E34 525i SE or E39 528i touring...
Discussion
my wife needs more space and was initially looking at E39s but have come across an E34 that looks lovely and is a third of the price...not bothered by image or age etc and the saving has me very tempted...running costs/reliability wise which is the one to go for? I take it you could still use an E34 everyday (the particular one I found has 105k on clock allegedly)?
thanks
thanks
I had an E34 and an E39, my impression of them is like this, The E34 was built to last, it has simple mechanicals and parts are not very expensive. They are reliable and fun to drive and if looked after will go on forever.
The E39 was a fantastic car, probably not quite as 'built to last', had a million and one sensors on it which are expensive when they need to be replaced. But generally they are reliable.
If I was choosing, given your criteria I'd buy the E34 after a good inspection.
The E39 was a fantastic car, probably not quite as 'built to last', had a million and one sensors on it which are expensive when they need to be replaced. But generally they are reliable.
If I was choosing, given your criteria I'd buy the E34 after a good inspection.
I changed a 1997 E34 530i Touring for a 2000 E39 540i Touring about 18 months ago. The E34 did feel built to last, basically, but also felt a lot older; air-con was not working on any of the E34s I looked at when I bought mine, that sort of thing. No point spending £1000 to fix it on a car of that value.
To be frank, I preferred the E34's handling; it felt more sporty (both have/had MTech suspension). But the E39 is so much simpler to live with, being a much more modern machine. Both required bushes replacing and that sort of thing, so my experience (of one example of each only...) indicates they don't cost vastly different amounts to run, but you are likely to prefer one over the other.
To be frank, I preferred the E34's handling; it felt more sporty (both have/had MTech suspension). But the E39 is so much simpler to live with, being a much more modern machine. Both required bushes replacing and that sort of thing, so my experience (of one example of each only...) indicates they don't cost vastly different amounts to run, but you are likely to prefer one over the other.
Goatboy said:
Having had both I echo the comments but would choose the E39 . Even though the E34 are cheaper to fix and simpler they can cost more to run due to the fact that they are more likely to be a fair bit older and more parts will be coming to the end of their life.
I had a 95 E34 540i and a 99 E39 540i. I admit the argument is wide open but my E34 cost me a lot of money over the nearly three years. Maybe it was a dog or maybe I have OCD and have to have things right.I did however get my money back on the e34 when I sold it which I am doubting will happen when i sell the e39.
Chippy.... Are we talking E34 525i Saloon vs E39 528i Touring? And is the space issue the main criteria? If so we went through EXACTLY the same debate with my wife's car!
In the end, we ended up selling her E34 525iSE Saloon in favour of an E39 528i Touring.
The E34 she had was a super example that I was actually loathed to sell:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
Each has their pros and cons, as others have said....but there's no doubt the E39 Touring is the more spacious car and IMHO dynamically way ahead of the E34.
Having said that the E34s have such a great "carved from the rock", solid feel to them that I have (as of yesterday!) just bought another very nice, very late, low mileage E34 525iSE Saloon to detail as a little 'project'!
In the end, we ended up selling her E34 525iSE Saloon in favour of an E39 528i Touring.
The E34 she had was a super example that I was actually loathed to sell:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
Each has their pros and cons, as others have said....but there's no doubt the E39 Touring is the more spacious car and IMHO dynamically way ahead of the E34.
Having said that the E34s have such a great "carved from the rock", solid feel to them that I have (as of yesterday!) just bought another very nice, very late, low mileage E34 525iSE Saloon to detail as a little 'project'!
Edited by derin100 on Monday 15th September 21:30
derin100 said:
Chippy.... Are we talking E34 525i Saloon vs E39 528i Touring? And is the space issue the main criteria? If so we went through EXACTLY the same debate with my wife's car!
In the end, we ended up selling her E34 525iSE Saloon in favour of an E39 528i Touring.
The E34 she had was a super example that I was actually loathed to sell:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
Each has their pros and cons, as others have said....but there's no doubt the E39 Touring is the more spacious car and IMHO dynamically way ahead of the E34.
Having said that the E34s have such a great "carved from the rock", solid feel to them that I have (as of yesterday!) just bought another very nice, very late, low mileage E34 525iSE Saloon to detail as a little 'project'!
hi derin,In the end, we ended up selling her E34 525iSE Saloon in favour of an E39 528i Touring.
The E34 she had was a super example that I was actually loathed to sell:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
Each has their pros and cons, as others have said....but there's no doubt the E39 Touring is the more spacious car and IMHO dynamically way ahead of the E34.
Having said that the E34s have such a great "carved from the rock", solid feel to them that I have (as of yesterday!) just bought another very nice, very late, low mileage E34 525iSE Saloon to detail as a little 'project'!
Edited by derin100 on Monday 15th September 21:30
many thanks for reply
No both of the touring variety, just cannot make up my mind! I love both, have a real soft spot for E34s and they are sooo cheap for what they are but they are getting on a bit, but then again so are early E39s so keep going back and forth but like an E30 to an E36 dynamically they were a real leap
I periodically look at your website and enjoy your minters!
Goatboy said:
Goatboy said:
Having had both I echo the comments but would choose the E39 . Even though the E34 are cheaper to fix and simpler they can cost more to run due to the fact that they are more likely to be a fair bit older and more parts will be coming to the end of their life.
I had a 95 E34 540i and a 99 E39 540i. I admit the argument is wide open but my E34 cost me a lot of money over the nearly three years. Maybe it was a dog or maybe I have OCD and have to have things right.I did however get my money back on the e34 when I sold it which I am doubting will happen when i sell the e39.
chippy17 said:
derin100 said:
Chippy.... Are we talking E34 525i Saloon vs E39 528i Touring? And is the space issue the main criteria? If so we went through EXACTLY the same debate with my wife's car!
In the end, we ended up selling her E34 525iSE Saloon in favour of an E39 528i Touring.
The E34 she had was a super example that I was actually loathed to sell:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
Each has their pros and cons, as others have said....but there's no doubt the E39 Touring is the more spacious car and IMHO dynamically way ahead of the E34.
Having said that the E34s have such a great "carved from the rock", solid feel to them that I have (as of yesterday!) just bought another very nice, very late, low mileage E34 525iSE Saloon to detail as a little 'project'!
hi derin,In the end, we ended up selling her E34 525iSE Saloon in favour of an E39 528i Touring.
The E34 she had was a super example that I was actually loathed to sell:
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_525i/index.html
Each has their pros and cons, as others have said....but there's no doubt the E39 Touring is the more spacious car and IMHO dynamically way ahead of the E34.
Having said that the E34s have such a great "carved from the rock", solid feel to them that I have (as of yesterday!) just bought another very nice, very late, low mileage E34 525iSE Saloon to detail as a little 'project'!
Edited by derin100 on Monday 15th September 21:30
many thanks for reply
No both of the touring variety, just cannot make up my mind! I love both, have a real soft spot for E34s and they are sooo cheap for what they are but they are getting on a bit, but then again so are early E39s so keep going back and forth but like an E30 to an E36 dynamically they were a real leap
I periodically look at your website and enjoy your minters!
I could debate the pros and cons with myself all day on that one!However, all other things aside one thing that does suddenly spring to mind....it's going to be a lot easier to find a good E39?
derin100 said:
Oh God, another morning spent looking at one of your slideshows rather than doing any work ! 
Looks very nice - what materials do you use on the engine components to get that "new" look ?
Hows that Pagoda coming along ?
Hmmm...Well,the Pagoda is really not coming along much at all! However, it has got an MOT now as of yesterday! Gaping holes in the floor (in non-MOT failure areas) remain at the moment though!
So I'm still taking stock of the task ahead. I fear this may be a step too far! I came across a Pagoda for sale on the internet last night...They reckoned it had had £60K spent on it in restoration costs....
In fact, this one already has bills totally just under £40K over the last 20 years or so!
But today has been a bright, sunny autumn day...I decided to take the Calypso Red E34 back to the paintshop today as I decided that small dink in the boot entrance (see pics) was just going to keep annoying me. I had the afternoon off so my wife drove the E34 from home and I drove the SL from work and met her at the paintshop in the hills of rural mid-Wales. Then we drove back home in the sun with the roof down, stopped for lunch.....So at the moment I'm just enjoying the experience. But sooner or later reality if going to have to bite and I'm going to have to get on with it! I think it's going to be a long winter in the garage for me this year...
On the upside...I even joined the Mercedes-Benz Club yesterday...
Gaping holes in the floor (in non-MOT failure areas) remain at the moment though!So I'm still taking stock of the task ahead. I fear this may be a step too far! I came across a Pagoda for sale on the internet last night...They reckoned it had had £60K spent on it in restoration costs....
In fact, this one already has bills totally just under £40K over the last 20 years or so!
But today has been a bright, sunny autumn day...I decided to take the Calypso Red E34 back to the paintshop today as I decided that small dink in the boot entrance (see pics) was just going to keep annoying me. I had the afternoon off so my wife drove the E34 from home and I drove the SL from work and met her at the paintshop in the hills of rural mid-Wales. Then we drove back home in the sun with the roof down, stopped for lunch.....So at the moment I'm just enjoying the experience. But sooner or later reality if going to have to bite and I'm going to have to get on with it! I think it's going to be a long winter in the garage for me this year...
On the upside...I even joined the Mercedes-Benz Club yesterday...
E34 every time. I recently bought a e39 528 se, hated it so much I sold it within 2 weeks. I now have an e34 M5. The e34 feels special where as the e39 felt like an appliance. Ok, I know it's an M version but it just feels so solid compared to the e39 which felt not much better than a contempary Ford!
Plus I think the e34 Tourings look so much better than the e39 version.
Plus I think the e34 Tourings look so much better than the e39 version.
I've had both E34s and E39s I loved them both especially the tourings. The E39 540i touring being the last one. I should have hated that car.(3 times on a breakdown transporter in less than a year) but I was sorry to see it go. I drove it to Spain and did 750 miles in a day once and it was just so comfortable.
Just to try and redress the balance a bit, I wouldn’t compare an E39 to a Ford or any other cheaper car. My E34 was probably the most solid car in all meanings of the word that I’ve ever owned, but my E39 was very good as well. When you get under the skin, its clear that BMW engineered and built them very well indeed.
I was a bit sore about design faults like the top house outlet on the header tank, and I guess it suffers a bit from trying to all things to all men, but on the whole it was one of the best cars ever made. Whether its worth a lot more than an E34 is another matter altogether. Having owned and been very happy with both, I couldn’t go back to an E34 now.
Nick
I was a bit sore about design faults like the top house outlet on the header tank, and I guess it suffers a bit from trying to all things to all men, but on the whole it was one of the best cars ever made. Whether its worth a lot more than an E34 is another matter altogether. Having owned and been very happy with both, I couldn’t go back to an E34 now.
Nick
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