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      04-22-2011, 12:27 PM   #3
mtaylo3
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Drives: 99 E39 540I with sport package
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Jacksonville, Florida

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Nothing like the E39

I've had my 540i for about seven years now and I love it. I've compared my 12 year old car to new cars and can usually argue why my 186,000 mile 540i is still better than their "off the show room floor" new cars. I still don't have any rattles in the car and it can outperform most cars on the road.

There are problems with E 39's such as the worst cooling system in the world (replace your radiator every few years or upgrade to a zionville and it's not that big of a problem) and a problem with a shake in your steering even with new tires if the control arm bushings get so much as a hairline crack.

If you search sites you'll find most parts aren't that incredibly expensive, even with shipping, and there are a lot of things made for it. Living in Florida I don't have to worry about rust so my baby still looks new which I can't say for the other 12 year old cars in my neighborhood.

One last point, BMW ran an add recently to introduce it's new 5 series. It noted that 5 series has taken 10 major awards for excellence and performance in the last 20 years. I saw that 9 of those 10 awards went to the E39 and only 1 went to the newer 5 series.