gonzilla

I thought I'd pose this to my 993 buddies before I open it up to the Rennlist off topic masses...

It seems as though it may be time to pass the "daily driving duties" torch. My wife has decided that the "green torpedo" (my 95 Jetta) is getting a little too long in the tooth to keep around. Truthfully driving it isn't the most confidence-inspiring experience and it doesn't seem very safe anymore, so I agree.

To replace it, I'd like to get something a little bit bigger with a little more cargo room for hauling stuff home from Lowes and whatnot, but I don't really want an SUV. I've been thinking a lot about a 5 series wagon. I know a little about them, but not much. I think I would want a 2000-03 with <80K miles. And I'd like to spend around $15K - 18K. Don't have a preference right now as to whether I want the 6 cyl or the 8 cyl. I think I may finally get an automatic though.

Anyone have any experience with these cars??? I know the cooling systems kind of suck, and the lcd screens fail pretty often, but are there other problem areas to look for? Are there years that are better than others? Engines that are better than others? Thanks in advance!!!

CarreraX

I just sold a 2000 540 sport wagon with M5 everything and 19" Forgelines and a ton of other stuff. It was a great car after I put a new Trans in it and a few other things. It was a great sleeper to drive everyday!!!!

dcdude

Mike,

We went through the whole wagon excercise earlier this year. We looked at E320, Passat, V70 and 9-5. We loved our E46 and really wanted to like the 525iT, but we found the back seat to be actually less useable than the 3-series. The cargo area has a low-ish overhang. We wound up going with the E320, which can take a baby seat plus two 6' adults in the back. We've been very pleased, although with the 16" wheels, the ride is a bit more Lincoln-like than a BMW. The 17"s helped a bit.

You're welcome to come over and check it out any time. Actually, Saturday we're celebrating the 1st birthday of said baby, so there's one opportunity...

kaktis993

We bought a new 525iT back in '01. It's been really reliable despite all the stop-and-go driving it gets. Looking back though, I think it would have been worth it to spring for the 540 with its V8, or at least the 530. BMW's straight 6's are great engines, but in the wagon the 2.5 is just not enough. Especially coming from a Porsche, it just feels woefully underpowered. Yea, yea how much power do you really need for a grocery hauler anyway...

If I was buying a used one I would probably go for the 540 (with sport package). It may cost a little more up front but it'll hold its value better down the road if you ever decide to sell, and if not, you'll have more fun driving it.

As far as which year is best, AFAIK there were very few mechanical changes through the production run (though I could be wrong on that). In '01 BMW gave the E39 it's mid-life face lift which really just amounted to a few cosmetic differences. BMW automatics aren't the greatest and they're not as reliable as a manual, but we've had no trouble with ours in 40,000 miles.

Earlier BMW V8's suffered problems from their Nikasil-coated cylinder linings, but I think they had that problem resolved by the time the E39 came out.

ppressle

We have a 2000 528it with a manual. It is not a sports car, but it gets up to speed well enough. I have not done any mountain passes fully loaded yet though, so the jury is still out on the power. It does have a manual so I can pick the gear I need which helps.

We are experiencing a common problem with the seals in the vanos unit, but the parts to fix it are cheap.

Perfect car for kicking around town with the kids.

doberdog

I owned a 525iT and it was one of the best cars that I have owned. Get the 540, you won't regret it. Funny, I saw one today and said to myself what a great car!

jhale

I not it's not a BMW 540 but it's a rocket with all of the creature features of the BMW plus AWD. I looked at several wagons and settled on a '06 Volvo V70R with all the options and 4K miles on it. I'm a 6K miles and I've already flashed the ECU, DP and exhaust... 350+hp! Why can't I leave a car as is... If I did I wouldn't be on RL!

Originally, I looked for a 540 wagon but could not find one without 50K miles on it. I would definitely get the V8 if you can find it. Good luck. Below is a shot of the V70R.

gonzilla

It's funny, I did look at those initially. Unfortunately they are a bit out of my price range (trying to keep it around $17K). The good thing for me is that the E39s have depreciated at a breakneck pace (I was looking at E39 sedans a few years ago when I bought my 993 and they were about the same price). Anyway, your V70R sounds like a real screamer!!!

Scott 1996 993c2

Good luck with the search and decision Mike. I like the 5-series wagons ... though have never owned one.

Scott

foxfrc5

I have a December 2002 E39 525iA Touring that's done 46,000 km (about 29,000 miles) of mainly city driving. So far it's needed a new oxygen sensor, fuel pump and a couple of new hoses for the power steering pump but otherwise has been more or less faultless.

Having said that, it's had an alarming tendency to chew the insides of its rear tires and I'm on my third set now (had Continental Sport Contact 2 and Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires before, with each set lasting just over 20,000 km or 12,500 miles; now on Bridgestone RE-01R). The alignment checks out okay, but rear camber is non-adjustable and runs slightly negative. The car's on 17 inch BMW Type 71 wheels so tire size is 235/45.

In hot climates such as ours, these cars have also been known to blow their transmissions -- a problem exacerbated by the extra weight and carrying capacity of the Touring. A simple and reliable solution is to fit an additional transmission oil cooler.

Good luck in your search -- it's a great car for many reasons, including low running costs and general robustness.

Hound Dog

Ancient history compared to the 2000+ models, but I have a 1995 that I bought in 2000 with ~60,000 miles on it and it's been great. Aside from the PCar, it's the favorite of the family (including a 1999 5 series sedan and a '94 Volvo). It's the old style - with doors that go thunk and general heftiness that I like (but still quick moves compared, especially to the Volvo {which I detest}). It's got 130,000 miles on it now and I figure I'll keep it another 20K or so, when my mechanic says it's going to require several thousand to keep it firm. I highly recommend it - if you don't need the 8 cylinder, the 6 is great and highly recommended.

Hound Dog

anders44

I have a 530Diesel (don't think you have the in the US?) E39 and I love it, supercomfy cruiser and insane milage compared to my dodge ram with a hemi much better than any volvo, but comperable to mercedes, but doesn't rust like a mercedes... and not as crap to drive. I got 36mpg average on the 6 hour total drive to the mountains last week with loads of luggage, skiies, 6 cases of beer etc.

the AWD system on the volvo is a joke and it's a FWD with some push in the rear from time to time.

jhale

"the AWD system on the volvo is a joke and it's a FWD with some push in the rear from time to time"....

I beg to differ. The new Haldex system is much better then previous versions of their AWD systems. I just spent two weeks at our place up in the mountains and the V70R did amazing (4 nokians snows). The only negative of the car is the extremely low clearance and high torque that can cause the DSTC to become overly active.

Bruce SEA 993

I have a new to me '02 540/6 Sedan that I picked up in SLC this July. I wrote about my road trip...

It has been great so far and is one of the few mid-size cars that you can get with a 6 speed. The wagon, or Touring, only comes with the Auto unfortunately.

There is lots of info on Bimmerworld and Bimmerfest. It is a younger crowd and I feel that some of the issues with the cars talked about there are because of real hard use and limited preventive maintenance. In other words, it is hard to take excellent care of a car when living on a dorm in college on a starving students budget.

I feel a well cared for E39 540 Touring would be a decent ride for you.

Good Luck!

anders44

I will see if I can't find a nice video to demonstrate my point.

haldex itself is not bad, it's the implementation/electronic control of it the way volvo did it, but hey perhaps they fixed it on the 06? on the 04 (iirc) I tried it was bleh