XSeries-forum

Hi all. I’m new to the forum but not BMW

Currently have an F11 535 that’s just ticked over 127k miles and I’m thinking of swapping to an X5 and have some questions.

I’ve seen a few contenders for sale l but my favourite so far is a 50i with 60k and a lot of options. It’s a lovely car but a private seller asking £28ishk.

Are these worth the risk buying private? Is an AA inspection worth getting?

And what sort of range could I expect? I’m not overly worried about MPG, but I don’t want to be in the petrol station every day. I quite often do 400 mile journeys in a day so would al lest like to cover that distance.

Lastly, are they comfortable with the comfort seats? My 535 with normal sports seats is starting to not be that comfortable as I’m a bit older.

Thanks.

Hello and

The official average consumption for the 50i is 27mpg, however expect it to be thirstier than that given most consumption data is way off.

For a private sale you definitely want to get it checked and even pay BMW for a service history check as these are no longer stamped in a book. I would imagine anyone who can afford a new X5 50i will get one that’s pretty loaded. Used car values are also at silly levels and have been for a while due to supply issues with new cars. I got £5k more than expected for a three year old 220 Gran Tourer last year and they sold it within a week for even more money.

Road Tax and insurance plus servicing costs won’t be cheap either. If you have a good BMW Indy nearby then that will cut those bills. We did have a couple of folks on here with X5M models that won’t be too dissimilar in terms of running costs. Consider getting an extended warranty as well. I can’t remember the cutoff mileage for a BMW one.

If you can get hold of the full VIN then a site like mdecoder will give you the ‘as built’ spec, just so you can check what is on the car.

Thanks. Used prices are comical. Things have changed drastically in the 5 years since I bought my 535. It was £20k from BMW approved used with 50k miles. Anything equivalent now seems to be getting on for £15k more than that.

I know there has been inflation in that time but I’m quite shocked.

I’ve looked at a couple of approved used Audis this week that were both in not great condition for the money. So turning back to BMW. Either an F15 X5 or a 540i.