F90 M5 Competition
Discussion
Hi All,
I am seriously considering an M5 Competition as my new car. I had been looking at 911’s but have never had a M car and always fancied giving it a go. Test drove one last week and the performance was mind blowing and it handled really well for such a large car and I really liked the up to date technology. There was very little not too like to be honest, maybe the huge depreciation but never owned a car without that so hey ho.......
Can any owners give me an idea of what they are like to live with, your overall views and what car you came from. Any thoughts most appreciated!
Cheers!
I am seriously considering an M5 Competition as my new car. I had been looking at 911’s but have never had a M car and always fancied giving it a go. Test drove one last week and the performance was mind blowing and it handled really well for such a large car and I really liked the up to date technology. There was very little not too like to be honest, maybe the huge depreciation but never owned a car without that so hey ho.......
Can any owners give me an idea of what they are like to live with, your overall views and what car you came from. Any thoughts most appreciated!
Cheers!
Zanderman said:
Hi All,
I am seriously considering an M5 Competition as my new car. I had been looking at 911’s but have never had a M car and always fancied giving it a go. Test drove one last week and the performance was mind blowing and it handled really well for such a large car and I really liked the up to date technology. There was very little not too like to be honest, maybe the huge depreciation but never owned a car without that so hey ho.......
Can any owners give me an idea of what they are like to live with, your overall views and what car you came from. Any thoughts most appreciated!
Cheers!
About as far from a 911 as you could get (straightline performance aside). Honestly, M5 is great for mooching around as a daily snotter, with tech, comfort, etc, but still no disguising the size and weight of thing if really pushing on, particularly on B roads. I like how unassuming it is; being able to visit clients, etc without looking too flash is all a win. Speaking as somebody who has blown a fortune on new M’s, make sure you bargain hard though; a nice pre reg should be available for under £80k and the discounts are only going to increase as they are just not selling. Expect it to be worth half of this in 2 years.I am seriously considering an M5 Competition as my new car. I had been looking at 911’s but have never had a M car and always fancied giving it a go. Test drove one last week and the performance was mind blowing and it handled really well for such a large car and I really liked the up to date technology. There was very little not too like to be honest, maybe the huge depreciation but never owned a car without that so hey ho.......
Can any owners give me an idea of what they are like to live with, your overall views and what car you came from. Any thoughts most appreciated!
Cheers!
I should add that I have not (yet) purchased F90 Comp, but had for 5 days from my dealer to try. Just found that after the first 24 hours I didn’t find it particularly exciting and couldn’t imagine simply taking it out for a weekend blast. I’ve got an E63S for a few days next week which may offer a bit more excitement for a daily driver?
Zanderman said:
Hi All,
I am seriously considering an M5 Competition as my new car. I had been looking at 911’s but have never had a M car and always fancied giving it a go. Test drove one last week and the performance was mind blowing and it handled really well for such a large car and I really liked the up to date technology. There was very little not too like to be honest, maybe the huge depreciation but never owned a car without that so hey ho.......
Can any owners give me an idea of what they are like to live with, your overall views and what car you came from. Any thoughts most appreciated!
Cheers!
I have the F90 M5, love it, came from F80 M3 and 540i, this blows most away, great alrounder.I am seriously considering an M5 Competition as my new car. I had been looking at 911’s but have never had a M car and always fancied giving it a go. Test drove one last week and the performance was mind blowing and it handled really well for such a large car and I really liked the up to date technology. There was very little not too like to be honest, maybe the huge depreciation but never owned a car without that so hey ho.......
Can any owners give me an idea of what they are like to live with, your overall views and what car you came from. Any thoughts most appreciated!
Cheers!
garystoybox said:
About as far from a 911 as you could get (straightline performance aside). Honestly, M5 is great for mooching around as a daily snotter, with tech, comfort, etc, but still no disguising the size and weight of thing if really pushing on, particularly on B roads. I like how unassuming it is; being able to visit clients, etc without looking too flash is all a win. Speaking as somebody who has blown a fortune on new M’s, make sure you bargain hard though; a nice pre reg should be available for under £80k and the discounts are only going to increase as they are just not selling. Expect it to be worth half of this in 2 years.
I should add that I have not (yet) purchased F90 Comp, but had for 5 days from my dealer to try. Just found that after the first 24 hours I didn’t find it particularly exciting and couldn’t imagine simply taking it out for a weekend blast. I’ve got an E63S for a few days next week which may offer a bit more excitement for a daily driver?
You say ‘yet’ doesn’t sound like you were all that impressed.I should add that I have not (yet) purchased F90 Comp, but had for 5 days from my dealer to try. Just found that after the first 24 hours I didn’t find it particularly exciting and couldn’t imagine simply taking it out for a weekend blast. I’ve got an E63S for a few days next week which may offer a bit more excitement for a daily driver?
Zanderman said:
You say ‘yet’ doesn’t sound like you were all that impressed.
I think I really wanted to love it; to be blown away with it and have that ‘got to get one’ feeling. Just didn’t happen and can’t put my finger on why. Immensely competent but even with the sports exhaust the engine seemed overly quite/subdued from inside the car. Understated is good but to IMO also looks a little too similar to M Sport models, which I understand will appeal to many but for me it’s just lacking a little visually. That said I love the competition wheels and feel the lowered ride helps differentiates the cars stance over the non competition model. An F90 M5 thread? Jeez, these are few and far between, and probably reflects the fact nobody is buying them.
I bought one in December. It initially replaced a 10 month old 911 GTS because, well, I fancied one. Obviously very different cars but getting out of the 911 and straight into the M5, I can honestly say I didn't feel short changed. It's a big unit and it can't hide that (it even seemed to dwarf our RS6 when parked next to it).
I didn't test drive before buying but I've had enough M cars and it had suitably good reviews to take a punt, and it's turned out pretty good actually. It ended up replacing my wifes RS6 as it is (just) big enough to cope with our twin babies and all the paraphernalia they bring. Its' practicality is something we couldn't be sure of until living with it for a while hence it replaced the 911 and we ran it side by side with the RS6 for a few weeks.
It does mean I have a good comparison between the M5 and a 2017 RS6 Performance. I'll start with the easy stuff.
Aesthetically it's nice enough; well stanced, obviously something a bit fruity but it's no RS6 in terms of presence. I much preferred the looks of the Audi.
Inside is a different matter. The interior technology, materials, lighting, B&W audio (optional) and all the modern trinkets are all world class. Another world to the 911 and it made the RS6 seem a bit dated inside (although both are equally as well constructed, if anything the Audi felt more 'solid').
It's very fast, obviously. I reckon perceptibly quicker than the (605bhp) RS6 although that might be due to the fact it's less refined than the Audi. Don't get me wrong, the M5 is very refined but the RS6 was exceptional, probably helped by its double glazing. The M5's seats are outstanding, probably the finest and most adjustable seats I've experienced. The driving position is a bit higher than I'd like, but that's only really highlighted by the RS6's perfect and low set driving position so you get used to the slightly higher position in a matter of moments.
Another reason the M5 is so quick is the transmission in the M5 is better calibrated, snappier and smoother. What the transmission shouldn't be mistaken for is a dual clutch. You'll read reports that there's no penalty for the move to a ZF torque converter and, whilst it is smoother than a DCT and as quick as torque converter auto gets, it's definitely not as quick to swap gears as a DCT. It just means it's easier to smack into the rev limiter if you're used to leaving the gear change to the last nanosecond like you can with a DCT.
Chassis wise, be prepared for one thing - it is quite harsh. You feel road vibration through the car more than I expected and I believe this is quite unique to the Competition, probably due to some suspension components being rose jointed directly to the chassis rather than the standard M5's rubber bushings. It's one of the first things I noticed, even getting out of the 911 into the M5, you could feel the road surface through the structure so much more (and another reason it feels less refined than the RS6). It rides OK, but again be prepared for this being a firm riding (but well controlled) car.
The payoff is the handling where it's very impressive, not just for a 1900kg car, it's just impressive....period. Even in comfort mode the body stays very flat, the damping keeps the body movements well contained and the steering is a revelation if you ever felt the previous F10 (where in my opinion, the steering was a real weakness). It's more natural in feel and extremely direct. OK, it's no 911 but the M5 does feel genuinely agile and it's here where it pulls a big advantage over the RS6 which took more effort (and felt less comfortable) to hustle along.
Financially this is probably one of my less shrewd buys so getting a decent deal is key. I saw mine come up for sale at an independent and snapped it up immediately because it has every single option ticked bar carbon brakes (so c.£110k spec) and was being sold for £84k with 1k miles. Seemed a decent buy because it was actually someones car and not a pre-reg so it had a level of spec not typically seen in the main dealers (in fact, it seems most pre-reg Competition Packs have very few options).
So in summary I'd say these do live up to the hype the press give them. It's a very good car, and any preferences towards another option like an equivalent Merc or Audi would be down to marginal detail. I'd say my heart is still with the RS6 because I preferred the looks of it and the more GT-esque refinement, but the M5 is certainly the more fun car. But then I have another car for 'fun' so if this was the only car, it would probably be a different situation. I'm historically a big AMG fan but the E63 just didn't get a look in; that's less refined than the M5 and I just can't get on with Merc's current droopy design language.
We don't see enough of these talked about so here's a few photo's....
I bought one in December. It initially replaced a 10 month old 911 GTS because, well, I fancied one. Obviously very different cars but getting out of the 911 and straight into the M5, I can honestly say I didn't feel short changed. It's a big unit and it can't hide that (it even seemed to dwarf our RS6 when parked next to it).
I didn't test drive before buying but I've had enough M cars and it had suitably good reviews to take a punt, and it's turned out pretty good actually. It ended up replacing my wifes RS6 as it is (just) big enough to cope with our twin babies and all the paraphernalia they bring. Its' practicality is something we couldn't be sure of until living with it for a while hence it replaced the 911 and we ran it side by side with the RS6 for a few weeks.
It does mean I have a good comparison between the M5 and a 2017 RS6 Performance. I'll start with the easy stuff.
Aesthetically it's nice enough; well stanced, obviously something a bit fruity but it's no RS6 in terms of presence. I much preferred the looks of the Audi.
Inside is a different matter. The interior technology, materials, lighting, B&W audio (optional) and all the modern trinkets are all world class. Another world to the 911 and it made the RS6 seem a bit dated inside (although both are equally as well constructed, if anything the Audi felt more 'solid').
It's very fast, obviously. I reckon perceptibly quicker than the (605bhp) RS6 although that might be due to the fact it's less refined than the Audi. Don't get me wrong, the M5 is very refined but the RS6 was exceptional, probably helped by its double glazing. The M5's seats are outstanding, probably the finest and most adjustable seats I've experienced. The driving position is a bit higher than I'd like, but that's only really highlighted by the RS6's perfect and low set driving position so you get used to the slightly higher position in a matter of moments.
Another reason the M5 is so quick is the transmission in the M5 is better calibrated, snappier and smoother. What the transmission shouldn't be mistaken for is a dual clutch. You'll read reports that there's no penalty for the move to a ZF torque converter and, whilst it is smoother than a DCT and as quick as torque converter auto gets, it's definitely not as quick to swap gears as a DCT. It just means it's easier to smack into the rev limiter if you're used to leaving the gear change to the last nanosecond like you can with a DCT.
Chassis wise, be prepared for one thing - it is quite harsh. You feel road vibration through the car more than I expected and I believe this is quite unique to the Competition, probably due to some suspension components being rose jointed directly to the chassis rather than the standard M5's rubber bushings. It's one of the first things I noticed, even getting out of the 911 into the M5, you could feel the road surface through the structure so much more (and another reason it feels less refined than the RS6). It rides OK, but again be prepared for this being a firm riding (but well controlled) car.
The payoff is the handling where it's very impressive, not just for a 1900kg car, it's just impressive....period. Even in comfort mode the body stays very flat, the damping keeps the body movements well contained and the steering is a revelation if you ever felt the previous F10 (where in my opinion, the steering was a real weakness). It's more natural in feel and extremely direct. OK, it's no 911 but the M5 does feel genuinely agile and it's here where it pulls a big advantage over the RS6 which took more effort (and felt less comfortable) to hustle along.
Financially this is probably one of my less shrewd buys so getting a decent deal is key. I saw mine come up for sale at an independent and snapped it up immediately because it has every single option ticked bar carbon brakes (so c.£110k spec) and was being sold for £84k with 1k miles. Seemed a decent buy because it was actually someones car and not a pre-reg so it had a level of spec not typically seen in the main dealers (in fact, it seems most pre-reg Competition Packs have very few options).
So in summary I'd say these do live up to the hype the press give them. It's a very good car, and any preferences towards another option like an equivalent Merc or Audi would be down to marginal detail. I'd say my heart is still with the RS6 because I preferred the looks of it and the more GT-esque refinement, but the M5 is certainly the more fun car. But then I have another car for 'fun' so if this was the only car, it would probably be a different situation. I'm historically a big AMG fan but the E63 just didn't get a look in; that's less refined than the M5 and I just can't get on with Merc's current droopy design language.
We don't see enough of these talked about so here's a few photo's....
Edited by Palmball on Wednesday 27th February 02:02
Superb write up Palmball, thanks for taking the time! I certainly think it will fit the bill for me. How long do you think you will keep it for? Looking at your garage about 3 months...……..
I have been offered a pretty well spec'd pre reg car for late £70's which seems pretty reasonable to me for a new car. It has the drivers pack, premium pack and comfort pack. The only thing it doesn't have that I would really have liked is the B&W audio and carbon's would have been nice. I also really like your interior colour, I think the 2 tone seats look superb. The one I am looking at has black full Merino leather but it does look nice so not too worried about that.
I think I will give it a go and see how I get on, rather excited now!
I have been offered a pretty well spec'd pre reg car for late £70's which seems pretty reasonable to me for a new car. It has the drivers pack, premium pack and comfort pack. The only thing it doesn't have that I would really have liked is the B&W audio and carbon's would have been nice. I also really like your interior colour, I think the 2 tone seats look superb. The one I am looking at has black full Merino leather but it does look nice so not too worried about that.
I think I will give it a go and see how I get on, rather excited now!
Zanderman said:
Well, it’s done. I have sorted a deal and will be collecting on Saturday!!
nice one. I did a deal for a standard M5, premium and comfort pack, M exhaust and M seat belts, apple car play for £76k down from £96K. Was top of my budget, didn't think i could get a comp for that. Mine ws supposed to be collected Saturday but literally just found out it will be delayed for a week!Pioneer said:
Interesting read Palmball. Was looking at your car history (very nice btw), any reason you've never had something a bit more 'exotic'?
Can't afford the more exotic stuff (i.e. the losses when I put real miles on them)In all seriousness, the cars I have are genuine daily drivers. I do over 20k a year, and in that will be a good 2-3 European road trips just for the fun of it. If I had something more exotic like a Lambo or Ferrari then it wouldn't be as appropriate to use on a daily basis (must admit turning up for work even in the SLS and DB11 was uncomfortable) and frankly, they're just not good enough. I'm a fussy f*cker and I'm used to the relative engineering perfection of high end German machinery, so the lower volume more exotic options just annoy me with their imperfections. The DB11 for example lasted three weeks - I hated it and just wanted to drive the RS6 (which frankly, when compared back to back, was a much better car).
I'm under no illusion the cars I buy are less 'special', have less sense of occasion and my fussiness probably means I'm missing out on some experiences but hey ho. For a combination of a little exotica, everyday usefulness and decent value, I reckon the R8 is unbeatable which is why you see in my garage that I have one, don't have one, have one, don't have one....I can't get away from them!
Edited by Palmball on Wednesday 27th February 23:35
Chamon_Lee said:
these have started to grow on me alot however I still can't get over the rear arches. I just wish they are more flaired than a standard 5 series.
Interior is gorgeous and the seats are just heavely.
Widened arches has never been the M5 way, they've always been a relative sleeper so unlike the smaller M's, they just have standard bodywork.Interior is gorgeous and the seats are just heavely.
I agree with you though, it would be much better if it did have a wider body. It's one of the things that made the RS6 look so good, stand out amongst a normal A6 and have so much presence on the road.
Zanderman said:
How long do you think you will keep it for? Looking at your garage about 3 months...……..
I'm doing well then as it's three months in already 
I'll be eager to get into the new shape RS6 so we'll keep the M5 until that's released, so probably end of the year. Although it does depend on how much value the M5 has sunk and how expensive the new RS6 is going to be!
Fulmentaljack3t said:
nice one. I did a deal for a standard M5, premium and comfort pack, M exhaust and M seat belts, apple car play for £76k down from £96K. Was top of my budget, didn't think i could get a comp for that. Mine ws supposed to be collected Saturday but literally just found out it will be delayed for a week!
There were quite a few competition’s I had offered at similar prices. Let me know if you are interested and I will introduce you.Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff