BMW E39 520i or Audi A4 B6 2.0FSI

[Secret_Squirrel]

Dear all. I've got a wee dilemma I was hoping for advice on.

I tend to run older motors lately, due to cost etc. I picked up a manual BMW 520i E39 last year, which despite being a bit dated in its looks, has proved to be a good solid motor. Its on 150k miles but last year completed a round trip to the isle of Skye from the midlands with no issues at all and still runs well. It suffered the usual malfunction of the ABS module, killing the speedo/ASC/Cruise etc however I have just repaired this and it went through MOT not probs.

it took me a while to pick up an ABS module, so in the interim I picked up an Audi A4 B6 2.0FSI auto. The motor again is lovely, was owned by an old man for years and well maintained. Has 80k miles on it now although 15k has been me in 5 months. The motor is lovely, everything is tight and I was quite happy with the auto box in traffic etc. it has been meticulously maintained by the former owner, but is coming up for timing belt and auto box oil change, neither of which are cheap on these motors

But, now I have repaired the BMW, I have realised I forgot what a lovely motor it was to drive and how smooth the 6 cyl engine is. I need to sell one and keep the other and had assumed it would be the e39 to go, but now I have driven it again I am reluctant to let it go. Can anyone give some advice from experience? Both are older motors and will need maintained of course. I am fairly handy with a spanner and can fix most things short of serious engine issues

[Secret_Squirrel]

I'm tending towards e39.....

[Jimmy Recard]

I personally like the BMW far more out of those two, but you know the cars in question better than anyone else

[oop north]

Have never got my head round which is which Audi by the code letters / numbers but I have had a couple of e39 BMW’s (2003 525d and 2000 530d) and one a4 (2002 2.0tdi) and I would gladly have an e39 whereas the A4 I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole - but I suspect the petrol one will be a lot nicer than the diesel was. Both e39s were six cylinders which mattered more than them being diesel

[Secret_Squirrel]

Thats the same model of A4 as I have. I have to say the A4 is in better nick than many newer cars but at the end of the day is still an old car.

Can I ask why you wouldnt touch the A4's with the proverbial barge pole? I did pick up that the brake vacuum pipes were knackered when I first got the car, which is a common issue and often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as a master cylinder issue. Once I replaced them all was well.