drive each year - if you do a lot of miles then it again makes sense to go with the 520d, and do you know anything of the history of the two cars and how they have been kept? If the 530d has been garaged from new, treated well and driven properly/sensibly then you have to factor that in as well. Generally though in this case the 520d makes more sense all other factors being equal.
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      04-08-2021, 02:03 PM   #3
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That makes a lot of sense - I would imagine the service costs would be lower for a 520d moving forward. I shall look into the history of them - I assume the 520d is still owned by the dealer since it only has 2500 miles on the clock. The 530d must have at least one previous owner but I'll ask the question about that. Thanks for the reply - delivered at the speed of a 540i!!!
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      04-08-2021, 02:38 PM   #4
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Both are superb cars but my view would be once you've gotten used to 3.0 power and refinement the 2.0 may be a disappointment

As my boss said in work when me and a colleague both got G30 530ds amidst a fleet of 520ds

"Oh you got it with an engine...!"
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      04-08-2021, 04:33 PM   #5
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What's the price on the 530D
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      04-08-2021, 05:22 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Zimmer View Post
What's the price on the 530D
Both are selling for £35K, well, that’s sticker price.
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      04-08-2021, 07:08 PM   #7
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I wouldn't worry about high repair bills on the 530d. With 18k miles, it's hardly broken in properly and the 6 cyl is build for +300k miles anyway. Even when you're not into the power, the torque of the 530d does wonders when driving lazy and it perfectly suits the G30 character.
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      04-09-2021, 02:39 AM   #8
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Anyone had experience of the two iDrive / cockpit systems? Wondering if I'm missing anything by going for the 530d with iDrive 6 I believe (more traditional dials) vs the newer system which I think is iDrive 7 (with opposing electronic LED style dials).
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      04-09-2021, 02:56 AM   #9
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I was once in a similar position where I went from a 530d (F11) to a 520d (F11 LCI). Whilst the 520 had more tech and updated idrive (cannot remember what version) one thing I could not get used to was the difference in engine refinement and power. whilst the 520 is no slouch, i found it always had to drop a gear (or kickdown) when overtaking on the motorway. if you are just cruising at a sedate 70mph on the motorway it is fine, any other type of driving i missed the more immediate power delivery of the 530.

I thought that the gadgets and newer idrive etc would make up for it, sadly it didnt. As long as i can hook up my phone for music the rest of the "experience" was not enough for me to love the 520d. However, if you have never had a 530 then I think the 520 is a cracking car. You are now spoilt with your 3ltr and for me it was hard to drop an engine size.

this is just my experience and as others have said, depends on driving style, family space requirements etc


Quote:
Originally Posted by D123d325d330d View Post
Anyone had experience of the two iDrive / cockpit systems? Wondering if I'm missing anything by going for the 530d with iDrive 6 I believe (more traditional dials) vs the newer system which I think is iDrive 7 (with opposing electronic LED style dials).
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      04-09-2021, 06:19 AM   #10
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I went from a 530d to a 520d with the previous generation 5 series. I didn't keep the 520d for long, replaced it with a 535d as I missed the engine. A hard driven 520d consumes almost as much diesel as 530d doing the same job.

Looking at the mileage on the 530d you mention, you should be able to get a fully comprehensive BMW warranty on it if it is over 3 years old which might allay your potential reliability concerns.
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      04-10-2021, 01:42 AM   #11
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3.0L > 2.0L
I would choose the 3L, even without some options, the engine power will make up for it.
The mileage is low on the 3L also so you don't have to worry about reliability.
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      04-10-2021, 02:16 AM   #12
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I had a g30 520d as a courtesy car for a week when I had an f31 330d. Initially I loved the g30 interior that much that I started looking at 520d's as at the time the g30 was new and 530d out of my price range.
By the end of the week the want of the 30d trumped the want for the nicer interior so I kept the f31 for another 2 years until I could "get a g30 with an engine" to paraphrase another member.
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      04-10-2021, 08:29 AM   #13
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Cheers for all the input everyone. I've noticed a strong preference for the 530d which isn't a surprise - it's a cracking engine and has worked well for the last few years in my 330d. Since the 520d is fairly close to me, I've managed to get Apple Carplay added (not sure that costs them anything but something I was interested in) plus an extra £650 off the 520d so I'm taking it for a test drive next week to see what it's like to drive. I still keep looking at the fact the 530d is three years old as opposed to under 1 for the 520d. That car is 200 miles away on the south coast so driving the two side by side won't really be an option but if the 520d falls short, then I'll be heading down for a purchase!
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      04-10-2021, 01:50 PM   #14
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It's also worth noting that the 530d should have the b57 instead of the n57 in your 330d. I haven't driven a b57 car myself, but it supposed to be much more refined than the n57, even if you negate the fact its in a more refined car (G30).
More torque too iirc.
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      04-11-2021, 02:25 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by G50 View Post
I had a g30 520d as a courtesy car for a week when I had an f31 330d. Initially I loved the g30 interior that much that I started looking at 520d's as at the time the g30 was new and 530d out of my price range.
By the end of the week the want of the 30d trumped the want for the nicer interior so I kept the f31 for another 2 years until I could "get a g30 with an engine" to paraphrase another member.
That was exactly my situation only that I did not wait and bought a 1 year old 2.0d. I'm not saying I regret getting it, it is a nice car but 190 hp is a little underpowered. I've ended up driving it only in sport mode

The engine that I would choose today would be the 540i
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      04-12-2021, 08:51 AM   #16
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If I can still add my 2 cents, actually there is nothing wrong with the 20d engine. It's still is a very capable engine which will also get good fuel economy and be reasonable with the wallet.

The 30d engine is capable of returning good fuel economy, especially on the motorway and extremely silent (1.4k RPM @ 120kph) but also put a smile on your face when you poke it a little.

I would say, since you've had a 330d in the past, do you feel you could've had enough with a 20d/25d or was it absolutely necessary for any reason to have the 30d?
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      04-12-2021, 03:11 PM   #17
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Good point, I went from a 123d to 325d before getting the 330d. I was actually looking for a 2 litre engine but the model I looked at wasn’t in very good condition while the 330d was much better so I ended up going with that. I’ve always been happy with the car/engine, although it has a very easy life with me driving it. Almost all my journey have the dog in the car and she isn’t too keen on quick driving, particularly around bends. The car is much quicker than I can use 90% (+) of the time and our roads just seem to be getting slower and slower. Also, I find the car is so quick that anytime you put your foot down you have to back off after a few seconds with illegal speeds approaching rapidly or not enough space to allow you to safely react to other drivers, shall we say interesting, driving styles. Will update after driving the 520d - interested in the mild hybrid technology but can only find a couple of German youtube videos about it.
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      04-12-2021, 04:37 PM   #18
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Selling my fully loaded G31 touring if interested has all options
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      04-13-2021, 03:39 AM   #19
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I have a 2021 with the mild hybrid and like you I could find hardly anything about it online. Initially I was apprehensive as I thought it would be too distracting. It is still something I notice but after about 2 months I think I am more used to it.

Pros -
- improves the mpg
- stop start is a lot smoother than on previous models

annoyances -
- no way to turn off ASS other than to move into sport mode
- car engine shuts off when coming to a stop at around 9mph. Annoying at first but I am hardly notice it now. If you do not come to a stop and need to take off again, the stop start is less jerky than previous versions
- coasting - this is the one that annoys me the most. When at a speed (not sure the thresholds) the engine will cut off and let you coast. This is bearable on the motorway but annoying in other situations. Such as going downhill (the speed keeps building) or a sweeping bend. A sweeping bend is the most annoying one as the car feels disengaged and there is a slight delay until the engine kicks in
- engine on but transmission disengaged. like above but if the engine is not warmed up or if the MHT battery is low on juice, the transmission disengages and revs drop to 1k


Mild annoyances aside, it is something I have gotten used to but every now and again it will do one of the annoyances that will just piss me off.

Quote:
Originally Posted by D123d325d330d View Post
Good point, I went from a 123d to 325d before getting the 330d. I was actually looking for a 2 litre engine but the model I looked at wasn’t in very good condition while the 330d was much better so I ended up going with that. I’ve always been happy with the car/engine, although it has a very easy life with me driving it. Almost all my journey have the dog in the car and she isn’t too keen on quick driving, particularly around bends. The car is much quicker than I can use 90% (+) of the time and our roads just seem to be getting slower and slower. Also, I find the car is so quick that anytime you put your foot down you have to back off after a few seconds with illegal speeds approaching rapidly or not enough space to allow you to safely react to other drivers, shall we say interesting, driving styles. Will update after driving the 520d - interested in the mild hybrid technology but can only find a couple of German youtube videos about it.
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      04-13-2021, 06:21 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nadz View Post
I have a 2021 with the mild hybrid and like you I could find hardly anything about it online. Initially I was apprehensive as I thought it would be too distracting. It is still something I notice but after about 2 months I think I am more used to it.

Pros -
- improves the mpg
- stop start is a lot smoother than on previous models

annoyances -
- no way to turn off ASS other than to move into sport mode
- car engine shuts off when coming to a stop at around 9mph. Annoying at first but I am hardly notice it now. If you do not come to a stop and need to take off again, the stop start is less jerky than previous versions
- coasting - this is the one that annoys me the most. When at a speed (not sure the thresholds) the engine will cut off and let you coast. This is bearable on the motorway but annoying in other situations. Such as going downhill (the speed keeps building) or a sweeping bend. A sweeping bend is the most annoying one as the car feels disengaged and there is a slight delay until the engine kicks in
- engine on but transmission disengaged. like above but if the engine is not warmed up or if the MHT battery is low on juice, the transmission disengages and revs drop to 1k


Mild annoyances aside, it is something I have gotten used to but every now and again it will do one of the annoyances that will just piss me off.
Cheers for the info - interesting to read from someone who has used it. I did hear that you can't turn off auto start stop but was hoping the use of sport mode (maybe edited in individual mode to be basically comfort mode but with no ASS) or perhaps coding with Bimmercode would be of help in this case.
Smoother start stop is a nice though - I have it coded off on my car. I still have doubts about the constant on off for the life of the engine/battery but then I guess the bods at BM know a little more about cars then me!!!
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      04-13-2021, 07:42 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D123d325d330d View Post
Cheers for the info - interesting to read from someone who has used it. I did hear that you can't turn off auto start stop but was hoping the use of sport mode (maybe edited in individual mode to be basically comfort mode but with no ASS) or perhaps coding with Bimmercode would be of help in this case.
Smoother start stop is a nice though - I have it coded off on my car. I still have doubts about the constant on off for the life of the engine/battery but then I guess the bods at BM know a little more about cars then me!!!
I was in the same position - could find nothing about real world experience - it was all the marketing guff or motor reviewers.

I have sport individual to set everything up as comfort (which is the same as turning of ASS). I am not sure if you can code it on the LCI but I had it coded off on my older G30.

Initially I thought the same re wear on components and in the pre-LCI i would have said it was a genuine concern. However, adding the 48V battery means (in theory) that it helps with the ASS better. Also the alternator is replaced with an alternator/generator combined (I think) which is meant to be able to handle the ASS better.

All in all the system is much improved from before. Like I said the hardest thing to get used to is the coasting
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