Chibo

The only great thing about the E60 M5 is the noise.

ChiHonda

welp, after all this I got a Mini Cooper. I occasionally need a rear seat. I might do a post on here about it.

rwheelz

What is the verdict on the E39 M5 for common maintenance and repair costs? I know there is an expensive vanos issue that needs to be dealt with.

WHite98ls- at $1k/yr how many miles were you putting on it annually and how high was the mileage on your car?

white98ls

Bought in 2009 w/66k and sold in 2015 w/95k. I was in school out of state for 1.5yrs during that time, but my dad would drive it once a week. So I put on about 5k/yr excluding that time.

My memory is a little fuzzy, but the VANOS issue is far from a big problem that a lot of people have. Everyone will have a clackety idle because of it (I did) but as far as causing problems, it is fairly rare that it requires a serious tear-down. Rod bearings are also a concern, but not nearly as common as on the E60 M5 and E9x M3, which is why I got a warranty on my E90 M3 and plan to replace them when the warranty is up - I had no such concerns on the E39 even though it was older.

The car never left me stranded or went into limp mode and the only four-figure repair was replacing the clutch at about 92k, which isn't really a "repair" although the clutch is weak/undersized for the power. It's more just little things, either preventive maintenance or things that stop working, that keep you busy. I loved the car, but probably wouldn't recommend as an only car, or if you have a really busy work/personal life (like young kids) that doesn't allow much wrenching time. As I was young and single then, I had time to spend in the garage. On the other hand, I wouldn't hesitate to take it on long trips. I drove it from Seattle to San Jose, CA with 0 problems and even got a respectable 22mpg, something my E90 M3 would never achieve.

rwheelz

Thanks for the reply. I have always admired the E39 M5's, but I am not sure I want to deal with the little things that add up and waste the free time I actually have. It is hard to find one with low mileage now, and when you do, they are asking a small fortune.

white98ls

I don't think it's worth it to pay for a low mileage one. One with 50k miles is going to have the same problems as one with ~100k costing half as much. There was no age or mileage point where stuff started needing replacement - it was a steady stream over those 6.5 years, and some will be age-related. Mine ran and looked great when I sold it (I'm good friends with the current owner - he has displayed the car at the BMW show during Monterey Car Week, and it is in Motor Trend's video on the Chevy SS which you can see on YouTube) - it will just require steady feeding and care along the way.

runnyeggsham

180k for that model year BMW is kind of a lot. The E90 M3 seems pretty reliable so far, minus few things here and there. A new Bosch battery costs $300 though so don't think it will be cheap like a S2000 part.

GH89

The Elise is Nice is orange and blue too

https://www.cars.com/research/lotus-elise-2006/trims/
https://www.jpgcars.com/lotus/2681