E39 M5 vs E90 M3 Saloon
Discussion
Evening All
Having just bought an 08 E90 M3 Saloon (dct) Im very interested in how people rate these vs the E39, as i see it, the e90 is slightly smaller, but still with 4 doors and hence quite understated, yet still has the V8, for the manual purists, you can have that or the well regarded auto (im still not sure I prefer it, but its early days).
A lot of folk rave about the e39, in your opinion are they better than an E90? if so why ?
Having just bought an 08 E90 M3 Saloon (dct) Im very interested in how people rate these vs the E39, as i see it, the e90 is slightly smaller, but still with 4 doors and hence quite understated, yet still has the V8, for the manual purists, you can have that or the well regarded auto (im still not sure I prefer it, but its early days).
A lot of folk rave about the e39, in your opinion are they better than an E90? if so why ?
Drove my E39 to Nurburgring recently, and it was perfect. Smooth, very comfortable from everywhere (we were 3 up and I sat in passenger seat and rear seat as well as driving), great fun and quick whenever wanted. Just so easy on the motorways and then beautifully balanced through the Eifel region etc etc.
For me, the differences from an E9X were:
1. the interior seems a bit nicer and classier (not that the M3 is bad, but the M5 is a bit less black/bland/plasticky)
2. the rear seats have a bit more room and are are quite a lot more comfortable
3. the car does not track the road surface as much, M3's tug more to wheel grooves on the motorway etc.
4. the range. I hit 400 miles on motorway cruising at 75-80mph.
Having said that, all those advantages are relatively small, and I'm doing about 3k a year in mine, so range is not an issue for me really at all.
While at the Nurburgring, we got to drive an E92(?, the coupe version) DCT M3 for quite a while. It was epic. The car was prepped for the 'Ring, so I don't know how much was changed (brakes were, suspension/exhaust might have been), but it was so quick to rev, much keener than the M5, and sounded fruitier the whole way up and much more epic at the top end. For a fun car I thought it was much better than the E39 as the engine made it just a bit more fun. I really liked the paddles too when I was really on it, although I do still love my manuals.
Anyway, it was good enough that I have been looking in the classified's since, but will be keeping the E39 a while longer too. I don't think owners of either cars have made bad choices, and even if some prefer the E39, you have the advantage of being a few years newer and the maintenance advantages etc that can have.
For me, the differences from an E9X were:
1. the interior seems a bit nicer and classier (not that the M3 is bad, but the M5 is a bit less black/bland/plasticky)
2. the rear seats have a bit more room and are are quite a lot more comfortable
3. the car does not track the road surface as much, M3's tug more to wheel grooves on the motorway etc.
4. the range. I hit 400 miles on motorway cruising at 75-80mph.
Having said that, all those advantages are relatively small, and I'm doing about 3k a year in mine, so range is not an issue for me really at all.
While at the Nurburgring, we got to drive an E92(?, the coupe version) DCT M3 for quite a while. It was epic. The car was prepped for the 'Ring, so I don't know how much was changed (brakes were, suspension/exhaust might have been), but it was so quick to rev, much keener than the M5, and sounded fruitier the whole way up and much more epic at the top end. For a fun car I thought it was much better than the E39 as the engine made it just a bit more fun. I really liked the paddles too when I was really on it, although I do still love my manuals.
Anyway, it was good enough that I have been looking in the classified's since, but will be keeping the E39 a while longer too. I don't think owners of either cars have made bad choices, and even if some prefer the E39, you have the advantage of being a few years newer and the maintenance advantages etc that can have.
I had a E39 M5 for 3 years and 30k miles. I've now got an E92 M3 that I've had for 3 months.
The E39 was a do anything car. It had instant low down grunt, 400bhp, was comfortable day to day yet was a total scream when you wanted it to be. It had real presence to those in the know and I just love M5's.
The M3 feels more of the 'sports car' - and so it should. The ride is firmer, it's a lot more pointy and the top end scream of the S65 is exciting evey time you go there. That, coupled to the DCT makes the performance so easy to exploit. The E39 wasn't anywhere near as an event to rev out but it had its own connection being a manual shift.
Which is better? I'd have to say that as a package, the E39 is. It does everything you want it to for a road car. On track it's obviously the M3 that's going to win IMO.
I however actually prefer my M3 to drive. It's not that it's been made better, it just has different characteristics to the M5 that I prefer. It feels a bit more special and I love the little M3 traits - like the flared wheel arches and the bonnet bulge.
You can't really improve on the ingredients of the M5, you just make them more modern and give them their own identity and personality.
The E39 was a do anything car. It had instant low down grunt, 400bhp, was comfortable day to day yet was a total scream when you wanted it to be. It had real presence to those in the know and I just love M5's.
The M3 feels more of the 'sports car' - and so it should. The ride is firmer, it's a lot more pointy and the top end scream of the S65 is exciting evey time you go there. That, coupled to the DCT makes the performance so easy to exploit. The E39 wasn't anywhere near as an event to rev out but it had its own connection being a manual shift.
Which is better? I'd have to say that as a package, the E39 is. It does everything you want it to for a road car. On track it's obviously the M3 that's going to win IMO.
I however actually prefer my M3 to drive. It's not that it's been made better, it just has different characteristics to the M5 that I prefer. It feels a bit more special and I love the little M3 traits - like the flared wheel arches and the bonnet bulge.
You can't really improve on the ingredients of the M5, you just make them more modern and give them their own identity and personality.
r4_rick said:
Evening All
as i see it, the e90 is slightly smaller
The E90 is actually 17mm wider than the E39 at the rear arches (I love a tech sheet), but it is 17cm shorter.as i see it, the e90 is slightly smaller
I like the E39 M5, but for me it's so much more GT car and less sharp than the E90 M3. The E39 smooths out speed-humps, whereas the M3 crashes over them.
I ran an E39 for 3 years, replaced it with an M3 E92 for 6 months and now own another E39. The E39 is just sublime and I prefer it for the following reasons:
Better V8 noise more of the time ie it rumbles all day long
Steering is nicer weighted and has more feeling
Torque - much easier to drive on the limit as it is lower down the rev range
More classy shape that attracts less attention
Better built
Appreciating asset if the right car
Slower point to point but far more enjoyable as the car moves around underneath you at more sensible speeds.
I sold the M3 after one particular long mad dash cross country following an Exige S. The car was just too good and I wasn't involved in the proceedings as much the E39 would have required.
Personal preference!
Better V8 noise more of the time ie it rumbles all day long
Steering is nicer weighted and has more feeling
Torque - much easier to drive on the limit as it is lower down the rev range
More classy shape that attracts less attention
Better built
Appreciating asset if the right car
Slower point to point but far more enjoyable as the car moves around underneath you at more sensible speeds.
I sold the M3 after one particular long mad dash cross country following an Exige S. The car was just too good and I wasn't involved in the proceedings as much the E39 would have required.
Personal preference!
thanks everyone for the replies, good reading. we took the m3 to wales last weekend for a bit of bonding ! get the point about all the fun being at the top end ! got to appreciate the some of the cars capabilities, but no way all of them; too damp for that. Had a nightmare with the bloody oil level, why on earth no dipstick that guage is a PITA.
my previous M was an e34 so the e90 is a world apart from that ! lots of little styling and functional touches which add to the car's personality, i think my favourite is the track on the rear wheels, compared to other models they are really pushed out to fill the arch, even on the 18s on my car.
my previous M was an e34 so the e90 is a world apart from that ! lots of little styling and functional touches which add to the car's personality, i think my favourite is the track on the rear wheels, compared to other models they are really pushed out to fill the arch, even on the 18s on my car.
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