e39 540i market value

[Bthorne]

Hi, I was looking into a 540i for my first car. I have saved up for a while and I would like to find one in a manual. I was wondering how much I would expect to pay for the different years. I like the 03 with the sport rims but I am unsure if I will be able to find one in a manual within my price range. Thank you in advance for the help it is greatly appreciated.

[Santaclaus4]

I have two 2003 540i's with the 6 speed manual transmission. One I paid $7,000 for years ago and the other I recently purchased off Craigslist for $1,700 but it needs a LOT of maintenance.
BTW, you will get a lot of comments that a BMW 540i will not make a good first car. Get your flame suit ready.

[sienayr]

A BMW 540i will not make a good first car.

[CPHES]

What he said - but it’s not an e38. Go for an e46 - the cheaper the original cost, the simpler the car. But not too simple, as it is german

[southsouth]

not a good first car. you must graduate from a 3 series first

[Bthorne]

not a good first car. you must graduate from a 3 series first

Thank you for the advice. Just curious the reasoning behind that. Maintenance costs or something else?

- - - Updated - - -

- - - Updated - - -

A BMW 540i will not make a good first car.

Thanks for the response. Just curious on the reasoning behind that. I'm no expert so just trying to learn as much as i can.

[sienayr]

Maintenance costs. V8 tends to be pretty needy, but are also pretty bullet proof with proper care and feeding. If you can’t keep up or cut corners it’s a downward spiral. Generally speaking they are cost prohibitive to daily drive if you can’t do most of the work yourself, unless of course you have deep pockets. If you like the e39 chassis you could consider an I6 model, but doing your own work will still save you lotsa $$$$$

[Dking078]

A 17+ old BMW anything is NOT a good first car.

It's is however an excellent way to burn moderate sums of money for miles to come.

Simply ask.. can you afford to maintain a once (CPI 2003 adjusted $60k) $84000 car that more than likely has 100k+ miles?

[E39 Newbie]

Hi, I was looking into a 540i for my first car. I have saved up for a while and I would like to find one in a manual. I was wondering how much I would expect to pay for the different years. I like the 03 with the sport rims but I am unsure if I will be able to find one in a manual within my price range. Thank you in advance for the help it is greatly appreciated.

Well, the first question is: What's your price range?

Second: Are you able to do a lot of your own work? Meaning do you have experience working on other cars? Do you have a place to work on it? Do you have somebody, dad maybe, to assist?

As others have said, they don't make a good first car due to the frequency and expense of maintenance. And these cars aren't getting any younger. 20-year-old cars in general have a whole raft of problems, and German ones in particular. Having said that, the E39, once you get used to it, it pretty easy to work on. Parts are readily available, and you can't say that for a lot of old cars. So, if you have a bundle of money to throw at it, and/or are willing to work on it and learn all about it, then by all means go for it!

Around these parts the asking prices of the car you're looking for range from $1500 for something that needs a ton of work, to $15K from some dreamer. I suspect a good one may be more expensive in WI due to the weather and rust.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Kinda funny, but true on the E39. But back in 1986, I was 19, earned enough money to be able to actually buy a brand new E28 525 which I ordered from Germany, through Hong Kong, and shipped to the Philippines, by the time I got to drive the car, I paid enough in tariffs to almost buy a second one. Everyone told me the same thing. But it was new, I never had any problems with it except for having to special order those stupid Michelin TRX tires to replace the old ones when that came on the car when the time came. At the time, there were no BMW dealerships in the country, I had to go through the dealership that I ordered it from in Hong Kong. Got myself the shop manual, I wasn't really a wrench back then, but I knew my way around with tools and mechanical hands on work because of my motorcycles. If your dad is a capable mechanic, understands BMW's, and it's electronic brouhaha, and you are prepared to fork out some cash on good quality parts, not that junk from China sourced through eBay, or the auto parts store, be acquainted with realoem.com to get the proper part numbers for your particular car, through proper input of your last seven numbers of your vin number, get your stuff from FCPeuro.com and take advantage of their no questions asked lifetime parts warranty on everything you buy from them, it may not be so bad for you to start off with a good old car. If you and your dad don't have any of those skills I typed up above, and are controlled by how much cash you can dish out for parts, meaning you'd be relegated to buying said junk parts, go for a Honda, or Toyota or something. As a matter of fact, if that car has been neglected, and you do get it, budget yourself extra cash to buy another car you can putt around in until you get the BMW in good running condition.

[DennisCooper]

Hi Bthorne,

This topic of a 540i for a first car comes up semi often here on bimmerforums and the other massive USA orientated forum as well. Most responses are indeed the above and graduate towards being able to maintain/fix/repair it given it's market sector. None of us know your financial situation nor your knowledge of mechanics and car maintenance. My response is different. I'll assume also that by saying it's your first car, it's the first you've owned outright and that you have a number of years driving experience in other cars that weren't your own (I may be wrong and it's the first car you've driven since passing your test?)

Either way, 286 HP is a very powerful powerplant and your experience level 'most likely' is going to be lacking for such a car. This is a bit open ended as for all we know you may drive like miss daisy every time you get in a car and won't explore the car and it's peformance capabilities. Chances are you will explore it's performance and how it drives etc and at that point it's where the chances/risk of you not being able to handle the car in a 'situation' will increase.

I'm over in the UK, and most insurance companies would refuse to give you cover. Those that do, will do so at a massive premium due to the increased chances of you having an 'incident' thus a 'claim'. This situation stops 99% of 'first time drivers' picking up a big engined, very powerful car.

I know in the USA it's different for insurance costs and hence why this topic comes up.

I'd say the best thing to do, if you are a young driver or indeed have driven other cars for a number of years is to start small and build up your driving experience and skill and then also, building up your no claims discount for insurance purposes over the next few years. Get a 1 series if you must have a BMW and 'learn' with that for a year or two. Then move say to a E46 325i for a year or two, then perhaps a 330i. With 3-5 years of building up, you could then look to a 540i. Other drivers who were younger will/may chime in to say don't listen to this and just get the 540i now which is fair enough, it's a choice you can make. Over the years, we've all seen inexperienced drivers get into powerful cars and a significant proportion are now no longer with us. If you feel you will be ok, and willing to pay the increased running costs etc, then by all means go for it, we all wish you luck that you don't become another statistic in the near/mid term future. Else, I'd say be more sensible and 'build yourself up' to more powerful BMW's or similar cars.

Cheers, Dennis!

[rlordjr]

Life is short so get what brings you joy. However, consider a simpler I6 model which can be cheaper to acquire and slightly cheaper to maintain. You MUST be willing to DIY the maintenance and most repairs. Luckily its all pretty easy and there's tons of instructions.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[StephenVA]

All great advice.

Bottom line: Owning high end Euro cars at the bottom of depreciation cycles means the selling prices are cheap compared to original sticker prices. The cost of deferred maintenance (repairs required due to lack of previous owners who saw only depreciation) will be extreme. It is normal to spend $4,000 to $12,000 on E39 (525-M5) replacing all the normal wear items (suspension parts, cooling system parts, brake system parts, ignition System parts, etc) along with the hard parts that tend to fail after xxx cycle usage (window regulators, electronics, etc). A DIY approach requires knowledge, time, tools and a clean dry space to work on cars. So the choice is yours as it will be your time, money, and lots of effort to buy, repair, and maintain your new daily driver. But daily drivers come with a rule: It MUST start, stop, and drive everyday regardless of weather, space, and time. That is why the average buyer seeks some sewing machine like a Honda, Toyota, or other cheap to buy and cheap to maintain vehicle as they are driven by COSTS of total ownership not pride of ride. Ever see 10 clean Hondas? not too many....

The E39 is a great car with the right approach and planning. They are not right for someone on a tight budget, no DIY skills, no second car while turning wrenches, nor access to someone with proven knowledge of these cars as the world is full of butchers who own an impact wrench...

Acquiring: Look for 2001-2003 referred to as facelift models, 2003 have all the updates and best at the time electronics. Buy the lowest mileage one, with actual documented maintenance performed, not from your rust belt area, you can afford. Look south and EAST and WEST. Better to pay more up front than in parts and repairs later. RUN from any stating over heated but new head gasket replaced. Leaks oil (lack of maintenance is why), "mechanic special", last chance used car lots seeking 5th and final owners/suckers, and anyone who goes by the name "SNOTTY".... Could not resist that one....

Gaining Knowledge: Simple. Look at the DIY articles as everything has been done before, experienced, and posted here on this forum. Lots of dead end approaches solved, lots of wrong parts used issues, lots of people sharing knowledge and busted knuckles stories. Most with happy endings....

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Hey! I would have you all know, that I........ have a condition.....

[Bthorne]

Well, the first question is: What's your price range?

Second: Are you able to do a lot of your own work? Meaning do you have experience working on other cars? Do you have a place to work on it? Do you have somebody, dad maybe, to assist?

As others have said, they don't make a good first car due to the frequency and expense of maintenance. And these cars aren't getting any younger. 20-year-old cars in general have a whole raft of problems, and German ones in particular. Having said that, the E39, once you get used to it, it pretty easy to work on. Parts are readily available, and you can't say that for a lot of old cars. So, if you have a bundle of money to throw at it, and/or are willing to work on it and learn all about it, then by all means go for it!

Around these parts the asking prices of the car you're looking for range from $1500 for something that needs a ton of work, to $15K from some dreamer. I suspect a good one may be more expensive in WI due to the weather and rust.

Thanks for the response. I was looking to spend around 5-8k to get one and then have a little extra set aside for some maintenance work.

[StephenVA]

then you are on target for most of the cars that are out there.

- - - Updated - - -

Hey! I would have you all know, that I........ have a condition.....

[Dking078]

Thanks for the response. I was looking to spend around 5-8k to get one and then have a little extra set aside for some maintenance work.

Don't do it.

[southsouth]

[QUOTE=Bthorne;30480772]Thank you for the advice. Just curious the reasoning behind that. Maintenance costs or something else?

Part costs are higher and in general it is harder to diagnose the issue at hand.

If you buy a cheap one with high mileage, plan to replace every fluid, every gasket and every sensor and suspension component and most coolant components. That means drilling out wheel sensors, cutting rear control arm bolts out the bushings, taking apart the entire top half of the engine, dealing with more electrical wiring schematics and issues.

These cars are less tolerable of having an issue and still being daily driven compared to a 3 series. I remember on my e36 I would open it up to replace 1 thing because I was on a budget. Only to have to go back to replace the other thing that I should have just forked out the first time for.

3 series are less luxurious and complicated, so you won't encounter the stupid issues e39s get like twisty seats

My first car was a e36 and learned everything about cars and maintenance. It was decent for insurance, which a 540i would have no been with no driver history. And If I had a 540i first, the shortcuts and mistakes and ignorant maintenance I had on my e36...it would have costed me dearly with the 540.

a 540 is old and they have high mileage and unless the previous owner has a LONG list of invoices, you will only be buying a car that you need to park for 1-2 months while you research and figure out how to replace and fix anything, before being put on the road.

I spent 2k canadian on one with 130k miles, spent another 1-2k to replace the suspension and some of the gaskets. Spent another 4k over the last 4 years on everything else. granted I spent a lot in upgrade too. So overall the car cost me 10k all in, and of course, you never get your time back.

- - - Updated - - -

e39 cost 2000	January 2016			-2000
safety				-80
battery				-300
tiresx4 (sold set of chrome rims for +400)				-80
climate control				-80
ac refill				-100
window regulator				-80
headlights, screen, trim				-400
paint, primer, clearcoat,oil pan gask, tensioner, cam sensor- 500				-500
CCv, valve gaskets				-100
hood,fenders				-80
oilchange at 140500 miles - october 2016
odb2 reader				-100
speed sensorsx2				-90
winter tires				-220
seats				-200
guage rings				-40
April 143000 miles 2017
m5 suspension				-250
4 control arms, tierods, rear links
wblades, trany fluid, brkfluid -700				-700
alignment				-70
May-17
Amp				-340
Speakers,wiring,fuses				-260
speakers, sills, headliner,maf	-260			-260
sunroof				-170
June - 145000 miles 2017
oil				-80
October coolant radiator	-120			-120
m5 lsd				-250
Decemeber - 150,000 2017
slave cyclinder				-100
ps pump				-85
heater hose, bulbs				-100
2018
May -155,000
oil, filter,serp belt				-120
cam sensor				-140
M paralell rims				-500
front tires				-170
boring				-180
rear tires				-70
sandpaper				-50
July
passenger seat side				-10
eibach rear, front				-140
August
waterpump				-130
temp sensor				-25
a/c belt				-6
manifold gasket				-75
timing cover gaskets				-40
coolant				-50
belt				-40
knock sensors				-200
November
2 winter tires andy				-70
2019
april
2 rear tires+install				-280
windshield repair, water wetter -40				-40
oil	160k			-30
rear right window regulator	-50			-50
fuel pump				-100
bumper				-70
Jan-20
Injectors				-100
Mar-20
coolant and gasket				-90
May-20
m5 driveshaft and guibo				-300
				-10311

That's my excel sheet.

And the vast majority of parts on that list are used. The only thing I buy OEM new is from rockauto and are sensors, coolant and suspension components. So unless you know or are plugged in to the used parts market, prepare to pay ALOT more

[southsouth]

also you need to get used to driving a fast car, which a 3 series I6 is. If you go into a 540 and try going fast in the corners with inexperience and probable lack of suspension maintenance, then good luck.

btw a 540i EATs the rear tires camber like a blackhole eats matter. Prepare to replace the rears every 2 years.
Also the gas consumption isn't good and horrible in the city.

[Bthorne]

Thank you for the detailed response I really appreciate it. Gives me a much better idea of some of the costs. Do you think if you found one with around 80k miles there would be any major things you’d have to do right away as long as it had been regularly serviced.

[Bthorne]

also you need to get used to driving a fast car, which a 3 series I6 is. If you go into a 540 and try going fast in the corners with inexperience and probable lack of suspension maintenance, then good luck.

btw a 540i EATs the rear tires camber like a blackhole eats matter. Prepare to replace the rears every 2 years.
Also the gas consumption isn't good and horrible in the city.

Yes, I have been driving for a couple of years and have spent some time driving some powerful cars so that is not as much as a concern. But the gas and tires are definitely more of a concern. Thanks for the help appreciate it.

[E39 Newbie]

Thank you for the detailed response I really appreciate it. Gives me a much better idea of some of the costs. Do you think if you found one with around 80k miles there would be any major things you’d have to do right away as long as it had been regularly serviced.

Do you really have a line on one with 80K miles? That would be quite a find, IMHO. Let's not forget that these cars are 20 years old, so even a low mileage example would have well over 120K.

Even assuming good maintenance, everything on these cars is plastic and those parts do not age well. The regular service would HAVE to include timing chain guides and a full cooling system replacement in the reasonably recent past. Again, on these cars it's not all about the mileage, but about the age. Other things to note would be things like the oil separator/PCV system, the front suspension arms, the ABS module, the pixels on the cluster/radio/HVAC, and so forth. These will all require repair/replacement at some point. A well-maintained car will have all of those items fixed at some point, as they all break simply due to age.

[Chedley]

Yes, I have been driving for a couple of years and have spent some time driving some powerful cars so that is not as much as a concern. But the gas and tires are definitely more of a concern. Thanks for the help appreciate it.

Well,
IF you maintain the car pretty good, you should expect about 18 mpg (miles per gallon) in city driving, and at least 22 mpg on highways.
AS for the tires, you'll have to refresh your suspension, and expect a good 50 K miles per set of good tires.
Otherwise, the E39 540 is as powerful and a solid as a german tank...

[Bthorne]

Well,
IF you maintain the car pretty good, you should expect about 18 mpg (miles per gallon) in city driving, and at least 22 mpg on highways.
AS for the tires, you'll have to refresh your suspension, and expect a good 50 K miles per set of good tires.
Otherwise, the E39 540 is as powerful and a solid as a german tank...

Thank you appreciate that

- - - Updated - - -

Do you really have a line on one with 80K miles? That would be quite a find, IMHO. Let's not forget that these cars are 20 years old, so even a low mileage example would have well over 120K.

Even assuming good maintenance, everything on these cars is plastic and those parts do not age well. The regular service would HAVE to include timing chain guides and a full cooling system replacement in the reasonably recent past. Again, on these cars it's not all about the mileage, but about the age. Other things to note would be things like the oil separator/PCV system, the front suspension arms, the ABS module, the pixels on the cluster/radio/HVAC, and so forth. These will all require repair/replacement at some point. A well-maintained car will have all of those items fixed at some point, as they all break simply due to age.

Yes, I’ve seen about 6-8 of them in the past couple months I’ve been looking. Obviously they could have had other problems and they have been many different years and other specs. But yes I have seen some out there. But seems like around that point some major maintenance is just waiting to happen.

[StephenVA]

Up coming Major Service Interval is why people swap out cars as they don't want to invest in their car. The next owner either repairs/replaces/completes all the maintenance items and enjoys trouble free diving or drives awhile, and then looks for the next car as "He is not investing any $$" as a flipper never does. Buff and flip, fix only what you can see and bury the rest. Common term in the used car world is "shake a rag at it and move it". Opening the hood is like opening a coffin. Never been touched since it was born....