[Mottok]

There's a thought lurking in the back of my head to move to another car and I can't get rid of it. Main reasons are, practicality and variety. What I mean is I often need to move stuff as I have a couple of flats and doing up a house, it's not essential but I'm getting to that age where I'm thinking a car should be practical! (Christ, never thought I would get there but hey ho).

Variety - what I mean is this is my fourth 3 series. Of course its a huge step up from my last 320d (2006) but I've owned fast cars in the past and I think I'm just bored of the 3 series and probably ready to move up to the 5 series.

Guess I'm just looking to chat on this cause I don't wanna bring it up with the wife Thinking either a touring of some description or do all 5 series saloons have split rear seats? I would prefer to remain a six pot but even considering selling and buying a big old cheap work horse like a T5 or something, just dunno.

Not sure, any thoughts? Cheers.

[xenon]

5 series is a different league refinement-wise but others will say (rightly) that it doesn't handle as well but was not an issue for me in my commute. The silence though was hugely preferable. Unfortunately, split seats is NOT standard on the saloons - they don't even fold. Touring does though and is hugely (in both senses of the word) practical.

[Mottok]

Originally Posted by xenon

5 series is a different league refinement-wise but others will say (rightly) that it doesn't handle as well but was not an issue for me in my commute. The silence though was hugely preferable. Unfortunately, split seats is NOT standard on the saloons - they don't even fold. Touring does though and is hugely (in both senses of the word) practical.

Good to know cheers. Handling isn't an issue, I do dual carriage way to work and rarely get to fling it about, maybe 15 years ago, not such a big deal now. Had seen a 535d touring M sport same year same mileage today actually, better spec too, they estimate £2.5k in their favour. That's the other problem, skint, but tempting....

[xenon]

If you try, you'll buy. I thought the difference in interior quality would be "auto suggestion" but it isn't - the difference is tangible. The silence when driving shows how bad the F3x is. In my F31 I never bothered with the (standard) radio at motorway speeds as it was a waste of time.

[Dr Forinor]

When I bought my current car, it was between the 3 Series Touring and the 5 Series Touring, the reason I went for this 3 Series Touring was that it handles better and that was an important factor for me. If handling is an issue then you might want to steer clear of the 5 Series?

In regards to interior space, the 5 Series is definitely more spacious. More interior room, the seats are noticeably bigger (and comfier?) and it's just more luxurious/refined.

[KCH1984]

Originally Posted by xenon

If you try, you'll buy. I thought the difference in interior quality would be "auto suggestion" but it isn't - the difference is tangible. The silence when driving shows how bad the F3x is. In my F31 I never bothered with the (standard) radio at motorway speeds as it was a waste of time.

This...owing to the run out offers on the X5, I took out a demonstrator for the day. There was no going back. I never had an issue with the noise levels in the F30, but going between cars I was shocked how loud it then felt.

OP - like you I also bought a car without the split folding rear seats and it became a right PITA. Rendered the extra bootspace no more usable than my previous 1 series. I reckon if I'd bought a touring I wouldn't have been tempted to switch, but can understand why you are looking!

[richatha]

So to be a bit of an outside thinking. If you're doing up some houses is your main reason to change cars to get more space to help with doing up the houses, etc. If that's the case I personally wouldn't want to buy a nice BMW touring to do that and i'd be looking straight at a shed Volvo V70 for the sheer space that thing has.

Yes it isn't fast but very refined i think and you can use and abuse it. Just a thought and i may have misinterpreted what you wrote.

[Mottok]

Originally Posted by KCH1984

This...owing to the run out offers on the X5, I took out a demonstrator for the day. There was no going back. I never had an issue with the noise levels in the F30, but going between cars I was shocked how loud it then felt.

OP - like you I also bought a car without the split folding rear seats and it became a right PITA. Rendered the extra bootspace no more usable than my previous 1 series. I reckon if I'd bought a touring I wouldn't have been tempted to switch, but can understand why you are looking!

yeh I think you're right - at the time the 5 series touring was that bit more expensive but now it seems a possibility for not much more cash.

Dr Forinor - handling not an issue for me so possibly 5 series is the way to go.

Guess it's a nice decision to have..

[KCH1984]

Originally Posted by Mottok

yeh I think you're right - at the time the 5 series touring was that bit more expensive but now it seems a possibility for not much more cash.

Dr Forinor - handling not an issue for me so possibly 5 series is the way to go.

Guess it's a nice decision to have..

The F3x in xDrive spec needs aftermarket springs really. If you're going from a stock xDrive 335d to a 535d Touring, I doubt you'll suffer much on the handling side.

Out of the box my F15 feels far better than my stock 330xD did. That probably largely comes down to perception, but the F3x on SE springs feels massively compromised.

[Mottok]

Originally Posted by richatha

So to be a bit of an outside thinking. If you're doing up some houses is your main reason to change cars to get more space to help with doing up the houses, etc. If that's the case I personally wouldn't want to buy a nice BMW touring to do that and i'd be looking straight at a shed Volvo V70 for the sheer space that thing has.

Yes it isn't fast but very refined i think and you can use and abuse it. Just a thought and i may have misinterpreted what you wrote.

It's not things like cement and stuff, more like mattresses, beds, rugs, that kind of stuff so not going to mess up the car. Probably should have just gone for a touring of some description from the start, just thought I couldn't afford it at the time (probably still can't!).

[richatha]

Originally Posted by Mottok

It's not things like cement and stuff, more like mattresses, beds, rugs, that kind of stuff so not going to mess up the car. Probably should have just gone for a touring of some description from the start, just thought I couldn't afford it at the time (probably still can't!).

Ahhhh ok that makes sense, i had an imagine of you lugging anything and everything to the tip, etc in the car.

If it were personally I would go for a 5 series looking at your type of items. For example i recently had to get some scaffolding boards into my F31 340i and from the front windscreen to the back diagonally it would fit about 3/ 3.2 meters (I can't remember the specific sizes sorry) and i find the 3 series isn't as wide either.

The only thing to do is go and have a look and see what you think about size yourself and go in with the mindset of not buying anything just looking.

[Mottok]

Originally Posted by richatha

Ahhhh ok that makes sense, i had an imagine of you lugging anything and everything to the tip, etc in the car.

If it were personally I would go for a 5 series looking at your type of items. For example i recently had to get some scaffolding boards into my F31 340i and from the front windscreen to the back diagonally it would fit about 3/ 3.2 meters (I can't remember the specific sizes sorry) and i find the 3 series isn't as wide either.

The only thing to do is go and have a look and see what you think about size yourself and go in with the mindset of not buying anything just looking.

Yeh I might go do that actually. Got to pick up a mattress on Thursday and need to get mate's car to do it, pain in the ar*se, it's that kind of thing I want to avoid really. It's fun looking at new cars anyway, even if it has only been 4/5 months since the last time

[richatha]

Originally Posted by Mottok

Yeh I might go do that actually. Got to pick up a mattress on Thursday and need to get mate's car to do it, pain in the ar*se, it's that kind of thing I want to avoid really. It's fun looking at new cars anyway, even if it has only been 4/5 months since the last time

mate why not organise a test drive and go pick it up in a 3 series and see how it fits in haha, i bet they will never have seen that before so it would be an experience for everyone haha

[Mottok]

Originally Posted by richatha

mate why not organise a test drive and go pick it up in a 3 series and see how it fits in haha, i bet they will never have seen that before so it would be an experience for everyone haha

haha - would love to see the look on the salesman's face when I ask him to give me a hand in with it - would save on fuel too, nice..

[creepy coupe]

Our company has just bought a G30 530e. The interior is another league over even the last 5 series.Comfort, refinement. technology. All top notch.

[Bibbles]

The G31 is probably perfect for what you need. The refinement compared to the F3X is night and day and with the back seats folded down I've had a king size mattress in the back along with the rest of the flat packed bed without any fuss at all.

[j.s.]

I went looking recently and test drove a G30, but decided that it was just too big a car for me, difficult to park and manoeuvre in narrow streets. So I bought a F36 instead, quite practical and different than my F30. Of course you may see it differently, but for me mainly driving in the city a 5 series barge wasn't right

[Mottok]

If I could afford the G30/G31 I would go for that but unfortunately only in a position to add a few more pennies on a trade in (or even if I sold private) so F10/11 is all I can hope for realistically, especially if I want to get a 6 pot. Same story on the F36, would have considered that too.

[Mottok]

Originally Posted by Mottok

If I could afford the G30/G31 I would go for that but unfortunately only in a position to add a few more pennies on a trade in (or even if I sold private) so F10/11 is all I can hope for realistically, especially if I want to get a 6 pot. Same story on the F36, would have considered that too.

In saying that, just seen a 430d GC, arrgghh what to do...

[Mottok]

what's the F36 like in terms of refinement, same as the f30?

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by Mottok

what's the F36 like in terms of refinement, same as the f30?

Quite a number of people slam the F30 refinement, but I find my F36 fine. The 40i engine definitely helps as it means no real engine noise when cruising around. I've been in plenty of F10 and E-class cabs where I have felt the refinement is noticeably worse - even my boss's M550d F10 didn't seem any better to me.

The only car that I thought was a serious step ahead in refinement above 50mph was a RRS.

Road surfaces do make a difference though, maybe I am lucky in not spending much time on noisy tarmac.

[ZigmundUK]

Anyone gone from 330d to G30 530d? https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1514765

5 series is awesome. If you truly need the practicality then the g31 is obviously better. But the saloon boot is massive - deep. We've not yet had issues in our costco shopping. But you lose the height aspect with the closed boot.

Split seats are an option so if you go for one make sure it has them.

Someone mentioned that the 5 doesn't handle as well as the 3. That's tosh imo. I have the adaptive drive option on my 530d and it handles better than the f31 I had with the adaptive suspension. Perhaps the new gXX 3 series models will be leagues ahead of the f3x ones and maybe handle better than the g3x but the ride quality and handling in the new 5 is fantastic.