Need advice on older BMW models

Would you guys buy a late 80s-95 BMW 3 or 5 series? Anyone know how reliable they are, and if they're worth getting as a first car

pictured 94 5 series 525i

>how reliable is a 30 year old german vehicle known to be a piece of shit

while structurally built like a tank, you'll probably need to replace head gasket every 100k miles or so, and lots of plastic shit that begins to age/crack/rattle under the hood and in cabin. The heater fan is a bitch to replace.

E34, a car that has been awarded with reliability awards and is considered as one of the most reliable german cars ever is known to be a piece of shit?
Why is this place full of clueless retards?

On one hand its near impossible to completely kill those engines(except for overheating and warping the block- water pumps are the big killer for old bimmers) so for durability they're some of the best in the world. BUT you have to maintain them meticulously or shit will start to fuck itself and the bill to get it back up and running properly will keep growing until youre fucked beyond what you can handle, and thats assuming the previpus owner didnt neglect it and dump it off on you for that reason.

The other thing to consider is electronics- they will be shit and only get shitter as the years go by theres no way around it so get ready to shell out some cash or be experienced and willing to go hunting for gremlins on a regular basis.

Narrow grille E34 a best
400,000km here, runs like a sewing machine. Few interior lights (heated seat switches etc) have failed but otherwise okay

Just don't get a cheap one that has been neglected. Over 5 years, the nice one will cost you less because it won't need expensive repairs.

Imagine a single site filled with perpetually butthurt, autistic manchildren who ride the bus every day. This is unironically the majority of posters here. Every other fucking post is sour grapes from having to take public transport or drive mom’s honda odyssey.

Get an e34 in good condition, treat it well and it will treat you will. Straight six bmw’s will outlive us, not kidding.

You can't kill an E34 simply by driving.
t. 520 M50 with 800k km on the clock, only thing to fail was a crank position sensor that caused a small hicup every 100km or so.

The E34 is very worth it getting as a first car, those things are extremely reliable, very simple to maintain and surprisingly cheap too, for a BMW.

I'd stay away from the 3 series though. They're amazing cars too, striking the perfect balance between power and handling, but most of them are abused by kids and ricers, the rest are way too fucking overpriced.

E34 M5 t here
Great and powerful machine, a bit too heavy for my taste. I prefer the lighter E30s but they generally have less options. Ac or cruise control is more than rare

...

The sexiest thing BMW has ever made.
It was a dream car of mine but damn its burning a hole in my pocket.
I think ill have to let is go soon

>I think ill have to let is go soon
I wouldn't. In terms of long term appreciation an early model M5 is a safe bet, especially with a globally rare model like a touring adding to it's future demand.
If it were me, I'd HODL

I got this structurally questionable 87' 325 for $200 and it's a fuel system overhaul away from running. They're pretty cool.

Most of these awards and other shit that car earns for its great something is generally happens when their new, almost new or on warranty. And as we know, virtually any car is good when its new and is made that way to be.

And after warranty maintenance is what matters when you buy 30 y.o. german business sedan. Generally speaking - all germans turn into turds after few years since it was released.

>structurally questionable
in such shape it would sell like near mint condition in my area

This. It needs hood repainted and bumper fixed. But in condition like this dudes sell for 1,5-2k euroshekels

fix the hood and bumper it would sell for around 3k here easily thanks to the coupe tax

I wish i could. But i need to keep it running, pay insurance, tax and pay for the climated and secured storage space
Ill hodl only if i cant fetch a good price
I know ten years from now ill wish i had kept it

This is spoken like someone who has never owned an obd-0 German car. E28s, e34s, and Merc w123/124s are widely known for their reliability.

But please, tell me more about your opinions you formed with no personal data points.

>This is spoken like someone who has never owned an obd-0 German car.
Yes. But then again its not like I formed my opinion based on my guesses. Its been discussed million times that germans tend to crap themselves after few years, let alone 30y.o. vehicles. If by reliability you mean engine - no doubt theyll run another round of 1 million kms. But hey, name engines that really shit themselves. If a car was made in large numbers, and officially sold to public, engines must be automatically good. I rarely see someone selling car with destroyed engine or some shit. 95% of old and newer cars are running. But how well are they running is another question.

Mercedes are different from BMWs. Diesels mercs are quite good and bulletproof. No idea about BMW. Anyway, it heavily depends on previous owner at this point. If he neglected car, then it will nightmare owning one. Rust, mechanical problems, lack of spare parts even in shops, etc.

Is that really a 87? The front skirt indicates a pre pre facelift until 1985

Guys, what about Audi 100s? Are they worth a shit?

fukcno
why would you even consider a 100, bmws are worth putting up with because when you're done fixing it, they actually look nice

I would love to have an E34
The trouble is finding one...

A well maintained one is very reliable. They're known to be very reliable.

Would I? Yes
Could I? No

E30 tax is heavy.
>when you want a 325ix
>when less than a thousand were sold in burger

E30 and E34 are pretty damn reliable and very fun cars

My '88

4chins lost my picture

my 91 touring
m52b25 with m50 intake

The Quattro ones are

>tfw I found a 325ix touring for 1500 swiss francs about a year ago
>couldnt buy it because literally on the other side of france
still fucking gets me to this day

get euro bumpers and the euro grille
Those springboards destroy the clean line

Talk me out of a 1995 E34 525i

120000 miles in Burgerland for $3K. Aren't the M50 engines bulletproof?

535is are

tl;dr
>I base my opinions on forum shitposting and other retarded drivel
Thanks for letting us know, as if it weren’t obvious already

If you change the oil regularly (every year or 7000mls) you should be fine
E34s are usually not hooned to death unlike M50s in E36s
Just dont get an E34 with an M20 and beware of the unholy M20B25

M30 is nest too but heavy as f

up to e32-34-36 they're fine classic automobiles
e38-39-46 are less desirable, but still alright cars. Not Japan tier reliable but they're high quality cars so generally last when maintained. Parts can be expensive if not in Urop

E34 was the last real german car

(You)
sorry the reliability part applies more to older cars