Indestructable E34s
Discussion
My 215,500 mile E34 525i Touring is currently doing about 1500 miles per month and runs like a dream. Just about to embark on a 1500 mile round UK trip up to John O Groats and along and down the West Coast of Scotland.
Anyway just wondered if anyone else had a E34 and whether they were similarly robust
Anyway just wondered if anyone else had a E34 and whether they were similarly robust
Well, having just serviced a fellow PH'ers e39 525 tds tourer with a whisker off 1/4 million miles on the clock, I can honestly say that their longevity is astonishing. Not an oil leak, not a creak or groan, not a single thing that doesn't do what it should. It has had regular servicing and normal service item replacements and the car drives like 25k not 250k.
Looks like new underneath and is as smooth, relaxed and effortless to drive as it was when it was new. The engine pulls strongly, never uses oil between services, the gearbox changes gear perfectly and the axle is silent. A true testament to well made, well designed engineering.
Looks like new underneath and is as smooth, relaxed and effortless to drive as it was when it was new. The engine pulls strongly, never uses oil between services, the gearbox changes gear perfectly and the axle is silent. A true testament to well made, well designed engineering.
sniff petrol said:
I've had 3 E36's and they all rust - how does the E34 compare in that department?
The way it looks now both my E36's will be killed off by rust eventually.
not bad, certainly far less rust that the 325i. on the outside little bit on the bonnet thats about it. its done 215500 aswell.The way it looks now both my E36's will be killed off by rust eventually.
matt21 said:
sniff petrol said:
I've had 3 E36's and they all rust - how does the E34 compare in that department?
The way it looks now both my E36's will be killed off by rust eventually.
not bad, certainly far less rust that the 325i. on the outside little bit on the bonnet thats about it. its done 215500 aswell.The way it looks now both my E36's will be killed off by rust eventually.
In the not too distant future there will be more E30's left on the roads than E36's I reckon.
sniff petrol said:
matt21 said:
sniff petrol said:
I've had 3 E36's and they all rust - how does the E34 compare in that department?
The way it looks now both my E36's will be killed off by rust eventually.
not bad, certainly far less rust that the 325i. on the outside little bit on the bonnet thats about it. its done 215500 aswell.The way it looks now both my E36's will be killed off by rust eventually.
In the not too distant future there will be more E30's left on the roads than E36's I reckon.
I did London to Aberdeen via Edinburgh and across Glenshee, back to London in 4 days. Used around 1 ltr of oil over 1000 miles and otherwise drove amazingly. The E34 is designed for long distance at speed driving. Suspension and performance are amazing for a car that is at the youngest 13 years old, and the engine sound is always amazing.
There's one important thing that has been omitted from this debated...
There's no doubt the E34 is the best screwed together 5-Series to date...I know because I just sold my wife's a few weeks ago:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
However....
Dynamically, pound for pound (or cc for cc) an equivalent E39 will p*ss all over an E34...all day long! There is simply no comparison between the two as a driving machine! The E39 is light years ahead.
There's a very good reason why the E39 was voted best in its class for basically the whole of its production run. An E34 simply cannot match it for dynamic performance. It's not simply about more buttons to push.
I had the privelege of owning three successive 5-Series generations simultaneously....E28, E34 and E39. Each is a quantam leap over the preceding model.
Whether E39s will prove as long-lasting? I don't know....probably not. But realistically how many really good E34s have 'lasted'? Very few.
A point comes for all models when most people don't 'care' anymore because they can buy a newer car cheaper. Thus a large number of cars end up at the scrapyard leaving a few good examples for enthusiasts.
The real shame for the E34 is/was that so many will now have gone to the scrappy for no good reason other than consumerism.
They are indeed very well built cars!
There's no doubt the E34 is the best screwed together 5-Series to date...I know because I just sold my wife's a few weeks ago:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
However....
Dynamically, pound for pound (or cc for cc) an equivalent E39 will p*ss all over an E34...all day long! There is simply no comparison between the two as a driving machine! The E39 is light years ahead.
There's a very good reason why the E39 was voted best in its class for basically the whole of its production run. An E34 simply cannot match it for dynamic performance. It's not simply about more buttons to push.
I had the privelege of owning three successive 5-Series generations simultaneously....E28, E34 and E39. Each is a quantam leap over the preceding model.
Whether E39s will prove as long-lasting? I don't know....probably not. But realistically how many really good E34s have 'lasted'? Very few.
A point comes for all models when most people don't 'care' anymore because they can buy a newer car cheaper. Thus a large number of cars end up at the scrapyard leaving a few good examples for enthusiasts.
The real shame for the E34 is/was that so many will now have gone to the scrappy for no good reason other than consumerism.
They are indeed very well built cars!
Edited by derin100 on Monday 28th July 07:32
I've had a 1992 E34 525i with 160k, and a 1999 E39 540i with 101k. Both were in fine, healthy fettle when I sold them. The E34 was probably the most fault-free car I've ever had. The E39 was very solid as well and I had a lot of confidence in it, but I started getting niggly faults. I had to replace the flywheel and the MAF sensor, and keeping the headlights free of condensation was a battle. It was still a very solid car though, in a way that many modern ones aren't.
Nick
Nick
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