New Daily: BMW E39 523i SE

[Eddie.]

I've been running a Renault Clio 1.2 Dynamique for about a year now, it's been pretty much the most ZFG car ever, as I frankly didn't like it to start with.

A year of my abuse and general poor maintenance has left it quite shoddy, and being honest, I can't be arsed fixing it. It's a laugh to drive, but ultimately, it's starting to get dangerous.

So, the Clio will be broken in a month or so, but to replace it I wanted something a little more refined, and comfortable. Sportiness isn't very important, nor is having anything mental powerful. I have got one eye on MPG, but I'm in a position where I don't need to worry about getting to Cape Town and back on 3/4 of a tank.

Being a self confessed BMW *****, I went through a fair few cars from Bavaria, E36's, E46's, E39's and even some E38's.

I was due to view an E39 520i a few weeks ago, but it sold as I was on my way to see it, very annoying but c'est la vie.

I then found a reasonably nice looking 523i SE, not too far away, and it looked to have the right boxes ticked.

FSH, 11.5 months MOT, Xenons, Black leather.

I only have 2 (awful) pictures of it, but I'll get some more tonight.

It did 38.1 MPG on the run home last night, has 170bhp/180lb/ft and the noise of the straight six is lovely.

My name was on the V5 for just £690.

 

[Cub.]

Great buy. Absolute bargain price. I'd lose the fake M5's though. Get some parallels on it

I love a non-m sport with parallels.

 

[Eddie.]

Yeah, the M5 reps offend my eyes.

They'll be going eventually.

 

[Rob]

Or at least silver them. By god that's a lot of car for the money though, proper mental.

Probably the best stop gap car out there at the moment, not expensive to service/fix, not expensive to run, and comfy as f**k.

 

[Budgie]

What is it with you as gay engine BM's?

 

[Eddie.]

Yep, they're very cheap to run, and parts are readily available, buying parts for an E39 is as easy as getting them from Tesco, in comparison to the E21!

What is it with you as gay engine BM's?

What's wrong with a 2.5l straight 6?

 

[Ian_182]

What a bargain.

 

[welshname]

Didn't realise it was that cheap! Can't wait to see this

 

[marshall878]

Tempting run around!

Looks awesome.

 

[Eddie.]

Didn't realise it was that cheap! Can't wait to see this

Yep.

Clio 1.2: £750.
BMW 523i: £690.

I should break Oli's legs.

 

[Jon.G]

What's wrong with a 2.5l straight 6?

It's not a 3.0?

When you crash into Rhys now, you'll write his car off.

 

[Eddie.]

It's not a 3.0?

When you crash into Rhys now, you'll write his car off.

It's okay, my 500cc shortfall is made up for by my ability to choose when the next gear arrives

Yep, only thing is, I actually quite like this car, so probably won't be crashing into Rhys like I did in the Cliotoris.

 

[Jon.G]

Oli will be happy. I can choose a gear if I wish. I choose not to, because I ball hard.

 

[Eddie.]

LOL!

 

[Rob]

You crashed into Rhys? Details? LOL

 

[Naith]

like it alot, Im trying my best to get a touring... taking a while though.

 

[Pete.M]

Mint!

 

[welshname]

You crashed into Rhys? Details? LOL

Ed, our friend Oli and myself all have cars we don't care about. So we bump park them into eachother, rear end eachother, push eachother along with the brakes on. Just general dodgem style

 

[Eddie.]

​

You crashed into Rhys? Details? LOL

As Rhys said, it's happened multiple times.

It culminated in me driving into his rear quarter a few months back, and repeatedly tried to push his car sideways.

 

[Jon.G]

Its a dangerous game. Especially in traffic when someone mounts your bumper/bonnet.

 

[Eddie.]

A few photos.

Excuse alert: The car hasn't been detailed yet and is swirl central, I also photographed the worst side, exterior wise. I also have a crap camera that I don't know how to use. I also had to save a child from a burning tiger attack.

The interior:

Loving life in the waft-lane.

 

[Ben]

Looks like a nice place to be sat in.

 

[Jon.G]

Has Oli been round and told you to replace everything yet? I think he's had a few E39's as well, he might compare some of them to it, be careful. Gearstick looks stupidly long. Change it for an auto one.

 

[Rob]

I imagine a zhp knob would fit?

They just push on, and the zhp is weighted. I love it though, look baller, pay nothing for it.

 

[cat171]

That's a real steal! I still love this shape & I can't believe it was so cheap.

 

[Eddie.]

I imagine a zhp knob would fit?

They just push on, and the zhp is weighted. I love it though, look baller, pay nothing for it.

Sounds win, not sure about fitment, will have a look though.

 

[Rob]

Pull that one off and send me a photo of what remains, I'll let y'know. The zhp knob is mint:

 

[Rob]

Really is an AWESOME car for the money though mate, are there many around at that price or did you get a billy bargain?

 

[Philip.]

Properly cool.

Need to get myself a 2nd car to sideways in tbh!

 

[Rob]

You'd have a hard job managing sideways in one of these tbh! Larger engine, or a z3, sure!

 

[jesus]

What a knob!

 

[Eddie.]

It was a bit of a bargain, most of them at or around this price are not FSH, or poor spec.

That knob looks awesome, I'll have a look after work.


Oh it does go sideways btw, open diff makes things harder, but I've had the back out a couple of times. It's not really a drift car though, more a waft mobile.

 

[Rob]

If it goes sideways in the dry the tyres are rubbish! My 2.2 3 series couldn't do sideways if you paid it. We were in a car park trying repeatedly at one point and no joy.

 

[Budgie]

2.8's and above go sideways on an open diff from experience.

 

[roland rat]

SO.MUCH.WIN

 

[Eddie.]

It's got semi decent winter tyres on the rear. It was mildly damp, but not wet this morning, and it was sideways enough.

In the proper wet, I would expect it to be a doddle.

 

[Rob]

Oh yeah dude, in the wet obviously! I was talking bone dry. In the wet it'll be playful as you like. You happy with it though? I would be.

 

[Eddie.]

I love it. I'll have to get some pictures of the Clio, because you cannot appreciate just how s**t it was.

To drive, the E39 is effortless, still getting used to a floor mounted pedal, but other than that, it just pulls along so easily. The engine has a lovely sound to it, nicely muffled, as you do sir.

The steering feels well connected, if a little bit lighter than I expected.

Turning circle is remarkable too, dead easy to turn around at the end of my road.

Space wise, it's obviously quite large, the boot is goodish, but the cabin is where it's at. Parking and driving around the town where I work is a little interesting, I cannot see the boot lid, and where the bonnet ends involves some guesswork too.

Up to now, brilliant, but who knows, I might hate it in a month!

 

[welshname]

I love it. I'll have to get some pictures of the Clio

 

[Eddie.]

Best. Reg. Ever.