E39 or E46 for a daily?

[agent]

E39s have so many more 'typical' issues, mainly relating to interior electrical functions giving up.

What are these interior electrical functions giving up you speak of? The only 'typical' interior one I'm aware of is the MID/cluster pixelation ribbon issue.

A 528 is not getting 25/30mpg either. That's just fooling youself.

Last time I made the ~425 mile drive to Florida I averaged 28.5mpg doing 85-90 most of the way. I'm sure I could easily get 30+ if I slowed down.

[reelizmpro]

Mike, there's a big difference between E39 540iT Auto and early E39 528i 5 speed. I've owned an auto 528i and manual 528i...the manual gets way better mileage with combined driving. Early E39's upto 99 tend to be more reliable. I don't have a "HI" cluster so I have no dead pixel problems, only the MID ribbon cable tends to break (mine hasn't), window regulators suck, door handles can break but other than that the car has been rock solid for the 7 years I've owned it.

Besides, you can make your E39 look like an M5 for less than $500 these days and as you know, there are plenty of E39's in the yards, making parts cheaper than ever.





What's not to like?

[Asbradley21]

Wait a second...typical e46 problems? E39s have so many more 'typical' issues, mainly relating to interior electrical functions giving up.

A 528 is not getting 25/30mpg either. That's just fooling youself.

Don't get me wrong, I like e39s and all but I'm never swapping back. Both cars were ultra-reliable for me too.

Yeah, you know, e46 problems, like the subframe bashing the mounting points to bits. Not an e39 issue. I've also never had any interior electrical issues unless you count the window regulator. I've never heard of common interior electrical issues on an e39. (edit) Forgot about the pixel issue. I've never experienced this as I also have the low OBC which doesn't have that issue, and it's not all that common either anyway.

And I do get ~25/30. According to the OBC and my own calculations. We can just take my last fuel up as an example. Roughly 19 Gal used, got a distance of 455 miles which comes out to 23.94 MPG. Cruising on the highway without stopping I can get over 500 miles to a tank easy.

There's no reason an e39 can't get just as good fuel economy as an e46 as the weight difference is fairly minimal. Riding around in an e46 with another person or two or maybe even just a bunch of shit in the trunk you're up there with how much an e39 weighs already.

[Asbradley21]

Oh yeah, I and 2 of my friends slept in my e39 for 4 days. I'd like to see anyone do that in an e46 with less than 2 people dead at the end.

[agent]

Cruising on the highway without stopping I can get over 500 miles to a tank easy.

With my heavy right foot it doesn't happen often, but I love it when my trip odometer exceeds 500.

[mavrikno13764]

+1 on E39
Owned mine for almost 4 years now. (98 540iA)
Problems I have had since ownership include:
1. Final Stage unit was busted (lowered buying price :) )
2. all 4 window regulators...
3. Dirty Ignition Switch (the culprit of almost all electrical problems)

Mods: Drop, Clears all around, Style 32's.

Love it! Makes my M3 seem very impractical for DD.

[Ray Smoodiver]

However I am single with no kids.

That you know of :giggle:

[mkcman17]

I'm not bashing the e39...I loved mine. But the window motors go, the cupholders break, the armrest is terrible...although I did get upshot of 30mpg fwy.

I just wouldn't consider it better or worse than the e46 - they are different feeling cars.

[adjmcloon]

I've owned several e39s. Easily my favorite model next to my e30s.

The 01-03 530i is one of the best models ever produced by BMW. It's a perfect balance of performance, smooth, quiet luxury, and efficiency. I wouldn't hesitate to get one, and when it goes, get another.

I'm currently dd'ing an '02 525i Touring and it's great for hauling my drums to gigs. I average around 22-23mpg on a mostly highway commute (70 miles/day). My 530i had more pep and got better mileage. I had a 540i, which was great, but I got way too many tickets in that car! :D

[justin_l_]

I'm not bashing the e39...I loved mine. But the window motors go, the cupholders break, the armrest is terrible...although I did get upshot of 30mpg fwy.

I just wouldn't consider it better or worse than the e46 - they are different feeling cars.

E30's have timing belts, no arm rest, no cup holders... :)

[agent]

the 01-03 530i is one of the best models ever produced by bmw. It's a perfect balance of performance, smooth, quiet luxury, and efficiency.

qft

[SpyHunter]

I have a 2005 330i ZHP as my daily, and it is the best daily I have ever owned. Having said that, the E46 is not exactly spacious. Enough for my wife and I, and a few friends when needed. Having driven both an E39 (M5, no less) and my E46, I PERSONALLY would keep the E46. But I like smaller cars, and I could really notice the extra size if the E39.

Go take both out for a good drive. If you still need them, take the car seats with you. If the kids are past that point, there is plenty of room in the back for kids to sit. Or maybe, just go with the best example of either you can find.

[keefy6]

E39, biased though I've owned mine for 11 years. It's a lot of car for the price you can get one for these days.

[Asbradley21]

The 01-03 530i is one of the best models ever produced by BMW. It's a perfect balance of performance, smooth, quiet luxury, and efficiency. I wouldn't hesitate to get one, and when it goes, get another.

Definitely agree here. I love my 528i but I would definitely love a 530i. Although, it was hard enough to find a 5 speed 528i that was well kept, I'm sure finding a similar 530i-5 would be hard enough without involving unicorns and whatnot.

I've never driven one, I'm curious to how much more pep it has over the 528i. Surprisingly, it only has 10 more ft-lbs of torque even though it has 38 more hp.

[justin_l_]

Yummy....

http://nh.craigslist.org/search/?sort=rel&areaID=198&subAreaID=&query=m5&catAbb=sss

Also tempting. Both are within my budget but honestly not realistic lol I don't think the wife wants a manual :-/

http://newlondon.craigslist.org/cto/4296966500.html