E39 - Will it Road Trip?

"Collin" (coliin) 08/26/2013 at 09:46 • Filed to: BMW, E39, Cats, Roadtrip, Oppositelock

4

9

Growing up not exactly in the 1%, I quickly discovered that having a friend who had an expensive toy was just as good as having that toy yourself. As I got older, the only thing that really changed was how much more expensive the toys were that I was interested in. While I cannot currently afford a beach house on a private island, I have extended family that can, and somehow my parents managed to get an invitation. I've driven down for Georgia-Florida weekend the last several years, but while Frat Beach is technically a beach, it is far from a peace-and-quiet, relax-in-the-sun vacation. SEC rivalries are war, and there is no peace, quiet, relaxation, or vacation in war.

This trip also afforded me the opportunity to figure out just how well the E39 would handle a road trip. Obviously the Estate version would have been preferable for luggage storage and Jalop-ness, but V8/6MT/RWD checks enough boxes on the Jalop-o-meter that I'm ok missing out on wagon greatness. Anyways, I had three days and 500+ miles to answer some very pressing questions about this soon-to-be classic automobile that had mostly seen duty in North Atlanta's commuter traffic where the fastest one wins, and nobody goes fast. Without further ado, here we go.

How much room is in the back seat?

When I bought this car, I don't think I even looked in the back seat. You can't drive from the back seat, and I like to drive. I'm also not 16 anymore, so if I want to go kissing a girlfriend, I can do so in my own apartment.

As it turns out, there is plenty of room in the back seat, and I would be able to comfortably sit behind myself, which was news to me. A taller driver paired with a taller back seat passenger might have had problems, but those of us who are in the 60 th percentile for height don't have time for your tall people problems. My family probably would have said that they had plenty of room if I had asked them, but I heard no complaints and didn't bother to ask.

How big is the trunk?

The trunk is big enough for three men plus one woman to put their luggage into, plus a small cooler. I am skeptical that four women could fit all of their luggage for a three day trip into the trunk, but even a Yukon would struggle to meet that challenge.

For those of you concerned with non-luggage cargo capacity, I would estimate that it could also hold four or five bodie...er...large bags of “mulch.”

Was Henry invited?

Henry, my family's American bulldog, was not invited. Much like everything else America does, the American bulldog is a marked improvement over the English bulldog. Henry is better looking, has better teeth, can breathe freely, and doesn't drool incessantly. Unfortunately, there was no room for him in the car, and even if there was, his white hair is all but impossible to get out of a car. This is no red Audi S4 Avant.

How comfortable is a 5 hour ride?

Quite comfortable, at least from the driver's seat. The passengers didn't complain, and I didn't ask them.

How useful are those extendable thigh supports?

The jury is still out on this one. My dad thought they were super cool. My brother thought they were more of a fun novelty. I think their real value lies in being a nice party trick, but being able to adjust the seat while driving keeps the monotony at bay, which is also nice.

How many MPGs did you get?

This is an interesting question. 4.4 liters of V8 awesomeness and the government officials would suggest that 19 mpg was about the best I could expect. 340 torques and a 6 speed said otherwise, however. Over the entire trip, the computer insisted that I averaged 27.6 mpg. That works out to over a 500 mile range. Beat that, Nissan Leaf.

Will your mother accept your, “We're only stopping for gas and when we get there,” rule?

No, she will not. Your mother has a tiny lady-bladder and can't hold it for 500 miles.

Will the cup holders hold cups?

This really depends on your definition of a cup. Technically it will fit a can of Cheerwine, but even that's a risky proposition. Is it really too much to ask for the Germans to design cars that properly facilitate drinking while driving? Wait, that didn't come out right.

Is the engine bay a good place for a cat to spend its time?

This is also an affirmative no. When I went to start the car to head home, a horrible noise came from under the hood, and everything started shaking violently. I immediately turned it off, and when I popped the hood, a cat had apparently gotten into the fan, shearing off half of the blades at the cost of its life. Cats should not, in fact, play with cars. Cats are evil, and I hate them.

nlzmo400r > Collin 08/26/2013 at 09:56

1

E39 is the best road trip car I've owned. My m5 gets a fairly abysmal 19-20mpg highway though. Luckily, it seems to get this whether cruising at 75 or 115, go figure. Also, I agree the size of the car is sufficient, my worry is that my e39 has no spare tire. Is your 540 the same?

Collin > nlzmo400r 08/26/2013 at 09:59

0

I'm pretty sure there's a spare in the trunk. I probably should have double-checked on that before setting out on a road trip. I assume they just dropped the spare on the M5 to save weight, as the 540i is more of a gentleman's sporting sedan than a four door sports car.

trynthink > Collin 08/26/2013 at 10:02

0

Some questions about your E39:

Did you verify the computer's MPG numbers with your trip meter and fuel purchases (or have you done that before to check accuracy)?

I know you don't have time for my "tall people problems" but do you think the extendable thigh supports would be useful for someone who is taller/has longer legs?

How have you found parts prices (OEM or otherwise) to be for repairs? Have you done any work on the car yourself? Is it manageable under the hood with the V8?

Collin > trynthink 08/26/2013 at 10:38

0

I didn't do it on this trip, but the general math works out to the point that I don't doubt the computer's numbers.

I'm sure you would. I like to change my leg position over the course of a road trip though, so being able to extend them and retract them offered a greater benefit to me than having them one way or the other, if that makes sense. It was more comfortable to ride with my legs out when the thigh supports were extended, but retracting them changed how the seat felt, which gave me another way to sit, and mixing up seating position reduces fatigue.

Nothing major has broken so far. The cost of replacing the fan isn't terrible in my opinion, and doing the work myself has been straightforward. The engine takes up a lot of space, but changing the transmission fluid was no harder than changing the engine oil. I think the main cost of maintaining these older BMWs is dealer markup on parts and their insane labor costs.

nlzmo400r > Collin 08/26/2013 at 12:10

0

I don't think it was a weight savings idea on a 2ton car, but my battery resides where the spare normally would be instead. I have a 'spare' front wheel/tire that I carry with me on road trips if I pack light. I do get a nifty little BMW cigarette plug air pump though!

Collin > nlzmo400r 08/26/2013 at 12:34

0

A brief consultation of the internet says that the M5 has side-specific tires, and the rear ones are significantly wider than the front ones, thus making a spare a less than optimal option.

Parth985 > Collin 08/31/2013 at 20:12

0

Yeah it will road trip but when U get back it will eat your wallet on maintaince my e39 m5 today just decided to eat its driveshaft and some other bits thank goD i didn't take on the road trip or it would have been bad I been stranded in a e39 on the open road before its the worst when the fuel pump horas as well and everything is over a grand to fix and trust me it will spend a lot of time in the shop but I did got to Chicago to jersey four times and put around 17000 miles in one year on it when it way past 100k miles

911e46z06 > Collin 09/11/2013 at 05:01

0

Alex Roy and I will support your conclusion. I've taken mine cross country I think 8 times, and up and down the west-coast probably a dozen. It's just about the perfect road trip car. I got over 40 mpg once driving San Diego to Sacramento. As for the cup holder problem, I suggest screw-top bottles leaned against the center console under your leg.

Here are pictures of mine from the southeastern-most and northwestern-most cities in the country, respectively.

911e46z06 > Collin 09/11/2013 at 05:03

0

I'm a tall guy. BMW in general is incredibly tall-guy friendly, and the e39 is no exception.