Used BMW 525d or Merc E250CDI: Do either make sense as a first car buy

I was earlier keen on getting a 2.4 Accord or a Pajero Sport but am tempted by the idea of driving an F10 BMW

BHPian Denali recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear members,

I am being offered a single owner 2011 525d (I'm assuming 6 cyl) done 35k for 10 lacs. The vehicle was last serviced in 2021 by an independent garage in GGN and the service prior to that was done by the authorized BMW service centre in Chd. I am 18, and this purchase would be my first car. I was earlier keen on getting a 2.4 Accord or a Pajero Sport but am tempted by the idea of driving an f10.

I have a few queries:

Does the 2010/2011 525d come equipped with air suspension? If yes, can the setup turn out to be problematic, given the vehicle is 13 years old?

I plan to retain and drive the vehicle for atleast the next 5 years. I have heard a lot about the Accord's reliability and have a friend who has a 4L run Pajero Sport, so I know about the PS' reliability first hand.
Can I expect a niggle free ownership from the 525d for the next 5 years/60k kms?

Parallely, I was also being offered a 12k done 2011 E250 CDI Elegance for the same price, but the owner has postponed the sale. The car is virtually brand new. It has complete Merc service history.

Will the Merc be a better machine in terms of reliability/niggle free ownership in the long run?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

It's too fast, too old, too complex and too expensive (to maintain) as an 18-year old's 1st car, Denali. Go get yourself a Polo / Rapid TSI for fun on a budget if you really want German driving pleasure. You'll get like new Vento / Rapid TSIs with lots of money left over for mods & maintenance.

Here's what BHPian KK_HakunaMatata had to say on the matter:

I can't answer any of the questions on the car per se, there are better people for that. Knowing the prices of NCR first hand, the 2011 car is already exceeded 10yrs and banned to run in NCR. Though you will be able to get an NOC now to other states, the price shouldn't exceed 5lac.

Here's what BHPian Immortalz had to say on the matter:

BMW switched the 525d to a 4 pot in 2011. Get the VIN and decode it to see whether the engine is N57 or N47. N57 is the six pot. Also, That N57 engine, also shared in a higher state of tune in the 2010-2011 530ds, is problematic. There is no critical flaws as such, but it is a maintenance nightmare. The N47 engine is the one with timing chain issues. It's an all round no no, the early F10 diesels. It is better to avoid those. You can recognize the updated engine by doing a VIN decode and spotting the N57N engine.

The 5er never came with air suspension here in India. Only the GTs did.

Unless all of the maintenance has already been done, expect a ton of work. You can spend a few lakhs and make it tip top, but you can find 2012+ cars in the 12L range easily, which offer a significantly updated motor.

Yes. The W212 is a return to classic Merc reliability. You'll probably have to replace a lot of the bushings and such soon due to age. But it should be a workhorse.

Here's what BHPian ike had to say on the matter:

This is a 13 year old car, and that can never be "virtually brand new". A car is meant to run and this clearly has not run at all. Even if the engine has run less, the chassis, the interiors, suspension etc are all very old. Get the car if that is what you really want but don't kid yourself into buying a 13yr old car believing it is "brand new" since the clock shows only 13k KMS.

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