To the E61 M5 Touring Gang - I've joined you
Discussion
Hey All, (especially Cheburator, Contigo, and of course the great Ecain63- Eddie- gone to the darkside but not forgotten)
After some lurking, getting to know a few people and a really useful thread on what to do on buying an AUC car - I took the plunge and picked up my E61 M5 Touring on Friday..
It's been a rollercoaster getting here - including the owner who sent me a million pics, then when I queried the clutch and interior went dead on me and promptly gave it to a dealer to sell on his behalf as it would supposedly make more cash/go quicker (it hasn't- it's still there) - the BMW dealer that wouldn't even return my calls to make an appointment (crazy) plus the indy dealers who when you ask about history/clutch etc give you a "nah mate, no idea, lovely car tho!".
So in the end I bought a PH'ers car - great guy - forum name's Hoganshost.
49K, Full BMWSH, on AUC warranty it's whole life, and still under it, new clutch, discs, tyres.
Monaco Blue, Full black leather with Alcantara lining
Every toy - soft close, Logic 7, Pro Nav, Active Seats etc.
Been driving it for two days, and have some observations about the car. First up, I can only assume that you have to be really ham fisted (or footed I suppose) to have problems getting the box to be smooth. Even my wife found it really easy to get smooth changes in both manual and auto mode. One interesting thing I've found is that you can "read" the box in auto mode - and tell when it is about to change. A tiny lift on the the throttle and you get brilliantly smooth changes - even in D2. This makes pootling around town way better than I expected.
I've come from (although annoyingly still selling) an Audi 4.2V8 S4 Avant and the smoothness of the V10 is almost liquid by comparison. Again a surprise as the Audi engine I've always rated as one of the finest. The Audi also feels bouncy and on its toes, whereas the M5 feels a lot more planted. Heavy rain however on the motorway had the front wheel writhing as we hit puddles on inside reservation that the Audi would have shrugged off.
I like the M active seats. I thought they'd be annoying, and they are if you're just going around roundabouts etc, but on the right road they are great.
The ride is surprisingly supple, I guess due to the long wheelbase - given the vote of confidence by my two year old who after proclaiming "Daddy new big car! Nice!" promptly went to sleep. Car also passed the wife test - loved the comfort, to finally have DAB radio, and broke three figure speeds on her first run. Despite coming on all Clarkson and proclaiming the M button as like "having an amplifier that goes up to 11" and why doesn't the car always run at full power. Perceptive my wife..
Had some fun today with the car in M mode with MDM on, getting the tail out in the rain on roundabouts etc (at v low speed). Controllable, fun, and frankly I was using about 1/3rd throttle. I still haven't given the car the full beans yet. I'm so used to shifting at 6k rpm that I keep forgetting I have another 2k available, and considering you can get the tail out at 1/3rd throttle in the rain, I'm going to wait a bit I think.
Other stuff - the boot is huge, Idrive not as bad as I imagined, and in this colour combo it's very discreet, which is just the way I like it.
Only downside - I appear to be allergic to something in the car - most likely something that's been used to clean it. Never ever had this before - not allergic to anything - but I come out in what looks like bite marks if I spend to long in the car. It's not insect bites. Weird. My wife of course finds this hilarious - tells me serves me right for spending so much on a big toy..
Cheers All,
Bigglez.
After some lurking, getting to know a few people and a really useful thread on what to do on buying an AUC car - I took the plunge and picked up my E61 M5 Touring on Friday..
It's been a rollercoaster getting here - including the owner who sent me a million pics, then when I queried the clutch and interior went dead on me and promptly gave it to a dealer to sell on his behalf as it would supposedly make more cash/go quicker (it hasn't- it's still there) - the BMW dealer that wouldn't even return my calls to make an appointment (crazy) plus the indy dealers who when you ask about history/clutch etc give you a "nah mate, no idea, lovely car tho!".
So in the end I bought a PH'ers car - great guy - forum name's Hoganshost.
49K, Full BMWSH, on AUC warranty it's whole life, and still under it, new clutch, discs, tyres.
Monaco Blue, Full black leather with Alcantara lining
Every toy - soft close, Logic 7, Pro Nav, Active Seats etc.
Been driving it for two days, and have some observations about the car. First up, I can only assume that you have to be really ham fisted (or footed I suppose) to have problems getting the box to be smooth. Even my wife found it really easy to get smooth changes in both manual and auto mode. One interesting thing I've found is that you can "read" the box in auto mode - and tell when it is about to change. A tiny lift on the the throttle and you get brilliantly smooth changes - even in D2. This makes pootling around town way better than I expected.
I've come from (although annoyingly still selling) an Audi 4.2V8 S4 Avant and the smoothness of the V10 is almost liquid by comparison. Again a surprise as the Audi engine I've always rated as one of the finest. The Audi also feels bouncy and on its toes, whereas the M5 feels a lot more planted. Heavy rain however on the motorway had the front wheel writhing as we hit puddles on inside reservation that the Audi would have shrugged off.
I like the M active seats. I thought they'd be annoying, and they are if you're just going around roundabouts etc, but on the right road they are great.
The ride is surprisingly supple, I guess due to the long wheelbase - given the vote of confidence by my two year old who after proclaiming "Daddy new big car! Nice!" promptly went to sleep. Car also passed the wife test - loved the comfort, to finally have DAB radio, and broke three figure speeds on her first run. Despite coming on all Clarkson and proclaiming the M button as like "having an amplifier that goes up to 11" and why doesn't the car always run at full power. Perceptive my wife..
Had some fun today with the car in M mode with MDM on, getting the tail out in the rain on roundabouts etc (at v low speed). Controllable, fun, and frankly I was using about 1/3rd throttle. I still haven't given the car the full beans yet. I'm so used to shifting at 6k rpm that I keep forgetting I have another 2k available, and considering you can get the tail out at 1/3rd throttle in the rain, I'm going to wait a bit I think.
Other stuff - the boot is huge, Idrive not as bad as I imagined, and in this colour combo it's very discreet, which is just the way I like it.
Only downside - I appear to be allergic to something in the car - most likely something that's been used to clean it. Never ever had this before - not allergic to anything - but I come out in what looks like bite marks if I spend to long in the car. It's not insect bites. Weird. My wife of course finds this hilarious - tells me serves me right for spending so much on a big toy..
Cheers All,
Bigglez.
Nice one, enjoy it!
I too was looking at E61's last year and actually had a drive of the one you have now purchased from Hogansghost on the same day that I went on to test drive the C63 I ended up buying instead. As you say, it is a well specced example that appears to have been well looked after.
It sounds like finding well looked after examples is getting difficult - I have a feeling that they will hold their money well.
I too was looking at E61's last year and actually had a drive of the one you have now purchased from Hogansghost on the same day that I went on to test drive the C63 I ended up buying instead. As you say, it is a well specced example that appears to have been well looked after.
It sounds like finding well looked after examples is getting difficult - I have a feeling that they will hold their money well.
Bigglez said:
Lots of positive things about the M5...
Mate,Congrats! Sorry for not getting back to you - busy with lots of things in my life and still not sure I want to sell my car...
Speaking of your car - let me tell you a funny story - Your car was sold by Sytner Harold Wood with 26k on the clock to its previous owner back in June 2011, with 2yrs of BMW AUC as part of the deal. I can also recite the spec by heart. The reason I know this - because this car was mine for about 5mins... Until the salesman called me back to tell me that due to misunderstanding within the sales team, no one had told him the car was sold earlier in the day - I had been tracking it for 3 weeks and waiting for the price to drop to £31k.
As a result, Sytner Harold Wood sourced my current car (within 30mins), which is identical spec to yours. It had 7k miles more on the clock, but new tyres and I really wanted the car, thus I paid £31k too...
Small world, eh?
Congrats!
Monaco is the best colour, imo ;-)
Cant believe youve not red lined it yet...6-8.5k is where the fireworks happen!
Dont agree with driving smoothly in D. I know exacly when its about to change but its always at the wrong moment..best sticking to S5 in 500 mode for day to day driving.
Any mods planned?
Monaco is the best colour, imo ;-)
Cant believe youve not red lined it yet...6-8.5k is where the fireworks happen!
Dont agree with driving smoothly in D. I know exacly when its about to change but its always at the wrong moment..best sticking to S5 in 500 mode for day to day driving.
Any mods planned?
Hey Cheburator,
Don't worry - I took no offense from the silence - I assumed you'd decided you wanted to keep it!
Ah - so you're the guy he was telling me about - I thought the time that this car was scarily close to the spec of yours - it was seeing the pictures of yours going round the ring that convinced me this was the colour combo for me. The owner told me story of how he only just got it - and the big stack of Harold Wood stamps in the service book confirm it. It definitely is a small world - but with only 190 tourings in existence it's bound to be!
I'm beginning to undertand why you don't want to part with it - really great car. I am of course in the honeymoon period right now - we'll so how things are as time passes.
We should meet up - two identical tourings terrorising SE London would be most amusing. I live all of about 20 mins from you I think.
Don't worry - I took no offense from the silence - I assumed you'd decided you wanted to keep it!
Ah - so you're the guy he was telling me about - I thought the time that this car was scarily close to the spec of yours - it was seeing the pictures of yours going round the ring that convinced me this was the colour combo for me. The owner told me story of how he only just got it - and the big stack of Harold Wood stamps in the service book confirm it. It definitely is a small world - but with only 190 tourings in existence it's bound to be!
I'm beginning to undertand why you don't want to part with it - really great car. I am of course in the honeymoon period right now - we'll so how things are as time passes.
We should meet up - two identical tourings terrorising SE London would be most amusing. I live all of about 20 mins from you I think.
Aeroresh said:
Congrats!
Monaco is the best colour, imo ;-)
Cant believe youve not red lined it yet...6-8.5k is where the fireworks happen!
Dont agree with driving smoothly in D. I know exacly when its about to change but its always at the wrong moment..best sticking to S5 in 500 mode for day to day driving.
Any mods planned?
Thanks Aeroresh! Monaco is the best colour, imo ;-)
Cant believe youve not red lined it yet...6-8.5k is where the fireworks happen!
Dont agree with driving smoothly in D. I know exacly when its about to change but its always at the wrong moment..best sticking to S5 in 500 mode for day to day driving.
Any mods planned?
Yes - Monaco Blue all the way.. ;-)
Don't worry, she's get redlined within the next few days. It's odd - and maybe the car changes gear in auto similarly to how I change in a manual - but it seems to match when I would change.
No - no mods planned. To my mind whatever I do to it wouldn't be an improvement. Most I can see me doing is putting an aftermarket exhaust on it. Great cars as they are.. but never say never!
Pics please!!! and welcome 
I drove the E61 200 miles today.
I had some real fun in it
How many cars can average that speed with such little effort and with so much power return 20MPG!!!
I've had it for over a year now and never tire of it!
Enjoy and hopefully will see you at a meet soon.
I drove the E61 200 miles today.
I had some real fun in it
How many cars can average that speed with such little effort and with so much power return 20MPG!!!
I've had it for over a year now and never tire of it!
Enjoy and hopefully will see you at a meet soon.
Edited by Contigo on Monday 18th March 19:15
Edited by Contigo on Monday 18th March 19:15
Hey Contigo,
Thanks for the welcome mate. I hope we do get to meet.
That's pretty impressive all round - my first run averaged 16.9MPG. About what I was expecting. You've given me hope!
As promised - here are some pics. Snapped in the rain after about 200 miles in the wet on my phone. Far from perfect... For Cheburator, it'll be like looking in a mirror. Could be embarrassing if we went to the same meet and went home in the wrong car.. :-)
Thanks for the welcome mate. I hope we do get to meet.
That's pretty impressive all round - my first run averaged 16.9MPG. About what I was expecting. You've given me hope!
As promised - here are some pics. Snapped in the rain after about 200 miles in the wet on my phone. Far from perfect... For Cheburator, it'll be like looking in a mirror. Could be embarrassing if we went to the same meet and went home in the wrong car.. :-)
- Edit* Man the photo upload is irritating.
Edited by Bigglez on Monday 18th March 22:03
Edited by Bigglez on Monday 18th March 22:04
[url]Edited by Bigglez on Monday 18th March 22:05
Edited by Bigglez on Monday 18th March 22:08
Christ that looks superb 
So, a fun-filled 20 months had to end due to a combination of a worrying "points-run"
and with a change in work, 20k p.a. would've ruined both me and the car.
Enjoy the roundabouts. I can also recommend slip-roads, dual carriageways, b-roads...it's just a superbly capable machine, the likes of which we'll rarely see again. In my short time with the M5, the scare stories just got tossed aside everytime I drove it.
Oh, and hats off to you and your tactic of transferring the money quickly, so I couldn't act on my indecisiveness as handover day approached
It was one of the easiest sales I've ever done - a testament to PH'ers that meant I didn't waste money on Autotrader, fielding dodgy calls.
Enjoy and look forward to catching up at future meets or in town.
So, a fun-filled 20 months had to end due to a combination of a worrying "points-run"
and with a change in work, 20k p.a. would've ruined both me and the car.Enjoy the roundabouts. I can also recommend slip-roads, dual carriageways, b-roads...it's just a superbly capable machine, the likes of which we'll rarely see again. In my short time with the M5, the scare stories just got tossed aside everytime I drove it.
Oh, and hats off to you and your tactic of transferring the money quickly, so I couldn't act on my indecisiveness as handover day approached
It was one of the easiest sales I've ever done - a testament to PH'ers that meant I didn't waste money on Autotrader, fielding dodgy calls.Enjoy and look forward to catching up at future meets or in town.
Edited by hogansghost on Tuesday 19th March 18:14
Hey Dave,
It was a pleasure doing business with you too sir. Great to have a really un-pressured test drive - especially considering that I talked myself into buying it over the duration.
I hope I can as good car of it as you appear to have - and yes - all round this sale has been a great advert for PH!
Let me know if you find that cradle!
It was a pleasure doing business with you too sir. Great to have a really un-pressured test drive - especially considering that I talked myself into buying it over the duration.
I hope I can as good car of it as you appear to have - and yes - all round this sale has been a great advert for PH!
Let me know if you find that cradle!
The e61 SE london massif! I'm only one letter away Sw18.
I bought an e61 about 3 months ago from ML . Absolutely loving it .
I have been to brands with a previous car of mine, they have evening sessions during the summer.
Half day at work then hoon around the Indy circuit for 3 hours.
A great spot for an impromptu e61 members club meeting don't think???
I bought an e61 about 3 months ago from ML . Absolutely loving it .
I have been to brands with a previous car of mine, they have evening sessions during the summer.
Half day at work then hoon around the Indy circuit for 3 hours.
A great spot for an impromptu e61 members club meeting don't think???
abidr500 said:
The e61 SE london massif! I'm only one letter away Sw18.
I bought an e61 about 3 months ago from ML . Absolutely loving it .
I have been to brands with a previous car of mine, they have evening sessions during the summer.
Half day at work then hoon around the Indy circuit for 3 hours.
A great spot for an impromptu e61 members club meeting don't think???
sounds awesome to me too!I bought an e61 about 3 months ago from ML . Absolutely loving it .
I have been to brands with a previous car of mine, they have evening sessions during the summer.
Half day at work then hoon around the Indy circuit for 3 hours.
A great spot for an impromptu e61 members club meeting don't think???
Bigglez, This car is just getting under my skin the more I drive it. Today I came back from Manc in it and pulling away from the toll (we all do it) I nailed it and after the new clutch has bedded in it was the first full gun I've given it in a month or two and boy does it pull, the time it takes to hit 100 Leptons is just frightening and the rush it gives is incredible. I managed over 400 miles 21MPG so not at all bad and let me say I was not driving like miss daisy was in the boot!
Pulled up alongside an M3 at A34 rounadbout lights (lovely colour) and the young lad wound his window down and asked if it had been remapped and mentioned DMS,obviously I've heard of them! Had a bit of fun anyway
Pulled up alongside an M3 at A34 rounadbout lights (lovely colour) and the young lad wound his window down and asked if it had been remapped and mentioned DMS,obviously I've heard of them! Had a bit of fun anyway
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