600K-Mile E39 5 Series Proves BMWs Can Be As Reliable As Toyotas

His car stands as a shining example that, with proper care and attention, even a three-decade-old Bavarian sedan can outlast the most famously durable Toyotas.

We first learned of Bäckmand’s long journey just a month ago, when BMW Classic highlighted his story and revealed he was closing in on the milestone. Now, the department has confirmed the feat: Bäckmand’s E39 has officially hit the million-kilometer threshold. And perhaps even more impressively, it’s still running on its original engine and transmission, which is a huge testament to the car’s engineers, who actually didn't envisage anyone driving an E39 for so long: the digital odometer can only display up to 999,999 km.

Time For A New Car

Bäckmand's E39 is a 1996 523i finished in Glacier Green. It was built on June 10, 1996, during the E39's first year of production, and Bäckmand has owned the car since new. As it has spent its whole life in Bäckmand's native Finland, it has also survived many punishing winters, including some instances where it was driven in temperatures as low as -35.5 degrees F – a further testament to its durability.

When it came to maintenance, Bäckmand only ever used genuine replacement parts, sourced through official BMW service centers. Like the engine and transmission, the interior and exterior are also original, though the factory paint job has been touched up over the years.

To celebrate the milestone, as well as start a new journey, Bäckmand has bought himself a new car; unsurprisingly, another BMW 5 Series. However, this time he went with an electric powertrain. His new car is a 2025 i5 xDrive40 Touring. The electric wagon comes with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system good for 389 horsepower and 435 lb-ft of torque, with the power drawn from a lithium-ion battery with a usable capacity of 81.2 kilowatt-hours. The power rating is more than double what the 2.5-liter inline-6 of his E39 5 Series can muster.

EVs Going The Distance

Snarky remarks on social media point to Bäckmand's new 5 Series not having a chance of driving as long as his old one. To be fair, they may have a point.

Given the relatively young age of most EVs on the market, it's hard to gauge whether any will be able to last more than 600,000 miles. There have been some instances of it occurring, though. The owner of a 2013 Tesla Model S in Germany, Hansjörg von Gemmingen‑Hornberg, has, at the time of writin,g covered over 1.5 million miles in his EV – though to get this far, he's changed powertrain hardware like the motors and battery on multiple occasions.

Hopefully, Bäckmand will continue to rack up plenty of miles on his new electric 5 Series to see just how a modern EV can survive when it comes to high-mileage dependability. And if anyone can push an EV into six-figure territory and beyond, it’s probably the guy who just retired a million-kilometer BMW.