High mileage E39 M5's
Discussion
I've been looking through the ads for a E39 M5 and even though they are 7-10 years old, most seem to be what i would consider high mileage cars (compared to my 60k 1994 TVR Chimaera).
I appreciate this is a more everyday car compared to my TVR and probably gets more motorway use, but what is considered high mileage for this engine?
ie. Would a 100k mile engine have plenty of life left (assuming its properly looked after of course). Should i be weary of 100k+ cars? If the engine is good for say 200k+ then it would make me much more comfortable.
Having owned my Chimaera for 6 years, i'm used to replacing worn out parts due to the age of the car, just want to get an idea of the strength of the engine (my Rover V8 has been bullet proof, though produces much less power. Shame all the other components were not tho
)
Cheers,
James
I appreciate this is a more everyday car compared to my TVR and probably gets more motorway use, but what is considered high mileage for this engine?
ie. Would a 100k mile engine have plenty of life left (assuming its properly looked after of course). Should i be weary of 100k+ cars? If the engine is good for say 200k+ then it would make me much more comfortable.
Having owned my Chimaera for 6 years, i'm used to replacing worn out parts due to the age of the car, just want to get an idea of the strength of the engine (my Rover V8 has been bullet proof, though produces much less power. Shame all the other components were not tho
)Cheers,
James
James
The great thing about the E39 M5's is they can be used as everyday cars - which means cars which have had 10k a year put on them aren't uncommon.
If you look you'll find cars with lower mileages but it's fairly common to see them with 70k - 100k on the clock..
Various people have reported them at over 150k and still going strong.
So as long as you do your homework and buy a decent one it should have lots of life left in it.
The great thing about the E39 M5's is they can be used as everyday cars - which means cars which have had 10k a year put on them aren't uncommon.
If you look you'll find cars with lower mileages but it's fairly common to see them with 70k - 100k on the clock..
Various people have reported them at over 150k and still going strong.
So as long as you do your homework and buy a decent one it should have lots of life left in it.
A lot of these cars are, at some point in their history, used as motorway hacks. It's the main thing they were built for - effortless mile munching. Mine spent nearly five years of it's life going backwards and forward from Ipswich to Wales!
Have a look on M5Board.com - there are plenty of guys on there with 200k+ on their beasts with original engines and gearboxes. It's a strong car without doubt.
Don't let mileage put you off, buy strictly on condition and history.
Have a look on M5Board.com - there are plenty of guys on there with 200k+ on their beasts with original engines and gearboxes. It's a strong car without doubt.
Don't let mileage put you off, buy strictly on condition and history.
Why do the English have an obsession with low mileage cars....many which are abused from cold or poorly stored when not driven.
If the car has good service history, bills and straight bodywork, do not worry about mileage....is there much difference between a ten to fourteen year old car with 90-130,000 miles? Regular oil changes and good money spent recently on brakes, suspension and bodywork matter.
If the car has good service history, bills and straight bodywork, do not worry about mileage....is there much difference between a ten to fourteen year old car with 90-130,000 miles? Regular oil changes and good money spent recently on brakes, suspension and bodywork matter.
jsr said:
I've been looking through the ads for a E39 M5 and even though they are 7-10 years old, most seem to be what i would consider high mileage cars (compared to my 60k 1994 TVR Chimaera).
The first German owner of my 1990 928GT (5.0ltr V8, 330PS) put 60,000km on the car in its first year... And then proceeded to drive it until he sold it with 300,000km in 2004...
The car is now a racer, but trust me there is plenty of life left in the original components, which I kept as spares. Unlike British cars, the Germans make things to last...
My 2006 Z4MCoupe has done 44,000 miles, over 500 laps of the Nurburgring and I had one warranty claim for £3.50 for steering wheel trim...
Edited by Cheburator mk2 on Thursday 11th February 17:35
Quite simply find a car with the spec and condition that you like, then get it inspected by a specialist whilst on a ramp....then make an offer. You will have a good idea about what needs replacing, what has been replaced and the condition of the car from the side which matters.....not the top one!!
Hi there,
As already mentioned, these cars can and do and are seeing much much higher mileages from their respective owners. The M5board is chock full of M5 owners who can provide all the information you are looking for. Please take a good read of it and look for the posts which cover your questions.
The '100K' miles myth is exactly that - just a myth leftover from the days of old where car's weren't built to really last. Many people still 'buy' into this myth, hence you'll see alot of cars at 90K ish with 'excuses' for the sale of the car. As long as the car is well maintained, has a service history and can be checked there is nothing wrong with a 90,100,110 120K miler or more. Specifically to the M5, yes it's going to cost a fair bit more than a lesser E39 as it is a super car after all, but they can be run very well indeed via good reputable independant specialists.
I've posted this before on another site, and that's to join the BMW GB club. I've talked to quite a few E39 M5 owners and one in particular informed me of joining the above as they offer a very good warranty on M5's which does include cover for the Vanos and other pricey elements of the car which 'could' break down and 'could' cost a packet ordinarily. When he got his warranty, it worked out to costing about £65 per month for the year of coverage and reduced his 'potential running costs if something major was to break' vastly. That then got me to thinking, yes, I can now look for an M5! - reality is I've decided to 'wait' a little while to get something super quick again!
do some more research, ask questions and find out stuff from the M5board for specifics about this car and then try to find one you like. Just to whet your appetite, I pulled up alongside a lovely 52 plate Estoril Blue example last sunday just going past Regents Park in Central London! and all I can say is it looked absolutley fantastic!
There are some lesser examples out there where owners haven't realised this car has super car levels of maintenance requirements and have skimped quite a bit. If you have the know how, one of those could be bought and 'bought back' to being solid again, else look for better cared for examples.
Hope this helps - Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
As already mentioned, these cars can and do and are seeing much much higher mileages from their respective owners. The M5board is chock full of M5 owners who can provide all the information you are looking for. Please take a good read of it and look for the posts which cover your questions.
The '100K' miles myth is exactly that - just a myth leftover from the days of old where car's weren't built to really last. Many people still 'buy' into this myth, hence you'll see alot of cars at 90K ish with 'excuses' for the sale of the car. As long as the car is well maintained, has a service history and can be checked there is nothing wrong with a 90,100,110 120K miler or more. Specifically to the M5, yes it's going to cost a fair bit more than a lesser E39 as it is a super car after all, but they can be run very well indeed via good reputable independant specialists.
I've posted this before on another site, and that's to join the BMW GB club. I've talked to quite a few E39 M5 owners and one in particular informed me of joining the above as they offer a very good warranty on M5's which does include cover for the Vanos and other pricey elements of the car which 'could' break down and 'could' cost a packet ordinarily. When he got his warranty, it worked out to costing about £65 per month for the year of coverage and reduced his 'potential running costs if something major was to break' vastly. That then got me to thinking, yes, I can now look for an M5! - reality is I've decided to 'wait' a little while to get something super quick again!
do some more research, ask questions and find out stuff from the M5board for specifics about this car and then try to find one you like. Just to whet your appetite, I pulled up alongside a lovely 52 plate Estoril Blue example last sunday just going past Regents Park in Central London! and all I can say is it looked absolutley fantastic!
There are some lesser examples out there where owners haven't realised this car has super car levels of maintenance requirements and have skimped quite a bit. If you have the know how, one of those could be bought and 'bought back' to being solid again, else look for better cared for examples.
Hope this helps - Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
My E39 M5 is going strong with 91k, however I would check there is a big pile of receipts and FBMWSH, and general condition. If anything fails or goes wrong on my car I get it fixed, problem is these M5s can now be bought for Ford Fiesta money, but servicing and consumables costs are much higher.
If it is a 99 or early 00 MY, they drink a little more oil up to a Lt/ 800 miles. Not an issue or a problem so long as all the owners (all of them) have been aware of this. With more owners and higher mileage cars there is greater chance of someone having let the level drop excessivley.
Any major engine problems on these high mileage (read low value) cars will pretty much render them a write off.
But what a superb car, get a good one and you can drive and enjoy it every day, take the family, track it, never have to think about it not starting, and enjoy one of the best all round cars ever made (IMO).
If it is a 99 or early 00 MY, they drink a little more oil up to a Lt/ 800 miles. Not an issue or a problem so long as all the owners (all of them) have been aware of this. With more owners and higher mileage cars there is greater chance of someone having let the level drop excessivley.
Any major engine problems on these high mileage (read low value) cars will pretty much render them a write off.
But what a superb car, get a good one and you can drive and enjoy it every day, take the family, track it, never have to think about it not starting, and enjoy one of the best all round cars ever made (IMO).
Thanks for all your replies. This is the stuff i wanted to hear (and pretty much expected to be honest!).
The M5 is definitely at the top of my TVR replacement list. My lifestyle is changing and soon i just wont get to use a 2 seater sportscar. I still want something fast and special, but it needs to have 4/5 seats. This ticks all the boxes and has the added bonus of a big torquey V8 also (dont think i could cope with a car without a V8 now
)!
The M5 is definitely at the top of my TVR replacement list. My lifestyle is changing and soon i just wont get to use a 2 seater sportscar. I still want something fast and special, but it needs to have 4/5 seats. This ticks all the boxes and has the added bonus of a big torquey V8 also (dont think i could cope with a car without a V8 now
)!jsr said:
Thanks for all your replies. This is the stuff i wanted to hear (and pretty much expected to be honest!).
The M5 is definitely at the top of my TVR replacement list. My lifestyle is changing and soon i just wont get to use a 2 seater sportscar. I still want something fast and special, but it needs to have 4/5 seats. This ticks all the boxes and has the added bonus of a big torquey V8 also (dont think i could cope with a car without a V8 now)!
I dropped TVRs for my M5 and it has proved to be an inspired choice - the E39 M5 is hugely underrated (even when its rated!) - its a beautifully balanced and capable machine, which can play dosile limo round town, monster mile cruncher on the motorways, or torquefest sports car at will!The M5 is definitely at the top of my TVR replacement list. My lifestyle is changing and soon i just wont get to use a 2 seater sportscar. I still want something fast and special, but it needs to have 4/5 seats. This ticks all the boxes and has the added bonus of a big torquey V8 also (dont think i could cope with a car without a V8 now
)!All I would say when choosing is to drive several before you buy - they DO differ in terms of power and handling depending on how they have been maintained, and mileage, whilst being indicative of some things, is not always good guide to the essentials on an M5.
(oh and also - buy on condition and history - NOT SAT NAV/GIZMOS!)
I'm lucky enough to own both an e39 M5 and a Chimaera. The M5 is without doubt the most complete car I've ever owned - had mine for 12 months and up to 94K miles. It's in a different universe in terms of quality and durability compared with the TVR - and much quicker too. I'd have no qualms about a 100K miler and agree that condition and history are much more important that mileage.
Mine got to 165k before things started to pop - first was the chain guides, then the bearings, though tbh I think the bearings went because I didn't prime the oil system after I'd fixed the front chain guides.
BUT, once the bearings get done it'll be back as my daily driver, they're great cars.
BUT, once the bearings get done it'll be back as my daily driver, they're great cars.
Trellis said:
I dropped TVRs for my M5 and it has proved to be an inspired choice - the E39 M5 is hugely underrated (even when its rated!) - its a beautifully balanced and capable machine, which can play dosile limo round town, monster mile cruncher on the motorways, or torquefest sports car at will!
That is not a phrase you see very often! Understated, but not underrated, surely! I dont think I have ever heard of the E39 M5 as being "underrated"!Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff