E34 - Educate me

[msm]

Got a random thought on an older E34 as a daily driver - something I don't have to stress about if parked outside or get hit by a taxi with...

Say I got something like a E34 525i manual for a daily driver. How horrific are they on consumption if used in heavy traffic? How's reliability and running costs on them?

Seen a few pop up around R20k - R30k every now and then. Would a CitiGolf or Tazz be a better option at that price, as a run-around. Give me some opinions please.

 

[naickers]

I got a 535i lying around if still have your access bond facility available you can probably use it for a month or two as a daily driver

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Peter@AEW]

Your M is far more fuel efficient at full throttle than the e34 at idle.

Hope you are a shareholder is SASOL

 

[racing snake]

my e34 returns 9km/l.

they are pretty good cars. ive had mine for around 5 years and she doesnt get any special treatment.

just make 100% sure all the electronics work, they are prone to body control unit issues. but other than that... good cars.:thumbs:

i love my green monster:ty:

 

[Andy1GP]

Hey Mo, The idea of a cheapie runaround is nice but at that price they are all going to make you cry.

You're one for enjoying a car that's in tip top condition, and a scrappy that's falling apart is going to eat at you. Consumption is pretty bad irrespective which one you get.

Maintenance wise you should buy 2 and use 1 as a donor, there will be plenty to fix.

Having all that said I still miss my 540i

 

[Nic_s]

One thing to remember is that the E34 is around 1700kg. So even though the 525i uses the same engine as the 3 series (M20 early models or M50 in later models), that weight means it's automatically heavier on fuel.

Another problem the E34 has is it's turning circle, but I've gotten used to it and when I'm in a parking lot I can already tell if I can make the turn or not and if I can't then I turn, reverse a bit and then pull into the parking bay nice and straight.

Overall I think the E34 makes a great daily as the ride is soft and it keeps a lot of the outside noise out. You feel almost cut off from the rest of the world. It's big, comfy, smooth, and relaxing.

You can also get a 5 series in pretty good condition for little money, while 3 series tend to be more expensive to buy in general 'cos of their popularity. That said, a 3 series is easier to get parts for.

If you really want a BMW for a daily, I personally think the E36 318is is as good of a choice as it gets. :thumb:

 

[zaleonardz]

Bla

I drove an E34 540/5 as a daily driver for months, loved it, sorry i sold it.... One day the Visser brothers will sell it back to me...

 

[msm]

Thanks for the input guys.

I won't expect the 525i to be a fuel fairy - however, I also don't expect V12 consumption. Hence, the question on how horrific they can get.

 

[Fordkoppie]

Got a random thought on an older E34 as a daily driver - something I don't have to stress about if parked outside or get hit by a taxi with...

Say I got something like a E34 525i manual for a daily driver. How horrific are they on consumption if used in heavy traffic? How's reliability and running costs on them?

Seen a few pop up around R20k - R30k every now and then. Would a CitiGolf or Tazz be a better option at that price, as a run-around. Give me some opinions please.

If you crash an e34 and a Citigolf head on - Which one would you rather be in?

I would say the only 2 options would be either the M50 525i manual because they are the most fuel efficient e34s and the only other option is the 540 because, any of the other e34s use almost exactly the same amount of fuel as the 540 but with agonizingly bad performance.

Be sure to add R20k to any e34's asking price to get it into reasonable acceptable condition, because I can almost guarantee you that 99.99% of all e34s still on the road will require a complete suspension restoration, brakes, AC, cooling system and some interior work in order not to throw up every time your body touches the seats. Most of them are disgusting inside.

Because they are cheap to buy and relatively reliable, most of them ended up being owned by people on a strict budget, or plainly those who doesn't care.

I alter between daily driving my 540 and the e30 and on my commute the 540 usually returns around 12L/100. That consists of 3km heavily congested traffic, 5km urban and 18km highway.

 

[Sankekur]

Something else to note about e34's is that they are also pretty high up on "the shopping list" though not nearly as bad as e30's, but still something to keep in mind.

Other than that I would agree with Mr Ford, you will probably have to spend a bit on maintenance to get up to scratch....with 20k you will go pretty far maintenance wise. (Edit: I am only considering part prices, no labour, as I can't comment on labour costs)

I will also throw it out there to consider a 540i.

 

[maximus]

Got a random thought on an older E34 as a daily driver - something I don't have to stress about if parked outside or get hit by a taxi with...

Say I got something like a E34 525i manual for a daily driver. How horrific are they on consumption if used in heavy traffic? How's reliability and running costs on them?

Seen a few pop up around R20k - R30k every now and then. Would a CitiGolf or Tazz be a better option at that price, as a run-around. Give me some opinions please.

If you crash an e34 and a Citigolf head on - Which one would you rather be in?

I would say the only 2 options would be either the M50 525i manual because they are the most fuel efficient e34s and the only other option is the 540 because, any of the other e34s use almost exactly the same amount of fuel as the 540 but with agonizingly bad performance.

Be sure to add R20k to any e34's asking price to get it into reasonable acceptable condition, because I can almost guarantee you that 99.99% of all e34s still on the road will require a complete suspension restoration, brakes, AC, cooling system and some interior work in order not to throw up every time your body touches the seats. Most of them are disgusting inside.

Because they are cheap to buy and relatively reliable, most of them ended up being owned by people on a strict budget, or plainly those who doesn't care.

I alter between daily driving my 540 and the e30 and on my commute the 540 usually returns around 12L/100. That consists of 3km heavily congested traffic, 5km urban and 18km highway.

+1

---

Something else to note about e34's is that they are also pretty high up on "the shopping list" though not nearly as bad as e30's, but still something to keep in mind.

Other than that I would agree with Mr Ford, you will probably have to spend a bit on maintenance to get up to scratch....with 20k you will go pretty far maintenance wise. (Edit: I am only considering part prices, no labour, as I can't comment on labour costs)

I will also throw it out there to consider a 540i.

+1

 

[msm]

Thanks for the info gents and it makes sense - I need to use a bit of common sense on a 20 year old car purchase. I get what you're saying: a "cheapie" could turn out to be a costly proposition. Just because it's cheap to purchase, does not mean it's going to be cheap to run too.

Another way I'm looking at this is say a 3 year view. For R50k, I could get a low mileage CitiGolf today. Or for half that price I could get an E34 and still pay R25k in fixing it up and/or fuel cost delta.

One of the things I don't mind doing is a bit of DIY work on a car - not to save money, but for the enjoyment. At the same time, I want a daily driver, so hence the E34 seems to offer that balance right now. Almost "old-school basic" BMW, but modern enough at the same time... if that makes sense. A E30 is another alternative, but sadly, 2 to 4 times the price for an equivalent condition E34.

 

[Midas335i]

I owned one back in 1998, guzzler of note :fencelook:

 

[msm]

I owned one back in 1998, guzzler of note :fencelook:

Out of interest, manual or auto?

 

[Midas335i]

I owned one back in 1998, guzzler of note :fencelook:

Out of interest, manual or auto?

Auto

 

[Nic_s]

The 525i with the M50 engine should not be that bad. In fact it shouldn't be much more than a E36 325i.

 

[Uber Soldat]

In my opinion:

If you want an E34 with good power to weight ratio with decent fuel consumption, your best bet is a '94/ '95 525i. It has the vanos engine, not as pap as the non vanos ones. They weigh in at around 1500kg.

Of course the 540i is one awesome piece of kit but the fuel consumption is pretty heavy. You'd need to do the "brick under accelerator" mod. These weigh in at around 1721kg.

They're not too bad maintenance wise if you buy one in decent condition to begin with.

Manual in both please, otherwise no admission into the E34 mafia :bat:

You're welcome to come past and drive one or two of ours to get a feel for them.

 

[Fordkoppie]

Manual in both please, otherwise no admission into the E34 mafia :bat:

Yes please. We need a new one with a clean boot to keep the popo on a wrong track:rollsmile:

 

[racing snake]

One thing to remember is that the E34 is around 1700kg. So even though the 525i uses the same engine as the 3 series (M20 early models or M50 in later models), that weight means it's automatically heavier on fuel.

Another problem the E34 has is it's turning circle, but I've gotten used to it and when I'm in a parking lot I can already tell if I can make the turn or not and if I can't then I turn, reverse a bit and then pull into the parking bay nice and straight.

Overall I think the E34 makes a great daily as the ride is soft and it keeps a lot of the outside noise out. You feel almost cut off from the rest of the world. It's big, comfy, smooth, and relaxing.

You can also get a 5 series in pretty good condition for little money, while 3 series tend to be more expensive to buy in general 'cos of their popularity. That said, a 3 series is easier to get parts for.

If you really want a BMW for a daily, I personally think the E36 318is is as good of a choice as it gets. :thumb:

i must agree, the e36 318is is a very nice car.

buuuut ... ... ... i still love my boat! it does say "move out the bloody way chop" better than the e36 does on the highway... kekeke:rollsmile:

 

[444YYY]

E34's have the best smelling leather interiors. They 'keep' their smell even after all these years...

Lol, my 2c...... :fencelook:

Btw, why not swop your M3 for an E34 M5 plus difference...... I'm sure you thought of that.... :idea: