high mileage 530d (170k miles)? any good

I am looking at a 2001 530d with 170k miles on the clock for £7000....what do you think, any known faults? should i look or not bother? Thanks

Reply to
aston
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Purely my personal opinion but I wouldn't bother. I just bought a new Panda diesel for less than £7k and it goes just as well and has a three year warranty.

If someone runs a car for 170k he might as well run it 'till it dies. It is certainly not worth much IMO. A big expensive car to buy new, like the 5, is still a big expensive car with 170k on the clock and any major fault is likely to cost a fair percentage of the worth of the car. I wouldn't pay more than 3k for it. The last owner has had his moneys worth out of it and should he decide to sell it, he should just take it on the chin like a man. There might well be nothing wrong with it, but whenever I sell a car with that mileage it is because I sniff a big bill on the near horizon and I want rid of it quick otherwise I'd obviously keep it. If it is a dealer that is selling it, he has probably paid next to nothing for it, the money he gets is probably the profit on it and the last car and possibly the car before that in a chain. It could also be that you have a car to exchange for it and he is pricing it high enough so he can pretend to give you what you want for yours while actually having your old banger in with a margin allowing him to scrap it. Only you know the circumstances.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

The Panda is as good as an E39? Which planet are you on, Huw? ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

IMO you're talking nonsense. 170k is not that high a mileage for a BMW. My '94 5 series has done over 160k. I'd defy anyone to guess it's mileage from it's condition, or the way it drives.

As for preferring a diesel Panda. It might be newer and have a guarantee, but I know which I'd prefer to drive. If the only interest is getting from A to B a Panda is fine, but I want a car that is nice to drive, quiet and comfortable. My older car gives me that, as I've no doubt the car the OP is considering does as well.

Mileage alone is a poor indication of a cars practical value or mechanical condition.

As for repairs, maybe the subject car will need a few quid spent on it, but at least it's value will only drop slowly over the next few years. Your car has cost you probably well over a 1k in devaluation already.

Given the choice between your car and the subject BMW, I know which I would choose, and it wouldn't be a budget priced Panda that'll probably be only worth peanuts in less than 10 years Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

It is smaller, I'll grant you. It doesn't have I-Drive and all that jazz but it does have most of the other toys and its engine is more refined than a BMW four pot. But no, it doesn't compete in the same sector. However unless you are a badge snob or just blinded by the brand then if you tried it you would be impressed. If room for five adults is not a priority then the Panda is an amazing tool and I couldn't care less which car I drive as long as it is a pleasant experience. From an ownership perspective I would prefer the new Panda to a 170k mile 5 series. I run vehicles to high milage but I would never actually buy a 170k car for anything other than banger money on principle even if it was only five years old. There is just so much choice out there. But feel free to differ. It is just a personal thing. If it had some 90k miles at that price I would consider it but with nearly double that mileage then for me, it has to be banger money. Nothing wrong with it mind you and it would be good for many years of moderate mileage yet in all probability, but it needs to be cheap and 7k is nowhere cheap enough.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

Very succinct. :-) More expressive than my long winded effort. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

It is high mileage. Plenty of life in it yet but that is not the point.

It is a '94 vintage car so is not worth more than a Grand whatever its mileage.

I have a choice and I do like a bit of variety. By choice my favourite of all cars from Jag XK8 to BMW x5 to Range Rover to Audi Quattro to all kinds of other motors is my Land Cruiser. OK it is again different to the Panda or a BMW 5 but it is what I prefer. But I don't drive it all the time. I would certainly choose the Panda rather than my friends Jaguar X diesel as it is more refined and less pretentious while losing nothing in any way except badge.

If the only interest

Panda scores on all points.

My older car gives me that, as I've

No doubt.

True.

It will be worth £3500 in three years time so assuming 15000 miles per year it will cost 8ppm and insurance is group 2 while it does between 60 and 70 mpg. It is quiet, comfortable and handles well. Assuming the BMW does 45000 miles in three years it will be worth what? In my opinion it will be unsaleable. Not a problem if he intends to keep it until he scraps it. I'm just putting my point of view here and I don't feel it is important and I am sure if the OP buys it and takes pride in it, he will have a good few years of happy, if not cheap motoring.

Who cares if it will be worth peanuts in ten years. It is worth peanuts new.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

BMW - nice drive. Panda - no first hand experience, but roll, limited grip, underpowered, not a total condemnation since the braking performance of the Panda is probably equivalent to the BMW ('you canna change the laws of physics'*)

BMW - quiet Panda - I doubt it, especially if the Panda is a diesel.

BMW - comfortable - true! Probably AC. Panda - narrow, poor leg room, thin seat squab, limited suspension capability, to be fair god headroom, open the window for fresh air...

Yes the Panda scores [badly] on all points.

  • McCoy
Reply to
R. Mark Clayton

Yes

None of those is true. It is very light and it amazes every passenger with its performance.

not a total condemnation since the braking performance

Yes

The Panda diesel is quieter than either of my BMW diesels which were an X5 and my current Range Rover. There is more road noise though but no worse than most German cars up to 3 series size and less than many equivelent Japanese models especially Mazda.

My Panda does not have AC but it is commonly available on a variation on my model and on the next trim level up. It does have programmed wash/wipe with an extra delayed wipe, auto wipers and lights available. It has a variable delay 'get to your door' light system. A fully featured driver information display with fuel consumption etc. No electric leather seats and stuff I grant you.

Yes. Only a four seater

poor leg room, thin seat squab, limited suspension

Surprisingly none true.

to be fair god headroom, open the window for fresh air...

That is how they get so much leg room. Ventialtion is good and aircon/climate is an option for those that feel the need.

I've had a few cars in my time and it certainly does not score badly. It is a bit of a revelation, especially in the diesel form where it is the fastest, most economical and superbly refined model. A VW diesel is like a 1970's tractor by comparison.

Hell, I'm not trying to get you to buy a new Panda. All I was trying to do was put a perspective on a 170,000 mile 5 series. If someone really wants a

5 they will probably not buy a Panda [although I have made stranger decisions in my time]. Of course they won't.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

in all fairness i have also had many vehicles, last year i had a 500s mercedes but whilst in italy on a trip i borrowed a new panda for a few days and was really suprised, yes an excellent car, suprisingly comfortable and i am over 6" tall.

Reply to
aston

And I am 6' and 300lbs believe it or not.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

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Reply to
user

I am what I am and have no problem with a Panda. Or a Range Rover. Or a 5 series as far as that goes.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

An E39 doesn't have 'I-Drive'

But it's a very refined 6 cylinder...

Cough. ;-) You've not driven a 5-Series E39?

Well a Rover City is even cheaper. ;-)

Dunno about the price - but easy enough via the guides. E39 BMWs have certain easily fixed issues at near enough fixed mileages. And those don't include the powertrain.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

No but technology moves on.

I have had two of those so I do know them. And no, the BMW six is not as refined under load as a fiat multijet which has six injection phases for each injector and each injection of fuel.

I have driven previous and current generation 5 series. I'm not into E numbers though.

But the City Rover is cheap and nasty. It is a Tata Indica and it shows. Not comporable in technology, quality or anything really.

I have two friends who have had major problems with their fuel pumps on BMW diesels. This is not unique to BMW but it is a serious issue and potentially very costly. The turbo's are also very costly items should they fail, which some do. I would not pay big money for one with nearly 200k on the clock, simple as that. It may well have a good few years of relitively trouble free life left in it but the fact is that it is high mileage and is not worth a lot. However it is worth prcisely what someone is willing to pay for it and I would pay less for it than the asking price if I wanted it at all. I would not hesitate buying it new and running it to such a mileage but I would consider it worth more to me than to anyone else at that mileage. I would only sell it if a big bill or failure was felt to be imminent, and that is a hint to watch out as I feel many sellers would do the same.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

What the hell is a Panda? Yes, I'm American, but I do read Car magazine...

Reply to
dizzy

Even if you didn't know that Fiat makes the Panda, then a simple web search on something like "car panda" would have got you way more information than you need to answer the question. It's quite simple really. Maybe your grandchild could show you how to do it.

:-)

Reply to
Dean Dark

An Italian small car of little consequence, M'lord...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

OBJECTION! the "consequence" is entirely subjective. Besides which, M'lord, it is a Polish built car.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

Yes, but then we could not have a (possibly) interesting discussion about it then, could we? It's not like "the Panda" has been beaten to death in this forum.

Idiot.

Reply to
dizzy

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