E60 M5 Nearly Picked
Discussion
Hi guys and girls,
I am very close to picking a 2007 E60 M5 from a main dealer and wondered if you have any advice over and above the standard buyers guides etc.
I am going to use the vehicle for mainly weekend driving so that I can have some fun on my own or transport the family around in abit of style rather than my current Honda Diesel, which will now become the daily grind.
The car has just over the 60K mark but has the service history and warranty, which I can extend each year for the price of a second hand Honda diesel daily grind car
(shame it was not 50K so the extended warranty will be cheaper the 2nd year but thats life and I am not paying for the first year)
Can I assume that I am going to enjoy ownership as much as I am expecting to? With the warranty I have piece of mind so just need to service it, fuel it and buy some tyres and brakes occasionally, which when I am only doing about 5K miles a year is not going to be an issue.
What is the SMG like to live with as I have heard many different views on this but as a weekend car it is something I will be able to live with and I have never had trouble adapting to a new car in the past so assume it wont be a struggle.
I am very close to picking a 2007 E60 M5 from a main dealer and wondered if you have any advice over and above the standard buyers guides etc.
I am going to use the vehicle for mainly weekend driving so that I can have some fun on my own or transport the family around in abit of style rather than my current Honda Diesel, which will now become the daily grind.
The car has just over the 60K mark but has the service history and warranty, which I can extend each year for the price of a second hand Honda diesel daily grind car
(shame it was not 50K so the extended warranty will be cheaper the 2nd year but thats life and I am not paying for the first year)Can I assume that I am going to enjoy ownership as much as I am expecting to? With the warranty I have piece of mind so just need to service it, fuel it and buy some tyres and brakes occasionally, which when I am only doing about 5K miles a year is not going to be an issue.
What is the SMG like to live with as I have heard many different views on this but as a weekend car it is something I will be able to live with and I have never had trouble adapting to a new car in the past so assume it wont be a struggle.
SMG is fine. I think it gets bad press because people leave it in automatic - and it doesn't work in automatic.
Otherwise it's just about the best robotised manual that I've used, and that includes various versions of Ferrari's F1 -- though not the latest iterations of that 'box.
Put it in manual, shift speed 5 and you will soon be snapping up and down the ratios!
Otherwise it's just about the best robotised manual that I've used, and that includes various versions of Ferrari's F1 -- though not the latest iterations of that 'box.
Put it in manual, shift speed 5 and you will soon be snapping up and down the ratios!
Hi Lee,
You'll love the E60, amazing machines.
They like to be driven and have their legs stretched, so make sure you open it out at the weekends.
I bought mine for the weekends, but ended up doing 100-200 miles every weekend!!
They're fabulous tourers, although the relatively short range irritates some.
SMG gets a bad press, but it's not really an issue if you know what it is and learn how to use it.
Never use the auto mode.....S5 is way better and far kinder to the car.
Setting up the M-drive is a lot of fun.....keep the DSC on till you get more used to the car, EDC on normal is better suited to most of our roads than sport, P500 of course. Gear changes at full chat can be brutal if you just keep your foot in, but can be smoothed (if you want) by a slight lift off the gas (paddle, then lift....you'll see what I mean.....feels great when you master it)
M-dynamic mode allows a wee bit of slip.....S6 with DSC off is where it's really at though and that's how I drive mine at all times, now that I know how the car handles and reacts to my inputs.....just love it.
Michelin PS2s are good and last well, as do the OEM discs and pads (just fine for road use).
You will need to add a litre of oil (castrol M-series stuff from Opie) every 3000 miles or so.
The warranty thing....you should be able to build in a second year warranty as part of the deal, but whatever you do, don't leave home without one!
Enjoy the beast!!
Jazzer
You'll love the E60, amazing machines.
They like to be driven and have their legs stretched, so make sure you open it out at the weekends.
I bought mine for the weekends, but ended up doing 100-200 miles every weekend!!
They're fabulous tourers, although the relatively short range irritates some.
SMG gets a bad press, but it's not really an issue if you know what it is and learn how to use it.
Never use the auto mode.....S5 is way better and far kinder to the car.
Setting up the M-drive is a lot of fun.....keep the DSC on till you get more used to the car, EDC on normal is better suited to most of our roads than sport, P500 of course. Gear changes at full chat can be brutal if you just keep your foot in, but can be smoothed (if you want) by a slight lift off the gas (paddle, then lift....you'll see what I mean.....feels great when you master it)
M-dynamic mode allows a wee bit of slip.....S6 with DSC off is where it's really at though and that's how I drive mine at all times, now that I know how the car handles and reacts to my inputs.....just love it.
Michelin PS2s are good and last well, as do the OEM discs and pads (just fine for road use).
You will need to add a litre of oil (castrol M-series stuff from Opie) every 3000 miles or so.
The warranty thing....you should be able to build in a second year warranty as part of the deal, but whatever you do, don't leave home without one!
Enjoy the beast!!
Jazzer
Thanks guys don't worry I have read the above thread and every other thread on buying an E60 M5 the internet can offer lol.
Jazzer, thanks for the info on the SMG box.
My wife will be driving this as well so want to ensure i can set the car for her as in reality the misses will be using it as a normal car at the weekends when she takes it out. Is it better to stay out of full auto all the time then and always use S5 for both the misses and me?
Dont worry a warranty will always be present as I can afford to run the car with insurance, petrol, servicing, warranty, disks, pads, plugs etc however I cant afford to replace a V10 Engine, Vanos or an SMG box
Jazzer, thanks for the info on the SMG box.
My wife will be driving this as well so want to ensure i can set the car for her as in reality the misses will be using it as a normal car at the weekends when she takes it out. Is it better to stay out of full auto all the time then and always use S5 for both the misses and me?
Dont worry a warranty will always be present as I can afford to run the car with insurance, petrol, servicing, warranty, disks, pads, plugs etc however I cant afford to replace a V10 Engine, Vanos or an SMG box
LeeE39M5 said:
#
My wife will be driving this as well so want to ensure i can set the car for her as in reality the misses will be using it as a normal car at the weekends when she takes it out. Is it better to stay out of full auto all the time then and always use S5 for both the misses and me?
Personally I find full auto rubbish, it is slow and dim witted. S5 is too full on for normal driving, I find S3 to be the best compromise between speed and comfort for day to day driving.My wife will be driving this as well so want to ensure i can set the car for her as in reality the misses will be using it as a normal car at the weekends when she takes it out. Is it better to stay out of full auto all the time then and always use S5 for both the misses and me?
Also, if you slightly lift on the accelerator as you change you get a much smoother experience, you will learn to tell when/how much by practice.
S
Loving reading threads like this right now. Closing in on an E61 Touring - test driven two - got my eye on two on PH and Autotrader.
I still have the wife test to go - although considering when we bought our Audi S4 4.2V8, the first time she drove it, when we were passed by an M6 doing 120+ on the M20 - she said "I'll have him" and nailed it. had to remind her we had our 3 month old in the back when we caught up..
So not too worried.
Currently deciding between 49k car on original clutch (but easily two years low warranty costs due to my low mileage) or a 59k car with the clutch done. They just seem so much harder to sell post 60k due to the warranty costs..
I still have the wife test to go - although considering when we bought our Audi S4 4.2V8, the first time she drove it, when we were passed by an M6 doing 120+ on the M20 - she said "I'll have him" and nailed it. had to remind her we had our 3 month old in the back when we caught up..
So not too worried.
Currently deciding between 49k car on original clutch (but easily two years low warranty costs due to my low mileage) or a 59k car with the clutch done. They just seem so much harder to sell post 60k due to the warranty costs..
Bigglez,
I agree on slightly harder to sell past 60K, which is why I am getting a better deal on a car with 60K miles on.
I generally like to go for lower milage cars but when I am looking at performance cars I always go for the bets condition car and not just low miles.
I am planing to keep this for a long time as I believe in about 5-10 years time a V10 is going to be a rare lump by the time the government get all engines sizes to 1.6L which quad turbos and the like
Would have no issues in getting the one the one with more miles as long as the condition was better than the lower mileage one.
Lee
I agree on slightly harder to sell past 60K, which is why I am getting a better deal on a car with 60K miles on.
I generally like to go for lower milage cars but when I am looking at performance cars I always go for the bets condition car and not just low miles.
I am planing to keep this for a long time as I believe in about 5-10 years time a V10 is going to be a rare lump by the time the government get all engines sizes to 1.6L which quad turbos and the like
Would have no issues in getting the one the one with more miles as long as the condition was better than the lower mileage one.
Lee
Contigo said:
Yep S5 with a lift off the throttle between changes to make the gear change as smooth as possible. Change at the right rev's too as too low it will not be smooth, it needs to be in the sweet spot between 3 and 4K.
Exactly this....Once you are used to s5 and it is dry, you will discover s6 and your world will boggle lol
You don't have to lift off fully. There's just a slight knack to smoothing out up-shifts, particularly in traffic. They're actually generally smoother at mid revs but at low revs it can help to ease the throttle a half inch.
I think the car's a LOT smoother to drive without Sport on too ... so P500, not P500 Sport; the Sport mode makes the throttle overly sensitive for "normal" driving.
When you merge onto a motorway and bang through the gears up near 8k RPM you will be forever smitten, wild car.
I think the car's a LOT smoother to drive without Sport on too ... so P500, not P500 Sport; the Sport mode makes the throttle overly sensitive for "normal" driving.
When you merge onto a motorway and bang through the gears up near 8k RPM you will be forever smitten, wild car.
Regarding the gearbox the only time I find it a pain round town is in P500S mode, I usually just use P500 or P400 if I'm just tootling around.
I do on ocassion use D3 but not around town, more when I'm just on the country roads and not rushing after a long day at work. In contrast to others here I think its absolutely fine for this, it's just the knack of learning how to interpret when its going to change and helping it with a slight lift.
97% of the time its in S4/5/6 but auto is ok in the right conditions. My wife uses D3 on the odd occasions that she drives it and is fine with it.
I've had mine 14 months now and am really pleased with it.
Regards
Fred
I do on ocassion use D3 but not around town, more when I'm just on the country roads and not rushing after a long day at work. In contrast to others here I think its absolutely fine for this, it's just the knack of learning how to interpret when its going to change and helping it with a slight lift.
97% of the time its in S4/5/6 but auto is ok in the right conditions. My wife uses D3 on the odd occasions that she drives it and is fine with it.
I've had mine 14 months now and am really pleased with it.
Regards
Fred
P500 and S5 is my ideal setting - P400 feels sluggish, and S5 is pretty much equal to how fast you would change gears if it were a normla manual car (probably faster, but feels the same as you are not engaged in the actual clutch and physical change of the gear lever, if that makes sense).
Any of the D modes are just awful, and no matter the setting the changes appear unpredictable and at somewhat unexpected times, with the result that you (at least I do) have a kangaroo style driving. Have completely given up on D, and actually find the S5 setting very enjoyable. Also prefer using the stick to the paddles, especially around town, as it feels more tactile, whereas the paddles are more "switch" like.
If you can stretch to a facelift (LCI) model, do. Improved interior + Idrive, and nice exterior upgrades to the headlamps and rearlights.
Any of the D modes are just awful, and no matter the setting the changes appear unpredictable and at somewhat unexpected times, with the result that you (at least I do) have a kangaroo style driving. Have completely given up on D, and actually find the S5 setting very enjoyable. Also prefer using the stick to the paddles, especially around town, as it feels more tactile, whereas the paddles are more "switch" like.
If you can stretch to a facelift (LCI) model, do. Improved interior + Idrive, and nice exterior upgrades to the headlamps and rearlights.
- Great cars to drive and that noise is amazing
I am actually looking at a facelift one so that is cool.
On the muffler delete it sounds a good idea but I am going to have a warranty so I assume BMW will not even let me put an air freshener in without being told it makes the warranty invalid!!!!!!!
If there is an exhaust system that BMW let you use under warranty let me know as I would buy in an instance
On the muffler delete it sounds a good idea but I am going to have a warranty so I assume BMW will not even let me put an air freshener in without being told it makes the warranty invalid!!!!!!!
If there is an exhaust system that BMW let you use under warranty let me know as I would buy in an instance
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