Once upon a time, new cars were simple. fixable, easy to live with and fun - with just enough kit to be safe and comfy. That was the 1990s, but today they make smart buys
Fabulously ’90s with then fashionably edgy styling inside and out. The best bit was the pinsharp chassis connected to an Anglia-derived engine. It was always a hoot to drive in relative safety. The ultimate first teen car. It has tough enough mechanicals but rot has been the killer. Featherweight shopper that is a cube of simple goodness. Amazing fuel economy, especially the 60mpg diesels. They’re easy to look after and live with and there’s a truly great GT.
The E39 generation was the very best 5 Series and came with a variety of decent engines. The six-cylinders included potentially frugal diesels and smooth, strong petrols, and the V8s were even smoother and more muscular. These models are technically the last of the truly fixable ones, too. No one saw this coming. Here was a pretty Italian saloon with some wonderful engines. The specification had all the essentials, from climate control onwards.