Is this a good deal? 1994 540i

[bdonkersgoed]

Hey Bimmer guys!

I just came across this ad in a local trader, and was wondering what you guys think. My brother-in-law is looking to buy a car, and I thought this would be a really nice one for him. Could you please tell me what you hink of this car in particular, and then 540i's in general? Are they much more expensive to maintain than a 525i? Do they use a lot more gas? Are they as reliable as a 525i? Thanks for your input!

Here is the ad:

Year: 1994
Make: BMW
Model: 540I
Price: $7,950CAN ($5660US)
Mileage: 160000kms (100000 miles)
Features: 4 dr., auto., roof, leather, heated p/seats, low km, exc. orig. Everything work like day one. No rust. 296HP, only for fast driver!! Warr. and financing avail. All books and records.

Regards,
Bryan

[Torque]

540i is a V8 4liter engine.

it does use more gas than 525i, but overall it is not bad. if it has been maintained well previously, then there shouldn't be any problems with it. the engine itself is bigger which might make it harder to work on if you do it yourself, but overall it is built well.

and yes that is a damn good deal. good luck -- if i came accross a deal like that, i would sell my 525 right away.

[bdonkersgoed]

Thanks for the input Torque!

I checked up ont the 540i on Edmunds.com and it got very good ratings! Pretty much a straight 4/5, which is an excellent review. I also looked up the car on Epinions.com and most people (except for a couple) had only positive things to say about the car.

Now, on Edmunds it rates the 540i as getting 16city/23hwy where as the 525i gets 18city/25hwy. Considering the increase in power and engine size, this fuel economy difference seems very small to me . . . in fact, it seems almost too small. If the 540i indeed gets about 23hwy, then I am going to try and get my brother-in-law to buy it. Now, the problem is that he just went down to Cedar Point in Sandusky OH and won't be returning until tomorrow night. Usually the good deals like this sell within one or two days, so I am afraid that he may e too late. But, we will try none-the-less . . . as soon as he gets back, I'm going to make him go out and buy this car

Regards,
Bryan

[bdonkersgoed]

Also, I checked up on the insurance (I work at an insurance company ) and the difference between the 540i and the 525i is not that big either.

I live in Ontario, Canada (where the insurance rates are insane!), and for my 26-year-old BIL, insurance is about as follows:

525i: $1650CAN/yr ($1175US/yr)
540i: $1850CAN/yr ($1318US/yr)

Regards,
Bryan

[Torque]

those mpg numbers seem right. I think that I once calculated my car getting 13 liters per 100 km (I am originally from europe...so) in the city.

good luck

[bdonkersgoed]

That's really great gas mileage for a car it's size! My '92 Lexus ES300 is much smaller, much less powerful, and it gets only a couple more mpg. I am from Canada, so I too use L/100kms I only post in mpg because most Americans don't understand L/100kms

Really, I prefer to measure in km/L, which makes a lot more sense to me. It makes it easier to calculate the exact cost of a trip. But then, I am really anal when it comes to measuring exact fuel economy . . . I measure the economy on EVERY SINGLE tank of gas I use

Regards,
Bryan

[LOS]

Wait!!! before buying it, read more about the NIKASIL issue. the cars affected were all V-8's '92-'95 all over the world... The inline 6 cylinders are ok. Do a search in YAHOO under NIKASIL... If you want a V-8 jump to the new 5 series (97 and up)...




LOS

[bdonkersgoed]

That NIKASIL issue seems kind of scarey . . . why hasn't anyone mentioned this before? Is ti a hoax, or is this true?

Bryan

[jllphan]

BMW has made the inline six for a looong time. I would certainly recomend the e34 six over the eight. It is a much more tried and true powerplant. The early eight isnt thought of as bad, but if I were to purchase an aging 5 to maintain, it would be the six.

Also as far as gas mileage goes, they may be similar on paper, but given the tempting power of the eight, you wouldn't be likely to average the spec MPG!

[LOS]

it's not a hoax... The problem is in the gasoline. If you have been putting cheap gas, you'll have problems down the road (like a new engine by the time you hit 50k, you can't rebuild the old one). It comes down to luck... I did notice the car has 100k miles, maybe it's ok... If you feel comfortable buy it.
I bought a 95 525i and was happy with it but I miss the power. Nine months later, I sold it and bought a 97 540i!!

I wish we had more input from other 540i owners out there on this issue!

www.LESTAC.CO.UK/BMW/NIKASIL.HTM

LOS