First time Buyer, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

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I have a 1990 7th series, its a 735il
so far it has been an excellent car. I paid $2000.00 for it i had to put a new lower ball joint on it (very easy it was like 2 bolts , cost 89.00 for the part & i did it myself) I also had to replace the starter, which was $118.00 (once again easy)
After that other than general maintainence, oil changes, tires etc I havent had to do anything to it. It has 200,000 miles on it & i drive it literally all over the country.
The main thing with buying an older bmw is to be able to do the work yourself, because garages see you with a bmw & want to charge you a fortune. Also invest in the repair manual, sometimes the german like to do things funny , and it can be frustrating while if you have the book and follow the directions its actually very easy. (like locating the battery they put under the back seat ) Import junkyards are also very nice, because some things on these cars are very ridiculously expensive & otherwise could only be obtained from a dealer
but i'd reccomend buying one. they look better than newer models anyway :) still got those round headlights

Well the 5 would be cheaper to maintain and handle better. Thay are nice and even by todays standards are good cars. They have I6's, not V6's by the way. I can only think of 2 versions for the E28 body:

525i (I6)and 535i (V8)

And 3 for the E34 body:
525i (I6), 530i (I6), 540i (V8)

I work at a BMW dealership and both the 5 and 7 from your indicated years are nice to drive. But with age, as with all cars, they start to get to needing things fixed. More than once, Ive gotten in a car and roll the wondow down and it wont roll back up. And even more that that, I bring it (mostly that bodystyle 7) into the carwash and push the sunroof button to make sure its closed. But then it opens instead of close and water gets in (which REALLY sucks). So the only thing I can really say about the 7's is that the electrical system begins to act up and do what you tell it to almost always. So I would go for a manual 525i because the I6 wont have as many problems a V8 might, plus if its manual then you wont have the problems you would with an automatic 'box.

But now you have to consider this: there is not 88-91 5 series. BMW made the E28 from 1982-1988 and the E34 from 1989-1996.

My reccomendation: Manual E34 530i.

I agree with an E34 stick. Good looking even after all these years. I put well over 200K on mine and it was still pretty reliable. I did have some problems getting a specific replacement part (A/C hose), but was able to find what I needed with persistance.
With any older car, a thorough mechanical checkout is critical.

ok, this is my first time posting. I actually would like to ask everyone for advice. I am looking to buy a 1989 BMW 525i with a 6 in line engine. I am told that it was kept in the garage by a widow after the husband died. The car looks clean inside and out. Leather almost new. It has new tires and a new battery. But, when I drive it, it appears to start rolling slugish until it gets going then it appears fine with a audible rumble that I am assuming is typical of the car. It has 135000 miles. I am paying $2,500 for it. Will I be paying high maintanance at this point; smog certification, cooling/heating problems, transmission, suspension, oil or other problems? It appears to run smooth once it is rolling. I can hear a little ticking sounds emanating from the engine. Valve problems? The seller tells me that it might need a tune up because it has sat in the garage for to long. This would be my first BMW. PLEASE ADVISE.

Anyone that can share some comments on older BMW's. I love the car (a 2002 BMW 330 cic. It has 84,000 miles on it and lately oil and power steering leaks. What is up with these cars? People tell me at this point a lot of repairs are in order. What do many of you experience?
In the last 3 months I replaced: The power steering pressure hoses, the power steering cooling hoses, the two belts, the oil gasket connection from the engine to the oil filter housing, and the oil pressure switch. I love the car and it is only a little over 6 years old. I want to keep it another 2 to 3 years at least. Can some of you older BMW owners tell me what you think? How long do you hang onto your cars?

Well, I've had 2 "older" BMW's and have found them to be as reliable as ANY car of similar age- regardless of brand. I think a lot of people become disappointed with these cars because of the (relatively) high cost of parts and qualified technicians. An example from my personal experience- it was REALLY hard to justify spending $1400 to repair a leaking heater core in my 200,000 mile E34, and I had a terrible time even finding someone willing to do the job (the dashboard must be dis-assembled). At the time, my car had a market value of about $3000. Eventually, I was able to find a reliable mechanic to do the job and got the part from an aftermarket supplier. Still spent over $900 but the job was done.
I look at it this way: if you want to drive a premium brand high quality car, you've got to be prepared to shell out some big bucks every so often. Like everything else in life, there's no "free lunch". My old 200,000 mile BMW was still tighter and handled better than a brand new Taurus.
As far as my current E39- I'll keep it until I find something better, which could be a VERY long time! :cheers:

I'm looking to buy my first older model BMW and would love to know what model you guys out there recommend? I have read good things about the 1988-1991 5 series (without GM transmissions) and the 1988-1991 7 series with the V6 engines. Which direction should I go? I'm looking for something reliable but that doesn't cost a fortune to maintain:2cents:. Is this an impossiblity with these cars? Thank you very much! Feel free to email me at karchcoon@gmail.com. Thanks again!

E60 is not bad

Best value for me is 525i 1990> with I6 24v (there is no V6 in BMW) but with M50 engine. If possible M50TU is even better ( have vanos and goes from 1992 ). M20 have timing (12 valve ) belt vs. M50 double chain.

On all M20 there is problem with power and torque below 4k rpm. M50 without Vanos have same problem but not so much.

535i (I6) with M30 engine is almost no-maintenance engine, but M50 is much lighter and need mush less fuel.

E60 is the best 5series ever (my opinion), I had 530d till few month ago... 5 stars car.

E32 is great car but for me is not so sporty like E34 (big&heavy).

For 20-year old $2k cars, I think there is no better choice...
And always is better to pay more for one in better condition. I think condition only matters here, much more then millage or equipment.