Steve84N Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 Just curious, how old are 5 Series owners? I'm 38 and until last year had stuck to 3 Series size cars. I'm enjoying the extra space and comfort, apart from in car parks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopfjaeger Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 @Steve84N...I'm 20 years older than you. I couldn't afford a BMW when I was younger, family and house came 1st. I doubt I'm a stereotypical BMW owner either. I bought my F07 because it was a hatchback, had some serious performance compared to previous cars owned and a luxurious interior....plus it was £2k cheaper than an Audi A7 2.8l quattro that I was also looking at. The Audi was a better drive, but the F07 was a better overall drive. However, as a white middle aged male, maybe I am a stereotypical BMW 5 series owner🤣? I don't plan on buying another BMW though. I think the dealer network is appalling and very arrogant in their dealings with the public. I'm tempted to electrify the car when the IC engine gets banned...10 years plus from now the costs are likely to be more reasonable and better, from a sustainability perspective. Besides, by then my kids might treat me to an upgrade🤣🙄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E39Man Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 I was 30 when I bought my 5 series e39, but I hadn’t driven for a few years and my previous car was a hatchback so the difference in size was noticeable! Replaced it with another a year later, in total I had 2x 5 series for 11 years and will probably go back to them when I no longer need a suv (when kids can drive themselves) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flandy Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 (edited) I'm 44, but I got my first E39 when I was 30. I was driving a 1980 VW scirocco with a 1.8t engine transplant at the time, but as they have a tendency to dissolve, I fancied something cheap for winter. I bought a '96 528i with a cooked engine, and an engine, and spent a few days combining the two. On the way home from working on the BMW, some moron wrote off my Scirocco. I was unimpressed, but dailying the 528i and upgrading wheels, suspension, seats etc got me hooked on these things! After a couple of years I sold the 528i (for a profit!) then a bit later got an imola red E39 530d sport, then an E21 316 that I still have, E39 530d sport touring, and currently an E39 540i sport manual. and an E34 540i touring. Edited June 15, 2023 by Flandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 First e28 when i was 30 after binning my 205 gti, i wanted a 325i sport but they were leggy trash at the time in my budget and the M535i was a better car for less ££. Had mostly 3 and 5's since, cant say i would have anything newer from BMW than my F11 which i am yet to gel with and i may just have bought something off brand for fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted June 15, 2023 Author Share Posted June 15, 2023 @duncan-ukso how old are you...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 18 minutes ago, Steve84N said: @duncan-ukso how old are you...? 49 times around the sun sadly but planning to enjoy what's left. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve VH Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 (edited) I bought my first E12 at 30 years old after having loads of Fords in my twenties, the difference in build quality and engineering was a relevation 27 years later and numerous E12's, 28's, 34's, and 39's later I'm glad I discovered the bmw 5 series, the Utimate Driving Machine? maybe, but not interested in the newer stuff, I may try an F10 at some point, but they just look so damn big. Edited June 15, 2023 by Steve VH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syncrofred Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 I'm Flandy's dad. Driving his E39 convinced me that I needed one! I've had my 530d for about a decade now and I still love it. I'm now 75. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olliecampbell Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 (edited) 42, but had a range of quick'ish estate cars since I was 30ish.... It's just something about estate cars that I love. No idea. Edited June 16, 2023 by olliecampbell 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted June 16, 2023 Author Share Posted June 16, 2023 1 hour ago, olliecampbell said: 42, but had a range of quick'ish estate cars since I was 30ish.... It's just something about estate cars that I love. No idea. Same as me. I've usually bought the top non-M model. In fact I have still never driven any M car. Started out in a Fiesta, Supercharged Mazda Eunos, Integra Type-R DC2. Met my now wife. My first German car was an e46 330Ci manual mid twenties prompted by said wife, then e86 Z4 Coupe 3.0Si manual late twenties, e91 330i manual early thirties, C63 AMG Estate 6.2 (auto only) for five years until last December and now the 535i Touring Manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olliecampbell Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 2 hours ago, Steve84N said: Same as me. I've usually bought the top non-M model. In fact I have still never driven any M car. Started out in a Fiesta, Supercharged Mazda Eunos, Integra Type-R DC2. Met my now wife. My first German car was an e46 330Ci manual mid twenties prompted by said wife, then e86 Z4 Coupe 3.0Si manual late twenties, e91 330i manual early thirties, C63 AMG Estate 6.2 (auto only) for five years until last December and now the 535i Touring Manual. Nice. Would love an E63. How was the C63? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E39mad Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 55 years young. First 5 series when I was 36 and never been out of them since. Mind you only had 3 of them...lol. Had an E36 318is coupe, Alfa 156 and 330d touring amongst others prior to my 1st and best 5 which was a 525d Sport touring manual. Still got the E36 328i convertible but that might gone on Monday after 10 years ownership 😢 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullinsj08 Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 31 years old. Started out in a E46 320Ci when I passed my test at 27, got my first 5 series (E60 530i) at 29 which promptly went pop with a warped engine block/cylinder head from overheating due to a blown head gasket. Had a dark 6 months in a Mercedes C Class and then got my current F10 530d in April 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4aceman Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 Seem so young... 22 here, almost 23. Had my E46 330ci since 20, and briefly had an E39 touring. I love the E39. Everything about it. Saving up, biding my time, and when the right time and car comes I will have another! Who knows, maybe I'll splurge and get a nice big V8 one 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted June 16, 2023 Author Share Posted June 16, 2023 8 hours ago, olliecampbell said: How was the C63? It was an 8/10 car. The engine is great fun, linear delivery with a real rush to the redline over 5krpm (once mapped to unleash its factory potential). The exhaust is well engineered, quite quiet most of the time but roars when you gun it. The hydraulic steering is delicious, a delight to use at all speeds even if it doesn't actually deliver that much feedback. The seats are amazing, biggest side bolsters I know of this side of a race car and comfortable on long journeys. The gearbox isn't as good as a ZF. In any of the auto modes its intelligence was right most of the time. In manual mode the shifts are fast but there's a big delay between pulling the paddle and the shift being executed, which was annoying. Lots of grunt from tick over. With the Wavetrac I put in it'd do 4s dead to 60 just matting the throttle from idle with virtually no loss of traction. It'd also do silly smoky stuff! The handling was OK but nothing more. It lacks front end grip, where the 535i turns more sharply and holds on. That's the advantage of double wishbone over Macpherson struts. Surprisingly the 535i is barely heavier than the C63. You don't get enough of the engine sound inside the cabin, which sucks as you pay a hefty premium in fuel to drive it. It could cruise happily but somehow I was always looking for a chance to go faster. The 535i lets me chill out more. It got hot way too fast, like 125 degrees on the oil in a few miles of fast road driving. Even on a run I was getting 21-22mpg which equates to around 250 miles to a tank. Now I'm getting another 200 miles on the same amount of fuel... Overall, it's not superb enough for me to be a one car does all. I ended up spending a lot of time on motorways with the family in the car as we have family in France. Since I stopped commuting there was less opportunity to enjoy it solo. Hence, why I've got the 535i which is much better suited to the job and I hope to complement it with a Lotus Elise. I miss having a light car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 45 next month. First BMW at 26, I think. It was that long ago and I’m now so old, I forget….. Still at least I’m not as old and creaky as @duncan-uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I’ll still whoop your fat ass over a half marathon 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 40 minutes ago, duncan-uk said: I’ll still whoop your fat ass over a half marathon 🤣 If God had intended us to run, he wouldn’t have invented the car now would he. You own three cars, why would you ever need to run anywhere 🤷🏻♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 You can’t count 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 73. Fed up, body packing up and swmbo recons my brains packing up as well. I'm not sure about that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5 Dan Posted July 17, 2023 Share Posted July 17, 2023 45 and just bought my 7th BMW, which is my first M5 Comp (2023). This car is just oustanding. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevecvo Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 I am 80 and have owned my E39 since new in May 2001. I still do my own servicing and most of my repairs but I no longer look forward to crawling underneath cars like I used to and I am conscious that I do not posses the physical strength of my younger years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordnator 2 Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 63 orbits of the sun for me, so closer to the telegram than the birth certificate... Mind is nowhere near that figure and constantly issuing cheques the body struggles to cash... The body has several age related blemishes and is way out of warranty... Really should stop running and start walking down the hill... The collective age of my 3 Eta's is 110... Best regards, Mick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkfan Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 Just rolling up to 56 and bought my first BMW, a 1973 verona red 2002tii when I was about 20, and I haven't been without a BMW since. I currently have 5 BMW's which total 155 years old but an average age of 31. Odd as it sounds I can't actually see myself buying another car; my daily is an E39 which looks and drives as good as new after a fair amount of work. I have an M635 and an E38 B12 which have been restored, an E34 Alpina in fine fettle and a 41 year old 635CSi which I have neither time nor money to give the tlc it needs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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