The E39 generation BMW 5-series was one of the last designs from BMW to not be Banglized and overly complicated. Complicated…yes…but not overly so. It will have some needs, but they won’t need to be solved with a fancy computer talking to other computers. Some of the plastic pieces under the hood are going to […]
If we all agree that new cars are too complicated, and really old cars are unsafe, inefficient and difficult to maintain, then there must be a sweet spot for a modern daily driver. You are looking for a car that has enough new technology to be modern, but enough old tech to be robust. I’ve […]
The E39 generation BMW 5-series was one of the last designs from BMW to not be Banglized and overly complicated. Complicated…yes…but not overly..not many issues will need to be solved with a fancy computer talking to other computers…and most things will require a wrench and some RTV. Today’s example doesn’t have the screaming V8 you get in a 540i, but it does have the usability of a wagon and the silky smooth M52 inline-6 good for 190 horsepower and 207 ft-lbs of torque pushed through a 5-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. Find this 2000 BMW 528iT Wagon E39 offered for $4200 in San Francisco, CA via craigslist.
This next car comes as a tip from Pushrod who writes: The owner has had this car posted for a while now. The price has come down once so far. Modifications appear very tasteful. Who doesn’t like tasteful mods — and a 6-speed late model BMW is just about perfect for daily driver use. Find this 1998 […]
BMW started producing their 5-series executive class sedan way back in 1972, but it wasn’t until 1991 that they added the wagon version, which they called the touring. And if you ask certain minimalist dudes/ladies around the world they will claim that the 90s BMWs offered the best combination of simplicity, usability, and non-computer aided […]
The E12 generation (1972-1981) was the first executive class BMW to wear the 5-series badge. With a the Gruppo Bertone born design, Paul Bracq penned and Claus Luthe facelifted (post 1976), the E12 is a classic you can afford to drive every day. Find this 1980 BMW 528i offered for $5,000 in SF Bay Area, […]
The first car to wear a 5 Series badge was the E12 generation of BMW’s executive platform, and technically the 5 was a designation that this was the fifth generation of BMW’s New Class platform. Regardless of naming convention, the Gruppo Bertone conceived, Paul Bracq designed and Claus Luthe facelifted (post 1976) E12 is a […]
The Paul Bracq designed E12 luxury sedan was the first BMW to wear the 5-series name. It was a huge leap forward in performance and build quality when compared to the E3 (aka Bavaria) it replaced, but isn’t quite as well built as the E28. Fortunately prices for a nice E12 are very favorable for […]
The E39 BMW 5-series was sold from 1997 to 2003 for the North American market. The selection of engine/transmission & suspension parts was an evolution from the outgoing E34 5er, but the classy styling was one of the last pre-Bangle designs and penned by Tokyo born Joji Nagashima. Find this 2000 BMW 528iT wagon for […]
The station wagon has always been the answer to the question of: how do I shove all this junk and my kids into a car and drive around? For most wagons, the handling/ride quality seesaw has been tilted toward the comfort side of the spectrum. This was the case until the Germans put their eye […]