Which is best E39 touring or E46 touring ?

[clipper]

I'm looking at getting rid of my E39 528i (probably have to take to a field and burn it ) and getting either a newer E39 touring or an E46 touring.

Taking into account that I want more load space than my current E39 saloon and don't want to lose performance which car would you go for ?

I like the idea of the E39 touring, but within my price range the choice is limited to either older cars or high-ish mileage cars (which make me worry that they´ll be as bad as my current 39), or small engines like the pre-facelift 520 with only 150bhp...

The E46 touring however seems more readily available and I've even seen 330ix versions within budget, but will it be too small ?

Any one got any opinions please ?

[capri_rob]

The E46 touring doesn't have a massive amount of load space although given it is more usable than the saloon or coupe.

What do you need the load space for ?

If you're shifting furniture about an E46 will be useless whereas the E39 is massive.

[darkchild]

E46 Tourings are a bit cramped for any serious load lugging though I'll have to admit I was pleasantly surprised how much my coupe can swallow with the seats down.

Personally I wouldn't touch either of them. They're both from the same era of BMWs and both have exactly the same crappy faults - I can't believe the amount of faults my E46 has had compared to my old E36 and E30s. It must have had more unscheduled maintenance in 12 months than any of my other BMWs have had in 10 years. Oil leaks, parking sensors, snapped drive belt, aircon requiring the best part of a grand to fix (thankfully under warranty!), broken driver's door handle...

I'm in a similar problem in that my better half is a photographer and we desperately need a Touring. We're going to go down the E34 route - a nice late 525i Touring. Its as good as a car that BMW have ever built and a lot more robust than that the later E39. E39s were fine when new but a lot of the early ones are neglected sh!tters needing serious £ to remedy an assortment of issues. Not for me thanks.

I had a E34 520i Touring a couple of years back and the load space in that was superb. Dog slow but a very useable car.

[Royalratch]

Had nothing but great service from my E46 Touring.

Both cars are great - the choice is simple to make.

Load or Speed.

If you can afford a 330iX I'm sure you can get a decent larger engined 5er.

[clipper]

So the load capacity between the two choices seems quite noticeable from what you're all saying. The need for space is caused by (plans for) an expanding family and needing a bigger daily for the nursery/school runs, and also because we intend to take more "motoring holidays", trips to Italy, France, Germany and UK are all planned over the next few years. No plans to move into the removals business yet though !

I understand exactly what darkchild says TBH, my current E39 is one of those "neglected sh!tters needing serious £ to remedy an assortment of issues" hence my expectation to have to abandon and set fire to it to get rid ! That said, I can't afford newer BMs and other modern tat will probably be just as bad as an 8 year old E39 or 46. So I will probably go for one of these at some point.

I'm hoping to find something suitable in an indy dealer who may give me a bit of P Ex value on the 528i, but I think I could be in for a long wait....

Royalratch, remeber I'm in Spain so the 2nd hand prices don't really follow the UK pattern.

[capri_rob]

Why don't you look for a very late E36 Touring with the best spec you can find ? You can pick these up for not much money and they are a very well made car.

I sold my '98 323iSE Touring a couple of months ago and it was a superb car - drove like new, everything worked and no rust or rot anywhere on it, spent nothing on it in 12 months apart from a BMW Dealer oil service - and they couldn't find anything else that needed doing whilst it was in - absolutely unheard of ! Only sold it because of silly rising UK fuel prices and where I'm working now is a pretty cack area and I spent all day every day worrying about somebody damaging it.

[Ziggy]

E34 540i touring & spend the rest on petrol.

[/// KAMI]

BMW 530D M Sport Estate Are Lovely Cars With Good Enough Room Inside.....

[clipper]

Something tells me tha going down the E36 route is a wrong turn.. selling an E39 to get an E36 as a daily driver doesn't sound good to me. Maybe its jus psychological ? Also the E36 touring AFAIK is smaller than the E46.

WRT the 530 D, I don't do diesels. Petrol only for me, and yes, I know I'm restricting my choices.

[darkchild]

Something tells me tha going down the E36 route is a wrong turn.. selling an E39 to get an E36 as a daily driver doesn't sound good to me. Maybe its jus psychological ? Also the E36 touring AFAIK is smaller than the E46.

I like the E36. I ran a base spec 316i saloon (M43 engine) as a daily driver for the best part of 100,000 miles and it was a superb little thing. Other than a couple of suspension bushes the only other costs were regular servicing, tyres etc. Drove and looked like a new car - the interior was immaculate and it had zero rot. An easy 35mpg all day long as well.

My only reservations would be the size - the rear of an E36 isn't a place I'd want to sit for many miles. Its a bit cramped but probably OK for kids.

E46s are nice but aren't really a much better drive than an E36 IMO.

[Jon_Bmw]

Maybe worth travelling for an LPG'd 540 touring then? Travelling, and waiting! I would have thought £6k would buy you a pretty good e39 on LPG. What is the budget?

With the seats set for someone with long legs, there isn't a huge amount of space in the rear either, it is a BMW thing.

[clipper]

LPG is a rare commodity round these parts. In fact I only know of one service station in Madrid that sells it....

Budget would be around 6-8k € depending if I can get anything for my 528. If anyone sees any decent lhd motors for sale in the UK, it might be worth coming over to get it.

I seem to be convincing myself that I want to stay with the 5 series, if I don't I´ll end up disappointed with the load space.

[Blitz]

530i touring is in your budget.

[hongkongfuey]

i don't do diesels either, but my mate has the e39 530d and its a lovely drive plenty of space, they go surfing every year and its plenty big

[Blitz]

Used cars are so expensive in continental Europe. UK is lucky.

[clipper]

530i touring is in your budget.

Possibly. If I ever see one for sale I'll let you know !

I've been looking for about a month now and still haven't found much except these:

Suspiciously cheap and worryling under-powered:

http://www.autoscout24.es/Details.aspx?id=175848844

The best I've found but a bit worried about the mileage:

http://www.autoscout24.es/Details.aspx?id=175916818

Top dollar, highish mileage but in a dealership so with warranty....

http://www.autoscout24.es/Details.aspx? ... 82&asrc=fa

There was a 150.000kms 528i with service history and leather interior up for 5,300€ a few weeks back but it went before I could get to see it, also one of the photos looked like the panels didn't line up very well so I wasn't trying very hard to find the time.

[Morat]

We've had an E39 touring and currently have an E46. The E39 is far bigger, a proper four seater for six footers on the motorway with luggage. The E46 is fine for short trips or kids in the back but the load space is much smaller than the E39. Overall the E39 is probably the better car and the 540i engine is just awesome but it doesn't feel as nice round corners - even though its limits are probably just as high. This is based on a 2000 540i Manual with 17" and 2000 330i with Mtech suspension/Staggered 17". Tyres are cheaper on the E39! The E46 has ISOFIX thingies for child seats...

Consumption wise there isn't much in it, about 25mpg for the E39 and 28/9mpg for the E46 according to the OBC over about six months of country living with the odd motorway cruise down to the south.

In your position I'd take the 330 if you can get a nice one and the photo gear fits in the back. If you can find a 540i Manual Touring, you're a very lucky man and you should snap it up immediately. The other engines in that body are just a bit Meh, really.

[zaust]

Just been reading through this, I was in the same situation of which one. We only have 1 child at the moment so don't need the space. I have decided on the e46 touring after all the thinking about it and borrowing my dad's one now and again(540 touring), and also having had the e34 touring for a while. More sencible for our situation.

[clipper]

Just been reading through this, I was in the same situation of which one. We only have 1 child at the moment so don't need the space. I have decided on the e46 touring after all the thinking about it and borrowing my dad's one now and again(540 touring), and also having had the e34 touring for a while. More sencible for our situation.

I'd certainly agree that with one child there's no need for anything bigger than an E46, "miniclipper" is just over 2 and we´ve managed with the E39 saloon no problems.

The thing is number 2 is planned for (lots of practising ) which would mean two toddlers at once plus the long haul holidays. And as my E39 is giving warnings of big bills to come, I reckon that we're better of upgrading now.

Thanks for all the opinions. You have convinced me to keep waiting for the right E39 to turn up. I'll post piccies when it does.

[clipper]

Well it's goodbye 528i, hello 525i touring

Just sold the old dog saloon (didn't have to set fire to it after all !!!)

And agreed to buy this:

http://www.autoscout24.es/Details.aspx?id=175916818#

Part of the sale agreement is that the seller makes a claim on his fully comp to repair some paint scuffs (in the BMW dealership), so I'll have to wait a while till I get my hands on it and then it'll need an interior valet. Then I'll get some pics.

Does anyone have experience of valeting cream/tan interiors ? Do they come up good ? I'm willing to pay for a pro job if it'll be worth it....

[325isporttech1]

A nice E34 touring is better than both


im a little biased thow

[clipper]

That is v nice, but my only concession to the past millenium (motoring wise) is the E30, the bike and the daily driver are 21st century kit..... but at least they're both relatively powerful and RWD !

Can't wait to get the 39 touring !!! It's going for its bodywork this week so I asked for a quote to have parking sensors retro-fitted by the Madrid BMW dealer, any guesses at how much they'll quote ???

[clipper]

Well here's the new aquisition:

Pretty pleased with it. Had a full respray in the end

Only problems are indicators which don't self cancel and the stereo system, only one of the speakers works.....

[djk]

Piccie no workie???

[gatesy23]

No idea why theyre so small lol

Lovin the goldmember dash trim

[Royalratch]

I have an E46 Touring now but am thinking to go for a mint lo-miles E34 Touring. I need to be retro in all areas. Was there a 540i in the E34?

Or maybe an Alpina Touring, probably LHD only. Or an M5 Touring?

The above are bargains compared to a clean low miles M3...

[cragles]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but doesn't the e39 have self-levelling rear suspension? If so this may make it a better load-lugger than the e46, and this would also help with towing too.

I've had e46's (saloons, mind) for over 8 years now and would probably go for an e39 over an e46, but it would have to be a later e39 with the "halo" lights and sports bodykit... In either 530i or 530d guise.

[Jon_Bmw]

Ratch, they did both manual and auto e34 540i tourings, I suspect only 30-40 manual ones remain in the UK. Auto would be fine though, although it will cost you a few MPGs(although this shouldn't really concern you if you are buying a 540i).

They did an m5 touring in e34 guise as well. I think, but not 100%, that they were mostly LHD as they were imports. I doubt that would be cheap compared to ANY e36 m3, to buy or run.

I think all e39s that are not mega low spec(520 ) or police spec have self levelling suspension.

[325isporttech1]

Yeah there is an e34 m5 touring but they are LHD only, rare and very expensive compared to the M5 saloon and other tourings.

I think all e39 tourings and e34 tourings have self leveling rear suspension, my e34 535i touring has had it deleated in favor of adjustable suspension

[Royalratch]

I felt all this talk needed a short pics fest:

[Blitz]

They also did a very rare E34 Alpina B10 3.0 Allrad.

[clipper]

Thanks to Gatesy for sorting the pics, I can't use my picture hosting site at work, but I'll get them back to a decent size later.

I wasn't very keen on the brown / beige / gold interior to start with, but after spending all day Saturday with a steam cleaner it's lookin a lot better, and now I kind of like it.

UK and Europe specs for the suspension were different, in the UK I understand that air suspension is practically statndard, but over here it was an expensive option which this car doesn't have.

Less to go wrong I suppose and I can¡t see me loading it with heavy kit very often anyway.

The car drives really well after having spent the weekend with it. I love it !