2012 520D Efficient Dynamics

M

Maniac

Elite
OK, so I've been out to a dealer today who has some 2012 (8 months old) 520D Efficient Dynamics cars in, fantastic specification, for less money than standard non specced cars. They'd ex Olympics chauffeur cars.

Essentially I can halve my outgoings by switching to it. They've on at a good price, insurance is half, tax is £30(!), double the fuel economy. Lovely to drive, quick enough (181bhp), very very comfortable...

Why didn't I get it, I'm 75% there... but I got back in the Z and loved to drive it... the 520D, while a lovely lovely car, left me a bit cold. TBH I wanted to go to sleep while driving the 520D it was so comfy.

So now I'm stuck... do I get one of these frankly very well priced 520D ED's and save myself loads of money, or keep the Z, miss this particular boat, all because I love to drive the Z???
 
Only one question really maniac - do you NEED to halve your outgoings for a specific reason, right now ? If not, why change for a car that makes you sleepy, no matter how good the deal ? :?
 
I love the 5 series, I've owned 3 now and it's a great car, but I choose driving the zed over it every time. If you need to transport more people or stuff then go for it but you will miss the performance and handling.
 
You had a lucky escape! The d is for dull I know mine is the older shape but the 4 pot diesel in a 5 series is shocking, mines rated at 177bhp but feels like about 5 Bhp in the real world :headbang:

I agree they are lovely mile munches & really comfy...just avoid the hopeless 4 pot engine option,its worth paying a little more on tax for a proper engine under the bonnet, love the car hate the engine :)
 
It was a lovely car, oyster and black interior, grey exterior. Wheels are crap but its an ED so that's part of the story. Has all the toys, pro nav, bmw apps, heated seats, pdc etc etc... At a known down price. It would be a proper head choice rather than heart as it 'appealed' rather than 'excited'... I'm still torn though so there must be something in it... As for the engine, it was smooth, quiet and pulled fine, and at 70mph on cruise was returning 62mpg (!)..
 
Maniac said:
It was a lovely car, oyster and black interior, grey exterior. Wheels are crap but its an ED so that's part of the story. Has all the toys, pro nav, bmw apps, heated seats, pdc etc etc... At a known down price. It would be a proper head choice rather than heart as it 'appealed' rather than 'excited'... I'm still torn though so there must be something in it... As for the engine, it was smooth, quiet and pulled fine, and at 70mph on cruise was returning 62mpg (!)..
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They do seem to have moved the game on a hell of alot in the latest model compared to mine & the interior in the new one is excellent imo, that economy is special I have never seen more than 47mpg out of mine, when I swap mine I will certainly go with the new shape.
Was it an auto? Mine is a manual & you are up & down the box like a nutter without a decent powerband to play with, it can get tiring.
 
LeeZ4MR said:
Maniac said:
It was a lovely car, oyster and black interior, grey exterior. Wheels are crap but its an ED so that's part of the story. Has all the toys, pro nav, bmw apps, heated seats, pdc etc etc... At a known down price. It would be a proper head choice rather than heart as it 'appealed' rather than 'excited'... I'm still torn though so there must be something in it... As for the engine, it was smooth, quiet and pulled fine, and at 70mph on cruise was returning 62mpg (!)..
Click to expand...
They do seem to have moved the game on a hell of alot in the latest model compared to mine & the interior in the new one is excellent imo, that economy is special I have never seen more than 47mpg out of mine, when I swap mine I will certainly go with the new shape.
Was it an auto? Mine is a manual & you are up & down the box like a nutter without a decent powerband to play with, it can get tiring.
Click to expand...

Manual, and was a breeze to use. One of the nicest manuals I've driven. It even raises the revs as you reach the bite point when setting off to help prevent a stall or judder. Makes the whole gear changing experience very smooth. Though not quite as smooth as the DCT ;)
 
Maniac said:
LeeZ4MR said:
Maniac said:
It was a lovely car, oyster and black interior, grey exterior. Wheels are crap but its an ED so that's part of the story. Has all the toys, pro nav, bmw apps, heated seats, pdc etc etc... At a known down price. It would be a proper head choice rather than heart as it 'appealed' rather than 'excited'... I'm still torn though so there must be something in it... As for the engine, it was smooth, quiet and pulled fine, and at 70mph on cruise was returning 62mpg (!)..
Click to expand...
They do seem to have moved the game on a hell of alot in the latest model compared to mine & the interior in the new one is excellent imo, that economy is special I have never seen more than 47mpg out of mine, when I swap mine I will certainly go with the new shape.
Was it an auto? Mine is a manual & you are up & down the box like a nutter without a decent powerband to play with, it can get tiring.
Click to expand...

Manual, and was a breeze to use. One of the nicest manuals I've driven. It even raises the revs as you reach the bite point when setting off to help prevent a stall or judder. Makes the whole gear changing experience very smooth. Though not quite as smooth as the DCT ;)
Click to expand...
I agree it is a lovely manual box to use its effortless I just think because I am mainly used to petrol engines I struggle with the short powerband, I can see the appeal of the car it does look a nice one & the economy & tax take some beating, I drove mine solid for 280 miles on one journey last month & still got out feeling fresh as a daisy, they are super comfy :thumbsup:
 
Just doing the sums now... it all made sense in savings until I started looking at the real money out... not long till I've paid for the Z, but buying this will extend the finance, costing me a further £7k. There's no way I'll make £7K in savings (tax/fuel/insurance) even over several years so that's the cost saving argument out of the window.

So it really boils down to do I need the extra space.. well no, I've never struggled for practicality in the e89. What then really appeals, well, more comfort, and less worry about wheels breaking due to the horrible manchester roads. Is £7K worth spending to get peace of mind on broken wheels... not really. As the other half pointed out, if all I wanted was no broken wheels, I could buy a £2K mondeo cash and run that. Bloody people that talk sense.

So while it does fit the bill, the more I think about it... its going to actually cost more, for a car I'm not passionate about (like I am the Z).... I'm gonna have to sleep on this.
 
Not an easy one for you, your Zed is great I would imagine & swapping for a car the doesn't excite isn't easy, grab a nice bottle of wine for tonight & give it some more thought & see what tomorrow brings, good luck! :thumbsup:
 
Maniac said:
So now I'm stuck... do I get one of these frankly very well priced 520D ED's and save myself loads of money, or keep the Z, miss this particular boat, all because I love to drive the Z???
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Interesting, they look liike nice cars. There are over 400 of them on the BMW website, all the same spec and April 2012 registration.

I would say it'll take them a wee while to shift them all, even at good prices.
 
Very tough choice!! The other half has a 520d M-Sport auto & it's a fantastic car. Until u push harder you really don't feel it lacks power as its so torquey (maybe the auto helps here), it's amazingly comfortable & so relaxing to drive. If its a boring commute (as mine can be) i totally see the appeal in winter /autumn / some springtime / some summertime & currently often wish I was driving it...

However... Those times I drop the roof and / or have a hoon (and ill admit those times that people eye up the Z4!) I know that I couldn't bring myself to drive a 'sensible' 4-door saloon until I'm drawing my pension (I'm 33)...

But if u do take the plunge, it's the best 'sensible' saloon to do it in IMHO!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Even after remapping our 07 520d sport it was still lethargic for the most part , just too big a lump to shift with a 2.0 engine .
The 2012 does have Impressive figures on the mpg/tax though :cry: nothing like ours :wink: 26/28 in town / 38/42 motorway .
JMO but if you went sleepy on the testdrive forget it . . . . no way will it satisfy after your Z :driving:
 
Don't do it, you will regret the performance drop, just think that every time you press the loud pedal with any vigour the smile that is produced, which is priceless and you will miss it.

One of the main reasons for getting the E350 Cdi was the performance was very similar to the Zed, when I last had a 2.0 diesel convertible it was like an asthmatic pensioner and I started to miss the zed almost immediately, where upon 18 months later I purchased the e89
 
Unless you need the extra seats/space and your
upping the mileage it doesn't make sense to change to me :|

I agree with Sars re performance, its a biggish saloon to lug along with a 2.0l diesel which is better suited to the smaller 1 Series. However I do like BMWs 4 pot diesels, they're refined and torquey at speed but I always hated fuelling a diesel :x

Tim.
 
sars said:
Don't do it, you will regret the performance drop, just think that every time you press the loud pedal with any vigour the smile that is produced, which is priceless and you will miss it.

One of the main reasons for getting the E350 Cdi was the performance was very similar to the Zed, when I last had a 2.0 diesel convertible it was like an asthmatic pensioner and I started to miss the zed almost immediately, where upon 18 months later I purchased the e89
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I know what you're saying... When I sold my e85 (due to its awful ride quality) I bought a cheap mondeo to put me on.. I hated it. Sure it had the room and was practical etc, but was slow and mediocre. I'm starting to get the feeling despite the 520d having a lovely interior and all the toys, that I'll start to feel bored and regret selling the e89...
 
Olympic cars were available interest free for 4 years with full service pack, including tyres, wipers etc etc....someone at work got a 520 D ...
 
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