M5s in New York City?? - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

fmajid · 28th May 2003, 05:18

Hi All,
I recently discovered the merits of an M5 and am considering buying one. Only a minor impediment appears to be that I have to move to Long Island, NY.
Since my potential M5 would be required to negotiate Manhattan regularly, I was wondering how the vehicle would likely hold up. I understand that a few of the members on this board run M5s in the city and would love to hear from you.
From having lived in Brooklyn Heights for five years (and then thankfully in Pittsburgh and subarban Philly, where the roads are relatively sublime in comparison), nothing less than a Hummer is appropriate for NYC roads.
Please advise, since I would love to buy an M5, but will not if NYC is going to beat the living daylights out of it....
thanks
farrukh

young-nyc · 28th May 2003, 08:17

U will have no problems with driving an M5 in the city...
As long as you don't do the following

1) lower the car
2) get bigger rims.

any of the two will result in either scratching the front end or bending your rims on a pothole.

But if you do decide to modify it...please install "stoneguard" clear bra for your car so that it won't leave any scratches on your bumpers.
If you decide to lower your car...just drive carefully =)

greer · 28th May 2003, 09:50

I lived in NYC my whole life, Park carefully!

MEnthusiast · 28th May 2003, 13:48

I used to drive in and out of nyc every day in a M5. you should be a-ok. you need to resolve 3 issues

1- traffic. this applies to any car

2. parking. you will need to find a parking garage where you can make advocates out of the manager and the workers. the best way to do that is to give them a large up front tip. youre gonna be seeing them every day so instead of giving them money every time you see them, let them know that here is a nice chunk for now and on the holidays theyll get more. over a several year span I had gotten up to paying the garage manager 300 each holiday. but that was for a M5 and Z8. the M5 had 1 small mark on the bumper from a license plate and the Z8 had NO marks at all. make sure to talk to the garage guys as people. they especially dont like it when you treat them as inferior. this seems so basic but when you have a few months of parking behind you, you will know what I mean. some people just bark commands at the garage people like they are total morons. there might be one or two that are really stupid, but most of them are just trying to make some green for their families.

3- M5 as a daily driver means youll get daily driver use and abuse. rock chips, junk on the road, etc. be willing to accept this. the worst part of your drive will be bridges/tunnels. keep your eyes open at all times of course, but the bridges have a ton of crap on them- one time I was hit by a 2x4 bouncing around! it could have killed me but instead damaged my vehicle. purely cosmetic. btw- in 7 subsequent years there were no incidents, but the bottom line is watchout. Ive never bent a BMW rim on a pothole in nyc, but you have to watch out for them. the best method for dealing with potholes that you cant avoid, is check your rear view mirror, if no one is too close, get on the brakes as hard as you can to slow down, then as you get close to the hole, release the brakes and slightly accelerate. the mistake most people make is to hit the brakes hard 1 foot in front of the hole and that transfers the weight to the front of the car causing a much harder impact for the wheels to take.

once you learn how to drive the M5 in nyc traffic you will be a pro in any city anywhere

actually the M5 is a great car for nyc- you can really duel it out with the taxis.

AVOXO · 28th May 2003, 14:08

GOOD ADVISE

Sydude · 28th May 2003, 14:59

I've been driving and parking my M5 in the city on a daily basis for 2 years now, and haven't had any problems. The M5's rims are really strong - I've hit some really big potholes that I was sure would bend them, but didn't.

NYC_M5 · 28th May 2003, 17:03

Menthusiast covered it well, I'll add a few comments :

1) Are you moving to LI with a daily commute into Manhattan in the M5 ? As you probably know Long Island traffic is formidable, so I would need a very compelling reason to commute via roadway.

2) If you'll be garaging your car in Manhattan, find someplace where you and only you park the car. This is easier to do than many people think, but it does come at a premium ($$$). Work it out with the on-site manager and be direct - tell the manager that you'd like a dedicated spot to lock and cover and tell him what you'll give him ( $100+ ) up-front is likely. Some managers simply do not have the authority, so if they hem and haw, leave and go to the next place. Sorry if this seems crass, but you'll waste time otherwise. For the garage crew, frequent, low amount tips are better than the occasional large tip.

3) There is a strong contingency of NYC(ish) board members, so there will likely be no shortage of "spirited drives", information on modifications etc....

4) Bottom line in my view is that this is very workable - good luck.

Bill

sfm5 · 29th May 2003, 00:18

I had the same concerns when I was moving back to NYC with the beast. After a year or so, however, I would say that the M5 runs with the best of them in NYC. The suspension feels just right, and so far (knock on wood!) no bent rims.

Some things, however:

-Never leave it parked on the street overnight. I did this for 1 (ONE!!) night, and it was broken into. Thieves were looking for the spare.

-Just be aware that scratches, etc will happen. Admit it to yourself now, and save the pain later.

-Parking: It's hard to find a lot that will let you park it by yourself. Those lots are in Battery Park City, and toward the edges of town. Anywhere else, it's Valet. Tip frequently, often, and treat them with respect. The valets know their cars -- they will immediately identify it as the M Cinqo.

-I debadged. Lots of 5 series in the city. I just want to be one of them

.

-Be prepared for interior rattles. After 1.5 years of city driving and storage, rattles have formed. They were not there before. Broken roads, etc, will take their toll. Price of doing business, I guess.

-Lastly: Drive it like you stole it! If you drive like a cautious grandma, you invariably hit something

.

Sydude · 29th May 2003, 03:13

Quote:

Originally posted by sfm5

-Be prepared for interior rattles. After 1.5 years of city driving and storage, rattles have formed. They were not there before. Broken roads, etc, will take their toll. Price of doing business, I guess.

-Lastly: Drive it like you stole it! If you drive like a cautious grandma, you invariably hit something .

Rattles - I've got 2 years in (about 15K of NYC driving), and no rattles. Have the dealer check them out. I had a door frame rattle once and the dealer redid all of the weatherstripping without any complaints and fixed it perfectly.

Drive it like you stole it - I totally agree with you - agressive driving is by far and away the best way to stay out of trouble. You will stay sharp and focused that way, and be ready for emergency maneuvers. You should always have a speed differential to the cars around you, accelerating to pass, slowing down again when cars are not around.

Chuckc · 29th May 2003, 03:49

Sounds like from all the posts that all you will really need to worry about is how you will deal with all the frustration of having to "putt around" NYC in a 400 hp sedan. Have you thought of getting a Mini-Cooper for the city?

MEnthusiast · 29th May 2003, 04:03

you guys are right about frequent tips because that protects them from the fact that its a high turnover business. in my instance I realized the guys were lifers there and that was the difference.

aggressive driving- in nyc the rules are reversed. to be defensive means to be aggressive. if youre not you wont go anywhere and will likely have someone drive into you! some might disagree with this- but if you like your car, dont ever street park in nyc. people play bumper cars. I street park the x5 every now and then when there is a great spot, but thats it.

viva la M Cinco! (sorry if I botched several languages, had to do it)

TheBigGooch · 29th May 2003, 05:36

33k miles commuting from great neck to manhattan, to new jersey, to brooklyn, to queens...just park carefully. I also suggest you buy a spare for each tire size on yoru car and keep it in your garage, especially if you are riding on dunlops. the 8080esport is a bitch to find in and around nyc. Tirerack takes a few days to ship it and so far most dealers I knwo do nto stock them, even though they are supposed to.

dNA3D · 29th May 2003, 05:47

Are the roads in the big apple really that bad??