Should you buy a BMW 5 Series? (PLUS Ex-cop car!) | ReDriven used car review
Check out the BMW 5 Series Cheat Sheet here: redriven.com/cheat_sheet/bmw-...
Looking for a used BMW 5 Series? - carsforsale.com.au/bmw/5-series
For seven generations BMW’s 5 Series has built a reputation is the quintessential large luxury sedan. Like key nemesis Mercedes-Benz E-Class, there has been purple and not so colourful patches in the 5 Series linage and brand loyalists will forever debate which generation is good and which is better.
Here, we also review one that was once an ex-cop car! Which should make for a great test case.
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to subscribe to stay up to date with all of our latest content!
00:00 - Intro
01:40 - What is it?
05:05 - How's the exterior?
07:10 - How's the interior?
09:20 - How's the tech?
11:41 - Is it practical?
13:04 - What goes wrong?
15:36 - Is it safe?
16:44 - What's it like to drive?
18:47 - How much is it?
20:41 - Fuel use, warranty & servicing
21:56 - Should you buy it?
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At ReDriven, we’ll be taking you through the pros and cons of a huge range of used cars to see how well they’re going now that they’re a few years old, have thousands of kilometres on the clock, and are coming toward the end of their warranty, or maybe don’t have one at all.
Plus, thanks to our resident mechanic, Jim, you’ll find out what commonly goes wrong with them and what might need to be fixed.
Most importantly, we want to make ReDriven a voice for the most in-the-know used car experts there are...you guys.. See, you’re the ones that actually buy, live with, love and sometimes unfortunately hate the cars we’ll be reviewing.
So we want to hear your thoughts. Hit us up in the comments, or on Instagram and Facebook.
We’d love nothing more than for you to give us as much feedback as possible, so we can make this channel the best it can be.
Find us on:
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FACEBOOK: / redrivenofficial
That is the cleanest looking ex cop car ever. If it was a Commodore, the interior would fall apart in your hands
I had the same thought
The Ford falcons were the best police cars in my opinion. The untreatable Barra. They kept falcons for 7 years but only keep the bmws and Chrysler’s for 4 years because they don’t last reliably for as long.
its not hard to find a clean one, some high km ones from NSWPF get their interior redone because its completely messed up after 160-180k KM, the VICPOL ones are hit and miss, some are good condition, some are really bad and the KM doesn't matter, the Victorians have less HWP cars so more officers "share" each car, while some are the work vehicles for Inspectors or Superintendents and they care slightly more for them.
@@iamtuzii AH this is the sort of thing i wanted to know. Im guessing the interior of mine was redone then as i cant even find drill marks from the gear in the car. Not even worn seat bolsters or a mark in the center console lid. I have a ex highway patrol VF2 commodore.
@@samyeomans6710 The interior's would also fall apart on the Falcon's as well... Though the Commodores were much more common as cop cars, at least in VIC...
I did recently buy a used 2019 530d, but not an ex-police one. LOVE it! After 8 years of happy E60 530d ownership I wanted to repeat the experience with an updated model, but let someone else wear the 50%+ depreciation in 2.5 years. Ex-cop versions have a barely-there audio system that's even below the base spec (boo!), and a BMW dealer pointed out that the steering cops (excuse the pun) an absolute hiding. So in addition to the broken wheels and stressed suspension mentioned in this vid, tie rod ends and lower arms line the dealer's bins too. So I stuck with a private used car with lots of options. Happy days. Thanks for the awesome and very honest video.
Thanks Dave good points there.
Lucky guy. I was after a 530d. I love that turbo diesel and even with aggressive driving it returns decent economy. Something a petrol car can never do. And it sounds good too. Make sure you maintain yours. After looking at the new 5 series which released I think the g30 non lci is the last car with that classic BMW look. Will Def be sought after in future.
@@Godmodeon2219 yep I totally agree, and thanks for the positive reply. It's 11 months since I wrote that comment and I'm still in awe every time I get in the car. Admittedly I drive it sedately most of the time, but do enjoy a more spirited drive (just because) semi regularly too. Fuel economy is averaging 6.0L/100km and it barely deviates from this. Long open road can drop it under 5. It's insane. And oh... the torque! I'm definitely looking after it.
Same, got a 2019 530i xdrive msport… 2 years ago, love it, looks better then the new one xD
Had a 2001 E39 530i. Overall was a great car. Didn't have too many major problems in the 6 years of ownership.
I just did a 500 mile round trip in the 530d. Still 200 miles left in the tank. These things cruise at 75 in near silence and still do over 50mpg average.
that's why you don't get an ev
This is the stuff we need to know, keep up the great work
I ended up buying an F10 5 series and it has been an epic adventure!!!! It's more reliable than most say (had way more problems with my Nissan before this). Also, it's very planted on the road at speed while still being comfortable
Man love these guys random reviews, I like buying niche cars, and looking for the exact car to buy, this review will be insightful
Good video. You should consider reviewing all the ex HWY patrol cars like the VF SS and SRT 300
I have a BMW 520D F10 series grandpa Spec model. Done almost 200k criticisms are leather is really tough not soft and supple however up side is that it's quite hard wearing. Front cup holder cover clip broken, quote to fix from bmw is quite $$$$ as said in the video getting it serviced by your local mechanic saves you heaps. It's a great car doesn't owe me anything no major issues with it and has been quite cheap to run get over 1000kms to a tank of fuel. if you look after it it'll look after you
Great video, mates! Nice voiceover too! This car looks nice, no ashtrays too!😁
Great info and a god send for 2nd hand potentials..... not too sure about "your perfect driving position" 07:29, doesnt look like you could see over the dashboard cluster. Keep up the good work.
Enjoyable review as always. I may have been tempted to buy one but now not do much. i did purchase a 6 month old Ex-Cop cars some years ago and it required significant warranty repairs. having said that, it did provide several years of outstanding performance.
Was pleasantly surprised to see Jim in this video as he’s my mechanic. Just spoke to him today about various unreliable cars I’m considering buying (a W210 e55 or Porsche Cayenne Turbo and now potentially one of these). That 5 series Touring in the background was mine at the time.
Nice clip. Would like to see a clip also from the Mercedes e-class w213. Really love Jim’s expertise! Thanks and regards from germany!
Trying to find one to review at the moment Kai - AK
Now thats more like it redriven! 👍
God I love this channel, not just for the comedic factor, but because I learn about cars around the world! I had no idea Bimmers were used as cop cars, but it makes sense. A Bimmer with an interceptor package will run anything down. In America, most cop cars are Dodge Chargers but in certain Southern States they will enlist Camaros, Mustangs, and Corvettes. Great review!
We used to have Commodores and Falcon's, which are better American cars 🤣
Thanks so so much Tony. Wrapped you're enjoying what we do. - AK
They only started using them after local production ended, I’m sure the police appreciated the luxe upgrade!
Mustangs didn’t meet the performance requirements of the local police forces, particularly in terms of braking and cooling, from memory. The Kia Stinger didn’t meet them in NSW either. It is a punishing test though.
@@User-cb4jm They definitely do... 🤣
Best vid yet Guys!
One of the most important factors you forgot to mention is these Ex-Police cars may seem to have low KLM's , but have very high engine hours from all the idling they do, I have known some to idle for 12 hours. I would probably stay away from ex-police used 5 series.
actually that's a really good point! Hadn't thought of that. Though they're not low kms, tend to be 140-150,000 for a 4yo car. Well the ones I saw when I was shopping anyway...
I had an E60 530d for 10 years and adored it; that torque, that chassis and that efficiency in particular. Nothing ever went wrong with it either. My F06 ... touch wood ... has similarly been trouble free (I skipped the F10 5-series as that did nothing for me, in any guise). The current LCI M550i is right at the top of my list to succeed my F06 - assuming I can bear to part with it (which, tbh, I don't think I ever will be).
I8 alongside f06 for me(alongside my classic 330ci). Not even the current 8 series does it for me. Really hope they do a next generation 8 series like they did with the 6. That could be something special. Am building an indestructible fleet of cars for myself :)
Hi guys looking to buy an f06 soon. Would greatly appreciate any tips or hazards to look out for
@@TinyT1792 Heya, I might just be a lucky one but I've honestly had no troubles with my car except for the battery when I first got the car as its 2nd owner, and that was thankfully *just* in the warranty period so it was covered. And in retrospect I think it might have been my fault, insofar as I was inadvertently keeping the car key too close to the parked car and so it might have been keeping the car in 'awake' mode (don't know if that's true but someone gave me that advice and it seems reasonable). Since then I've just serviced it annually and only really driven it every few months on big road trips around NSW. It remains faultless and a real joy to tour in.
The E60 if you have a good one is sooo nice
Never watched your stuff before, but loving your walkthroughs on cars. Cheers from WA, USA.
Thanks mate! - AK
Nice review. Mines done 52k and no issues as yet- I do service it every 7-10k though. A lot of the features mentioned as options or as coming on the lci model were actually standard on the initial release. The police packs are very stripped out though- sound system is particularly lame. The civilian spec at least got the 16 speaker Harmon kardon sound which is good. Find one with bowers and Wilkins diamond surround option and it’ll make your ears bleed. I’ve had three bmws with 6cyl diesels and haven’t had (or heard of) dpf issues. Egr cooler issues are rife though and bmw have actively recalled in other countries- the coolers leak and the intake soot mixes with coolant and ends up melting the intake manifold- who knew this mix is combustible. In Australia they did “technical recalls” which was a “we don’t want it known publicly but will replace it for you anyway” and mine recently got called in for a software update which was somehow related to this too. Haven’t suffered actual Egr issues myself. Only niggles I’ve had is the dash ambient light strip has lost brightness, exhaust flap rattle and on super hot summer days it’ll throw up front camera fault warning until the aircon cools it down. Speaking of which- the aircon is fine cooling wise but as per the review, fan speed on auto is stupid and will often decide to go to a whisper when you want a breeze. Manual control sorts it but it’s annoying. Otherwise I’ve been wrapt with mine. Averaging 7.2l/100 around town all while having similar performance (which I’ll admit I use) to Aussie v8’s is nice.
Love the police negotiator voice over. Bravo 🙌
liked the bloopers at the end
you deserve way more subs, like, subscribed and shared
Great review thank you Can you do a review on a BMW M140i
Love you guys!
great vid. Nice E39 wagon behind Jim too
I though that was a 330i
@@MartinJones123 ahh yeah, it might be my eyesight!
@@chriswright5198 Nah... It's probably an E39... The touring versions do look pretty similar...
@@MartinJones123 I did zoom in on a big screen and still can’t pick it haha! I’d be happy with one of either !
Thumbs up for the voice over as a police negotiator!)) Love the video, thanks!)
Just bought a 520D SE Touring early 2018 model, have to say its one of the best cars ive ever owned and ive had alot of cars :)
Great vid guys. Looked at a ex-cop VF2 redline, prior to buying the redline wagon. One quick drive arrive the block was enough to put me off. Can't imagine this would be any more reliable... And they'd be a hell of a lot more expensive to repair.... Look great, go hard, but couldn't do it...
Curious why? What way did it drive badly?
@@zapher007 sounded like a bucket of bolts had been left under the bonnet. Suspension felt like a wheel was about to fall off. Didn't get it above 60 for fear of my life... 🤣
@@deganellis good to know! I had a VF2 SV6 rental that was like that. Had 28,000ks and I’ve never had to concentrate so hard just to keep a car in the lane at the speed limit in my life. And I used to drive a 1975 Corolla with retreads on the front and light truck tyres on the rear at uni. That handled better!!
Police cars have been abused most of the time, so they're usually a no go...
I have an VFII SV6 Wagon and when polished, you can scare some people especially when they were more common as cop cars...
I recently did diligence on a g31 LCI 530d wagon - it was a beautiful machine, but on asking the dealership that serviced it they warned me away from it. The technician said that the process of removing all of the police gear is not clean and with the amount of tech and wiring through these things it amounted to trouble - that's on top of the pummelling these things got on the highway.
Normally when ex police 530d's come out of service BMW Aust will usually modify them to properly comply with ADR/ECE requirements . As these are uk spec Police Authority Packs, they have a number of mandatory mods to be made before being resold to the public . These variants aren't the same as the 530d's sold thru BMW Locally. The Police get exemptions on certain requirements . The police vehicles also don't necessarily have the standard vehicles power & torque outputs . But this is re adjusted before the cars return to sale. As they'll usually have 160k+ by the time they come out of service, buying one may or may not be a huge financial risk. Will depend on how hard the cars life has Been during its police service. Some cars will probably be great buys, others better left alone.
You are correct. I purchased a 2020 ex NSW 530d direct from the auctions and would advise analysing the images very closely and searching the number plate to find where the car was stationed, avoid city cars at all costs while country examples are usually a great buy. The come with the police pack user manual and second battery tray in the boot. They do not have ad-blue although I'm not sure if civilian versions also don't have ad-blue@@Coastmac2001
AK: Car's got a lot of pickup. Jim: It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before the fugly grill. What do you say, is it the new Redrivenmobile or what? [a brief thinking pause while Jim attempts to light a cigarette] AK: cigarettes are a filthy habit.
That RF antenna on the Boot just screams "You over take me, You're getting pulled over" hahah.
Depreciation might have a lot to do with the fact sedans and wagons are just not popular anymore even though I love them most people wouldn’t look at a vehicle unless it has SUV in the description!
LOL @ 12:33 I have 1 gripe with my exact same car, and when you closed that little door, I was waiting for it to drop open
I'm so thankful you're referring to them as Unmarked. Shits me so hard when people say Undercover.
The BMW 535D and 540D X Drive are also available for purchase in Sweden
To anyone watching this now, 2021s are selling at the auctions for under 40k. The value prospect is getting good.
Morris should get in to acting and show business. He definitely has got what it takes to become a star.
love a 2021 320i review with the same insights after racking the kms on it.
Bought a 2016 535 m sport 30k miles in 2017. Fully loaded soft closed doors everything. Stage 1 tune + intake. Took it all the way to 143k miles this past September and sold for $23k. Not one engine light in 5 years. Drove it like a mad man. Not 1 accident. Literally gave me no problems except control arms lol. Idk how the V8’s are in terms of reliability but that 535 was a charm. I hope the m550 brings me the same success except I won’t take the mileage as high. When I get a car I really drive them and I was surprised that the 5 I had was the most reliable car I ever had
Are you talking about the F10?
Just got one and love it
Being an ex-Traffic Operations Group and Traffic Management Unit member, now known as Highway Patrol (in Victoria) I certainly would not by an ex-hwp car driven by me! Yes the cars are serviced, well maintained and repaired to very high standards (if dinged) but, they do live a hard life for around 16 hours per day. The Commodores and Falcons were really poor build quality, crap brakes and transmissions (manuals were ok, autos total garbage) WRX were bloody well made and had bullet proof components. I haven't had the joy of driving the BMW and MB HWP cars but, honestly, don't buy a used HWP car simply as the accelerated wear and tare over their life in the police force means there isn't much left in the cars. Ex station cars used for warrants, files and non emergency response are a different story. They tend to be looked after better, flogged less and could be worth a look at.
Just bought a 2019 530e. Supper fun and great tech features
Got a 2019 530i xdrive msport… full options (just cooled seats are missing) 2 years ago, love it, looks better then the new one xD same color, white, put m5 mirrors on in black. M5 gear shifter. Black rear windows… im not gona lie, still in love with it. Still doesn’t feel “old”… not gona change it in the near future 😅
Would love to see reviews of Skodas. Making a real come back lately
Wagon specifically
Skoda superb scout even more pacifically...err.....specifically.
Love the G30 5 series, looks like such a complete package. The 5 series came joint first in the 2022 JD Power Upper Midsize Premium reliability rankings, so might be the best of an expensive bunch, the results were: #1 BMW 5 Series 80 #1 Tesla Model S 80 #2 Genesis G80 79 #3 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 78 #4 Porsche Taycan 72 #5 Audi A6 71 I think the B series petrols have ironed out most if not all the previous BMW petrol flaws to my knowledge (timing chains, injectors, turbos, NoX sensors etc.), and are a mature evolution of the previous direction injection petrols and few major issues reported that I know of (bearing shells in the early 3 cylinders is the only one that I know about), but no 5 series has that version. With the Diesels they have finally hopefully eliminated the timing chain issues that affected previous 4 & 6 Diesel engines in the earlier pre-2016 F10 5 series. As you say, with more complexity comes more potential for costs, with all the sensors for the autonomous driving, I am not sure how robust those systems are these days on BMWs. I know the PDC sensors on my E46 used to fail every so often, I replaced two in 8 years, hopefully the sensors are made better in the new 5 series and don't cost too much.
Bought an ex police e60 2 years back..... oh lawd, it wasn't looked after while they shoved it in storage for a few years. Literally forgotten in a unit for years. But i love it so much, needs a fair bit of TLC, came with nothing apart from a fancy police nav system, and thats it for extras, not even speakers or working audio system. Never left me stranded, but it isn't healthy as it should be. Saving for a 530e or 545e, down the line.
How you guys managed to swing getting an ex-cop car too review is beyond me but this review definitely gave me a few chuckles. Also called it when I guessed you'd be reviewing something European today lol 😆 😂. From the sounds of things it's going to cost you an arm, a leg, your first born child and possibly have to look at mortgaging you soul to the devil too buy one of these if you're not financially secure or able to pay for the repairs. Also was that a Redriven cap that I spied Hullsy wearing when doing his mechanical appraisal of the beemer by any chance? And out of curiosity out of an A to F I wonder what grade he'd give these if he had to rate/grade them or any of the other cars you guys have reviewed in previous videos (might be a video series there for you lol) Brilliant job as always guys looking forward to next week's videos as always and take it easy over the weekend. Also congrats on nearly hitting 73k subscribers guys, it just goes to show that the channel is picking up speed and momentum now.
They probably just asked someone that owned one. No harder than any other car they review on here.
Mate, an awesome and very accomodating owner hooked us up with it. Not a ReDriven cap but they'll be happening soon mate. That A to F rating is a great idea too. You're a legend mate, thank YOU for the support! - AK
@@ReDriven no problems guys the A to F might be a good idea for a yearly wrap up of the cars or give people a system they'd be more likely to understand when used with the info you guys have gathered in your cheat sheets for an overall view of how you view the cars.(though if it was possible I think you'd be giving the Craptiva a score lower than F- lol)
Great video, gang. My dad was Traffic Ops for about 30 years and if there's one thing he taught me it was to never buy an ex-police car. Or a Holden. So...two things. Then there was something about Borg Warner diffs falling apart. He really hated the Commodores. 😂
They aren't as bad as they seem...
Fair call. They’d be thrashed, buying a ex-family car that’s been doted on makes much more sense.
Holden dealers had them in stock...
I own a 530d xdrive of that generation (G30) in the luxury line. It has 97000 km and always wonderful to drive without any problem until now. Only 6.7 l/100km. The best car i never had.
What broke down? What did it cost?
@@2810Mad Drive Assist pro malfunctions. Not fixed yet.
I love the police negotiator voiceover.
I couldn't imagine having a cop driven BMW in the states, seems awesome.
I lived in a baller suburban area of a major city in Texas 2015-2018, (pretty sure I was the only poor in the area), but Police started introducing BMW 3-series as police cars and then received major backlash from the community, so they went back to Explorers and Chargers. So they tried, but it instantly failed proving that it’s never going to happen in the US I guess.
Some police agencies here in Texas have Hellcat Challengers and Chargers, the new Vettes and Precinct 4 here in Houston has a Lamborghini. The take the cars they seize, badge and wrap them with the ghost wraps and all the hidden lights. You literally have to look and make sure their plate says Texas Exempt if you pull up on one going down the highway. A lot of the time they’re cruising speed limit or right under. Saw a guy creep up on the challenger trying to tempt him and he probably won’t be doing that again
The Luxury Line models are some of the most elegant and understated cars on the road. Beautifully proportioned, not like new BMW designs.
Cool watch mate
I leased a 2020 530e here in America. It was an M Sport, 19" Wheel option, The Harman Kardon Sound System (As shown on this car), Rear entertainment and 4 zone climate (That's what occupies the two shelves in the rear where you placed your phone), Night Vision (As shown on this car) and iDrive 7. From 9 to 45,700 miles, I was just about fault-free. There was an annoying Check Engine light that would randomly illuminate and send me into limp mode without a Check Control Message. Restarting would clear it. The dealer couldn't replicate it. iDrive 7 was full of bugs however a dealer update fixed that. The driving dynamics are odd. The hybrid battery sits behind the rear seats/trunk area and adds weight over the rear axle. That caused me to almost lose control twice making a spirited left turn with traction and stability control on. A problem my brother didn't have in a conventional 530i of the same year. Braking was also an issue with the added weight of the hybrid battery. The brake pedal is mushy and the stopping distance is longer than that of the 530i. I switched to aftermarket ceramic pads and synthetic brake fluid which fixed the issue by 50%. The 530e with M Sport package also comes with the Standard Suspension instead of the 10mm lower M Sport Suspension found on the 530i M Sport. After two years, my charging miles went from 22 to 9 so battery degradation had set in. In the last year of ownership, I rarely charged it as there was no point. The car then became inefficient as it was running 180hp instead of the 248 you get with the full battery. The torque was down to 255 from 310 since the battery was always empty. Lastly, it has a 12-gallon gas tank. Without charging, you'll find yourself at the gas station multiple times a week. When it was new and charging every day, I'd get 400 miles to a tank including e range. After battery degradation set in, I was averaging 140-190 per tank. I hope this was useful to someone
I have a neighbor who has a 535D, he seems to drive his car a lot. It is, however, the Touring version M sport
Sales were so low for the 5 series in New Zealand, only the 520i is sold new now. Very few recent year models are available on the used market.
Please review an E60 M5 and nice 330i "Touring" in the background... Is that going to be reviewed as well?
Should you buy you ask... I just spent a small fortune today to fix a stupid BMW footwell module because the car battery went flat and crashed the software. Enough said about modern BMW. 🤬
I'm not sure if this would fuck with the algorithm but it would be handy to know exactly what spec your example is in the description
These 5 Series apparently are not the same as sold to the Australian public. The Police 530d are a UK Spec Police Authority Pack , stripped back of some Luxo items due to needing the extra space for police kit. They are serviced by BMW locally & are then re modified apparently by BMW before they are re sold here . The Police variants are a little more powerful than the local variants , but are unlikely to be before being resold
Did you drive with real diesel fuel or diesel mixed with biodiesel and cetane value Maybe that can also affect consumption ?
You guys should do one of the F10!!
Would buy this car just to scare the shit out of bad modified vehicles 😂 Love your channel mate!
10:05 you’re not wrong. I love tech as well, but when it comes down to it, the key features you’d use are the same as in a 20yo car - audio and climate. I’d argue the “luxury” features like the electric heated/vented/memory seats would be used more than the tech (screen) bc tbh how much can you really change while driving. Set it to CarPlay/AA and off you go.
I remember when these came out, beautiful. I was lucky enough to be taken for a test spin in the M5 Launch Edition at BMW Sydney, fantastic car. My grandmother's neighbour bought a brand new 2018 540I Luxury Line. 35,000 kms and sold it last year for $65,000. Oooft Personally, I prefer the Luxury Line trim. Great video as always!
I used to own an e61 535d ex-cop car. First without knowing. Until the Spec "Behördenfahrzeug" appeared on my parts-guys screen when I had to order new, (bigger) brake disks and pads. The rear suspension bushings and air-ride went bad very quickly. Probably due to the "official use" in general, my LCI 525d is in much better shape after 200'000 km then the cop-car was. But d***, I still miss that hairy-chested engine!
Loved the 5 series as a model from base 520 up to and including all the M5s - good used buy cheap (ouch but most bought using a lease) and I’d trust an ex police 530d as a reliable dependable car with a good specialist mechanic maintaining the car ongoing
One feedback, you should show more of the car from other angles. So that we get to see the car in its entirety.
that cracka joke at the end was 👌🏼😂😂
I recently switched to a new Tucson after driving a Commodore for the past decade. I don't think I could go back to a police car design. I don't miss cars slamming on the brakes everytime I get behind them.
The 5 series making here in UK 🇬🇧 is absolutely superb and one of the coolest models Maybe for Australians using cheap materials though 😂
I drive the 5 series as my daily and it is amazing!
Which one?
@@shotboxstef 540i
You can get a nice 530 in the 40s, and 540 in the 60s! 540 has the B58 in it, what’s becoming a legendary and very reliable engine. The diesel option? Don’t know what you’d bother.
Didn’t the UK formally drop, immediately pull the diesel as they were catching 🔥
You see all the ones in the UK that where going on fire? Think the issue with a diesel cop car in urban areas now is they have a DPF which requires higher temp/longer running time, just don't get that kind of use in urban areas
Could you look at the f10 530d as well please
Hello Adam, long time no hear, but again a nice video. I am cruising now for over 1 month and the internet sucks on the ship so very difficult to watch a KZhead video. I know you are a tall man, but you look small in the front seat. So shorter people like me would look out of place….lol. Surprised that the gov’t is using such expensive cars to patrol your highways. Here in Ontario they just use Ford or GMC SUVs. They have presence and terrible gas mileage……Fred
I used to have an ex police car, 2007 BF XR6 turbo. I just look at it like it’s been ran in with a heavy foot but meticulously serviced, which it had been. Police cars never miss a service.
Apparently I was told by BMW in Western Australia that the G30's that the cops purchased over east are as similar as the normal 5er but lots of functionality has been stripped out of them as they said I would notice between my 520d and the cops 530d. My 520d isn't a cop car I purchased that new in 2019. Western Australia cops are not allowed to get the BMW's as the highway patrol cars as it was seen to be wasting tax payers money even if it costed as much as a decked out Skoda.
Well all I can say is in the UK there is no problem with getting the maintenance done for good price and the G30 is awesome and to be honest nearly every car loses a lot of money now day’s
We get fleeced here
Ex cop cars do have a great service history(and so should other 5 Series around this age), are cheaper but are usually abused and have high km's so I personally wouldn't... I knew somebody who had a bad experience with purchasing an ex cop car because it had damage that wasn't stated on the auction papers but they luckily got a refund (after being very persistent) and they learnt a lesson to never inspect a car during the rain... Great video 👍
Damn, the prices and maintenance costs of that car in Australia are pretty crazy.
I purchased a 2020 530d wagon ex fed police car in July 2023. Apart from the initial difficulty in getting insurance…most of the standard insurers did not have the 530d listed as it was an import…I loved it…so, so quick and tight..,super comfortable and looked like a beast too…unfortunately I got caught in the flash floods two weeks before Christmas and the car was a total write-off!! The best car I’ve had in 37 years of driving…shame it wasn’t submersible!!
Are you planing to buy another one?
@@carnut9193 I’ve bought an Audi A4 Avant Allroad as a replacement…there were very few 2020 BMW 530d touring available and the ones that were for sale near me were pricey.
That is the trouble, not many around. The current gen A4 is a nice platform@@andydewolf2301
Hi Andy, would you mind sharing what you paid for your 530d and what klm? thanks
It's worth noting that if you get a G91 LCI (wagon) in Australia it must have been a police car. The wagon was discontinued for all put fleet/police sales in Australia when the facelift launched.
Intersting - many G91 seem to be X-Drive also
Hey man can you do an older model of the Hyundai i-Load
I've had an ex NSW Highway patrol one of these for a bit over two years now. Wow, what a car. Yep, the stereo system was shit, upgraded with JBL speakers, Alpine amp and sub. No mechanical issues at all. Fuel economy is fantastic, on a highway cruise we get just over 1100km per tank. Biggest issue is the run flat tyres and the shitty roads we drive on, had two buckled rims and one crack on a rim. I've kept up the Pirrelli run flats a specified by BMW, though really in NSW it needs to have the same size tyres all around and the ability to carry a spare. But boy, does it go! I've let a few friends drive it and they can't believe how fast and tight around corners the car still is, and how much tech you get for your money - (I paid $50k with a five year warranty tacked on to the remain two years when I bought it). Great fun car to drive, I reckon it was worth the punt. And I also find it true that people slow right down and check to see if I am an unmarked highway patrol car. It's cool. I might even add a couple of antenas 🙂
Where did you buy it from?
Hi, I bought it from Pickles in Belmore. I was there to pick up a car for my son, the car was in the "buy now" section. $50k with the warranty extension and 12 mths rego. The 5 series was always something I wanted to own, so I thought what the heck, give it a go.@@mitchellavard
Hi, I bought it in the "buy now" section of Pickles Belmore. @@mitchellavard
I am really twisted if I should go for a 520i / 530i G30 or a F22 230i xDrive Coupe. I would love to have fun driving and dailying a car, but atleast the 5 series can be kept also as a family car if I suddenly happen to build one.
You should do a Volkswagen Passat Proline review next and keep the ex-police car theme going.
It's probably the case that when the car companies test their cars' fuel consumption, they accelerate them very gently, perhaps from 0 to 100 in 16 seconds
77KM ??? Is that all the Aussie Police keep them for ? Here in the UK we run them for 150,000 - 200,000 miles & officers will be expected to pass 4 week intensive police advanced driving course. Due to operational demands the vehicles are generally serviced every 8000 miles.
I tried to get the 2018 740cause of this look it ended up getting sold so I tried to buy the 540i I took too long to get that car too I ended up with a 2019 530i and going to get the 2019 M550I or 2014 M6
"Real good vacuum cleaner." Lol
I have a G30 530e and I can confirm med AC issue. Sometimes it randomly decides not to cool or when it starts to cool it overdoes it... very frustrating...
You can code the air con to work properly. Mine was like this and now it’s always cold.
I had a 2017 plate 530i for 18 months. Although it was a lovely drive and super reliable, it just seriously lacked the fun factor of my old 3 series (e90). You had to really push the 5 because of the weight of the car, and because of this the mpg was seriously low. I really wish I’d kept my 6 cylinder 3 series in all honesty. Would I buy another 5?…it’s a great car, but no. I’d rather save a chunk of money and get something smaller and more engaging to drive.
How much fuel did your car use, and did it break down? Thanks in advance. I intend to buy a 2017 g30 530i
@@nikdum8323 hi, I was averaging 23mpg around town but was reaching 40+ on longer runs. The mpg would go down to 15 if sport was used for a prolonged period. The car I owned was issue free but had under 20k miles on the clock. Was beautiful to drive (especially on longer runs). It had super comfy seats and held the road very well on its 19" alloys. I'd recommend if you're looking for a good all round spacious saloon, but wouldn't recommend it if you're really looking for excitement, as it just doesn't deliver on that (in my opinion).
The Aussie & UK & Irish vehicles are the closest spec wise. Other countries don't necessarily tend to get the same amount of gear that we do or the equipment is extra cost in other markets. We get some of the highest specced vehicles in the world .
Not always. America tends to get a few toys that we dont get for free.
Agreed, Aussie delivered cars tend to be pretty highly specced. However, for me a tell tale sign a BMW was a UK import was manual climate controls. The last time I saw factory manual climate controls in an Australian vehicle was maybe a F40 116i or even further back in an E46 compact.
who wouldve thought, seeing an ex-cop car being reviewed!
I have a 2017 VF2 SS, ex highway patrol from Sydney and other then the fire extinguisher and second battery in the boot you wouldn’t know. Ive managed to get a hold of the service history and other then the insane kilometers there is nothing that stands out. It was serviced every 10,000ks on the dot with the dealer, granted it could be as little as 2 months to do that many ks in some instances. My car has had issues, but issues i put to Holdens shotty cost cutting measures rather then something caused by it being a police car. So im curious when you say the police abuse the cars what specifically that means.
The interior rattles, quality issues, electronics and sensor errors seem to be related to local markets like AU/US. I have owned an E92, F10, F48, so a wide range of models and generations, never had a single rattle in any of them. I have also a lot of acquaintances with BMWs in Europe, and I haven't heard one complaint. What can I say, make sure your BMW is actually built in Germany 😁
These are built in Germany. Likely it's due to the distance these cars travel and the roads they travel on. East coast of Australia has quite poor roads from my experience.