想買BMW 523 E39

Mine is an 1997 540i. I think I could share my experience with you:

- Is it easily broke down?
Not quite, unless you abuse it often and not taking care of it.

- Costly to repair?
Haha - that's what all bimmer owners needs to be aware of: BMW stands for "Big Money Waster".....all German parts are expensive...in general.

- How much is the fuel consumption?
523i should runs around 25 to 28 mpg. depends on your driving habits. city drive could drop down to 22 mpg.

- Electronic devices - Lucky that I did not have that problem, but the LED display started to fade and some of the lights were gone. Electronic system needs to be replaced in whole? yeah right, never heard of.

To solve the power window problem, you need to check it more often and do not park it under the sun all the time. Also lubricate the rubber parts more often, coz the car was designed to run in European climate.

- Any other thing need to pay attention to?
Replace the fuel pump and fuel filter after 7 yrs or 70,000 miles (110,000 km).
Check radiator for leaks after 7 yrs. (is about time)
Replace air filters (one for engine, 2 for air conditioning) as needed.
The car is heavy in general, so it will start slow at street stops. Be patience. 2.3L engine is a little too small for 5-series E39 body.

To be honest, E39 has been out for almost 10 yrs. Unless you could find a very low mileage and clean one, and has been being pampered since, otherwise.....I will suggest you stay away from it. Just too many parts that needs to be replaced.....after 10 yrs of services. But the body looks cool though.

Not a bad model at all. Should there be a choice of either 96 or 98 year model then of course the '98 model would be more preferable. Considering lots of improvements have been done since the E39 was initially launched in 1996.

Personnally think it can't be broke down easily unless it hasn't been maintained and looked after well by previous owner. But, you see there are still plenty of E39 are currently being driven on the roads.

Fuel consumption of an used car may vary due to its condition, also your driving behaviour and nos of passagers that you need to carry, etc.. Guess it can be hkd1.40-1.80 per km.

Never heard of such a electrical problem that you mentioned about. I've been driven various used BMW model in the past 10yrs, never encountered such troubles at all.

Other things you should pay attention with:
- Make sure the air flow from fan blower is sufficient when the Air-con is on.
- Check coolant condtions(no rust) and all clean and dry on radiator.
- Check possible leaks undernearth the engine and transmission.