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To all BMW gurus . . . is this a good deal?

3K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  goedhart 
#1 ·
Hello BMW Enthusiasts!

I am totally new to this board, and I am pretty new to BMW. My brother-in-law is in the process of purchasing a used car, and since I LOVE looking for cars, I am trying to find him a good deal.

First off, I would like to know whether or not the 1994 525i is a decently reliable car to drive. I hear that they can be VERY costly in repairs; however, I am hoping that the relaibility of a BMW would make up for that. Any thoughts on this issue? How would maintaining a car like this cost in comparison to other cars (such as an Audi or Infiniti)?

Anyways, my brother-in-law (BIL) was willing to spend $8000CAN before taxes. Some of the cars that I have been looking at are the Audi A4s, VW Passats, Infiniti I30s, Lexus ES300s, Acura 3.2TLs, and various others. My BIL doesn't have much extra money to spend in repairs, so I thought I would go with a more reliable Japanese car. However, then I stumbled across this BMW. At only $6500CAN, I figure that he could buy this car and put $1500CAN away as a slush fund to pay for repairs to the car.

Anyways, here is the ad that I came across. Please give your honest opinions on it, and tell me whether or not you think this would be a good car for my BIL. The smaller I6 engine is not a problem for him, as it is more the luxury than the speed that he wants. Anyways, please read the ad below:

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Year: 1994
Make: BMW
Model: 525I
Price: $6,500CAN ($4700US)
Mileage: 116000 km (72500 miles)
Ad Type: Private

1994 BMW 525I AUTOMATIC
Comment: For more pictures, please send me an email & I will send you a whole series. The car is in good condition. For any details, please call me or send me an email. Colour exterior: Oxford green metallic (dark green). Colour interior: Beige leather.

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Also, if there is there anything that I should watch for if I go and see the car, lease let me know.

Some prompt replies would be awesome, because if this actually is a good deal, it will sell soon . . . that always happens to me!

Thanks for all the help guys!

Regards,
Bryan
 

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#2 ·
Theres no question that that is an excellent deal.

You mentioned he's looking for luxury.. so most likely he wants a smooth ride, while BMW is "smooth" its most likely not the type of ride he would be looking for.. especially in comparison to the lexus ES300 and acura. Its more of a sporty feeling.

Maintenance shouldnt be TOO high, repairs (if the car has been maintained) also shouldnt be too much more costly (a bit more though) than the lexus. Maybe about the same as the audi if not cheaper.

I say give it a drive, check to see if its had all the maintenance... inspection I and II frequently, transmission and differential services every 30 - 40k mi.

The engine and tranny if maintained should last forever and ever, the problems on these cars are mostly suspension related. Take it on the freeway, see if it shimmys at 55mph, if so it needs thrust arms / bushings most likely ($300us) If it clinks and clanks over bumps it probably needs sway bar end links ($150 - 200us)

Good luck... its a fun car, and is very reliable if maintained properly :)

If he does get it, refer him to these forums :D

Hope i was of some help

~sp0rk
 
#3 ·
You definitely were of help :D Thanks!

I really value the opinions of current car owners. Before I ever even consider purchasing a car (or someone in my family), I always ALWAYS consult with forums first!

Anyways, I probably didn't say what I meant correctly. By saying that he was more for the luxury, I meant that speed wasn't a really big deal. It will be a family car, so fast acceleration and stuff is not a priority.

And yes, this will DEFINITELY be a luxury car for him! You should see what he is currently driving . . . Right now he's got a 1989 Ford (yuck! Ford!) Probe that should have dies two years ago. It is a disgusting machine. He cut the catalitic convertor off because it was noisy, and eventually just cut the entire muffler off! You can't hold the clutch in for more than 5 seconds or the car will stall . . . and the list goes on. He shouldn't be driving the Probe because it is so dangerous!

So, as you can see, the Beemer will be luxury to him :p

I like how reliable the 5-series sounds. I have always shied away from BMW because of all of the bad reviews I have read on the 3-series. Maybe the 5-series were better made, because the reviews are MUCH better! How long do you think a slush fund of $1500CAN ($1100US) will last him for repairs?

I like that this sounds like a good deal. I hope it isn't sold yet! Maybe it's a mistake in the trader magazine, but it's worth a try!

I will let you guys know how things work out. And if anyone has any more comments to add, please do!

Regards,
Bryan
 
#5 ·
Keep looking! Now you know what to look for. For a '94 car to have 72.5k miles is really good. If the guy had maintenance records available, you could have prolly bought it on the spot.

Mostly, I like to have any used car that I'm interested in checked by an independent mechanic or dealer prior to buying it.

Good luck.
 
#6 ·
It WAS a Great deal, keep looking though! I got my 1993 525i for a similar price. I cant speak to the 535 specifically, but both my bmw's (the 85 635csi and my 525i) are INCREDIBLE cars. The 6 series has become somewhat of a money pit, mainly due to its age, but looking back, all the money put into the car has been well spent. But both cars are amazingly fun to drive, even after 19 years the 6 series still gives an incredible, responsive, and overall fun to drive car. It is truley a driver's car.

The 525i, my new baby, is an incredible car as well, although not as quick as the 6 series (2.5L vs 3.5L) its still a wonderfully responsive car.
 
#7 ·
Yeah that was a decent deal. But yep, keep looking! I got my 1990 BMW 535i with 150k miles for $2,800 USD. It was just about pristine, even the wood trim and the driver side leather. The 535i model are far much more reliable (not to mention faster, better mechanics, smoother freeway ride (3.5 litre big-6)) As for the 525i, I never owned one but it has been pretty good to my friend, who had a 1994 525i and owned it for several years with quite a bit of miles on it so far. He spent quite a bit of money on repairs on it for the first one (525i engines are either dependable or a lemon, need to have a good BMW mechanic to check it over carefully). But one of the big pluses about a BMW as any high quality european car, is since it's designed for the excess speed of the German' Autobahns, they are built like a tank, and have over and over proved to saved many lives in an event of a near-fatal crash. Yes, sadly my friend's wife was in a horrible accident involving a bus broadsiding it at over 50mph at an intersection, but happily his wife surivied. It was certainly because of the BMW 5-series excellent construction and strong body frame that saved her. So really, a BMW 5-series is an excellent car! Go for it when you can get one. If you are looking at a mid 90's 5-series, go for a 535i for it's dependable engine that runs forever, but I think they are getting quite rare nowdays. Hope that helps in your search for a BMW...
 
#8 ·
I would keep looking. I have a 1994 525i with 181,000 miles and it still runs and drives strong. It needs some new thrust arm bushings. The only thing I have done to it is replace the transmission shift handle. I know you will find something. To me, the hunt is almost as fun as owning the car. :D
 
#9 ·
I know what you mean :D

I love shopping for cars! The only problem is that my brother-in-law has to have a car in three weeks, so time is kind of running short . . .

I will keep looking though. He is interested in the BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, and Infiniti I30 . . . A good deal has got to come up on one of these soon!

We actually almost bought a 1994 C280 with awesome 17" AMG monoblock rims for $9500CAN, which was a really good deal . . . until we did a vehicle history report and found that it had already switched owners 10 times and was salvaged in 1999!! :blink: Forget that car!

The search continues . . .

Regards,
Bryan
 
#10 ·
Salvaged C280 huh? Well, a C280 is a fun car to drive, I can speak for it because I had one before. But it's a bit cramped in the back (Well compared to my new BMW 5-series lol). So while I did like my good 'ole Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6 Limited Edition and then the C280.... the BMW is BY FAR BETTER!! Hehe! The ONLY thing I miss about the Benz is it's simplicity, and easy and quick no-hassle no-nosense shifting (automatic). It's just that the BMW is... THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE! Wahooo! :driving
 
#11 ·
They are great cars. Before my 02 540i and my 97 528i I had a 92 525i. I sold it with 172000 miles in pristine condition for 7000. Thay was by far a better car than my 97 has been. I still have it with a bad tranni sitting in front of my house. my wife's 93 325 has also been a very reliable car. they made them better then than they do now in my opinion. Buy it. I used it to start my real estate career. It helped me feel like i had luxurious accomidations for my clients.
 
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