Most reliable older luxury car?

Lexus ls400 or gs300, honda legend

I'd say the previous previous 97- 02 age shape 5 series Bimmer are pretty well bomb proof. The 523 or 525 (or at a push the 528) will be as good on fuel as you mondy, and aside from slightly tricky rear suspension bushes seem to run and run. Find a small good specialist to maintain it.

Tim..

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Thing is, an E39 (for it is that you refer to) isn't a luxury car, or even particularly reliable. I'd avoid one like the plague, especially after the problems I had with mine.

W124 Mercedes 320-24v is a proper car.

You'll notice the recommendation is for a 6 cylinder model?

BTW, how would you define a 'luxury' car?

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Well, after the ball-ache my brother had with his 520i I'd not even go along with that. Nice engine, when it works properly.

Something that makes you feel special every time you drive it. Comfortable, quiet, smooth, easy to drive, but mainly special.

The E39 is comfortable, quiet and smooth and is a nice enough car, but it's not special. The same way a Lexus LS is a nice car but it's not something that you'd be all excited to drive.

My definition of a luxury car is a car that soothes, relaxes and makes you feel good. A car that every time you sit in it you feel better about yourself and the world. A car that makes you smile and take it easy.

An E39 is just another BMW. The M5 has a lot of charm but the rest are just medium to large saloons with a multitude of problems. Nice enough cars but that's all.

A Jag XJ is a luxury car, a Bentley Turbo R is a luxury car, even a Range Rover is a luxury car, but a 5 series BMW is just a car.

Good question. Does it mean a large car with every conceivable extra, or a car that is comfortable. Is quiet inside at speed, as far as wind and road noise is concerned, and is reasonably well appointed. I would say the latter, but I think the former is the most common interpretation. An E39 scores reasonably well by my interpretation of a luxury car, and the best model for everyday use, again IMO, is the 528i SE which ATM are as cheap as chips.

I'd say you need to change your family as it appears to have bad luck. ;-)

Of course there are some weak spots with the E39, but no more so than any other - and less than most comparable cars. Nor are the weak spots expensive or difficult to sort.

It was considered special by just about every road test when it was new.

Ah - you mean something with slushy suspension and woolly steering that doesn't handle?

Like I said, they certainly don't have a 'multitude of problems' - based on belonging to a group with over 1000 owners. Individual cars may have but then that's no different from any other.

The OP's budget is about 5K. Both the Jag and Range Rover are likely to be problematical at that price and the Turbo R unobtainable. You will, however, get a very nice 528 with all the bells and whistles for that.

What about a big Nissan (forgotten name) the Honda Legend or one f the most popular cars in the US - the Toyota Camry

No badge cache but If reliability and comfort is No. 1?

Tomy ( snipped-for-privacy@xrglktlgfx.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Apart from the fact that all of those have rarely been available here, and when they have been available have sold very poorly indeed...?

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Admittedly my brother did have an E39 528i that was pretty good - other than lunching the auto box at 60k - the same mileage my 540i killed its auto.

Since having his two E39s and a very bad E60 (is it the E60, the E39 replacement) he's gone back to Mercedes. He's got an E280 CDi V6 that's so far done 120k miles and never needed anything bar regular servicing. It's as reliable as the two W210s he had before his BMW outings, totally.

Most BMWs are by the press, they're just not that special once you've driven them for a couple of weeks.

Nope, the BMW has slightly better steering and harder suspension so it's more suitable for hooligan driving. Mercs, Jags et al tend to handle as well as a BMW if you're not a hooligan.

I can only go off personal experience. I've had 4 or 5 very unreliable BMWs, my brother had 3 very unreliable new BMWs and I know plenty of other people who have had similar things happen to them.

The Jag should be ok, the Turbo is unobtanium, and the Rangie is risky, but they're all no more risky than a 5 series in my experience.

Thanks Tim. I've read too much about BMW faults to be happy to buy an older one at the moment though.

Now this I *have* been looking at. Full spec '98 cars can be had well within my budget. Thanks for the idea.

As the OP I want...

A reasonably powerful engine. Reliability. Max comfort. Room for all the family. Toys.

I don't want 4x4's, American pickup trucks or something on a VW chassis.

Thanks.

In a past life I had an older 'J' reg 530. Blew the head and needed a rebuild, the manual gearbox was notchy and quite a few minor "I need to fix that one day..."'s.

Check.

Must, out of completeness, look at Lexus.

Or use the big engine!

I'd love another Jag but too prone to faults. I want to spend what money I have on myself, not paying a mechanics wages.

That's not a W214, though.

That's a W210(?) - the later shape that rusts like a Mirafiori and has all the reliability of an XJ40.

W124 was built up until 1995-ish. Late examples are lovely cars, IMHO.

That's always potentially a problem. The Lexus's are good, but look out for oddities e.g. the price of a new exhaust.

W124 Merc. Nothing newer, the later Mercs are rustbuckets. But W124 was the last "proper" Merc and you can get the very best for a lot less than your budget.

Citroen XM. OK so it's not actually at all reliable, but you can't have everything, and for 5K you could get a minter.

For £5k you'd get a handful of minters and a few spares cars thrown in, too.