The E39 is a classic, handsome car that may well go down in history as the quintessential 5-series. The wagon was merely an extension of the good looks and capability, multiplied when they saw fit to drop the smooth M62 4.4 liter V8 in it. Manuals were available but extremely hard to come by, and while that would certainly be preferable, an automatic is well-suited for highway and family-hauling duty. With just 84k miles, this luxury wagon is roughly the same price as a VW Jetta TDI wagon of similar vintage. If you’re not too worried about gas mileage, I know for certain which one brings more comfort and speed for the money.
Click for details: 2002 BMW 540i Touring on eBay
Year: 2002
Model: 540i Touring
Engine: 4.4 liter V8
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Mileage: 84,000 mi
Price: $11,900 Buy It Now
2002 BMW 540ti Sport Touring Wagon Navigation Cold Weather Pkg Only 84k Miles! Free Shipping & Rear View Camera Included in Buy It Now
How many colossal failures would there have to be before the repairs and maintenance pushed this even close to the cost of a new, half-decent wagon? For less than $12k you’ll be driving a car that still looks and feels 5 times more expensive. Heck, it could even be a serious eyecatcher with some Style 32s and an M-sport front bumper. All in all this seems like a heck of a deal, and a frugal direction I could see going when a family comes into the picture.
-NR
For those of us who live in the southern portion of the US, seeing snow tires on a car for sale is never a good thing. Aside from the fact that it means an immediate purchase of new tires, it causes one to wonder how much snow, salt and other rust-causing elements this car has experienced. The aftermarket radio installation doesn’t do anything for me, but the rest of the car looks to be in good condition and you really don’t see a lot of them around.
I don’t know what to make of the asking price. It’s more than I would want to spend on a 12 year old wagon, but I haven’t really been shopping for one lately either.
I would like one with the “M Sport” package. Like this: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4665604827.html Manual trans would be great too but as you say hard to find.
Been looking at a lux wagon, don’t mind the Automatic, as stick is pretty tedious in NYC traffic and I’m looking for a highway cruiser. The question I have is BMW vs Benz, what do you think about the 540I vs an E500? http://www.ebay.com/itm/121429847701
Manual was available with this engine in touring for USA? IIRC, personally I’ve only seen them on I6 wagons, or sedans of any engine size…would love to hear otherwise though. There’s a M6 V8 swap on eBay right now, kind of beat though.
@wagonwheels – I like the looks of the approx 2002 and on wagon, and you can get AWD too. Though I’m less familiar with them than the e39 BMW…