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Originally Posted by TheSt|G
530i has the best steering feel of the platform. True rack and pinion setup as opposed to the craptastic recirculating ball setup the 540i/M5 have. The car is also some 600lbs lighter or so than the M5, so it feels considerably more nimble on its feet. The M54 engine is fairly indestructible with a few choice upgrades.
That being said, not sure why the E39 M5 is getting slammed here for reliability issues. I've had one, my brother currently owns a different one, and a good friend of mine is coming up on 9 years of ownership with his. All of them have been fairly uneventful aside from normal preventative maintenance like fluids/bushings. If you let things run away from you and break, the cost to fix could be fairly high, but in my experience that only happens to people that were too cheap/lazy to keep up on it to begin with.
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Agree with the above. I also don’t understand the negative brush used to paint the M5, whenever it is mentioned here. Perhaps a couple of posters got burned on a bad example (lemon)……Porsche and BMW both have those.
I am three years and 20,000 miles into my M5 ownership and it has been a wonderful car. Timeless style, great performance, plenty of luxury. I enjoy it every bit as much as my 84 3.2, perhaps because the driving experiences are so different. There are numerous reasons why automotive journalist with exposure to all types of cars label the E39 M5 has one of the all time great sedans.
My repairs have been limited to a faulty wheel speed sensor, replacing the fuel vapor purge valve, and swapping in a new FSU blower controller……all are known for early failure, but easily DIY repairable. The purge valve did require removing the Plenum, but that gave me a reason to replace the plugs as well. I have also done the routine maintenance to replace the fuel filter, belts, and air filters. Buy a Peake Code Reader and it's easy to diagnose any CEL's or poor running issues. M5Board has DIY assistance / step-by-step guides to rival Pelican Technical Articles.
The “rod bearing failure” warnings are very similar to the coolant pipe failures in GT3s and Turbos. In each case the failures are closely tied to owners who spend abnormal amounts of time on track. Coolant pipes fail due to the excessive temperatures and pressures of track work. M5 bearings fail if exposed to excessive amounts of running to the 7000 RPM redline. With M5s, it’s usually owners that enjoy regular trips to the drag strip. It can also be a problem if the oil change schedule was ignored, so records are good here. There are plenty of examples of 150,000 - 200,000 M5s running original rod bearings (search @ M5Board).
At 95k, the cooling system should have been preventively serviced with a new water pump, rad, hoses, and coolant. It has a plastic impeller pump (like most modern cars) and failure can cause other problems. Can be DIY’ed for $600 - $800 depending upon choice of radiator……closer to $2,000 if you are dealer dependant.
That being said, you did not identify the model year you are considering. I would not recommend a 2000MY. They did have significant problems from substandard oil control rings leading to carbon buildup. The ring design was changed for 2001 and the problem was drastically reduced.
Like our air-cooled lovers, it’s best to have a backup vehicle if you absolutely have to be somewhere every day (or be prepared to rent). When necessary, parking for a week and ordering parts from our host can save you 50 to 75% compared to running to the dealer.
Any older car can be a can of worms if you buy a poor example. 993’s can be an expensive money pit if you get one with clogged SAI passages or bad valve guides and need a top-end overhaul. We all know 996s, and early boxsters and caymen can have catastrophic engine failure when an IMS bearing fails, yet we have numerous posts by members thoroughly enjoying their cars. In the end, due your diligence and buy what appeals to you. An well-maintained M5 is an amazing amount of car for less than $20k.....$18k in your case.