Why the 5?

[wingman]

Why have you chosen a 5 series? How many have you owned? I chose the 5 because it is soooo un-trendy and usually owned by mature business men/women who don't flog them and have the money to service them properly. This is my second 5.

[SC David]

My first car/BMW. I was looking for a 535 at the time, but all of the ones I found were in poor condition, or bad color combinations, or way overpriced. Once I found my M20 with all the right colors, with low miles, and in great condition for its age, I was sold. I do dream about extra power, but you'll hear no complaining from me. Love my car. Us '89s are few and far between.



I also want a 540i/6 :D

[Randell]

i was after an E30 323i 5 speed cause my friend's dad owned one and it was bloody awesome, but when i found out it only drank leaded i started looking for a 325i, but they were all quite pricey for what you got... then i switched to wanting an imported merc 190 2.5-16 but while waiting for it to come over i was sitting at work and i thought 'what about the 5 series, they're nice', so i did a search on autotrader and started thinking 'mmm, this is a car for a 50 year old', but on page 2 there was this beauty, didn't take long before i was sold!

[mattyb]

I remember seeing the e34 in 1990 and fell inlove with it straight away, specially the 540i. When I waorked at a winery in the hunter valley in the early 90's BMW had test drive for their customers. I knew one of the bm guys as he was a reguilar visitor. He brought up the 540i brand new and said lets go for a burn. 3 hours later i was in awe. I never really had the money to go shopping for one until a little later in life and the car i have now fell into my lap. I had a 2003 commodore ute at the time and had seen my car in a caryard(jag dealer). I had rung 6 months earlier but he wanted more than I had. Then one day my business partner at the time rang to say that someone had smashed into my ute while he was driving it. The other driver said his boss would fix my ute and give me a loan car. Well guess whi his boss was? the owner of the jag dealership. so with a bit of haggling about not wanting to make a claim on his insurance we came to a very ammicable agreement. He gets the ute and I keep the loan car i had for 6 weeks. The e34!

[wingman]

i then i switched to wanting an imported merc 190 2.5-16 but while waiting for it to come over i was sitting at work and i thought 'what about the 5 series, they're nice', so i did a search on autotrader and started thinking 'mmm, this is a car for a 50 year old', but on page 2 there was this beauty, didn't take long before i was sold!

Yeah the Cosworth Merc would be sweet. You're right on track with the '50 yr old' comment. That's why our cars are in such good nick.

[BigKriss]

being an old mans car, it was my fathers and with little persuasion I got hold of it. The rest is history.

[Will308]

I bought my first BMW when I was 30. I still have it. A '91 525i, it now has 213,000 miles on it. I fell in love with the classic looks of the car.
I contemplated selling it about 3 years ago and I'm glad I didn't!!!

[bmcdanold]

When I was 13 back in 1997 i think, or around there, a good friend of mine had a 94 530i 5 speed. I absolutely loved the car, and thus started a BMW passion. After high school I went to tech school for auto mechanics and then I went to work for the BMW dealership in my town. Finally about a year and a half ago I got my first BMW a 95 530i. I dont know what it is about the 5, but its just awesome. Its mostly a feeling thing for me. I dont really care what other people think of the car. Its mostly just feeling good about myself. When I look down at the steering wheel and see that BMW logo, i just feel good. When the headgasket started leaking on my 530i a few months ago, I was in a debate whether or not to get another car to replace it. After a few days of test drives and looking all around town at various makes and models, i came the conclusion that I just wanted to keep my BMW. So I bought an E30 325i to drive while I fix the other car. Although I am pleasantly suprised by the E30, its still not my 530i.

[Rory525]

Growing up I always loved the look and the sound of BMWs. It was always the 5 and 7 series I liked the best.

I remember going to the BMW dealer with my dad in 1991, when I was about 11, he had a list of company cars to choose from and a 525i was one of the choices.

I totally loved it , I remember the salesman going on about the brand new 24v engine and 5 speed auto hehe. I sat in it thought oh yes this is so cool.

Unfortunately my dad didnt want to pay the extra company car tax on a 2.5 so he chose a 2.3 volvo 940 instead ! I thought to myself Im gonna get a 5 series one day ... and I did :D

[onewhippedpuppy]

I can honestly say that I did not lust over this car like many of you did. I've always been a sports car guy, my one shot at a family sedan (Audi A4) only lasted 6 months. But, after a while I got tired of riding in my 944 Turbo alone. To elaborate, in order to bring my son in his car seat, my wife had to scoot so far forward that her knees were in the dash, so I rarely had passengers. Anyway, when I finally broke down and decided to get yet another 4 door, I started browsing the BMW and Audi forums looking for someone to trade for my 951. I eventually found the owner of my 540/6, and the rest is history. I no longer miss my 951, nor do I long for a sports car. The E34 is the perfect compromise. Also, I had been going through more than one car a year for the last five or so, I guess I never found what I was looking for. I have now, and I will own this car for a long time. At least until I graduate from college and can afford a E34 or E39 M5.:D

[Rory525]

I should also say that I love the 5 because IMO it has a much better chassis than E36 which most people my age (25) would buy, the build quality is fantastic, the engine is sweet, parts arent too dear, and I enjoy it every single time I drive it :)

[Scott C]

I went to a 525 back in 2001. I was "forced" to change cars when I developed a case of mononucleosis that completely knocked me out of commision for 2 months with a long recovery after that (mono sucks for adults).

So, a 2 seater Mazda RX-7 just did not cut it as I borrowed my wife's automatic to use and she had to use the Mazda to tool the 2 kids around. Didn't take long to decide on a BMW as it was a good compromise between a 2 seater sports car and a 4 door sedan that was good for a family. I do miss the 2 seater RX-7 even though it was underpowered but handled like a dream. I drove 18 years in 3 different RX-7s!

I feel incredibly safe in the BMW (I am a BIG believer in air bags) with its honest to goodness real working brakes with an antilock system that is awesome, a bullet proof 6 cyl engine, and a very comfortable interior.

I actually think I have gotten more stares from people with this car than with any of the RX-7's.

Scott

[zmuff]

When I finially decided I wanted a BMW, I had my sights on finding a nice 635csi with a five speed. Lots of homework convinced me the m30 with a manual was THE combination to have (except ///M). Then I find out the 6er only has 4 seats...I was truly disappointed, I needed a bench seat in the back. I studied up on the e34 as a compromise to what I wanted. Turns out it was the best compromise I ever made. Beautiful lines, fast, solid, and every fix needed can be found here or elsewhere on the internet. Definitely a keeper.

[CharlesAFerg]

I chose a five for a few reasons...

1- My father used to own a 635 in Bahama beige, yes I remember the color..It was gorgeous...Until some lady applying makeup plowed into the back of it...Totalled.

2- I was in an E38 M5 with some crazy girl she suddenly started speeding around a corner drifted into the other lane, missed a minivan by inches, we hit the opposing lane curb, went through 3 trees, went across the road, and then hit the other curb along w 3 more trees. Car saved my life, I have no doubt about it. Oh and...Totalled.

3- I don't like threes, they are too small for me, and I'm no speed demon. I absolutely love the ride.

4- ...Yeah, it's my first car. God a sweet deal on it too. "Us 89s are few and far between" word. I like my M20, soemtimes I yearn for more, and wish the body/paint had less dents.. But I don't complain for the price I got it for.

Also, Zmuff, what ind of wheels do you have, I love the two color look...

[pundit]

After a few close calls in my '89 Toyota Tarago van (no ABS, light and skatey in the rear, little frontal impact protection) I decided to opt for something safer and more comfortable.

I initially looked at s/h Commodore, Ford offerings in the $10-$15k price bracket but was underwhelmed by their bland plastic interiors and throw away feel. I then began contemplating something European.

Having worked on Mercedes I knew I wasn't interested in buying one. Shitful things to work on in comparison to my 535i E34. For a short while I looked a several E36's but decided they were not only a little too small but offered far less value for money than a fiver. So after surfing the net and winding up here I then seriuously began my quest for a 535i.

I eventually found my car. It wasn't the cheapest and frankly I wasn't interested in buying the cheapest E34 I could find. (Never buy anything just because it's the cheapest!!) but it was exactly the car I wanted, white with black leather and all the options I was after with a full service history.

Any regrets? Well I wish it got 7litres/100kms and sometimes I hanker for a manual but then when sitting in a line of peak hour traffic that disappears into oblivion the auto is just fine! ;)

[Paul in NZ]

i wanted a rear wheel drive manual four door with more useable tourque than ajapanese 2 litre,with enough headroom and good ergonomics/adjustability to suit a long bodied 6 ft 3 driver.I didnt evn think about BMWs till a saleman showed me an e 36 ...i couldnt find a manual,and when i stumbled upon a 535is imported from the UK i couldnt beleive they fit my parameters.I didnt buy tha particular POS but I ended up looking at at only two identically specced 535,s and i bought one of them

[Elekta]

liked them for a long time. Parents bought a 79 528i new. Already loved the Bavaria/3.0S. Friend and I euro spec'd his '76 530i and it turned out great, still love that square bump on the hood and the tail lights. Another friend in college bought the 533i, when it came out, and he lowered it and put bars over the shocks, and drove it about 300k miles before he got rid of it. Ac's always froze and then drooled on your passenger. But you could corner that car like it was a two door, and they have always sounded the best.

[kev535i]

my first BMW was an E21 323i then i moved on to an E30 325i now ive got an E34 535i just a natural progression i guess :) i was getting sick of the boy racer feel of the 3series and wanted a bit more of a cruiser was looking at a E36 when a friend at the car auctions called and showed me the 535 i love it plenty of room,power and comfort

[Gayle]

In 2000, we had 3 vehicles with only 2 doors (including my e30 convertible) and needed a 4 door to haul around the extended family. We only wanted 5 speed cars and there are not a lot of 5 speed family cars so we focused our search on BMWs. Found a nice 90 525 that my husband beat the crap out of for 5 years before he decided to get an SUV.

I liked the 525 but didn't like his maintenance. Found this board and started reading, reading, reading. Then found my low miles, pampered, heavily modded 90 535 and bought it. Absolutely love it. And the guy we sold the 525 to absolutely loves it. I envision keeping my 535 a very long time.

.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Why have you chosen a 5 series? How many have you owned? I chose the 5 because it is soooo un-trendy and usually owned by mature business men/women who don't flog them and have the money to service them properly. This is my second 5.
I was looking for a manual, well constructed car with a mass of at least 1300 kg and ABS brakes for my sons to learn to drive on and drive once they got their licences.

I narrowed the field to the 5 series instead of the 3 series mainly because of its greater mass, its lesser comparative cost, and once I had driven one around 2 blocks, its amazing rear suspension and general roadholding.

I also looked at Saab 9000s but was disappointed with their handling and construction; Mercedes W124 in various models, but thwey were all auto; and Volvo 850s but recent problems with Volvo Australia (not the car itself), caused me to stay away.

I also wanted a small 6 as opposed to a 4 or 5 cylinder and deliberately chose the M20 motor because I didn't want my children driving anything too powerful while still having enough power to get out of trouble if required.

The 525i with M20 motor and 5 speed manual gearbox is perfect !

Its great looks are a bonus ! ;)

[wingman]

It's interesting to see how many people have bought an E34 because thay liked them when they were younger.

[Traian]

Yes, I loved the E34 when I was in junior/high school, and for a while I really wanted one as my first car. When I finally got seriously looking for a car, my only criteria was that it be rwd and manual (and preferably small). I looked at a whooooole stack of E36s, but all the affordable ones were tatty and the gorgeous ones were untouchable. When I saw the 540, I had already been on the hunt for about 3 months and was starting to lose hope. But I fell in love with her; she was the most gorgeous car on the lot, the most comfortable seats I ever sat in bar none, and the engine was so smooth and strong and the exhaust note so sweet, well it was a done deal within minutes. The odd part is, the price was a lot lower than most 325i's in the same nick, and the insurance was more affordable too.