M3 to M5 (E60) running costs?

AmDaMan

AmDaMan

AmDaMan

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This might be an odd question seeing as I’ve only had the M3 for about a month but there might be an opportunity to put 10k (NZD) on top of mine to get the M5, which is a very good deal out here in NZ (especially for what I paid for the M3). Don’t get me wrong the 3 is a beast and it’s great fun to drive on the weekends.. it feels better than ever after coming back from the Inspection II having the Vanos parts also fitted.

I guess the main question is how much more to run than the M3 is it, roughly in terms of servicing and parts (not fussed about petrol, as it’s just for the weekends). I’m probably more worried about parts breaking and a like for like. E.G the SMG pump on the M3 will be 1.5k or so, is this similar to the M5? I’ve searched for the tyres and brakes and while it’s a lot it’s alright. What about the clutch? I heard they don’t last all that long.. The one is question has also apparently had a vanos upgrade but it’s a UK import which affects resale out here in NZ substantially (there is an irrational fear of salt damage on UK imports). It would be good to know what other bills this beast could potentially throw at me.

If anyone has done this transition or is in the know I’d like to hear from you!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=660504583

Cheers
:D
 
I looked at a M5/6 but gave up quickly due to the clutch/gearbox issues, I think these are best avoided tbh
 
ha pep, i think there are / have been a few M5 owners on here.

everyone says that with the SMG on the M3 though Rotty! I heard one belting past me and it sounded amazing.. had a presence too.
 
AmDaMan said:
ha pep, i think there are / have been a few M5 owners on here.

everyone says that with the SMG on the M3 though Rotty! I heard one belting past me and it sounded amazing.. had a presence too.
Click to expand...

the gearbox/clutch problems just seemed to be everywhere I looked and compared to the small amount of cars out there it seemed far too big a risk

while extended warranty seemed to cover the gearbox there semeed some horrible bills for clutches being mentioned
 
HI there

Well in my M3 I average 18mpg thrashing around in it, no motorway use.

I know the same drive in the E60 M5 averages 11mpg, for comparison I manage 17mpg in the 911. Yes I drive like a **** everywhere! :D

M3's are cheap for parts now, there is so many of them about, an engine for example, less than 2k, gearbox manual/SMG under 1k, those are major expenses and can be obtained for small money compared to the cars initial cost.

The M5 however has a lot more to go wrong compared to the M3, its suspension is electronic and it does break, quite costly to fix. The gearbox are still very expensive too and the engines are about 5k to buy second hand but a rare find.

Your M3 should cost you little to nothing to run now and is the rawer more chuckable car. The M5 will cost more to run without a doubt, but it has several advantages, better interior, way more toys, absolutely mental acceleration, much faster than the M3 and the noise of the V10 at full chat puts the M3 to shame.

It will cost you more, but its got lots more cool stuff, goes like poo of a shovel.
 
Yeah Rotty, I’m reading a lot about multi coloured cogs! Sounds a bit scary.. I heard the early ones had a recall for the pump though?

Gibbo, you pretty much put me off until the last two paragraphs… I did hear one and it sounded insane.

I probably do about 300ks a weekend tops though so the fuel will never bother me, unless I do a road trip but that’s no big deal either as it won’t be often.

I can’t believe the gearbox is so ropey on these! Will a manual eliminate these issues or would I still be in the same boat?
 
I had the use of one for a couple weeks when I was thinking of buying one, nothing went wrong unsurprisingly in the time I used it but the fuel usage was truly shocking I didn't keep tabs on MPG but I did a couple of hundred quid in around 10 days of running about (admittedly at quite a pace). Tyres are more expensive than an M3 (e46 anyway) brakes are also rather expensive. The flip side to this is it was astonishingly fast above 5k and whilst I hated the gearbox at first by the time I gave it back to my dad I had warmed to it.

I decided against getting one myself in the end due to the running costs (as many on here warned).
 
This is what I feel is the problem with the E60 M5. It is a crushingly competent, very fast, continent covering daily driver.

Or at least it would be if it didnt have a fuel range of 200 miles and absolutely enormous running costs if used as anything other than a sparing weekend car. Which to me renders it pointless, it's not supposed to be a weekend car, it's supposed to be a do everything, all the time car.

If i was going to take on those sort of stupid costs for a weekend car, I'd rather it was something like an SL55 AMG. At least the roof comes off that.
 
The petrol isn't an issue as said, with my usage I would spend 1-200$ a weekend tops. The smg, as long as it's no worse than the m3 I can live with as I actually don't mind it.

I don't see why it can't be a weekend car? Granted I'm not using it to its potential by filling the boot or putting skis on the roof rack every weekend for a road trip but what I would be using it for is driving it very hard on some twisty roads with brilliant scenery. The M3 is great at doing that at the moment, I felt it was a bit slow today though when a Holden GTS of some sort was inching away on the motorway (I had 3 passengers) but still wondered what the M5 would have done..

The reason this is being considered is the potential value of the deal involved. M5s in this market start from 40k upwards, the Sl55 is 60k upwards, that's quite a difference.
 
Obviously you can drive quickly but it's a different type of car. The M3 is k precision instrument and the M5 is a sledgehammer. It's suited to open roads and big distance, unless you were a particular M5 fan and nothing else would do I just don't see the point for a weekend B Road basher, for that you want something more focused or with a roof that comes off.
 
I thought I'd struggle with the M3 on a twisty road coming from the S2000, I also thought losing the roof would be a mistake but it's been fine . I deliberately didn't buy the M3 convertible as personally I thought it ruined the look. I expect with the M5 I'd lose some of the agility again but not enough for it not to be fun. When you say it's a sledgehammer you make it sound like it's a beast that handles like a boat.. I hope this isn't the case and I'll have a proper test drive soon.

I'm looking for something with serious grunt that is still capable on a B road. PS I had a go in a 2004 E55 AMG.. Now that's a car I would describe as a sledgehammer...
 
The M5 is for getting from Munich to Stuttgart in 30 minutes :-P

Obviously it can handle, even my lowly 530 handles nicely but I just cant see why you would pick one purely for weekend twisty road fun. It's a luxurious super saloon. There are other cars in the range for twisty roads, you appear to already own one of them!
 
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You own an M3, but you want an M5 for weekend twisty fun, despite not requiring its extra capacity and functionality over an M3?

Just say you want a 500bhp V10 and buy one. Obviously the M3 is a better car for the requirements you've described otherwise.
 
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