BMW E39 M5: A Surprisingly Affordable Super Sedan

With a roaring V8, six-speed manual transmission, and sub-$30k prices all day, the BMW E39 M5 might just be the best super sedan bargain.

Everybody loves cheap thrills. Unfortunately, the general rule that you can’t have cheap, fast, and good in any car is pretty hard to argue with. At best, you usually get to have two of those things at once. However, some outliers in the automotive world manage to blend all three at least, to some extent. Largely, that depends on your definition of the word “cheap” and how much maintenance and upkeep you’re willing to qualify as “good.” Right now, the BMW E39 M5 sure seems like the correct answer to this tough equation.

We’ve been known to watch the auction site Cars and Bids like hawks around these parts. We stumbled on this 2000 BMW M5 with a whopping 157,400 miles on the odometer. At the time of writing, there are four days left to bid, and it currently sits at $15,250. That led us to do some digging into E39 M5 sales history and, frankly, even the nicest examples are a bit more reasonably priced than we expected.

Is a BMW E39 M5 Reliable?

One can find M5 examples for right around the $20,000 mark all day long. Sure, there are some issues here and there—torn seats, paint chips or scratches, and general wear and tear. However, on the whole, they’re primarily in good shape. Additionally, save for rare colors or extremely low mileage examples, they don’t seem to stray beyond around $24,000 often. So that begs the question: is it worth it? It’s no secret that buying an old BMW can be an invitation to a world of mental and financial pain. How does the E39 M5 fair with age?

Ultimately, pretty good. The E39 is a relatively reliable car and, most importantly, the engines are quite dependable. They’re prone to VANOS issues and oil leaks like every other BMW from the early 2000s. In addition, some owners report the clutches needing fairly regular replacement. Of course, that tidbit comes with a mention of rear tires needing to be replaced frequently, too, so one can assume that’s going to depend heavily on the person in the driver’s seat. Finally, the suspension, brakes, and steering components can be fairly pricey.

Realistically, all of that makes sense. This car was around $70,000 new. With inflation considered, we’re looking at a car that cost the equivalent of over $130,000 when new. You’re still buying a six-figure luxury car, and you can’t go into it expecting Honda Civic parts prices.

Definitely Fast and Definitely Good

Under the hood of the E39 BMW M5, you’ll find a 394-horsepower V8 that also punches 369 pound-feet of torque. They’re good for a zero to 60 MPH sprint in under five seconds. While that’s not explicitly fast by today’s standards, in the year 2000, it was almost as fast as a Ferrari 360.

This particular car has very limited modifications that include a muffler delete, aftermarket exhaust tips, a short-shifter kit, and, quite understandably, the addition of a cup holder. It also has an aftermarket stereo head unit. Of course, it has some minor chips, scratches, dings, and wear on interior touch points. It also has two “minor damage” reports on its Carfax history. Overall, though, this car could make a super fun and reasonably affordable weekender for someone. Why shouldn’t it be you?

Photos: Cars and Bids