Hey guys,

I am all over the place and cannot make up my mind of what I want. Here is a little history.

I currently have an 03 e39 M5 that I recently purchased after selling my 07 e60 M5. I like the more raw feel of the e39, but now I miss the top end power and sound of the e60. Prior to the e60, I had a supercharged E55, which I loved the power and torque, but hated the handling.

I am already considering selling the e39 only after 2 months of ownership and buy another e60 M5, possibly a manual transmission car, but have read mixed reviews of that transmission coupled to the v10.

Another alternative would be to keep my e39 as the daily driver and get an e46 M3 for the rawness factor to mod and have fun on the weekends and when I am not carrying my kids.

Which would you guys rather have? Is e39 + e46 greater or less than the e60 M5?

Finally, is the e39 and e46 too similar? Should I get an automatic car like an e60 545i to replace the e39 for daily driving duties and then get the e46 M3 for the fun stuff.

Thanks for the help
James

 

What about modding the E39 M5 and adding an M3 to the mix?

 

Keep the E39 and get a '02 Porsche 996 C2 for fun...

 

I have thought about that, but there appears to be a lot of nicely modded M3's for sale. I would prefer the previous owner bite the bullet on the mods.

 

Is the C2 more fun to drive than the M3? Out of curiosity, what are they selling for? <$30k?

 

Another car I like a lot (looks and low end power) is the CLS55, but I am concerned the handling will be too similar to the E55, which I hated.

Are the E and CLS similar in handling or is the CLS a lot more like an M5?

 

You're worried about a few bucks on mods when you're talking about buying a car like one you had to replace the one you have or maybe adding another...

Your depreciation/selling/buying costs are surely higher than if you'd made up your mind originally.

I have a headache.

Buy another e60 M5, mod the hell out of it and make the kids smile as you take them to school sideways.

 

I hate that word depreciation, but unfortunately I am all too familiar with it. I wish I knew what is the right car for me.

In the past, I would buy a used car (generally < 12 months old), throw $15k in mods and then end up selling it right afterwards. I thought I would see if I kept the e39 stock if things would change. Two months later, I am considering selling again.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Keep the m5 and get an 05/06 competition M3 coupe. I Had a cls 55, awesome car but does handle similar to e 55 very fast and held its own. Consider adding 01Mcoupe or 06/07 Mcoupe both are raw weekend toys!

Good luck!

 

Keep the m5 and get an m3.

 

the e39 m5 is a fun sports sedan. i was occassionally autoxing my e39 m5 before i got the p-car. it is on the heavy side to toss around but the low end tq makes up for it. any other days the baby seats are in.

the e46 m3 will make a good fun car and is very nimble than the m5 but for a totally different flavor from the m, get a p-car. a TT might suite you better since it sounds like you like tq and is mod-friendly. keep the e39 m5. my opinion is biased of course.

 

Will a lightly modded e39 M5 outperform a stock e46 M3 in handling? I mean basic mods like PSS9 suspension, camber plates and lightweight wheels or is there no way to fight the laws of physics?

I put H&R springs and Dinan rear bar and FRC on my e60 and it helped a little, but not a dramatic improvement. Then again, the M5 is very impressive from the factory.

 

Keep the M5 and add an E46 M3 for fun!

 

Get an M5. Sell the E39. E60 M5, Incredible car. Now that the market is in a slump, you can get one cheaper than ever!!

 

I love my E60. E39 is a great car too, but my modded E60 is satisfying.