We say it a lot, but Autocar’s road testers provide the most comprehensive new-car buying advice you can find. Each review they write is packed to the gills with helpful outlines of a particular car’s strengths and foibles and is a must-read for any prospective buyer of that vehicle.
But none of that is much use when you’re approaching a busy junction in a car you’re considering buying – with the current owner in the passenger seat and a bus behind you – and the engine dies. Should you ignore it or address it? Is that cause enough to walk away from the deal? What I did – and what you most definitely shouldn’t do when test-driving a potential purchase – is turn to your co-pilot, ask if it really did just cut out and be satisfied when they reply: “Erm, no, I don’t think so…”
And so it was with this E39- generation BMW 5 Series saloon, which, in spite of its overwhelmingly evident reluctance to come home with me, now takes up 8.46 square metres of my driveway outside.
We’ve always liked the E39. Enthusiasts say it’s a must-drive and our sibling title What Car? recently named it one of the best cars in its 47-year history. So when this example was listed online for less than £1000, with some of the blurriest and most unclear pictures ever taken, it had to be worth a look.
At least I did something right: never trust the photos. It had clearly been sitting for longer than the “couple of weeks” alleged by the seller (the tyres were cracked, the wipers were useless, the headlights were milky and my arachnophobia meant I couldn’t go anywhere near the wing mirrors), but this was a clean car – outwardly, at least.
Having been assured that the engine hadn’t been warmed through ahead of our arrival, it was a surprise when it instantly cranked into life and settled into a steady idle, although slightly worrying – and perhaps foreboding – was the seller’s proud proclamation to have recently replaced the injectors themselves.
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Classic
I own a facelifted model 3.0 Msport, hydraulic steering, creamy six cylinder, creamy ride quality too rack and pinion on the sixes, recirculating ball for the V8's (based on e38 front end). So well engineered it must have taken a lot do design such a great vehicle. I think they left the windscreen wipers the "wrong way round" just so there was something to complain about otherwise brillant. Those turbine style wheels were great on the SE models. Oldie but really goodie, the feeling of solid engineering pervades at all times.
I don't do high milage and have had mine for about 14 years or so, it will be a tough act to follow despite the cars age. I'll leave that to the future.
It must be E39 season because Doug.D just put another video up about the E39 (M5), most only wax lyrical about the M5 but all of them were 6 cylinders and all of them were good in fact the E39 was so good there wasn't anything left to do and then we got the E60...I'll leave that story to the lovers of that model.
"They'll have to pry it out of my cold dead hand"
Cheers Autocar
Wonderful 5
Still miss my 525 tds, the second of five 5 series I've had, and the second-best after the F11 520 Auto. My F11 530d with all the toys was nowhere near as good.
Weren't these criticised at
Either way a brave move with the cut out on test drive. Owner changed injectors shouldn't be an issue, they aren't usually that difficult to change, though on a BMW 6 I wouldn't know to be fair, but just like the rest of us, you ignored all the used car buying rules, when we see something we like, I am very guilty of that, I am easily woo'd.
si73 wrote:
4 and 6 cylinder E39s had the rack and pinion setup, the V8s used the recirculating ball arrangement I think.
Lots of cheap examples of these around, but as ever it's a case of buy the best one you can find and make sure you have a cash reserve when the inevitable big bill comes up. Very tempting though, I love the dials and pop up cigar lighter!