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Am I alone?

2K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  cab 
#1 ·
I'm just writing this to anyone who is thinking of selling their e39... Think long and hard about that decision!


because I've went that route and sold a pristine 2001 LMB in the search of more power in the form of the e60, and while its a better overall machine,in the end it doesn't have the soul of the e39. and having the constant fear of SMG failure is unnerving to say the least (almost all e60s i know have been through issues ,the least of which is the clunking and the "being rear-ended" feeling.)
Long story short,i sold the e60 and found an excellent '04 e55 AMG ,and while it's very torquey and pulls hard .it lacks character as well. I had an accident with it and the car was canceled, and i currently find myself looking again for a 2003 e39! (although e60s have seriously dropped in price, and could be had for close to what the 2003 e39s are going for)

I think that speaks volumes of the charm of the e39.It really gives more satisfaction than the sum of its parts would suggest.I know this is probably the 100th post in praise of the e39 ,but i still felt moved enough to write my own hands-on experience of owning 2 "better" cars and still wanting to come back to the e39.

Anybody had a similar experience?
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for your perspective TeeFer and I hope you find the right 03 E39 M5! It's a step in the right direction. It's so hard to pass up such a well designed beast, especially with the way the market is. They are so damn cheap now!
 
#5 ·
I was in the market for a "dream car" myself just 2-3 months ago, and at the risk of sounding like a Dousche (please excuse) I had a vast price range available to me ($20K -- $40K) and I looked at/drove cars like E60 M5, E55 AMG, Lotus Elise etc etc and none of them were as complete and as soulful as the E39 M5 and I saved close to half of my self allocated budget.
THAT speaks volumes for a car designed over 10 years ago.

I hope I never have to sell the Beast
 
#6 ·
I believe the e60 is faster and better in many ways than the e39. I believe the next generation will be an improvement upon that. I believe BMW always pushes the envelope and the appeals to the mass market's thirst for faster, better, sleeker, "sexier." I like and admire these traits and I am a BMW brand loyalist. I respect and admire their quality, craftsmanship, and engineering. The brand suits my taste for balancing luxury with performance. It's prestigious yet it is still ultimately a "driver's car." That said, I am completely satisfied with my 2003 e39 M5. I do not feel the need to sell it for something newer. Is that a soulfulness? I don't know. I think it's understated excellence. Probably the same reason I wear IWCs instead of a Rolex or Brietling. I am a very satisfied customer. Thank you BMW!
 
#7 ·
Same deal here. When i bought mine, i fell in love with the way it drove. Its one of those things, some cars you drive you feel like your just "along for the ride" but with the e39 m5, it felt like i was part of it. Actually about 6 months ago i started looking around at other cars, espcially the W211 E55 as theyve incredibly dropped in price (03 E55 ~ 25K, 03 M5 ~25-30, 06 M5 ~50), while i really liked the stupid amounts of low end torque and straight line power, it severly lacked character, and again i felt like i was along for the ride. Ill be honest with you too, the stock E55 i drove was fast, definately faster than my m5, it didnt feel a whole lot faster or maybe i just expected a lot more.

Anyways with the E60, it was pretty good, i liked a lot of the options and the top end power is incredible, the gear ratios perfectly compliment the powerband but low end still sucks. SMG was alright, but ive heard too many stories about it. Nice car, but the same deal as i said about the E55, lacked character. Didnt feel "right" in it.

Theres so many things about the E39 M5 that i love, maybe im just a enthusiest, but i still think its one of the best cars made. I also thought this before i ever owned one too.

Oh for the record, i agree with Raikku, If i had to sell the M5, the only car that i could be happy with in my budget would be a 996 turbo (x50 perferably)
 
#9 · (Edited)
I worked at an Auto Auction and had driven everything under the sun, except for some of the super-excotics. I was asked "If you could not sell a car, what car would you realistically want to drive every day?". I said a Black 2003 E39 M5. 1 year later I bought one.

Expecting the entire world and the corners of universe from the car, (expectations lead to disappointments), the only thing the M5 disappointed me with is that--- it still has to be washed. (I imagined it always perfectly clean).
It still gets dirty like any other car or physical item and by that- the laws of physics still apply, even though the they are slightly bent .

Nothing else disappointed.

To give an example of my level of expectations (and imagination): I imagined that with the help of the car I could split traffic on the freeway like Moses splits water with the help of his cane. The E39 BMW M5 did that!

There are some cars that can be compliments, but no replacements, and the chance of a replacement is diminishing by the day.






.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I've been trying to convince myself not to buy a 2nd M5. A nice 2001-2003 M5 with maybe 50k miles sells for way less than 1/2 what I had to pay for my car years ago, so I'm trying to resist the urge to pick up a 2nd M5 to drive everyday as I only allow about 2-3k miles/year now since I plan to keep this car very long term. I've sold some fantastic BMWs over the past 30 years that I now regret, and I'm not going to make that mistake with the M5. The flip side of that thought is that I'm thinking of the F30 M3, but that is at least 3 years away, and I don't think they're going to make it in a 4-door. The third flip side is selling the E90 330i and buying an E90 M3 this summer, taking European delivery, and enjoying the very last high-revving, normally aspirated four door M-car ever to be produced. The last choice is what my wife wants since she loves the E90 and very much likes the M3 version.
 
#11 ·
I have not driven an E55, but in picking an E85 Z4 over an SLK previously, it was obvious BMW is the driver's car. The E39 M5 only came with manual transmission, further testament that the engineers at Stuttgard envisioned this to be a pure driver's machine. The E60 may have higher top speed and more gadgetry, but it has become bloaty, in contrast to E39's calm, collected classy lines. I'm constantly in the quest to restore and improve my beast, and I have no plans to part with this fabled machine, with that, happy new year E39M!
 
#12 ·
I have similar pangs for my old E36. However, I have to say I've learned that these yearnings for the "good ol'e days" are often tinged with rose-colored glasses. My E36 was kind of tight inside, and was louder, and I always longed for a bit more torque, etc - but in my memory I somehow ignore those things and think "that car was awesome".
 
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