£20k worth of M5...
Discussion
Been looking at all the posts on "Shall I buy an M5 or not" which has spured me on to possibly looking into getting one. Always wanted one, I liked the fact that they are the difinitive "wolf in sheeps clothing" However I have never testdriven one.
So, what does £20k buy. Looking to get rid of my X5, in which I have lost around £10k in just 2 years and go for a proper car.
Is the comms pack a must? Does the Vanos system needed to be repaired under warranty, if it has not, then should I not go for it. I fully understand you can't own one on a budget, bit like owning a supercar. Also the matter of depreciation, should I just wave goodbye to most of my cash now.
Appreciate views, as you all seem very clued up!
So, what does £20k buy. Looking to get rid of my X5, in which I have lost around £10k in just 2 years and go for a proper car.
Is the comms pack a must? Does the Vanos system needed to be repaired under warranty, if it has not, then should I not go for it. I fully understand you can't own one on a budget, bit like owning a supercar. Also the matter of depreciation, should I just wave goodbye to most of my cash now.
Appreciate views, as you all seem very clued up!
Why not spend a little time on the m5board.com E39 Forum and see what you can learn from there? Simply go for the best car you can find, don't rush, look at actual bills, not stamps in the book, and ask the previous owner some questions regarding driving habits, oil consumption, accident history and then get in the car and drive it. Loads on sale so have fun!
Personally I wouldn't touch any BMW M car without a BMW warranty. They're great cars but if something does go wrong it's likely that an aftermarket warranty will be as much use as a chocolate baking tray. Most notably aftermarket warranties tend to have maximum claim limits when it's the unexpected and highly costly one-off problems you most want protecting from. They also have a list of exclusions longer than one of John Prescott's pork pie receipts.
From my reading the E39 M5 appears to be the one ///M where a full BM warranty is not essential. 1K less rpm and 1.8 extra litres helps. Seems like the VANOSs is the only non-consumable part prone to pop, and these seem to be hyped up in their frequency.
I am looking into getting one and one of the reasons is that it seems to be the ///M you can do most of the work on yourself, or at least thats what my limited research has shown. Wrong?
I am looking into getting one and one of the reasons is that it seems to be the ///M you can do most of the work on yourself, or at least thats what my limited research has shown. Wrong?
Gio G said:
Been looking at all the posts on "Shall I buy an M5 or not" which has spured me on to possibly looking into getting one. Always wanted one, I liked the fact that they are the difinitive "wolf in sheeps clothing" However I have never testdriven one.
So, what does £20k buy. Looking to get rid of my X5, in which I have lost around £10k in just 2 years and go for a proper car.
Is the comms pack a must? Does the Vanos system needed to be repaired under warranty, if it has not, then should I not go for it. I fully understand you can't own one on a budget, bit like owning a supercar. Also the matter of depreciation, should I just wave goodbye to most of my cash now.
Appreciate views, as you all seem very clued up!
So, what does £20k buy. Looking to get rid of my X5, in which I have lost around £10k in just 2 years and go for a proper car.
Is the comms pack a must? Does the Vanos system needed to be repaired under warranty, if it has not, then should I not go for it. I fully understand you can't own one on a budget, bit like owning a supercar. Also the matter of depreciation, should I just wave goodbye to most of my cash now.
Appreciate views, as you all seem very clued up!
When I was thinking of changing from my E46 M3 the "M" technician at my local BMW dealer advised me to try and get a facelift M5 (52 plate on I think) as he felt they had less issues due to BMW engineering out some earlier problems.
I have had my 2002 M5 for a little less than a year now, having covered 25.000 km, and bought it from BMW with the coveted warranty. However, nothing, absolutely nothing, has gone wrong (touch wood) so I would say that if you buy on condition, history and general appearance, it might in fact be one of the M models you could buy without a warranty (I'm sure the beast will throw a fit tomorrow, just to challenge this wisdom).
Thanks for the advice. Anyone had any dealings with Jason Baker? seems to specialise in M-Cars? Has proposed a car to me.
Also is their generally a big difference between the independents and dealers for these cars? Probably depends on the age, whether they still qualify to be sold as a used car by the dealer.
Also is their generally a big difference between the independents and dealers for these cars? Probably depends on the age, whether they still qualify to be sold as a used car by the dealer.
He sells Lamborghini etc when there is a decent market and is not as such a BMW specialist. I personally would look elsewhere, loads of choice and as for servicing there are some top people around, depending upon where you live. Look out for suspension damage, shut lines, wheel damage, overspray, bills NOT mileage, number of owners and before parting with any cash drive a few and get the car looked over by someone with BMW knowledge! They are great cars but a little expensive on fuel. Brakes need upgrading too if driving hard.
If you have £20,000 to spend on an E39 M5, then I wouldn't rule out going the main dealer route.
They tend to only keep the nicest, lower mileage cars, and when you take into account the level of preperation on the cars, the comprehensive warranty and general peace of mind of buying through the dealer, I think they offer reasonable value for money when compared to a private sale or an independant trader.
They tend to only keep the nicest, lower mileage cars, and when you take into account the level of preperation on the cars, the comprehensive warranty and general peace of mind of buying through the dealer, I think they offer reasonable value for money when compared to a private sale or an independant trader.
This one seems quite good for the money, if you like the colour, which I do.
www.pistonheads.com/sales/168156.htm
Might be cheap enough to get into BMW, let them bring it up to scratch and put a warranty on it.
www.pistonheads.com/sales/168156.htm
Might be cheap enough to get into BMW, let them bring it up to scratch and put a warranty on it.
Don't mind the color, however did want something that did not stand out. That is what I love about these cars, being very understated.
Looking at some of the dealer prices, seem a little steep, however they do try to keep the best for themselves. Also considering the production numbers, I am quite suprised of the numbers going on the market. Maybe the new X5/M3 will create lots of part exchanges..
I am really not sure whether my £20k will tick all the boxes:
Mileage under 45k
Full comms pack
2001 - onwards
Remaining BMW warranty
Looking at some of the dealer prices, seem a little steep, however they do try to keep the best for themselves. Also considering the production numbers, I am quite suprised of the numbers going on the market. Maybe the new X5/M3 will create lots of part exchanges..
I am really not sure whether my £20k will tick all the boxes:
Mileage under 45k
Full comms pack
2001 - onwards
Remaining BMW warranty
Twenty Thousand will get you what your after.....You just have to be patient and do alot of travelling.
I looked at nine, and spent four weekends driving up and down the country before I what I was looking for.
For me....I wanted a low milage, mint car....and not too bothered what year it was.
I ended up with a real lucky find......A 2000 pre face lift, with every extra apart from double glazing, 1 owner from new, Full BMWSH and still under BMW Warranty for another 9 months for 18k.....I got him down to 17k as I had the cash ready. Oh...and it has 34,600 miles on the clock from new.
They are out there.....it's just a matter of being in the right time at the right place and having the money ready.
I looked at nine, and spent four weekends driving up and down the country before I what I was looking for.
For me....I wanted a low milage, mint car....and not too bothered what year it was.
I ended up with a real lucky find......A 2000 pre face lift, with every extra apart from double glazing, 1 owner from new, Full BMWSH and still under BMW Warranty for another 9 months for 18k.....I got him down to 17k as I had the cash ready. Oh...and it has 34,600 miles on the clock from new.
They are out there.....it's just a matter of being in the right time at the right place and having the money ready.
kentmotorcompany said:
This one seems quite good for the money, if you like the colour, which I do.
www.pistonheads.com/sales/168156.htm
Might be cheap enough to get into BMW, let them bring it up to scratch and put a warranty on it.
www.pistonheads.com/sales/168156.htm
Might be cheap enough to get into BMW, let them bring it up to scratch and put a warranty on it.
Not actually seen one in leather/cloth before - except for non-UK cars. I may be wrong of course!!
I had a 2001 M5 a few years ago, they are fantastic cars.
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