How much more expensive is a E39 540 to run than a 528?
Discussion
I do quite a bit of around town driving and can live with 22 mpg in my 528, am I looking at about 18 mpg in the 540? I do about 10k a year if that. The 528 gets 35 on a run. I fancy a bit more power but love the E39 shape, will have £4000 come late spring to spend so ideally want an early Auto Sport. I would prefer a car with more than 100k on the clock and lots of history, I don't care if its got starship miles on it as long as its been loved. Is the steering really that bad? I probably won't be getting rid of my 528, think I might give it to my dad, rather than sell it for buttons, doubt I'd get £1200 for it (its a 1999 V plate with 130k) Anything particular go wrong on them more than a i6?
I can get 28 or so out of mine, but that's a long run, steady state & at speeds that frankly bore you to death. More normally early to middle twenties. Around town it sinks into the late teens, if I'm desparate enough to take it. I guess work out what 10k with yours would cost vs 10k in mine & see if you can stand the difference.
hmmm - my 528 has a couple of minor dinks on it from the previous central london owner - nothing major, but getting a replacement bonnet and drivers door would remove the majority of them (couple of shallow dinks across the top of the grilles and a 2.5" scrape halfway down the drivers door)
I bought it as a station and towing car, the idea was to get something i didn't have to worry about if it got knocked, but so used to having nearly perfect cars I'm torm as to what to do.
Like its been said, a good e39 seems hard to find so should I clean it up and worry where I park it - or leave it as is and try to learn to live with it?
I bought it as a station and towing car, the idea was to get something i didn't have to worry about if it got knocked, but so used to having nearly perfect cars I'm torm as to what to do.
Like its been said, a good e39 seems hard to find so should I clean it up and worry where I park it - or leave it as is and try to learn to live with it?
I average 23mpg from my 540, a good mixture of everything but cant quite get 30mpg on a run.
If you are going to drive it around town, whats the point in a 540i? You wont notice the noise, the extra pwoer, the torque, just the fuel bills.
But they do have a lovely effotless-ness to them, however. The power still surprises me sometimes.
If you are going to drive it around town, whats the point in a 540i? You wont notice the noise, the extra pwoer, the torque, just the fuel bills.
But they do have a lovely effotless-ness to them, however. The power still surprises me sometimes.
Hiya
with the 540i, it's the known issues that have been extensively covered in the specific forums you'll need to watch out for. The Cooling system is very high up on that list, you have to ensure that has been recently completely renewed/or in excellent condition and if you did buy one, ensure it's maintained with that aspect in mind. If elements of the cooling system fail, you will be looking at big bills to fix it up. The steering isn't as bad as it's made out to be really, that's evidenced by the number of 540i's that have the modification done to the steering where I believe (from vague and tired memory) the rack from a I6 is transplanted in i.e not that many although there are quite a few who have done it.
I agree with the last poster, if you are going to be mainly pottering about in town then you'll only notice the extra thirst. A 540i is a comfortable executive mile muncher, it's in it's element when being able to stretch it's legs! If you are fine with the increased maintenence schedule of it just being a potter around town car, then go for it, do the exhaust silencer delete for a cheap effective way of getting a fantastic exhaust sound/note !
There are many E39 owners around the world who want to hold onto them for as long as possible - I'm one of them, my 20O+ K mile 2003 Touring is staying, i'll get other cars (hopefully an E39 M5!!) later for the fun factor!
Some decisions for you it seems !
Cheers, Dennis!
with the 540i, it's the known issues that have been extensively covered in the specific forums you'll need to watch out for. The Cooling system is very high up on that list, you have to ensure that has been recently completely renewed/or in excellent condition and if you did buy one, ensure it's maintained with that aspect in mind. If elements of the cooling system fail, you will be looking at big bills to fix it up. The steering isn't as bad as it's made out to be really, that's evidenced by the number of 540i's that have the modification done to the steering where I believe (from vague and tired memory) the rack from a I6 is transplanted in i.e not that many although there are quite a few who have done it.
I agree with the last poster, if you are going to be mainly pottering about in town then you'll only notice the extra thirst. A 540i is a comfortable executive mile muncher, it's in it's element when being able to stretch it's legs! If you are fine with the increased maintenence schedule of it just being a potter around town car, then go for it, do the exhaust silencer delete for a cheap effective way of getting a fantastic exhaust sound/note !
There are many E39 owners around the world who want to hold onto them for as long as possible - I'm one of them, my 20O+ K mile 2003 Touring is staying, i'll get other cars (hopefully an E39 M5!!) later for the fun factor!
Some decisions for you it seems !
Cheers, Dennis!
Buy this.
It used to be mine and has had all the long term consumables replaced, including water pump, thermostat and a bunch of bushes. Recent PS2s too.
It did ~28mpg on the run down to Devon in May to swap it for my current car and averaged ~23mpg in my 5 year ownership.
Servicing is 540i price as are almost all spares. The only ALPINA specific bits I had to replace were the front springs and shocks.
Nick, the vendor, is a nice bloke too.
I'd still have it if he hadn't had one of the 15 Tourings for sale.
It used to be mine and has had all the long term consumables replaced, including water pump, thermostat and a bunch of bushes. Recent PS2s too.
It did ~28mpg on the run down to Devon in May to swap it for my current car and averaged ~23mpg in my 5 year ownership.
Servicing is 540i price as are almost all spares. The only ALPINA specific bits I had to replace were the front springs and shocks.
Nick, the vendor, is a nice bloke too.
I'd still have it if he hadn't had one of the 15 Tourings for sale.
sparks_E39 said:
Is the steering really that bad?
No, certainly not in ALPINA guise.sparks_E39 said:
Anything particular go wrong on them more than a i6?
Not really, perhaps a little harder on front suspension bitties.Not a problem if they've been recently replaced - see immediately above...
fluffnik said:
Buy this.
It used to be mine and has had all the long term consumables replaced, including water pump, thermostat and a bunch of bushes. Recent PS2s too.
It did ~28mpg on the run down to Devon in May to swap it for my current car and averaged ~23mpg in my 5 year ownership.
Servicing is 540i price as are almost all spares. The only ALPINA specific bits I had to replace were the front springs and shocks.
Nick, the vendor, is a nice bloke too.
I'd still have it if he hadn't had one of the 15 Tourings for sale.
That's lovely, but a little out of budget I'm afraid It used to be mine and has had all the long term consumables replaced, including water pump, thermostat and a bunch of bushes. Recent PS2s too.
It did ~28mpg on the run down to Devon in May to swap it for my current car and averaged ~23mpg in my 5 year ownership.
Servicing is 540i price as are almost all spares. The only ALPINA specific bits I had to replace were the front springs and shocks.
Nick, the vendor, is a nice bloke too.
I'd still have it if he hadn't had one of the 15 Tourings for sale.
Hiya
Mattman - that 'looks' like a very nice example indeed, fairly priced for a sale as well ! usual caveats apply! get it fully checked out for any lurking issues and problems.
As it's a 2000 and hopefully a post March 99 build date, you 'could' update that steering wheel to a later sport one - but I could understand for leaving it as it's the 'Alpina' one. A quick update of the headlamps to projectors/facelift ones and maybe the rear lenses and it'll look like a facelift E39 Alpina.
My bro and sis in law has a 2003 E46 B3S and I'm almost livid that it has that pathetic 'thin' steering wheel - it has the Alpina stitching of course so it's stayed so far, but as my E39 has the thicker Sport one, I cannot stand feeling the Alpina one - it just feels so wrong! I know the one on this B10 is thicker but it's the older style from BMW!
As it's a manual thats a very nice surprise and if the car checks out, I'd say you'd have a lovely example indeed!
OP - good luck in finding a car if you do decide to go for a bigger E39!
Cheers, Dennis!
Mattman - that 'looks' like a very nice example indeed, fairly priced for a sale as well ! usual caveats apply! get it fully checked out for any lurking issues and problems.
As it's a 2000 and hopefully a post March 99 build date, you 'could' update that steering wheel to a later sport one - but I could understand for leaving it as it's the 'Alpina' one. A quick update of the headlamps to projectors/facelift ones and maybe the rear lenses and it'll look like a facelift E39 Alpina.
My bro and sis in law has a 2003 E46 B3S and I'm almost livid that it has that pathetic 'thin' steering wheel - it has the Alpina stitching of course so it's stayed so far, but as my E39 has the thicker Sport one, I cannot stand feeling the Alpina one - it just feels so wrong! I know the one on this B10 is thicker but it's the older style from BMW!
As it's a manual thats a very nice surprise and if the car checks out, I'd say you'd have a lovely example indeed!
OP - good luck in finding a car if you do decide to go for a bigger E39!
Cheers, Dennis!
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