540i as a high mileage long distance highway cruiser?

[DaWhole9]

I just relocated to North California but drive to Southern California about twice a month. I calculated that this is about 20,000 miles a year just in driving to and from Southern California. I have a 2018 M550i and a 1976 2002. Neither of which I wanna put an extra 20,000 miles a year on. So I am looking for a sub $10,000 card that I can put 20 to 25,000 miles a year on reliably and without too much expense. I am doing a lot of research on the E 39 BMW and it seems like this made me in the car. I have found a few 540s that may need an engine and I thought if I get them for the right price and rebuild the engine, I may end up with a very reliable car that I can put a lot of miles on. Any advice for a BMW guy that wants an E39 to rack up the miles?

[bmwwlad]

Hello DaWhole9,
Its good that you being careful for your other 2 cars and saving mileage and your money ofc,but maybe 540i is not you best bet in my opinion because these cars are getting older and they become problematic.
With full engine rebuild you have to consider other weak points on these old cars like rear subframe,front+rear suspension,transmission service and bunch of other things.Keep in mind that if you do engine rebuild you need to do it properly if you want to drive that many miles,and if you do it properly we are speaking minimum 5.000$ with head gaskets,crankshaft bearings,valve seals,piston rings,oil pan gasket,bunch of other seals(valve seal,front and rear crankshaft seal etc.)plus water pump,thermostat,spark plugs,coils,injectors recommend cleaning and many other things.
After all is done,that car is going to consume fuel like crazy because it is in their nature.Been there and done that that’s why I say.
Alternative is 530i or 528i in my opinion easier maintenance
Cheers

[beyondm3]

The 540 has been an excellent car for highway cruiser. Not the best gas mileage obviously but enough beans to have just enough fun without getting yourself into too much trouble. I used to drive from FL to SC every month for nearly 3 years straight and it never left me stranded.

Mine is pre-vanos as a '97 6spd and had it's fair share of refreshment parts. Coolant bits, timing chain/guides, associated parts and nearly every gasket I could reach, engine mounts, control arms, CCV, etc etc. Nothing that should be a surprise for a car of this age. That being said, mine has 297k miles on it and has been in the family since 2000.

As long as you can wrench on the car and can get familiar with the platform, the m62 is tough as nails at it's core and generally speaking will slowly show signs of fault before having significant issues.

This has been my experience and I dabble daily with the idea of getting an e39 M5 to replace it but since the 540 is so solid, I haven't been able to commit. Even back in 2021 I bought a '20 M550 to replace the 540 as I thought it was time to upgrade and try something new....fast forward 5 years I sold the M550 and kept the 540.