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Car Forum / BMW Cars / July 2005Advice on buying a 1999 530i
Hi! I'm planning to get a 1999 530i (E39) with about 130 000Km on the clock. Is this too high milage? Are there any electrical/mechanical "gremlins" to watch for? Please give some advice on what to look for and what can go wrong with this car. I've heard the 540i is too heavy on the nose, and that this one would be more balanced. Is this opinion correct? Any help would be apreciated. Thanks! vricardo, 99 E39 520i "vricardo" <vricardo@nospam.mce.iol.pt> wrote > Hi! I'm planning to get a 1999 530i (E39) with about 130 000Km on the > clock. A '99 E39 would be a 528i: didn't change to 3.0L engine until 2000 IIRC. That makes this a suspicious car IMO. (Unless it's a 535i with the V8, and it's improperly advertised.) > Is this too high milage? No. >Are there any electrical/mechanical "gremlins" to > watch for? Probably, bu they're no worse than in the 520i you already have. > Please give some advice on what to look for and what can go wrong with > this car. I've heard the 540i is too heavy on the nose, and that this one > would be more balanced. Is this opinion correct? Yes. > Any help would be apreciated. Thanks! > > vricardo, > > 99 E39 520i Your right... I've checked and it's in fact a V8, meaning 535i. This means it is the "heavy nose" again, like the 540i, correct? > Your right... I've checked and it's in fact a V8, meaning 535i. > This means it is the "heavy nose" again, like the 540i, correct? Seeing as one of BMW's main marketing points is 50/50 weight distribution, is nose heavy more of a perception than fact? Although, I guess any car of that weight will be hard on the brakes and suspension. > > Your right... I've checked and it's in fact a V8, meaning 535i. > > This means it is the "heavy nose" again, like the 540i, correct? > > Seeing as one of BMW's main marketing points is 50/50 weight distribution, > is nose heavy more of a perception than fact? Although, I guess any car of > that weight will be hard on the brakes and suspension. It makes sense that the 50/50 weight distribution is when the car is standing still. Under acceleration the weight of the engine is going to shift towards the rear, and under breaking/cornering all that weight is going to be over the front wheels. I suppose the heavier the engine, the greater the feeling of nose-heaviness under breaking/cornering. Of course I haven't driven anything larger than 2.5 6cyl, so I might be way off. >Seeing as one of BMW's main marketing points is 50/50 weight distribution, >is nose heavy more of a perception than fact? Not all BMW's are 50/50. >>Seeing as one of BMW's main marketing points is 50/50 weight distribution, >>is nose heavy more of a perception than fact? > > Not all BMW's are 50/50. The majority are pretty darn close. Which one are you thinking of? -Fred W >>>Seeing as one of BMW's main marketing points is 50/50 weight distribution, >>>is nose heavy more of a perception than fact? >> >> Not all BMW's are 50/50. > >The majority are pretty darn close. Which one are you thinking of? The ones with V8's, of course. > On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:17:24 -0400, Malt_Hound wrote: >>> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > The ones with V8's, of course. The E60 545i has 51.4% on it's front. The 530i has 51.1% front. That's about 10 lbs. (The manual-tranny ones are more even by 0.3% each, btw) Figures from the BMW NA site. Floyd >> On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:17:24 -0400, Malt_Hound wrote: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Floyd Even the "short" wheelbase V12 760i is only 51.6% front, with the 8 cyl. 750i actually having a rear weight bias (49.9% front)! Tom Tom >> On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:17:24 -0400, Malt_Hound wrote: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >That's about 10 lbs. (The manual-tranny ones are more even by >0.3% each, btw) Figures from the BMW NA site. E60. "vricardo" <vricardo@nospam.mce.iol.pt> wrote > Your right... I've checked and it's in fact a V8, meaning 535i. > This means it is the "heavy nose" again, like the 540i, correct? Usually, the smaller-engine the less optional equipment, hence slightly lower weight. Since the E39 535i wasn't shipped to the States, I don't know anything more - someone from EU/UK/etc needs to respond. Floyd > Your right... I've checked and it's in fact a V8, meaning 535i. > This means it is the "heavy nose" again, like the 540i, correct? I think whether the car feels right to you can only be answered with proper test driving. The V8 E39 is very popular regardless of what some people may think about its weight. It doesn't handle as if it is handicapped by its weight. Much more important is to make sure the car has the sport suspension. The regular suspension is IMO very disappointing - makes the car handle worse than lesser cars. > Hi! I'm planning to get a 1999 530i (E39) with about 130 000Km on the > clock. > Is this too high milage? Certainly not. It's just a factor that effects what you should be willing to pay for it... > Are there any electrical/mechanical "gremlins" to > watch for? Not really. > Please give some advice on what to look for and what can go wrong with > this car. I've heard the 540i is too heavy on the nose, and that this one > would be more balanced. Is this opinion correct? Actually, no it's not correct. The 540i (or other V8) is no more nose heavy than any other BMW. They are all balanced nearly 50/50. But the car will be slightly heavier overall. The bigger difference IMO is that the V8 has RB steering and the sixes have rack & pinion. That's what makes the V8s feel a bit heavier maore than anything. -Fred W So, in your opinion guys, maybe I should gather some more money and get a 2001 530i in-line 6? What are the main differences – aesthetics and engine response aside? Are they all autos in EU? > So, in your opinion guys, maybe I should gather some more money and get > a 2001 530i in-line 6? Definitely over a 535. It's as fast and handles better. > What are the main differences aesthetics and > engine response aside? Are they all autos in EU? The main difference is the far better steering. It's rack and pinion. The latest 5 Series has R&P for all models - at last. They're available in either auto or manual. But in the UK, the manuals are rather rare.  Signature*Re-elect nobody Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. > They're available in either auto or manual. But in the UK, the manuals are > rather rare. Did you get that backwards? Certainly in the US that's true, but in the UK? Floyd > > They're available in either auto or manual. But in the UK, the manuals > > are rather rare. > Did you get that backwards? Certainly in the US that's true, but > in the UK? No - I'd guess with cars of this size autos outsell manuals by perhaps 10:1. And a manual will be worth very much less at trade in time. Signature*i souport publik edekashun. Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. You may want to pick up a copy of the latest Bimmer magazine. It has a comprehensive buyer's guide for the 5 series. Thanks guys! I'll try to get that mag. All the best to all! |
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