E34 Touring Purchase

[rh306]

..my mate is considering upgrading from a Fabia VRS to an E34 Touring Budget circa £700 - £1K, main priorities are manual gearbox, as low running costs as possible, high 30s fuel consumption if possible and enough poke to suit a 'press on' driving style. He likes the look of this one, maybe a 525i would make more sense though?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p


How much leg is too much on one of these

[Cloggy Saint]

If he wants poke I think he can forget a 520i, if he wants high 30's consumption he can forget an E34.

[rh306]

If he wants poke I think he can forget a 520i, if he wants high 30's consumption he can forget an E34.

I've heard people claiming high 30s on a 525i? Maybe that's wishful thinking

[Cloggy Saint]

Maybe with an M50 but no chance with an M20.

[pnd]

m50 will not give over 30mpg combined especially in a big heavy touring. he needs a more modern car for his requirements.

[Speedtouch]

Or a 525tds, perhaps, which give 35-45 mpg.

[DanThe]

..my mate is considering upgrading from a Fabia VRS to an E34 Touring Budget circa £700 - £1K, main priorities are manual gearbox, as low running costs as possible, high 30s fuel consumption if possible and enough poke to suit a 'press on' driving style.

You have got no chance, what you are asking is impossible unless the car is LPG converted. I will probably be selling mine in the next few months, 525i auto touring 1996 on LPG, 195000 miles at the mo, 22mpg max on the gas but at 64p per litre it doesnt hurt

Milage is nowhere near as important as body rot and suspension problems!

[DanThe]

Or a 525tds, perhaps, which give 35-45 mpg.

No they dont, 25-30 more like

[rh306]

..are these guys living in fantasy land then

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... 40848&nmt=

..his Skoda turbo has just pooped itself, so I'm trying to explain that worse MPG will be offset by a smaller likelihood of it self detonation.

[Andyboy]

If he can put up with 25 mpg, that blue 520i wants buying.

[darkchild]

I had a 1992 520i touring a few years back. It would just about touch 30mpg on a run. Slow, thirsty but a lovely old thing to smoke about in. The one in the advert looks a very decent car. Sadly most E34's are tired old scrap now but a good one, regardless of engine size, is well worth having.

[pacerpete]

Be aware, that turd and many of its vintage have metric wheels. Dunlop only for the tyres and the are £150+ each. Most E34s that were metric equipped have been retrofitted with standard 15" BBS .

The flat centre cap is the give away. Unless he finds a 520 that is a minter I would avoid. The 525* is a superior car . None of these turds will do 30+ in normal use, contrary to internet BS.


* Be aware that touring models 525 and above have hydraulic self levelling. Great when it works but often a thousand pound foookfest of rusty pipes, leaking dampers and shagged pressure accumulators at twenty years old

[Andyboy]

A good 520i E34 is a car for the next 10 years, given care and annual waxoyling. Very easy and cheap to run, very little to go terminally wrong. I prefer the E39 as a car but the E34 is much easier for DIY fixing.

[Simon13]

that 520i needs a 2.8 dropping in. The extra grunt would be most welcome for economy and the extra turn of speed.

[Blitz]

that 520i needs a 2.8 dropping in. The extra grunt would be most welcome for economy and the extra turn of speed.

Something like this would be a great car in touring form with a long ratio LSD.

[rh306]

..thanks for all the feedback folks hopefully he'll be able to shift the VAG before that E34 gets sold. That hydraulic self leveling sounds like a headache he'd want to avoid