Are they very reliable? How expensive to run?

I'd put him in a powerless protection of airbags...yes the scion~

He's gonna take it to the limit, so if it's uncertain for you, it will definitely be uncertain under extreme circumstances...lease a new scion~ after the first collision you'll thank me~

The electrical systems can bankrupt you, which is why the seem such a 'good' buy for price used. The parts prices are usurious, and the labour can be as bad. I would not touch one on a bet.

Tom is right..as usual...but in my opinion when he says 'Aisian" draw a distinction between Japan and Korean built... for example Toyota v. Kia.. Opinion not fact.

As someone who actually owns a '01 E39, unless your son is into turning wrenches, there is plenty to learn about one of the most sought after Bimmers ever built. The issues most of us run into are ABS related. Meaning that anything made out of plastic will usually fail in the 10 year/100K area. The vehicles are great beyond 300K, but you have to LOVE them accordingly. Parts ARE NOT EXPENSIVE if you know where to shop. Most of my suppliers are less than 1/3 of the dealer's list price and delivery is usually free. If you need any specific help, let me know. If you son is headed off to college, you may want to look else where.

yeah, but to put a nice car in the hands of an inexperienced driver can only lead to heartbreak...yes I was young once...contrary to popular assertions~

You ask 'how expensive to run?" a good question would be 'how expensive to insure for an 18 year old' that is where your money will go.

gotta deliver a few newspapers (we don't do that anymore) or deliver pizzas with his sparky-fresh leased scion- leased because once he's in a crackup (which will happen) he'll be protected~ ...of course take it out of his allowance which will almost pay for insurance for the man~

The E39 is one of the safest vehicle build. The big variable is the age of the vehicle and the young man's driving prowess. It is a sports sedan for sure, but not over powered and if the airbags have been serviced, a safe ride still.

no one knows what an E39 is and there is no mention of it in this post, so yes mr three headed avatar, you're being somewhat presumptuous to assume that an 18 year old will be able to lay a claw on this type of vehicle. Thanks for making me look this up~ feller-

An E39 a chassis for the BMW. Spend more time looking up. That being said getting an 18 year old a BMW is a terrible idea. Wait till he can buy himself one.

Yes Bmw are expensive to maintainthey are very unreliable if youhad a handyman that can fix it that's a plus

Stop trying to tell the man how to raise his kid. If he wants to buy his kid a bmw then he will, he won't listen to a stranger online. With that being said any car can break down, My parents bought me a used Mercedes when I was 18 it was only About 3-4 years old had 45k miles on it I'm 21 now and I just got rid of it, never got in an accident and no problems. Now I drive Lexus rc350. If your son takes care of his car of your car then there should be no problems, 2002 is a bit old so you might want to do your research. As long as he doesn't try to burn out the transmission and knows how to take proper care then he's fine, you won't need to think about fixing.

I bought my 2001 BMW 525i (e39) when I was 16 and I've owned it for two years now. The car has its "service engine soon" light on and I push the car almost every time I'm behind the wheel and I'm approaching around 187,000 miles on it and the car just goes and goes and goes. The e39 5 Series is often referred as "bulletproof" and that is sure as hell is. The car was made when BMW wasn't as technical with their electronics however that is not to say the car is lacking in features most new cars don't have today... I would say for whoever referres to BMWs as unreliable either A. neglected it or B. Never even owned one... put your money where your mouth is literally... and your change of falling in love with your "ultimate driving machine" is more likely than you hating it due to repairs. Sincerely Proud e39 & F10 Owner.

I wants to buy BMW 5 but all bad tire is open like the metal hold the tire is broke ,you thing is expense to fix

I am glad people are being honest about the advice. I just went through a nightmare a few years back with a Mercedes and maintenance was horrendous, as a kid I changed out my spark plugs and wires for 30 bucks , now the dealer wants over $1,000 for a small Mercedes. I had several other problems with it and then got rid of it . I ended up buying an Infiniti G37 and have not had one problem in 5 years. Amazing car and it kept its value. I was looking at a 5 series Beamer but I think I will pass based on the more than helpful information you guys offered. I don't want to do the Mercedes thing all over again.