Car Buying Strategy - E34 vs E39

[Cambridge]

As most of you know, my trusty 95 540i was recently destroyed in an accident.

I've spent some time studying prices and depreciation rates on E34's and E39's in the 90 - 100,000mi or so bracket. I'm noticing that the prices of nice condition E34's are overlapping those of tolerable condition E39's.

I like the E34's and I really enjoyed my 540i. It was fun and fairly straight forward to work on. I don't mind a little DIY work. On the other hand, I've never owned an E39.

I think as our E34's start aging many of us will be faced with the question "if" or "when" we should make the jump to E39. I hadn't expected to be faced with this question quite so soon. Should I go to E39?

[bfd]

Get the cleanest car that fits within your budget. When I was looking for my 90 E34 535i, 5 spd, 105K miles back in 1995, I was actually looking for a clean E28 535i, E24 635i or if I got lucky M5. I also looked at other cars like the Ford Taurus SHO (fantastic engine, junk car), Acura Legend, Nissan and Toyota.

The cleanest car I found was my 90 535i with 38K miles for $22K. The guy kept the CD player, so it cost me $20.5K. I had Chico BMW do a *free* 27 point inspection and other than muffler and tires, it was immaculate. I've had it now for almost 11 years with almost no problems - other than headgasket repair.

In other words, figure out what you want (i.e., E34 or E39 540i) and buy the cleanest one you can find!

[Jjcarr]

Simple, go drive one, see how it compares to you, then decide. Many people prefer the e39 and say it's a definite step up from the e34, but it's all subjective.

[wingman]

Yes I've been noticing the same thing. The 'tolerable' E39 could be a nightmare to own as opposed to the clean E34 though. For mine it will come down to entry price. Will I be able to get the type of E39 that I'd want for the money that I have. Probably not for a few years yet. If you can afford a nice E39 why not go for it. I just love those side airbags.

[Evan]

I saw a 95 540i on Sunday that had a fresh Oxford green paint job, a lowered front end, and a set of what looked like (but were not) M Parallels. The windows had a slight tint and the body, paint, and wheels were perfectly done.

This car was absolutely gorgeous and it reminded me why I keep buying the E34. I toyed with the idea of selling mine a month ago but since then have started purchasing parts and making arrangements to have the body, interior, and suspension redone.

If you still want an E39, go take a few test drives and then start searching... I've seen nice 98s with 70K for $12,500. if you have a dealer friend, have him take you to the auction and buy a "green light" vehicle.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Should I go to E39?

I would certainly consider it, but I would advise looking at a 528i or 530i 6 cylinder with, I believe, rack & pinion steering.

This handling together with the extra airbags etc would probably sway me.

I would at least recommend driving a few.

[Russell]

Bimmer mag had several buying guides, including the e39, in the last year or so. Well done in my opinion. I am looking/thinking about an e39 touring for my wife. IMO, the 530i e39 is the best "balance" of all the e39s. I would buy the best condition you can find. I like non-modified cars with full service records. BTW, BMWs "free" maintenance is a detriment to find a newer bmw.

As most of you know, my trusty 95 540i was recently destroyed in an accident.

I've spent some time studying prices and depreciation rates on E34's and E39's in the 90 - 100,000mi or so bracket. I'm noticing that the prices of nice condition E34's are overlapping those of tolerable condition E39's.

I like the E34's and I really enjoyed my 540i. It was fun and fairly straight forward to work on. I don't mind a little DIY work. On the other hand, I've never owned an E39.

I think as our E34's start aging many of us will be faced with the question "if" or "when" we should make the jump to E39. I hadn't expected to be faced with this question quite so soon. Should I go to E39?

[BASEBALL248]

As most of you know, my trusty 95 540i was recently destroyed in an accident.

I've spent some time studying prices and depreciation rates on E34's and E39's in the 90 - 100,000mi or so bracket. I'm noticing that the prices of nice condition E34's are overlapping those of tolerable condition E39's.

I like the E34's and I really enjoyed my 540i. It was fun and fairly straight forward to work on. I don't mind a little DIY work. On the other hand, I've never owned an E39.

I think as our E34's start aging many of us will be faced with the question "if" or "when" we should make the jump to E39. I hadn't expected to be faced with this question quite so soon. Should I go to E39?

I don't know what your budget is but I spent only a few hours searching on Cars.com and Autotrader.com and found a 2002 530I fully loaded w\all the options and 46k miles for $25,500. The bank appraised it at 31k. The car was 45 miles from my home. I stole this car.

[Hallmark]

I have a '95 525 and last summer picked up a '98 528 because it was too good a deal to pass up (92K for $10.5K). I like the updates on the E39 and it is my daily driver. Handling is very similar to the E34 but nuanced in ways that are both good and bad (I know that's vague, but it's the best way to describe it). When I get into the E34 (which is chipped) I am reminded that this is still a very good driving car and wonder if I should have spent the bucks.

My experience doing maintenance on the E34 has translated very well into the E39. So far I've had no major repairs, but so many parts are the same that it's almost intuative to work on after knowing the E34. Things like the water pump are the same, inspection II is virtually identical, brakes and rotors, etc.

All that being said, I put almost 100 miles a day on a car just going back and forth to work. The newer E39 and it's updated creature comforts make it the one I choose to drive. My wife drives the E34 and is quite happy with it. We both do performance drivings schools and such so we both are pretty demanding in what we want out of a car. If you have time to do the maintenace the E34 can be a real bargain to own and drive. If you need more driving between work days then I would say the E39 is the way to go.

YMMV

[DanDombrowski]

Man, my girlfriend is so sick and tired of me asking myself this. I used to ask myself this all the time, to the point where it drove everyone nuts.

My interior is crap in my E34, but it drives and handles beautifully, and it's been very reliable. Every time I see a pic of the interior of an e39, I say "damn, that looks so nice. New door panels...new leather....updated dash, quieter..."

I haven't driven an E39 since my days as a valet. The one I even remember the most is the E39 M5 (go fig), but I do remember them being very nice. Of course, at the time, I was in a Volvo 240, so everything was nice compared to that.

I ultimately made the decision not to step up based on my job, commute, and future financial outlook. I drive alot to work on the highway. It's been sandblasting the front of my car, and that makes me cry.

The thing that really made me decide against it was that I wanted to build a financial foundation in stocks, bonds, retirement plans, etc early. I'm 23 and just out of college, so I figured that jumping into car payments wouldn't be the best idea with no liquid reserves.

If and when my car becomes no longer worth it to run (i.e. headgasket blows, totalled in accident, etc) and I had no car, I would buy an e39 over another e34 in a heartbeat. No question. In addition, I wouldn't feel buyers remorse afterward over trading for a more expensive car.

I really try not to talk too much about myself when people ask for advice, but I thought I would let you know what brought me to my decision since we asked the same question.

Based on the qualities of the car for the money, I prefer the e39. Besides, even though I love BMWs, I like lots of different cars, so I like to change the scenery as often as possible. You've had an e34, enjoy something else!
Hope this helps!