｜Written in front
Today’s protagonist is this big BMW - 535Li, straight 6, not low configuration, ten years old, it is reasonable to say that the price/performance ratio is good, but I haven’t met Bole after selling it for a long time. If I hadn't taken a look at the details when I put the goods in storage at the end of the year, I might have given them to my colleagues last week.
The purpose of my post today is two-fold. One is naturally to find a home for it. This car was in poor condition at the time. It cost 18w9 to collect the car, not counting the additional repairs. It was a loss anyway, but retail sales will always be smaller. The other is to take the opportunity to share with you the elements of shopping for old classic luxury cars and how to make rational decisions to avoid paying a high price for paying homage.
｜Table of Contents spoilers
- Every man cannot avoid a BMW ;
- Every straight man cannot avoid a straight 6 BMW.
Isn’t it nice that a big BMW like this is suitable for home use, commercial use, and personal fun? It has 400Nm and a price of 150,000 to 60,000 yuan? Don’t forget that back then, 325i (E90) cost hundreds of thousands of hours, didn’t we all follow suit? Since it has been unsaleable for so long, I think it’s not that no one wants to buy it, but that people who want to buy it are a little scared. Next, I will use this car as an example to analyze what inspections should be done when purchasing a 10-year-old BMW.
You can select the reading focus according to your personal value:
Element 1: Appearance
Element 2: Defects
Element 3: Interior
Element 4: Driving feel
Element 5: Mechanical condition & initial investment
| Element 1: Is the exterior panel correct?
Old cars are not afraid of old style, they are classics. As they age, I can accept touch-ups, but the quality and appearance of the spray paint must be similar to the original paint. In addition, it must be "upright"!
[Note] After all, this color looks super good after washing, and it is not easy to match with clothes.
The so-called uprightness is like a person walking and sitting down, holding his chest high, head up and back straight, his facial features are straight, and every gap can withstand careful inspection.
I especially can’t accept that the car body’s curved surface is not original enough. For example, the sheet metal has been squeezed but not done properly, or the putty is scratched too much. The repair effect does not look like the original curved surface at first glance, and it can be seen from 10 meters away. This is why I would rather replace the door or cover than let the master smash it back in with a hammer.
[Note] This car fully meets the "upright" standard.
Another important aspect of appearance is the headlights. According to my personal aesthetics, if an old car wants to be spirited, the headlights must be transparent. If the lampshade is protruding, it is best to replace it decisively, otherwise it will look very old.
[Note] The transparency of the headlights of this car is almost the same as that of a new car. You can compare
. The transparency is the same. I read the description in the "Second Inspection Report" that some plastic parts in the left headlight and the bumper have been replaced, which once again shows that the quality of the headlight on the other side is almost the same as the new one.
Taking a closer look at the appearance of this car, I found that there is another hidden highlight of this car, that is, these chrome trims still maintain the appearance of a new car. As long as you have seen many second-hand BMWs (must be high-end models), you will know that these trim strips are basically dull and black, and they seem to be covered with a layer of white dirt that cannot be wiped off, so you can only accept it, so it is speculated that the parking conditions of the predecessor are very good.
｜Element 2: How to deal with defects?
Old cars, after all, have gone through the baptism of time. If you want to have fewer flaws, you have to look for them with a lantern. For a car of this age, the choice is more between "spray painting" and "addressing defects". Making maintenance decisions for three-high cars is one of the main pleasures of playing with old cars. One hundred players will have one hundred plans.
Like the flaw next to the fog light in the picture above, if I were to decide, I would lightly polish the dark part next to it so that it is not too eye-catching. I would not spend money on spray painting, but if there are several flaws on the front bumper, I would choose to spray paint. The more flaws there are on the same plate, the better the decision.
There is a slight dent on the cover. You need to look at the angle to see it. I will definitely not fix this.
By the way, when I was taking photos of the interior, I also found two small damages on the glass surface of the right rear triangle window. Although they are not eye-catching, it is really hard to guess where they came from. Did you hit something hard when you opened the door too much? The glass didn't break, it was so strong.
｜Element 3: What is the condition of the interior?
The interior reflects the predecessor’s car-using skills and can reflect the mechanical quality and wear and tear of the entire car.
I personally believe that the interior quality is a very important dimension when choosing a Sangao second-hand car! Because most of the time I spend with the car, I stay in the car instead of standing outside the car and gawking. Therefore, the interior is closely related to the user experience and visual experience.
It was obvious that the previous owner had taken great care of it over the past ten years.
No fans who know how to read cars don’t need any explanation from me.
Imagine that there is a car that costs 10,000, but the quality is not good. Should you buy it? Maybe you will struggle, maybe you will buy it in the end, but the pleasure of saving 10,000 yuan is only pleasant when you swipe the card, and will soon be forgotten. Instead, the traces of time everywhere remind you every day that this is the result of choosing "10,000 yuan cheaper".
More importantly, the real loss of second-hand cars is the price difference between "buying" and "selling". Although the total price of "high-quality" cars is high, the import and export losses are usually smaller. All second-hand goods and luxury goods comply with this rule.
I love to play with photographic equipment, and I am a frequent visitor to a certain fish shop. Some time ago, I fell in love with the Sony A7M3, and the second-hand market price was 9800±600. I did not mind the quality, so I spent 7800 yuan to buy one that was damaged in the Taiwan War. It was indeed a sense of accomplishment at the time, but after playing with it, it was difficult to sell it at a low price! After suffering similar losses several times, I know that when it comes to second-hand cameras and lenses, I should try to buy high-quality products.
summary: It must be something that you are extremely satisfied with, and it must be equally attractive to others.
Back to topic. The 5 Series with black interior is relatively rare. I prefer black interior, maybe because I was studying in Germany when I developed a deep understanding of cars. At least at the beginning of this century, the cars on the streets of Germany were all with black interior, and most of them were manual, which was very harmful. At that time, many BBAs still had iron wheels, manual air conditioners, hand-cranked rear windows and cloth seats. Fortunately, I didn’t have these complexes, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to buy the car I wanted when I returned home.
[Note] The disadvantage of black interior is that it burns your butt in the summer, the moment you first sit in... Also, it needs a more powerful air conditioner.
Speaking of interiors, there are several parts that are considered "Golden Parts" by insiders. Steering wheels, seats, gear levers, etc. are often rubbed and touched, and parts that are easily worn out by use are easily left behind. These parts can easily affect our judgment of the quality, and can easily widen the gap between cars.
[Note] The steering wheel of this car has been re-wrapped in leather. Although it looks new, in my opinion, the leather does not meet my personal standards. If I were to buy it, I would probably go to a reliable craftsman to choose a pure cowhide and re-wrap it. On the one hand, something that I touch every day needs to be new, but on the other hand, the grade should not be low. If anyone of
buys it, I will send this project to you. Take a screenshot as proof. Remember to say hello to the salesperson. By default, you will trigger me.
and these places that are often pressed by hands are still relatively new.
This part has not been worn by being kicked frequently. Do you still remember the usual signs of use on the rear of the E90?
(Oh, there are heated rear seats, nice!)
[Tips] The pocket behind the main driver, The left side is loose, and it looks like this now. If there is no abnormal sound, just ignore it;
The cup holder hidden in the rear armrest, the finger tab, and the right rotating shaft are broken. It is not recommended to replace it. If it is not used normally, it has no repair value.
[Tips]
When choosing the interior color, you may accidentally kill some treasure cars. For example, the previous owner was very careful with the car, but his palms tended to get sweaty? In fact, as long as the old parts are concentrated in a few items and are easy to replace, they can be ignored, such as the steering wheel, gear lever, gear shift boot, start button, etc. The window control assembly in the picture above also falls into this category. It is common for BMW and Mercedes-Benz to have exposed buttons, so replacing them with new ones is not a problem.
[Friendly reminder]
The trouble may be after you change it, because it suddenly becomes brand new, which may be too abrupt. The second and third old things will instantly catch the eye, and then you will have a lot of decisions to make. This is the charm of playing with cars... Don't avoid it, enjoy it!
If you want to buy a second-hand car and you want the original car to be brand new, on the one hand it may be difficult for you to find one, and on the other hand, even if you do find one, the price will be different, making your decision-making more difficult.
｜Element 4: Driving experience
Old cars can be divided into good, medium and bad in terms of appearance, but the driving experience is very different. If you score from 1 to 10, every range is possible. The road test is obviously an essential part, but it also tests the buyer's skills.
At second-hand car dealers, the short one or two kilometers test drive before purchase is usually just a psychological comfort - "I tried it", which is equivalent to getting the certificate after just half an hour of getting to know each other, and getting to know each other and getting along after getting married. It sounds nonsense, but this is the real situation when everyone buys second-hand cars.
My previous job was to test cars and find faults. Although I can get a rough idea by driving a lap, I still need to rely on higher speeds, more complex road conditions, and more weird usage scenarios to verify the fuller condition of the car. So I drove it for two days and refueled it (this is very important for BMW) before I dare to comment.
The driving experience of the vehicle is as good as the exterior and interior. The L6 engine idles very quietly, the engine mount is in good condition, the steering wheel does not vibrate abnormally, the acceleration is strong and smooth, and the turbine is adjusted to have a self-priming style, which is unique to BMW. The chassis bounces very smoothly, and the texture of the chassis parts can be rated 9 points. It is completely ready for buyers to test drive, without any suspense.
The sound insulation of the car body is quite good. If you drive gently, the whole car will be as smooth and quiet as a Mercedes-Benz. If you are willing to use floor oil , the tires will roar every second. (I know this part is very important. This is the main purpose of buying a 535, but I don’t need too much, because I will understand it naturally if I understand it)
[Friendly reminder] Since the road feel is too clear, please hold the steering wheel with both hands. Any inclination and height difference on the road surface may make you feel that the direction is "off". In fact, it is not the car.
[Common fault insertion]
For second-hand BMW 5 Series X5s, it is a common fault that the oil gauge does not move after refueling. It is mainly exposed when the battery life reaches a very low level. In order to try this car, I deliberately ran the oil level very low (pictured above) before refueling.
Sure enough, as expected, after adding 100 yuan, the ignition was re-ignited, and the pointer was still on the 0 mark. When driving out of the gas station, the pointer did not rise.
5 minutes later I arrived at the company. Before turning off the engine, I looked down and saw that the fuel gauge was normal. I didn’t know when I got up.Well, that's okay, it's just that the watch hands move slowly, so there's no need to fix it. But is this something you wish you knew before you paid? I am considered an old player. As for blind boxes, it is better to open as little as possible.
[Note] If you usually refuel before it reaches less than 1/3 of a tank of oil, this problem will not easily occur.
By the way, on the second day of the simulated user experience, I also discovered a problem...
BMW's seat heating, like its driving response, has always been aggressive. It heats up quickly and is relatively hot. However, the heating of the main driver's seat of this car seems to be particularly hot, which attracted my special attention.
Especially the heating on the back and waist. Even when I wear such a thick cotton vest, I can still feel my waist burning hot. Even if I reduce the heating to level 1, it still doesn’t feel soft enough.
Later, I checked carefully and found that the wings on the left and right sides of the seat cushion were very hot, just like the backrest. Only the center part of the seat cushion had no heating effect, which is abnormal! I suspect there is a local failure in the seat heating wire.
If there is a chance for this car to be retailed, then think about repairing it. Don’t be afraid, the maintenance cost is mine, and you don’t need to worry about this issue. But if you don’t buy a car from Nuojia, you will have to open a blind box when you buy it back. This is also the reason why many people want to buy but dare not buy an old luxury car. The price is good but they don’t know how much it will cost to repair it.
｜Element 5: Start investing
Now that we talk about the maintenance and investment of buying back, it naturally leads to the long-awaited fifth element. This is the main obstacle for many people who want to buy older luxury cars, right? Although I have a repair shop, this is also a key selection item. I don’t want to invest too much energy, cost and time in a car. I will be busy for a long time. Even if I successfully sell it, I will easily lose money.
Open the cabin, and the first thing you see is the strut. It has been newly replaced. It is probably replaced by the maintenance group Samsung project, otherwise the hood will fall down when the mechanic repairs the car.
Let’s look at the details. First of all, the belt is relatively new. Well, I’ve saved about a hundred bucks here. It’s just a side dish and won’t interfere with your purchasing decision.
We chose BMW, what should we look for? By the way, look at oil leakage. Oil leakage is more troublesome to repair.
The engine oil radiator and the area around the generator are very dry, and it is not as "clean" as the cabin has been cleaned. I'm scared to see that kind of cleanliness, so Nono's cabin is not washed by default unless the car owner requests to pay for it.
Oh, here it says the official English name of the color of this car.
The valve chamber cover can be vaguely seen near the exhaust side, it's dry!
There is no oil leakage on the top of the engine. I don’t know what’s happening at the bottom~
[Interruption] found another component that needs to be included in the “Buyer Investment Plan”.
The soundproof sponge on the back of the engine decorative cover has aged and fallen off.
Several fixed points originally attached to the back of the case were rotten, and the sponge successfully separated from the cover. I guess the workshop regards this item as optional because it does not affect performance and functionality, but if I were a buyer, I would definitely spend money to replace it. If you want to buy it, remember to take screenshots to harass the salesperson, you know, how many times have I already said this?
The rear part of the cover is inserted into the corresponding holes in the air inlet by these two latches. The front end of
is fixed to the two "nipples" on the top of the engine by relying on these two seat holes.
However, these two "nipples" on the engine are missing, well, I can't stand it. I wrote it down and went back to notify the workshop as a maintenance project.
In addition, the four tires are very new. They were probably replaced in early 2021. The dates are all 5020, which old fans will see.
There is still a lot of rear brake pads left, and the front brake pads are also sufficient, but they cannot be photographed.
This is all you can see when looking at the car in situ. For more information, it must be driven back to the maintenance workshop to show everyone.
Brother Liang is very helpful. As soon as he returns to the workshop, he immediately arranges workstations and masters.
This aluminum plate is very thick and has many screws. It is mainly to suppress the resonance of and .
Let’s take a look at the four shock absorbers first. You have to lift the car’s shock absorbers to see if there is any oil leakage.
only posts pictures but does not comment.
has sufficient tire tread. I found it very vivid from this angle, and a pencil can go directly through it. How much does four 535Li run-flat tires reduce the purchase expense?
(rear difference and half shaft)
(near the transmission output shaft)
(transmission oil pan)
(engine oil pan)
(steering gear)
(swing arm large bushing)
Therefore, the oily and tight texture of the chassis can be confirmed through shelf inspection.
Next is the "maintenance requirements" of iDrive that I took during the road test, one by one.
Now, do you have an idea of how to invest in this car? Are you still worried about buying it back and spending tens of thousands to repair it?
So I feel that this car cannot be sold, which is unfair. There are also people who only compare car prices when buying a car, without considering the difference in car condition or subsequent maintenance. Moreover, Nono's car comes with a one-year warranty when you buy it back. These are all values. How can you just compare the car price? If you buy a car that costs 10,000 yuan less, will you really save 10,000 yuan? Second-hand cars are high-value commodities, similar to buying a house. Many issues require rational thinking before drawing conclusions. It is always a matter of calculating the general ledger, including your time, and ultimately deciding which one is more cost-effective.
Okay, today’s post is long-winded again. It’s just a commonplace thing, but it’s just a lot of rough words. Please bear with me.
Finally, two more interior photos, they are really cool.
Okay, that’s it for now. I’m also getting a glimpse of it. I believe that after a real car owner buys it, he will pay special attention to and accompany it. The level of perfection will definitely be higher than mine. This is the joy of playing with a car. It is precisely because of your mutual understanding, interaction with the car, and your devotion to it that people and the car are more compatible and reluctant to part with each other.
I wish you all to buy your favorite second-hand car in 2023~
[Attachment] For fans who are interested in the black interior 5 series, here is a 2.0T 5 series. The black interior is also in great condition. I have also randomly inspected it. It is a car source that I am willing to recommend to everyone. During the last test drive, I found that there was something wrong with the lock pin of the right rear door popping out. Give me some time and I'll arrange to send it to the workshop to dismantle it and see what's going on.
