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Originally Posted by ynotony
I am sure everyone remembers when the M5 was reviewed by major magazines and journalists for the first time. A lot of the buzz was generated by comparing it to an F430 saying that it could keep up on the mountain backroads and, although not as fast on a track, is just as fun and more practical. People say the M5 is currently one of the most exciting performance vehicles blah blah blah. The M5 seems to make such a bold statement and holds an overwhelming presence. When I see pictures and read reviews of the M5 I feel proud to drive a BMW and it makes me think the M5 is the greatest car to carry the BMW badge.
So when the M3 comes around, is it expected to be anywhere within even spitting distance of the M5? Is the M5 the greatest performance car that BMW makes? Will we see comparisions of the M3 to a F430? After all, if a $60k BMW can keep up with the F430 than surely it is more impressive than the $90k BMW that can, right? If someone to whom money is no object wanted to buy BMW's most proud performance car would they buy an M5 or M3? I always thought that the M3 was the smaller sportier car but now I am beginning to think that it is just the little brother of the M5 and that the M5 is the "real deal" (so to speak).
This may seem like I wish to know which car will be faster (and to some extend that is true), but what I am really wondering is what comes to mind when you think of an M5 and an M3. Is the M3 the true sports car and the M5 is just and powerful big sedan? Or is the M5 the true sports car and the M3 is the kid brother that is always looking up?
I am curious to hear your opinions. This will obviously depend majorly on personal taste. Maybe it is the fact that M5's are more rare but whenever I see one today I get all excited, and whenever I see an M3 it is "just another M3". Besides, isn't the 3 series BMW's "entry level" car?
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Let me take a shot on my view between an M5 and an M3. Having just recently bought a E90-06, I felt underclass amongst all BMW enthusiast out there. I enjoyed the e90, still do, and plan to keep it.
but during my early ownership, of the E90, people with muscle cars, like M3, M5, AMG, G35 were always taunting me to race, even smoke their tires in front of me at Stop lights.
So, I frequent the M5 board and was convinced that a 2002 M5 will shut these people up that taunts me. No doubt M5 is the car of the century! But after a few days of ownership, I realized that this is not an everyday car for driving 35/45/55 mph. This a a race toy and as such have to be maintained like a formula car.
Visiting the M5 board it was nice to note that 2000-to-mid 2001 had most of the share of carbon build up engine problem that may cost up to 8k to fix. M5 Clutch replacement on this are normal wear that cost about 900-1800, brakes changes are about 800-1k.
An early M5 owner posted that his maintenance of the 3-4 yrs of an 00/01 M5 cost him about 11k. This included such repair as MAFS, vanos issues etc etc. But there are others that didnt have such difficulty of course, or at least didnt admit to it.
So, this knock the sense of me, to realized that first, this car will get me speeding ticket-trouble and secondly I will be faced with high cost of maintenance as mileages adds up that even an extended warranty would not cover.
so, I traded it back the M5 in for another ragular car, and have the record shortest M5 ownership. After which I have sometimes visit the same M5board to noticed that even some new 2006 E60/M5 owners are having a tough time with this new M5 machine with all its bells and whistle, and they just could make the car to want then want to do, without learning the new M5 ways of doing things.
Im glad I got rid of the M5. It was nice to have as a trouphy car if I had some extra cash floating around.Yes Im back to my e90, Im still underpowered and undersport car when I drive, but I think an M3 would fixed that.
If I had to decide between an M3 and and M5, I'd do it again but Id go M3!