Little Old Oilburner Me (BMW 525d SE Saloon)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	BMW 525d SE Saloon
Date:	28/02/06 (9327 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lot of car for the money . Very comfortable and economical .

Disadvantages: Some older models in poor condition . Expensive parts .

~ ~ One of my main sources of income (for my sins!) is driving a taxi around the streets of Dublin's fair city.
In March 2005 I decided to go "upmarket" and purchased myself a Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign as I have a lot of corporate clients on my books, and I decided that the Jaguar would help me to increase this market.
What I didn't consider enough was the fact that the Jaguar would mainly be driven in a start/stop environment (city) and that consequently my fuel costs would literally go through the roof. In fact, over the last year I only averaged between 12 to 14 mpg, which the extra business I got from having the Jaguar went nowhere near covering.
So in January 2006 I began casting my eye around for a replacement car, preferably a large luxury model diesel, which would have the advantage of comfort and prestige without requiring me to take out a bank loan to pay for the everyday running costs.

~ ~ My first choice would have been another Jaguar, but as they only started producing the XJ6 with a diesel engine about a year ago, the cost of purchasing a good used model was totally out of the question. (Maybe a few years up the road, when resale prices drop)
I eventually decided that I would go for a good used BMW, and eventually sourced an absolute mint condition 1995 BMW 525 TDS. (Turbo Diesel Saloon) This car has the benefit of comfort, prestige AND economy, and the added advantage that as it has been around for nigh on 15 years, there are plenty of second-hand spares available should anything require fixing. This, for me, was a major consideration, as to service or repair a BMW (or ANY make of car come to that) in a main dealers is a sure way to end up in the bankruptcy courts!

~ ~ For decades BMW have had the distinction of being one of the top-selling executive cars in the world with their reputation for performance, luxury and reliability, and of all their models the 5-series, which has been in production in various guises since the mid-1970's, has without question been their biggest success story. The turbo diesel 525 that I purchased was one of the last of the "old" model, which was replaced by the re-designed version in 1996. That said, and although it isn't the current model, it still retains the classic BMW styling and that truly marvellous engine, which is something that never seems to go out of fashion. At the time this car was built BMW were still advertising their cars as "the ultimate driving machine", and this boast shows in every aspect of the car. The build quality is as good as you'll get, the engine is tight, powerful, and very quick and smooth, and the interior is both comfortable and classy.

~ ~ Now let's talk about the engine and the driving experience, as let's face it, no matter HOW good a car looks, if it drives like the proverbial dog then you're not going to enjoy it very much!
Not much chance of this happening with a 5-series BMW. The car comes with all types and size of engine, from a bog-standard 1.8-litre petrol, right up to a monster of a 4.5-litre. Then, off course, you get the "oil-burners"; the diesel version that I purchased. My car is a 2.5-litre (2498cc) straight six cylinder diesel. (The current model has been upgraded to 3-litre diesel)
A word of advice if you're buying a 525 diesel. The car comes with two different engines. The standard non-turbo (525TD) and the turbo version. (525TDS). Don't even consider the non-turbo version if you want a turn of speed. Compared to the 525TDS the non-turbo creeps along like a snail with bunions! With the 525TDS the performance figures speak for themselves. It pumps out an impressive 143BHP at 4,500rpm, which will take you from a standing start to 60mph in just a tad over 10 seconds (quick for a diesel) and on to a top speed of 131mph. (If you fancy picking up loads of penalty points on your licence!) And the car does it with style and purpose, fairly ripping through the gears, and roaring impressively enough to satisfy even the most avid fan of Formula One.
The gear change is slick and very precise, so there's little chance of you either missing a gear or worse still selecting the wrong gear. The gear lever itself is fairly close to your left hand so you don't have to reach far, which makes it very comfortable to use. The car fairly rips away from a standing start, with the performance in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears being very impressive once the turbo kicks in. I would fault it slightly with the takeaway in top gear (5th), which I personally find just a tad on the unresponsive side, especially from about 60mph to 90mph. You're better dropping it into 4th gear and flooring the accelerator if you want to belt past somebody in a hurry when you're overtaking at high speed.
For a large diesel engine it's not that noisy, the exception being when you first start it from cold in the morning, and when you get past about 3000rpm in first gear. Then you'd be forgiven for thinking you were driving a Massey Ferguson tractor! But at cruising speeds (even HIGH cruising speeds) you'd be very hard pushed to distinguish it from a petrol engine, the engine is so quiet.

~ ~ The power steering is very precise with a very high level of feedback to the driver, unlike some large cars I could mention (mostly Japanese) where the steering is so light you can barely feel it! And the ride is all you would expect from a large executive class saloon, although I have to be honest and say I initially found it a bit on the firm side after the soft suspension on my previous Jaguar Sovereign. It comes into its own when cornering though. With the rear wheel drive and firm suspension there isn't even a hint of understeer, and you can fairly fling it through the bends (if that's your thing) with impunity and with no fear that the back end will start doing a Torville and Dean on you.
My car came with a lovely set of BMW alloys with the standard tyres being 225/60/15. I cheated a little and pinched my nearly new set of Pirelli 4000 tyres from my Jaguar Sovereign before I sold it. These are slightly larger than the standard tyre at 225/65/15, but they fit on the rims OK and give you even more grip. (And at close on €800 for a set there was no way I was giving them away on the Jag!)
There's a set of twin headlights backed up by a set of spots underneath the front bumper, so you'll never have any problem seeing where you're going even on the darkest of country roads.

~ ~ The fuel economy is amazing, especially when you consider the size and power of the engine. I reckon I'm getting somewhere between 40mpg and 50mpg on a long run, and somewhere around 30mpg and 35mpg about town. (Depending on how heavy or otherwise you are with your right foot!) Since most of my driving is urban I'm getting the lower figure most of the time, but when you compare this with the 12 to 14mpg I was previously getting with the Jaguar, you can probably guess I'm more than happy with the BMW.
The seats in my model are light grey velour, and very comfortable, matching the metallic blue coachwork very well. Mind you, I would have preferred a nice set of Connolly hide leather seats like I had in the Jag, but I suppose you can't have it all ways! One small complaint would be the amount of legroom for the rear seat passengers, which is pretty tight for such a large car, especially if you have a big fella in the front passenger seat with the seat well back. But you can still fit in three fully grown adults in the rear seat with relative ease and in relative comfort.
The boot is large enough to please almost anyone, and will take three or four large cases with ease along with ancillary luggage. So my beloved golf clubs fit in easily. In fact, I could fit in another couple of sets with no strain!

~ ~ Anything I don't like? Well, not a whole lot to be honest. The old Pioneer cassette deck that came with the car was well past its best, and had to be replaced with a nice new JVC Radio/CD player. Some of the chrome around the doors was beginning to rust and pit, which you wouldn't really expect, but that said, it's relatively easy and inexpensive to replace. (eBay)
One thing you have to really watch with any BMW is the cost of servicing and replacement parts. I had to replace the crankshaft fanbelt pulley at the first service, which would have cost me the guts of €500 new from the main dealers, but which I managed to acquire on eBay for only £57. (Reconditioned and delivered to my door) A set of new Bosch wiper blades were €47, but again I've since discovered a source at eBay where I can get them for under £20.
A standard service at a BMW main dealers would probably cost you the guts of £500. But I haven't been near a main dealers in years, and my own wee mechanic did a full service for only €200.

~ ~ If you are interested in buying a used BMW 525TDS, or indeed any BMW, I would suggest that you ensure that it has a full and complete service history, as many older models are now coming well within the price bracket of the "boy racer" brigade and hence could be well and truly banjaxed if they haven't been looked after properly. This is especially important with a diesel car, where regular oil and filter changes are absolutely ESSENTIAL if you want to avoid expensive repair bills.
I paid €4,250 for my 1995 model with 125,000 miles on the clock, but some older models can be bought for even less money. Shop around and you can pick up a real bargain, especially when you consider the new price of a car of this calibre.
If you have the wherewithal, then an even better buy is the newer model BMW 530 diesel, but as these have only been around a relatively short time, then expect to pay far more money than for the 525TDS.

~ ~ So there you have it. The mad cabbie has finally succumbed to economic pressure, and joined the ranks of the "oilburner" brigade.

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© KenJ February 2006

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Summary: Excellent second hand purchase. Economical and comfortable luxury saloon.

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