E34 wins coveted award!

Well, it's finally happened. The DIY car spannering magazine Car Mechanics has awarded the E34 5-series a coveted place in their Top Ten list of 'Cars to Keep Forever'.

High praise indeed from a magazine devoted to reducing ownership & maintenance costs and which publishes countless articles on the merits of Vauxhall Astra/Ford Escort ownership

They cited the E34's reliability, cheapness to buy on the used market now, variety of models and engine sizes, ease and simplicity of repair, and it's inherent overall mechanical strength.

The 540i was classed as 'Shatteringly Rapid', and the best all-rounder was the faithful old post '93 Vanos-equipped 24v 525i variant, especially the Touring models.

So there you have it-the E34 now has proper 'street cred' and owners aren't sneered at for being posh Beemer snobs. They can now look forward to a deferential nod of respect from the trade and can expect to be let out of side roads by drivers of white vans and old Fords & Vauxhalls

We all knew this, and the award is long overdue.

But, I usually find that articles or awards like this will actually put the price of them up.

Just as Nigel gets rid of his..... 

They didn't mention the E32, but as it's mostly a bigger version of the E34 then all the same factors apply, so it can justly lay claim to a portion of the award I think, especially as it's a bit cheaper to buy than the E34 and no less reliable

I know that I'd rather put my hand in a bacon slicer than get rid of my 2 E34's-my '93 540i has just passed it's MOT once again without fail for the third consecutive year, and I can't imagine life without it now. My 525i Touring fills so many roles that it's indespensible so I don't want to ever let that one go either-truly cars to keep forever so a toast to the E34 is due, I feel, or is that just an excuse to swipe another cold Murphy's from the fridge

"Fingerman......good price!  Is it a runner or does it need work?"

A little, bit of an oil leak - but could maybe be fixed due to a loose bolt?

http://evansweb.info/articles/2003/02/19/quick-fix-for-m30-e ngine-oil-leak

I've fitted new badges/centre caps and gave it a good scrub, and sticking it back on EBay!

Apart from that it's in pretty good nick pretty good

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/fingerman/2006_082700 14.jpg

sorry, can't seem to get hyperlinks working?

RedOctober wrote: Well, it's finally happened. The DIY car spannering magazine Car Mechanics has awarded the E34 5-series a coveted place in their Top Ten list of 'Cars to Keep Forever'. High praise indeed from a magazine devoted to reducing ownership & maintenance costs and which publishes countless articles on the merits of Vauxhall Astra/Ford Escort ownership They cited the E34's reliability, cheapness to buy on the used market now, variety of models and engine sizes, ease and simplicity of repair, and it's inherent overall mechanical strength. The 540i was classed as 'Shatteringly Rapid', and the best all-rounder was the faithful old post '93 Vanos-equipped 24v 525i variant, especially the Touring models. So there you have it-the E34 now has proper 'street cred' and owners aren't sneered at for being posh Beemer snobs. They can now look forward to a deferential nod of respect from the trade and can expect to be let out of side roads by drivers of white vans and old Fords & Vauxhalls

at last  i got so excited that i bought the back issue featuring the E34 

chazzer wrote: RedOctober wrote: The 540i was classed as 'Shatteringly Rapid' I can vouch for that

You'll be dinning out on that quote for a while

Whilst I'm an E34 man myself, I don't think the differences between the E34 and E32 are that great in reality.

The E32 is not greatly heavier than the E34, itself no lightweight, and many of the complex electrical & electronic systems on the E32 can be found on high-end versions of the E34.

The only really questionable variant of the E32 is the V12 750i, with it's twin engine management systems and troublesome electronic throttles. I'd agree that they would all cause cause for concern if they gave trouble, but the 'cooking' 730i & 735i models aren't vastly different in drivetrain layout and electrical system complexity than the equivalent E34 models, whilst Nikasil problems on the V8-engined 7-series can also be levelled at the E34 V8's in equal measure.

The E32 is a bit heavier than the E34 and so will put more strain on suspension & steering components, but the E34 is not exactly a lightweight itself and no more immune from problems than the E32.

The E32's greater size and bulk will put some people off, as well as the fact that they usually came as fully-loaded high-end models and so even a basic E32 is likely to be much more complicated than a base 518i.

If you buy a fully-loaded high-end E34 you're just as likely to suffer problems from the complex systems as you are with the E32, and the big-engined E34's don't use vastly less fuel than the equivalent E32 models.

At the end of the day though it's horses for courses, and the fact is that the E34 appeals to a wider audience than the E32, because it's just that little bit more manageable for most people.

The E32's great if you want a really big old car for peanuts, and don't care about the sheer size of the car, but for most people the E34 is a more realistically attainable dream for those who want to try a BMW but don't want huge running costs or repair bills etc.

You could say that the E34 looks inherently 'right' in it's proportions, and,with such a huge choice of engine sizes available from the 518i to the M5 and all shades in between, won't frighten off someone wanting a big, comfy old car who just wants a sensible engine size.

It appeals to so many people because it offers so much variety in engine/trim level/body style, that can realistically satisfy everyone's choice, from base 518i economy car to scaring the hell out of your pet pooch in the 540i Touring to full-on track day M5 racer. Straight-4, classic BMW straight-6, or hod-rod V8, there's an engine to suit everyone

The smallest engine you could get on the E32 was the 3 litre, so the 7-series was already fighting with one hand tied behind it's back if it was trying to win over people upgrading from an old 1.6 litre family hatch etc who didn't want a big engine if they went for a BMW. They could probably justify a 518i, 520i or 525i, but not a 730i or 735i.

Nonetheless it's good to see the faithful, old E34 finally 'arrive' in style amongst the spanner-wielding fraternity, so I feel another toast is due in finest cold Murphy's style

RedOctober wrote: Well, it's finally happened. The DIY car spannering magazine Car Mechanics has awarded the E34 5-series a coveted place in their Top Ten list of 'Cars to Keep Forever'.

I agree, wished I'd kept mine, great car my first BMW and that was only 3 years ago!

Still being on the darkside in my E38 has its advantages 

My E34 540i automatic has been a paragon of cheapness and reliability over the last 3 years and 36,000 miles. It's just passed it's third consecutive MOT without fail and does 25mpg to work and 30mpg on a long motorway run.

I can't imagine life without it now as there's nothing else for the price that can match it's combination of raw speed, reliability, comfort, cheapness, and good economy of you don't rag it

You do have to find a good one though, or it could indeed become a bottomless money pit as 5KXO says, especially a Nikasil-blighted example.

A good E32 is still a great car though, and definately another one to keep forever, as I looked at a few E32's before finding my 540i, and you got a vast amount of car for very little cash with the E32.

I don't think there's actually a bad BMW, E32 or E34, merely bad examples that have been poorly maintained. Get a good one and your laughing, E32 or E34