1990 BMW 5 Series review from Croatia
"Executive express :)"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Radiator leek at 160 000km.
Water pump leek at 165 000.
ATF oil leek from the beginning.
Rear right suspension broke under tremendous pressure.
General comments?
I wanted an E36 320i, but instead I bought this car, and I never regret it.
Although it's pretty heavy (1400kg) and not so good at acceleration (0 -100km/h in 11,7 sec), it has good top speed - 203 km/h (don't forget this is straight six with two valves per cylinder - 129 hp)
Car has indeed lot of room, both on the front, back and in the rear box.
Handling is perfect; ideal weight distribution (50:50) and rear drive gave me lots of joyfull over-steers in wet conditions.
Brakes with ABS were also good; ABS starts to work very late, and I find that perfect.
Fuel consumption is very low for this class of vehicle; average at only 10,5 - 11,3 liters per 100km!!!
Overall I fell in love with this car, and I tested something I wouldn't like any of you test; crash test. I was hit sideways in crossroad and insurance called it total loss. I was unharmed (the weight of the car saved me).
Definitely a drivers car for ultimate driving pleasure, if you find one in good condition, I strongly recommend.
And don't bother for oil consumption; in manual it is written that everything under 1,5 liter on 1000 km is normal. My was "drinking" 0,4 - 0,7l on 1000km.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 520i Manual |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 144000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 175000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Renault Clio |
| Date of Entry | 25th January, 2004 |