1982 BMW 5 Series e 2.8 from North America

Summary:

The best car that I will ever own in my life

Faults:

When I bought this car, it needed front and rear shocks.

There was no more padding left on the seat, I was basically seating on the frame.

Left tail light went out.

I parked the car out on the street once thinking that the area was safe and the car got broken into. They stoled my original stereo and destroyed the center piece under dash where the air controls are destroying them as well as the interior lights.

General Comments:

This is the best car that I have ever owned.

It is very reliable.

It is fast and sometimes furious once you shift down to fourth gear and put the gas pedal to the metal.

Being a six cylinder, the gas mileage on this oldie is very impressive.

It is a very comfortable ride for an oldie.

After having the car broken into, I realized that parts are not that expensive and since I got my Beamer for $500 and in showroom condition inside-out I went ahead and bought whichever parts were necessary.

For me this is definitely the best car ever built in the world since is a low maintenance car and is hard as a rock.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th June, 2004

16th Jun 2004, 08:07

No padding left on the seat does not equal showroom condition!

8th Oct 2004, 01:56

It dose for a B.M.W, even with the seat backs hanging or fallen off!!!

9th Nov 2006, 13:53

Oh give me a break! My 533i is now 22 years old an has 185,000 miles on it. And the interior looks brand new - I'm not kidding! So enough with saying that every E28 has the seat backs falling off, and the seats are worn through to the padding - even if it is in mint shape.

6th Jan 2008, 07:49

I have a 1982 733i. The seats must be similar because although they still look nice, padding is lacking. (Not totally gone)

25th Oct 2008, 14:17

I am the original owner of a BMW 528e. This car was re-engined at 112,000 miles with a BMW rebuilt engine (the corrected some gasket problems in the rebuild). The car now has 297,700 miles, more or less and is still running well. I just had the steering linkage replaced, along with the front brake rotors and the rear shocks (which were Bilstein and guaranteed for life). The foam padding in the seats is deteriorating and there is a small amount of rust on it, but this has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. Its engineering is relatively simple but rugged and reliable. The door locks to get stiff in cold weather because the original lube is still in there.

1982 BMW 5 Series 528e 2.7 from North America

Summary:

Rock-solid in-expensive gem

Faults:

General maintenance that you would have with any car made in 1982.

Car has 200000 miles on it and has had 1 brake job, 1 new set of tires, a new clutch, and a new shift box. Besides that this car is all original.

A few slight electrical problems:

Short in lighted shift knob caused lights in instrument cluster to go out.

Front-lit cluster panel lights were replaced.

Air conditioner no longer works.

Leather seats are starting to crack slightly.

General Comments:

An unbelievable ride for it's age and mileage.

This was my 1st and definitely not my last BMW purchase.

Bought for just 2000 dollars I have driven this car every day for 2 years and it has been virtually maint. free.

Parts are not as expensive as some would have you think, however service can be pricey. Keep in mind that if the car has been taken care, very few things go wrong with these cars.

The thing to remember here is that you are buying a solid German built machine. There is nothing cheap about this car, inside and out. How many cars can you say that about these days?

Do a general search on-line and see just how many 528e's are still around, many will have well over 200,000 miles. What does that tell you?

If you have a chance to purchase one of these in-expensive gems, do it. You will not regret it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd October, 2003

9th Nov 2006, 14:04

I enjoyed your comment. Very well put. My 533i has been a daily-driver for 9 years. It now has 185,000 miles on it - and still runs, and looks great. It's not garaged and is driven in the snow (with Snow Tires of course). A fabulous, powerful, durable engine, and one of the most solid chassis BMW made. Few know how special these cars really are.

1982 BMW 5 Series 520i 2.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A classic

Faults:

Won't start, changed the HT leads and the distributor cap.

General Comments:

A great car to own, one of the first early E28's, the car was purchased due to my previous 525e being written off by the insurance company after an accident.

The 520i is now in storage and will be prepared to show condition. For a car of almost 19 years old there is no rust on it. I intended to keep it as original as possible.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd December, 2000

24th Apr 2005, 01:18

I do own the same car, and its worth having. I just adore the sound of the engine as I start the car. Where I live you won't find this car, and I think that I probably have the last car in my country.

9th Nov 2006, 14:10

I agree. Hang on to your E28. There aren't many nice examples left - especially pre-`85 models. I own a limited production 533i, which I plan on hanging on to for a long time. I, like you, would like to restore it.