E39 Experts, need some advice....
#1
04-09-2009, 10:18 PM
E39 Experts, need some advice....
I have a few questions for all of you E39 experts.
How many miles is on a low mileage example of an E39 M5? How many highway miles could I expect to get out of one before any major service or expenses? In my current position I drive around 25-30k miles per year. Is an M5 going to stand up to having 60k miles put on it over 2 years then have any life left? It looks like a 2002-3 example with 40-50k miles can be had in the mid to low 20's. Anything I should look out for? I am thinking about a new DD and I really like this idea if I would not be getting myself into an unreliable money pit.
I am partial to uber-wagons and I need the cargo room, so I have been also kicking around the idea of an E39 540 sport wagon with some mods. I like the idea of an auto box for a DD.
Does the 540i motor stand up well to miles? How about the rest of the car?
Any thoughts, ideas or advice in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
How many miles is on a low mileage example of an E39 M5? How many highway miles could I expect to get out of one before any major service or expenses? In my current position I drive around 25-30k miles per year. Is an M5 going to stand up to having 60k miles put on it over 2 years then have any life left? It looks like a 2002-3 example with 40-50k miles can be had in the mid to low 20's. Anything I should look out for? I am thinking about a new DD and I really like this idea if I would not be getting myself into an unreliable money pit.
I am partial to uber-wagons and I need the cargo room, so I have been also kicking around the idea of an E39 540 sport wagon with some mods. I like the idea of an auto box for a DD.
Does the 540i motor stand up well to miles? How about the rest of the car?
Any thoughts, ideas or advice in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by BigE; 04-09-2009 at 11:05 PM.
#2
04-09-2009, 10:36 PM
A couple quick thoughts to start off the thread:
The E39 M5 (2000-2003) is not only a very competent performance sedan by even todays standards, but also durable and fairly reliable. I don't see any problem with you loading miles on it as your DD. In fact, a good friend of mine did just that with his for ~4 years. He daily drove it, tracked it multiple times, and drove it very hard. Still, besides standard services, I don't remember him going through anything but tires. Even at 100K miles, he was on his original clutch - and we're talking about a car that saw 100MPH everyday.
The 4.4L V8 in the 540i is a great motor. I've driven multiple cars that were approaching 100K miles and still felt very strong. A 540i wagon would be really cool, especially if you tweaked it a little bit: M5 wheels, Dinan suspension, exhaust, software, and intake, etc.
Still, with both these motors, when things go wrong, it's going to cost you. When using either of these cars daily and logging considerable miles, I would be surprised if something didn't come along.
The E39 M5 (2000-2003) is not only a very competent performance sedan by even todays standards, but also durable and fairly reliable. I don't see any problem with you loading miles on it as your DD. In fact, a good friend of mine did just that with his for ~4 years. He daily drove it, tracked it multiple times, and drove it very hard. Still, besides standard services, I don't remember him going through anything but tires. Even at 100K miles, he was on his original clutch - and we're talking about a car that saw 100MPH everyday.
The 4.4L V8 in the 540i is a great motor. I've driven multiple cars that were approaching 100K miles and still felt very strong. A 540i wagon would be really cool, especially if you tweaked it a little bit: M5 wheels, Dinan suspension, exhaust, software, and intake, etc.
Still, with both these motors, when things go wrong, it's going to cost you. When using either of these cars daily and logging considerable miles, I would be surprised if something didn't come along.
#3
04-09-2009, 10:40 PM
^^^^^^
Thank you. I knew I could count on you for some solid information
More info on this topic, especially some experiences with longevity in these two cars would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you. I knew I could count on you for some solid information
More info on this topic, especially some experiences with longevity in these two cars would be greatly appreciated.
#4
04-10-2009, 11:11 AM
From experience, there have been two e39 M5s in my family. My father had a 2001 and I still have my 2002. He traded his in with 65,000 miles on it and some small things were starting to need attention. Mine has just over 42,000 miles on the clock and I've had a virtually flawless run. The only big issue I've experienced had nothing to do with the drivetrain and may be in fact considered something of a fluke. About a year ago I was leaving dinner with friends, when I got into the car and started it up the passenger side airbag exploded, showering me in a bunch of crap and scaring the piss out of me. BMW NA sent a tech down to my dealer in order to investigate it and ruled it as a fault in the electronics, which is still a little to vague an explanation for me.
As far as the mechanicals, the e39 M5 is built like a tank and while I have added an e92M to the family, I think the clutch and transmission of the e39 is absolutely sublime. I used mine as a DD for about two years and will say that it is a great cruiser, with profound pace at the touch of a button. Not to mention, that when you turn off TC its boat loads of fun, but hell on rear tires. Like any european car, when the miles get up there small things will begin to need replacing, however, I have yet to experience this with mine.
Good luck with your search, there are some great deals out there with these cars, however, its tough to find a low mile example.
As far as the mechanicals, the e39 M5 is built like a tank and while I have added an e92M to the family, I think the clutch and transmission of the e39 is absolutely sublime. I used mine as a DD for about two years and will say that it is a great cruiser, with profound pace at the touch of a button. Not to mention, that when you turn off TC its boat loads of fun, but hell on rear tires. Like any european car, when the miles get up there small things will begin to need replacing, however, I have yet to experience this with mine.
Good luck with your search, there are some great deals out there with these cars, however, its tough to find a low mile example.
Last edited by "The JC"; 04-10-2009 at 11:14 AM.
#6
04-10-2009, 11:57 AM
The E39 M5 is a very durable car engine wise. However, you must keep an eye on fluid changes and consumption. The S62 engine is an oil thirsty motor!
As long as you keep her fresh, she will purr like a cat!
The only thing you neen to worry about are the mechanical parts such as diiferential housing, CV joint, mounts and gearbox. Flywheel on this car is weak, the rotors are easy to wear out. Also... one of the most important thing to look out for in the E39 M5 are the electonic parts such as MAF's, CPS's and O2 sensors!
Good luck with the beast, it is indeed an ultimate driving machine!
As long as you keep her fresh, she will purr like a cat!
The only thing you neen to worry about are the mechanical parts such as diiferential housing, CV joint, mounts and gearbox. Flywheel on this car is weak, the rotors are easy to wear out. Also... one of the most important thing to look out for in the E39 M5 are the electonic parts such as MAF's, CPS's and O2 sensors!
Good luck with the beast, it is indeed an ultimate driving machine!
#8
04-10-2009, 12:43 PM
i had a 2000 M5 that had major maf problems once it hit 50,000 miles. it must have been in the shop at least 5 times for the same issue they never did figure it out and i dumped the car soon after. the only othe issue was replacing all 4 cv boots. thank god it was still under warranty.
beyond that it was a great car, but in la traffic, it wasn't the best dd. the clutch is not assisted. i traded it for an rs6 and found that to be much more comfortable.
beyond that it was a great car, but in la traffic, it wasn't the best dd. the clutch is not assisted. i traded it for an rs6 and found that to be much more comfortable.
#9
04-11-2009, 01:13 PM
From experience, there have been two e39 M5s in my family. My father had a 2001 and I still have my 2002. He traded his in with 65,000 miles on it and some small things were starting to need attention. Mine has just over 42,000 miles on the clock and I've had a virtually flawless run. The only big issue I've experienced had nothing to do with the drivetrain and may be in fact considered something of a fluke. About a year ago I was leaving dinner with friends, when I got into the car and started it up the passenger side airbag exploded, showering me in a bunch of crap and scaring the piss out of me. BMW NA sent a tech down to my dealer in order to investigate it and ruled it as a fault in the electronics, which is still a little to vague an explanation for me.
As far as the mechanicals, the e39 M5 is built like a tank and while I have added an e92M to the family, I think the clutch and transmission of the e39 is absolutely sublime. I used mine as a DD for about two years and will say that it is a great cruiser, with profound pace at the touch of a button. Not to mention, that when you turn off TC its boat loads of fun, but hell on rear tires. Like any european car, when the miles get up there small things will begin to need replacing, however, I have yet to experience this with mine.
Good luck with your search, there are some great deals out there with these cars, however, its tough to find a low mile example.
As far as the mechanicals, the e39 M5 is built like a tank and while I have added an e92M to the family, I think the clutch and transmission of the e39 is absolutely sublime. I used mine as a DD for about two years and will say that it is a great cruiser, with profound pace at the touch of a button. Not to mention, that when you turn off TC its boat loads of fun, but hell on rear tires. Like any european car, when the miles get up there small things will begin to need replacing, however, I have yet to experience this with mine.
Good luck with your search, there are some great deals out there with these cars, however, its tough to find a low mile example.
#10
04-11-2009, 01:14 PM
i had a 2000 M5 that had major maf problems once it hit 50,000 miles. it must have been in the shop at least 5 times for the same issue they never did figure it out and i dumped the car soon after. the only othe issue was replacing all 4 cv boots. thank god it was still under warranty.
beyond that it was a great car, but in la traffic, it wasn't the best dd. the clutch is not assisted. i traded it for an rs6 and found that to be much more comfortable.
beyond that it was a great car, but in la traffic, it wasn't the best dd. the clutch is not assisted. i traded it for an rs6 and found that to be much more comfortable.
Also, make sure to have the cars sway bar brackets replaced. The stock ones are flimsy beyond belief, and prone to snapping. Upgrade them with a high quality piece like those offered from BeastPower Motorsports.