Older 5 series BMW's (late 90's)

[markb]

Well on the hunt for a car replacement, my partner Bec was wanting to get back into a BMW. She had a 90's 318 that was a wicked little car but it just too small and impractical for a family.

Had a look on carsales and some pretty decent options, low k's and what look to be some nice cars on offer but the question on my mind is what's the catch?

higher service costs, poor reliability, expensive spares or all 3, the 318 was dead reliable with about the same costs as a non euro?

quite curiuos about and its prob the wrong forum but anyway have at it!

[Kryton]

I wouldnt go anything less than a 325 myself.
5 series would be even better.

[eb2fairmont]

e39 5 series. Very complex so get someone who knows to inspect it.

[MercurySilver]

before we grabbed a tj magna as a runner for me to work the misses had her heart set on an older beamer for some reason
did a bit of research and thing i heard more often than not was that the electrics have a habit of packing it in and being a pain in the ***

i managed to convince her to stop asking

[markb]

Yeah 5 and 7 series would be all we were looking at, a fair way off from a BF wagon though of course but that's my practical side talking..wouldn't mind a 5 or 7 series to cruise around in :-)

Hear you on the electrics but other than a window regulator we had zero problems with the 318i, of course it's going to be less complicated than a 5 series.

[pottery beige]

pm iggypoppin.. hes just bought one..

http://www.fordforums.com.au/member.php?u=2110340

[gcg2503]

I remember the 540 (maybe 535 as well) V8s had some issues with their nikasil blocks

Article here

http://www.koalamotorsport.com/tech/article-m60v8.asp

[GT0336]

I've got an E39 540i, owned a couple of 740's & 750's in the past. Great cars, just make sure the car has its service history and maintenance is the key. Especially the cooling system.

[BeansNoMore]

I've got a 2000 E39 530i which I've now had for 8 years, as well as the BA XR8 which i bought new. Absolutely love them both for different reasons. I was hesitant for years about getting the BM because of the supposed high cost of service and parts but despite getting it serviced at the local BM dealer, its been a very normal car ownership experience. The quality and depth of the BM's engineering and attention to detail still amazes and surprises me. It's an old school heavy solid car, not that heavy on fuel though and I'm pleased I got the 6 not the 540, which in my view is not as well balanced as the 6. The BM is a noticeably quieter and smoother ride than the XR, taking refinement to the next level.

E39s are a lot of car for current 2nd hand money, but ensure that it has service history. Repeat - ensure that it has service history. Oh, they don't stand up the OZ sun too well, the window trims and rubbers particularly, so try and find one that has been garaged. Only complaint of the BM is that I find the steering a bit twitchy, ie. I'm always correcting it, which I've been told by a number of allignment shops, isn't adjustable. I assume therefore the castor isn't adjustable which is a modern car characteristic. The BM also does seem to eat brake pads and rotors, but they are a heavy car. Not cost prohibitive though. Yes and change the cooling fluid regularly.

[markb]

Thanks guys, I guess people really only bother to list the horror stories, not sure if I can pull the pin on this as Bec is really,really keen for some reason..gues it might have something to do with driving the escape as her main car as it's not exactly refined.

Anyone got some economy figures as well for city/highway? I am asuming that the 6's are the pick of the engines as it seems the v8's can be problematic - also more expensive rego here in QLD.

[fred1922]

I had a e34 525i for a few years and loved it. Had some issues but always managed to sort them out. I still have some spares, bushes lower control arms etc.

[Iggypoppin']

You have a PM buddy.
Echo the above though, make sure the cooling system is well serviced in any car you buy. They are probably one of the only weak spots in these things. Otherwise they are generally pretty bulletproof and you'll not have any issues if you maintain the service history. Mine came with full documentation right up until the current klms, it's up to me now to keep the books updated!
Good luck in the search

[Ibanezteve]

Originally Posted by gcg2503

I remember the 540 (maybe 535 as well) V8s had some issues with their nikasil blocks

Article here

http://www.koalamotorsport.com/tech/article-m60v8.asp

The nikasil engines were changed in 1994 (e34), they started using alusil after this, so BMW told me a few years back. It was only an issue in countries that don't have a supply of good fuel. Wouldn't be a issue here I don't think.

[Vincenzo]

If the 318 is a wee bit small, may I suggest a 5 Series (either an E28 / E34). These vehicles are typical German simplicity and efficiency. The main thing to remember is to ensure the vehicle has been serviced regularly. Buy the best you can afford. The M30 motor is one of the inline sixes. Regularly serviced, 500,000 is not uncommon for these motors.

I have a 635 CSi with a close ratio 5 speed. Around town I get about 10L - 11L / 100km. The torque in the motor allows me to skip / short shift as needed. On the highway 9L / 100km is easy, 8L and below takes a bit of practise.

Servicing costs are on a par with my AU111 XR6, just ensure you keep the servicing up and regular. (stay on top of things)

Feel free to contact if you want

Cheers Vincenzo

[markb]

318 was definately too small and only 3 door so no fun with a pram and I doubt a rear facing car seat would even fit.

Defo a 6 I think as it's going to be a daily driver.

Oh well it will be interesting going out and having a look as I was just talking to Bec how I hate going around looking for cars as now days they are just really quite boring.

[Franco Cozzo]

90s 7 series was my project of choice if the Falcon didn't come up so conveniently and easy to grab.

See if you can find a 735i, its one of the only 7 series with a 6 cylinder under the hood I think.

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/d...900?base=1216&

With the internet these days, parts from all over the world are just a click away, so don't worry about expensive parts.

I helped a local business source a genuine HID ballast for a customers 2007 Saab 93 aero, they rang up a dealership and said it would be over a year wait, and at a cost of over $1000, they rang up a saab wrecker who sent them two dead ones for $400 and they were on the verge of handing the car back to the customer saying they couldn't fix it.

I got a new genuine one landed for $120 and it came in 2 weeks.

Things are only expensive if you don't know where and how to source them or its some particular odd ball combination of parts.

[getjpi]

Ran a E39 530D in the old country for five years before coming down here.

650+ miles to the tank, motorway driving at > 80mph. Oodles of low down deep and dirty torque.

Miss it terribly, the Fairmont wagon I currently drive doesn't have the same joie de vivre...

One can but dream of a 550D Touring with all the dessert options...

[Rev28K]

I missed out on an E39 540 a few years ago (knew the owner), he spent $2000 on replacement electronics & sensors before he offered it to me. He'd owned the car from new and it was only 4 years old.

Luckily I got his replacement for the 540 as my tow car.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

90s 7 series was my project of choice if the Falcon didn't come up so conveniently and easy to grab.

See if you can find a 735i, its one of the only 7 series with a 6 cylinder under the hood I think.

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/d...900?base=1216&

With the internet these days, parts from all over the world are just a click away, so don't worry about expensive parts.

I helped a local business source a genuine HID ballast for a customers 2007 Saab 93 aero, they rang up a dealership and said it would be over a year wait, and at a cost of over $1000, they rang up a saab wrecker who sent them two dead ones for $400 and they were on the verge of handing the car back to the customer saying they couldn't fix it.

I got a new genuine one landed for $120 and it came in 2 weeks.

Things are only expensive if you don't know where and how to source them or its some particular odd ball combination of parts.

735 had a 3.5L V8.

Edit: Sorry thinking of the later E38s

[XR Martin]

Oh, I reckon one of the limited edition E34 540s that came in manual would be worth a punt.

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/d...k&sort=default

[Cheese3]

higher service costs, poor reliability, expensive spares is a myth that people say who has never owned one says .

I bought a mid 90's bmw as my first car and owned it for 6 years and not one issue with or service costs . . . And as a 18 year old guy back then I did push that car hard . . .

[markb]

Originally Posted by Cheese3

higher service costs, poor reliability, expensive spares is a myth that people say who has never owned one says .

I bought a mid 90's bmw as my first car and owned it for 6 years and not one issue with or service costs . . . And as a 18 year old guy back then I did push that car hard . . .

Yeah it's tricky as there are so many keyboard warriors or platform bigots that will trash something without having even driven/owned one. If you read between the lines in terms of most people that had issues they "drove it until they broke it" which is always going to result in an expensive repair.

I think I'll judge each prospective car on it's merits - ford, bimmer or whatever and see what suits us.

But as a daily driver I think it will be a six either way, love to grab a 530D but none of those have come up in my searches.

[GQ_Smooth]

Very good car when everything works, painful to work on, but much less complex and more reliable than newer BMW models. Having being burned by them in the past when they came out of warranty, I would be in the no bracket (only based on personal experience), my own little protest, I wouldn't own a BMW again.

It's worth spending 100-200 to get them professionally checked by a specialist. If you can find a good one, you'll end up getting a bargin, the down side can be hidiously expensive. As mentioned before, to me the risks outway the potential gain.

[pursuit2359]

Originally Posted by markb

But as a daily driver I think it will be a six either way, love to grab a 530D but none of those have come up in my searches.

The 530d wasn't available in Australia until 2005 (the E60 generation).

I've always loved the look of the E39 - it's worth noting that the I6s had rack and pinion steering whereas the V8s had a recirculating ball setup. Some good info here: http://wikicars.net.au/reviews.php#!...0Sedan&gen=115

[ryeman]

A mates V8 BMW water cooled alternator (eliminates 'fan noise') leaked into the wiring harness and cost him many thousands, it fried the dash instruments!

[Kryton]

Id go an E39 540i myself.

[markb]

It's all sounding pretty scary and it's looking like a BF wags might be the go!

[getjpi]

Originally Posted by markb

But as a daily driver I think it will be a six either way, love to grab a 530D but none of those have come up in my searches.

As noted below the E39 was never sold in Diesel down here.
However I have seen two on Carsales over the past 12 months, migrant imports from the UK.

[markb]

argh I think the seed has been planted! guess it's time to get on carsales and have a look, for an old school 5 or 7 series.

[351hardtop]

I've got a 2000 model E39 528i Touring (wagon). It's been very reliable, a lot of fun to drive and amazingly stable and fast on a country run. I'm also a big fan of its safety.

As others have said, make sure anything you look at has service records and has been obviously well cared for. If it looks a bit rough then run don't walk.

The best thing to do with all the Euro cars is find a good independent mechanic who specialises in them and discuss your needs with him, he'll be the one you'll take it to for servicing and repairs. He may also know if a customer is wanting to sell their car, I've found that a great way to buy in the past. Don't get these cars serviced at the local garage or K Mart Service Centre.

Good luck and don't hesitate, they're made for driving enjoyment, not just a means of transport.