E39 M5?

I don't have experience with the M5, but my dad did have a 97 528 for a while, which is the same body style. More than enough room for car seats.

I think the price difference you see is most likely due to miles and conditions. These are 15 years old now and most were daily drivers. Not going to be a ton of cars with low miles.

As far as maintenance is concerned, others will chime in with more specifics, but in general 15 year old cars are going to need more maintenance than new cars.

For $50K, you could be in a newer 550 M sport, or M3 sedan which may be good options for you.

 

these cars have a big following and really good examples are considered collectable.

great cars. find a really nice one and drive it for years!!! still fast and cool.

 

For market data, BaT has auctioned off a number of them in the past year with various miles/condition/mods:

m5 | Search Results | Bring a Trailer

 

We service allot of them. IMO one of the greatest sedans ever made. If you plan on driving it maybe save a few bucks and get a 2000 model. 60-80k mile well maintained and you should be fine. We service one car that has 218k miles on the original motor. Nothing beats that solid door close and individual throttles! Hunt craigslist sometimes you luck out.

 

Any reason you specifically recommend a 2000 model?

 

later versions such as an 03 seem to carry a premium.

 

They do carry a premium. The 01-03 was the LCI (face lifted version) of which implemented the "halo" headlamps, updated fiber optic style taillamps, a bigger nav and more intuitive (for 2001) navigation screen and system and updated front and rear bumpers. It may be more than that too. Forgive me if I missed anything.

 

An E90 M3 (2008-2011) would be a fantastic choice. That high revving V8 is to die for an for what I see are very reliable however being a BMW service advisor, I must say the 550's are just a boatload of trouble. The E60 550 is known for numerous oil leaks and valve stem seals failing at higher mileages and the later F10 550s have all of the same oil leaks plus turbocharger and cooling issues as well. Its crazy to say but the more "track/sporting" focused M3 or older E39 M5 is a much more reliable and problem free buy IMHO.

 

I have an '03 and I love it. Fantastic car. Mine is at 90K and she's definitely needed some TLC from time to time but has been an awesome driver.

 

I have an 01 with a bunch of upgrades, including SC. Best car I have ever owned, for 14 years. Shoot me a PM if you want info.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Had one new in late 99. Regret selling it.

For your circumstances, I'd get an E90 S65 M3. Wife has one, from new. Refuses to change, has been great car, very reminiscent of my E39, more fun, and faster. DCT awesome, and it's been very reliable. I'd get an 11-13, LCI upgrade. Ours is an '11 we ordered in early '10 LCI.
Easily found under 50k, and Fidelity warranty covers it, my ROI on them is 212% on cars I've had them on. Up for another 3-36 this month actually. Fidelity only extended that pays well, dealers like them. Discounted is in $3k range.

E39's somewhat hard to work on dt cramped engine room. M3 S65 not so bad. Still love the S50 engine, but the E90 S65 is truly last great M engine. The stuff now is just tweaked production stuff.

Good luck. After 7 years, ours is great, 50k mi, and still makes us grin. Tracks great too.
We used it for the kids, still do. Daughter learned to drive in it, most forgiving car we have.

E39 best used as second car for fun, a collectible. E90 still depreciating. Far more fun than any 5er, yet serves well in daily duties.

FWIW.

 

I bought my '03 new, and 15 years and 95K miles later still love it. The newer versions have missed the mark in various ways, the E39 really well balanced and as others have stated still has a cool factor.

For daily use you would want a pristine sample with modest mileage, and that will cost a premium up front. The car can take regular use no problems. You'll need a good independent mechanic as well.

Good luck!

 

I had one new in the day. I felt like a pig (gas, big car etc) so I traded it on an Acura TSX. The manager got back from test driving the e39 M5 and says "Wow. Are you sure you want to do this?' I did it and have always regretted it. What a great car. Kind of the pinnacle of the analog era. It had some Dynamic Stabilty Control and ABS but that was it. Great, great car.

 

Full disclosures first. I owned a 2001 E39 530i, and I am currently shopping for a Charger Hellcat. I own and drive some relatively "unsafe" cars (e.g a 1964 Chevy Truck), and I have no kids. First, the E39 is a fantastic car, and does many things very very well. But, what about safety? There have been significant advancements in computer modeling/design, stability programs, airbag technology, and so on. In addition to rear view cams, automated braking, cross path detection, blind spot monitoring, etc. I know the Charger has many of these systems, but I don't know if it ultimately performs better in a crash than the E39. But it may be something to consider.

 

I love the E39 M5, but I've heard nightmares with the VANOS. There's a white Dinan S2 E39 M5 on Ebay with BBS LMs that looks incredible and I'd love to have it...

 

Grab yourself for now an e39 530. I'm on my 4th one now. They are cheap and a good solid safe car. I love the things. I just picked up a mint 03 for 3500 bucks, threw a set of M wheels on it I had kicking around, and it looks like a million bucks..

 

The 530 has rack and pinion steering which a lot of people prefer over the V8 engined cars' recirculating ball. I love the BMW straight 6's so the 530 isa really cool sleeper...

 

Had a 2002 540 for a few years. Swapped in a 6 speed and a few other goodies--then drove it to 250000 kms. It was the best car I ever had, but you need to be proactive with maintenance--oil changes, carbon cleanings of the secondary air pump and thrust arm bushes. Cooling system is also a bit weak.

The E39 M5 is likely the best all-around car made in the last 30 years. Still looks decent. Safety is on par with modern cars due to what was (at the time) one of the most rigid chassis ever made--which does make the car a tad on the heavy side.
Easy to work on (if a bit pricey), and all the modern toys can be integrated into the modular electronics platform. Bluetooth, etc.

Highly recommend it!

 

VANOS not an issue.

Back in the day, dealers would swap them out under warranty because they got paid a bunch of money. Easy enough to work on, a good cleaner and repair of solder joints is all that is usually needed. And if you don't want to DIY, google "Dr. Vanos"

Regards,
Jerry

 

These are rockets, very fun to drive, and very beautiful. But you know what BMW stands for right? BRING MONEY WITH. You can get a high mileage clean driver with a stack of reciepts, but you will still pay. You can get a low mileage 50k mile car AND YOU WILL STILL PAY. These cars are a royal pain in the arse to sort. I bought my 740 about 3 years ago with a stack up reciepts in the 5 figures, and I've still pumped more money into it than I have my Ferrari. These cars are every bit as tempermental as an F car if you ask me. And they also do not to like sit, devour batteries like none other. I've looked at getting a capicator for mine. I love my car, and it is absolutely gorgeous and timeless. But if I had to do it over again, I would not. Plan on owning the thing for a very, very, very long time if you want to drive it for a decent bargain. Lucky for me, I've been around these cars for a very long time and knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Otherwise I would be fuming by now. I'm driving mine for at least two more years, then probably putting it on the market for a pretty penny. If it sells great, if it doesn't then I'm just going to keep it and drive it until it blows up. Not worth it to give it away for free.

The advice to get a 530 or 540i is very good advice. Especially if you're going to drive it a bit. Those are about as "reliable" as any bimmer you're going to buy. If you want to use the word reliable and BMW in the same sentence? LOL. And they'll still drain you from time to time. 530i sports are beauties, I'd proudly drive one. Sounds like you want more power. I'd get a nice 540i six speed that's been maintained. Those things have been all the rage on the classified section here as of late for some reason. Those are fabulous and probably the best bang for the buck in the BMW world.

 

I have had a few over the past few years, and now will probably search craigslist all day today looking for one after coming across this thread haha. Last one I had had 179k when I sold it, 50k of those I put on. Other than oil changes, my rear started leaking which allowed me to go in and reinforce some things. Would never hesitate to drive her anywhere in the country, and kick the ass-end out from time to time.

 

FWIW, Randy Pobst said that the current Chevy SS is the spiritual successor to the E39 M5 -- basically does everything the old M5 did and feels as good or better.

If you remove the BMW badge aspect, the SS is the better car.

 

Not all would agree. Judge for yourself:

The Comparison: 2003 BMW M5 vs. 2015 Chevrolet SS

Regards,
Jerry

 

Good article.

Seems like they are fairly even.

Now factor in one car is new and more reliable.....

I have nothing personal against the M5. Loved it when it came out.

Just feel that anything BMW is given too much reverence sometimes, while these Holden rebadges (GTO, G8, SS) are all glossed over and not taken seriously.

BTW, how much more Bavarian awesomeness do you need to overcome a massive torque deficit?