Monday 11th May 2015

BMW M5 (E39): PH Carpool

It's not hard to love the E39 M5, as this week's enthusiastic Carpooler testifies

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Name: Matt Peters
Car: BMW M5 (E39)
Owned since: "November 2014."
Previously owned: "Audi B5 S4, Ford Focus RS Mk1."

E39 M5 and part share in an RS? Nice fleet!

Why I bought it:
"I wanted a practical daily drive to replace the Audi B5 S4 I had owned for 18 months - great car but I wanted a change. I use the car daily, except when driving a jointly owned MK1 Focus RS, and the car is a pleasure to drive and covers all ends of the spectrum. It handles it all, from a good beasting to a pootle about town in third so I can hear that off-beat grumble, General Lee style. And, yes, I like to drive with the window down through tunnels. Who the hell doesn't?"

What I wish I'd known:
"How much fun it was to drive in the wet! I'd have bought one sooner. No issues so to speak. Mine is a tidy and original 2001 facelift car with stacks of history, wider screen, front sensors and a load of nice upgrades without rubbish like double glazing. Everything in my cars works, I make a point of it. With 112K on the clock it's no spring chick but it's bloody tidy with only minor paint defects (soon to be sorted).

Big step up from previously owned S4

"I properly love my cars and enjoy the process of replacing parts and enjoying the most minuscule differences in the drive, Sad I know! I'm known as the 'auto refinisher' by my mates and anyone buying a car I've owned will be getting a good 'un and with OE bits on it! I've got decent local dealer in Newcastle and M parts aren't cheap but it's an older car now so the parts aren't always rip-off money."

Things I love:
Big step up in interior finish and quality from the basic B5 S4. Three-stage heated seats are great as I don't have them on the Audi. The noise clearly is a big pull with these, as is the effortless power! It's like driving a lazy dinosaur. It's a sluggish as you want it to be but grab its nuts and twist and it's off!

"It's a great daily drive and mine has split folding seats, rear and side blinds and the single tone black leather so is a practical car. If you want a cheap car to fuel this is not it. But it's no worse than a bi-turbo V6 either - I'd guess 18-20mpg and fuel being cheap is great at present!"

From engine to options spec our man loves his M5

Things I hate:
"I can think of very little really that I hate or even dislike. I'd have loved an estate in the same model but it wasn't an option. The only niggle is cold mornings and stiff gear changes really - reverse selection is common problem but is sorted by selecting first before reflecting reverse."

Costs:
"Running costs aren't crazy for V8, at least I don't think so. Prevention is always better than cure with these older performance cars though. So they do need some cash spent on them, but with values on the rise I'm sure I'll see most of it back. And if I don't I've still enjoyed it.

"I haven't suffered at the hands of VANOS, rust in certain places or some of the other common issues like pixel fade or MAF sensors failing so can only report it to be a great reliable daily drive."

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Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at [e-mail]!

 

[anonymous-user]

Love the BMW M5 (E39)

Just something about the look of the E39 BMW in general.

The Focus RS MK1 also looking great.

Surely both will be good investments as they will hold if not increase in value in the coming years.

Winner all round.

[anonymous-user]

No criticism of the guy covered in this, but it'd be nice to have more of these that talk to someone who's owned the car for more than 6 to 12 months. Long term ownership experiences are much more useful and interesting than the new owner love-in we all get with a new toy. Some poor sod who's owned it for 5 years and been kicked in the balls over and over again with big bills, or some lucky sod who's owned something for 5 years and only had to replace bulbs. That sort of thing.

Otherwise it's a bit "Bloke loves car he's just chosen to buy shocker".