myphl

Hello all
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I am new to the German experience and I have narrowed down my choices to the e39 530i (02/03) or a w210 E430 (01/02). I am not a DIYer so the work done on the car would have to be done by an independent mechanic or dealership. I have been doing my research online and they both seem to have a fair share of their problems. Ideally, I would like to keep the car for at least 5 years or more. I‘d like to get some suggestions in terms of reliability and maintenance regarding this two vehicles as well as which vehicle you would recommend, thanks. How would it compare in longevity, reliability and cost of maintenance?

RichardM98

Hello and Welcome to the forum -

When it comes to 7-8 year old cars it is all about the maintenance/treatment they have received during their life. Have each one professionally inspected by someone with knowledge of the model/year. When you know what the issues are, drive them and pick the one that feels right to you.

Since you drive a Toyota I might mention that the cars you are interested in generally take a bit more maintenance.

xlr8tin

Personally I'd go with the E430, or look for a E39 540i/6. Between this site and bimmerforums you would have a lot of support when you needed it. RichardM98 said it right though, maintainence is huge

C280 Sport

Get the E430. 2002 Model. It can be had for under $13,000 and is a great car.

PackerBacker

W210 IMHO. I searched and bought a great 6-speed 540i, did some Dinan upgrades to stage 2 - loved the power, hated keeping a list of "to do" repairs on the beast the whole time I owned it! Not a well built machine at all as compared to my 2000 A8 or 1996 E300d. Both the Audi and MB have clearly better material specification qualities (to the component level). I do most of my own work, and have wrenched on all 3 noted - big difference, especially if you plan to have a shop doing the work and not yourself!

CLK550AMGpkg

That's a tough choice. The E39 is one of my favorite sedan offerings ever from BMW just as the w210 is one of my all-time favorite Benz models.

Pros for the E430 benz would be that it has more power and thrust, and has a more solid feel to the drive. Also, i.m.o. i think the post-facelift w210 cars have aged very gracefully over the years. The e39 series from BMW has been looking very dated ever since the debut of the E60.

Pros for the Bimmer would be its handling/steering/braking, better fuel efficiency, more fun-to-drive (especially so if equipped w/ the standard 6spd gearbox), and possibly better electronic dependability.

ohlord

they can be bought for under 12k for an 02 with low miles.

BigBoss

Where? I wish I had known this when I was buying an E320.

ohlord

Black heated and air seats etc.
12k or best offer
Nav
north of Seattle

Plenty of them in Ca. also
Just gotta shop around

Benzboy13

w210 e55 ftw. I regret not looking more into them before jumping on the c32.

BigBoss

WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.... This is why I hate Nebraska, I paid 9700 for an 02 E320 with 93k miles. I would have happily paid for that E55 12k.

130213

*my first post on this site*

Hi, so i have just changed from an e39 (which i owned for 3 months) to a w210 estate which i have owned for 24hrs or so.

While the bmw was seemingly well put together, mine had a serious issue with the torque converter and it had to go... and saying that even if it hadnt had that issue, i would have got rid of it at some point anyway. The e39 series hase a massive list of common problems (which i overlooked) and without serious investment would have nerver been fixed. They also have their own wheel PCD/offset so other models wheels wont fit... i could go on and on.... personally i would never ever go back to BMW especially an e39.

Look in the bmw 5 series forums the most common issue is the "shimmy" grrrr... blooming wheel wobble that just wont go away regardless of alignment/balance/bushes etc...

ive had mercs in the past and for some crazy reason decided on the bmw.... never again...

Love the w210...

--Yolandie

austinholloman

I have to say my w210 has been the best German car I've ever owned. Even my BMW M3 I have sitting in the garage has a lot more issues than my MB and I rarely drive the M3. I say find a low mileage E55 if your into power, if your looking more for reliability than go with the E320. Cheaper and gas than a 430 and plenty of power when you need.l it. Test drive one. I've never drive a full size sedan with only 220hp that performs like this.