Transition from E53 3.0d (FL) to E70 3.0d/3.5d (M57)

[alexxxa]

Dear all, I'm not sure if this subforum is the best for this question, so admins can move the topic if it does not fit here.
Since I got great pieces of advice on this forum, I thought to shoot out this question I've been struggling with lately.

Anyhow, as the title says, I have E53 3.0d from 2006 and I'm quite satisfied with it. There are still some issues that need to be resolved, but all in all, it's a car I wanted to have since I was a kid.

However, thinking long term, I thought maybe replacing it with an E70 since it's a bit larger, the interior is still acceptable to my taste, and its rear end looks much nicer than the one of E53.
I was thinking of staying with (an almost indestructible) M57 engine, since, in a way, I would know how to deal with it - plus my mechanic has the same car, and does not want to sell it.

So I would be looking (in Germany primarily) for an E70, 2009-2010, preferably with CIC iDrive (actually, only because of the knob, since I would definitely go with Xtrons and iBus), so late 2009, early 2010 would be bingo. But that's not decisive.

Now my general question would be: What are your thoughts on that?
What are the experiences of those who went from E53 to E70 (preferably diesel, if there are such people here)?
Is it worth it, or is better to stick with a good old E53?


But then, some set of questions that I would also have, would combine as follows:

1. Is this final version of the M57 engine (M57D30TÜ2) with the aluminum engine block and piezo-electric injectors as good and reliable as its predecessor (the one in mine E53)?

2. I am thinking of going rather with 3.0d (235 PS and single turbo) than with 3.5d (286 PS and twin turbo), since, well, one turbo is less to care about, and 235 PS should be more than enough power. Am I right to think in that direction?
Because, there are also some interesting offers for the 286 PS version, and the price is pretty much the same.

3. Does it make sense at all to look for a low-mileage car (up to 150.000/200.000km) that is 15 years old (a few months ago, there was a nice example with only 92.000 km)? Or is it better to get, for example, the one with 250.000/260.000km from the first owner?
I do like the low-mileage criterion, but sometimes if a car sits for a long time, or has a lot of low mileage on a short distance, maybe it's better to get a higher-mileage one, which did most of its kilometers on German highways.

4. For those who are familiar with prices in Germany and Europe, are the prices (15.000-20.000€) for cars with up to 200.000 km realistic, in the sense that there is a better chance for those to not have some larger issues? For example, that with 92.000km was around 19.000€.
I know that those prices are silly for a 15-year-old car in general, but, well...

(EDIT) 5. I forgot! Which diagnostic tool would you guys use for your E70s? I use for E53 P.A. Soft, INPA and ISTA, but I'm afraid that P.A. Soft and INPA won't go with E70, and ISTA is pretty slow to use it when buying a car.

P.S. Where could I find some comparison of regular vs. M/Sport/is body kit of E70? I'm not sure that I'm familiar with it as with E53.

That would be it for now, as a starter for my search... So yeah, by the end of summer, I maybe make some decisions. Thanks all! Cheers!

[robinasu]

All I can say is I love my US 2012 spec 35d. It has some items to be aware of, such as the urea delivery system (SCR) vents and all the associated heaters and sensors, vacuum system degrading, CBU, thermostat malfunction and resulting glow plug issues, and the the CCV hose that snaps, but the M57 is great. The turbo blending works, good mileage, and the chassis is pretty awesome. Bought mine with 100k miles and it needed new shocks; put in the Koni FSD's and refreshed the front suspension and it's great. The front/rear suspension design really handles and the interior / exterior styling is classic BMW.

In my case, there were some US factory related assembly quality issues I had to fix, which are hit and miss depending on build date. My vehicle's door vapor barrier installation person must have gone drinking as the glue was all over and the sheets fell off, resulting in a leak path to carpet while on a hill while I was on vacation. The rear hatch wiring grommet design is also poor and needed to be siliconed after a good cleaning; that stopped water dripping in me when the rear hatch is open.

The HVAC is awesome. The "comfort seats" are required in my opinion. The harmon sound system is quite good; good enough to not mess with it.

To address the above, you will need ISTA+ and TIS access, or it's just not cost effective to own. For example, it's very important to use ISTA+ (or a hand held) to register new battery types and capacity for the adaptive charging system, or batteries get over charged. The 35d is an enthusiast vehicle unless all the above are sorted.

Hope this helps.

[alexxxa]

Thanks for the tips! Everything helps!

I believe European versions do not have DEF/SCR systems, just simple EGR/DPF. So that's a relief! And all those stuff that you mention I consider either regular/preventive maintenance, so a budget for that is already planned. The same I did with E53.

I use ISTA-D already (I still have not managed to set up ISTA-P, but for E53 I don't need it) and do have access to TIS, at least for E53. As well as the wiring diagrams. I believe all of them are also available for pre-LCI E70.

I was asking for something nice, that can read errors fine, which I can carry with me when I'm searching for cars and making test drives. That's why I was thinking of Foxwell N510 or N530, as a cheaper and better alternative to Carly or similar subscription-based diagnostic tools.