[furry]

I'm a new member here and have been doing my research on possibly stepping into an E39 M5 but I wanted to know from owners who have recently purchased this 7-10 year old beast, does that car ever feel or seem a little old to you? After the initial excitement do you find yourself drawing comparisons so all the new models on the road? I plan on buying mine as a daily driver and have loved the car for a long time, but just want to hear from people who also made the same leap. Imho I would define the exterior as 'classic', but the interior still stands up in this day and it has most all the creature comforts you would want. (have to look into bluetooth)

 

[reekoon]

not one tiny bit. Yuo need to put quite alot of dineros to the table to get something as good as a E39 facelift with low miles and lots of specs.

 

[kosmo]

the short answer is yes but in a good way.
while looking at the pics of the New concept m5, I could'nt help but think "I luv my e39."

 

[russap5]

I think the car still looks and feels modern. I looked at the specs of the 2011 550i and the two have very similar engine specs and weighs more. Even against the most powerful 5-series currently available new, the E39 M5 still stands its ground.

 

[NogginM5Beast]

Nope. There's nothing in the new cars that appeals to me. The e39 has it all.

 

[freerider238]

I'll bite.

I purchased a 2002 Jet Black E39 M5 with 36k on the odo this past December. I can say the excitement still hasn't worn off. I don't use it as a daily driver (at least I try not to). I couldn't be more happy with the decision to purchase.
Everything will be dated in time. Some things will last a little longer then are given the "modern classic" designation until enough years go by and then they are a "real classic." I took three years thinking about what car I wanted to purchase. The E39 M5 checked just about every box I could think of for my personal requirements. One of the most important was "Will I think this is a cool car in 15 years," answer YES. For me it's a machine/tool for excitement and enjoyment. I knew the cost of ownership before I purchased it and to me the value of ownership exceed the running operational costs.
As for other cars that are newer or faster I don't really care. Now when I see someone with a E39 that just got their wheels refurbished then I do get a little jealous. Once you find something that you really like you are not going to care if it's not the newest latest greatest thing. The new F10 M5 looks awesome but a 100k+ car is not in the card for me right now. So I will keep loving my E39.

two cents.....

 

[wilsodh]

Clean design esthetics never get old.

A torquey 400 hp V8 never gets old.

An authoritative sound, involving interaction, turnkey simplicity without technobloat, and great driving characteristics never get old.

Add to that, all the creature comforts anyone could reasonably want, and you have a timeless package. :goldcup:

Dave

 

[furry]

All that I could hope to hear, im not one for the latest and greatest and want to make sure I keep the e39 for a good amount of time. (i switch cars frequently)

 

[StatusQuo]

Its a revelation everytime I drive mine,especially with new shocks,bushes and brakes recently fitted its just stunning.

Just a matter of time before prices start to go up and eventually past the E60!

 

[victorm5]

The E39 M5 will never be outdated within the context of its timeless overall body contour lines - especially in terms of its ratio of door to window heights (I find the later models have much higher door line and shorter windows to my liking - it's like sitting inside a tank :eek7.

To me, an investment on an older E39 M5 is more worthwhile than an investment on a brand new M5.

Here's a comparison of the side profiles. Judge for yourself...

 

[Hdhntr23]

As a matter of fact, there was a good sized car show in ATL this past weekend. Another board member (Peter) and I were in the car together, I was driving and I gunned it, we both looked @ each other and said, it NEVER gets old. EVER. Damn near in unison too.

 

[lothar]

Short of spending 6 figures on a car, I can honestly say there is nothing out there I'd rather have. And this is from someone that's gone through 11 cars in 14 years.

 

[lonny23]

No way

I'll never get tired of my M5. There might come a day that I buy a different one (Besides the one I bought to replace the one I broke!), but I like the total package of what this car is and I'm proud that it has a bunch of features that have only come into play with other models later on. I love the fact that there aren't many M5's on the road and that's a lot more special than all these Mustangs/Camaro's I see rolling around town. I just like having 4 doors and knowing I can blow away the 2 door guys! They do NATO pilot training on base and I feel perfectly fine being in the crowd with the Porsche's, Ferrari's, and Aston Martin's. I like knowing I might be the only M5 owner within 100 miles of Wichita Falls, but there are a couple M3's on base. It makes a person feel special to think there might be 1800 max LeMans Blue E39 M5's in the U.S. and I have 2 at my house with blue seats. It's just not the same when the next guy has the same kind of car/truck and many are the same color. I'll just be one of the crowd when I move to Long Beach next month!

 

[ehs]

I've had my 03 LMB M5 for a week now, so I suppose I'm qualified to respond...

I was just at the local BMW dealership, so I had a good look at the more recent examples for comparison. My opinions:

Exterior styling: The E39 is still a very nice looking car. I think the more bulbous lines of the E60 may be practical in that they provide greater interior volume, and other designers seem to be copying the "shark eye" headlights, but I still think the E39 is a classic, balanced, elegant design that manages to contain a practical, 4-seat interior with some reasonable trunk space. Don't get me wrong, I love the styling of a Ferrari Dino, but I don't know where I'd put the hockey bag and sticks...

Interior: I think the E39, particularly the M5, has a *very* nice interior. Mine has extended leather, and it generates a warm, luxurious sense that the newer ones don't seem to have. IMHO, the newer ones have more of a sterile, modern minimalist feel, like a glass and stainless city condo. For reference, it also trumps the interior of my 07 Lexus, which has more exposed plastic than the Housewives of (pick your favorite city).

Driving: I think this is the main area where you may notice a difference between newer cars and a particular example of an older M5. If all is in proper running order, the M5 should match/exceed anything that doesn't cost 2-3X more, e.g. E60 550i, M5. However, many cars are driven pretty hard and not all are looked after. When I was looking, I found most were driven hard until enough things were broken that they were traded or offered up for sale. Those wouldn't match up with a newer car whose components hadn't yet worn to the point of being noticeable. If you find an example whose suspension/steering/motor are in good shape, I would be truly surprised if newer was any better unless you spend a lot more $.

Other: One appealing aspect of the E39 M5 is that much of the maintenance/repair is possible to DIY, especially with the advice and information shared on this board. Having owned an E39 540i6 for many years, I've accumulated tools, parts and confidence to look after the M5 that I'm not sure I'd have if I went with a newer, more high-tech model. For example, having to introduce a new battery to the car's computer is the sort of dealer-only service that drives me nuts. If you are willing, you can extend the relatively low cost to acquire a true supercar to a reasonable cost to keep it running like a supercar - not as possible with most other cars that can keep up with or outrun an M5.

My $0.02 only - for what it's worth,
ES

 

[CMBeamerM5]

After 9 years and 145,000 miles....my beast puts a smile on my face each and every time I turn the key to fire her up. If BMW came out with a 2011 E39....I would buy the first one available. Dated...NO, still IMHO, the best car on the streets today for the money.

 

[KingJaffeJoffer]

From 2008-2010, I simply lusted after the E92 M3. I followed the various boards religiously and researched to no end. Then, I struck a great price on European Delivery at a time when BMW Financial was offering great interest rates. BUT, I did not pull the trigger. I had test driven two E92s M3s and one E93 M3, but, imo, $50K+ for the E92 M3 was not justifiable (for me). I had also test driven at least one E92 335i. With all of the E9Xs, the interior (dashboard, trim, etc) seemed rather blah (it's not like our beast interiors are terribly modern, but our cars are a decade old, so this is to be expected). I did love the V8 growl of the E92 Ms, though. So, after passing on the E92 M3, I looked at the 2010 Audi S5s. Peppy, but the interior was also uninviting. The whole car felt sterile. So, I resumed my search for a BMW. I knew that I wanted a V8, but was not willing to spend the money on the E92 M3, so I started researching other Ms. I came across the E39 M5 and this board and I was sold. I arranged to test drove a carbon black for sale nearby and when that beast pulled into the parking lot, I was sold. I bought my beast last August and am still loving it. The only thing that feels dated is my MK III system, but with the Intravee II, even that does not bother me. I can guarantee that with gas prices hovering around 4$, if I had bought the E92 M3, I would be having major regrets right now. But, with my beast, I do not. For mid- to high- $20s for this car, it is hard to go wrong. So much bang for the buck...

 

[blackxs]

I can acknowledge its not a new BMW

But I fail to admit its not one of the best BMWs

New M5 looks nice, but it has a different target market than the E39 M5 did. For instance, the F10 M5 will be sold to people in Dubai with gold flip flops and whose body hair has been emblazoned with swarvoski crystals. The E39 M5 was sold to wealthy bankers wishing to remain anonymous while having tons of fun. F10 M5 will be driven hard cold by oil-rich princes. E39 M5 was never put away wet by it's enthusiastic ownership base.

Both great cars, dont get me wrong but, the E39 does it for me in a way the F10 could not. I miss the subtle E39.

 

[Mfreakin5]

My car never feels dated until I try to use the non-touchscreen nav...then I yearn for my simpler and faster Tom Tom but except for that, the car is timeless.

 

[Mfreakin5]

After 9 years and 145,000 miles....my beast puts a smile on my face each and every time I turn the key to fire her up. If BMW came out with a 2011 E39....I would buy the first one available. Dated...NO, still IMHO, the best car on the streets today for the money.

I think that's the best measure of a car's fan base. If the car was offered today, brand new, at it's original MSRP, would it sell. I believe the E39 would sell rings around the E60 and F10 M5's to all but the most non-enthusiast owners. Maybe the E9x M3 has it in terms of similar performance and size but the M3 is too boy racerish for me.

As I've said many times before, I can't really afford to keep the M5 but I know I can't afford to lose her either lovelove

 

[TheSt|G]

When I bought my E39 M5 the E60 M5 and others were easily in the price range, but I didn't even have second thoughts as to which I wanted.