New M5 - good or bad?
Discussion
Do any of you own a new shape M5 and run it as an everyday car? I'm starting to get drawn to them now that 12-24 month old ones are dropping in value a little. I've heard that fuel consumption is a bit of a nightmare, but not too fussed as it's one of those cars that, if you can't afford the fuel....
So, thoughts on them please. Good points, bad points, reliability issues?
Thanks,
NL
So, thoughts on them please. Good points, bad points, reliability issues?
Thanks,
NL
My Brother just picked up a 55 plate one and loves it. He hasnt owned it long enough to give decent feedback, but the two points that stand out are that he's commented on the fuel several times (though as you say, its part and parcel of the car) and he's also commented that people treat him differently driving it.
On that note, I've only seen the car once (he's had it only a month or so) and within 10 minutes of getting in the car, someone cut him up needlessly and gave him the "coffee beans" for no reason. Shocking.
However, not to deter you, when we're talking about it, he often ends the sentence with "its a hell of a car...."
Unfortunatley, I've got a broken arm at the mo, but I cant wait to have a go in it - I drive an E46 M3 which he has drivne several times....when he picked his M5 up, in reply to my question "how is it??"...after around a 5 second pause, he simply said "you've got to get one".
On that note, I've only seen the car once (he's had it only a month or so) and within 10 minutes of getting in the car, someone cut him up needlessly and gave him the "coffee beans" for no reason. Shocking.
However, not to deter you, when we're talking about it, he often ends the sentence with "its a hell of a car...."
Unfortunatley, I've got a broken arm at the mo, but I cant wait to have a go in it - I drive an E46 M3 which he has drivne several times....when he picked his M5 up, in reply to my question "how is it??"...after around a 5 second pause, he simply said "you've got to get one".
If you can find a secondhand Alpina B5 then I would go for that. Same power as M5 but much more torque and much better fuel consumption. B5 has a supercharged V8 over the M5's V10. Also the B5 is 110kg lighter.
Not quite as brutal as an M5 but then for everyday driving when you're not on the limit, seems an ideal choice.
Here's one:
http://www.sytner.co.uk/stocklist.cfm?mode=4&v...
Not quite as brutal as an M5 but then for everyday driving when you're not on the limit, seems an ideal choice.
Here's one:
http://www.sytner.co.uk/stocklist.cfm?mode=4&v...
Edited by strike4A on Wednesday 12th March 17:50
I've had mine as a daily runner for over 18 months and it's never put a foot wrong... It's a late '55' plate fully loaded as it was a dealer demonstrator and <touch wood!> it's been perfect for the 25k (mostly motorway) miles I've put on it.
Fuel:
Fuel:
- careful driving on 'mixed roads' it will return 17-19mpg.
- driving it normally and enjoying it will see 13-14mpg.
- hooning around with your mates from PH will see sub 10mpg...
Have you owned an M car or something of simular power to current M5 before?
I own an E39 M5 and love it dearly. The new one is a very different car, a good friend owned one of the very first of the new cars and it was truley a phonimal machine.
Personnaly I would never use one as a day to day unless you have a short (but not too short) communte, a good safe place to park it at the other end and never really leave it any where you would consider it might get harmed e.g. trollys at Tesco's.
If it ticks the boxes for you, you will love the car. The fuel consumption will be worse than you think, no matter how bad you think it will be and something will proably break that will suprise you how much it costs to fix.
Someone asked me they were thinking about buying an E39 M5 and if after owning 1 for 6 months, wondered if I thought they should. My reply was that if you even think you might like a owning a car like this and you have the money, buy one today. It will be better than you imagine it could be and will love it more every time you drive it.
Buy one my friend, they are one of the finest cars ever made.
I own an E39 M5 and love it dearly. The new one is a very different car, a good friend owned one of the very first of the new cars and it was truley a phonimal machine.
Personnaly I would never use one as a day to day unless you have a short (but not too short) communte, a good safe place to park it at the other end and never really leave it any where you would consider it might get harmed e.g. trollys at Tesco's.
If it ticks the boxes for you, you will love the car. The fuel consumption will be worse than you think, no matter how bad you think it will be and something will proably break that will suprise you how much it costs to fix.
Someone asked me they were thinking about buying an E39 M5 and if after owning 1 for 6 months, wondered if I thought they should. My reply was that if you even think you might like a owning a car like this and you have the money, buy one today. It will be better than you imagine it could be and will love it more every time you drive it.
Buy one my friend, they are one of the finest cars ever made.
I've had an E60 M5 since last summer and have done 32,000 in it so far - mostly on motorways.
MPG average is, as previously mentioned, pretty poor.
I've only had minor problems with mine (radio and ipod collection mainly) but I wouldn't run one for lots of miles without a warranty.
Servicing is pretty reasonable really though - the dealer only replaces what the computer tells him to (you can check that yourself too of course)
I have to say the gearbox is annoying me more recently (maybe I'm just getting less tolerant as I get older).The idrive really is pretty poor too snd it's ridiculous that sat nav doesn't have full post code search still.
Other than that, it is pretty much spot on.
Motorways aren't the best place for them though really. A mate of mine has a Merc CLS 55AMG and it's nicer to drive lots of miles in.
These are more natural descendants of the E39 M5s in some ways.
That said, the M5 is FAR better on country lanes.
My old M3 was more of a raw drive and seemed more fun somehow, even though the M5 is significantly faster.
I prefer the E60 M5 to the E92 M3 though - they seem even more sanitised to me.
I'd definitely recommend one over all however, although I disagree with people saying 'be careful where you park it etc'.
It's a bloody car, use it if you buy one - don't worry about it all the time. Mine has loads of dings and chips but its essentially ther same bodywork to repair as a 520D rep special.
MPG average is, as previously mentioned, pretty poor.
I've only had minor problems with mine (radio and ipod collection mainly) but I wouldn't run one for lots of miles without a warranty.
Servicing is pretty reasonable really though - the dealer only replaces what the computer tells him to (you can check that yourself too of course)
I have to say the gearbox is annoying me more recently (maybe I'm just getting less tolerant as I get older).The idrive really is pretty poor too snd it's ridiculous that sat nav doesn't have full post code search still.
Other than that, it is pretty much spot on.
Motorways aren't the best place for them though really. A mate of mine has a Merc CLS 55AMG and it's nicer to drive lots of miles in.
These are more natural descendants of the E39 M5s in some ways.
That said, the M5 is FAR better on country lanes.
My old M3 was more of a raw drive and seemed more fun somehow, even though the M5 is significantly faster.
I prefer the E60 M5 to the E92 M3 though - they seem even more sanitised to me.
I'd definitely recommend one over all however, although I disagree with people saying 'be careful where you park it etc'.
It's a bloody car, use it if you buy one - don't worry about it all the time. Mine has loads of dings and chips but its essentially ther same bodywork to repair as a 520D rep special.
I still find it amazing how BMW can create the new E60 M5 which is light years ahead of its rivals in almost all departments but not be able to do anything with the ecomomy.
In a world now fascinated with going green, cars being deemed as one of the major causes I cant help but wonder if this is a metaphorical two fingers at the green party by BMW.
Or, the cars now are so heavy, packed with computers, safety cells etc that the weight simply makes the numbers tumble.
I know ecomomy is not the point of these cars, and if you cant afford it blah blah blah...
It would be good if there was a 'C' button for 'Cruizing' on the steering wheel next to the 'M' button which made the car run on only 2 cylinders or something to save fuel. Like the american cars did from the late seventies. Put your foot down a bit and it sparks back into life.
N.
In a world now fascinated with going green, cars being deemed as one of the major causes I cant help but wonder if this is a metaphorical two fingers at the green party by BMW.
Or, the cars now are so heavy, packed with computers, safety cells etc that the weight simply makes the numbers tumble.
I know ecomomy is not the point of these cars, and if you cant afford it blah blah blah...
It would be good if there was a 'C' button for 'Cruizing' on the steering wheel next to the 'M' button which made the car run on only 2 cylinders or something to save fuel. Like the american cars did from the late seventies. Put your foot down a bit and it sparks back into life.
N.
Neil.D said:
I still find it amazing how BMW can create the new E60 M5 which is light years ahead of its rivals in almost all departments but not be able to do anything with the ecomomy.
In a world now fascinated with going green, cars being deemed as one of the major causes I cant help but wonder if this is a metaphorical two fingers at the green party by BMW.
Or, the cars now are so heavy, packed with computers, safety cells etc that the weight simply makes the numbers tumble.
I know ecomomy is not the point of these cars, and if you cant afford it blah blah blah...
It would be good if there was a 'C' button for 'Cruizing' on the steering wheel next to the 'M' button which made the car run on only 2 cylinders or something to save fuel. Like the american cars did from the late seventies. Put your foot down a bit and it sparks back into life.
N.
To be fair, a lot of it is down to the way the car demands to be driven... The soundtrack is addictive! On a recent gentle run I consciously left it in Auto mode and stuck to the limites rigidly - coasting where appropriate, i.e. approaching lower speed limits etc. Over about 100 miles I managed 26mpg.In a world now fascinated with going green, cars being deemed as one of the major causes I cant help but wonder if this is a metaphorical two fingers at the green party by BMW.
Or, the cars now are so heavy, packed with computers, safety cells etc that the weight simply makes the numbers tumble.
I know ecomomy is not the point of these cars, and if you cant afford it blah blah blah...
It would be good if there was a 'C' button for 'Cruizing' on the steering wheel next to the 'M' button which made the car run on only 2 cylinders or something to save fuel. Like the american cars did from the late seventies. Put your foot down a bit and it sparks back into life.
N.
On the motorway if you drive with cruise control at a steady 70-75 then an E60 M5 will easily return 22mpg+... BUT at some point some numpty will piss you off, or you'll get bored, and the urge to drop 3 cogs and floor it is overwhelming!
I had a B5 and it was wonderful but you need a B7 to achieve the desired effect (unless the new 'S' has rectified one or two issues?)
Thing is, whenever I got back into my old M5, it was like coming home.
When I got into the M6 it felt like coming home with Heather Locklear.
//M: it's the only way.
Thing is, whenever I got back into my old M5, it was like coming home.
When I got into the M6 it felt like coming home with Heather Locklear.
//M: it's the only way.
My 2 year old M6 just had the diff replaced. Great car, just wish they offered them with a proper manual 'box. Get a warranty and make sure they don't give you any fluff about not covering clutch/transmission wear (they tried it on with me).
I get 17-18 mpg in mixed driving (and I have a pretty heavy right foot, so I'm a bit surprised that others get in the low teens). Need about half a litre of oil every 2000km.
I get 17-18 mpg in mixed driving (and I have a pretty heavy right foot, so I'm a bit surprised that others get in the low teens). Need about half a litre of oil every 2000km.
Harris_I said:
...just wish they offered them with a proper manual 'box.
I get 17-18 mpg in mixed driving (and I have a pretty heavy right foot, so I'm a bit surprised that others get in the low teens). Need about half a litre of oil every 2000km.
Hello there, long time no post, you ok?I get 17-18 mpg in mixed driving (and I have a pretty heavy right foot, so I'm a bit surprised that others get in the low teens). Need about half a litre of oil every 2000km.
Must say, I must be a venerable loser of the plot because I swear, the smg on mine, although imperfect, is something I now wouldn't be without: in fact, I prefer it to the glorious chunk of the M5's shiftus stickularum.
Pater in law drove it this weeked gone for the first time (serial Jag/Lex LS bod) and loved it! Whilst he acknowledged it would take a bit of time, there was a genuine appreciation of the system.
Having said all that, I accept it's very much a minority position. Hmm...
Agree re oil, mine's suddenly acquired an habit au E39 M5 but economy? Can't breach 15 I'm afraid.
Edited by derestrictor on Tuesday 1st April 09:13
Hiya, de-re, been keeping my head down and staying off the interweb. Have discovered to my cost that a little info about oneself in the public domain can become a nuisance.
Don't get me wrong re smg - it is a fabulous bit of kit, even if some of us have not always had the most robust examples. However I'm old fashioned - I double declutch and heel and toe, even though modern 'boxes rarely require this. The point is I enjoy it. I love driving my 996 GT3 even though a 997 is empirically better (and easier) to drive. In fact, following the recent thread on the P-forum, I'm hankering after my old '86 Carrera 3.2: those were the days when cars were cars and men were men.
There will come a day when lane-change warning devices, parking sensors, assisted parking, blind spot sensors, active yaw control, electronic brake distribution, dynamic stability control, dsg 'boxes (or some futuristic evolution of the cvt), distance control with automated braking, and so on will rob us of the simple pleasure of actually thinking and driving.
The M5/M6 is in my opinion far superior to anything in its class (pretty much at any price point, which I know will annoy Scaglietti, DB9 and Quattroporte owners), and yet I don't desire to spend the rest of my life with one. Instead my dream (real world) garage consists of a race prepped GT3, a pristine Integrale, a mid-80's Carrera 3.2 (or a 993TT, or a 965, or... dammit it's too confusing), a 535d (yes diesel!), and a Lotus Elise of some ilk. Does that make any sense?
Don't get me wrong re smg - it is a fabulous bit of kit, even if some of us have not always had the most robust examples. However I'm old fashioned - I double declutch and heel and toe, even though modern 'boxes rarely require this. The point is I enjoy it. I love driving my 996 GT3 even though a 997 is empirically better (and easier) to drive. In fact, following the recent thread on the P-forum, I'm hankering after my old '86 Carrera 3.2: those were the days when cars were cars and men were men.
There will come a day when lane-change warning devices, parking sensors, assisted parking, blind spot sensors, active yaw control, electronic brake distribution, dynamic stability control, dsg 'boxes (or some futuristic evolution of the cvt), distance control with automated braking, and so on will rob us of the simple pleasure of actually thinking and driving.
The M5/M6 is in my opinion far superior to anything in its class (pretty much at any price point, which I know will annoy Scaglietti, DB9 and Quattroporte owners), and yet I don't desire to spend the rest of my life with one. Instead my dream (real world) garage consists of a race prepped GT3, a pristine Integrale, a mid-80's Carrera 3.2 (or a 993TT, or a 965, or... dammit it's too confusing), a 535d (yes diesel!), and a Lotus Elise of some ilk. Does that make any sense?
Indeed it does.
Tbh, the downchange blip with a good old stick and pedal thing going on is one of life's more carefree indulgences and is perfectly meritous a pastime to pursue.
Otoh, I tend to shy away from this 'purist dogma' ticket, as it were: as I discovered in a tweaked XK-R at Bedford Autodrome a while back, some electronic reignment needn't be a precursor to even marginal fun abatement and the best systems (like on the M6) rarely poop forth...
I mean at what point do you draw the line and accept that technology, correctly applied, can aid rather than hinder the experience: Ferrari's 'adaptive' gearchanges, for example, described in this month's Evo, as distinct from our fixed setting variants in the //Ms...
Frankly, embrace both schools, that's my creed!
Tbh, the downchange blip with a good old stick and pedal thing going on is one of life's more carefree indulgences and is perfectly meritous a pastime to pursue.
Otoh, I tend to shy away from this 'purist dogma' ticket, as it were: as I discovered in a tweaked XK-R at Bedford Autodrome a while back, some electronic reignment needn't be a precursor to even marginal fun abatement and the best systems (like on the M6) rarely poop forth...
I mean at what point do you draw the line and accept that technology, correctly applied, can aid rather than hinder the experience: Ferrari's 'adaptive' gearchanges, for example, described in this month's Evo, as distinct from our fixed setting variants in the //Ms...
Frankly, embrace both schools, that's my creed!
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