Replacing 2001 E46 BMW 325i with used 2002/3 E39 BMW 525i?

[wglee]

I've a friend who's got a 2001 E46 BMW 325i, bought new. His E46 is very well taken care of and accident-free. Not long ago his E46 unfortunately suffered a gearbox KO due to (according to him) seal failure on an outstation journey, causing ATF to leak out during a high speed jaunt. A new gearbox was fitted, but he got a good discount for it for reasons which I'm not entirely clear. The car runs well now. A single successful professional, my friend will be getting married soon to a divorcee with 3 kids. As such, he's thinking of getting a bigger car. However, my friend is mindful of the possibility of the economy turning bad and is in a cautious mood. His initial thought of getting a new E60 BMW 523i was replaced with the thought of buying a used 2002 or 2003 E39 BMW 525i instead. His E46 is worth about RM95k to RM100k now. The said E39 would likely cost him RM120k. His E46 is in impeccable condition. It's got a new gearbox too! But it's small. The said E39 is, well, a used car with all the usual risks associated with used cars. It may need a lot of repairs. Repairs may be costly. He does not know the owner of the car. It is impossible to be absolutely certain of the history of that car except that, legally, everything is above board. Although not a serious issue, it has been said that E39s cost a bit more than E46s to maintain. However, the E39 is bigger, more comfortable, more refined and better equipped than the E46, albeit slower than the E46. The E39 has 10 airbags. The E46 has 6 airbags. The E39 has stability control (DSC). That particular E46 only has traction control (ASC). Should he go for the E39?

 

[tamade7]

All the way bro