The E39 is still the best BMW ever and the 540i the ultimate Q Car, almost the power of an M5 but none of the looks and a fraction of the price.
This car is for sale at www.stonecoldclassics.com check them out!
Furious Driving is on Patreon now! Can you spare a dollar to keep this channel going? / furiousdriving Thanks!
www.furiousdriving.co.uk for stickers, mugs, T shirts, travel mugs and more plus lots of car models, toys and books
Furious mug: rdbl.co/2FuZvJL
in my opinion, this is how bmws should look like!
In mine too.. Engineer designed and built...not accountants!
Like 20 year old cars?
@@TrueFilter Not necessarily.... but rather like vehicles designed and developed by passionate engineers, not accountants, EU compliance civil servants and 'keeping up with the Joneses' styling.....
You are right
@Andrew Ball I like them both however the E60's interior design is one of the worst BMW have ever made, it is in my humble opinion HIDEOUS. Love the exterior though.
This and the same era 7 series were glorious. Still want one!
bentsignpost very true, I miss my 740i 4.4. Great bargains can be had.
bentsignpost Couldn’t agree more, I have one of each and I love them!
My parents still have their 740iL. It's a wonderful car. I had an e39 M5 but sold it for the more nimble e36 M3.
Had both my 540i is much better
I have a 2001 BMW 530i (Sport) with 320,000 miles. Only needed 2 water pumps and 1 alternator in 20 years. Never broke down (other than the water pumps). Still looks and runs GREAT. Just an AMAZING DRIVING MACHINE !
Same. Just change orig. water pump at 267,000 km.
*The Ultimate Driving Machine
2001 plus 20 is 2021.
These are extremely reliable cars no matter what engine you choose. The build quality is tremendous
@@TheHeretic435 535i AT 87K and just chaging the first water pump on this, my 3rd E39. I adored my 530i too.!!
I had a manual E39 528i, which I replaced with a 6-speed manual E60 530i in 2011. I missed the E39 so much so, I bought an E39 M5 the following year, in 2012. I still have both.
I too own a E39 528i and its straight 6 is silky smooth at idle or cruising the highway at 85 mph, with its white paint and tan leather interior it's a real beauty, 20 years old and still reliable, great car👍
Great review. i know exactly how you feel driving this car. I live in Melbourne, Australia and the E39 540i was first released here in early 1997. I bought one that year and still have it, so 22 years later, no major mechanical issues and still drive it every day. The 540i was fully loaded in Oz. It has full electric seats (even the headrests are electric), fully integrated telephone (in the centre armrest), TV , Multi-function steering wheel, Electric rear blind, and Satellite Navigation (a first for vehicles in Oz), etc. We have owned 13 BMW's since our first E34 535i and as you may have guessed this one is the keeper. Also, as a previous commenter suggested, flick the gear leaver over into sport mode (5th gear dissapears) and let her rip!
22 years every day? How many miles?
Well, maybe not every day. But let’s say between 5 and 6 days a week and it was also parked for 2 years in the early 2000’s. It has done approximately 188000km which on a yearly basis doesn’t seem like much but it’s because my wife manly did the shopping and school runs in it for about 15 years. It is now clocking up a fair bit more now that I’ve been driving it again over the past few years. Still runs like a dream, except that the front seat leather is due to be refurbished.
This and it's stablemate, the 7-series from that era, remain the last real BMWs.
My 540 gets wheeled out at weekends now,a minor tune gives 320 BHP and 350 lb ft.A lovely old thing,still a lot faster than my company chariot A4 TDI,just 25 MPG instead of 50.
Oh...miss you, miss you, miss you... I had a E39 for a decade or so but was forced to switch for a more economical car. “Only” a 523, but still - the luxury feeling, the build quality, the everyday day joy of it. If I’ve ever had any car that felt like home, it would be that one. It’s just not the same anymore. Now my car is just another vehicle. With the E39 line BMW made the ultimate car classic car of the 5 series. But everyone has to move on - only God knows why...
I couldn’t agree more, I had one for 7 years and it felt like it was an old friend. It worked faultlessly everyday of life and after140k miles, it was as solid and reliable as the day it was made, brilliant car!
I had a 1996 E39 540i manual. Great car!
you could have bought an 530d, which is economical and more than powerful enough if you want it to
Why don't you buy another e39 then?
@@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040 think I expressed that in the first sentence...
The E39 was definetly one of the best last cars bmw made. Very well made and still look fantastic today.
Great video! for me, the E39 is where the 5 Series peaked
The last of the great 5 series, great car great build quality, you can feel the solidity through the screen, the B pillar was so thick it was covering 25% view of your camera!....Oh and you forgot the icing on the cake again 13.7mpg!
Our roads up here in Finland are very rough and chewed up because of the use of studded tyres during the winter months, yet you hear very little road noise in one of these. That's a truly impressive feat even for a higher end car, and the E39 still remains the quietest car I've ever rode in.
All I can say is watching this has made me what to get an E39. I once had a 520i, but it was a low spec car, and had issues. I would now want to enjoy the V8, but probably better with the economy of the 530d; it would be great to have one in that colour and spec! Thank you for the lovely video as always, and please do keep it up! P.S. I like the way you do the interior review while stationary, it makes more sense, and you really show the interior properly and do it justice, while not being boring, which is very rare on car reviews.
E39's are one of the ebst cars ever made, great video.
The "crude MPG-ometer" - Love it !! - It's actually little other than a vacuum gauge with a clever face on the needle. Thanks for this one.. great viewing!
I've had my '98 540i for 14 years now and there's nothing I've ever found that can replace it. I tried with an E60 530d and a Subaru Legacy 3.0 spec B but they didn't measure up and got sold. This review is spot on, my car is 21 years old now with 145k miles and still nothing rattles or squeaks. It does everything, its quiet, smooth, fast, solid and effortless but handles great and will shred its tyres if you're in the mood. Add to that 30mpg at a steady 75mph it really is the perfect car. Btw, mine has even more options, nappa leather comfort seats, xenons, headlamp wash, rain sensing wipers, electrically adjustable steering column, switchable sports dampers (S-EDC), TV function, navigation, power amp with weird sound modes and equalizer. But most important, it also has the torch in the glovebox. PS, I had an Alfa 145 many years ago too!
I just fixed my front suspension on my 01' e39.. Its been in the shop for about 4months, ive been driving my mazda.. Watching this video has my heart is beating , i get my baby out in 2days . cant wait..
Love these great vid. Fond memories of all mine including feature in a bmw mag. Notably the Alpina B10 V8 which ups power to 340 and adds steering wheel gear shift buttons, that thing was fast! Back to back with a stock M62 540i you notice the Alpina was happier to revv but really a stock 540 is still an immense car. I used to specialise in BMW's and another great variant was the later E39 535i V8 - with about 250bhp those engines were very happy in the high rpm range. Unfortunately all the sills have now rotted away on all of them like W210 Mercedes and just about anything fro this era rust has killed them off. That and (in BMW case) the 5hp24 requiring refurbishment at 200k. There is a kit available to mount the M62 in an E46.
I remember after one night on the sauce, being in a taxi of this model 5 Series. Despite being a bit drunk I did take with me how nice a car it was. Even just as a front seat passenger. I think this E34 is 'peak 5 series'. Although my favourite is the original E12 from the 1970s.
Good review, many thanks Matt. I'm not really a BMW fan but this generation of the 5 Series is special.
i have this interior in my E38 728I now i love it ,and sunday i went to empty closed trafford centre ,turn tracktion off knocked it into manual just knocked it over that no one has showed you yet . foot on break power and donuts and donuts and im sixty it made my day .sell your crown vic and buy one of these .
Such a great car. It’s one of my favourites. I’ve never owned a 5 series but had about 9 3 series and 2 7 series. But my dad had a e34 535i se, a 94 540i touring and the e39 M5. But it wasn’t a normal m5, it was a ac schnitzer version, which also went through the individual workshop too. It was in Oxford green pearl 2 with white leather seats. The alloys were 6k alone. Madness. Back to the 540i, it is such a bargain compared to the m5, and with the m tech styling, it looked awesome too.
I think the E39 is one of the most timeless and beautiful cars ever made. Hoping to acquire one in the next two years.
Nice piece of reviewing. One point though, you complained about the lack of interaction with the gearbox, if you use the manual "steptronic" option it really brings them to life. Stops it changing when it wants to and would definitely bring the fuel consumption down unfortunately. Really good fun though!!!! Lovely car though and the owner has picked up a peach!! Lets have an update on the fleet when you get a chance please.
Proper BMWs like the earlier model. A damn good looking car too.
There was also the Alpina version which was called the Alpina B10 and there were 4 engines there was the 3.3 straight six with around 270 bhp, the 4.6 V8 with around 350 bhp, the 4.8 V8 with 370 bhp and the D10 which was the diesel version with a twin turbo version of BMWs 3.0 diesel with 240 bhp and an astonishing 500 nm of torque!!!
I had one these for 7 years, it was the best car I’ve ever owned. I still drive BMWs and all have been brilliant and despite Mercedes and Audi fan boys claiming otherwise, mine at least have all been 100% reliable. This car started my love for them and my biggest regret ever was selling it, I am now looking for a clean E39 M5 and will keep my Current F30 for everyday use!
This is the real BMW such a beauty! Forget about the new ones. It does look like the seven series which is my favourite.ive a BMW 3 1.8ti compact 2003. I'm all for the older BMW.nice video
I still run a 2003 E39 530d SE (last facelifted version), with 200k miles on clock, as a daily driver. Have it since 2008. It is a fantastic car, in fact, still the most comfortable car I have ever driven, bar none. It's been utterly reliable, no big money spent. It's performance is still more than competitive, and still returns 38mpg on average. The interesting thing is, I went to sell it 4 years ago, and got a load of silly small cash offers. I decided to keep it. I am now being approached regularly, and being offered more and more money for it on the street / in filling stations etc. I think this is becoming a classic, and will hold onto it now, even when I retire it! I have sold other cars in the past and regretted it, 1991 Porsche 944 Turbo for example.
Loved my old E39.. it was only a 523i with nikasil lined I6 but I never had an issue with it.. I currently have a FBMWSH 74k mile 2006 E63 630i Sport (with the great N52 engine) as my daily car, and I absolutely love it.. It might be a Marmite car for some, but to me it looks more beautiful as time has passed.. I’m hanging onto mine. Great video as usual.
I had one, a 98 540i SE auto touring, specced exactly the same as this with the tan leather sport seats. What a fantastic car! Lucky to average any more than 16mpg though but I didn't care. The noise it made was glorious and surprisingly cheap to insure for such a monster.
I drive an 01 2.2l as my daily and love it to bits, and have 540i in garage for fun. Cheap cars to keep on the road provided you do your own mechanics.
Why do so many of us wish BMW's were still like this? I have an 03 530i (E39, last of) - I love it. Maybe my Saab is better built but the E39 is such a joy....things really did go wrong in the 00's....thx for the upload!🙂
First Time here and must say your whole review, from videos to images and the way and the amount of information you provide is amazing. Great work buddy keep it up please. Will defintly subscribe
Thanks, much appreciated!
Great cars! I own a E38 and love it. Only downside is it costs alot in maintenance and im not handy
The recirculating ball steering was retained for the V8 models on account of there being insufficient space to accommodate the rack and pinion arrangement with the V8 engine up front. The six cylinder cars are much sharper to drive thanks to rack and pinion steering. Though I agree that they could all do with more power assistance at low speed.
My dad has four E39 BMW’s, a 1997 535i, a 525d, a 530d and another 530d sport, latter two I think are still on the road today. I remember trying to persuade him to buy a 540i, it was a fully specced one, with TV tuner etc but he went for the 530d instead!
Great video & great choice of car. I have a ‘99 E38 740i and it’s brilliant. Again not a squeak or rattle and drives like a dream.
My Dad bought this first E39 in 1997 (a Calypso Red 523i SE - complete with GSM car phone!). He also had a couple of 530d M-Sports - the first in 2001 with the second following in 2003. We missed the E60 era as he wasn’t keen but had three F10’s and we’re currently on our second G30 (530d xDrive).
When this car was made we had a E38 7-Series - a great era for BMW!
I always, always wanted to own a 540i (E34 or E39) since I discovered they existed about 10 years ago. Circumstances meant I needed a new car quickly and I bought a cheap one in April. Unfortunately it was ropey as hell, rusty and didn't run great so I flogged it as soon as I could. But it gave me a taste of how good a nice one might be. And I've now owned an unnecessarily large engined V8 car, so another box ticked.
A mate of mine had the E39 330d estate - bought for (I think) £8k about 5 years ago - lovely car to sit in with a similar trim package to your test car - it felt really modern, and much nicer than the F10 5 series I had for a while. He then got an E60 330d estate which I thought was the dogs doodahs!
I need one, no comparison between that and what's around today superb 👍
had a 530i for the past 8 years. the steering in the 6 cylinders has far better feel than the v8s, felt a lot lighter than an e34. My experience: very nice car, comfortable and solid feeling, but quite sprightly. had a spate of electrical problems for some reason and got quite rusty at the end, no matter what i did. if you can find a good one, I recommend it, but don’t overpay due to hype and nostalgia. the e60 I got to replace it still has the same m54 engine (an early model) and feels quite good quality to me, though it suffers much the same ailments.
These are starting to suffer with rust as youngest are 16 now, but having owned and experienced E60s know they have many more issues in every area. I like the design and how they drive but dont think Id have another
furiousdriving you’re right about the cost cutting in the e60. For instance, the brake lines are thinner and more prone to corrosion, even if the body is better than before. One can get unlucky and be in for replacing quite a few expensive computer components on an e60, so even if you are careful, you could be unlucky.
Owlrich on the touring the roof drains can leak into the boot wells that have the ECUs and air suspension parts, now that’s unlucky and very expensive!
Get that thing in the twisty uphill wrotham road you passed.
Owned the 2001 model. Stunning.
I'm with you with this, that was the last properly built BMW. 👍
Well the e60 also had spectacular build quality but not quite as good as an e39
Lovely car, and lovely transition from a rant about reusable cups into an advertisement for suitable furiousdriving merchandise! Excellent...
I like to Merch responsibly!
@@furiousdriving, why yes indeed, sir!
Happy memories: I had a 328i in the same colour, previously owned a Kuwaiti so it was fully specced with burgundy leather seats. That 5 speed auto is a joy on the move, but not electric off the mark. I had the electric rear sunshade - surprised not to see it on this one. Servicing was eye wateringly expensive
Sun shades weren't a common accessory, not enough sun to need it!
Hi Matt, Please do a review of the Renault Espace. I had a year 2000, Mark 3, Grand Espace, 3.0 litre petrol, 24 valve automatic that was an absolute monster, complete with remote control radio/CD, sunroof and all the options. Best car I've ever had! Kept it for 10 years or more and drove it all over Europe. Hard to find these days!
Had a T reg E39 523i in '09. Without doubt the best car I've ever owned. Carved from Bavarian granite.
Fantastic video of one of my favourite cars! Same colour as mine!
As for interaction with the auto, the following year model after this, 2001, the face lift version had steptronic shifter. You move the shifter left, and can shift all 5 gears 'manually' by pushing forward and back. Although shift up is push forward, and down, back. Quite counter intuitive.. It will of course, override you if you try and do something dumb, like put it in first at 100kph, or start in 5th. EDIT: if the pic at 11:05 is this actual car, I'm seeing the steptronic function on the shifter gate. ???
that is this actual car.Ive never liked the steptronic, partly because it moves the wrong way and partly because its too laggy
Agree. 1998 540i Sports Executive 4.4L 235 000km BMW green. Drives superb. A few electrical issues ignition barrel key spinning and key will not come out of barrel even when barrel removed. Buy a new ignition barrel coded from BMW. In Australia expensive even when all that is done is supply a part. Seat twist, window regulator, radio sunroof not fully closing. Engine is brilliant. Too many airbags to count. Get rid of the MAF sensors then tune up correctly and you get another 60HP. Well above 330HP. Let the car breathe Corners well for a heavy car. Tiny GPS screen but in its day was a full 14 years ahead. Analogue TV no longer available in Australia so the TV does not tune anymore Fond memories of watching Cathy Freeman win 400m Gold at Olympics in the car when no other TV was available. So easy to drive. Even has park assist. Not too shabby for a 1990's car. So much power and rarely needed. City driving 15.6L / 100km. About 19.5mpg. Country driving in Victoria and NSW mountains is its home. One day it will retire. Tesla model S has such simplicity and fast acceleration large monitor. 2 cars the past and the future. 2003 M5 vs Model S Choose. M5 for driving fun. Model S for function and acceleration. My 540i is made for Autobahn driving in the Bavarian alps. We have too many nasty speed bumps in Perth. Car touches bottoms even at 1km/hr. Annoying as it has taken the pleasure out of driving. Such a great car bought to its knees by so much traffic furniture. Perth is the nanny capital of the nanny state in the nanny country. C Bangles did not have driving in Perth in 20 19 when car designing finished in 1992 to 1993. 540i Rare in Perth. Was $155 000 and then some in 1998. Put your foot down to overtake. The car replies, "What took you so long?"
Quite possibly the best car , from when the best cars were , and will ever be made , no touchscreens or displays, few if any “driving aids” , but everything anybody could ever want in a car. Elegant timeless styling, superbly engineered and built cars that judging by other comments with a degree of care will last for decades.
16:23 The fog lamp switch is such that the rears go off with the ignition off and don't go back on again, so you don't get annoying idiots driving round with their rear fog lamps on 2 days after it was foggy. The E60 fog lamp buttons are hidden behind the steering wheel and it's difficult to tel which are the fronts and which are the rears.
Great interior design great exterior design. A masterpiece of engineering BMW at its best....
The last 540i I was in, admittedly track racing it, why not. to be best it was a pre-facelift and the sat nav/TV system was functioning pretty well still
Hey!, You missed the Alpina B10 3.2, 3.3 and the Alpina B10 V8 / V8S (4.6 & 4.8) Plus the Alpina D10 diesel !
Everything has to stop for pop master 👍😂 Fantastic review on a fantastic car.
I rise in defense of the e60, or at least shift in my seat. I had a 97 540i, and I still have a 2010 535xi as the spare car. Both were/are M sports, the 97 was auto, the 10 is 6spd. To my memory equally matched, but the 10 feels sportier - despite AWD weight penalty - because of the stick. I find it tossable (maybe b/c I have an F10 as well, grrr), and at 125k, it's held together well and 'everything works'. Aside for the walnut shell blasting and an infotainment center that quit just out of warranty (geez), maintenance has been reasonable, and the leather has held up extraordinarily well, if looking something like pigskin (it's Dakota, not Napa). The 20 way power seats are a vast improvement. The 2010 also has the L7 sound system which they downgraded on the F series and beats the BMW 'business cd' system by a country mile.
What a nice car,looks very similar to the James Bond one,the he drives off the car park,don't know what spec but it looks the same,this one is in tidy condition, awesome video.
Although that was a 7 series I think it might have been the same colour, the interior trim looks the same on that Bond car
Superb car, classy and purposeful looking. Proper car!
I really like these 540i, even the model before I like as well...!!! 😊🔝👍
What s the warning light that appears at 1:32 LOL?
I'd love a 540i but the e34 model. I have to make do with a e34 525 tds though. Still it's really well equipped model for a 34
Great video, great car (I would love one of these).
Excellent review on a possible classic car by BMW .
The 535i/540i received single Vanos in 9/98 while the M52 powered cars received dual vanos. Generally, the less vanos is involved the better, as it is usually an issue that needs to be tackled around this age, while not really giving you any significant advantages. If you want to avoid the typical (and very expensive) M5 problems, try to get an early (pre- 9/98) 540i 6-speed. They are some of the rarest variants of the car, but theres nothing else like them out there, and they are generally less trouble-prone than the later models. If you are really lucky you might even find one in Touring shape! In my opinion a manual 530i Sport is the best compromise of them all, no diesel related issues, decent performance and fuel economy, great looks and excellent handling.
The VANOS issues aren't as bad as people make out on these later cars. They got a bad rap because early applications like in the E36 M3 WERE prone to failure at relatively low milages but by the time the M52/62TU engines came out in '98 they had improved a lot and seldom need repair. My car is on 180k miles now and the VANOS still works perfectly and the engine runs smoother than many new cars I've driven! Pretty much every 6-cyl they have made since features double VANOS and most will last the life of the car.
Totally agree with the other commenters on this and the E38 7 series. Would love to own one at some point. They still look handsome all these years later.
Love these videos! Maybe a bit too long though.. 🤔 Best under 20 mins I think. What a car though 😃
Surprised it's got manual adjustment seats. I have full auto comfort seats in a 2001 523i. There was no 523i in the face lifted range, it had been dropped, but Thailand got a special car, with a unique displacement engine, a 2.4L 2394 cc (M52TUB24). An import tax dodge probably. See my vid. As for comfort seats, the main difference is additional shoulder support function. The backrest is articulated 3/4 way up.
Cracking motor, had a pre facelift 'X59EBL' complete with ambers. Even had the traffic master and teletext! I really miss the comfort seats and extended leather. The recirulating ball steering was in place instead of the rack and pinion because it didn't fit. The V8 was too tall and deep. The steering in the 6 cylinder models is much better, oddly nobody complains about the same recirulating steering in the M5. A little surprised the example doesn't have electric memory seats and no sat nav or phone, most tended to be fully loaded, at least you have all your pixels!
Just changed, my rear upper control arms this morning. Everything I've done has been due to age. At 18 years, can't complain.
I have an 01 525i with 64,000 miles on the clock love it to bits
Superb bmw,s with a great sounding engine .
Love the break for PopMaster and the car too !!
I did really badly that day, very obscure questions in both rounds!
Great video!
Nice , my mate bought one of these said it was too juicy bought a 520i 170bhp 6pot it didn’t give him much better fuel economy as it needed revving to the car moving 😛
Mark C Your mate is correct! I had a 2002 520i for 4 years and switched to 2001 740i... from a 2.2L to 4.4L and 2 extra cylinders and I hardly noticed any difference in fuel consumption.
Owen Beattie Yes and to top that the 540i was Automatic and The 520i was a Manual and he Moaned like F-K about the Economy and Moaned even worse about the 520i I think the 520i was around the Same because he was always working the car because it had no Lowend grunt. It was great smoking the Chavs in a big ole 5 series 🤣
Amazing car and amazing review
watching this, I have the 740i....4.4 1996, surprisingly it doesn't have the auto tint mirror, but I prefer manual anyway, the auto seems slow to respond.
Great video and what a lovely car.
These are lovely motors. Only got a 523i TU but damn not much in the later generation car world I would want to replace it with.
I've always loved the E34,E39&E60.
Dakota leather is traditionally the ‘fake’ but durable leather. What a fine example of an E39 5 series. What more could you want from a luxury cruiser. Even today, it can still make you feel special behind the wheel.
I own a 98 E39 and with its cassette player and CD in truck which shows its age in audio technology but the E39's build quality ride quality and balance will rival that of a new car.
I just bought e39 540i 1996 model ❤
Awesome engine, timeless look
Love all the extras, am a proud owner of a BMW.
UK market never got the E39 520d.
i own a e39 530da Remap and love it, daily cruiser
Hi i have a BMW 540i 1998 in Nairobi how may of these were built i love and respect my car it's done 78,744km thanks Obrien Wejuli
Think about buying a E38 or E39 with a V8 engine and pretty low mileage. It will not be my Dailey driver but do I have nevertheless be affraid of engine problems and expensive repairs? Is a 6 cilinder a better choice (or even a V12 (E38))?
Vanos was an issue in the M5 but I think these were relatively trouble free, but it was a very expensive car when new but still needs the same kind of upkeep even now
Thanks for good informations aboth desingers and others information good very good
Shame it's pre-facelift. 2001 E39 here. 268,000km, still going strong. Last of the analogue cars. Peak BMW.
Friend had e39 with 530, 000km
Nice one mate nice car 👍
I got a 1999 E39 523 I se auto with comfort pack for my bangernomics car, has 154k on it and paid £595 for it, not quite as good condition as the one in this review but it's better than the last few cars I have had
Had a few 540's. and this is a lovely example, although its one of the lower spec ones ive seen.
For me the three seat handles are the only let down of the e39 I thought they were were electric when I bought mine
A set of satin silver gauge rings are cheap, easy to install, and update the somewhat plain-Jane cluster.
These are so cheap now. I remember looking at the Approved Used BMW classifieds when the last of the line of these were selling on an 03 plate for around £43 - 44k!!
The 528i in aspen silver is a top motor
Great review I used to own one :-)
Id love to one day!