Digestible Collectible: 2000 BMW 540i
The kids have been getting on my nerves lately, with all of their, “Santa, please bring me this toy I’ll lose by Sunday” and “Daddy, don’t forget me at soccer practice again” and all that. I’ve decided to spite them, and that I need to spend their college fund on vehicle maintenance. So I’m looking at used, high performance, family sedans this week.
If I were so inclined to spend a public-school semester tuition every year on car repairs and general upkeep, an older BMW would be at the top of my list.
(For the nice folks at child protective services that may be reading, I never forget my children anywhere. I keep them safely chained in the basement at all times.)
I’ve always admired the styling of the E39 5-series; restrained, with just the slightest hint of aggression in the wheel arches and wide alloys. The M5 certainly appeals to me, but the asking price just seems a bit much. However, I’ve been told that the 540i with the M-Sport package is a great budget alternative to the M5, so I went shopping.
This 2000 BMW 540i has the six-speed manual, always a preferred choice when possible. The M5-style 65 wheels have been fitted, which are a perfect choice over the admittedly-boring stock pieces. The seller notes a few bumper scratches and scrapes, which I don’t notice in the dozens of photos posted.
As a red blooded, pre-diabetic American, I will note that the cupholders are pathetic. I’d think that my ancestral homeland would be able to produce something worthy of a liter stein, but alas, ’tis not to be. Bottled beverages only. I’d hate to stain that gorgeous light grey leather anyway.
For those with more Carfax knowledge than I: the scanned document shows the car was imported from Mozambique to New Jersey? My first thought was a European delivery that took the owner way south, but it was registered in Minnesota with only twenty miles. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation. I just don’t have the imagination to come up a funny one.
This 5er is being sold with no reserve, which means we can play our “What Will It Sell For?” game with absolutely no prizes up for grabs. My guess is $6,500, which is a great value for the performance you get from this great cruiser.
Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.
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As with everything else, if you buy a car at the dismal end of the depreciation curve, more likely than not the service suffered the same downward curve. The key to happy ownership is either buying a car someone else properly maintained because they loved it, or buying an inexpensive car in cosmetically fantastic condition with so-so mechanicals then restoring the mechanicals. E39s aren't so complex as to be irreparable by a determined DIYer. The key, like with all BMWs, is to buy one with good bones and go from there. Nearly every nightmare car I've ever heard of was owned by people who simply weren't car people- they liked cars, but they don't understand the mechanicals and thus have no idea what true preventative maintenance is.
For what it's worth, a Cadillac dealer in Fishers, IN has a 2008 Volvo S80 with the V8 and AWD for $9,500. Two owner and a clean carfax. Yes, it ain't a BMW, but then again, it Ain't a BMW.