Would it be worth it to trade an e87 130i for an e39 540i?

[admastvia]

Hey all,


I currently own and daily drive a manual 2006 130i M Sport with 100k mile on it. Runs and drives great! I mostly commute so its a bit rough in the crawling traffic but outside of commuting the car is an absolute blast to drive and wickedly quick.


I recently read an article about the absolute dream an e39 540i is to own and drive. I started doing some research and the more I read, the more videos I watch the more I'm falling in love with the car. A car's exhaust note is particularly important to me and the 540i's V8 sounds like an exotic... My heart races when I hear it.


I've found an MY01 540i M Sport Automatic (we didn't get manual e39's in Australia sadly) with 84k miles. Is it worth it? Should I trade a newer, manual hatchback for an older, slower automatic sedan? It doesn't sound so convincing when put like that but I can genuinely only find extremely positive reviews and opinions about 540i ownership, including the mantra that the e39 was the "best BMW BMW ever made."


My mom owned an e39 a couple years back so I do have some experience with e39's and I'm not just fawning over a car on the internet I've never seen or driven.


Some much needed head-straightening, opinions and guidance would be much appreciated,


Thanks!

[Pelican Parts]

It's a bit difficult to answer this question. It really comes down to you as an owner. Before considering, you need to get a full PPI report done on the E39 in question - the car could look amazing on the outside and be a disaster under the hood. If you truly want an E39, go for it. I too think that they're amazing looking cars, but they did have some common, known issues (take a look at the link below).

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/ar...php/f-240.html

[Ryan M3]

Automatic? Probably not.

What I really loved about my 540i/6 was how smooth the 6 speed transmission was, and how fun it was to play within the car's power band. I agree with the assessment that the e39 was the best car BMW ever made (except the e30, of course ).

I would say that you should test drive an automatic 540i first to see how it feels going "back in time" with an older style car. Remember that things typically start failing around the 100k mark; cooling systems, rubber bushings (especially in e39's), check the timing chain system, etc. Those are all things you could encounter by taking in an unknown e39 nearing 100k.

[BimmerBreaker]

Look up BMW 540i timing chain guides then tell me they are a dream to own...

I think the 1 series is worth a lot more. At least in US a 1 series is still ~10k for a base 128i, e39 540i's can be found all day for under $3k

[Bimmer Merchant]

In my humble opinion, e39 540i models were one of the best designed chassis out of all the 5-series. Slick body with character and sporty.

97-98 models came with the M62 engines which were very reliable, you can still find some of those models on the road with over 200k miles and still running great.
99-03 were upgraded with the M62Tu Vanos engine which tend to have timing guide issues.

All in all great cars, however, they have obtained a bad reputation from owners who neglect them and offer no service. These are sport cars and should be maintained as such. They are not cheap to own but fun to drive. Hope that helps

[Jason5driver]

Look up BMW 540i timing chain guides then tell me they are a dream to own...

I think the 1 series is worth a lot more. At least in US a 1 series is still ~10k for a base 128i, e39 540i's can be found all day for under $3k

[jclausen]

No

[Mless5]

No.

[BimmerBreaker]

I love the e39 and have an m62 powered vehicle now, but fact is M62's are not for everyone especially at this stage in the game with timing chains going bad... I only bought my x5 because danny fixed the timing chains already.

[Renzo520]

Manual, yes, automatic, no. The 540 were great cars, but its going to feel like a pig going from that 130. Not to mention all the worn out bushings and creaking interior parts. e39s are great cars, but to trade back like that is not what I would do. I've owned both, the e90 is a better daily.