My M5 Touring Gone..
Discussion
Well, after just over a year of great ownership, my E61 M5 has left. I feel like I'm joining the ranks of the departed - the great Ecain63, Cheburator MK2 and Contigo who (like I doubtless will) still hang round the forum to dispense words of advice.
Good news is that she's gone to another PH'er - so the line continues - prior owner to me was one - Hoganshost - now she's owned by anotherdom. Nice guy, smooth sales process including his selling his car two hours before and then transferring cash, then taking mine - and then I head to liverpool to pick my new one up tomorrow.
Why did I sell? Simply put, I travel so much I never really got to drive it, and in the meantime my wife was footling about London in a 500hp supercar. It was basically being completely wasted. On the rare occasion I got to enjoy it on my own it was fantastic - every bit the car I'd hoped for - in between it was a consummate family load lugger. But sitting drinking fuel at 11MPG while stationary and using about 1/8th throttle travel through the first 3 gears and then having to slow down was always frustrating.
In way it was the car I should have bought when I moved out of London and had roads that could do it justice.
For anyone who's thinking of buying one - don't listen to anyone who says the gearbox is bad/jerky or dimwitted - it's actually brilliant. You just have to drive it properly - as I've said in my other posts, if my wife can master it, so can you. The small tank is annoying, and warranty warranty warranty but other than that it's a car I've been privileged to own. Like Groucho, this post is probably my way of dealing with sellers remorse, plus the little niggle at the end that just made the whole process of the sale a little bit of a disappointment (both of us as experienced car buyers and sellers know it shouldn't have happened!).
What's replacing it? A 2010 facelift Full Fat Range Rover TDV8. The family bus while I save up to get something with a small boot that can be a fun car. In the meantime 3 tonnes of leather and wood awaits me picking it up tomorrow.
I'll be around I'm sure - perhaps an E34 M5 will be that fun car..
Good news is that she's gone to another PH'er - so the line continues - prior owner to me was one - Hoganshost - now she's owned by anotherdom. Nice guy, smooth sales process including his selling his car two hours before and then transferring cash, then taking mine - and then I head to liverpool to pick my new one up tomorrow.
Why did I sell? Simply put, I travel so much I never really got to drive it, and in the meantime my wife was footling about London in a 500hp supercar. It was basically being completely wasted. On the rare occasion I got to enjoy it on my own it was fantastic - every bit the car I'd hoped for - in between it was a consummate family load lugger. But sitting drinking fuel at 11MPG while stationary and using about 1/8th throttle travel through the first 3 gears and then having to slow down was always frustrating.
In way it was the car I should have bought when I moved out of London and had roads that could do it justice.
For anyone who's thinking of buying one - don't listen to anyone who says the gearbox is bad/jerky or dimwitted - it's actually brilliant. You just have to drive it properly - as I've said in my other posts, if my wife can master it, so can you. The small tank is annoying, and warranty warranty warranty but other than that it's a car I've been privileged to own. Like Groucho, this post is probably my way of dealing with sellers remorse, plus the little niggle at the end that just made the whole process of the sale a little bit of a disappointment (both of us as experienced car buyers and sellers know it shouldn't have happened!).
What's replacing it? A 2010 facelift Full Fat Range Rover TDV8. The family bus while I save up to get something with a small boot that can be a fun car. In the meantime 3 tonnes of leather and wood awaits me picking it up tomorrow.
I'll be around I'm sure - perhaps an E34 M5 will be that fun car..
I bet that was a brave decision. Also glad you at least bonded with the car and have some happy memories of your time with it. The only downside is that big cities don't really let you explore the potential of such cars.
Please stick around though; once you've purchased an M5 you're automatically a lifelong member of BMW M Power Brethren
Please stick around though; once you've purchased an M5 you're automatically a lifelong member of BMW M Power Brethren
Thanks Schermerhorn - I felt a bit of a fraud giving you advice knowing I was selling it, but didn't want to tempt fate until the new owner had paid the full amount and it was gone.
I really did bond with it - it does feel a little like a break up - but at the same time an M5 is wasted in London. If I did more trips out then I wouldn't have come to this decision - even the trips I do involve long motorway journeys. My biggest regret is I never persuaded my wife to do the drive to Scotland to visit my family (we always fly) - a week on roads with no-one on them for miles and miles and some of the finest twisting sections anywhere in the UK would have been amazing. Ah well.
I'll definitely be around mate - I hope you stick with it!
I really did bond with it - it does feel a little like a break up - but at the same time an M5 is wasted in London. If I did more trips out then I wouldn't have come to this decision - even the trips I do involve long motorway journeys. My biggest regret is I never persuaded my wife to do the drive to Scotland to visit my family (we always fly) - a week on roads with no-one on them for miles and miles and some of the finest twisting sections anywhere in the UK would have been amazing. Ah well.
I'll definitely be around mate - I hope you stick with it!
There's a reason I've gone completely left field and gone for a Rangie - I tried everything - X5's, went back to Audi's looked at Cayenne's, and everything was frankly (in the words of Fifth gear when they tested the E61) a bit crap.
The Range Rover was so different, and so luxurious, massively tall with such a ridiculous amount of space, plus you really don't want to drive it fast - just waft along on a wave of torque that I just won't try to compare it!
The Range Rover was so different, and so luxurious, massively tall with such a ridiculous amount of space, plus you really don't want to drive it fast - just waft along on a wave of torque that I just won't try to compare it!
I shall jump on the back of David's post to make a brief introduction to the forum.
I am Dom, the new owner of this car. I live in Suffolk, but the car will also spend a lot of time in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire - say hello if you see me. Tuesday was a full day, including driving the Maserati into SE London, viewing David's touring, meeting with a dealer that had travelled down from Chester to buy the Maserati and some intensive bank doorstepping and phoning to ensure the funds were all in place for Bigglez to buy his Rangie the following day, before finally collecting the M5. My trip out of London was enough to convince me that I would never own a car like this in town! I fully understand David's frustrations. The M5 was impeccably behaved though, testament both to the quality of the engineering and this car's previous owners.
This is not my first experience of M5s, having owned an E34 M5 LE some years ago. It is my first V10 though, which is nice! Photos may follow once the car is clean and shiny, but I know it has plenty of previous on here. I've picked up 12l of Castrol to be getting on with, and expect the air miles to accumulate a bit quicker from fuel purchases on the credit card! The car has been well looked after, and we'd set up the warranty before I left David's house, so I've got the peace of mind to get out and enjoy it.
On that note, I'm really sorry I can't make 26 April at Brooklands/Box Hill, as that would have been a great opportunity to meet some of you. I did a lot of reading on here to inform the usual RS6/63AMG/M5 decision, and subsequently to research the history of the car. So, to all of you that contribute - thanks very much. I am sure that I will have a raft of new owner questions to come, but have been around PH long enough to know how the search works (or doesn't)! The sticky FAQ post is excellent as well.
Cheers all,
Dom.
I am Dom, the new owner of this car. I live in Suffolk, but the car will also spend a lot of time in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire - say hello if you see me. Tuesday was a full day, including driving the Maserati into SE London, viewing David's touring, meeting with a dealer that had travelled down from Chester to buy the Maserati and some intensive bank doorstepping and phoning to ensure the funds were all in place for Bigglez to buy his Rangie the following day, before finally collecting the M5. My trip out of London was enough to convince me that I would never own a car like this in town! I fully understand David's frustrations. The M5 was impeccably behaved though, testament both to the quality of the engineering and this car's previous owners.
This is not my first experience of M5s, having owned an E34 M5 LE some years ago. It is my first V10 though, which is nice! Photos may follow once the car is clean and shiny, but I know it has plenty of previous on here. I've picked up 12l of Castrol to be getting on with, and expect the air miles to accumulate a bit quicker from fuel purchases on the credit card! The car has been well looked after, and we'd set up the warranty before I left David's house, so I've got the peace of mind to get out and enjoy it.
On that note, I'm really sorry I can't make 26 April at Brooklands/Box Hill, as that would have been a great opportunity to meet some of you. I did a lot of reading on here to inform the usual RS6/63AMG/M5 decision, and subsequently to research the history of the car. So, to all of you that contribute - thanks very much. I am sure that I will have a raft of new owner questions to come, but have been around PH long enough to know how the search works (or doesn't)! The sticky FAQ post is excellent as well.
Cheers all,
Dom.
M cars really don't belong in cities if that is where you spend most of your time. I live in London, the last M car I owned was an E46 M3 which I owned for two years from new back in 2002. Absolutely loved it and then towards the end of my tenure I spent a month living in the Swiss Alps with it.....I got back to London NW3 and realised I was never driving it within 50% of it's capabilities. I've had a waft/family mobile since.....when we move out to the sticks in a year or two I'll get something more fitting of the country roads.
anotherdom said:
I shall jump on the back of David's post to make a brief introduction to the forum.
I am Dom, the new owner of this car. I live in Suffolk, but the car will also spend a lot of time in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire - say hello if you see me. Tuesday was a full day, including driving the Maserati into SE London, viewing David's touring, meeting with a dealer that had travelled down from Chester to buy the Maserati and some intensive bank doorstepping and phoning to ensure the funds were all in place for Bigglez to buy his Rangie the following day, before finally collecting the M5. My trip out of London was enough to convince me that I would never own a car like this in town! I fully understand David's frustrations. The M5 was impeccably behaved though, testament both to the quality of the engineering and this car's previous owners.
This is not my first experience of M5s, having owned an E34 M5 LE some years ago. It is my first V10 though, which is nice! Photos may follow once the car is clean and shiny, but I know it has plenty of previous on here. I've picked up 12l of Castrol to be getting on with, and expect the air miles to accumulate a bit quicker from fuel purchases on the credit card! The car has been well looked after, and we'd set up the warranty before I left David's house, so I've got the peace of mind to get out and enjoy it.
On that note, I'm really sorry I can't make 26 April at Brooklands/Box Hill, as that would have been a great opportunity to meet some of you. I did a lot of reading on here to inform the usual RS6/63AMG/M5 decision, and subsequently to research the history of the car. So, to all of you that contribute - thanks very much. I am sure that I will have a raft of new owner questions to come, but have been around PH long enough to know how the search works (or doesn't)! The sticky FAQ post is excellent as well.
Cheers all,
Dom.
Welcome to the forum Dom.I am Dom, the new owner of this car. I live in Suffolk, but the car will also spend a lot of time in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire - say hello if you see me. Tuesday was a full day, including driving the Maserati into SE London, viewing David's touring, meeting with a dealer that had travelled down from Chester to buy the Maserati and some intensive bank doorstepping and phoning to ensure the funds were all in place for Bigglez to buy his Rangie the following day, before finally collecting the M5. My trip out of London was enough to convince me that I would never own a car like this in town! I fully understand David's frustrations. The M5 was impeccably behaved though, testament both to the quality of the engineering and this car's previous owners.
This is not my first experience of M5s, having owned an E34 M5 LE some years ago. It is my first V10 though, which is nice! Photos may follow once the car is clean and shiny, but I know it has plenty of previous on here. I've picked up 12l of Castrol to be getting on with, and expect the air miles to accumulate a bit quicker from fuel purchases on the credit card! The car has been well looked after, and we'd set up the warranty before I left David's house, so I've got the peace of mind to get out and enjoy it.
On that note, I'm really sorry I can't make 26 April at Brooklands/Box Hill, as that would have been a great opportunity to meet some of you. I did a lot of reading on here to inform the usual RS6/63AMG/M5 decision, and subsequently to research the history of the car. So, to all of you that contribute - thanks very much. I am sure that I will have a raft of new owner questions to come, but have been around PH long enough to know how the search works (or doesn't)! The sticky FAQ post is excellent as well.
Cheers all,
Dom.
They are immensely capable cars and at 10/10ths they are nothing short of epic. Also glad you've got that warranty - it could come in very handy as my M6 ownership will attest to!
OP, I did exactly what you did only mine was a 08 M5 saloon. Chalk and cheese. Not that it matters but I'm getting exactly 100% more economy out of the TDV8 FF. I do miss the craziness of that screaming V10 but I don't miss spending nearly 800 bucks a month on fuel and xmas cards from the local petrol station.
Hey Rory,
Yep - I've just taken a perverse pleasure in getting 330 miles out of 3/4 of a tank and the computer saying it has a 120 more to go. Plus the family all fell asleep in about 10 min which meant I got to listen to my music for once. My whole driving style is different as well - everything in the M5 was done at maximum attack which was great fun but tiring - complete opposite in the Full Fat!
Dom - those NI roads won't know what's hit them!
Yep - I've just taken a perverse pleasure in getting 330 miles out of 3/4 of a tank and the computer saying it has a 120 more to go. Plus the family all fell asleep in about 10 min which meant I got to listen to my music for once. My whole driving style is different as well - everything in the M5 was done at maximum attack which was great fun but tiring - complete opposite in the Full Fat!
Dom - those NI roads won't know what's hit them!
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