Radiator packed up soon after purchase, caused a few overheating problems. Replaced the radiator with a 2nd hand item from the larger engined 525i and the engine remains in the blue and hardly ever fully warms up now!
This is the 2nd 5 series that I have owned, the previous being a 530i Automatic. When I first purchased this car I was concerned it might be a bit sluggish compared to the 530i, but I was presently surprised. If you rev it well it will still give a fair turn of speed, although it does take a while to get up to speed, but once going, it goes well.
These cars are solidly built, which is the reason why I bought a 2nd one. This is the 5th BMW that I have owned and they are a credit to the BMW marque. OK, this car might now be 14 year old, but it still has the looks and prestige it had when new and it still returns some favourable comments.
These are good, reliable cars that can be had for very little money, even for an extremely clean one. All models have electric windows, electric mirrors and remote central locking as standard, so have a lot of the mod cons of a modern car.
So, if you want a reliable car that is comfortable on a long journey, I would definately have a look at one of these. Fuel consumption is adequate, with an average of 28mpg combined (town & motorway)
The thermostat determines how hot the car runs, rather than the size of the radiator, so if it doesn't fully warm up, you have still got a problem.
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