I had a '13 550xi (400hp) and it didn't feel all that fast to me. It also didn't handle all that well, granted it wasn't an M but still. I'd opt for the E90 if it were me, or something else non-BMW.

 

I drove a F10 535d and I did not care for that car at all. It felt huge and the steering was numb. The e39 M5 was on rails comparatively.

 

1 year into my M3 E90 as a daily. Love it, original everything still so far with the RB and TA, oil reports come back perfect. She's been my fav daily so far

 

I have an f80, a 2016 six speed. Every tank I see 24-26 mpg, period and I drive in sport mode. My son had the 08 m3 and got 18-20 on a good day.

 

This thread stuck in my head, now I am looking for an E46 M3 to replace the FiST as a daily because I am an idiot with terrible automotive ADHD.

 

Hi. Thought I'd add to this discussion as I've owned two E39 M5's (one bone stock, one modified) now and currently also own an E92 335i.

Yes, the E39 M5 is not fast if you're used to modded 135i power and torque. But it's still a fast, fun car with wonderful sounds and feelings that can be extracted. It's a very unique sounding V8, especially once you open it up with headers and exhaust. It is the perfect combination of American V8 -esque burliness with European exotic tones especially at high revs. The S62 is an excellent motor at any RPM and it just loves to rev and be put through the gears.

The thing about the M5 that you discover once you drive a good one extensigely is that it's so much more than the sum of its parts. It's not just a better 540i. It's a true M car. Maybe the truest M car of all. It's got so much soul and feeling and the whole experience is tweaked to involve all sorts of motoring stimuli to a far greater degree that the standard models can't touch (I've owned two E39 530i's as well and put a ton of miles on all my E39'€). It's just unbelievable how sublime it is. The epitome of sports sedan. Everything else is just paying tribute.

Get one while you still can. They're worth every penny. Just beware the gas and maintenance they like to guzzle up. I nicknamed my red M5 "The Guzzler" for that reason. Lol

 

e63 wagon.... the way to go

 

 

Just read this article.

 

That's about the E60 M5, which has a V10 with more problems and most often an SMG trans with more problems - and those problems are more expensive. And the gas mileage goes from not good to absolutely dreadful.

I drove an E60 M5 while I owned an E39 M5. The engine was simply awesome but the car was far too complicated, didn't feel as torquey as the E39 (same displacement), and the build quality wasn't quite as nice (my E39 had leather dash, sunvisors, and door panels from window to floor, with an Alcantara headliner, for instance).

The E39 M5 has a lot of little problems that arise but not a lot of common major ones. The E60, you have to worry about major ones, all while getting 10mpg. For me, when I actually enjoyed driving my E39 more, it wasn't worth it to "upgrade." There's a reason all the publications rank the E39 best among M5s.