E61 advice

[Truth]

Hi you knowledgeable lot. My best mate wants to buy a 5 series touring the e61 he wants the M sport and is looking for petrol or diesel with the engine bigger than the 2.0.
Any advice on what to look for, what to avoid. Any current ones for sale that you’d buy. His limit is £9000
If it is in 100 miles of Leeds would be great but I keep telling him a good car is worth traveling for.
Thank you in advance.
All the best.

[Mr Tidy]

No personal experience of an E61, but last year I bought a manual E91 (325i Touring) and found it felt a bit underwhelming in the performance department. To the extent that yesterday I collected an E90 (330i Saloon) with the rare option of split-fold rear seats - what a difference another 40 bhp makes! (It was exactly 100 miles away too).

These 2 were both early models so have the N52 engine, which as far as I know are only let down by the lack of a dip-stick and the cost of electric water pumps.

Petrol E61s from 2003 to 2005 had the M54 engine, then from 2005 to 2007 they had the more powerful (and lighter) N52. After 2007 they got the N53 engine, which I specifically didn't want after reading many tales of woe regarding failed injectors, high pressure fuel pumps and coking up - all to save a few quid on road tax and slightly better mpg.

Plus if E61s followed the same path as E91s the N52 engines come with hydraulic PAS which is so much better than the electric PAS on my Z4C. I'm pretty sure N53 engined E61s will have EPAS - for chasing low C02 emissions.

I don't know much about the diesels, but did run the idea of an M57 engine past my BMW Indy a year ago and he said an N57 would be a better idea if I wanted an easy life!

Then there are the 535i (which I think will sadly cost over £500 p.a. for road tax) and the 535d (which is auto. only) but that's all I know about those.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be able to help!

[Truth]

Cheers mate. That interesting that petrol should look for 2005-07 and diesel I’ve been told that he should look at 2006 onwards because of the swirl flap issues

There’s a lot of very clever and mechanically minded people on here. So hopefully will get some more info and tips. Cheers though mate.
How do u find ur 330i?

[Mr Tidy]

How do u find ur 330i?

I set up an alert on AutoTrader last year for 2.5 litre+ 3 Series and found my 325i, and never turned it off! The 330i appeared when I checked the link.

From what I remember of a very brief conversation about 330ds it wasn't so much a swirl-flap issue as a DPF regeneration one!

Early swirl-flaps were metal so could cause significant damage, but later ones were plastic so just got "spat out". But I believe it isn't too difficult/costly to get them blanked out.

[Truth]

The dpf is the problem for him as it won’t be used on a lot of long runs. It will be pottering about and dad duties. He’s set on a m sport 5 series though. And a estate is always handy!