e39guide.pdf

Ultimate Guide:

E39 Words: Sebastian de Latour

Best car in the world? Probably, and

now possibly the best used car in the

world – here’s everything you need

to know about the last car

you’ll ever need to own

Photography: David Shepherd/CTP

1 995 may not have been an especially

the E39 continued to impress and gave two

generations of its main rival, the E-Class, a good

drubbing, only being defeated by the latest

incarnation and that was at nearly nine years old.

Such was its success and so popular was it with the

public that even now, three years after production

ended and the E60 has settled in, there are many

who cannot get on with the new design and favour

an E39 over the later car.

The E39 wasn’t just a pretty face though, and

BMW’s engineers had put in a great deal of effort

to make significant improvements over the E34.

The E39’s bare shell was 50 per cent stiffer than

that of the E34 and the use of aluminium

suspension along with lighter drivetrain components

meant a saving of 36 per cent over the equivalent

steel parts, which meant a lower kerb weight than

its predecessor, despite the size increase. As well as

being bigger on the outside, the E39 was bigger on

the inside, with a longer wheelbase and more room

for front and rear occupants.

Over its eight years in production, the E39 has

undergone a number of revisions, with a multitude

of engines to choose from which were replaced and

expanded following its facelift. The E39 5 Series was

initially launched with two petrol engines and one

diesel. The entry-level model was the 523i, powered

by the 2.5-litre, 170bhp M52 engine, its misleading

badging a BMW characteristic, while the next model

up was the 193bhp 528i. In 1995, performance

diesels didn’t yet exist, and derv devotees had to

make do with the 525tds, which took its engine

from the E34 equivalent. It was neither especially

torquey, with 191lb ft, or all that fast, with 143bhp,

and it wasn’t even that economical, with an average

fuel consumption figure of 34mpg, but things would

be very different in the not-to-distant future. These

three were soon joined by the entry-level 520i,

which mustered 150bhp from its two-litre straight-six

and then the 5 Series muscle arrived in the shape of

the V8-powered 535i and 540i. The 535i badge

may have been the same as that of the E34 model,

but the engine was all-new and delivered 235bhp

and 243lb ft of torque, though the star of the show

was undoubtedly the 540i. Its 4.4-litre V8 had the

same capacity as its E34 counterpart, and while the

E39 also produced 286bhp, this peak was achieved

100rpm lower down the rev range. The 310lb ft that

the engine generated was a useful 15lb ft up on the

E34 and was produced at a much more accessible

3900rpm, 600rpm earlier. The V8s both had six-

speed manual gearboxes as standard, rear air

suspension and chromed vertical bars in the kidney

grilles – these two were also the heaviest and

thirstiest models by some margin, and while the

six-cylinder cars had rack and pinion steering, the

V8s retained the E34’s recirculating ball arrangement

due to space constraints. In 1997, the Touring

arrived, and looked identical to the saloon, bar the

addition of the attractively-designed estate section.

The Touring gained a number of practical additions

over the Saloon, including a separately opening rear

window, as featured on the E34 Touring, which was

now easier to use, an optional sliding loading floor

and a powered tailgate, which could be opened or

closed from the key fob or a button on the tailgate

itself. Despite these features, the Touring was very

much a case of style over substance and while the

load bay was flat, it wasn’t especially large when

compared to rivals, making the Touring very much

what its name suggested – a lifestyle estate for

weekends away – rather than a full-on Ikea-mobile.

While the 523i and 528i had been the saloon’s

biggest sellers, Touring buyers turned their attention

to the diesel lump which best seemed to fit in with

the car’s image.

1998 saw the first major changes in the engine

line-up, with revisions to existing engines and the

addition of a number of new powerplants. The

biggest news was the arrival of the 530d, which saw

the first public appearance of the near-legendary

M57 engine. Most car manufacturers had been

working on direct-injection diesels, which boasted a

20 per cent increase in efficiency when compared

to the older swirl chamber design, but BMW’s efforts

would overshadow anything that the others had put

together. With 193bhp, the 530d matched the 528i

for power but its torque peak of 302lb ft put it in

the same ballpark as the 540i. On paper, its

performance figures were all but a match for the

petrol equivalent, but in the real world the vast

reserves of torque made it seem much faster, and it

was far more economical than the 528i and the old

525tds. More importantly, it was incredibly smooth

and refined, a first for diesel and it suddenly gave

buyers a real option to petrol. Early 1998 also saw

the addition of the four-cylinder 520d and the 525d

– both turbocharged and both taking advantage of

the new direct injection technology, this meant that

buyers could benefit, no matter what their budget,

important year for you, but it was the year in

which BMW would launch what was set to

become one of its most successful models,

and one of its best. The E39, the fourth

generation 5 Series, made its first appearance in the

autumn of 1995 and from the off it was clear that

BMW was on to a winner. Of BMW’s various designs

over the years, this was one of the best and it

managed to look fresh and new while retaining the

all-important BMW styling cues that customers held

so dear. The quad headlights were there, along with

the kidney grille and the Hofmeister kink, while on

the inside the car retained the driver-centric layout

that BMW had become so well known for. At the

time, the E39 may have seemed like a brave

departure from the angular lines of the E34, but this

wasn’t some wild new look for the brand – it

retained the family features and the evolution of the

model was evident. The E36 and E38 had already

been launched by this stage, so the E39’s styling

brought it in line with the rest of the range and the

models echoed each other in their appearance. Yes,

it was bigger, in every dimension in fact, but its

styling was so clean, so well proportioned that it

looked nigh-on perfect. It was as sensible as its

predecessor, but it seemed more mature, more

sophisticated, the perfect way to move the 5 Series

on. The interior too had moved on, but as with the

exterior, it was a subtle evolution of the traditional

BMW values and you could see the similarities

between the E34 and E39. The centre console and

the instruments were all unmistakably BMW but the

levels of refinement and the quality of the materials

moved things up a level. The dashboard had a matt

finish, which not only looked and felt expensive but

reduced the amount of reflection on sunny days,

while the whole interior had a much smoother

design, reflecting the car’s exterior design and

eschewing the more angular aspects of the E34.

Everything had been altered slightly to make it nicer

to look at, nicer to touch and nicer to use.

Over its eight years in production, it was crowned

as the best car in the world by just about every

motoring publication on the planet, and remained at

the top of any buying guide you would care to

mention. Group tests against all and sundry were

shrugged off by the all-conquering E39, the 5 Series

always emerging the triumphant victor no matter

what it was put up against. Even in its twilight years,

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The 530d is nearly as fast in a straight

line as the 530i, more economical and

the vast reserves of torque make it

an effortless way to travel

and enjoy the diesel revolution. All petrol engines

gained double VANOS and there was a major

reshuffle in terms of power outputs and badging.

The 520i’s engine grew to a 2.2-litre, which meant

170bhp and 155lb ft of torque, while the 523i

became the 525i – peak power was now 192bhp,

but it now produced its 181lb ft of torque 450rpm

earlier than before. The 528i became the 530i

which meant power was now up to 231bhp and

torque had risen to 221lb ft: figures that put it a

whisker away from the 535i – this in turn gained an

extra 10bhp which meant it now had 245bhp and

torque also increased to 255lb ft, chopping 0.1

seconds off the 0-62mph time. The 540i’s outputs

remained unchanged, but the addition of the double

VANOS meant that both peak power and torque

were produced lower down the rev range, at

5500rpm and 3600rpm respectively. In addition to

all this, BMW made its Steptronic gearbox available

as the automatic option on all models, bar the 520d

which could only be had as a manual.

The next major change would come in 2001

when the E39 would receive its facelift, which

amounted to a number of cosmetic changes – the

smallest of these were the widening of the of the

chrome strip around the kidney grilles and the

change from square fogs to a round design. The

bigger changes involved the front and rear lights –

the latter adopted Hella’s Celis clusters, which

employed LED strips that replaced the regular rear

sidelight bulbs, creating illuminated strips that

stretched across the width of each cluster. The front

received forward-facing indicators with chrome side

inserts, projector headlights and, most importantly of

all, the angel eye halos that have proved so popular.

Equipment levels on the cars were reasonable,

without being overly generous, but any sensible

buyer will have specced the essentials, so it won’t

be too much of a concern these days. Early cars

came in either regular or SE flavour – all cars had

ABS, traction control, twin airbags and an alarm

while SE meant air-con, alloys, fog lamps and OBC.

The 540i added a six-speed manual gearbox, M

Sport suspension, electric suspension control and

rear air suspension. Options included an automatic

gearbox, which later became Steptronic, the M Sport

suspension and PDC. When the Touring was

launched, the trim levels were revised, and all cars

gained driver and passenger head airbags, SEs

received a multi-function steering wheel while 540is

got DSC III. In 1998, both the 535i and 540i

received Dynamic Brake Control and in 1999 the

first Sport models were launched. The most

desirable E39 trim, Sport, meant an aero kit, Sport

suspension, Sports seats, Sport wheel, 18-inch

alloys, brushed aluminium-look interior trim and

Sport kick plates. When the E39 received its facelift,

trim levels were again revised and the ES (Edition

Sport) model was introduced for the 520i and

525d. This took some equipment from the Sport

and some equipment from the SE and was the

cheapest variant available other than the basic-spec

model. There were also five limited edition models

produced, with each one available in a special

colour – Avus blue, Aegean blue, Midnight blue,

Champagne and Champagne II.

On the road

One of the reasons that the E39 proved so

successful was down to its exceptional driving

dynamics, which meant that no matter which

engine option you went for, you’d still be able to

experience the car’s exceptional balance and all-

round abilities. This is without a doubt one of the

reasons why the E39 was so often labelled as

being the best car in the world. The sweetest

handlers are the six-cylinder models – the relative

lack of weight over the front wheels and the use of

rack and pinion steering means eager turn-in and

precise steering with plenty of feel, allowing you to

get stuck into the back roads with vigour. While the

regular cars may be far from sporty, the

suspension allowed for a compliant and

comfortable ride but at the same time managed to

stave off excess body roll. Drive a petrol ’six and a

diesel back-to-back and you can feel the extra

weight in the nose, but it’s not enough to spoil the

fun – it’s only the V8s that suffer, partly due to

their engine weights but also due to the

recirculating ball steering. It’s not terrible, but it

does rob you of some steering feel, making the car

seem more aloof, but it’s a minor point when you

balance it against the performance.

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All cars came with a manual gearbox as standard,

which is so good that it’s a shame that the vast

majority of E39s were specced as autos. The

manual ’box features a lovely, smooth gearchange,

with a well-weighted action and a perfect throw,

allowing you to power through the ’box when the

mood takes you. The auto is an excellent ’box in its

own right, offering up creamy smooth, nearly

imperceptible shifts as it shifts up through its five

ratios. If you’re happy with an auto, then what you

really want is one of the later Steptronic-equipped

cars – while this was a still a five-speed gearbox, you

could throw the lever across to a separate plane

which then allowed you to shift up and down

through the gears by nudging the gear selector. It’s

not as good as a manual, but the extra control over

the gears is a welcome addition and makes the

automatic experience more involving.

With so many different models to choose from,

it’s hard to know where to start. First to go are the

520i, 520d and 525tds – as far as getting a taste of

the 5 Series experience goes, all three can offer you

executive motoring on a relative shoestring and all

three are fine automobiles in their own right.

However, the 525td is too unrefined and too slow,

the 520d only has four cylinders and is slower than

the 525tds and the 520i is equally underpowered

and is barely more economical than its more

powerful six-cylinder-engined counterparts. You’d do

well to spend a little more to get a slightly more

powerful Five to get the most from the experience.

The V8s weren’t especially popular when new, partly

because of the price and partly because they may

have seemed somewhat excessive, but they make a

great secondhand buy. This is mainly thanks to the

fierce depreciation which means that today the

cheapest V8s aren’t any more expensive than the

six-cylinder models. The 535i made some sense

initially but when the 530i was introduced, the two

extra cylinders and 15bhp couldn’t justify the £5,000

price difference. Now, however, it’s a great way to

get eight cylinders under your bonnet and 245bhp

with plenty of torque means brisk progress, at the

expense of petrol. V8 models came with generous

equipment levels, so you’re getting a lot of car for

your money, but for a little more money you can

have a whole lot more car with a 540i. Genuinely

fast and silky smooth, the 540i has all the same V8

charms as the 535i but with even more clout –

60mph in a shade over six seconds is not to be

sniffed at and the 540i will reach its 155mph limiter

with vigour. The difference in fuel economy between

the V8s is negligible and if something’s worth doing,

it’s worth doing right, so the 540i is the best choice

if you want the ultimate Five. Don’t expect too much

of a driver’s car though, as the extra weight and less

involving steering make the 535i and 540i better

suited to long-distance cruising than a B-road blast.

The rest of the range is so good and caters for

just about every need that it’s hard to cut it down

any further. The 523i, 525i and 525d are all

extremely capable cars – the petrols have enough

power and torque to make the E39 experience

exciting, while rack and pinion steering means you

won’t feel left-out when the roads get challenging.

The 525d is both economical and fairly quick to

boot, making it perfect for those who do a lot of

miles but don’t need the extra performance of the

530d – there’s almost nothing in it in terms of price,

mind. And so we’re left with the three best models

in the E39 range – the 528i, the 530i and the

530d. All three are quick, all three are involving and

all three are great to own and drive. The 528i is one

of the best ways to buy a great 5 Series and will

pretty much cover all bases, but if you can afford a

little more, then the 530i is easily the best all-round

E39 money can buy. The engine is as sweet as you

like, it really will do everything you need and just a

little more. The only negative that comes to mind is

that if you plan on doing a lot of miles, then the fuel

economy may be an issue – it’s not bad, but as an

auto and with a healthy dose of city driving, you

might find yourself at the pumps more than you’d

want. The 530d is the answer to all your problems,

offering great fuel economy and the serious torque

means that effortless progress is just a flex of your

foot away. Being a turbo diesel, it’s easy to get more

power out of it with a simple performance upgrade.

Price is the only thing you have to take into

consideration, as the cheapest 530ds are more than

the equivalent 530is, meaning you could save

yourself some money buying a petrol which would

cover your fuel expenses for years to come.

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