‘The best all round car for the money?’
Danny makes the case for the E39 530d
My previous E39 entanglement was with a 528i Touring seven years ago. It was a beast and I loved it. Mainly for the way the car shrank around me as it picked up speed. Never had a big car felt so nimble, and we had a great summer together. When I got the message from John Barney that his driveway 530d needed an MOT and a new home, I was straight on the phone.
The big six diesel came with high mileage and a couple of small issues, but had great history and was in good condition thanks to John’s stewardship. However, I was expecting a slower, saggier experience from the 197k-mile compression ignition barge. Before I’d fully stretched it legs it needed some workshop time. After trailering it back to the PC Palace, sorting a couple of minor body issues and freeing the brakes, it was time to service the beast.
Oils, filters, fluids... all replenished followed by a big pre-mot check around (zero warning lights, purring like a kitten) resulting in a car that,
I thought, would romp home. It didn’t. Handbrake cable and emissions – fail. An hour running up and down the yard with injector cleaner and fresh diesel saw to the fumage and a gentle lubing of the rear end had me smiling up front with a fresh ticket in my hand. Then it was time for a drive.
Despite months without use and the big mileage, the 5-Series was a revelation. If anything it felt perkier than my old 528i. The direct steering, the supple but firm ride, the poise and the power were all familiar and all provided on tap – but it was the ambience that really impressed.
The leather interior was mint. All the buttons worked (anyone familiar with this generation of
BMW will know the small oblong plastic buttons that control just about everything are prone to failure) and the fixtures and fittings wore their miles like a car half its age. It felt like a sub 100,000-mile car. This has to be down to the quality of the original product, but custodianship is part of it, too. In fact, it has to be said, previous owners… we salute you!
Straight to the front line, the coal face of Hopkins family use, went the BMW. My Saab 95 Aero was relegated to occasional jaunts thanks to upcoming timing chain replacement (it’s a bit rattly). I wasn’t complaining though and my girls immediately loved
it because it wasn’t an ‘old’ car. A teenage seal of approval is not to be underestimated.
I love it, too. As a daily car of interest, a modern classic on a budget, I can’t fault it. It’s an SE so comes with plenty to play with. As a diesel it is also remarkably efficient. Thanks to that clever M57D30 engine, the excellent drag coefficient of 0.27 and legendary all aluminium chassis, the 530d has averaged over 41mpg in 2500 miles – without really trying. For a big automatic, that’s pretty damn good. On the motorway it is effortless and, as a load carrier, with the foldable rear seats and huge boot, it will do a trip to the dump without breaking a sweat – a true practical classic.
The real joy of this slice of Munich mastery however, comes back to the way it drives. That it morphs depending on what you want. Sit in cruise mode on the motorway and you could drive to the moon without noticing the passage of time. Flick the gear stick across the gate to ‘S’ and things change very quickly. Play with the ratios and you can unleash all sorts of wickedness… and that’s when the E39 really delivers its shrinking act. Seriously, I’ve never been this impressed for the money. You can work on it too and parts are not expensive.
I’m not sure I could fall in love with such ruthless efficiency, but this car is right under my skin.