M3 Saloon or M5

[Thorny]

Am contemplating ordering an M3 saloon but specced up it will be 55k. Would my money be better spent on a year old M5? don't really need the M5's space but the car needs to be a bot practical hence ruling out the coupe.

Pluses of the M5 - V10 500bhp, more toys, HUD
M3 - nicer size, nicer noise (IMO), 'younger' car for me.

Thoughts?!

[rassi]

If it has to be a saloon, then the M5 all the way - a one year old with few miles is sub 50K and it's still the daddy!

[Neil.D]

The M3 saloon looks rabbish IMO, the M5 is well proportioned and the absolute daddy.
plus any teething problems on a new car should have been sorted by its first owner.
You should be able to get one with 5k miles quite easily.

[Vixpy1]

Neil.D said:

The M3 saloon looks rabbish IMO,

resists jewish gag

I'd go E60 M5 every time!

[Ashok]

Have you considered an Alpina? The B3 and B5S are superb.

[Vixpy1]

Ashok said:

Have you considered an Alpina? The B3 and B5S are superb.

So Ashok, what do you think of the E60 M5, especially the gearbox

[John Laverick]

M5 for me all day long!

[panic]

rassi said:

...it's still the daddy!

I'd frankly prefer his daughter (the M3)!

[waremark]

For me the M5 gearbox is a showstopper, and it looks too similar to a regular five series.

Considered a C63?

[Thorny]

Yeah but don't think I'm a merc kind of guy...

Although i did see one yesterday and thought it looked pretty cool!

[Zod]

If you like M cars, you won't like the Alpinas. Ashok's next stop is Mercedes, then Lexus.



(only joking, Ashok. )

[john_r]

waremark said:

For me the M5 gearbox is a showstopper,

Why's that then?

[Zod]

john_r said:

waremark said:

For me the M5 gearbox is a showstopper,

Why's that then?

too much attention paid to lazy journalists perhaps?

[PK328]

waremark said:

Considered a C63?

I reckon this represents a paradigm shift from M Power towards AMG

[waremark]

john_r said:

waremark said:

For me the M5 gearbox is a showstopper,

Why's that then?

Not as smooth as an auto, not as satisfying as a manual. Confusing amount of choice about the setting to choose, and whatever you choose is not right all the time (most of the time slow and smooth is fine, but then when you want a quick change it isn't there for you).

What do you see as the benefits? Compare to any of a manual, a good blipping auto or a DSG.

[Zod]

waremark said:

john_r said:

waremark said:

For me the M5 gearbox is a showstopper,

Why's that then?

Not as smooth as an auto, not as satisfying as a manual. Confusing amount of choice about the setting to choose, and whatever you choose is not right all the time (most of the time slow and smooth is fine, but then when you want a quick change it isn't there for you).

What do you see as the benefits? Compare to any of a manual, a good blipping auto or a DSG.

Just keep it in S5 and smooth shifts withteh throttle. Not difficult. It is also as satisfying as a normal manual, but in a different way.

[rn1988]

m5 all the way,the m3 saloon is such a mix,it has coupe headlights but saloon rears,i really dont understand it to be honest,why build two high power saloons?

[flattotheboards]

M5.

[Zod]

rn1988 said:

m5 all the way,the m3 saloon is such a mix,it has coupe headlights but saloon rears,i really dont understand it to be honest,why build two high power saloons?

Well, you could ask Mercedes why they build C63, E63, CLS63 and S63 saloons.

[rn1988]

that is a very good point but i think mercs and bmw's are aimed at different people,how many m3 and m5's have you seen compared to the mercedes rival's