BMW 5 Series 530i Sport has Superb handling, Smooth engine, Plently of grip

BMW 5 Series 530i Sport is the second E39 I have owned and I have nothing but praise for these cars. The blend of performance and economy is incredible and it is easy to forget that this is a large car with room for 5 and a huge boot.

There are some design faults, but not as many as the newer model!

Be prepared for a healthy appetite for tyres (rears only last 20-25k) and watch the temperature guage carefully for signs of thermostat failure in early cars. You get one warning (temperarture rises and then falls back) and then you overheat totally within a day or so.

Later models have much cheaper and nastier plastics in the cabin - be prepared for randome buttons and vents to break in orifinary use. Even the plastic in the radiator will fail for no good reason and require replacement.

For a big car the BMW 5 Series 530i Sport's fuel economy excellent, firm yet comfortable ride, has all the toys, SatNav/TV, a/c, c/c, cd changer,etc. Excellent value for money! I have had my 2002 E39 530i M sport for over two years and it gives me great pleasure every time a drive it! Excellent build quality makes you feel safe and secure. It is quite happy cruising around town at 30 mph and when I need performance it is instantly available. Having serviced it according to the computer indicators the only other thing I have had to change is tyres and a couple of rear light bulbs! Another thing that has amazed me about this car is the faster you drive, the quieter it gets (not that it wasn't quiet in the first place!) On occasion I have thought about trading it in for the new shape 530, but after giving mine a good clean I immediately change my mind! So I have decided, I might buy another car but I am definately not selling this one! Boot is a bit on the small side so could have done with split seats!

I posted a brief review of this car 3 years ago, having just bought a 2001 Y model. Those 3 years have passed and due to employer's rules, I have to get something under 7 years old. So the BMW 530i Sport is to be sold. How have thise years been? In a word, fantastic. This is the best car I have ever owned, and realistically ever likely to own. Everything about the driving experiece is superb. Out-corners and out-grips everthing short of a Boxster, leaves most hot hatches for dead, despite being a heavy car with 'only' 231bhp, rides like a magic carpet on all but the worst 3rd-world roads (that is, parts of High Wycombe) and is fantastically reliable. No rattles inside, trim and upholsyery have worn very well in 105000 miles, and it still has a whiff of that brand new BMW smell. The MPG gas remained the same in the high 20's or low to mid 30's using the CC. Always used 95 RON fuel and not had any problems. Likes oil fairly frequently. Keep some in the boot, and top it up every 3 weeks or so, when the oil light comes on.
The issue that I though was one of fuelling, that caused the car to lurch slightly when upshifting, turned out to be a sensor, which was replaced by my local garage for 150. But not after a BMW Specialist (not main dealer) had (probably) unecessarily replaced the clutch and flywheel for £800! A lesson learned. Main dealer in Reading not really recommended. Verbally qoted me £140 for an oil change on the phone, and charged my wife £200 when they dropped the car off. My fault for not telling her the sum I guess. You need to find an independent BMW garage that can troubleshoot problems with consideration ofo the client's wallet, or have a trusted local garage that can take time to learn the car.
Also, a word of warning, the BMW Business cassette head unit that came with the car is utterly hopeless. First one channel crackles, the dies. Then another and another until you ave no sound, or maybe from just one speaker if you're lucky. Bought a 2nd hand replacement, and within weeks, same problem. So in went a Nakamichi head unit and a less than attractive facia blanking plate. The OEM unit is made by Alpine. Hopefully the fault was due to BMW bean-counters rather than Alpine.
I've (hopefully) bought a Fabia VRS as a low-cost replacement, and, as good a car that the Skoda is, not a day will pass for some time to come that I will not mourne the departure of the 530. I will sorely sorely miss this car. I like the E39 sport so much I bought a 530d sport touring for the Mrs.
In conclusion, I would strongly recommend this car, if you can afford the insurance and tax and fuel, and know a reliable independant garage that is not frightened to take the serviceing on. To be totally honest, if I had the money and the space, I would build a shed and put the BM in just to look at. It's a sexy beast. Oh, and if you can find one in light metallic green like mine, it looks the dogs do-da's.
Oh, and it IS fast.

This car is so good I can never wait to drive it again. Sedate if required but so easily a hooligan. The Black leather interior and aluminium trim looks cool and the sun roof is a real bonus; There's so much car for your money. In recent years I have had 3 Audi A8's and a Honda Legend, now I have a proper car. Why do BMW drivers get slagged off? Because we are so smug, and we have every right to be.

I've had my 4 year old BMW 5 Series 530i Sport for over a year now. I drive over 30,000 miles a year and have done for 10 years. No car has performed as well as it. Fantastic ride, superbly comfortable, super reliable.

Well I've had my BMW 5 Series 530i Sport for 1 month and I'm in love with it. It's a 2002 530iA Sport Individual and is my 1st BMW. It's fully loaded sat/nav, tv, bluetooth, heated seats, Xenons etc and has special paint and nappa leather with 37K on the clock. After the first 2 minutes of me driving I said to myself that I will never sell it and still feel the same way. The interior is plush, steering wheel is chunky, suspension is firm (you feel the road - just the way I like it) and I haven't gotten anywhere near its handling limits on public roads. Steptronic gearbox gives u more control over how u want to drive. MPG is not as good as I hoped but this maybe down to me giving it some when the road is clear :) but by no-means do I thrash it so I will be keeping an eye on this as 18-20mpg around town still seems too low? (also it loves Shell Optimax it did 35miles more than using Tesco 99Octane full tank). I commute to work and am always thinking of getting back home so I can take it for a spin. Look forward to clear days so I can handwash/wax it myself (done this twice already even in tho it's winter LOL). This car puts a smile on my face everytime I take it out and I find it so hard to stop driving and go home :) IMO - the E39 is the best shape 5 series and lives upto everything thats said about it...and the Sport is a proper Sport version (handling/looks). The +'s out weight -'s and I would not sell unless its for an M5 (also hear great things about 530d Sport might have bought that if I didnt see my one). Best regards, itchy.

I've had one of these BMW 5 Series 530i Sport for two weeks now and can honestly say that it rates as the best car I have ever driven! It's got enough toys to keep me happy, is well behaved for passengers but comes out to play when I want to 'get somewhere...'

Awesome, understated and very, very cool.

Bought an 01 530i Sport for £10,500 as a replacement for my 94 Vento VR6. A vastly more refined car. Corners very well, breaks are excellent and not bad acceleration, although beaten by the Vento up to approx 80Mph. If the computer is to believed, the mpg is good as well, rarely dropping below 28 and often 40+ with cruise control at 80 on M'ways. Will have to verify manually at some point. The boot is also very small, and with no folding rear seats, not very practical. Also, and bearing in mind the car has 67,000 miles and a full BMW service history, there seems to be a fuelling problem at low throttle causing the car to lurch intermittently. Apart from that a fine car which does evrything very well, except carry 'stuff'. A small point for any smokers out there: this thing sucks in air and ash!

I bought my 2 and a half year old BMW 5 Series 530i Sport executive car from North Oxford BMW, and it is so much EVERYTHING I ever dreamed of it is unreal. The sales manager (Kevin Young) LIVED my dream, and delivereed it on a plate for me to enjoy. M Tech body stiling, an engine to die for, and comfort to live for. Refinement that you could only dream of yesterday, is here to delight in today. At a little over 20K, this beauty would retail at nearly 40K, but must be worth nearly 50K! After 9 years since owning my last BMW, I would NEVER be without one again. North Oxford BMW, YOU ARE THE BIZZO!!!!