E39 M5 thoughts
 

I drove an E39 M5 today. The hunt for the car to complement my S2000 continues. I'm looking for something with a bit of luxury and quiet. Here's my thoughts:
-Great looking sedan. This and the classic XJ are among my favorites of the 20 years.
-Sized about right for a four door. I haven't looked up specs but I'd guess the modern 3 series is close.
-Nice back seats.
-The interior is nice and high quality and very simple. It seems a tad dated but holds up. Seats were comfortable and decently supportive. It was a nice place to be.
-Acceleration. Meh. Even stepping out of an S2K, the mighty M5 with its 4.9 liter V8 with 400hp doesn't seem all that fast today. I expected something similar to the Mustang 5.0 I rented on vacation last winter. Maybe its the weight--the e39 M5 is 4000 lbs. Maybe the suspension and noise reduction are hiding the acceleration? It didn't push me back like I expected. Not a slow car, but not fast compared to my modified Mini or my old modified 135i. I wondered if I was nuts but a google search of 0-60 times tells me I'm not. Also, this car looked pretty good but its almost old enough to vote and maybe wasn't in top shape?
-Handling. I wish I had more turns to really test it out but for a big sedan it was really good. I wish the steering ratio was shorter but I'm coming from an S2K. Overall it feels "right". I don't get this sensation from many sedans. It was similar to the non-M E90s I've driven. (The current 5 series feels like a boat.)
-Suspension had a nice compromise of sportiness and comfort. You feel the road but its never harsh even over our awful Chicago suburban roads.

General Impression: Its not a sports car or even a GT. Its a sporty sedan that can carry four adult passengers in comfort. I want to drive another one. It stays on my list of cars to check it. It didn't blow me away though.

What are your thoughts on the E39 M5?

I drove a Cadillac CTS V-Sport two weeks ago and it was excellent. 0-60 in 4.5s, give or take, 420 hp, tons of torque, and all the bells and whistles (including the magnetorheological suspension). I think just about any semi-modern sports sedan is just as quick as the M5 but will cost you a lot less to operate and not give up a bit in terms of handling.

Not sure how much you're looking to spend but for me, I'd rather spend $5-7K more (up front), knowing that I'll probably save it in repairs down the road, and just get a more modern car.

I owned one for 6.5 years, and concurrently with my S2000 from 2013-2015. I loved it and they were fantastic complements to each other. Ended up making money on both after owning and driving them a good amount.

I am guessing the one you drove wasn't in the best condition mechanically given your disappointment in the power. When I picked mine up, I could tell immediately that it wasn't in top shape - it felt like 340hp rather than 400hp. I replaced the two MAF sensors ($300) and it perked up a LOT and felt more like 380hp. Then I replaced the fuel filter (actually easier to do than on my old Integra) and it finally felt like the full 400hp. Regardless of the luxury vibe, it should still put you back in your seat and feel like a boatload of torque - it's a low-13 second car with almost 2.5x the torque of an AP1, peaking at about half the rpm. In terms of seat-of-the-pants feel, it felt about as fast as my current E90 M3, even though the M3 is on paper a fair bit faster (better top-end but less torque).

In addition to the magnificent engine, you're right in that the handling is a great balance of a truly excellent ride (never felt harsh to me, better than my wife's C350 on 17"s) and athletic, direct handling. One weak area for me was shifter feel esp. vs. the S2k - can be much improved with a $65 ZHP knob, $60 E60 545i shifter, and (optionally) a $200 UUC DSSR shift linkage. Also, check the rear swaybar mounts - they're made of thin aluminum and break very easily.

Be forewarned that they require a lot of upkeep. Nothing ever stranded me, caused limp mode, or was a major issue, but between little things going wrong and stuff wearing out prematurely, it will keep you busy replacing parts unless you don't care to keep it in peak operating condition. Perfect example: I replaced the front suspension arms ("thrust arm" bushings wore out at ~90k, making steering pulsate under braking... easier to replace the whole arm than just the bushing) and used X5 arms which have stouter bushings. 4-5 years and maybe 20k later, the friend I sold it to is doing them again because those are already worn out. The auto-dimming mirror fluid also leaked, which had already been replaced once by a prior owner. This would never happen on a Honda.

In some ways it was my favorite car (power, luxury, personality, mix of aggression and elegance) and in other ways it was my least favorite (always having something to fix or preventatively replace). Overall, I do miss it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend one provided you have the budget ($2k/yr for safety - I spent just over $1k/yr incl. wear items) and patience to tend to its needs.

I'll just add... I wanted to consolidate into one car, and wanted to combine the best attributes of my S2000 and M5 into one car, acknowledging that this would be a compromise by nature. Ended up with an E90 M3 which has really filled the bill - a lot of handling chops and high revving the E39 M5 lacked, yet way more comfy and practical than an S2000. I know you want to keep your S2000 (don't blame you - miss mine as well, and have been toying with getting another) but with the prices of good E90 M3s dropping and good E39 M5s rising, you might want to try out an E90 M3 to pair with your S2000. All things considered, it's my favorite car I've owned and is just an awesome all-rounder, save for absolutely atrocious gas mileage.

The gas mileage is the only reason I haven't picked up an E90 M3. At the same time, it is basically half the gas mileage of the FiST and requires premium for the extra like 12%. That's 'only' another $1k/yr in gas, so I guess it could be worse and maybe it is a shitty reason not to get one.

Well the E39 is really only 1-2mpg better, all on the highway. Guess it depends how much you drive. I only drive 7k/yr so I don't care that much.

Have you driven one?

I have driven a coupe, and I liked it, but it felt like a big car to me at the time (having owned a bunch of E30s and E46s). I have also driven a new M4 and did not like what it did to the car inputs (variable steering feel, variable clutch weight and throttle addition when the clutch comes off the floor, variable throttle mapping, etc).
I do about 16k in the DD a year, which hurts.

Agreed on the newer M3/4.

At 16k/yr, I agree getting no more than 20mpg highway would be grating. At least the E39 M5 can get a good 24mpg or so, and has a slightly bigger tank. If you can rationalize it to yourself though, it could be a great car for what you want. Compared to the E39 M5 it definitely drives a lot smaller, and it is 8" shorter + 300lbs lighter. Getting a non-sunroof one would probably help a bit.

Otherwise, if you want better gas mileage with similar performance, you'll prob have to get something newer and more efficient. Could also get an E90 335i for cheap (or 135i if you don't need 4 doors) and do some choice mods to it. Won't be an M3/M5, but it'll be fast and get respectable mileage when you're not caning it.

The E90M has been great. It's my daily, and I've put 12k on it over the past 21 months. Other than the throttle actuators (two of them, WILL fail, ~$500/ea + labor, got mine replaced free via CA emissions warranty) and a recall for a battery cable, mine has been flawless. Took it to Laguna Seca (only upgraded pads/fluid) and an autocross and it was great fun at both.

I have a shorter, weighted OEM shift knob which improved the shifting quite a bit, and a factory M Performance Exhaust which really brings out the exotic tones.

Really love the car - engine, steering, handling/ride, customizable drive modes, looks, practicality, everything. Except gas mileage, lol. I average 15mpg with about 50/50 city/highway, although my commute is short which surely impacts it, and I hit that 8,400rpm redline at least a couple times every day so....