Faults:

When I first got the car, everything was awesome.

The first thing to go wrong with it was the front seats. I found out later that on all 5 series, this problem is kind of common, and they call it twisted seat. I got it fixed with my mechanic, and it was $150.00 per seat. The dealer (stealer) was going to charged me $400 per seat.

I changed the upper arms thrust bushings for power flex urethane ones.

The clutch is slipping in 2 and 3 gear sometimes when I put it in sport mode. But the car has now 69,648 miles, and it is about time to put in a new clutch; I decided to go with stage 2 endurance package.

Just recently my starter when out, and I got it for $254 (OEM) dollars, not bad for an M series vehicle. I also replaced the flex disc (Gibo) that goes between the driveshaft and the differential.

Other than that, the car is a piece of art! Most of the things I replaced are tear and wear parts.

General Comments:

I had a 2003 BMW 330Ci, and I decide that I wanted more space, but at the same time I wanted more performance, and that’s why I opted for the E39 M5. I wanted the E60 M5, but this one was more on my budget! Was a deal of the century.

So far I am really satisfied with the vehicle. The ride is out of this world when in sport mode. It is a real sleeper. It moves like a rocket for a 4 door sedan, despite the car being 7 years old.

I had to replace a few things, but most of them were tear and wear. So I am not complaining.

I do recommend that before anybody buys one of these to check the clutch, bushing, get the carfax and try to find out the kind of maintenance the car received before you buy it, because the maintenance is not cheap.

This vehicle is cheap to buy these days, comparing the original price of $69,970, now you can even buy one for low $20,000, or even cheaper. But here is the catch; this car has an S62 V8 engine that pushes 400-hp and is supremely expensive to own.

Overall, I am very happy with my investment, and I forget about the expenses every time I get behind the wheel! I have owned Volkswagen GTI, Volvo S40, Audi's A4/A6 and BMW 330Ci. This by far is the best car I ever owned!!

Faults:

Nothing yet

General Comments:

The M5 has a reputation for being able to do it all, and I find this to be pretty much true.

In absolute terms, this depends upon just how hardcore you want a car to be, but for a mixture of dynamics, performance and practicality I am yet to experience anything better.

Straight line performance is usually the talking point with an M5, and it is stupendous - but only when you want it to be. In normal non sport mode the throttle response is quite easy going in its first quarter, not to intimidate - mind you, put your foot down further and by God it takes off. There's plenty else to enjoy when you're not pressing on - the ride is taut but not harsh, the exhaust still makes a nice growly sound but cruising refinement is almost on a par with my old Lexus.

Start to use the car a little more demandingly, however, and you begin to understand that it is an extremely serious machine - particularly in Sport mode, when the steering weights up and throttle response is noticeably sharper. Personally I'd prefer it like that all the time. The most remarkable aspect for me is how agile the car feels and how stable it is through corners - but not at the expense of comfort.

Fuel consumption is what you'd expect of a big V8 - use the performance and it's going to cost you but motorway cruising returns 28-30 mpg.

Servicing costs seem pretty reasonable, especially considering the performance on offer. Unexpected failures can be another matter, and I looked for one with a BMW warranty, which I consider essential.