My dad's looking for a good DD and he is leaning towards the E39 M5. We seen a couple 02,03's with low to mid 30k going for mid to high twenties. What do you guys think of this buy? How is this cars reliability? a 400hp car for high 20's sounds like a steal, specially with its low miles. I heard these could be unreliable if not taken care of, but im not sure if a car in mid 30s could be beating that bad.

 

I have had one for several years as my DD and have had no problems. I needed a car with room in the back for 2 child seats. These cars have taken a hit depreciation-wise over the last year or so, so they are very reasonable for what you get. One possible weak link is the clutch; depending on how it was driven, you may be looking at a new clutch sometime. With some bolt-ons, my car puts down 380hp to the wheels on a dyno dynamics dyno so it's a pretty quick, comfortable family car for $30K.

 

Thank you for your reply. I think the E39 M5 is a really good car for the price, specially when your getting 400hp and M handling..and being able to hang with a E92 M3 isn't a bad thing..[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD9NWg6HaGw[/media]

 

I'm on my second E39 M5 and I love it. These cars are a blast to drive and sound like beasts w/ an exhaust. If you truly like the car and the way that it drives, do not let the maintenance deter you.....get an extended warranty from a third party company. Couple of things to look out for.

Get a PPI b/c common problems include MAF's, VANOS unit defects, ignition coils, control arms.

I bought an extended warranty for my most recent M5 from Easy Care and it paid for itself w/in 4 months of ownership. Mine is in the shop right now for defective VANOS units and a couple of other codes dealing with the intake sensors.

These cars are extremely fun to drive as they deliver a lot of low end torque.....easy to spin the tires and get the car sideways.


pak

 

Thanks for your reply Pak, I got a couple Q's for you: 1) would i be able to get a 3rd party warrenty if im the 2nd or 3rd owner..and if i buy the car from an auction? Also how much does the warrenty cost? I came across this video that is giving me mod ideas...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMfWpP1i4Vk

 

AmericanMade.

You can get the warranty even if you are the 2nd or 3rd owner. I bought mine at the dealer where I purchased the car. EasyCare will do an inspection on your car before they will issue the warranty. Their prices vary and depend on the level of insurance you get. I paid a G less than the asking price ($3400) of the warranty. Make sure to negotiate the price of the warranty if possible.

I would be a bit weary of purchasing one of these cars from an auction as future repairs are quite expensive. Though the body and interior may look good, the engine must still be looked at. Do they give you time to examine the car and plug in a laptop for the diagnostics before purchasing?

Hope this helps. Also, m5board.com is an excellent resource for info on these cars.

pak

 

I remember reading a post where someone blew the motor on an E39 M5 and it cost $21,000 to replace it with 69,000 miles on the car....food for thought

 

The E39 M5 is an awesome car.

That said, if you are worried about some of the expensive wear issues like clutches, etc., then I think the 540/6-speed is another great car to look at.

I had an E39 540/6-speed and loved it. It does not have the engine that the M5 does, but it is still a very capable daily driver sedan that can also hold it's own on the track for HPDE events.

I could get 27-28 mpg on the highway in my 540 and that was cruising in the 80mph range. I was averaging about 17-18mpg, but I wasn't babying things at all either. The few times I actually drove it to see how good of mileage I could get, I was in the 20-22mpg range between city/highway. When you put it in 6th gear on the freeway you can get some really good gas mileage....just have to minimize the 6-3 downshifts to hammer it around slower traffic that clogs the fast lane.

Good luck on finding the perfect E39 for your needs!

SoCal

 

E39 m5 is a great car whether its for a DD or just to ride around and rip it. BMW is very reliable and i have many friends who own this car. I have not complaints and would high recommend it. good luck trying to find one with low miles. The imola red ones with the sport black and red leather package look really nice.

 

They give you time before the auction to run the vin, check out the car and see what you wana do. They also give you a 14 day money back garuentee if they dont state anything about the car ex body work, repairs and whatnot. If we pick one up i will take it to BMW first thing and have it checked at.

 

I agree with you that buying any used car is a risk, but i think with 33k being such low milage i might not have to worry about that, besides like i stated above i will have the car checked out right after i buy it.

 

I have an E39 530 and love it... have the cooling system checked out... thats one area where there are pretty consistent issues across the e39 line.

 

nice cars.
fairly expensive to maintain, and really expensive to fix if you experience a VANOS failure, blown engine, carbon build up, etc. however, those failures appear to be fairly rare.

mine has been very reliable, but i sought out an adult owned, one owner car when i was looking.

good luck. be patient and the right car at the right price will pop up. and definitely get a pre-purchase inspection from a shop that knows the E39 M5.

 

Thanks for the info, i see that you live in OC...where did you take your E39 for a pre-purchase inspection?

 

autowerkes in HB. 714-842-2277. on talbert west of beach blvd. good guys.

good luck on your search!