by Richard Harley

Created on: January 21, 2009

Buying an E34 BMW is going to be a fun experience. You just know it is, even before you start out. You'll have fun deciding what the tipping point is between performance and fuel economy. You'll check out cool retro photos of dirty E34s and you'll probably dream of using one as a getaway car next time you annoy the cops.

For me, I didn't look too much at engine size. All I knew is that I didn't want the bottom spec 1.8ltr model, which seemed a little underpowered. I looked around for several months and eventually settled on a '93 525 model with 60k miles. Economy was almost identical to the 520 model and contrary to popular belief, a BMW should not be vastly more expensive to maintain than your average family saloon. Many parts can be sourced over the internet and the stock six pot engine should be good for 200k miles if looked after properly.

An old 5 Series is a big car, even by todays standards. Passenger space is a little cramped in the back but the boot is gigantic. The inside could be described as simple but effective. Everything is where it should be and there's nothing superfluous. The heater controls are effective. The seats are comfy too and adjust in a variety of ways. The steering wheel, which might seem a little large at first, is actually a perfect size for night driving, where all the dials are illuminated and easy to see from a normal driving position. Imagine a modern day WWII Messerschmitt.

Power delivery is smooth from the 192bhp engine and the gearbox is short and crisp. Official figures state the 0-60mph as 8.2. Not quick by today's standards, but then you wouldn't buy this car to thrash it everywhere - you'd buy it to waft around in comfort and style. Handling is great in the dry and the wet - the car feels planted to the road and corners can be taken safely AND quickly. Where this car really comes into it's own is on long distance journeys. For a fifteen year old car I can't think of a better motorway cruiser. At 90mph, you won't even have to turn the radio up. Road noise is minimal and the engine is torquey enough to be stuck in fifth for speeds from 50mph to 110mph comfortably. Around town, the car is perfectly drivable too but first gear is rather short and can make roundabouts somewhat tedious. Fuel economy is around 25mpg with an average tank range of about 450 miles if driven sensibly. This model has no air conditioning - just a sunroof. A/C is a luxury but can be expensive to maintain and on a second/older car I'm willing to live without it. Go for a manual, as auto boxes tend to have a shorter lifespan. Manuals are infinitely more fun to drive too!

The cost of running an old BMW is never going to be cheap, but find a low mileage example and nothing drastic is going to go wrong before the 150k mark. Many of the simpler maintenance jobs can be undertaken with a little bit of common sense and some internet investigation.

If you are in doubt about whether you should buy one of these, Google 'BMW e34 review and you'll find hundreds of hits from very satisfied owners. However, if you're going to spend a lot of money on a very good, low mileage example, it's a good idea to have the vehcile independently checked if you're not too hot on the mechanical side of things yourself. This will save you money in the long run, as you might be able to negotiate a discount for certain parts with the seller.

Good luck buying your E34 - and remember to leave your fog lights on all the time!

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