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Wow! Just had a blast driving a E60 M5 and E55 AMG!

12K views 36 replies 21 participants last post by  EM5PWR 
#1 ·
First off, let me start by saying that I currently have a 2003 E39 M5 that I love, and I am about as big a car nut as they come. Okay, so my friend who works across the street from me got a new black E60 M5 and he finally took me for a joy ride today. He wanted to wait until the car was broken in, and today was the day we had time to play. He also just bought his wife a brand new black E55 AMG Wagon that he loves too.

By the way, during all of this driving I am about to explain, we are pretty much always in the P500 setting, and we are in Sport 2 Mode in the E55 AMG.

We start driving, let the car warm up...rides nice, very quiet interior, a little bit more refined than the E39, nice suspension, tight but not too tight, very nice overall...not too much hint of all of the power when keeping it below 4000 RPM. So the car is warm and we scream onto the highway, literally blasting over to the left lane at about 120 mph or something, I'm thinking wow, okay this thing is fast, and smooth. Wow...so we get off the highway, and we switch at the first red light, I'm driving now. I used to have a 2005 M3 SMG, so I know what I'm doing, just takes a few minutes to get used to the SMG again. Immediate impressions again are wow, fast, quick, confident, smooth...just awesome. I was not the biggest fan of my M3 SMG, it seemed a little underpowered compared to some of my past cars that I had gotten used to...like a 2002 Z06 and others...but this new E60 M5 with SMG is just a whole new ballgame with all of this power! So, we blast around for a bit, then he suggests swinging by his house to let me drive the new E55 AMG Wagon! I'm like hells yeah...so we switch cars, and I'm driving the E55 now...puttering around letting her warm up...wow this thing feels solid, and big like a tank, more sedan like, and more low end grunt and I haven't even past 3500 RPM yet...so she finally gets her engine warm and I mash the pedal...violence, just sheer power and what a nice sound...this thing is a monster...we drive around some more and the torque of this E55 is just amazing, we can't help but laugh...it is rediculous if you are just cruising at 60 mph and just mashing the pedal it is like a dream, and it never stops pulling. We go through a toll booth and I give it a nice 0-80 mph test and the thing is just a beast...and this is a wagon.

So now we are talking about which car is faster...the M5 or the E55?

Close match huh? So we decide to test it out, I am all for it. We decide we are going to do the same route, and race out of the toll booth, that is if everything is clear and safe, with not much traffic. We go back to his house, he gets in his M5 and I am still driving his wifeys E55...back on the same route we just did...funny thing is after driving both cars I just know I can take him in "my" wagon...how crazy is this...so we get to the toll booth and all is as planned, we throw our coins in, look over at each other, and...boom, I get about a 0.5 second head start on him...but it doesn't even matter, the E55 just has too much torque off the line you just mash it and you are gone. We decide that the E55 beat the M5 by about 2 car lengths to about 70 mph. Now of course every situation is different, I am sure a lot of you E60 M5 owners could beat a E55 AMG, but I'm just telling you word for word what happened on this day. It is agreed though between me and my friend that the E55 AMG is faster off the line...but the E60 M5 is just an amazing car. The downfall of the E55 AMG is it is so sedan like, so big, not exactly nimble and confident like the racy M5. Each car is special in it's own way.

Now, it's back to his place again to drop off the E55 and then he lets me drive the M5 again back to where all of this started at our work complex. Getting back in the M5 is a joy, so sporty, and with the SMG there is so much more driver involvement compared the the cruiser like E55. The drive back to work is a nice one...beautiful twisty back roads...a great test for the suspension...I don't get too crazy with it since it is not my car, but I test it a bit and the suspension feels great...no doubt better handling than my stock E39 M5. The E60 M5 is so confident...we give it one last rip before returning to work, on a straight back stretch I do a 0-75 mph blast...very impressive, but not as "raw" power wise compared to the E55...but very fast.

So back to the office and now it is time for me to hop into my 2003 E39 M5 which I am hoping won't feel like a beater after driving those two monsters. I am pleasantly surprised to really feel great about my car driving home. This really doesn't suprise me much, because I am in love with my car...but I thought I might not be satisfied when getting into my car, and wanting more after driving the two monsters! It is interesting how these three cars (E60 M5, E55 AMG, E39 M5) are so different and amazing in their own ways...I just love all three for different reasons. I can tell you all though, that as impressed as I was driving the two monsters (as I call them)...I would really think long and hard about giving up my loved E39 M5 for one of them...I just couldn't do it...right now it is just the perfect car for me and I am limited to just having one car...the E55 is not sporty and nimble enough for me to be my only car, the new E60 M5 is great but I am not 100% there on the E60 styling and the SMG and I-Drive system. Plus, the cost of a new M5 is too high for me right now...But I can honestly say that the introduction of the regular manual transmission E60 M5 due out in the near future will fix everything. It is not that I don't like SMG, I think it is a great idea, but I just like a normal manual with a clutch more.

Well I know this has been a real mouthful, but it's not everyday you get to have an experince like this one...I had to share, and like I said up top, I am a HUGE car nut...I had been drooling thinking about and waiting to drive the new E60 M5, and a E55 AMG.

I would love to hear other thoughts and experinces with comparing these three cars.

Thanks, and congrats to all of you new E60 M5 owners! Rock on! ;)
 
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#5 ·
I'm 99% sure he was on the P500 setting with S6 I believe...I can confirm all of this when I talk to him next, but I know he knows his car very well already, and he definately would have been on the most agressive settings since he knew we were going to race. A rolling start would be an interesting race too, but I really think the E55 AMG would still win that one too. But, like I said above, it doesn't really matter which one is one or two car lengths faster, they are just both awesome in their own ways. :haha:
 
#7 · (Edited)
I'm also in Atlanta. What's the best way to become your friend's friend? ;)

I have a Silver/Black '01 E39 M5, and like you I absolutely love the car. If I were to wish for the next car of my dreams it would be the E39 M5 with better turn-in, a little more power, and zero miles on the odometer. My odometer now reads 75,000+ miles, but the car is in mint condition otherwise. The power/torque profile of the Dinan S2 package looks perfect for my dream car, but I wouldn't want to pay that much for the power upgrade or sacrifice the present ride quality of my M5.

I have a deposit down on the MB CLS55 (that I won't act upon), and a Silverstone II/Black E60 M5 now being built. I have the same reservations as you in that I can't imagine liking the new M5 $60,000 better than the one that sits in my garage. The irritating voice of reason, tells me that I should just keep my E39 M5 and drive it into the ground, or I should buy the 550i or the Lexus GS450H when it comes out in the Spring (The latter will provoke laughter, but I think that the GS is good-looking and the hybrid technology fascinating.). As all on this Board surely recognize, it is easy for a car enthusiast to brush away the voice of reason.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Richard
 
#8 ·
Hey Richard,

Sounds like you are just as passionate about cars as me...I like your comments about your next dream car...a E39 M5 with better handling, some more power, and 0 miles on the odometer...couldn't agree more. If you ever want to meet up and talk cars, let me know. Interesting situation you have going on with your new car choices, they are all logical in my book...if you are a true German car nut though I don't think you will like the Lexus...I am actually a Lexus fan myself, but they just don't have the German feel if you know what I mean.

I have driven a E39 Dinan S2...have you? I ripped one up on a test drive, and really wasn't impressed above and beyond a stock E39 M5. I was hoping for more power and better handling, but hey maybe I drove a car that just wasn't up to par...who knows.

I don't think you could go wrong with a CLS 55 AMG or a E60 M5. I really love both of those! But sure if you ever want to hang out and talk cars, or go for a drive...I'm down. Garrett 404-401-0208 Cell
 
#10 ·
ATLANTA M5,

The Lexus GS450h will be attractive, reliable, with low depreciation and low running costs. The hybrid technology is extremely interesting. The dealership is just a few miles away. Lexus is predicting the GS450h will have a 0-60 mph time of 5.4 seconds and fuel economy in the 29-30 mpg range, but it's still a thinking man's car, with not as much appeal to the viscera as a BMW. The Infiniti dealership is too far away for me to consider the M45, but a test drive impressed me.

The 550i in the automatic is powerful and potentially very comfortable. I've grown to like the 5-series body style as well as the interior. The run flat tires on my test vehicle made the ride more harsh than I thought appropriate, and I didn't like the active steering on brief exposure to it. I haven't heard good things about SMG or about the 6-speed manual in this car, the latter because of the clutch delay valve.

The CLS is striking, but to me the shape is a little contrived. Some will say that about the E60 5-series no doubt. I actually like the look of the E55 better than the CLS. I don't like the high belt line and narrow windows of the CLS from outside or inside the car. The CLS interior is beautiful, but it's also chrome and button-ridden. I feel much more at home and in command in the E60 driver's seat.

I haven't driven a Dinan product yet, but I drove up to Alpharetta yesterday to chat with the folks at Performing Imports about the E60 M5 and what Dinan might have in the works. Unfortunately, they were closed until next Monday.

I've about three more weeks of struggle deciding whether or not to take deliver of the E60 M5, and I'm unreasonably influenced by each favorable and unfavorable post about the new M5's on this site. Sigh.

Richard
 
#11 ·
Richard, I have also struggled with moving to the E60 M5 passing on two allocations (Sept and Dec) only because my 2003 E39 M5 is such a great car and with only a little over 20,000km, I am having trouble giving it up. I have driven the new M5 and it is a fanstatic car and so much better in many ways than the E39 but I still find that the lack of low end torque that is so present in the E39 makes the driving characteristic of the E60 quite diferent. That being said, once you are in the upper rev band of the E60 it pulls like a rocket. Yes I have had some SMG concerns but I am now quite excited about moving to the new technology. A V10 will be forthcoming (probably an M6) but the E39 will still have a spot in my garage.
 
#12 ·
Terk said:
Richard, I have also struggled with moving to the E60 M5 passing on two allocations (Sept and Dec) only because my 2003 E39 M5 is such a great car and with only a little over 20,000km, I am having trouble giving it up. I have driven the new M5 and it is a fanstatic car and so much better in many ways than the E39 but I still find that the lack of low end torque that is so present in the E39 makes the driving characteristic of the E60 quite diferent. That being said, once you are in the upper rev band of the E60 it pulls like a rocket. Yes I have had some SMG concerns but I am now quite excited about moving to the new technology. A V10 will be forthcoming (probably an M6) but the E39 will still have a spot in my garage.
If my E39 M5 had only 20,000 km on the clock, I'd wouldn't even be looking at new car brochures, but at five years of ownership and 75,000 miles, restlessness begins to set in. Odds are very good that I'll take delivery of the new M5.

The comments about absent torque in the low rpm range surprise me a little. In my day-to-day driving the E60 M5 very likely has far more available torque in the 2000-3000 rpm range than I normally use in my E39 M5. I'm guessing that the E60 M5's available low rpm range torque might be comparable to the 550i or at least to the 545i, but I don't have the non-M 5-series torque curves available to me. At any rate, although I expect to be doing more down-shifting in the new M5 in order to find its sweet spot, I would still think that around town tractability should be quite good.

Richard
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the write up - great stuff!

Like you I am in love with my E39 M5 but am anxious to drive the E60 as I am thinking about ordering one in two years (but I will not get rid of my E39!).
 
#14 ·
heh.... here we go.... this is why I like the E55.... forget all the settings, just hammer it and go....

so the end result is the E55 station wagon beat the M5..... that's interesting.... how much heavier is the wagon?




Gustav said:
Yes, we want to know all settings on the M5 :)
 
#15 ·
FikseGTS said:
heh.... here we go.... this is why I like the E55.... forget all the settings, just hammer it and go....

so the end result is the E55 station wagon beat the M5..... that's interesting.... how much heavier is the wagon?
The E55 station wagon weighs about 250 lbs more than the sedan, but because of resulting improved weigh distribution, has better acceleration than the sedan. Apparently, it also brakes and corners better. Interesting indeed.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=16&article_id=9835

Richard
 
#16 ·
This confirms what I have thought after owning both the CLS55 and the M5. With a hole shot, the 55k cars are quicker. But to me it doesn't matter about the tenth or two differences. Both great cars! Excellent write up.
 
#17 ·
I agree. I have been in the North Carolina Mountains all week with the CLS55 and the E60 M5. My two adult sons and I have been going back and forth over which is the better car.....and it's really tough. The M5 is more of a sports car if you forget the styling. The CLS55 is sporty, gorgeous but less involving. At the moment, I want them both, but still intend to flip the CLS55. What great fun to be able to experience both.


jkrutch said:
This confirms what I have thought after owning both the CLS55 and the M5. With a hole shot, the 55k cars are quicker. But to me it doesn't matter about the tenth or two differences. Both great cars! Excellent write up.
 
#18 ·
rsteele said:
The comments about absent torque in the low rpm range surprise me a little.
Richard, an afternoon with the E60 really does not give me much time to really explore this car never mind become comfortable with its driveabilty through the rev range. My comments were based on seat of the pants back to back drives and in that my feelings were that you just needed to work the V10 a little harder than the E39 in the lower rev range.

Regards,
T.
 
#20 ·
flnsx said:
I told you! Just get an E55 man. You wil love it!
The problem is that many of us have tried the E55 and were left very unsatisfied. In fact, I thought I wanted to buy one a couple of years ago (with the M5 so far away) and took an hour-long test drive. I came away loving the low-end power but absolutely hating the car. It was a huge disappointment.

Many of us want more than a "hammer it and go" car. The free market is a wonderful thing. We each get what we want.

Tom
 
#21 ·
High Timbers said:
I agree. I have been in the North Carolina Mountains all week with the CLS55 and the E60 M5. My two adult sons and I have been going back and forth over which is the better car.....and it's really tough. The M5 is more of a sports car if you forget the styling. The CLS55 is sporty, gorgeous but less involving. At the moment, I want them both, but still intend to flip the CLS55. What great fun to be able to experience both.
I have to be envious of anyone with both a CLS55 and an E60 M5 in their garage. I think that it's fairly easy to objectively characterize and agree upon the functional differences between these two cars, but aesthetics are a different matter. If aesthetics were the basis for choosing between the two cars, I would favor the M5, but I agree that the CLS is visually striking, inside and out.

Richard
 
#22 ·
bernhtp said:
The problem is that many of us have tried the E55 and were left very unsatisfied. In fact, I thought I wanted to buy one a couple of years ago (with the M5 so far away) and took an hour-long test drive. I came away loving the low-end power but absolutely hating the car. It was a huge disappointment.

Many of us want more than a "hammer it and go" car. The free market is a wonderful thing. We each get what we want.

Tom
I went through the same process, and considered buying an E55 when the M5 was merely a faint glimmer in our eyes. The E55's straight line acceleration is very impressive. I cannot say that I hated, or even disliked, the E55, but I decided to wait for the more involving driving experience and more advanced technology of the M5, a decision which now I am very glad I made.
 
#23 ·
You all know by now that I love my M5, but I fail to see the "advanced technology" that everyone keeps referring to. Other than Bluetooth, my CLS had all of the same advancements of the M5. In some ways, I found the CLS's utilization of technology better. For example, I was able to set the active seat to retain the settings I prefer without having to press a button everytime. Another item..the CD changer is a slot load dash mount unlike BMW's 1980's magazine. Am I missing something here?


MRichmond said:
I went through the same process, and considered buying an E55 when the M5 was merely a faint glimmer in our eyes. The E55's straight line acceleration is very impressive. I cannot say that I hated, or even disliked, the E55, but I decided to wait for the more involving driving experience and more advanced technology of the M5, a decision which now I am very glad I made.
 
#24 ·
jkrutch said:
You all know by now that I love my M5, but I fail to see the "advanced technology" that everyone keeps referring to. Other than Bluetooth, my CLS had all of the same advancements of the M5. In some ways, I found the CLS's utilization of technology better. For example, I was able to set the active seat to retain the settings I prefer without having to press a button everytime. Another item..the CD changer is a slot load dash mount unlike BMW's 1980's magazine. Am I missing something here?
I was referring to the very advanced engine and SMG. These aspects of the M5 feel very unusual, if not exotic. The AMG approach produces prodigeous power, but through means that have been around for many years. The novelty and relative uniqueness of the M5 gives it a more, well, unique feel. That may not matter, or even appeal, to some, but does to me. In addition, iDrive, which I find very useful, has been a pleasant surprise.
 
#25 ·
I understand what you are referring to, but can't say I agree 100%. The M5 does feel more exotic, but how the engine achieves power (for me) is not nearly as important as how much power it achieves. Like I have said before, the V10 in the Gallardo is virtually identical in every specification, but no one is out there saying how advanced it is.

As far as I drive goes, IMO it leaves a lot to be desired. It requires far too much user intervention to do simple things. i.e. - To go to a specific SAT channel. BMW should have left the radio controls in place...Just my .02 worth.


MRichmond said:
I was referring to the very advanced engine and SMG. These aspects of the M5 feel very unusual, if not exotic. The AMG approach produces prodigeous power, but through means that have been around for many years. The novelty and relative uniqueness of the M5 gives it a more, well, unique feel. That may not matter, or even appeal, to some, but does to me. In addition, iDrive, which I find very useful, has been a pleasant surprise.
 
#26 · (Edited)
jkrutch said:
You all know by now that I love my M5, but I fail to see the "advanced technology" that everyone keeps referring to. Other than Bluetooth, my CLS had all of the same advancements of the M5.
I love the HUD, especially with its iDrive integration including cruise control and Nav. I love the SMG, which produces the best combination of sporting and luxury I've seen. I love the active ventilated seats, which are the most comfortable and supportive in performance settings. The 3-setting DSC and EDC make for a wide choice of comfort-performance tunes. The M button for quick selection of a chord of various settings for play time is cool. The 5-version of the Logic 7 is the best OEM sound system I've heard. The new implementation of iDrive is vastly improved and a simple, easily-accessible interface that integrates Nav, settings, Phone, Audio (CD, radio, Sat, etc.). I love the V10 engine, its feel, responsiveness and power. I love the uncluttered and clean lines of the interior, the high comfort level, the ergonomics of the controls, the spaciousness of the cabin. Finally, I love the technological magic that makes such a large, luxurious and comfortable car feel so damned small, quick, nimble and confident when you want to have some fun.

Most of these features are either unique to the M5 or extremely rare and constitute what is in the shorthand term of "advanced technology." I've only had mine about 6 weeks and already have 3,500 miles on it. I guess that speaks volumes about how much I like it.

Tom
 
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