535xit Search & Questions

Hi all,

I've been a BMW guy for a few years and took ownership of my first one in early 2012, an e39 m5.

Anyway, it's time for my wife to replace her '08 Subaru Legacy GT 5-speed, we have a infant now, and her demands are the following:

1. Luxurious interior - leather, heated seats, power/memory seats, quiet, well built
2. Wagon/cross-over space in the rear "but not too big"
3. Manual transmission if at all possible with good power but good fuel economy too (mid 20's highways)

So....it's like a Porsche Cayenne or 5-series manual wagon or nothing

I'm looking at 2008-2010 535xit's right now among other options. Luckily for me, there is an '08 535xit sport auto trans at my local BMW dealership for a test drive.

I just wanted to get general opinion/things to be aware of before going to look at the car. I'm modestly knowledgable about the turbo engine (and I assume as of '09 it became the n55 for the 09 and '10 model years). I know about the fuel pump issues and relevant warranty.

I guess some of my questions include what is the relevant price range for these super rare birds? They aren't exactly something I can easily benchmark the market on. It seems like they are not rare but desirable, but instead rare and sell like a normal car.

Appreciate any feedback. I'd probably try to find a CPO car, but otherwise I might try route 66 warranty or similar.

I have an 08 535Xi wagon. I paid @26k not counting the warranty and it had 41k miles on it.
You definitely want the M sport 20-way adjustable seats.
I have the cold weather package with heated seats and steering wheel.
As long as you get well documented maintenance (the turbos need fresh oil so as not to gum up), carfax, and a warranty, you should be fine.

Things I love
the copious amount of torque
AWD system (drove in 2" of snow with no problem)
cargo space (fit 4 19" wheels in their boxes with room to spare)
panoramic sunroof
ride comfort
fuel consumption for a heavy, AWD, 300hp car averages 20mpg (with many 'spirited' drives)

Thing I don't like
lack of upholders!
cost of maintenance is higher due to the AWD and N54 engine

problems I've had
sunroof weatherstrip
oil filter housing gasket leak (minor)
VANOS solenoids go bad (some hesitation, throwing 'reduced power' code-but never left me stranded)
fuel injector go bad

Overall, the best all-around grand tourer I've ever had

We have an 08 535xit and although I've put over $2000 (out of pocket) in maintenance into the vehicle this past year, plus $3000 in repairs covered by the CPO warranty, both the wife and I absolutely love the car and plan to drive it into the ground. Most of the items we replaced were common wear and tear parts, most of the items BMW replaced under warranty had to do w/ seals and leaks. We found our vehicle at a non-BMW dealership but it was a prior CPO and the warranty follows the vehicle. In retrospect, I would have preferred to find a vehicle private party and add the Route 66 warranty as the CPO status. If you can find a sport, or an M-sport, they are a nice upgrade but it's like finding in a needle in a haystack twice. Our vehicle is fairly well equipped with premium, cold weather and navigation -- I still find the standard seats very comfortable and it's my favorite vehicle for long family rides. What we found when shopping is that the vehicle start to fall in price drastically with higher mileage, probably (unfairly) related to the HPFP issues initially common with all 535s. We got ours for just over 20K with 70K miles about 18 months ago. The only thing I am allowed to trade it for is a newer 2010 535xit !!! Speaking of which, if you can afford an upgrade to the 2010 the nicer navigation and electronics make a big difference.

Thanks gents. Good feedback so far.

Let me get your take on this:

2010 535xit 6-speed manual
44k miles
Sport Package
Premium Package
Value Package (not exactly sure what all this entails)
Adaptive Lighting
Navigation
Premium hi-fi/HD Radio
18" wheels factory
Rear manual shades
PDC
BMW assist w/ bluetooth

No CPO warranty - assuming balance of factory though. Input on where you'd expect the price to be from an aftermarket dealer?

Low 30s?
Make sure you negotiate the warranty into the price.
The finance guy will claim he can't negotiate, and by then it's too late

BTW the N55 engine was never put into the E60 - all of them have the N54.

dealer is putting it out there at $35k, but yeah my guess is low 30s is a safe final resting place. I've never gotten an aftermarket warranty before, but have heard good things about route 66. I don't mind owning most cars out of warranty, but the e60 with the n54 is probably a safe bet to avoid...

I say that owning an 11 year old m5, lol...

Originally Posted by Munich77

BTW the N55 engine was never put into the E60 - all of them have the N54.

Good to know. I'm assuming the n54 in the relatively heavy e60 AWD wagon frame is going to accelerate like a sprightly x5 of similar vintage Might looking into unleashing it a bit further with aftermarket tuning, guess we'll see.

Hopefully i can get my first test drive of one tomorrow. Albeit with an auto trans.

make sure you put it in Sport mode. Whole 'nother animal when you do that.
A Cobb tuner should be your first upgrade. The N54 can reach M5 torque numbers fairly easy, and we all know torque is what brings a smile to your face at every stoplight

Originally Posted by z0lt3c

We have an 08 535xit and although I've put over $2000 (out of pocket) in maintenance into the vehicle this past year, plus $3000 in repairs covered by the CPO warranty, both the wife and I absolutely love the car and plan to drive it into the ground. Most of the items we replaced were common wear and tear parts, most of the items BMW replaced under warranty had to do w/ seals and leaks. We found our vehicle at a non-BMW dealership but it was a prior CPO and the warranty follows the vehicle. In retrospect, I would have preferred to find a vehicle private party and add the Route 66 warranty as the CPO status. If you can find a sport, or an M-sport, they are a nice upgrade but it's like finding in a needle in a haystack twice. Our vehicle is fairly well equipped with premium, cold weather and navigation -- I still find the standard seats very comfortable and it's my favorite vehicle for long family rides. What we found when shopping is that the vehicle start to fall in price drastically with higher mileage, probably (unfairly) related to the HPFP issues initially common with all 535s. We got ours for just over 20K with 70K miles about 18 months ago. The only thing I am allowed to trade it for is a newer 2010 535xit !!! Speaking of which, if you can afford an upgrade to the 2010 the nicer navigation and electronics make a big difference.

Nice wagon!
I assume it came with the chrome window trim. Was that a special package?
I have a black wagon with gun metal rims. I was thinking of painting the window trim and kidney grills a matching gun metal color.

Originally Posted by b5rider

make sure you put it in Sport mode. Whole 'nother animal when you do that.
A Cobb tuner should be your first upgrade. The N54 can reach M5 torque numbers fairly easy, and we all know torque is what brings a smile to your face at every stoplight

I'm pretty familiar with Cobb as a conservative/safe/rich off the shelf tuner with an easy to use handheld flashing device. I take it they are very well regarded with the n54?

All,

Well, pretty much settled down to a 2010 535xit 6-speed manual or one other vehicle. Making a final determination in the next days.

As far as I can tell, there is one (1) 2010 535xit 6-speed manual for sale in the country right now. It's well equipped too, so that may be the one.

However, I'd appreciate any advice on where to shop for these. Here's what I've got so far:

1. Cars.com
2. Autotrader.com
3. Roundel
4. Bfest and similar forums
5. 5series.net (hadn't heard that one before)
6. ebay

anywhere else anyone can recommend for these very unique cars?

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

However, I'd appreciate any advice on where to shop for these. Here's what I've got so far:

You may want to try working with a wholesaler who can search the Mahnheim Highline Auctions. If you are interested in a recommendation feel free to PM me. Otherwise I think you have all the search bases covered.

Originally Posted by b5rider

Nice wagon! I assume it came with the chrome window trim. Was that a special package? I have a black wagon with gun metal rims. I was thinking of painting the window trim and kidney grills a matching gun metal color.

I think the chrome trim is standard and the black trim comes with the sport package? Not quite sure, I would prefer the black (shadowline) trim. My wheels are finished gunmetal on the inside, one real nice benefit is that it hides brake dust better then the polished wheel face.

I hunted on cars.com and autotrader and ebay for a while, then branched out to craigslist and some 3rd-party craigslist wide-area searches (one site that hits all craigslists in the northeast, for example) and found my '06 530xiT 6MT about 3-4 hours away. I wasn't in a rush to buy a car, so had more patience in the hunt, but it's true that 6MT wagons are pretty rare - older non-turbos even moreso. I was worried that my right foot would get me in trouble if I got the 535.

Thanks - actually now open to autos. Talked it over with the wife.

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

Thanks - actually now open to autos. Talked it over with the wife.

. Joe: Don't fear the auto tranny. As someone has already mentioned, she's a whole 'nuther animal when the shifter is notched over to Sport mode. I have an 08 535xi wagon and the difference is incredible. For your peace of mind, I've owned mine for two years now, just clicked over 100k on the odo and have spent ZERO dollars on repairs. And gas mileage is pretty darned decent for the return on power/torque. My fuel pump and a couple of injectors were changed soon after I got it but they were warranty items. I love this car! You'll love yours, too.

Thanks! I've scoured the country (online) and decided I want a 2010 model with ~30-40k on it - so it'll still be under the bumper to bumper warranty.

I haven't found one for the price I was hoping too - and I've spoken to several places. However, with a connection from a forum member, I'm speaking with a wholesaler who can buy at auction for me.

The prices he has shared on a brief overview were within my desired range (including his fee) and i'm near some of the major auctions. We shall see.

Joe,
I have a 2010 535i xDrive with the 6MT and Msport pkg. it is an excellent car and love the manual. Soo much more fun to drive than the auto.