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

ATLANTA M5 · 26th November 2005, 05:10

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!

citystar · 26th November 2005, 12:45

when you two raced out of the toll booths, Do you know if he used the Launch Control and P500 sport with the the shift speed in the S6 position? or was it some other configuration?

Gustav · 26th November 2005, 13:26

Yes, we want to know all settings on the M5

Enzom · 26th November 2005, 17:28

sounds like a fun day. You have good friends.

Were you hauling groceries in the wagon?

ATLANTA M5 · 26th November 2005, 17:38

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.

ATLANTA M5 · 26th November 2005, 17:39

Oh, forgot to mention he was not using launch control to my knowledge, but I will talk to him and confirm all of the settings he was on.

rsteele · 26th November 2005, 18:19

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

ATLANTA M5 · 26th November 2005, 18:31

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

kees · 26th November 2005, 19:55

Excellent write-up. Great to see some more E60 M5 vs E55 vs E39 M5 write-ups! Thanks!

rsteele · 26th November 2005, 19:57

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