l may end up selling my 2003 Camry for a 86 528e that my uncle will give me. l am really low l cash and need the money as l am in college. The car is a 5 speed manual with 75k on it. It has an exhaust leak but thats all. How well built are these cars and what kind of gas milage can l expect and are there common problems with these cars? thanks

It is an old car. No matter how well kept it has been it is bound to have some problems just because of the age. Things like rust and cracking seals have nothing to do with mileage but age of the vehicle. It will get decent mileage but repairs and parts will be expensive, really expensive. If you only need it for college l would probably take it but maintain it well if you want it to last.

Its got the right transmission & the ETA engine is a great engine. However u must keep a close eye on the timing belt, oil & water seals around the belt. Its a good thing to replace the belt right away no matter what. Even if it was just changed just so u know its a quality belt & it was put on right & there r no seal issues. The e28 body is a legendary body where time & miles have almost no effect on them but worn a faded paint with high high miles & located in a sunny hot area like southern California. Every car has its normal issues ,the e28 based cars has so few issues & all r easily remedied & worth doing.

Despite this car is low mileage, rust is always a problem that haunts older cars. Inspect carefully for rust, i.e., shock towers, wheel wells, etc.

IMO, BMWs produced in the 80 is (E30s, E24s, & E28s such as this car) r some of the finest ever made. They're obsessively
over-engineered in typical Teutonic fashion, & very involving & fun to drive. They were put together by people who knew what they were doing & cared about how they were doing it. The key to reliability in this & any car is maintenance. If u r not prone to be mindful of preventative maintenance, you'd be better served by ur Toyota.

The eta engine will not win u many stoplight races, but with regular maintenance, it will run practically forever. The 5-speed tranny is a particular plus.