At $14,999, Is This 2001 BMW 530i The Ultimate Investment Machine? (2024)

Today’s Nice Price or No Dice 530i has a five-speed behind its oh-so-smooth 3.0-liter straight six, making it one rare Bimmer here in America. That has led the seller to call it an investment opportunity. Let’s see if they are right.

Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevadas is notable for the clarity of its water, its position as the second-deepest lake in the U.S., and for having the California/Nevada border run straight through those pristine azure depths. Yesterday’s 2000 Chevy Tahoe Limited offered far fewer notable attractions and was a bit scruffy to boot. That proved an untenable combo at the seller’s $9,500 asking price, resulting in a massive 86 percent No Dice loss.

Quite a few of you have noticed that we’ve been culling the Craigslist listing from Portland, Oregon, for the past few days. That’s simply because its cup runneth over, if not with exactly hot deals, then at least with some pretty unique and interesting ones. Hopefully, today’s 2001 BMW 530i—also pulled from Portland’s Craigslist—will prove both unique and of value.

With its traditional straight-six engine and rarely-optioned five-speed manual transmission, this clean-title executive saloon does seem to check off the box for unique and interesting. Another plus, it’s optioned with the sport package and a set of what look to be factory alloys, although their specific style eludes me. If any of you know which wheels those are, let us know in the comments.

The specs pretty much speak for themselves. The 3.0-liter M54 six makes 231 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers are lower than the output of the more common M62 V8, but so are the running and maintenance costs. Plus, this car comes with the desirable ZF-sourced five-speed stick to make sure every pony the engine puts out counts.

According to the ad, that combo has counted all the way up to 207,000 miles. That’s a lot, but unlike the even-higher-mileage VW we saw on Monday or even yesterday’s much lower-mileage Tahoe, this Bimmer seems to have weathered its ride in decent shape.

The black bodywork exhibits no obvious issues, and even the headlamp lenses are reasonably clear. Those mysterious wheels are also free of curb damage or brake dust rot. Even the roundels look ready for more miles.

In the cabin, it’s much the same tune. The black leather upholstery appears only to suffer minor surface distress and no apparent breaks. The walnut trim is likewise in good condition and for those who like such things, truly warms up the otherwise all-black space. The seller touts the headliner to be in great shape and the A/C to blow cold. The car has also passed its state emissions test and is claimed to have been “Continuously maintained & detailed” through the seller’s eight years of ownership.

There are some issues to consider, however, as the seller cautions in the ad:

It’s a 23 year old quirky BMW so don’t expect brand new. It’s pretty much impossible to kill a E39 6 cylinder and this car has never let me down but it has plenty of tiny issues here and there. Probably ideal for someone looking to tinker with on the weekends for a cool project / or hobby.

Not wanting to be a total Debbie Downer, they do build the car back up by claiming that “the model is near impossible to find” and says it’s “a ‘gift’ to whoever gets it.” That whoever will need to show up with $14,999 in their pocket. That would be a pretty big pocket, and it’s now time for us all to vote on whether or not this E39 530i is worth breaking out the cargo pants.

What do you say? Is this high-mileage but seemingly solid 530i worth that asking as it’s presented in the ad? Or will that price give Portland a three-pete?

You decide!

Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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