SirTweakAlot

In January I made the plunge and bought a '97 BMW 540i with a 6-speed stick.
I had several BMW 635CSi's in the past and my '93 400E left me wanting to shift for myself once again.

As fun as the 540i was to drive there's some niggling things that bugged me about the E39 platform Bimmers. First and foremost it would belch out smoke periodically.Turned out it needed an oil separator which with gaskets and labor the shop charged me $880.The pixels in the dash were messed up and you couldn't read the odometer clearly.One of the buttons on the cumbersome key wasn't working and a replacement key at the stealer would run me $225.

A key for my 400E from Mercedes is $16 and the passenger door has a keyhole to put it in.Not so with the BMW.

The E39s have a certain plastic Taurus-y feel about the controls.The headlights were fogging over.The steering wheel made a squeaking cheap sound when parking and the BMW just doesn't have that thunk like when you close the door on the Benz.

Fate stepped in last week when a minivan in full "Just Married" regalia turned left in front of me causing our collision.I decided to sell the 540i and keep the insurance payoff.

Luckily I never sold my 400E. I'm Back...BABY I'M BACK!

STLe320

You're back?
Didn't you just join the forum? lol

will_w204

In all fairness to BMW, a 97 w210 has a $200+ Infrared key at best, and a several hundred $ version from 98-on. a w124 from 1993 isn't a fair comparison.

SirTweakAlot

The key thing might be an unfair comparison . However it speaks to a larger problem I have with newer cars in general.The whole thing of gizmos for the sake of gizmos . I hardly think keys with chips have slowed down car thieves much but cost the consumer plenty. I also think with GPS on everyone's cell phone, today's cars with on board navigation will one day seem as quaint as the old car phone in my 400E.
Same goes with digital vs analog odometers.The plastic gears when they break on analog tend to be easier and cheaper to repair than burnt out pixels on the digital variety.
I always thought the 1st generation 911 Porsche had the nicest looking instrument cluster=visible,legible,no-nonsense.A quality look and feel that seems missing from the newer incarnations.
Its the intrinsic value that keeps people buying a Rolex when a digital watch does the same thing.
I think its also the reason people are hanging on to their W124s. The last of the Benz's that were built to last

will_w204

Indeed. Seconded. Part of why I sold an 06 c350 and bought the 400e. I really wish I had NEVER sold my pristine w202. What a solid ride.

YNVDIZW124

If you had an affair that means i've been a ****...lmao...

I used to have a e36 m3 but i slapped some rims on it and fixed the interior and sold it.. I've also had a 300ce but that one lasted a week before i sold it because it was really cheap. I put it on my credit card and never even registered it because i sold it that fast. I have mustangs but those come and go until i find a 67 fastback in good shape. I really want a supeformance shelby mkIII but that's a death trap with that big engine in such a small car.

The big reason i keep my w124 is because it was in a fender bender and the insurance salvaged it.

SirTweakAlot

My other ride is a '64.5 Mustang convertible that my Dad bought new and left to me when he passed 2 years back. I rather fix up that than the BMW I got rid of.The stang is fun and like driving a parade float with all the attention it commands.But drum brakes are kinda hairball at today's freeway velocity.If I wanna shift for myself I still have my '03 Triumph Daytona/Speed Triple 955i. That's good for some serious adrenaline rush.

glwillia

Hmm, interesting.. I was contemplating selling my E34 535i/5 and my W124 E420 and picking up an E39 540i/6 (for the same reason as you, the Benz is a great car but I miss that third pedal), but I'm still a bit hesitant..

Chinny4290

E39s are awesome...you just had a really bad experience with one.

SirTweakAlot

Don't get me wrong.The 540i 6-speed was really fun....Its just I prefer the ergonomics and build quality of E23,E24,E34,BMWs and the W124.

w124uk

I can't fault the e39 when it comes to build quality or ergonomics! My old 1997 e39 (535i, V8) is one of the best cars to drive.... and when it comes to ergonomics: all the buttons and switches are at my fingertips, that includes the air recirculation button on the dashboard if I drive through rural areas and don't want to inhale all the smells.
The only reason I may considering changing that car is the fact here in the UK a lot of people seem to have a problem with BMW, they either want to race you or won't let you in when you're trying to join the traffic from the side road.
In nearly 120K miles all that needed doing was the radiator+water pump and recently the ATF cooler (my fault actually, I've let leaves accumulate in the bottom of the front bumper and that caused the alloy cooler to corrode.

BrabusBenz300E

I almost got an e39 540 but opted to go with the newer e46 instead. There is definitely a different feel when I step back in the 124..it sure is a quality machine. I can't say I feel the same about newer Mercedes however...

w124uk

Hmm, to me the w124 feels like a tank compared to the BMW. I don't mind that actually but the e39 feels better built (saying that, it's also a way more modern car so it's not fair to compare them)

I've driven a 2001 Mercedes E55 and it was not good at all! Miles behind an M5 e39 when it comes to finish and seats.... and the rust issue is terrible on those cars as well. The only advantage: auto box.
I'm seriously tempted to look at an Alpina B10 4.8 V8S auto..... that seems like the best choice, unfortunately they are like hen's teeth.....