1988 BMW 5 Series 528e review from North America

Exhaust was rotting from the day I purchased the car; this culminated in the exhaust system falling off of the vehicle over the course of an overnight drive.

Odometer broke the day after I purchased the vehicle; as a result of this, all mileage figures have been approximated.

Driver's seat has begun to wear extremely quickly.

I purchased this vehicle for $1000 from a local dealer. The initial reason why I was drawn to this vehicle was a functioning climate control unit. The climate control continues to work well to this date, which is a necessity when one spends dozens of hours on the road each week. As a result of the low price of this vehicle, I had low expectations and would have been contented if the car started and ran for six months of light driving. However, the car now makes lengthy journeys regularly, traversing the state of Michigan.

Although the driver's seat is in rather poor condition, the springs are not yet exposed and the seat still has a reasonable amount of padding. Pending a new job, I may have available the finances to further repair the interior of my vehicle.

I will not deny the fact that the 2.7L straight six is lethargic at best, even when connected to a five-speed manual transmission. The engine labors under even modest acceleration as a result of abnormally long gearing to provide good gas mileage. Although 60 miles per hour may not come for the better part of ten seconds, I do not mind as I usually get approximately 29 miles per gallon, consisting of mostly highway driving.

For a car of its vintage, I am surprised that all of the electronic devices continue to function, excepting the locking petrol receiver door.

For a car of relatively small stature, the boot is surprisingly large; I am an orchestral musician and an orchestral size tuba can fit easily, so long as it is not in a case.

Although my BMW 528e will win no races with similar petrol-powered German vehicles, it serves well as a basic mode of transportation that is much more accommodating than the current budget offerings from Korean automakers.