M5: An Owners Perspective

I first heard about the M5 in 1998 when I was in the market for an M3 convertible. At that time there were rumors about a 400 horse power engine and the ultimate stealth car. If only I had been smart enough to put a deposit down for one right then and there. The first M5's hit American soil in November of '99 and they touched off a feeding frenzy among buyers. Cars have been selling for 25K over sticker in some areas, and only the lucky ones who put down deposits over a year ago got cars early and at the sticker price.

It was in November 1999 that I decided that I had to have this car. I knew the price was going to be way to much, but sometimes, like a child or an addict, you just have to have it. The appeal to me was the 4 door nature of the beast. I like being the person to drive friends to lunch or other events, so 2 seat sports cars have never been appealing, nor are they practical for an every day car. But recently, ever since I bought the M3, I had the desire to drive sports cars. The idea of a 4 door sedan, that was faster than any car Porsche currently makes was highly appealing.

I called every dealer in the Bay area to try and find a car, but all I found was arrogant salesmen selling cars for 15-20K over sticker, with a long waiting list. I ended up calling every auto broker I could find in the yellow pages and the Yahoo directory. Within two months I was able to secure a place in line for about 7K over sticker and a two month wait. Four months after I started looking I took delivery of a new Arctic Silver M5. I flew down to LA to pick up the car and took 3 days driving back up the California coast breaking the car in and soaking up the view.

The differences between the M5 and the M3 are startling. Where the M3 suspension is hard and sometimes punishing, the M5 feels soft and subtle. I find the M5 suspension to be it's most remarkable feature, going over bumps or rough roads is not at all harsh, yet once the car leans a little into an aggressive curve it grips with a stickiness I have never felt before. It's 245 front and 275 rear tires and progressively stiff suspension are the perfect blend of ride quality and sport handling, but die hard sport or race drivers may find it a little disconcerting due to its initial soft feel.

When people talk about he M5, 400 Hp is always mentioned. In reality, the published numbers are only 396 Hp, although some people have been claiming that BMW lowered the numbers to appease government regulations and keep insurance rates lower. Whatever the true numbers are, there is plenty of power. Up to about 2500 RPM the torque is surprisingly low, above 3000 RPM hold on to your butt. The best part of the engine is the nearly flat torque curve from 3000 to 7000 RPM. After a shift into third from 50-90 MPH the car pushes you back into your seat and pulls away from everything else on the highway. A 0-60 run takes only 1 shift, since you can hit 60 at the high end of second gear, and by the time you shift into third gear and apply power the speed limit has certainly been left behind. One of the biggest problems with this car is it is very difficult to stay within the posted speed limit. The interior is so quite and the ride is so smooth it never feels like you are going as fast as you are.

The M5 interior has every luxury feature from the standard 5 series plus some extra appointments. A full leather option adds hand stitched leather to every area of the car, including the dash. The Alcantara headliner adds a suede texture to the interior roof of the car. An automatic rear sun shade is also a nice option. 6 disk CD and GPS Navigation are standard. I highly recommend the 'Executive' interior over the 'Sport' one. The 'Sport' adds two tone color seats and a racy aluminum trim to replace the standard burl wood. The 'Executive' interior has more comfortable seats and a very classy traditional BMW leather and wood style.

If you are in the market for this car, it pays to be patient. BMW is shipping roughly double it's initial estimate to the US, and supplies are starting to meet demand. Many people are now able to find cars at MSRP with reasonable wait times. By the fall it should be possible to find a car with little or no wait at MSRP.

For more details on the car you can see the BMW website at http://www.bmwusa.com or the E39 M5 message board at http://www.bimmer.org.