Thinking of getting a m5..?
Discussion
If you're thinking of an E39 5.0V8 I could recommend them. I had one prior to the turbo and it was pretty fast really. Certainly nice and responsive being n/a and it took me a little while to feel the extra speed of the turbo, it wasn't night and day.
However, it was a bit tail happy to say the least though super comfy.
Definitely the thumbs up from me though. Get a facelift (2001) one because they changed the piston ring design to guzzle a bit less oil plus some other tweaks. Mine still used it at a fairly alarming 1 litre for 1400 miles though...
SM
However, it was a bit tail happy to say the least though super comfy.
Definitely the thumbs up from me though. Get a facelift (2001) one because they changed the piston ring design to guzzle a bit less oil plus some other tweaks. Mine still used it at a fairly alarming 1 litre for 1400 miles though...
SM
I ran an E60 M5 last year. Its probably the fastest car available which can carry four passengers and their luggage comfortably and is great fun to drive if you remember its weight.
Flappy paddle gear shift is surprisingly satisfying to use but the whole drive train has a reputation for unreliability and the BMW warranty department can be very slippery if the car doesn't have a watertight service record. Saying that I never had any problems with mine and the overall build quality was excellent.
However, not the easiest car to sell when the time came and they depreciate faster than KayC's GT3. My biggest complaint was the low fuel economy of 15 mpg which combined with a tiny tank means a range of about 200 miles if you like a spirited drive. The V10 engine has to be revved hard and has little low down torque.
I agree with the others here that the earlier E39 V8 model is an overall better short term buy and a better car IMHO.
Flappy paddle gear shift is surprisingly satisfying to use but the whole drive train has a reputation for unreliability and the BMW warranty department can be very slippery if the car doesn't have a watertight service record. Saying that I never had any problems with mine and the overall build quality was excellent.
However, not the easiest car to sell when the time came and they depreciate faster than KayC's GT3. My biggest complaint was the low fuel economy of 15 mpg which combined with a tiny tank means a range of about 200 miles if you like a spirited drive. The V10 engine has to be revved hard and has little low down torque.
I agree with the others here that the earlier E39 V8 model is an overall better short term buy and a better car IMHO.
kleonard said:
I know its the porsche forum.. and im porsche mad .. my brother is collecting a 997gt3 during the week..!! but i was thinking about getting a m5 for a few months till the new gt2 comes around... what are your opinions about m5s...??
I'd go for a 4.4litre 7 series myself, they've all bottomed out on the depreciation and you can slide them majestically through corners with such poise and style that the modern Bangle cars simply cannot match. OK so a newish M5 will be faster - but who are you racing, how much fun are you having, and do you look cool or like a t
t? Big. Luxury. Style, Finesse. Monster Power Slides. 740. There is no need to slum it
Have a feeling I'll be in the minority here, but I loathed the car. I was "lucky" to get one around launch in Sep 05, and kept it for a grand total of one week. Couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I had the previous shape as an everyday car and enjoyed that. Not this one.
Yeah its quick, but so it being shot out of a cannon, you wouldn't necessarily want to do it. Hideous. You have to press about 37 buttons before you can get the car to move forward, another 17 to put in the right mode to go faster, then read the 97 chapter drivers guide to work any of the controls. By that time the Fiat 126 that's next to at the lights has circled the M25 twice and stopped for lunch.
I intended to keep it for a short time, and granted its as quick as they come, corners exceptionally well for its size/weight, but as a drivers car it is FAR from the Ultimate Driving Machine. Even the seats annoyed me, who wants to be fondled by a seat as you corner?
So for an everyday driver it would get you there v quickly, but I didn't want to drive it myself. There isn't the luxury of a top saloon to be used as a chauffers car, so I quickly sold it (making no money so we're clear) and couldn't wait for it to go......
Yeah its quick, but so it being shot out of a cannon, you wouldn't necessarily want to do it. Hideous. You have to press about 37 buttons before you can get the car to move forward, another 17 to put in the right mode to go faster, then read the 97 chapter drivers guide to work any of the controls. By that time the Fiat 126 that's next to at the lights has circled the M25 twice and stopped for lunch.
I intended to keep it for a short time, and granted its as quick as they come, corners exceptionally well for its size/weight, but as a drivers car it is FAR from the Ultimate Driving Machine. Even the seats annoyed me, who wants to be fondled by a seat as you corner?
So for an everyday driver it would get you there v quickly, but I didn't want to drive it myself. There isn't the luxury of a top saloon to be used as a chauffers car, so I quickly sold it (making no money so we're clear) and couldn't wait for it to go......
The new M5 is a mighty car, and perhaps a second hand one wouldn't be such a bad idea given that a lot of the depreciation will have been taken out of the equation. But if it's just to be a stop-gap car, why would you even look at an E60 M5 over an E46 M3CSL? OK - in Ireland there may be pressures within the peer group to get something new/different, but if I was going anywhere near a circuit, the new M5 wouldn't be my first choice. Never mind that Sabine drives one - that's because the 'Ring taxi needs 4 decent seats. You'd have the best craic of all in a nice E39 M5. Manual, torquey V8, chuckable and utterly brilliant. I preferred mine to my E46 M3.
Prior to the GT2 I had an e39 M5 for over 2 years, and other than a few niggling faults dealt with under warranty it was by far the best allround car I have owned, as well as the longest i've kept.
Toyed with the idea of the e60 M5, only SMGIII along with the bland interior drew me away from the marque and into something else from Germany.
C.
Toyed with the idea of the e60 M5, only SMGIII along with the bland interior drew me away from the marque and into something else from Germany.
C.
magic torch said:
Dazren is your man...
Not much to add to the other comments above as I agree with everything said so far. Personally I wouldn't buy an E60 or any high value car as a couple of month interim due to the large trade spread that affects all high value cars.
If you decide to go the M5 route, the E39 and E60 are very different cars, so I'd suggest driving both before deciding on which one. If the E60 was available with a manual gearbox and had a larger fuel tank I would most certainly be buying one in the future when they hit about £25k. As it is I will be continuing with my E39 for a long while yet (whilst still nicking more brother's E60 from time to time).
Last weekend I did 1,600 miles in my E39 (with new AP front brakes) going up to and Hooning around the Scottish Highlands on the tartanhoon trip. For a six year old car it was frankly staggering.
As mentioned both models are heavy cars, so I wouldn't buy either of them if you intend doing a few trackdays, you'd do better looking at sub £20k M3 and sticking on some uprated front brakes.
Thorny said:
I have just been looking and E90 M5s and B7 RS4s and went for the RS4 (Avant), a bit cheaper, not a lot slower, 4wd and looks a lot better IMO.
Snap although mine is saloon and arrives next week - better looking inside and out, the V10 was impressive I thought that Audi V8 was even better. Plus the M5 button-fest was just annoying, like driving a PS3.
Had a E39 M5 for under a year. Unreliable, dangerous due to the many faults in my lemon car. many faults, many repairs, couple of scary moments due to suspension braking, vanos faults, BUT when it did work is was fast, brakes take a hammering, comfy. Im sure mine was a lemon but that did not help me and has put me off BMW's for some time.
Due to the faults, it prompted me to go in to a new 996 - never looked back since.
Due to the faults, it prompted me to go in to a new 996 - never looked back since.
Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff