Should I buy this 1996 E39 525i for my first car?

[joshbouma57]

I am currently 16 years old and I've found this really really good deal on this BMW. They were asking 3000 but recently dropped it to 2000. It has 101,000 miles. The ad says "slight misfire at low rpms caused by vaccume leak." Any advice/should I buy this car? Thanks!

[wagons ho]

No. Not a good first car.
Could be a great car, but no BMW is going to be a great first car.
Now, I'm sure people are going to say I'm too harsh, some will agree.
Cost of ownership is probably higher than an entry level driver should have to or can pay.
Check on insurance.

[waters17]

I would never suggest an e39 for a teenager unless they had a lot of disposable income. It's an old car and with that, things are worn out and can be costly to replace. If you're okay with buying a car that old, and want a BMW, I'd suggest getting an e36, only because parts seem to be cheaper.

Also, don't trust what the seller says.

[1823alex]

Never trust what the seller says.

And it's not THAT bad for a first car I got a 530 as a first but I saved money for awhile and then got a job to help pay for parts and it's easier and way cheaper to diy every repair.

Do you want basically half your income to your car?

Yes - buy it

No- then don't buy it

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[mattmar1]

ummm..a "96 525i" ? no such car. the 96 e39 was released outside NA in 96, we didnt get it here til the 97 model. the 525 M54 engine didnt come in to the E39 until 2001 i believe. plus, as stated above, never believe what the seller states. misfire could be a lot of other (and more expensive) problems. if theres no believable maintenance records, big risk.

[Ed CT]

Step#1: Count the money in your wallet
Step#2: Send that money to your mechanic
Step#3: If you still want the E39 and you're 16 y.o., see Step#1

[Aubergine]

As a former 16 y/o who owned an E39 528i... it isn't cheap. Having the resources (money, space, time, tools, and knowledgeable help) are often hard to come by, but not impossible. I would strongly recommend you get yourself a BMW CCA membership and find people in your local chapter who can offer you assistance and know-how. FWIW, when I was 16 and driving a 97 528 the car wasn't even ten years old. While these cars have aged well, they are not infallible and having the same exact cars now is a different experience.

As far as the car in question, it is a 528i and I would strongly, strongly suggest you have it looked over by a mechanic (preferably one who knows BMWs) before buying. $2K is a higher price for a 528 with an automatic these days, in spite of the miles. I would have a strong suspicion that there are some bigger issues with this car at that kind of price.

[1823alex]

Now a days Facebook is pretty helpful and just getting involved at car meets. I've met at least 5 people in northern Illinois I could call on for help.

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[Mike WW]

If it ran well and drove ok, I'd say go for it. With over 250K miles on 6 cylinder E39s they've been cheap to run. Occasionally a maddening problem and I do have the benefit of decades of amateur wrenching, but they have been cheap to run.

However, if it doesn't run well now, I'd say pass on it. There is a good chance you would end up throwing parts at it trying to get it to run right and spend a lot of money, perhaps not even fixing it. The right E39 might not be a bad first car if you have automotive interests and perhaps a mentor who could help at times, but don't start with problems.

[masbury]

The other issue no one mentioned is having the ability to read the codes on this vehicle. It's probably really a '97 and will require a 20 pin connector, an adapter to 16 pin OBDII, a serial cable (way before your time), a laptop (again before your time) and the proper software DIS GT-1, INPA, Tool32, WinKFP and SSS at the least. That can get up into the $200 range, so add that to the price of your car. You can't run down to Autozone and get ALL the codes read, only emissions related things.

I purchased my '97 for $425 and all I had to do was replace the cooling system(about $300 all in) - I got lucky, it hadn't overheated...

Just think about it and don't let your desires override common sense.

Good luck!

[e39kiwi]

ummm..a "96 525i" ? no such car. the 96 e39 was released outside NA in 96, we didnt get it here til the 97 model. the 525 M54 engine didnt come in to the E39 until 2001 i believe. plus, as stated above, never believe what the seller states. misfire could be a lot of other (and more expensive) problems. if theres no believable maintenance records, big risk.

mine is a 98 525i

[mattmar1]

mine is a 98 525i

yours is a NZ car, here in NA beginning in MY 1997 the M52 2.8l variants were sold til the advent of the 2001 model year, when the M54 2.5l became available.