Which 5 to buy

[siulong]

Hi Guys and Girls,

I'm in the process of buying a 5 series BMW and I'm having really trouble deciding which version to go for. I was told that the 523i apparently was the best all round model? I want one that is quite pooky atleast 190-200bhp and not to bad on insurance. I was told the 238I would be a good one to go for?

Any advice is much appreciated.
Also how much do you think i should be paying for a 97-98 E39?

[RobyCi]

I would buy a 530d

[CBA]

i paid 30g canadian for my 98 528i sport, love it..

go for a 540 or a 528..

[bmwm3gtr200]

The 530d is without a doubt your best choice. The diesel engine in it is one of the best in the world, and Evo Magazine actually thinks it is only beat out by the M3's I6 when it comes to non-supercar engines. It is also ligheter weight than the V8, and has massive tuning potential, propane works like Nitrous on diesels and is cheap. K&N filter will gie a couple ponies, but chipping one of those bad boys can bring some massive gains. Turbo charging is expensive, but pays off big. The stock car is no slow-poke itself though, just listen to some numbers:

184 HP
288FT LB

And as we all know, torque is more important than HP when it comes to acceleration, heck HP only determines top speed! This thing is fast off the line, and just pulls like no other. And don't just take my word for it, test drive one.

If you can't find a 530d(They are rare), then a 535/540i would be your next best bet. Price wise, it depends widely. I would suggest trying to get a certified used 5 series, they still have a waranty, and you can trust the car is in sound mechanical and aesthetic shape. Be cautious of the first year of the e39 though, some bugs were still being worked out, and '99 was a bad year for BMW's aesthetic reliability rating(re-tooling).

Good luck, and welcome to the BMW family in advance!

[SoonerE39]

Yes a 530d would be a great way to go. I wish they were available stateside. Otherwise, go with a 528 or 540.