1997 BMW 5 Series 540i review from North America

I've had a few problems with the car since I bought it a year and a half ago. About 3 months after I got it, the car failed to start and needed to be towed to the local BMW dealership. The total cost was $450 to have the car repaired. About 6 months later, I began having an issue where the car would shake suddenly. Once again, I dropped the car off at my local BMW dealership where I spent $600 on repairs. I've also replaced the tires for a total cost of $500 (they are 18")

General comments:

More than anything. I absolutely love the look of this car. My car is a dark silver that looks almost purple under the light. It has numerous subtle areodynamic aftermarket parts from AC Schnitzer that make the car look absolutely spectacular. The most worthwhile, in my opinion, is the add-on to the front air-dam. This lowers the front of the car (which, in my mind, looks a bit soft without it) and gives it a much more aggressive edge. The lights on my car are all updated to 2002+ spec, which also helps out a lot.

The performance is nice. Unlike some reviews of this car, however, I feel that the performance is simply in-line with the weight of the car. It feels "right" for average driving. Powerful enough to be fun. GREAT acceleration from 50+ miles an hour upwards. It feels strong, not quick, if that makes any sense. From a performance standpoint, I think I would like my next car to be a bit faster. I've started looking at used Ferarris online for when I turn 30 in a few years!

The car is very comfortable and luxurious. I almost felt like the car was "too nice" for the first couple weeks I drove it. However, that feeling soon passed. Controls are easy to use and the overall experience for the passengers is great. True understated luxury.

I would recommend this car. I would definitely put money aside for repairs, however.