Cheap '95 525i 5sp. Better hurry: Ebay

[BMWCCA1]

Here

[John B.]

Like many Ebay purchases it wasn't a great deal once the dust settled.

[BMWCCA1]

I don't know about you, but I consider a $5000 '95 525i 5sp with luxury package and AST cheap....IF (and that's a big if on Ebay) the car is in good shape with all the work done that these cars normally need as they pass 100,000 miles. Of course it could still need $1000 or more in suspension refresh, and it might not look as good in person. I willingly paid $5500 for my '95 with 112,000 miles but direct from the owner with recent shocks, springs, bushings, control arms, and 17" wheels with new tires. Maybe this is a topic for another thread but what does constitute a good deal on an E34 these days, given that you can now buy E39s for well under $10k?

[RallyD]

got the one in my sig for $3800 135K mi (needs nothing)
buying another for $1500 today 190K mi (needs some work)

[John B.]

I just bought a nice 95 525i Touring w/136K, black w/parchment interior, which came with ALL service records from new. The p/o bought the car w/24k as a BMW Certified vehicle & had all service; including oil & filter every 3k, performed by BMW factory techs or the local independant BMW shop.

In the last 3 years(20K) he replaced the complete air conditioning system, all new brakes (calipers included), frt & rear shocks/mounts, water pump/thermostat, belts/pulleys, tierods/links, coolant tank, coil boots and more. The tranny fluid & filter was changed twice in the first 95K & I just did it again. The only issues were a sticking liftgate latch, intermittant heat, & a slow passenger door lock rod. Lube fixed the latch, the heat cleared up with regular use & the inner door seal turned out to be glued to the lock rod.

The car came with Michelin snows mounted on factory steel wheels w/hubcaps & the stock alloys with Michelin summer tires. The Michelin on the spare alloy looks brand new & all tires have several seasons of use left.

The owner was asking $5300 when I looked at it & the price had been reduced a few times. I offered $4k & after he agreed to include the Yakima roof rack we settled at $4200. To me that was a good deal as the car runs beautifully & everything including the sunroof works as it should.

[Ross]

Sounds like you have personal knowledge of it. ??
The purple prose in the description mentions The tires "seem" to have good tread, yet no photo of them. Likewise "rustfree" but bottom of doors conveniently cut off of photos. Also mention of the M50 longevity with "only routine maintenance" yet no offer of documentation of same. Unless tune -up written on the motor qualifies. Back seat looked scruffy too.
A car, especially a BMW, is a mighty complicated item to buy on faith, or the word of the seller.
Like any auction a better place to sell than buy.

[Ross]

My current E34 was found on e-bay, but bought face to face. Had I not seen it in person and instead taken the word of the seller and trusted photos I would have been very disappointed indeed.

[billb]

Here

And I quote:

Interior
60/40 Split-Fold Rear Seat
AM/FM Cassette
AM/FM Stereo
Adjustable Steering Wheel
Air Conditioning
Center Arm Rest
Center Console
Climate Control
Clock
Compass/Temp Guage
Coolant Temp. Gauge
Courtesy Lights
Cruise Control
Cup Holders
Digital Clock
Digital Instruments
Floor Mats
Heated Seats
Inside Hood Release
Interval Wipers
Keyless Entry
Leather Steering Wheel
Leather Upholstery
Map Light
Multi Disc CD changer
Passenger Climate Control
Power Door Locks
Power Drivers Seat
Power Mirrors
Power Passenger Seat
Power Steering
Power Windows
Premium Sound System
Rear Air Conditioning
Rear Defroster
Rear seat fold-down armrest
Security System
Tachometer
Trip Odometer
Vanity Mirror (s)
Wood Trim

[BMWCCA1]

Yeah, I saw that boiler-plate option list, too!
And I would never buy a car sight-unseen, either. Nor did I have any familiarity with this example, but in case there was someone nearby to eye-ball this car, it seemed like a possible good deal, especially at the $4000 figure when I posted the link.

I know when I started looking, finding a nice '95 525i 5sp was not that easy. Automatics were common. So were 530i V8s (no thanks; no offense), and especially '94s. The ASC was a deal-killer for me though I know others don't care. This is a family car and I wanted it. (If I want LSD and power, I drive my '87 535is.) It is interesting to see that good examples needing no work can be found for under $4000. I'll use those thoughts in an article on 5er ownership covering all different series. Maybe I'm too used to E28 owners thinking their 200,000-mile cars are still worth $6500?

[BMWCCA1]

Cheap, as it should be: 200k '95 525i 5sp in Maryland
The seller can't even get the year right in his description, or even wash the car before taking pictures. And you've got to love the command of the English language that is apparently acceptable when selling on Ebay:

"We have test drove the car and it runs out very well."

$100 currently. "Low Reserve". Predictions?