Lower mileage E39 M5.. worth it?
Discussion
I’ve almost bought an e39 m5 many times over the years. Closest I came was 13 years ago when I almost bought a 40k mile car with a sticker price of £30k or so.
I’ve watched them get higher miles and get cheaper over the years. I kick myself for not buying one that came up about 3 years ago at £20k and 60k miles.
I’m not mechanically gifted and don’t normally have cars beyond about 120k miles.
I see some 40k mile M5s just below 30k. I still want one and I have the money to buy one. But is it madness? Is it a waste to buy it, drive it and devalue it?
My man maths says if I was willing to spend the money 10 years ago when I was poorer, then I can find a way to spend the same now for a similar car.. logic, see?
I’ve watched them get higher miles and get cheaper over the years. I kick myself for not buying one that came up about 3 years ago at £20k and 60k miles.
I’m not mechanically gifted and don’t normally have cars beyond about 120k miles.
I see some 40k mile M5s just below 30k. I still want one and I have the money to buy one. But is it madness? Is it a waste to buy it, drive it and devalue it?
My man maths says if I was willing to spend the money 10 years ago when I was poorer, then I can find a way to spend the same now for a similar car.. logic, see?
I purchased one back in Jan 09 for around £12K on 75k miles, It was totally mint inside and out... Owned it for 3.5 years and took it up to 97k Miles without a single problem other than a sensor replacement and routine servicing, Still miss that car it was immense the torque was incredible, Think I was lucky and picked one up with sensible miles in mint condition probably at the 'sweet spot' in terms of price... I would say go for it if you can find the right car as they are an amazing car to own. Still miss mine
TurboRob said:
What do you plan to do with it? Drive/enjoy regularly or keep it tucked-up?
I daily an e39 M5 (my second), first went to 213k miles, current on 170k miles. As it's my daily I couldn't care about mileage.
I’d want to drive it, I expect I’d only do 6k miles a year in it. But, is that a waste of a low mileage car vs. buying a higher mileage car and just using it..?I daily an e39 M5 (my second), first went to 213k miles, current on 170k miles. As it's my daily I couldn't care about mileage.
I’m attracted by lower miles as there would be less wear on the interior and possibly less worn parts to fix. On the flip side, if it hasn’t been driven, I might be buying pain with perished seals, etc..
I’m not sure if I make any sense or not, my ability to procrastinate is incredible!
Buy one and drive it.
There are good cars out there at 120k miles with plenty of essential maintenance already carried out on them. There are some dogs of course so you need to buy well.
The market for them is a lot more variable than most realise. The 'marquee' cars being punted by the likes of Hexagon et al are ambitiously priced but are some of the lowest mileage ones around of course. Some of those marquee cars will still be on original suspension components as fitted at the factory 15-20 yrs ago with age-perished rubber bushes to match. A well maintained higher mileage car may well have had much of the suspension refreshed and could be a better buy for those who actually intend to drive them regularly.
We're pretty hung up on low mileage cars here in the UK but these cars can run to a very high mileage if sensibly serviced and maintained. Have a look at this 409,000 mile chassis with a 300,000 mile engine:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM28kR28NRg&t=...
Yep, it'll cost you to maintain it but you've got to 'pay to play' just like with most other performance cars. £12k to £15k would get you a decent car but budget a least another £3k to spend on it the day after you buy it to take care of any outstanding maintenance issues.
Rumour mill on the internet always overstates VANOS and rod bearing problems on the E39 M5. It can happen but quite a few owners have them changed/overhauled ('just in case') only to find minimal wear.
Corrosion (esp. jacking points) is what you should be looking out for but even they can be sorted at reasonable cost.
There are good cars out there at 120k miles with plenty of essential maintenance already carried out on them. There are some dogs of course so you need to buy well.
The market for them is a lot more variable than most realise. The 'marquee' cars being punted by the likes of Hexagon et al are ambitiously priced but are some of the lowest mileage ones around of course. Some of those marquee cars will still be on original suspension components as fitted at the factory 15-20 yrs ago with age-perished rubber bushes to match. A well maintained higher mileage car may well have had much of the suspension refreshed and could be a better buy for those who actually intend to drive them regularly.
We're pretty hung up on low mileage cars here in the UK but these cars can run to a very high mileage if sensibly serviced and maintained. Have a look at this 409,000 mile chassis with a 300,000 mile engine:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM28kR28NRg&t=...
Yep, it'll cost you to maintain it but you've got to 'pay to play' just like with most other performance cars. £12k to £15k would get you a decent car but budget a least another £3k to spend on it the day after you buy it to take care of any outstanding maintenance issues.
Rumour mill on the internet always overstates VANOS and rod bearing problems on the E39 M5. It can happen but quite a few owners have them changed/overhauled ('just in case') only to find minimal wear.
Corrosion (esp. jacking points) is what you should be looking out for but even they can be sorted at reasonable cost.
I bought mine 2.5 years ago on c.72k miles in immaculate condition
In 30 months I have put 32k miles on it... costs:
- lots of petrol
- couple of sets of tyres
- Boot earth wire became loose so could only open boot with key - 30 second fix
- new brake disks and pads all around
- several oil services / full services / etc
No other work needed at all - one of the cheapest cars (fix wise not petrol!) I have owned
Now on c. 104k and I have been offered £5k more than I paid for it and it has a guaranteed insurance replacement value up to £12k more than I paid for it...
Just buy it
one of the great cars
In 30 months I have put 32k miles on it... costs:
- lots of petrol
- couple of sets of tyres
- Boot earth wire became loose so could only open boot with key - 30 second fix
- new brake disks and pads all around
- several oil services / full services / etc
No other work needed at all - one of the cheapest cars (fix wise not petrol!) I have owned
Now on c. 104k and I have been offered £5k more than I paid for it and it has a guaranteed insurance replacement value up to £12k more than I paid for it...
Just buy it
one of the great carsI bought an 81k mile car two years ago, FBMWSH and so far (touch wood) over 8k miles I've only had to spend on service costs, front brake seals and new Super Sports. Its a great car and I wouldn't contemplate selling it except its not ULEZ compliant which is a bit of a pain in London.
If you were to get a car to use and didn't want to spend close to £20k, I'd look for a tidy facelift with over 100k miles on it - these seem to be the sweet spot price wise - ie circa £14-15k.
If you were to get a car to use and didn't want to spend close to £20k, I'd look for a tidy facelift with over 100k miles on it - these seem to be the sweet spot price wise - ie circa £14-15k.
You have to ask your self how much you want to own one? rather than how much it will cost to own one... the last 4 BMW 's I've purchased and still own have all been because I wanted to own,experience and enjoy them I've never counted the costs but believe they have all appreciate in value.... just enjoy..
akirk knows what he's talking about, he has my old car...
...and I second the other opinions above, especially regarding lower mileage cars that may still have lots of original consumables on them.
Corrosion may be the biggest single issue, try and find one that has been garaged and/or had underbody protection.
Buy the best you can afford is good advice, but I wouldn't discount well kept enthusiast cars with higher mileage. And ideally as few owners as possible.
If future value is important, I don't know how the top money examples at 30-40k will stack up. That money will get you a very nice F10 M5 with low miles & AUC warranty, and those will only get cheaper. Although as a car I'd have an E39 over an F10 any day.
Good luck hunting.
...and I second the other opinions above, especially regarding lower mileage cars that may still have lots of original consumables on them.
Corrosion may be the biggest single issue, try and find one that has been garaged and/or had underbody protection.
Buy the best you can afford is good advice, but I wouldn't discount well kept enthusiast cars with higher mileage. And ideally as few owners as possible.
If future value is important, I don't know how the top money examples at 30-40k will stack up. That money will get you a very nice F10 M5 with low miles & AUC warranty, and those will only get cheaper. Although as a car I'd have an E39 over an F10 any day.
Good luck hunting.
TurboRob said:
I daily an e39 M5 (my second), first went to 213k miles, current on 170k miles. As it's my daily I couldn't care about mileage.
Snap, bought my first one in 2004 for £22.5k with 29k miles... timing chain guides gave up the ghost in 2014 at 232k miles with 364 days left on the MOT !!! ... bought another as a replacement with 112k miles for £7.3k and it's now up to 183k miles....Don't see the point of not using it ... too good a car to simply look at....I kept my old one as a parts car...perhaps to get back on the road at some point in the future...
JD2329 said:
akirk knows what he's talking about, he has my old car...
And you need to come and drive it again The secret to a car like this is that the owners have maintained it regardless of expense - the person I bought it from dry stored it and it was maintained immaculately- servicing by him and by me has been ahead of BMW recommendations with more frequent oil changes etc. My mechanics have instructions to replace whatever is needed at any time and it regularly goes into them for a check up...
Look after the car and it will do very well
And I am sitting in the sun awaiting a friend and we are off for a drive!
Good information, thanks. Any good specialist down south (West Sussex/east hants/south surrey) for servicing, as I assume I’d be stupid to buy one and take it to the dealer for servicing?
Although, if <100k miles and fbmwsh in theory I could take out the warranty from bmw and run it for a year first to cover any major issues? (I think the limits are mileage rather than age?)
Let’s say I buy a lower mileage example that’s been garaged; give it an oil change, filters, etc. and plan on overhauling suspension (and maybe new tyres?) in year one. Any other major costs I should plan for?
Understood on the f10 prices but it just seems such a big car and it never got me the way the e39 does.
Although, if <100k miles and fbmwsh in theory I could take out the warranty from bmw and run it for a year first to cover any major issues? (I think the limits are mileage rather than age?)
Let’s say I buy a lower mileage example that’s been garaged; give it an oil change, filters, etc. and plan on overhauling suspension (and maybe new tyres?) in year one. Any other major costs I should plan for?
Understood on the f10 prices but it just seems such a big car and it never got me the way the e39 does.
akirk said:
JD2329 said:
akirk knows what he's talking about, he has my old car...
And you need to come and drive it again The secret to a car like this is that the owners have maintained it regardless of expense - the person I bought it from dry stored it and it was maintained immaculately- servicing by him and by me has been ahead of BMW recommendations with more frequent oil changes etc. My mechanics have instructions to replace whatever is needed at any time and it regularly goes into them for a check up...
Look after the car and it will do very well
And I am sitting in the sun awaiting a friend and we are off for a drive!
OP - Walkers Autotech (Surrey) have a good reputation, many on the forum and M5 board have used them.
Once the mileage is over 60k the Mondial warranty gets v expensive, although I totally get the peace of mind thing.
Irrespective of mileage, if there's no evidence of periodic jobs being done i.e. thermostat/rad, diff seals, cam sensors, various oil gaskets etc then I would plan for it anyway. Hence why the higher mileage car with lots of receipts can help to build up a better picture of maintenance.
Agreed on the F10. It is too big, and I'd rather have a manual gearbox. But for me it's more appealing than the E60 & there is a lot of choice right now.
just back from several hours driving, they are such amazing cars, get the weight balance right and they just flow down country roads... such fun 
I think that like any complex car, history and maintenance is everything - mine still feels like a new car because everything is done, but these cars did dip down in proce to a point where owners could perhaps afford to buy them but not maintain them - choose carefully and they are not complex to run, it has probably been the most reliable car I have owned - including several brand new cars... condition is everything!
I think that like any complex car, history and maintenance is everything - mine still feels like a new car because everything is done, but these cars did dip down in proce to a point where owners could perhaps afford to buy them but not maintain them - choose carefully and they are not complex to run, it has probably been the most reliable car I have owned - including several brand new cars... condition is everything!
These are fabulous cars. I owned one for 3 years back in 2007 and covered 30k miles.
It’s the one car I always think back on and miss the most.
Even at 10 years old it was costing thousands in age related maintenance, I dread to think what they would be like today.
Still, if you’re serious at looking for one, I’d recommend an independent inspection and full commitment!
I’d have a good one again tomorrow.
It’s the one car I always think back on and miss the most.
Even at 10 years old it was costing thousands in age related maintenance, I dread to think what they would be like today.
Still, if you’re serious at looking for one, I’d recommend an independent inspection and full commitment!
I’d have a good one again tomorrow.
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff