New digester seeking advice on 540i 6 speeds

[Donn and Sally York <dyork@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi!  My name is Donn York and I just resubscribed after a one or two
year layoff from the digest.  I have an '97 328i sedan and a, gulp, '93
Camry.  Nice to be back.

I'm interested in any feedback you all have on buying a used E39 540i 6
speed.  I'm thinking of replacing (probably) the 328i with this car to
serve as our nice sedan as well as my fun car.  I used to have an '89
911, which I sold about a year and a bit ago, and now the 328i sedan
with a/t seems not quite sporty enough.  I still love the car, though,
and it's been perfect so far.  If I find the right 540i, I'm thinking
I'll try to sell the 328 myself, since dealers only seem to offer around
$20-$21k for the car, which is fully loaded, with 31000 miles and has
been maintained like a typical BMW Digest fanatic would maintain a BMW.
Since the car has been pampered, with 4000 mile synthetic oil changes
and easy miles, I hate to give it away.

So my main question revolves around the 540i.  I think $ wise, I'm
probably looking at '98s.  Are these cars as good and as fun as they
seem?  Are there any years to avoid?  Any significant changes in the E39
that might warrant looking for a more recent vintage?  Any problem spots
on the car to look out for?  Any web sites or other digests I should be
aware of.  Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance and nice to be back in the fold.

Donn

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