M5 Vs. E55 test drive
01-08-2006, 05:11 AM
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My friend bought that M5 I test drove at the mercedes dealership I originally posted on this thread. He paid 99995.00 for it with 1900 on the odometer. Awesome car. He is letting me drive his 05 Posrche 997 Carrera S 911 coupe.
I get to drive the Porsche for 30 days until his temp tags expire on the new M5 and he has to register it. I used to dream about getting a Porsche all my life. After driving the 911 coupe for a while daily, I have concluded that it really is an impractical car. Its fun to drive for about 2 hours fast but daily driving really sucks. Even with the suspension set to comfort you feel way to much and the engine is quite loud. I will never go back to a stick after driving the SMG III of the M5 and auto of E55 and 550. Acceleration of the Carrera S 911 is endless, its pulling hard in every gear up to the speed limiter. little twitchy in the steering wheel as speed builds but you know whats going on at all times. The Porsche takes a lot of work just to drive, almost to much involvement from the driver. Personally I enjoyed the 550, M5 and E55 better. Although nothing comes close to taking a corner like the 911. body roll and braking dive is non existent with this car.
My main complaints are the rough ride, cramped seating position I cant find a comfortable spot (5'5), lack of storage, cup holders suck, my wife hates riding in it saying its to rough and claustrophobic, my son said it was to loud to sit in the back, lack of decent up to date electronic goodies, seating was to low I was constantly paranoid that a SUV would run me over. You are about the level of most car bumpers so headligts from behind blind you at night and exhaust pipes in front constantly choke you at stop lights. Rocks like to hit the 911 for being so low. I would get clear bra with this car for sure. Getting in and out of the 911 is a pain in the butt and low back. Seats are very uncomfortable but hold you. I liked the 550, E55 and M5 seats better. This car is only good for very short trips. Seating is so low drive through windows and ATM machines become a major hassle to have to reach up or get out to to something. Did I mention it was noisy! I mean the six cylinder makes a sweet throaty sound but after 20-30 minutes you want a break from all the noise and relax. Every time you go from one stop to the next its just so noisy to go through the first three gears. Maybe I am getting old and this car is for 20 somethings. I am 36 by the way.
The pros to 911 is endless power just as good as the M5 in every gear but its not as smooth in delivery as the 550, E55 and M5. Speed builds fast and effortlessly, Good Bose stereo, best handling at the cost of decent ride. Shape of the car really attracts attention mostly other men and lots of girls like to look. The smile you get on your face when you take a hard turn is priceless. Excellent braking. Sturdy construction never a hint of flex in the chassis. Gas consumption is amazingly good for a true sports car. 18mpg in daily commutes on the computer and 25-26mpg on highway. Spirited driving averages 16mpg. I remember on my friends M5 we had a half a tank when I left the Mercedes Benz dealership on the W side of Las Vegas and by the time we
drove to the M5 to his house and back it was totally empty with barely enought to pull into the dealership. Of course we were testing it moderately hard.
Total round trip was about 85 miles.
Overall its a nice car but now I dont want it. Its to impractical for me and I am glad I got a chance to drive it in everyday conditions first before dropping 100k on it. To me the M5, E55, 550 is better all around with very little loss in performance and huge gains in daily usability. If you own a Porsche you better have two others for daily use. My friend that just bought the M5 has a 750il for daily commutes and his wife has a GMC Denali SUV. They used the Porsche for fun only. Now after buying the M5 he doesnt want to drive the 750il as a commuter the M5 suits the bill where the Porsche couldnt and he still gets to drive sporty.
As for me I might just get the 750 or 550 over the M5 after all, due to saving money and the need for speed is not as great as it used to be for me. Traffic where I live will not let me drive the M5 the way it wants to be driven. Gas consumption is another big concern I hate stopping for gas once a week and I think with 9-10 mpg I would have to stop 2-3 times a week. E55 might be another option. M5 is really hard to get in Las Vegas and only one BMW dealer keeps the buyers bent over for a while. For those of you that can use the M5 to its potential and dont mind the gas consumption you guys are so lucky, my head will still turn every time I see one but for me I cannot justify buying it for my conservative married life style. I am destined to be one of those dads looking out the window when a M5 or 911 pulls up and saying lucky bastard. Lucky in the fact that you can use the sports car to their true potential and not mind of the cost.
I get to drive the Porsche for 30 days until his temp tags expire on the new M5 and he has to register it. I used to dream about getting a Porsche all my life. After driving the 911 coupe for a while daily, I have concluded that it really is an impractical car. Its fun to drive for about 2 hours fast but daily driving really sucks. Even with the suspension set to comfort you feel way to much and the engine is quite loud. I will never go back to a stick after driving the SMG III of the M5 and auto of E55 and 550. Acceleration of the Carrera S 911 is endless, its pulling hard in every gear up to the speed limiter. little twitchy in the steering wheel as speed builds but you know whats going on at all times. The Porsche takes a lot of work just to drive, almost to much involvement from the driver. Personally I enjoyed the 550, M5 and E55 better. Although nothing comes close to taking a corner like the 911. body roll and braking dive is non existent with this car.
My main complaints are the rough ride, cramped seating position I cant find a comfortable spot (5'5), lack of storage, cup holders suck, my wife hates riding in it saying its to rough and claustrophobic, my son said it was to loud to sit in the back, lack of decent up to date electronic goodies, seating was to low I was constantly paranoid that a SUV would run me over. You are about the level of most car bumpers so headligts from behind blind you at night and exhaust pipes in front constantly choke you at stop lights. Rocks like to hit the 911 for being so low. I would get clear bra with this car for sure. Getting in and out of the 911 is a pain in the butt and low back. Seats are very uncomfortable but hold you. I liked the 550, E55 and M5 seats better. This car is only good for very short trips. Seating is so low drive through windows and ATM machines become a major hassle to have to reach up or get out to to something. Did I mention it was noisy! I mean the six cylinder makes a sweet throaty sound but after 20-30 minutes you want a break from all the noise and relax. Every time you go from one stop to the next its just so noisy to go through the first three gears. Maybe I am getting old and this car is for 20 somethings. I am 36 by the way.
The pros to 911 is endless power just as good as the M5 in every gear but its not as smooth in delivery as the 550, E55 and M5. Speed builds fast and effortlessly, Good Bose stereo, best handling at the cost of decent ride. Shape of the car really attracts attention mostly other men and lots of girls like to look. The smile you get on your face when you take a hard turn is priceless. Excellent braking. Sturdy construction never a hint of flex in the chassis. Gas consumption is amazingly good for a true sports car. 18mpg in daily commutes on the computer and 25-26mpg on highway. Spirited driving averages 16mpg. I remember on my friends M5 we had a half a tank when I left the Mercedes Benz dealership on the W side of Las Vegas and by the time we
drove to the M5 to his house and back it was totally empty with barely enought to pull into the dealership. Of course we were testing it moderately hard.
Total round trip was about 85 miles.Overall its a nice car but now I dont want it. Its to impractical for me and I am glad I got a chance to drive it in everyday conditions first before dropping 100k on it. To me the M5, E55, 550 is better all around with very little loss in performance and huge gains in daily usability. If you own a Porsche you better have two others for daily use. My friend that just bought the M5 has a 750il for daily commutes and his wife has a GMC Denali SUV. They used the Porsche for fun only. Now after buying the M5 he doesnt want to drive the 750il as a commuter the M5 suits the bill where the Porsche couldnt and he still gets to drive sporty.
As for me I might just get the 750 or 550 over the M5 after all, due to saving money and the need for speed is not as great as it used to be for me. Traffic where I live will not let me drive the M5 the way it wants to be driven. Gas consumption is another big concern I hate stopping for gas once a week and I think with 9-10 mpg I would have to stop 2-3 times a week. E55 might be another option. M5 is really hard to get in Las Vegas and only one BMW dealer keeps the buyers bent over for a while. For those of you that can use the M5 to its potential and dont mind the gas consumption you guys are so lucky, my head will still turn every time I see one but for me I cannot justify buying it for my conservative married life style. I am destined to be one of those dads looking out the window when a M5 or 911 pulls up and saying lucky bastard. Lucky in the fact that you can use the sports car to their true potential and not mind of the cost.
01-08-2006, 12:37 PM
#32
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My Ride: '05 545i, silver gray, black leather with anthracite maple wood, sport package, premium sound, navigation, cold weather package, electric rear sunshade, folding rear seat, satellite radio prep, PIAA 4150K fogs, red rear reflectors, hardwired Valentine One
The Carrera is a pure bred sports car. That's why it sits low (low center of gravity = better handling), isn't vault quiet inside (sound insulation would add too much weight), and lacks some of the creature comforts. And that beautiful sound of the boxer engine
is music to my ears--I've even installed the Porsche sport exhaust on 2 that I've owned. I've never enjoyed driving a car on a daily basis more than a Carrera. You can use it as a daily driver (I have for years). It's the ultimate connected driving experience--the steering, suspension, brakes, shifter feel...I could go on and on. Is it practical? By sports car standards--absolutely--you can drive it every day, and although the trunk is a joke, when you fold down the back seats, you gain quite a bit of space--certainly enough for luggage for 2 for a long weekend. By sedan standards, not as practical, but it's not a sedan.
is music to my ears--I've even installed the Porsche sport exhaust on 2 that I've owned. I've never enjoyed driving a car on a daily basis more than a Carrera. You can use it as a daily driver (I have for years). It's the ultimate connected driving experience--the steering, suspension, brakes, shifter feel...I could go on and on. Is it practical? By sports car standards--absolutely--you can drive it every day, and although the trunk is a joke, when you fold down the back seats, you gain quite a bit of space--certainly enough for luggage for 2 for a long weekend. By sedan standards, not as practical, but it's not a sedan.
01-09-2006, 10:05 AM
#33
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Originally Posted by stream' post='221047' date='Jan 8 2006, 04:37 PM
The Carrera is a pure bred sports car. That's why it sits low (low center of gravity = better handling), isn't vault quiet inside (sound insulation would add too much weight), and lacks some of the creature comforts. And that beautiful sound of the boxer engine
Attachment 14031
is music to my ears--I've even installed the Porsche sport exhaust on 2 that I've owned. I've never enjoyed driving a car on a daily basis more than a Carrera. You can use it as a daily driver (I have for years). It's the ultimate connected driving experience--the steering, suspension, brakes, shifter feel...I could go on and on. Is it practical? By sports car standards--absolutely--you can drive it every day, and although the trunk is a joke, when you fold down the back seats, you gain quite a bit of space--certainly enough for luggage for 2 for a long weekend. By sedan standards, not as practical, but it's not a sedan.
Attachment 14031
is music to my ears--I've even installed the Porsche sport exhaust on 2 that I've owned. I've never enjoyed driving a car on a daily basis more than a Carrera. You can use it as a daily driver (I have for years). It's the ultimate connected driving experience--the steering, suspension, brakes, shifter feel...I could go on and on. Is it practical? By sports car standards--absolutely--you can drive it every day, and although the trunk is a joke, when you fold down the back seats, you gain quite a bit of space--certainly enough for luggage for 2 for a long weekend. By sedan standards, not as practical, but it's not a sedan.
BMW offers a great compromise between sportiness and practicality, but everyone should own a modern 911 at least once. There really is no BMW equivalent, not even in the M cars. I also agree with the previous poster that I'm not sure I would want one as an only car (and doubt there are very many one-car Porsche owners), but I agree with Stream that modern Porsches make fine daily drivers (on the days one chooses to drive them).
By the way, I loved your flat six animatiion GIF!
01-09-2006, 01:43 PM
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The Carrera is a pure bred sports car. That's why it sits low (low center of gravity = better handling), isn't vault quiet inside (sound insulation would add too much weight), and lacks some of the creature comforts. And that beautiful sound of the boxer engine
Attachment 14031
is music to my ears--I've even installed the Porsche sport exhaust on 2 that I've owned. I've never enjoyed driving a car on a daily basis more than a Carrera. You can use it as a daily driver (I have for years). It's the ultimate connected driving experience--the steering, suspension, brakes, shifter feel...I could go on and on. Is it practical? By sports car standards--absolutely--you can drive it every day, and although the trunk is a joke, when you fold down the back seats, you gain quite a bit of space--certainly enough for luggage for 2 for a long weekend. By sedan standards, not as practical, but it's not a sedan.
Attachment 14031
is music to my ears--I've even installed the Porsche sport exhaust on 2 that I've owned. I've never enjoyed driving a car on a daily basis more than a Carrera. You can use it as a daily driver (I have for years). It's the ultimate connected driving experience--the steering, suspension, brakes, shifter feel...I could go on and on. Is it practical? By sports car standards--absolutely--you can drive it every day, and although the trunk is a joke, when you fold down the back seats, you gain quite a bit of space--certainly enough for luggage for 2 for a long weekend. By sedan standards, not as practical, but it's not a sedan.
BMW offers a great compromise between sportiness and practicality, but everyone should own a modern 911 at least once. There really is no BMW equivalent, not even in the M cars. I also agree with the previous poster that I'm not sure I would want one as an only car (and doubt there are very many one-car Porsche owners), but I agree with Stream that modern Porsches make fine daily drivers (on the days one chooses to drive them).
By the way, I loved your flat six animatiion GIF!
[/quote]
I have to agree. There really is no equivalent BMW, and the two makes are more complimentary than competitors. Ideally, you want a 997S or equivalent for tracking and driving those twisties alone on a sunny day. For a daily driver, the M5 is ideal.
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