I realize the E-39 does not belong on this board, but turning 300,000 miles on my '97 528i is a landmark. It shows just how long these BMWs are built to last. Not a rattle or a squeek anywhere and still plenty of go. I alternate driving this car to keep my miles low on the '05 545ia sport.( drive about 35/40,000 miles/year)
The question is, can I expect my 545i to last as long and give me that many miles again? Do we keep these cars beyond 100,000 miles or will all the electronics and computerization do them in with that many miles? The E-39 was a much less complicated car, thus less to break down. The jury's still out on the E-60s. My new 545ia is a dream, 8,000 miles on it since eary May and not even one tiny problem. A big improvement over my previous 2004 545i. These E-60s just keep improving each year. I really feel BMW has done a great job de-buging the E-60 and has brought the quality up to a level that we all expect from this great brand of car.
YOU GOTTA LOVE THESE BMWs!
Netjazz

 

I seriously doubt the new e60 will be able to match the e39 in reilability. Maybe the later models 06 and 07?

 

Yeah but what about us guniea pigs with 04 and 05's?

 

I think I will have mine much past 100k at least 4 to 5 years. Maybe more.

Skaffa

 

I believe the e39 was Consumer Reports highest rated car ever!

 

I think you are right but the E60 has not been around so long. No doubt the E60 will be similar later in the life of the platform.

Nice thing about so much software is that many of us will be able to take advantage of later improvements via S/W upgrade....

 

for your guide, my previous car was an e32 7-series...probably one of the worse cars in terms of reliability according to consumer reports. (pfft) well, i had it for TWELVE years and over 200K miles....NEVER had any engine related problems with it. bmws are built to last forever.

 

I hope my E60 will last that long. I think if you take care of your ride, it will last a long long time, regardless of the make/model.

 

I have no fears about the basic car things like engine, transmission, etc...


I do however feel that as time progresses, the scores of electronic systems and devices have the potential to turn these (and all "advanced" cars really) into service nightmares. I hope I am wrong, but the chances for big repairs out of warranty will probably keep me from wringing the last bit of life out of my E60 - probably better to trade while it's still valuable than try to run one until it dies.

 

Yes, you're right. Transmission and engine can last for more than 200K miles, but software and electronics will kill you.

Think about TCU. The max number it can have update SW is about 11 or 12 times. Then you'll need a new TCU, just another $1000 mininum. Think about active steering alignment, it's at least $200/$300. Think about Active Roll Stablisation calibration, and so on.

Anyhow, it's too expensive to own after warranty expired. To be honest, I really love my E60. So far nothing comes close in term of handling, but if you ask me to keep this car after warranty expired, I will say 'no' in a heart beat.

Just for the sake of maintenance and repair, my car is in roughly once bi-monthly. Think about after warranty expired for each visit. Not less than $200 per visit. This will add another $100/month until you sell the car.