1997 BMW 5 Series Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I've only had it for around 3500 miles, but for that time it has been a dream. 0-60 is faster than just about any mustang you can find out there, and it looks a lot better doing it too. The handling is superb in the dry, good in the wet (particularly if you enjoy a little drifting here and there!), and scary in the snow. The 6 speed manual transmission is flawless, and easy to drive whether you are flying around twisty back roads or sitting in traffic. Besides for the gas guzzling V8 under the hood (expect about 17 mpg average unless you drive like a total granny), this thing is just awesome!

great overall car. heavy on fuel sometimes, but the performance is worth the extra few bucks. solid build, engine runs great. needs a bit of paint work, but body is immaculate other wise. fine german engineering for a 1997 model

With a Dinan computer upgraded program, this particular BMW "topped out" at 165 mph several years ago on a very desolate stretch of Minnesota freeway. Probably could have wound up another 10 mph but I was topped out. Car is extremely maneuverable, agile and absolutely great in an all-out emergency accident avoidance situation. Better than the two-seater sports car my wife drives. At a 100, the BMW feels like 75 in most cars.

I simply love it. It was amazing. Every drive was nothing but pleasure. Extremely comfortable & quick. Wonderful, classic styling too. The only downside was that she was just a little thirsty. I found out afterwards that a friend achieved much more mpg out of his, so maybe she wasn't just right.

Love to drive this car, it's a bit small inside for me but I'm 6'7" 315 lbs. Other then a little over engineering it is an awsome car. I'd run it against anything from that error and expect to win in style. lol

accelerates fairly well. brakes are adequate. handles very well. well built but expensive when things do go wrong. timeless looks, aged very well. maintanence is important. its very fun to drive, the harder its driven the better it performs. good car.

Does exactly what the brochure says. It's a driver's car. 142mph, 28mpg on long runs, only 18 around town, but you accept this with this sort of car. If you can't afford to run it don't buy it. Interior is comfortable, functional switches, ultra-reliable. Maintenance can be expensive but it never broke down in 17 years. Regular oil and anti-freeze changes essential. Alluminium head and cast iron bottom so watch the water levels. Fun? This is the best driver's car ever. Goes where you point it and never scares you.

I've raced it many times. Car performs like a dream. All components are stock and I still dominate most cars. The car's maintenance fees are the only downside. All the basics are free, but if anything breaks it's at least 5000 to fix. It also only gets around 16 mpg. with an 18 gallon tank it adds up quickly. Car is F.U.N. to drive right down to the true meaning of the word. You really notice the quality of a BMW when you take your first drive right down to your last. Even the 11 year old DSP sound system beats most cars.

Older "Beamer" but still drives like a sports car. Classic BMW looks. Gets good gas mileage for a sporty car. German engineering, some of the features are hard to figure out, and the Manual doesn't tell you much. Overall, though a great car.

Automatic, shaves of a good secong 0-60 mph (about 8 seconds) Not much repairs, just common parts due to over-time-wear. Beautiful stationwagon Would expect a 2.8 litre engine to use a decent amount of fuel, 1.5 L/100 km city driving, 0.8 on long distance. It's a BMW, it drives great.. Firm handling and wouldn't guess it weights almost 1800 kg