F10 M5 buying guide

[Francis-92xcj]

Hi all,

Am in the market for an F10 M5. A couple of people have said my budget of around £15-18K is asking for trouble, but I’ve seen quite a few with FSH including running in service around this price.

I understand that I’d probably want to do rod bearings on a 75K+ mile car if not done yet. Anything else on higher mileage cars need addressing?

Do I need a bigger budget for an M5 or could I find a good one for this money?

Thanks!

[Jamescrs]

Researched these about 18 months ago as I’d love an M5 at some point but I read a few horror stories about them grenading their own engines without warning and it scared me off.

I found out the F90 is far more reliable but that’s reflected in the price difference.

I was looking at spending up to 30k and ended up buying an F82 M4 instead.

Definately a brave pill car

[Francis-92xcj]

I’m not scared by a few horror stories as I’m sure well maintained cars that have had the rod bearings done will be reliable as any other well maintained German car? There’s no fundamental issues with this engine from what I’ve read.

[ZX10R NIN]

They're good cars but can be a bit fragile, as long as you go in with your eyes open you'll be fine.

You'll need to see receipts & buy on condition & have a bit in the pot to get the remedial work carried out asap:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502149...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501077...

[Francis-92xcj]

Thanks. First link (grey car) looks great although there’s a 30k gap between 2 of the services. Eek. 😦

[Francis-92xcj]

Seen a few cheap examples (around 15k) with little to no history. What price would make the risk worth taking on a car with little history?

I would test drive and get a pre purchase inspection to minimise risk but wondering what sort of cash reserves I should have for a car that potentially needs work in the not too distant future.