BMW E39 - Best Car in the World?
Discussion
t artists.The Crack Fox said:
It's a middle of the range, mass produced German saloon car. It's a good few years before being a classic. I like 'em. I owned one. It's not special at all. Here's something very similar for almost a tenth of the price http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
That's a 46k mile 520i for £4000 so in no way similar and in no way a tenth of the pricecounterofbeans said:
The Crack Fox said:
It's a middle of the range, mass produced German saloon car. It's a good few years before being a classic. I like 'em. I owned one. It's not special at all. Here's something very similar for almost a tenth of the price http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
That's a 46k mile 520i for £4000 so in no way similar and in no way a tenth of the pricelouiebaby said:
Caruso said:
Absolutely love my 540 Touring.
I remember you getting yours about the same time I got mine, around Jan '12. I've kept mine too, and no intention of changing it.I love the E39. My Dad has an immaculate low mileage 528i auto that I occasionally drive around for him and it really is a comfy place to be sat. I also own an E34 540i manual too.
The 528i is a lot better in the corners thanks to the rack and pinion steering. It has more creature comforts and feels a damn sight more modern too. But, I would pick my E34 to go for a drive in almost every time if given the choice. It's significantly faster than the 528i, it's much more comfortable to be sat in and I just prefer the whole driving experience.
In the next few months I plan to have the steering box sent off and rebuilt using different ratios which should improve the steering no end. I'll also be investigating the option of some engine work that'll lift the power a bit too.
The 528i is a lot better in the corners thanks to the rack and pinion steering. It has more creature comforts and feels a damn sight more modern too. But, I would pick my E34 to go for a drive in almost every time if given the choice. It's significantly faster than the 528i, it's much more comfortable to be sat in and I just prefer the whole driving experience.
In the next few months I plan to have the steering box sent off and rebuilt using different ratios which should improve the steering no end. I'll also be investigating the option of some engine work that'll lift the power a bit too.
Theophany said:
But 10x the miles, SE model, lower spec, worse colour combo etc....I do concede that the Hexagon car should be <£10k though
The argument that things have moved on and the E39 is no longer the best car in the world is quite justified to be fair, it is after all 20 years old now. However in it's (realistic) price range not much beats them as an all round package.. if you can find an increasingly rare good one that is. I really don't think anything outside of mint M5's or the odd Alpina will become a collectors item though.
Best car in the world? Absolutely not. But a damned good one and a lot of car for not a lot of money (so long as you buy from an enthusiast and ignore the lunatic prices from certain traders).
The E39 M5 was a car that I wanted from launch but was not in a position to buy until some years later. Looking back I probably had it set on a pedestal for too long because the initial experience, whilst good, was slightly disappointing and didn’t live up to the expectations that I had of it. Over time, that’s changed. It’s done everything that I’ve thrown at it be it and ticked the box for every type of journey whether I’ve wanted a comfortable and relaxed motorway muncher loaded full of family and kids’ paraphernalia or a cross-country hoon just for the hell of it. It’s plenty fast yet discrete enough that it doesn’t look out of place parked outside a golf club or a night club, and there are few 400bhp cars you can say that of.
But time marches on and the E39 is old now. It takes time, dedication and £ to keep its best (think Trigger's broom) but I have real affection for it against its modern stablemates in much the same way as I do for my old analogue hifi equipment and to the enjoyment of listening to recorded media on that compared to the convenience and availability of streamed music elsewhere. Whilst the technology may have changed everything in the past 20+ years there’s a mechanical purity about it which my sentimental old mind has a soft-spot for, and that’s elevated by knowing that legislation, regulations and the position of lifestyle consultants and accountants over engineers when bringing modern cars to market is such that there won’t be a three-pedal naturally-aspirated V8 mass-produced car like it again.
Unless circumstances change (or Hexagon want to purchase mine from me for the type of money they advertise their stock at) I intend to keep enjoying mine until it falls apart.
The E39 M5 was a car that I wanted from launch but was not in a position to buy until some years later. Looking back I probably had it set on a pedestal for too long because the initial experience, whilst good, was slightly disappointing and didn’t live up to the expectations that I had of it. Over time, that’s changed. It’s done everything that I’ve thrown at it be it and ticked the box for every type of journey whether I’ve wanted a comfortable and relaxed motorway muncher loaded full of family and kids’ paraphernalia or a cross-country hoon just for the hell of it. It’s plenty fast yet discrete enough that it doesn’t look out of place parked outside a golf club or a night club, and there are few 400bhp cars you can say that of.
But time marches on and the E39 is old now. It takes time, dedication and £ to keep its best (think Trigger's broom) but I have real affection for it against its modern stablemates in much the same way as I do for my old analogue hifi equipment and to the enjoyment of listening to recorded media on that compared to the convenience and availability of streamed music elsewhere. Whilst the technology may have changed everything in the past 20+ years there’s a mechanical purity about it which my sentimental old mind has a soft-spot for, and that’s elevated by knowing that legislation, regulations and the position of lifestyle consultants and accountants over engineers when bringing modern cars to market is such that there won’t be a three-pedal naturally-aspirated V8 mass-produced car like it again.
Unless circumstances change (or Hexagon want to purchase mine from me for the type of money they advertise their stock at) I intend to keep enjoying mine until it falls apart.
JonJon2015 said:
Best car in the world? Absolutely not. But a damned good one and a lot of car for not a lot of money (so long as you buy from an enthusiast and ignore the lunatic prices from certain traders).
...
But time marches on and the E39 is old now. It takes time, dedication and £ to keep its best (think Trigger's broom) but I have real affection for it against its modern stablemates in much the same way as I do for my old analogue hifi equipment and to the enjoyment of listening to recorded media on that compared to the convenience and availability of streamed music elsewhere. Whilst the technology may have changed everything in the past 20+ years there’s a mechanical purity about it which my sentimental old mind has a soft-spot for, and that’s elevated by knowing that legislation, regulations and the position of lifestyle consultants and accountants over engineers when bringing modern cars to market is such that there won’t be a three-pedal naturally-aspirated V8 mass-produced car like it again.
I think that's a lovely summation....
But time marches on and the E39 is old now. It takes time, dedication and £ to keep its best (think Trigger's broom) but I have real affection for it against its modern stablemates in much the same way as I do for my old analogue hifi equipment and to the enjoyment of listening to recorded media on that compared to the convenience and availability of streamed music elsewhere. Whilst the technology may have changed everything in the past 20+ years there’s a mechanical purity about it which my sentimental old mind has a soft-spot for, and that’s elevated by knowing that legislation, regulations and the position of lifestyle consultants and accountants over engineers when bringing modern cars to market is such that there won’t be a three-pedal naturally-aspirated V8 mass-produced car like it again.
I bought an Alpina B10 3.3 manual , pretty much on a whim, (and over a few M5s I'd looked at - on condition, and fit to my tastes/needs) nearly two years ago. It displaced an E34 540 I'd run for nearly seven years.
I would have such an E34 again in a heartbeat; glorious machines; but sitting in the E39 I felt right at home, and it feels so fleet in comparison while totally, utterly biddable. Initially I thought it too polished after the E34, but actually it's like wonderfully trained gundog; utterly faithful and totally rewarding (dare I suggest the E34 is more like a Springer as a family pet in comparison) - both utterly charming, just subtly different.
I'm keeping mine, too.
(NB fairly full histories of both cars in my profile if anyone's that interested)
Edited by Huff on Thursday 9th June 20:30
aka_kerrly said:
My current daily is a 523i SE with sport suspension upgrade & a few other bits.
I only really bought it as I couldn't believe a 2 owner 80k car with a full bmw service history was about to be scrapped. Originally the plan was simply to give it a full service, get it running right and give it a damn good clean prior to making some ££££££.
That was in August last year, I've now done around 8k & I'm thinking this BMW might stick around a little while longer in less someone makes me a good offer.
It's generated an incredible number of positive comments from various people and a strange number of people are under the impression it must be worth ten times it's true value.
Reminds me of the old test car
I only really bought it as I couldn't believe a 2 owner 80k car with a full bmw service history was about to be scrapped. Originally the plan was simply to give it a full service, get it running right and give it a damn good clean prior to making some ££££££.
That was in August last year, I've now done around 8k & I'm thinking this BMW might stick around a little while longer in less someone makes me a good offer.
It's generated an incredible number of positive comments from various people and a strange number of people are under the impression it must be worth ten times it's true value.
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