It’s long been argued BMW’s e39 is the automotive equivalent of “their last good album, before they got all overproduced and stuff”. There’s no iDrive, no ///M button, and no bloody SMG. Despite the melty-looking headlights, they look like proper BMWs: staid and under-styled. Of course, they’re still subject to baffling overengineering and repair costs that could only come from the land of schadenfreude.
So what are we to make of this seemingly impeccably maintained 540 wagon with a temptingly low price?
The seller’s brief, so we’ll just release the copypaste:
CAR JUST HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED WITH A 2 YEAR UNLIMITED MILE WARRANTY, NEW FRONT BRAKES & VALVE COVER GASKET, BODY, PAINT AND INTERIOR LOOKS LIKE NEW, CAR IS IN PERFECT MECHANICAL CONDITION AND DRIVES LIKE NEW.
…and yet, no mileage.
And yet: $6995. Not exactly paper-route money, but dangerously cheap for a 282hp, 325lb-ft 4.0L V8 that’ll give you mid-6s 0-60 times. The back seat is roomy, the way-back is remarkably capacious, but the driver’s footwell is almost certainly short one pedal.
The presumed slushbox certainly detracts from the desirability, but as far as reasonably priced vehicles built to a high standard go, you could probably do worse. Budget appropriately for maintenance, find a good dealer alternative and get hooked in on an good forum and you’ve got a non-ridiculous ownership experience for years to come. This one’s near the depreciation floor, so your total cost of ownership
Or, you know, I’m totally fooling myself. It shouldn’t matter that the phone number in the add is for a european auto repair shop, right?
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