ktulu

Hey guys! Looking for other former/current e39 ///M5 owners who have made or considering making the move to a 550. My 03 M, 37k miles, is almost out of warranty and while I love the car I am torn between spending more money on a warranty or just selling and leasing a 550. I know the power is not their and the styling is obviously...different.

I would like to hear opinions on the 550 or opinions on aftermarket warranties for the M. I am eyeing the new ///M3 sedan but with no word on an exact date I feel like I need to do something now and worry about that later. Would love to get a e60 ///M5 but I already get enough grief from freinds and coworkers!

Also if anyone has any suggestions on getting the best lease deal I would love to hear about it.

Thanks for reading!

SoCalM5Mang

08 550i is absolutely the best value dollar for dollar out there---mid level luxo or sport. Drive is insane---massively enhanced interior....better refinements....MUST GET the SPORT PCKG....all the difference in the world....

Do it!

SoCal

ktulu

I guess I should of qualified that. Sport package is a definite must. I wouldn't buy a BMW without it. Not just the looks but the typical perfromance improvements, for me, make a BMW a BMW. Better suspension, thicker steering wheel, sportier look... BMW

jrsamps

Thicker steering wheel, my non sport has a pretty thick steering wheel, can't imagine a thicker one

SergeyM

If I am not mistaken 2008 has the same steering wheel as 2007. It is not thicker than the regular one, nothing like E39 M5 or 540 steering.

fourfourtwo

ktulu,

Other than it being a new car, I don't think you would be satisfied with new M3... too small a vehicle compared to your M5 or X5. Sure it will have loads of power. But, how much more power will you really use on US interstates? I suspect the performance of the 550i is damn close to your current M5 and you probably won't notice much of a difference, particularly during day to day normal driving. I'm unloading my 2003 M3 for a new 550i knowing full well that my M3 is already more than I need- and I don't drive slow! If you require another M car, then go new M5.

mark foster

Hi

I swapped my E39 M5 for a new E61 530d M Sport Touring last week (!). I'm in the UK, and the 550i is very rare here and not generally favoured due to our high petrol (gas) prices. I went for the 530d, rather than the 535d because the latter s not available with a manual box.

I did look at an E60/E61 when they were first launched but was not impressed. The interior quality was poor compared to the E39, and the ride was not good, so I bought a one year old E39 M5.

The LCI E61/E60 is an improvemnet in inertior quality. Also, I would say that the ride is now probably better than the E39 M5. My car is a UK "M Sport" and has the standard 18" wheels with RFTs. I do not know if the US "Sport" package is the same.

The new car actually feels smaller on the road than the E39 M5 - in the sense it is easier to drive quickly down narrow, twisty roads. I think that the handling at non-extreme speeds is better than the E39 M5. (I am still running my car in, so have not tried anything too scary yet.) The DSC is much better. It used to cut in all the time in the M5.

Because I'm running in my new car, I can't really comment on the performance. Obviously, the 550i will be rather different anyway.

In general, the E60 Sport is an improvemnent in many respects - more refined and better handling at normal speeds. All the new technology on the E60 is fun too, and it's nice to have a new car without any warrany or reliability issues. However, the E39 M5 had an amazing engine, made a great noise and was perfectly set up for heel and toe gearchanges.

I am happy with my change of car. I never really considered the new M5 because of the gearbox and small range between fuel stops. Also, in the UK very thirsty cars are increasingly frowned upon.

Hope this helps.