RE: SOTW: BMW 540i Touring
Discussion
CampDavid said:
Depends. Whatever E39 you buy you should be ready to shove a decent sum at repairs anyway. If your not a Passat is a better choice
Which is where a £2k car becomes a £4k car with a value of £2k. Unless you can buy one that's had the cooling system replaced, the bushes all done etc etc at £2k, I don't think they're worth the money now.CampDavid said:
The E39 touring is a fine bit of kit. Personally think they're better looking while offering superior practicality. A 540i touring would absolutely suit me down to the ground, it's just a shame the version of the E39 that I really want, the M5 was never produced as a touring. A B10S would have to do...
I'd agree, recently bought a 2002 530i auto touring, and enjoying a lot at the moment. It was this or a D2 S8 (plus £1500 gearbox fund 
) , and in reality I needed the estate more than I wanted another S8.I'll need to replace the tailgate struts, and have a small rust buble on the rear quarter fixed, but currently that's it. The £800 shed E39 528 is still running fine as well - bodywork is not grate, but everything else works and it has 180,000 miles on it.
I'm hoping the 'luck' continues
Output Flange said:
At £2k the smart money goes on something that isn't an E39. Buy a £1k Passat estate and keep the rest in the bank.
I almost posted that but deleted it for fear of coming across a a bit gittish or something. I completey agree with you and remain utterly confused as to just why, with a budget of only £2k, people think 'I know, I'll buy an old 5 Series, that'll go well'.Fox- said:
Output Flange said:
At £2k the smart money goes on something that isn't an E39. Buy a £1k Passat estate and keep the rest in the bank.
I almost posted that but deleted it for fear of coming across a a bit gittish or something. I completey agree with you and remain utterly confused as to just why, with a budget of only £2k, people think 'I know, I'll buy an old 5 Series, that'll go well'.But you can look at it another way too. Buy a £2K E39 with all the major bits done and you shouldn't have much problem getting another year out of it. £2K for a years motoring sounds good to me. Of course it could go tits up but that's shedding.
That said a £1K Passat estate will likely do the same too...
Agent Orange said:
I'd have to agree with you - and I've owned an E39 for the last 7-8 years though I suspect it'll be going sometime next year.
But you can look at it another way too. Buy a £2K E39 with all the major bits done and you shouldn't have much problem getting another year out of it. £2K for a years motoring sounds good to me. Of course it could go tits up but that's shedding.
That said a £1K Passat estate will likely do the same too...
The £1k Passat will probably have less rust on it.But you can look at it another way too. Buy a £2K E39 with all the major bits done and you shouldn't have much problem getting another year out of it. £2K for a years motoring sounds good to me. Of course it could go tits up but that's shedding.
That said a £1K Passat estate will likely do the same too...
Get the V5 version and you have a damn nice car.
ker...Fox- said:
Output Flange said:
At £2k the smart money goes on something that isn't an E39. Buy a £1k Passat estate and keep the rest in the bank.
I almost posted that but deleted it for fear of coming across a a bit gittish or something. I completey agree with you and remain utterly confused as to just why, with a budget of only £2k, people think 'I know, I'll buy an old 5 Series, that'll go well'.You can get burned with any used car that is out of warranty. Contemplating saying goodbye to my 528 Touring (see previous posts) I thought I'd research a 'sensible' replacement, say a Mondeo diesel. Good to drive & economical for such a big car. Apart from potential dual mass flywheel failures (£1k) injector problems (another grand), fuel pump failures (£1500) & diesel particulates filter probs (£800). So how about a Mk1V - surely Ford had worked out how to build them by then? Er, no. According to the forums, the whole steering gear - rack, pump & reservoir is subject to premature failure -another grand+ So fushion julz helpful suggestion to go for a used engine for my rot-free, suspension-sorted E39 with a mint interior may be the way to go...
Edited by blartbox on Wednesday 14th November 11:43
blartbox said:
You can get burned with any used car that is out of warranty. Contemplating saying goodbye to my 528 Touring (see previuos posts) I thought I'd research a 'sensible' replacement, say a Mondeo diesel. Good to drive & economical for such a big car. Apart from potential dual mass flywheel failures (£1k) injector problems (another grand), fuel pump failures (£1500) & diesel particulates filter probs (£800). So how about a Mk1V - surely Ford had worked out how to build them by then? Er, no. According to the forums, the whole steering gear - rack, pump & reservoir is subject to premature failure -another grand+ So fushion julz helpful suggestion to go for a used engine for my rot-free, suspension-sorted E39 with a mint interior may be the way to go...
You dont get rich making reliable cars as the Japanese found out in the early nineties 
Ford have never made very reliable cars (only reasonably) although I have owned plenty in all the time in the motor trade I cant say I have been blown away with BMW reliability 
in fact far from it although they do make some lovely cars 
Edited by NOTAFINGA on Wednesday 14th November 11:08
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