So I have a chance at picking up a 1982 528e
Please give me any info pros,cons and any specs you may know. I know nothing about them other than I like'em.
528e=???
535i=?????

I can get this car for $1100.00 in good to fair condition. Has a auto tranny.

Thoughts please.

An 82 528e automatic will be a slooowww car. But better on gas than a 535i. If you plan on spirited driving and modifying the car at all, it'd be better to wait for a 535i or 535is in good shape. And make sure its a 5 speed.

economy= slow, i have a 535, they are fun, somewhat fast...get a manual

Thanks guys,
Well decisions,decisions, my original idea was to find a smaller nice preferably vintage automobile that was fun to drive and had some style. So naturally I thought BMW. The reason was to have a cool safe daily driver that was good on gas. Being my 750IL is better on gas than my old Classic Grand Wagoneer but, that not saying much. So this BMW 528e should fit my needs right? Right,No! I start to research and discover all of these cool very sporting e28s and the go fast have fun side of my brain is taking over. Oh man the thought of a 5speed BMW gives me chills.

Oh man the thought of a 5speed BMW gives me chills.
what

If you want a more spirited car - you want a 535/535is/M5 -

you can make the 528 a good time - but it takes some good old engine work $$$

Jermattak wrote:What

I mean chills as in excitment!!! It's a good thing.

I mean chills as in excitment!!! It's a good thing.
ok, good

Okay so how about some specifics please.
First the 528e I am looking at is a 1982 with 203000 miles on the clock.
Is this significant for this engine?
What problems to look for in the year and model?
What kind of gas mileage does this car get?
Is it worth tuning?
Is it expensive to maintain?
What is the average price on this Bimmer?
Okay next the alternative:
535,535i how much is this bimmer worth, what should I expect to pay?
Are they rare to find with a 5 speed?
Is it that much more car than the 528e?
What problems to look for in the year and model?
Is it expensive to maintain?
Lastly, same questions as above:
M5

Thanks

not sure how long its good for, but my engine (m30) can last up to 350000 ive heard, old bimmer engunes are built well, look for probs with the fuel pumps, look for rust on the strut towers of all e28s... maybe get 22 mpg-26 (im guessing) you can test drive it, and press ave mpg and find out, is it worth tuning? no,the car goes 0-60 in like 11 seconds, the parts for e28s can be hard to find, but we'll help you, and become a member of mye28.com too....as far as a 535i, i bought mine for 1200 with 170000, and it still runs like a beast, absolutley no mech. problems, i found my e28 down the street, but i wasnt looking for a bmw, just liked it and bought it and got hooked. but im sure you can find one, just look real hard on the net, and you might have to do some driving to see one... there are no problems with a 535i, they are indestructable... if you can find an m5, buy it

p.s. watch out for rust, especialy on the back quater panels, can be pricey to replace (cut and weld job)

1. 203,000 is nothing for that engine. I've seen guys driving around with over 400,000.
2. E28s don't vary much year to year. I think the biggest difference was the instrument panel and On Board Computer, as those changed a bit in the later models. The real differences are in the engines. 528s come with M20 "small six" 2.7L motors. 533s have a M30 "bix six" 3.2L, 535s also have a M30, but it's a 3.4L and has much more upgrades available for it. M5s have an S38. Very powerful for its day, but also expensive to maintain. The big problem to look for in all models is rust, mostly. Make sure everything works and that the old owner kept up with the routine maintenance.
3. A 528e will get about 28mpg in the city. More on the highway. A stock 535 will get roughly 20mpg city/25mpg highway. M5s are more like 12/20.
4. 528es are not worth modifying at all, IMO. They are the all out slowest e28s you could possibly buy, and there aren't a whole lot of things you can do to make them faster. 535s are a much better buy if you're looking to upgrade it later on. Don't even think about modifying an M5 unless of course your last name is Trump, Gates, or Winfrey.
5. Generally, e28s are not expensive to maintain. They're one of the cheaper BMWs to keep on the road. M5's are way more expensive to maintain than a normal e28, because of their self-leveling rear suspensions and S38 engines.
6. Average prices on a 528e are free to about 2,000 for a really nice one. 535s are around 700 for a really ratty one to 5,000 for a pristine one. M5s are generally 10,000 to 15,000. A "bargain" M5 is usually a bad idea.
7. 5 speed 535s are much more common than automatics, IIRC. And yes, they are really that much more of a car.

If you're on a limited budget but still want to be able to have a fun car to drive and modify, a 535 5 speed is the way to go. If you have a large budget and want a very special BMW, then the M5 is it. And if you really want to save as much gas as possible and don't mind getting dusted on the freeway by VW minibuses, then I guess a 528e will do.