I upgraded my old E39, a run-down 523i that I scored for very cheap, to a 2002 e39 540i msport. So much more car. Absolute joy to drive and own. Very clean. There's a small dent on rear passenger door, and a cracked wing mirror, apart from that, she's mint.
Couldn't find a manual version in my price range, so this is the 5 speed tiptronic edition. Favourite new features:
The V8 - way way way way faster
Remote unlock
Memory electronic sports seats
Auto headlights
The m-technic bumpers look much better than standard spec bumpers
The brakes are brutally effective
Parking distance control still works, so that's handy for preventing scrapes due to the lowness
So, this'll do until I can afford an M5