I would never consider the E60 M5. After having three E39s (two of which were M5s) and an E36 M3, I feel that the E60 would feel like just another car, whereas the rest of them feel distinctly BMW. I feel BMW have lost their way.

Oh and I **HATE** IDrive.

This all still leaves me with the dilemma that if I order a 997, should I keep the M5 or sell it? It has 105k miles on it now but has not given me much trouble to speak of. Perhaps I should just keep it unless/until something major goes wrong with it.

__________________
'01 M5 Royal Red/Caramel
'98 M3 Techno Violet/Dove Grey (Sold)
'01 M5 Carbon Black/Black (Sold)
'98 528i Oxford Green/Sand (Sold)

 

I agree. Five BMWs for me, including an E39, an earlier five series, a 7 and three E46s. Wouldn't even consider an E60. Styling is subjective, but I cringe everytime I see one--it could have been so much better. The BMW fanboys say that I drive is fine, it's the users that are slow to change. They're wrong. The MMI in my Audi A6 is far faster and more reliable. BMWs version is just plain bad.

Then consider that the E60 has no engine instrumentation available to the driver (except a tach). There's no oil pressure gauge, no engine oil or water temperature gauge--NOTHING! And they call themselves a "driver's car". Well maybe they used to be.

 

That is a TERRIFIC phrase that I'm going to add to my lexicon! Nice!

 

Yeah, I did drive one. I think if you read my post above you will see that I wrote that I did "drive an e60 M5".

I didn't wanna go into it here ... I did on the M5 board. I actually WANTED to love the e60 M5. I went to the local dealership on a Sontag ... parked my silver beast next to one and spent the better part of an hour TRYING to like the e60. I did not like any part of the outside of the car. Especially the front and the back ... or the sides.

Eventually, I sat in one. The binnacle was too high, the paddle shift was not to my liking (altho, it only took me a block to figure it out, as opposed to the "month" most folks told me it would take), the iDrive is a joke. I'd rather have a center section "puked with buttons" than this dwarfish stalk deal that intervenes with every function of the car. There have been no magazine writings that praise the iDrive that BMW has thrust on us. Also, there have been few folks on any 'national front' that like the way the "new 5 series looks". Egad .... the thing looks like Dame Whatshername with glasses ! It is positively the least attractive iteration of a BMW I've ever seen. Well, the 1st run out of the 7 series was puke-ified disgusting, too.

So ... yeah, I drove one. I was not able to 'wring it out' since it was a new customer car. But, the car is crap for town driving. One needs to move the tack to 4500 to get it moving well. Who drives like that? In town? And, I'm not presently wanting a car without a manual shift. The new M5 has one, but it's an 'after tho't' .... not what the car was made for. One other thing ... give me 500 ponies ALL the time. Not when I select it after several iDrive and other manipulations.

I do not like the e60 much at all. If I did (and that was my intention initially), I would have one in my garage as I type. I've had several BMWs and many more Porsches (all 911s). They are truly different cars, indeed, but I prefer the 911s over the "ultimate driving machine'.

But, what do I know, eh.

 

I am looking at getting an e39 M5 just because of the sleeper factor...having a 997 here in Calgary gets too much attention (not always the good kind). There are lots of haters and ragers here that like to take a run at you, tailgate, or otherwise try to intimidate you. Driving the 997 here is nerve wracking and I thought a more discrete car with the performance I like would be better around town. Use the P-Car for road trips out of town.

My 330i was in the shop and I tried using the 997 for daily driver but it was scary. Every second vehicle is a huge *** pickup truck driven by a boy fresh off the farm.

I envy you guys living in more civilized areas.