Does the E39 handle?

...besides according to the tests the Toyos are better

Peter Fenwick wrote: spokey wrote: Peter Fenwick wrote: I'm going to, but I am waiting till they need to be changed. I'm going to put some Toyo proxes T1Rs on.   Goodyear Eagle F1-GSD3's. When I win the lottery maybe I got a quote for T1Rs 255/40/17 and they're going to set me back about £120 each. For goodyear Eagles i'd be looking at over £150

regards

chazzer

spokey wrote: spokey wrote: Peter Fenwick wrote: ...besides according to the tests the Toyos are better OK, I'll give them a go next time. I've had a big think about this. The last time I looked at tyre test (April), the Toyo's were miles worse in their ranking than the GSD3's. If I was a cynical and suspicious b****rd, I'd say that someone had fiddled the rankings. Either that, or Toyos have become a lot better and the GSD3's have become a lot worse ... in six months.

Was the review for the T1s last time? Or maybe they tested them again and reassesed their score?

To be honest I would be getting them regardless of the review. I had them on my 328 and was very impressed. Not only did they totally eliminate the tramlining I got with the bridgestones I had on before, they were also a lot quieter, had more grip (especially in the wet) and cost about £20 less. I then fitted them to my Accord Type-R and was equally impressed.

Exharper wrote: Peter i only have ASC on my car, not sure of the difference, can this be turned of in the same manner by holding down on the button...

yes, apparently you can hold the button down for a few seconds and the light will come on permanently until ignition switch-off

of course it won't be dangerous providing you don't hit something, then it will be painful to both wallet and body

bye-bye electronic safety net, it's just you and your reactions vs 1.5 tonnes of motor car

Peter Fenwick wrote: I have been pleasantly supprised at how nimble my 530 feels considering how big it is, however I have been informed by some drivers of more performance orientated machinery that the only one that handles well is the M5. In fact one person actually said thay the e39 was not designed to go round corners and that I was wearing BMW blinkers. I would have simply ignored them but several have driven them and one is a traffic cop with quite a bit of motoring experience So what do they other e39 drivers think, especialy those that have driven more high performance cars. Am I fooling myself or is the E39 as good on the twisties as it is on the motorway?

I see you asked Evo magazine for their input too, your letter is printed this month in the new 100th issue ....

Q.  I recently sold my Honda Accord Type-R and bought an E39 BMW 530 Sport.  Now, although it's not as agile as the Accord and doesn't have the limited-slip diff to help it round corners, I am actually quite pleased with how well it handles for such a big car.

However, a lot of people I know keep telling me that I have 'BMW blinkers' on and that the E39 doesn't handle well at all except in M5 guise.

Am I mad and is my big old 5-series really a barge best left on the motorway, or is it as good as I think?

- Peter Fenwick

A.  First off, if you enjoy driving your 530, then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.  What hits the spot for one driver might miss by a mile for another.  Having said that, we reckon the E39 is still a darned good saloon and I wouldn't be surprised if its ride/handling compromise is better than the current model on its run-flats.

- John Barker