M5/M6 ..what are they like to live with?
Discussion
In what is the longests ever decision making process on my next car, I am wanting some real life experiences of the (e60) M5/ M6
I really like the look of both as a discreet but brutal supercar...
I would be more inclined to the M6 as it looks IMHO more exclusive and more agressive....
But what are they actually like as a day to day prospect...
I appreciate the MPG is pretty poor, but thats to be expected, and the range is small(which does put me off a little...I dont fancy having to plan journeys around petrol stations)
The lowish torque at the bottom end also makes me wonder if this car is any fun at lower speeds, as when I test drove my freinds, and as a passenger (M5), all the fun seems to be at very silly speeds.....
So people, talk M6 to me, and let me know your experiences of this very affordable supercar.....
I really like the look of both as a discreet but brutal supercar...
I would be more inclined to the M6 as it looks IMHO more exclusive and more agressive....
But what are they actually like as a day to day prospect...
I appreciate the MPG is pretty poor, but thats to be expected, and the range is small(which does put me off a little...I dont fancy having to plan journeys around petrol stations)
The lowish torque at the bottom end also makes me wonder if this car is any fun at lower speeds, as when I test drove my freinds, and as a passenger (M5), all the fun seems to be at very silly speeds.....
So people, talk M6 to me, and let me know your experiences of this very affordable supercar.....
I wrote this last week
I bought a AUC one last year from a london dealer. To cut it short, it went back & forth to two different dealers over 11 times.... neither managed to properly ever fix the car... i'd drive only a few miles & the electronics would play up again & again.
To make it worse a very wet november allowed me to discover that the carbon roof leaked, & the dealer gladly informed me that this was not covered under the warranty
I did manage one trackday at bedford, but even this was ruined by dodgy sensors which persist to 'bong' & light up on the heads up display.
For the very few moments it worked, the car as a package was awesome & definately a bargain as a AUC by at the moment...
I eventually cut my losses & sold it to webuyanycar, as the roof made it impossible to sell to anyone else, within a week it was straight back up at a northern main dealer
Anyone buying should realise just how much can go wrong. I had warranty bills for nearly £10K & only had it for about 7 months.
I'm sure if you can get a nice one it would be a wonderful buy!
I bought a AUC one last year from a london dealer. To cut it short, it went back & forth to two different dealers over 11 times.... neither managed to properly ever fix the car... i'd drive only a few miles & the electronics would play up again & again.
To make it worse a very wet november allowed me to discover that the carbon roof leaked, & the dealer gladly informed me that this was not covered under the warranty
I did manage one trackday at bedford, but even this was ruined by dodgy sensors which persist to 'bong' & light up on the heads up display.
For the very few moments it worked, the car as a package was awesome & definately a bargain as a AUC by at the moment...
I eventually cut my losses & sold it to webuyanycar, as the roof made it impossible to sell to anyone else, within a week it was straight back up at a northern main dealer
Anyone buying should realise just how much can go wrong. I had warranty bills for nearly £10K & only had it for about 7 months.
I'm sure if you can get a nice one it would be a wonderful buy!
Had my M6 convertible since June and have had nothing but joy from it, absolutely nil problems. Have already done 10K in that time as mentioned on another thread.
A decent M6 will start at 30K, make sure you get full leather and not extended leather. An M5 will be from 26Kish. Buy from BMW with warranty and you really cant go wrong.
Spend more money........get a better car, you pays your money and all that. Oh and put aside A LOT for fuel costs!!
A decent M6 will start at 30K, make sure you get full leather and not extended leather. An M5 will be from 26Kish. Buy from BMW with warranty and you really cant go wrong.
Spend more money........get a better car, you pays your money and all that. Oh and put aside A LOT for fuel costs!!
Had my M6 around 18 months now. My key thoughts are:
- Looks are subjective. Some think it’s ugly, some like it. Personally I quite like it although clearly it doesn’t have the presence of some of it’s competitors and won’t attract the same attention.
- Fantastic interior, comfortable long distance proposition with loads of toys. Reasonable rear seats and a good boot.
- Whilst lots of people whine about the gearbox I always use the manual option and it’s fine.
- Massively fast, you do need to rev it to get the full benefit of the power but that’s part of the fun.
- It’s no 911 but the lateral grip is still very good indeed. Needs more care in the wet.
- Whilst most will recognise say a 911 or a R8 to be a fast car many don’t recognise a M6 as such especially if you approach from behind and they’ve only seen the front. Hence you can take a few by surprise with the acceleration and V10 concerto. Whether this tickles your fancy or not is down to you.
- MPG isn’t great (I average about 13). Range is the real irritation.
- Service and maintenance costs are not bad given performance. I’ve had no real problems other than a new clutch and fly wheel last week (at 28,000 miles) cost £2,600. However that’s totally expected on these cars.
- In summary of fantastic blend of comfortable cruiser, rocket ship acceleration, reasonable practicality, reasonable running costs, reliability without the ‘look at me’ brashness of some competitors. Whilst I can hear a 997 turbo calling I’ve really enjoyed mine and if I could go back 18 months I’d buy the same again.
- Looks are subjective. Some think it’s ugly, some like it. Personally I quite like it although clearly it doesn’t have the presence of some of it’s competitors and won’t attract the same attention.
- Fantastic interior, comfortable long distance proposition with loads of toys. Reasonable rear seats and a good boot.
- Whilst lots of people whine about the gearbox I always use the manual option and it’s fine.
- Massively fast, you do need to rev it to get the full benefit of the power but that’s part of the fun.
- It’s no 911 but the lateral grip is still very good indeed. Needs more care in the wet.
- Whilst most will recognise say a 911 or a R8 to be a fast car many don’t recognise a M6 as such especially if you approach from behind and they’ve only seen the front. Hence you can take a few by surprise with the acceleration and V10 concerto. Whether this tickles your fancy or not is down to you.
- MPG isn’t great (I average about 13). Range is the real irritation.
- Service and maintenance costs are not bad given performance. I’ve had no real problems other than a new clutch and fly wheel last week (at 28,000 miles) cost £2,600. However that’s totally expected on these cars.
- In summary of fantastic blend of comfortable cruiser, rocket ship acceleration, reasonable practicality, reasonable running costs, reliability without the ‘look at me’ brashness of some competitors. Whilst I can hear a 997 turbo calling I’ve really enjoyed mine and if I could go back 18 months I’d buy the same again.
Over 90,000 miles in the last 4 years and still love driving it for "everyday" stuff. Not the best thing in a congested city environment but on open roads it is sheer pleasure.
Occaisional 4 up with luggage works well too.
For my mostly motorway 7th gear / cruise control driving mix it avereages 22.7mpg.
Occaisional 4 up with luggage works well too.
For my mostly motorway 7th gear / cruise control driving mix it avereages 22.7mpg.
Had my M6 since June 2006. I also have a couple of 997RS so have some basis for comparison. The M6 is my default road car, especially for long journeys. Its superbly comfortable and bloody quick. I use the manual option on the SMG and its a breeze to drive smoothly with a minimal degree of familiarity. The whole Clarkson-led iDrive thing is mainly BS. Its not so bad. You set up the M button for extra grunt one time,which have you alternative shift speeds and damper settings as well as extra power so you can get to it at the touch of a button.
Luggage capacity is stupendous but its really a two seater in practical terms. Its tough on tires if you drive it hard, and the gas tank is too small.
Problems over the years:
(1) Excessive wear on a rear control arm causing rear wheel to vibrate
(2) Complete ECU meltdown at 24,000Km. Had to be replaced and entire thing reflashed.
Both replaced without fuss under warranty. Its a great car to live with.
Luggage capacity is stupendous but its really a two seater in practical terms. Its tough on tires if you drive it hard, and the gas tank is too small.
Problems over the years:
(1) Excessive wear on a rear control arm causing rear wheel to vibrate
(2) Complete ECU meltdown at 24,000Km. Had to be replaced and entire thing reflashed.
Both replaced without fuss under warranty. Its a great car to live with.
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