BMW E60 535d Review...............

Morba · 30 Jul 2006 at 00:30

Oracle said:
Yawn, sometime i get so bored of the baiting on these forums its like being at Playschool!

But yes, I suppose I should have mentioned it earlier. As part of the £6k options the previous owner opted for a manual 6sp box at a cost of £1200 in lieu of the auto step box.

The E46 330d manual 6 spd boxs can take more torque (some 30nm more) than their auto / step equivalents. When the salesman mentioned the chip to me, he also stated that BMW recommend the manual over the auto for the best gains. As this comment was in line with the facts about other x30ds I didnt question it.

As for the pic properties, you might want to check again!

Interior, actually I agree, I also prefer E46 and E39 to new model E60 and E90, although I have to admit, the E60 is not as bad as people make out and I found it very pleasureable to drive. Not as driver angeld as previous models but still well thought and laid out.

EDIT: Actually, according to BMW, 530ds only come in Auto too, but i've seen and been in plenty of manual E60 530ds

cant say i have ever seen a manual being an option, more autos being a paid option to a manual!

[TW]Fox · 30 Jul 2006 at 00:30

Oracle said:
Yawn, sometime i get so bored of the baiting on these forums its like being at Playschool!

But yes, I suppose I should have mentioned it earlier. As part of the £6k options the previous owner opted for a manual 6sp box at a cost of £1200 in lieu of the auto step box.

Did he really?

Is that why of every single used 535d for sale on Autotrader, zero are fitted with a 6 speed manual gearbox?

Is that why the BMW car configurator states that there is no transmission option on the 535d from new, and that you can only have the Steptronic?

Is it also why BMW's Approved Used stock carries zero manual 535d's?

When will you ever learn that you can't get anything slightly dodgy past people in OcUK motors?

JRS · 30 Jul 2006 at 00:31

Oracle said:
But yes, I suppose I should have mentioned it earlier. As part of the £6k options the previous owner opted for a manual 6sp box at a cost of £1200 in lieu of the auto step box.

Right. So you say the car had a manual 'box fitted, other sources say that BMWs manual 'box isn't available in this car. So who's wrong? The BMW website apparently has only the 6spd StepTronic 'box listed - is the manual an option then?

***edit***

Seems Fox has answered my questions! Cheers

Fusion · 30 Jul 2006 at 09:16

Oracle said:
EDIT: Actually, according to BMW, 530ds only come in Auto too

What are you on about? Where do BMW say that you can only have a 530d with an auto box? It comes with a manual as standard, auto with steptronic is a £1450 option.

If your 535d came with a manual, the previous owner must have fitted it himself in his garage, because BMW sure as hell haven't.

The_Dark_Side · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:06

this place has become even more venomous that ever before IMHO.

[TW]Fox · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:07

The_Dark_Side said:
this place has become even more venomous that ever before IMHO.

Maybe people are bored with people trying to pull the wool over their eyes and assuming they are too daft to notice.

The_Dark_Side · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:25

Oracle said:
Well today I had the pleasure of testing (for a good few hours) a BMW 535d
2993 cc Straight 6 (24 Valve) Twin Turbo.

i'm not particularly BMW savvy, mainly because for the most part they do not interest me, but shouldn't the 535 have a 3.5 in or have BMW abandoned this sytem altogether now?
i know i know the 316 has been a 1.8 for years but i thought for the most part the rest of 'em actually had their engine sizes denoted on their respective bootlids?

atpbx · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:26

Its got the gearbox from the estate model in it then.
as thats the only 535d i can find that has a 6 speed manual gearbox in any of the reviews.

[TW]Fox · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:26

BMW are rather creative with this system.

The 535d is a twin turbocharged version of the E39 530d engine - not the newer 530d engine in the E60.

Also, the new BMW 335i, the twin turbo petrol, is a 3 litre despite the name.

The_Dark_Side · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:29

[TW]Fox said:
Maybe people are bored with people trying to pull the wool over their eyes and assuming they are too daft to notice.

it's more than that.
catching out fibbers has been an internet thing forever and a day, but more and more people are doing it with a vengeance now IMHO.
there are a few people on here that i am POSITIVE are complete liars, but i CBA to persue it.too much effort required for no real gain.
if they really are lying i would LOVE to know why...with a knowledge base as wide as the members in here have you MUST know you will almost certainly be caught out.

The_Dark_Side · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:30

[TW]Fox said:
BMW are rather creative with this system.

The 535d is a twin turbocharged version of the E39 530d engine - not the newer 530d engine in the E60.

Also, the new BMW 335i, the twin turbo petrol, is a 3 litre despite the name.

Fox, stop speaking.
you're making my head hurt, lol.
nice use of the word "creative" by the way hehe

The_Dark_Side · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:36

[TW]Fox said:
Also, the new BMW 335i, the twin turbo petrol, is a 3 litre despite the name.

given BMW's current power outputs, won't this car be raining all over the M3's parade?

JRS · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:37

The_Dark_Side said:
given BMW's current power outputs, won't this car be raining all over the M3's parade?

Which is why the M3 is moving over to a V8 unit I think.

The_Dark_Side · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:40

JRS said:
Which is why the M3 is moving over to a V8 unit I think.

even so the 335 that Fox mentioned must have a power output approaching it though?
you can't strap twin turbos on and not get a hell of a lot of power.

Rotty · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:42

I think the 335 will still be about 90bhp short of the new M3 , the big deal re the M3 is not solely about power anyway it's the overall cometence of the car , on the E46 there is so much more differnce between a 330 and a M3 than an extra 100bhp

having said that the 335 still looks like being a fantastic car

JRS · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:44

The_Dark_Side said:
even so the 335 that Fox mentioned must have a power output approaching it though?
you can't strap twin turbos on and not get a hell of a lot of power.

Probably. And if it doesn't come that way from the factory, it will once any tuner worth his pay gets hold of it!

atpbx said:
Its got the gearbox from the estate model in it then.
as thats the only 535d i can find that has a 6 speed manual gearbox in any of the reviews.

BMW's "Build Your Car" part of the website only lists an auto for both saloon and estate versions of the 535d.

atpbx · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:47

JRS said:
Probably. And if it doesn't come that way from the factory, it will once any tuner worth his pay gets hold of it!

BMW's "Build Your Car" part of the website only lists an auto for both saloon and estate versions of the 535d.

I'm not that interested in the subject either in the car, or kicking Oracles ass if he's lying HOWEVER if you google 535D then every review you find says quite clearly that every model in 5 series touring comes with a 6 speed manual as standard.
So mabye there is something in what he says, who honestly cares?

JRS · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:51

atpbx said:
HOWEVER if you google 535D then every review you find says quite clearly that every model in 5 series touring comes with a 6 speed manual as standard.
So mabye there is something in what he says, who honestly cares?

Yes, they do all come with 6spd manual 'boxes. Apart from the 535d, which for whatever reason only has an auto. Frankly I trust BMW's own website a little more than some random review found through Google

***edit***

Can't believe I'm even carrying on this argument. In the words of Daffy Duck, I demand that you shoot me now.....

Fusion · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:51

The_Dark_Side said:
even so the 335 that Fox mentioned must have a power output approaching it though?
you can't strap twin turbos on and not get a hell of a lot of power.

300bhp. It's not a collosal gain, but I gather that the intention was smooth power delivery and response. Or, it's been reined in to stay off the 400bhp V8 M3's back.

The_Dark_Side · 30 Jul 2006 at 10:52

Rotty said:
I think the 335 will still be about 90bhp short of the new M3 , the big deal re the M3 is not solely about power anyway it's the overall cometence of the car , on the E46 there is so much more differnce between a 330 and a M3 than an extra 100bhp

having said that the 335 still looks like being a fantastic car

yeah i can't see the M£ ever being turbocharged for purity and balance reasons alone.

JRS said:
Probably. And if it doesn't come that way from the factory, it will once any tuner worth his pay gets hold of it!

and being turbo charged i think there will eventually be a lot of 'em with way more power than the same model of M£