Matt I need to post pics of my 107k mile E39 seats. They look fantastic.

I think if you can find a car that had been well taken care of, conditioned with a quality product on a regular basis, garage kept, etc then they would look good. But the AVERAGE BMW, and I've looked at a lot of them, does not tend to hold up as well as the competitors. By average I really mean neglected, as most people don't like the work that comes with keeping leather nice. I went to look at a local 2001 W210 E55 yesterday just for the hell of it because it was sitting about 1 mile from my workplace at a dealer's lot. The car was a neglected rusty POS, but the leather seats looked great. I briefly considered a 2001 E39 M5 that has been babied since new by CCA owners, at 83k the front seats need a complete refinish. Only two examples I know, but it is consistent with what I've seen.

When I had my wholesale license I was always disappointed in the interiors of BMWs and Porsches I saw at the auctions. Lots of small broken items (ie E39 cupholders) and really worn leather.

Just found a 1999 with 126K for 5200 in Vancouver, Wa. Check out the Portland Craigslist.

It looks pretty killer. I just might buy it!

Larry

Did they sell E39s with cloth interiors in the US? BMW's fabric tends to hold up way better than their leather. My '87 E30's cloth looks nicer now than my '97 E36's leather did when I sold it in '05.

Great cars. I used to own two, both 5-speeds. autotrader.com is your friend.

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Being one of the 3 BMW owners who love their e60 cars, have you considered these? I owned a 540i for 2 years and then moved to my 2008 550i. I found the 540 was a fine car but it wasn't aging well for me. To some the simple styling of it just looked dated. In M5 form it was better. The wagon is an aquired taste but I think the e60 version is much sportier. The interior looks to be holding up quite well also.

Post a message in this thread on Bimmerforums to solicit potential sellers: The UNOFFICIAL E39 Touring Thread! - Bimmerforums - The Ultimate BMW Forum

Also, cruise the For Sale section here: 5 series & 6 series - Bimmerforums - The Ultimate BMW Forum

I shopped for a little over 3 months. They are around, but the good ones go quickly, particularly the manuals. I never thought I would say this, but I love my wagon. For the price, it offers great value, luxury, and practicality. Doesn't look half bad either. Good luck with your search.

540i's are 6-speed manuals
525i/535i's are 5-speed manuals

The 540i wasn't available as a manual in touring form, only in the sedan.

Yes, technically you are correct. They were not available in the US, unfortunately, but 540iT 6-speeds are available in Europe. Very rare. I was simply elaborating that there are also 5-speed manuals, not just 6-speeds.

Chris - here's one a little closer to you. Automagic, but I'm likin' the M5 bumper.
BMW : 5-Series 528iT | eBay

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update
 

I just wanted to give a quick update, and a quick shout-out to Techweenie: thanks for your help in checking the car out in LA;I greatly appreciate your time. I was really dissappointed when I didn't act quickly enough, and missed out on getting it. However, it seems to have worked out in the end. I found this one in NH, just outside of boston. Tubwreck, before I changed the wheels & trim, it looked very similar to yours. Did yours have a black interior by any chance?

Anyway, flew up there to Boston, picked up the car from a BimmerForums member, then drove about 15 minutes to another BF member's house and picked up the sweet sport seats that are now in it. Then drove all night back to Chattanooga. The car was pretty dirty on the inside; my wife and I spent 2-3 hours cleaning it, and I couldn't believe what I saw. The car is essentailly brand new on the inside. I am still amazed at the condition the car is in.

I've put on the style 5 wheels, blacked the trim & moulding, replaced the rear subframe bushings, and have done a brake job. The car handles and drives very well for such a heavy vehicle, and it has plenty of power. Next upgrade on the list is a sport/race suspension set up.

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Nice car and glad you found one.

I went from Atlanta to Pennsylvania to get mine. It drives me nuts when people refuse to look outside their own zip code for a rare car.

Nope -- tan. Nice looking car -- have fun with it!