Is the Classic E34 5 Series Worth the Hassle? Of Course!
The E34 5 Series Touring charms with its clean styling and classic BMW driving experience.
Anyone familiar with BMWs that hail from the 1990s knows what terrific cars they are. Nimble handling, powerful engines, and clean styling make models like the E34s and E36s prime classics. Unfortunately, Bimmers from this era are also challenging to keep on the road.
(I should know. I’ve owned at least four or five E34 5 Series over the years, and a handful of E36s.)
E34s are fundamentally solid cars but definitely are pretty finicky. Alex Kersten over at Car Throttle recently dove headlong into E34 5 Series Touring ownership. His experience so far has been challenging, to put it mildly. “Ultimately, I bought this because I wanted a cool, retro, load-lugging car that I could take my dog in,” says Kersten. “And I love the noise.”
The E34 that Kersten bought is a rare spec. It’s a 1992 525i Touring (station wagon to us Americans) with a desirable 5-speed manual transmission paired with the 2.5-liter M50 straight-6 engine. As far as I know, the U.S. never even got a manual E34 wagon. So the cool factor with Kersten’s E34 is pretty much off the charts. With 177,000 miles it’s not exactly low mileage.
On the other hand, by BMW standards it still has a lot of life ahead of it… as long as it’s properly cared for. Kersten bought the E34 wagon because he always wanted an E30 Touring. But those are even rarer than E34 wagons and as a result, are pretty expensive. Plus, he needed room for his beloved dog, and an E30 wagon was on the small side. Enter the E34, which checks all the right boxes.
“Let me tell you exactly why this car is worth all the hard work,” says Kersten. “For starters, it’s like a bigger, more grown-up version of the E30. I feel safer, its still got a really zingy straight-6… it’s so nice! And the lines are just so 90’s it hurts. Remember this car was born way before YouTube, way before Greta Thunberg.”
In reality, Kersten’s old Bimmer suffers from all the maladies that one comes to expect from an E34-generation 5 Series. He paid 2740 GBP for the E34 (about $3400), which is rust free and has a strong engine. Elsewhere though things aren’t so great. “It’s become way more of a project car than I ever anticipated.” When he first bought it, he knew it had issues. The LSD was leaking oil, the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced and the exhaust literally fell off while he was driving it home after buying it.
Four months later, the list of issues has only grown. A bad rainstorm created mildew and mold on the carpet and passenger seat. When they were removed to dry out, rust was discovered. Oh, and the trunk doesn’t shut correctly. And the sunroof doesn’t work. And on and on.
In the end, though, Kersten is persevering with his E34 wagon. He’s more than aware that the BMW is 27 years old. And along with that age comes a lot of upkeep. “Despite all the work that needs to be done on my E34, I really like it,” he says. It’s understandable. These really are lovely classics.