Would anyone know how these were in general.?
starting to look for a used for my son.

 

IIRC, the '97s had electrical issues and other stuff. I'd start with a '98 to avoid first year bugs, even if they've all been fixed by now.

 

Thanks for the headsup

 

I have first hand knowledge of two '97 528i's. My parents have one which they bought new in '97 (I picked it up for them in Munich on my honeymoon). They don't drive that much, so it has something like 50,000 miles on it now. That car has had ZERO problems. It's been the most reliable car they have ever owned.....more so than any of the MB's, VW's, Honda's, etc. that they have owned.

My friend also has a '97 528i which he bought used with about 100,000 miles on it. Since then he has put another 90,000 miles on it and now it's still going strong with 190,000 miles on it. He has had a couple of VERY minor issues.....he replaced his front shocks a few months ago and his A/C compressor doesn't work. All he's done is fill it up and drive with the (VERY) occasional oil change.

Both of these cars are relatively light in options and don't have a lot of gadgets, so that may have made them more reliable as there aren't many gadgets to brake down.

I have had first hand experience with many BMW's and have to admit that the E39 528's have been the most solid and reliable models that I've seen.

 

Thanks, He wasn't thrilled by the idea(thinks its too old of a car). He's telling me he wants a civic si or acura TL or of course an M3... used 3 series would be nice too.. Any suggestions?

 

lol.... get him a civic and then after a few months let him drive the 5 and see what he thinks. The E39 is hardly an old car but it has the 'sedan' appeal that at first he may not like potentially due to his lack of experience driving. The E39 is a very safe car. I generally try to stay away from the first two model years and the E39 came out in 1996. It's a great car and IMO it's better than the others you mentioned. The 3 series may be a good option too if you keep away from the first two model years. If safety is a concern I would get the 5, and then sign him up for the BMW "new driver" driving school in SC and take the drive down together. He'll quickly change his mind about the car and driving down to the school could be a good bonding experience.

http://bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Experie...K6q1yOERxyPjQ==

 

I agree with you which is why I thought it would be a reasonable choice.

 

I sent you a message yesterday. My cousin may be selling his. Drop me a message and i'll give you his number.

Rick...