Nov 2015 Posts111 Choosing a 5-series Touring? I recently learned that someone I work with is a long-time BMW enthusiast, so we've been chatting about him getting a good used BMW to replace his Focus DSG after Ford buys it back for transmission failure. Beyond the failing DSG, he needs another car to accommodate two child seats; the Focus only fits them with the front seats pushed all the way up. I figured something like a good used E61 5-series touring would be ideal; cargo space for a dual stroller, rear seat space for two child seats, still fun to drive, tunable & modifiable if/when he decides to go for that. Poking around on CarFax I actually found what seemed a good choice to me; a 2008 535xi with sport package and iDrive. I'm uncomfortable giving advice but went ahead anyway and said: I know you want one, but avoid the V8 unless you want to work on an engine more than you want to drive. The twin-turbo I6 is better but still has some issues, waste gate and HPFP being the most common. MAKE SURE THEY'VE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. WHATEVER YOU BUY, GET IT CHECKED IMMEDIATELY BY A SHOP WITH BMW EXPERIENCE. So that's what I said. What else should I say? Is the N53B30 daily-driver safe once the HPFP and waste gate issues have been fixed? Does the E61 have xDrive issues? Does the E61 have other issues? How well does an E61 really work as a family hauler?
I am looking for a BMW for my grandson. We live in Munster, IN, near Chicago. I feel a 5 Series would work best and with an auto trans. He is 6'2" and has just started driving and will be off to college next year. I see BMW's around 3-4,000 $$ on the internet that would work well enough to get started. I owned BMW's many years ago but have just joined the BMW Car Club.
Just research any models you're considering for problems, and lookup the chassis code to also do internet searches by - if it looks too good to be true there's probably a reason. The non-turbo era cars with straight-6 engines may have their individual issues but if you're looking for longevity & lesser-degree/amount of maintenance hassles, relatively speaking that may not be a bad way to go.
