Should you buy an old BMW E39? - HONEST OWNERS REVIEW!

[houseofwine]

I agree 100 % your saying. I am an so called professional in this field. I bought a E39 530d Touring 3 years ago from the first owner in top condition. Silver with black leather. Now the beauty is almost 24 years old and drives better than any new BMW. You have to look after them and they serve you for decades troublefree!

[cultoureblog]

These are so insanely good! I got mine as a short- to mid term winter beater.

Fast forward 3 years, and I get genuinely sad when I think about selling it. It's a keeper.

You can already tell that they are becoming classics. Getting clean ones is borderline impossible now.

[Birmingham_racing]

E39 has always been my favourite 5 series

[emka]

Sold my 2012 Ds4 for Mercedes CL203 facelift MY 2007 cant be happier . People need to save old cars and run them as long as it goes

[shotty.]

perfectly said.

something about making things your own, especially things we sought after that even our parents couldn’t afford. & now in todays market, they’re everywhere, in all different condition & options, at all kinds of price points & packages. we literally could not have asked for more as kids! it’s like legos for young adults!

it’s either old cars, expensive cars, or boring cars, & you may be able to pick 2 out of any 3 but i’m sure as hell not picking the boring or most expensive!

[Stian]

I own two off these cars. The things that have to be said is to replace all the fluids including the transmission oil 13-14l in total in that box. Make sure to weld the jacking points or get a relative to do it. Oem the thickness is 0.8mm which is very thin. I recommend 1.5mm or 2mm plates. Also very common is the two intakeboots going bad and ccv causing vacum leaks causing the engine to run very bad. Doing these will give you a very reliable car to own.

Just did my mot at the bmw dealer and changed a wheel bearing and a headlight level sensor and it passed with flying colours😎

[rarevhsuploads]

This is the generation I would have & a Touring or the E38 7-Series. I did look at a number of them a few months ago before ultimately sticking with Rover 75/MG ZT which share many components with this generation of 5-Series in the electronics & the same separate opening tailgate glass which is a feature I adore. Running a modern classic is cheap to buy, but sometimes requires that hands on DIY effort or trying that bit harder to find a garage willing to tackle the problems of older cars whilst finding parts is a mixed blessing between new old stock, remanufactured or whats available off scrap cars as they dry up.

[mattwarren]

I bought an E39 530i Aegean edition with the M sport parallel alloys, lotus white leather about 10 years ago and I normally get bored and shift motors every few years... But i still have it! Its such a rewarding overall ownership satisfaction thing with these E39's . No regrets

[DanielMasmanian]

Perfect car. Not so happy to spend their years in Australia, but, still magnificent to own. And then frustratingly expensive to repair. And then relieved to sell. And then... Missed like hell

[DavidMorley]

I have a 2003 525i sport touring. Lovely car. Very practical. Just need to keep on top of maintenance.

[AndreasMartinLaute]

I think the E 39 is the last elegant 5 series. Mine is a 1998 523i with 280.000 km on the clock. Would never sell it; especially now with all those modern BMWs looking pretty awful.

[PB]

My 1997 528i with 62k on the clock is sublime machine. Faultless to own in 18 months so far

[zerotoinfinityautomotive]

100 per cent agree with everything you said in this video. these e39s are cracking cars. Once these are looked after they will run forever.

[eddieutube]

I’ve had my 2000 e39 BMW 540i 6spd for 19 years!

It has 175K miles. It’s such a joy for me to drive. I also have a 2018 430i paddle shift and it’s also a joy and super lightweight to throw around.

And my 2013 X5 6 cylinder twin turbo sports premium is great for camping and family trips.

I can’t believe I have 3 BMWs now. I never planned that.

It all started when I first drove a 1995 325i 5spd and was blown away. Been hooked since.

[GentilsGarage]

I completely agree with you.
These are fabulous cars and yours is just beautiful.
I would love to have an E39 again, but a touring this time. My only concern is that with a 300 mile weekly commute I would probably have to go for the diesel… and that’s what I’m unsure about due to the way things are going at the moment. That’s my personal dilema

[davidparkin]

Yes. The modern headunit brings the E39 right up to date except for the transmission. An eight speed automatic or six speed manual short shift kit will bring it right up to date. Maintenance is key. Most new owners of a 22 year old e39 don't even know how to set the a.c. properly. Older owners just accept that leaving the sunroof and windows closed is a fact of BMW life.

[davidparkin]

Among the greatest vehicles ever but far from flawless. I own two. A 1999 528iT and a 2003 530i. My red 528iT has 268, 000 miles. I bought it with 80, 000 miles 20 years ago. My blue 530i has only 138, 000 miles which I bought 5 years ago which I bought with 100, 000 miles. I get constant compliments on the condition of each of them. Maintenance is very important.

[XclusiveAaron]

Great video! Also 2:00 it's not just me then, I can't wash, photo, work on my car without multiple people walking past saying hello / wanting a chat 🤣 like it it's nice but sometimes you just wanna get on! I have been thinking of getting an E39 for years, currently got an E63 6 series V8 but miss my E46, although I'd miss the V8. So here I am again after about 7 years look at E39 540is again, although they are now way more expensive than they were!

[hilkolieberwerth]

I bought mine nearly 3 years ago. Paid way too much for what is was then (my bad, obviously) and had to triple the investment to make it the car it is today. With over 420.000 kilometers on the clock it runs, drives and feels quite like a new one now but it took a lot of effort to get there. So yes, they are great but be very aware not to buy a total or even minor neglected example of the E39 because they can be terrible moneypits.

[ianmcwilliam]

I love the e39 platform. As an owner of 3 bmws. 1997 540i/6 (my 1st bmw) a 2000 m5 and a 1991 850i/6 . The e39 (especially stick shift ) has the the perfect balance between comfort and performance. The E39 chassis is actually not that big . I think the newer 3 series is similar in size. Great build quality and beautifully designed. Fairly easy to work on and parts are reasonably priced (from the net). I love my 850 too but my 540 and M5 put a bigger smile on my face because they do everything so well.. They are higher maintenance than the Nissan maximas I previously owned but a lot more rewarding to drive…