Hello all,
I am on the market looking for a BMW M5. I was originally looking for a F10 M5, but the lusty V10 engine is just irresistible! I own a BMW E70 X5 4.8i currently, so I do have a bit of experience with BMW's and I leased a 335i (2009).
I have researched through many forums regarding the reliability of the M5, the SMG transmission especially, because the cost of fixing ,if it breaks, concerns me. When looking through sites like Cargurus and Autotrader, I noticed that a lot of E60 M5's in America are over 50 miles, and has more than 50k miles. The good thing about the M5's is the price, which ranges around 18-21k average.
What worries me is: how many miles is too many miles. I just do not want to buy a used M5, and a month after ownership, the clutch blows up, SMG dies or vanos fails.
So, all in all, my question is whether buying a E60 M5 with around 60-100k miles worth it.
Thanks in advance for all you replies!
P.S. I have 10k set aside for repairs.
One more question, does buying a M5 from a BMW dealer make buying the car safer? (the fact that the dealership will tell you the problems of the car and maybe try to fix it)
I would say "yes" to buying from a BMW dealership or an enthusiast with service records.
I typically never buy from dealers as there are better opportunities with private parties.
However, due to the complexity of the M5, I purchased from a dealer....but in my ignorance bought from a non-BMW dealership.
I got the vehicle and it needed a new oil cooler, had 1qt too much oil in it, new front brake pads and a leaking windshield washer container.
The dealer is a reputable dealer and has worked with me and reimbursed some of the expenses. However, when I called to speak to the manager, he basically told me that all they can do is the general safety checks, change the oil (which they failed at) and add tires. Also added they can't run any codes or diagnostics on it.
I live in a very rural area, closest bmw dealer is 9hrs away. My car was bought in Ohio metro area, I (unfortunately) assumed they would have ran it over to the BMW dealership to have it looked over before putting on the lot. My bad.
I have not had issues with smg, but Inpa tool is showing low pressure.
Moral of the story, buy from a BMW dealership or enthusiast.
At a minimum, get a PPI.
With rod bearings, you never know when those will fail, so not much you can do there.
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