Do you like your E34?

[Pete K]

I've always liked the E34 even though I've never even driven one. Just wondering what current/past owners think of their car. Is it durable? Their getting up there in age. How would it's performance compare to my 328i? Which are the best years/models? Here in the states they came in 525, 530, 535, 540. Did the 525i come with the M20 inline six? Is it a slug? How about handling/ride? Where there any styling changes to indicate which model is what year?

 

[bahnstormer]

525i had the m50 and the m20

i have 2 atm

90 535ia with 70,000 miles a
91 535im with 169,000

both red =]


its a good car with an amazing support community
it has its share of problems but all have solutions

if u wanna do the work yourself it is cheap to maintain
and own as well

rides great too

i just took it to the strip (the manual of course) and i ran
a 15.6 at 89mph

the 540 is awesome jsut watch out for nikasil blocks

it is impossibly durable and a huge steip up from teh e30
and e36 in terms of comfort and features

the 3's are more suited for sporty driving but the 5er def
holds its own

 

[Cambridge]

I like my E34

My 1995 540i is a dream. Plenty of power and smooth. Easy to work on, too. It has never disappointed me. There is a nice support community, too.

I imagine someday I'll need to move to the E39, but untill then the E34's are awesome.

 

[foomonkey525i]

I love my E34. Best looking BMW there is (okay, I may be a bit biased). Mine's a 525i, so I can't say it's got plenty of power, but once I get into the power band, I've got as much as I've ever needed. The interior is very comfortable and has as many gismos as I'll ever need. It's a lot of fun to work on, and it's still going strong at 218k miles.

Sometimes I wish I had a smaller, quicker car, but the only thing I really don't like about it are the shift throws.

 

[epj3]

I like it somewhat. I'm happy with the car, but coming from an e30 325is, I really miss having a smaller car.

 

[Bimmergal30]

I own a 1992 525i (imola red) and I love it I think the E34 is the best BMW that was made cause you have your speed, size and style all in one car with also all the luxuries that you need. Even though the E34 is getting up there in age if you can find one that is still ticking good and looks good and you maintain minor tune-ups and oil changes then your winning with a good BMW. My car has 229,658 miles on it and runs great I've had to replace somethings but that's expected with age! I also had a 318i E30 and it is nowhere close to the 525i. Anybody who bought a brand new E34 and still has it has definately gotten there monies worth I want to keep it for ever, the good thing is the body on the car still looks like it is made after 2000 with the rounded front and square drop down back and SIGNATURE BMW headlights in the front. Whenever my current one goes to the BMW graveyard I just plan on simply getting another one they'll be even cheaper but for us that drive them we know what the real value is........


Do yourself a good deed and invest in a E34!!

From 1989-1995 the E34's are all the same in body only the diagnostic inside the car are slightly different so you can basically go with any year from I would say 90-95.. [bmwdance]

 

[epj3]

I own a 1992 525i (imola red) and I love it I think the E34 is the best BMW that was made cause you have your speed, size and style all in one car with also all the luxuries that you need. Even though the E34 is getting up there in age if you can find one that is still ticking good and looks good and you maintain minor tune-ups and oil changes then your winning with a good BMW. My car has 229,658 miles on it and runs great I've had to replace somethings but that's expected with age! I also had a 318i E30 and it is nowhere close to the 525i. Anybody who bought a brand new E34 and still has it has definately gotten there monies worth I want to keep it for ever, the good thing is the body on the car still looks like it is made after 2000 with the rounded front and square drop down back and SIGNATURE BMW headlights in the front. Whenever my current one goes to the BMW graveyard I just plan on simply getting another one they'll be even cheaper but for us that drive them we know what the real value is........


Do yourself a good deed and invest in a E34!!

From 1989-1995 the E34's are all the same in body only the diagnostic inside the car are slightly different so you can basically go with any year from I would say 90-95.. [bmwdance]

The 89's are the same as the 90's...

 

[PSSM5]

In the summer of 1996 I saw a red ///M5 pull next to my 1992 Jetta at a red light and then blow thru the intersection and up a steep hill before I got out of 2nd gear (wow!!!) I gotta' have that car, I thought. My decision was confirmed after driving my friends '92 535i and simultaneously blowing the doors off another friends '93 300zx on a road trip between San Fransico and L.A. (the owner was asleep in the passenger seat which lessened my inhibition to do 115mph, which seemed like 75mph)

For approx. 5 years I searched for an ///M5. A clean, well cared for ///M5. 3 years ago I found (3) 1991 M5's and a 1995 540i w/the ///M package in 1 week for sale. I took my time and looked over each car thorouhgly. I chosed a silver with black int 1991 M5 which had been owned by a gentleman who owned another M5, an M3, and a Carrera S4. This M5 only had a little over 84,000 miles and, except for typical oxidation of silver paint caused by So Cal sun, was in excellent condition.

When I bought the car the owner handed me a binder which had records of everything he had done to the car. The binder had everything from copies of 2 articles specifically written about the e34 M5 from the L.A. Times newspaper & European Car Mag to the mileage every time gas was purchased to receipts of aftermarket parts purchased and everything else done to the car. Since owning the car I've been doing preventative work to insure this baby last another 10-15 years.

This is all to say, do your due diligence and take your time when buying ANY car. My case may or may not be a unique case but understand, buying a used car has more to do with the previous owner(s) responsiveness and care than it does the car's reliability. Eventhough the majority of BMW owners I've meet treat there cars like offspring and not just another thing the garage, I've driven some e34s that needed to be put out of their misery.

So, continue your research -- drive as many as you can -- don't rush in -- inspect, inspect, inspect -- and for goodness sakes man! have FUN on your quest to becoming a "BIMMER-HEAD" (this message was brought to you by the Long-Winded-Out-of-Work Film Directors Assoc.[L.W.O.W.F.D.A.])

 

[epj3]

In the summer of 1996 I saw a red ///M5 pull next to my 1992 Jetta at a red light and then blow thru the intersection and up a steep hill before I got out of 2nd gear (wow!!!) I gotta' have that car, I thought. My decision was confirmed after driving my friends '92 535i and simultaneously blowing the doors off another friends '93 300zx on a road trip between San Fransico and L.A. (the owner was asleep in the passenger seat which lessened my inhibition to do 115mph, which seemed like 75mph)

For approx. 5 years I searched for an ///M5. A clean, well cared for ///M5. 3 years ago I found (3) 1991 M5's and a 1995 540i w/the ///M package in 1 week for sale. I took my time and looked over each car thorouhgly. I chosed a silver with black int 1991 M5 which had been owned by a gentleman who owned another M5, an M3, and a Carrera S4. This M5 only had a little over 84,000 miles and, except for typical oxidation of silver paint caused by So Cal sun, was in excellent condition.

When I bought the car the owner handed me a binder which had records of everything he had done to the car. The binder had everything from copies of 2 articles specifically written about the e34 M5 from the L.A. Times newspaper & European Car Mag to the mileage every time gas was purchased to receipts of aftermarket parts purchased and everything else done to the car. Since owning the car I've been doing preventative work to insure this baby last another 10-15 years.

This is all to say, do your due diligence and take your time when buying ANY car. My case may or may not be a unique case but understand, buying a used car has more to do with the previous owner(s) responsiveness and care than it does the car's reliability. Eventhough the majority of BMW owners I've meet treat there cars like offspring and not just another thing the garage, I've driven some e34s that needed to be put out of their misery.

So, continue your research -- drive as many as you can -- don't rush in -- inspect, inspect, inspect -- and for goodness sakes man! have FUN on your quest to becoming a "BIMMER-HEAD" (this message was brought to you by the Long-Winded-Out-of-Work Film Directors Assoc.[L.W.O.W.F.D.A.])

You MUST post pictures of your car! It sounds very clean...

 

[PSSM5]

You MUST post pictures of your car! It sounds very clean...

I'm currently working on a Documentary about Americans' Love, Lust and Obsession for everything with a motor and the $$$ we pour into them (who's really running this show). So as soon as I get a moment I'll post some shots. I'm new to the forum thing, but thanks for the interest.