[Nabeel]

I almost bought a 1992 525i 5-spd. I can tell you that it was a really fun car to drive, especially with the manual tranny. BMW builds the best straight-six engines in the world. I also test drove a 1990 300E. The Mercedes felt more solid and Mercedes cars generally age very well and they are very classy. They also handle quite well if you really drive it aggresively. Still, its not as good as the bimmer.

Try to find a 5-spd 535i. They have loads of torque and their engine is wonderful. Except for the 540 and M5, this is easily the best 5 series built for that bodystyle.