BMW 528i E39 //Road Test

Is the 528i the best car in the world? A full-on road test over the hills and mountains of the Pennines ought to be enough to find out. A six-cylinder up front, manual gearbox in the middle, drive going to the rear spells classic BMW, while there's all the cleverness of a 1990s executive car at the top of its game to make the rest of the package pretty special. Does it add up? Well watch and find out!
Should mention that the car was pretty much fully laden during this test as a result of being on a big photoshoot road trip, hence why the car looks so low and might not have been as quick as it could have been. Also the dampers were a little worn out...
We push the car to the limit, cover the performance, handling, braking, as well as the design, interior details and anything else that appeals to the driving enthusiast. Why not watch another? • Car Reviews
From full-on road tests of driver's cars to immersive tours of where to drive them. Espuela Grande is a place for proper driving, great scenery, and (hopefully) interesting details.
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[@ruedaloca1403]

wipers don't move the wrong way, YOU are sitting in the wrong place and indeed its the best car ever

[@kristiyanivanov5055]

Hahahahah

[@kosty315cov2]

What about the 523i?? Good or bad

[@tumiantumi4726]

@@kosty315cov2 All E39´s are good...😉😉

[@jetstream454]

Manufacturers should tailor the wiper position based on whether it's sold to LHD or RHD markets

[@jaynareynolds3684]

Arguably the best car ever made. The magnificent e39! BMW hit the sweet spot here. This car is destined to that stratospheric arena of great cars now occupied by the Mercedes 300SL gullwing and few others. As of this writing in 2021 this masterpiece can still be had by people less than multimillionaires.

[@bearbjorni]

Totally agrees! Having owned over 20 the last 10 years I must say its one of the best ever made.

[@uioverhaul]

Hello! Why do you think that BMW e39 is one of the best car ever made? I really like the look of this car and I would like to find out more.

[@jaynareynolds3684]

@@uioverhaul Tomas - we think the car speaks for itself.

[@uioverhaul]

@@jaynareynolds3684 That doesn't help much really. Could you point out some specific reasons?

[@StephenR-nf9wb]

Well you need to drive one. You will either come to a similar conclusion or you won't. Cheers @@uioverhaul

[@marwanjleid5712]

Despite the car I think the review is underrated!

[@StephenR-nf9wb]

I had a 2001 E39 fifteen years ago. Loved it, but I grew frustrated keeping up with the often costly repairs. So I traded it for something newer. I followed that up with two M-3s, a 911, three Z4's, two Boxsters and a Audi A8L. Then I came to the realization that the best overall driving car I ever owned was the E39. After much searching, I found and purchased a 2000 E39, the same color as my original. This one has just 67K miles and is absolutely beautiful. As with the first (and I add that both are 528I's), the car drives wonderfully and I am always hesitant to point it towards home. This is my last car and I will never again concern myself with the occasional costly repair; its a small price to pay for (near) automotive perfection. Cheers

[@Screaming-Trees]

The E39 was the first nice car I ever owned actually. I bought mine in 2006 but it was the late 2003 edition with the M sport configuration. I drove it home from the dealer all the way from Melbourne to Sydney. Just love that car. Miss it. Mine didn't have any wood appointments though. It had a black and silver trim. Would love to get it back but alas it is probably too late now. The E39 is getting quite old. We have a new Audi A4 (2023) with the sports features but it just isn't the same. Nice but I still prefer the E39 personally. Probably my all time favourite. I had an e34 before that (1989) because it was all I could afford and I loved that thing too. Also an amazing car. I was at the start of my career and had to drive across Sydney about an hour each day. I did that with the e34 for something like 5 or 6 years.

[@houseofwine7704]

I enjoy my E39 530d Touring in top conditions now since 3 years and I have to say it's the best car I've ever owned. It gives you the full luxury after 22 years of building like it's a new car. It feels new. Every plastic button is still like new. No sticky rub off like on any other new car build on recycling materials. The scent of the leather is just outstanding too. Bear in mind that these cars are available today for much less than 10k you get the world for it. ❤️

[@colinregan7380]

I've owned a few of them...a 97 528i and currently have a 2001 535i Msport... love it to bits...every drive is a pleasure...why would you spend over 50k on a new BMW?

[@w203ck9]

The opening scene where you’re belting it up that mountain road is what BMW used to be about. Such an amazing engine to rev to the limit and still rely on it the next day to get to work and do the shopping.

[@JodyGomes]

Doesn't that 6 pot just sound glorious

[@ek8710]

It really does, sounds better with a MagnaFlow stainless exhaust ;P

[@malthusg1115]

Yeah. Truly wonderful.

[@soundseeker63]

They all did, thats what got me into BMWs in the first place! Of course most of BMWs cars now come with 4 or even 3-cyl engine. Tragic :'-(

[@Krezo200]

@@soundseeker63 new bms have nothing to do with the old ones Ill stick to the old ones for the next few years

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

@@ek8710 It's a 5 series, it's for cruising and not making noise

[@4syth]

I have a 2002 M5 and a 2000 528i Msport which is my daily driver. The 528i has better steering and feels a little more nimble than the M5. The M5 is a whole other animal though. I love them both.

[@AriettiJoao]

All of the eight cilinders e39 (540i and the M5) have steering box, and all of the six cilinders e39 have steering rack, so yeah, the 528i handles much better than the M5, you are right. At the same time that these cars are awesome for daily driving, the M5 is a beast, this and other reasons make the e39 gen my favorite one.

[@4syth]

Yes, the 6 cyl rack and pinion steering is so much better, but the M5 makes up for it in many ways.

[@pascutia]

Best possible combo of cars. When you want power, you drive the M5. When you want better fuel efficiency and more nimble handling, you drive the 528i.

[@4syth]

@@pascutia absolutely, perfect pair.

[@jaymum23]

@@AriettiJoaoI don’t know about overall handling. The Inline-6 do have better steering and are lighter, but the M5 has a much sportier suspension and subframes as well has far more aggressive wheels and tires. The M5 will grip at 0.90g on a skid pad while the 528/530i will manage ~0.85g.

[@honahwikeepa2115]

We owned an 1998 AC Schnitzer 540i and a 1999 523i. Awesome cars. Gave the Schnitzer to our daughter to keep it in the family before we migrated abroad. Only two were bought into New Zealand. I'd buy another one tomorrow because I know them so well. Easy to work on.

[@tbirdboy]

That Glacier Green is a stunning color.

[@poomped53]

Utterly delightful video. Makes me miss my E39 530i sport dearly. Lovely cars.

[@steveberridge4648]

Back when you could cane a BMW down a British country Lane and it wouldn’t try to bump you off the road - peerless balance of ride and handling. Too many people forget how important ride quality is to making progress on the road.

[@steveberridge4648]

Honestly this is in my “Everyman” all time top ten car list along with the mk1 Ford Focus 1.6 and the mk2 Mazda mx5. The late 90s was a great era for good to drive cars imo

[@EGMedia1]

@@steveberridge4648 Right with you Steve! I also had a Mk1 Focus 1.8 as it happens, what a sweet thing along British B-roads.

[@soundseeker63]

Mmmm, metallic Glacier Green, what a classic 90's colour for a classic 90's car! When did you last see a modern car in a nice minty green colour like that? I have the same colour on mine with matching interior, dark green dash/light green leather - Such a refreshing change from all the black/grey cars today. It's not a "fast" car by modern standards but, that just gives you more chances to make the 6-cylinder sing!... and it is sooooo smooth and comfy. I love it!

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Great cars. I think the later 530i (2001-2003) is the choice. Especially with the sport package.

[@MBTU-ju8ts]

But 528i has less problems.

[@alfacorse]

@@MBTU-ju8ts Yes, the M52 doesn´t drink oil like almost every M54.

[@Krezo200]

@@MBTU-ju8ts m52nontu one of the best engined ever made by bmw

[@DouweBuruma]

@@alfacorse my previous m52 did 1:3000km, my current m54 has zero oil consumption. But also I prefer the M52.

[@JodyGomes]

@@alfacorse you need to change your ccv

[@moh2502]

I drove my uncles 96 E39 528i auto, a bit sluggish on take off but on the open road, it goes very well, a very comfortable ride.

[@Passionforgermancars]

Good review! Looking to get a 530I M sport soon :)

[@lewis72]

I had a '99 manual 528i in silver with leather seats some years ago now, so almost identical to this one in the video. When it was getting tired, I traded it in for a manual '03 E60 530i but there were many things about the E60 that I didn't ike, so the following year i bought an E39 M5 as well.

[@lds11678]

Hi there ! Looking from france your gentlemen driver reviews ! Nice work ! I have a 530da e39 pretty nice car for daily use.

[@maikelnait4495]

Really like Your laid back style. Really enjoyable 👍👍Couldn’t really tell if You were joking about wipers, oh well. Thanks.

[@michaelford8986]

Thanks for the video. Subscribed! I'm just about to get a nearly mint low mileage 2001 525i with the M Sport pack. Silver with black leather. I've owned an E36 316i for years and had no intention of changing, but this car just presented itself and I couldn't resist. I can't wait to get it!

[@TheBrokenBMW]

I love my E39 523i, still want the 528. I totally agree e39 best car in the world. I'm so happy even now in 2021 this vid still being made about this amazing car.

[@paulriskalas2200]

The best car ever made

[@christoffers1686]

I wonder how a e39 would feel now with a few years with e60, its tempting to just buy one. They are so classy looking with the right spec.

[@deddyirawan3079]

Go … it feels great. Get the 530i one

[@christoffers1686]

@@deddyirawan3079 Yes it would probably be the sweet spot, my problem with the 540i is that modern turbo/electric cars is faster anyway.

[@deddyirawan3079]

@@christoffers1686 i would get the 540i in the blink of an eye, yet here in my country we don’t have one, thats why I currently owned 530i one. Been driving it daily almost a year now, just never get enough of it

[@christoffers1686]

@@deddyirawan3079 i would not mind 540i either. but a nice one will bump up the price more than its worth for me, also the inline 6 is legandery:) automatic or manual is the next consideration.

[@christoffers1686]

@@deddyirawan3079 you have a great taste btw. e39 is always classy

[@michaelhaydon3078]

I have owned one since 2004. I have owned 8 BMWs from 318i through M535i to 750iL and my E39 528i SE is the everyday car of them all that is the best.

[@Krezo200]

I love the e39 Currently owning my third one

[@nomenicuss2091]

surprisingly lovely content from surprisingly small channel, I see you have stopped the uploads, shame. A bit better camera and nothing else to add to this style of reviews, classic British style :)

[@paulanderson7796]

I had a 2000(X) plate 528i SE Auto right on the changeover. It had the double VANOS valvegear being the TU engine. The 530i which replaced it was arguably faster but refinement wise these were very good cars for general everyday use. I rarely saw less than 35 mpg as well, which isn't bad for a car of this size and weight, despite not being the quickest around.

[@BedtimestoryLPs]

perfection

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

I've bought a ratty old 523i e39, i've fallen in love with the thing. Only bought it because it was cheap but i might fix it up it's that good. Something was annoying me about the wipers, i never realised they were the wrong way round...

[@davidparkin9017]

Best car ever with a short list of faults. The return spring on the seat belt is weak and after some years you have to feed the seat belt back in. The fabric on the a, b and c pillars are poorly glued on, especially the b pillars next to the seat belt. The power seat twist defect can injure one's back. Raising or lowering the radio volume inadvertently changes radio stations is common knowledge to BMW owners. A wet carpet after several years means your sunroof drainage tube is blocked. Wheel speed sensors are delicate. Coolant system should have been designed better as owners pat themselves on the back if it has not leaked in four years. The DISA VALVE can be the engines kiss of death if it sucks a rivet down even though they generally last eight years. The leather is barely second rate and any color other than black will stain, absorb water and age poorly. The plastic used on the center armrest degrades. The cup holders are delicate to a fault. A dead battery can trap you inside the car. The radio reception becomes crackling and poor. The speakers are cheap in that they are not moisture resistant and blow in ten years. Paper speakers instead of polypropylene, shame on you, BMW. Plastic spring clips on center console control buttons dry up and break. Usually the defrost and a.c. buttons. A torsion bar would have been far better for opening the boot and bonnet than the struts that need replacing every three years. The power controls on the side of the driver's seat fail leaving the steering wheel in any odd position. The drivers seat cushion looks and feels like a pancake in five years. The passenger side mirror reverts to a downward position of its own accord and if the driver is unaware can cause an accident when changing lanes. Something to think about when choosing the best car ever!

[@TheRobynhud]

Brilliant review as ever. Cheers

[@cultoureblog5892]

These cars are so god damn perfect!

[@matthewbell1968]

Excellent video on a great car but can you explain one thing please.....R32 EOA registration plate was on a Golf from 2006-2023 so how are you driving the e39 on that plate?

[@mro9466]

i don't have enough space to store and fix old cars like this. and regulations are making things a lot harder to drive those cars now. it's a nightmare, because these 90s BMW are the best medicine for the soul.

[@nickvolt2816]

Wipers are ok - you just have steering wheel on the wrong side. :P

[@umeshsurenthiran9205]

Awesome review buddy, good on you!!!!!!! Just out of interest, are the seats and steering wheel electric?

[@EGMedia1]

Thanks! They are in fact both manual, though electric would have been an option.

[@umeshsurenthiran9205]

@@EGMedia1 that’s surprising, thought they would have been standard from the E39 onwards.

[@kristiyanivanov5055]

5:35 what’s up with all the knocks and bangs from the back ? Is someone trying to get out of the trunk or something

[@user-zv4wu4ms1n]

Е-39 528 ❤️❤️❤️

[@nicklandman1836]

I am seriously considering purchasing one, its an automatic and has about 120k on the clock from a second owner that I know personally. I'm in South Africa and the price tag is well under 5000 quid, a good buy in 2021?

[@EGMedia1]

It all comes down to condition, there's still a lot of leggy cars for less then £3k but often times they have issues that are prohibitively expensive to fix. If you get a good one though it is a lot of car for the money.

[@tarekhattani4980]

BMW ❤ E39 ❤

[@gorialpu3]

Е 39 it's an amazing car. No doubt about it.

[@bluerineimb1148]

Yeah I have same car done a good few upgrades & tuning & it's as good as a E39 528i cauld be I wauld never sell it

[@christianshelbrack9712]

What ride height is your suspension adjusted to? Looks very nice

[@EGMedia1]

This is the Sport suspension... plus 180k miles!

[@simonh870]

I had a 528i SE manual just like that. The only things I didn't like was that it was slightly underpowered and the steering wheel was huge. A 530i Msport with manual gearbox would be perfect.

[@ek8710]

I have one of these with an LPG conversion. Can't decide if I want to sell it or not

[@luckyhack78]

y drive E39 for 15 years daily , ph1 the steering wheel is to big and the second problem is , suspension, when you buy this second hand and MOT says "ok" but the most of the time there are very tired, put 3 people in the back and it will be another story :) the weigth of the car cheat the machine at MOT if they are used 50/50 left and right , the rear coils have problèms with rust , specialy the last 4 on the top (on sedan) and one day the last one will brake , but they are wonderful cars to drive, y live at the border with spain so rust is not a problem :)

[@tooming]

It rather seems that the rear springs are broken :)

[@mikopoubil6045]

Wow la 528 M52B28 et le must de chez BMW '. Pour moi s'est l'un des meilleurs moteur puissant coupleux ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@lewis72]

May sound controversial but i think that a manual X300 3.2 XJ Sport would be better, even though externally it's in the 7 Series class.

[@maxday8487]

I hate it when people say stuff not made like it use to but the bmw e39 and e46 are the best bmw ever made

[@ash7990]

To be picky, the sport spec e39’s handle well. The standard SE suspension with 15” and 16” wheels is a bit of a barge. Nothing special about how they handle. Still a lovely car though

[@soundseeker63]

He said that car was on the sports springs. And anyway they all had good handling balance even if the SE suspension was on the soft side.

[@slam44]

Yes. It is the best ever. The i6 sings to me. Funny, my wipers are correct.

[@jonandrewleon]

97/98 BMW 528i 5 speed is the best “daily driver” ever made. The iron block on those years is bullet proof. Single vanos-the drivetrain won’t break. Clutches on these last 200k…..Would rather have my 97 with almost 150k on it than any new BMW unless it’s an M and I was going for a “true” sports car……of which the 97:98 e 36 M3 and M5 of this generation also covered so well. Really you could daily drive this, get an M3 of this era for tracking and sports driving and then get a torque monster for straight line rushes like a c5 Vette z06 and you would have all you need. This cars best part? You can get low mileage 5 speed 528s for a few K. It’s an incredible bargain. It’s close to the e38 and has a little of the e36 mojo too …..there is no better daily driver ever IMO and I have drove a lot of cars.

[@leggenda47]

In Europe, unlike in the US, the m52 is exclusively in aluminium, we don't got iron block after the m50. So the main weakness is overeating, still a very reliable engine, mine got beaten up by previous owners, and was lacking maintenance, and he still start and run good, even after 1 year without starting. Bmw used to really make incredible cars and engines back then, even the m57 diesel powered is superb to use, even if i normaly hate diesel

[@sirtonkalott]

You need to review a E39 M5😉

[@EGMedia1]

Eating my words will never be more tasty!

[@sirtonkalott]

@@EGMedia1,sort out the insurance and I may let you review mine?

[@EGMedia1]

@@sirtonkalott get in touch via e-mail or insta and we could set something up!

[@EGMedia1]

@@sirtonkalott [e-mail] ;)

[@johnshaw359]

It's a relief to find an E39 video that's not about the M5 model. Spread the love a bit. M-sport 530i is great too.

[@greenbunnyinabongo7299]

I lent my 528i to my uncle who has a severe gas problem. Even though he only had it for 3 months, during that time the driver seat had absorbed and retained his bottom gas aroma so there’s always the faint scent of uncle Walter’s fart whenever I enter the car

[@SuperCatbert]

i have a 2002 530d manual. does 42mpg combined and is a great driving and riding car. and its worth about 1500 quid. go figure.

[@turtle3393]

Your sitting too far back and are over reaching when steering. You need to be at least an inch or two nearer. Try it. Especially when your holding the top of the steering wheel. The wipers were a cost save and perfectly reasonable one to do. The key point is the aluminium keeps unsprung weight at a minimum- and thats how they transform the handling so well. It takes what the learned from the e34 and e32 and develops it several jumps ahead. Costly but we can see the difference that makes. It does look a bit low to be fair and may have been lowered. They dont roll anyway and so the sport suspension is somewhat of a big price to pay and we can hear the thud over road changes- you wont get this in a normal standard set up. Good review though.

[@atillaruslan9703]

Great car indeed. But aluminum block sucks on m52 engines. overheats and makes a great shit

[@ANDYW031084]

Nice car but gray interior is the worst looking in my opinion just can't handle this color maybe is just me lol

[@bartekd9885]

I own 2001 530i, similar spec and have to say - those seats are actually rubbish, back aches as much as it can after longer ride. Otherwise it's magnificent. 231hp ekspres that it goes like hell, goes around corners pretty fabulous, is quiet when you need and shouts when you push it. Only real downfall is fuel consumption which is attractive only for oil companies.

[@alfacorse]

Fuel consumption is actually very good. We can´t forget it´s 20-25 year old technology in a 1550 kg luxury car. Easy to get 28 mpg on the open road. In city driving it drops to 22, though.

[@bartekd9885]

@@alfacorse in my case 28 mpg is achievable only by going on cruise control at 2 am with a speed of a bus, not exceeding 90 kph and in city I drop more or less to 16 mpg. So I stand by my statement

[@MrSkyline11]

I have these seats too. I agree, these seats aren't the best if you are tall.

[@mcdoob]

Weird, out of every car I’ve owned, including newer BMWs and various other cars, my e39 seats are by far the most comfortable for me

[@DouweBuruma]

You are right, these seats are not comfortable, I installed e38 comfort-sport seats, even those, with crazy amount of adjustments, are not comfortable.

[@shoresAK-47]

omg how angry i wuld have been is someone drove past me like that omg getting bad just watching it

[@e28forever30]

Calm down snowflake.

[@kalle9777]

good car, bit slow tho

[@dodich81]

You sit to far. That is not good!

[@simsnqta]

Could do with some work on it.

[@rezamotin7305]

This guy is stuck in 1999

[@tumiantumi4726]

"The Wipers go the wrong way around"??? LOL...🤣🤣🤣..You Brits with your Miles, Feet, Pounds and Inches and on Top of that driving on the right (WRONG) side of the road....The Metric System wins....No wonder did Iceland win the Cod Wars.....and kicked you out of the Euro 2016...🤣🤣🤣...But other than that, the E39 is the best, specially facelift...I have a 2002 E39 530 Facelift and it´s great...

[@paulanderson7796]

Manual just doesn't suit this particular model.

[@nein-mrna6811]

How ugly a e39 could be if the steering wheel is on the wrong side 🤮 In Bavaria great Germany only left hand driven Maybe because UK is the world champion of bad taste 🤣