Beeeemer 5er E39er

[matt]

Alright, here's the deal: my DD died.  I have about $7k to spend and i've narrowed my options to:

late 90s subaru, E36, or E39 (540i 6spd).

I'm really leaning towards the E39 because of the interior and overall comfyness, and awesomeness of it.  Subaru is a big pile of garbage-looking plastic.  An E36 is, well, an E36 and runs about the same price as the 540 E39.

Gas mileage isn't a big concern, I drive like a grandma, and do 85% highway driving.




However, reading reviews the 540s seem to be pretty maintanence intensive.  Anyone with experience know?

Is it just rich BMW owners being overly anal?

I've owned 3-4 E30s in the past, I'm fairly comfortable with working on them.  


Hit me up with some knowledge.

[matt]

[Damnit]

all i know is of the E39s Ive heard the inline 6 is the most reliable.

I guess all the big V8s have problems with seals, and since the engine takes up all the room repair costs are high

[Damnit]

[matt]

all i know is of the E39s Ive heard the inline 6 is the most reliable.

I guess all the big V8s have problems with seals, and since the engine takes up all the room repair costs are high

I work on my own cars, so labor costs aren't really an issue, it's more of a concern with frequency of repairs.

I've read typical issues are radiator cracking, valve-cover seals, and some coolant hoses becoming brittle.

I work full-time + school, so my M-F schedule is normally:
- leave house @ 6am
- get home 9-10pm
- rinse and repeat.

[matt]

[radiata]

E39!  by far the best looking midsize bmw, and drives really nice.  My roommate has a e39 530i, so much room in the trunk, classy bmw styling, and can go either way if you want luxury or sports car.   I think my roommate has a 2002 with 220k miles (commutes over 80 miles a day) and it's never needed any major service other than tune ups and oil changes.  

[brester240]

i got your pm, i just havent had a chance to write a useful response.

ill be back, going to sleep now.

[brester240]

[matt]

i got your pm, i just havent had a chance to write a useful response.

ill be back, going to sleep now.

thanks, take your time.

[matt]

[Damnit]

E39!  by far the best looking midsize bmw, and drives really nice.  My roommate has a e39 530i, so much room in the trunk, classy bmw styling, and can go either way if you want luxury or sports car.   I think my roommate has a 2002 with 220k miles (commutes over 80 miles a day) and it's never needed any major service other than tune ups and oil changes. 

dont get me wrong, i love my e39....but get rid of the stylish little body line down the side, and they look like somewhat fancy 4 door civics.

[Damnit]

[omen2853]

i was looking into them a few months back and test drove 2 of the 6speed ones. apparently, they have some cooling system problems. really all it requires is replacing some plastic piece with a metal one. seals supposedly are pretty shitty too. for the most part though, i think i remember reading that the engine was tough. i  think i general all the maintenance complaints were from fairy bmw boys. the parts arent all that much more expensive. M parts are...but regualr bmws..not too bad.

from personal experience with the ones i drove a few miles, theyre pretty damn smooth. when youre inside, youre in this gigantic fucking interior and when you start rolling it feels like an airport bus with supersoft suspension. its pretty rad. power is...well it builds up to it. like you mash on the pedal and drop the clutch and it doesnt instantly go like a smaller car would. it waits for a second...thinks about it and then takes off.

the cars i was looking at were a little older...like 97 and 98 so some of the things mentioned were probably just due to old parts. if you were to get new shocks and springs bushings and shit, im sure the suspension wouldnt feel so much like a bus. a better clutch would probably take care of the laggy takeoff. but overall...i would have totally bought it if the dude didnt come out and say...oh yeah. salvage title.

[omen2853]

[matt]

Yeah, I drove a 2002 M5, and it was probably the most awesome car I've ever driven, so this is just a step down and about $15k cheaper, so, i'm cool with that. 

I'm not looking for a sports car, i'm looking for something smooth and nice, I've spent almost 3 years in a 1993 eagle summit with a 1.5l, no AC, broken radio, noisy, uncomfortable, peeling interior, etc.  Anything is a step up.

[matt]

[Cybernetic $Lindz$ of Car Design Past From the Future]

e39 540is 6MT. Live my dream.

[Cybernetic $Lindz$ of Car Design Past From the Future]

[matt]

this is the goal my friend, this is the goal.

Found a couple in Jersey for liek $7.5k, but, Jersey scares me.

[matt]

[Cybernetic $Lindz$ of Car Design Past From the Future]

Yeah, you might need to go into the 9k-10k range to find something that doesn't need a lot of attention. Well, every area is different. That's just how it is out here. I was looking and 9-10 will get you a real sweet e39 540i.

[Cybernetic $Lindz$ of Car Design Past From the Future]

[matt]

I just carfaxed two of them.  One is a silver 97, black interior with 123k, 1-owner, no accidents, dealer serviced for it's life.

the other is a silver 99 with 160k, 1-owner, no accidents, dealer serviced for it's life, too.

So, I'm not sure, I like the 97, but i like the 99 because it has more stuff, and more stuff is cool.

[matt]

[matt]

97






99

[matt]

[matt]

I think I like the 99 more.  But, 160k is a lot of miles.

[matt]