1990 BMW 5 Series 535i 3.4 litre from North America

Summary:

Nightmare with leather

Faults:

I bought it for $3,000. I loved it!

Then within a week, I hated it.

Failed to start at grocery store. :0.

Developed a very rough idle, very quickly.

Overheated in a parking lot while picking my mother up from work.

Trying to sell for 1,500 to buy another Toyota or Honda.

General Comments:

Extremely comfortable seats.

5 speed manual was a blast!

Chick magnet! Girls hit on me all the time! Made my girlfriend very upset.

Complete nightmare! Gas guzzler and EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE, FAILED ME TWICE WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP.

I am happy for this experience, I now have the knowledge to NEVER BUY BMW EVER AGAIN.

If you drive a reliable car, with a sad interior or exterior, and want a status symbol BMW, please, invest into your reliable car, get it painted, get it reupholstered! NEVER BUY BMW UNLESS YOU LOVE WORKING ON IT CONSTANTLY.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th August, 2011

12th Aug 2011, 19:22

I think your opinion may not be completely accurate, considering your car was over 20 years old. Hondas and Toyotas from that period are not going to run flawlessly either, no car that age will.

In reply to 12th Aug 2011, 19:22

13th Aug 2011, 14:08

Yeah, it seems like you bought a piece of junk that was on its last legs, don't blame BMW for that. Even a high end car like a BMW needs maintenance and upkeep.

In reply to 12th Aug 2011, 19:22

15th Aug 2011, 11:30

I dunno about 20 year old cars not running right; I own a Horizon that runs like a clock as long as the fuel doesn't get low; at that point it'll stall sometimes.

6th Sep 2011, 04:09

Update: So after fixing the overheating (bad thermostat) and the extreme coolant leak (radiator hose was loose: cut and reattached) I almost wish I could rewrite the review. Oh well. I still hate it, no AC and rough idle, not the cars fault though. And to all who say "you bought a car that was 20 years old, what do you expect?" I say this: Yes, I bought a car that was 20 years old, has maintenance records, and was OK'd by a mechanic from a European auto shop, yes I expect it to be perfect! For at least more that 7 days! But so far, a month into ownership and no other issues.

1990 BMW 5 Series 525i 2.5 from North America

Summary:

Epic!

Faults:

Bad wheel bearing, that I attribute to my driving style and mileage.

Door locks broke.

All interior and wiring have gone to hell (only on features, nothing mechanical, seats, stereo, dash, etc...)

General Comments:

This car is a tank! I beat the hell out of it on a daily basis, and it just won't die.

I purchased the car, expecting it to last a couple months, and it is yet to disappoint me. Road rallies and drifting are a few of my hobbies, so I put my cars through hell. The car is bone stock, and has been jumped, slid, spun, and everything in between, without a problem.

The 4 speed auto is the best automatic trans I've ever laid hands on. You can even rev match on hard downshifts without an issue.

It's not quick by any means, but will do 143mph (just like the factory stated), and handles like it's on rails. Suspension, brakes and steering are as responsive as you could hope they could be.

Truly the ultimate driving machine.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th March, 2011

1990 BMW 5 Series 2.5L from North America

Summary:

Simply... Amazing

Faults:

Nothing yet. It's still got an incredibly low amount of KM.

General Comments:

I am 16 years old. This is my first car. I think it is one of the greatest cars I have ever driven. I have drove a lot of other cars in the past. It is 10/10 in my books. I got it when it had 42,000KM on it. It had no rust on it. Imported from Japan. It's a great find and I'm glad to have it :)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st May, 2009

21st May 2009, 10:55

Did you accidentally switch numbers? "I am 61 years old and I drove a lot of different cars" sounds more convincing than what you wrote.

21st May 2009, 13:45

When I was 16, I might've said the same thing about a Chevy Vega.

22nd May 2009, 08:12

I think it's legit. I don't think he would comment about a 19 year old car if he didn't really own it. I can believe he has drove other cars too, lots of kids these days drive before they should. Even I did once or twice (parent supervised of course!)

In reply to 21st May 2009, 10:55

12th Aug 2011, 12:48

In US you can drive when you're 16 years old.