E46 M3 vs E39 M5

Nicholas///M · 08-05-2014, 02:21 PM

I don't know which car I want to buy more! I need opinions and reasons for each! Possibly pros and cons of both cars! Obvious accepted too.

wisesoul · 08-05-2014, 03:03 PM

Drive both and see which one suits you. Fundamentally different cars though. You can have a nice and torquey V8 inside a comfortable saloon, or a high strung I-6 that you can rev to 8200, but not much power otherwise. E46 M3s are very mod friendly, and will probably be cheaper to maintain in the long run. E39 M5 is the more collectable of the two and has the more subtle styling. For a daily, I'd prefer the M5.

Nicholas///M · 08-05-2014, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wisesoul

Drive both and see which one suits you. Fundamentally different cars though. You can have a nice and torquey V8 inside a comfortable saloon, or a high strung I-6 that you can rev to 8200, but not much power otherwise. E46 M3s are very mod friendly, and will probably be cheaper to maintain in the long run. E39 M5 is the more collectable of the two and has the more subtle styling. For a daily, I'd prefer the M5.

Is there a place I can go to test drive both? My older brother has every M3 besides the E36 and the new f80 so I basically just need to test the M5

Northern X5M · 08-05-2014, 03:12 PM

E39 would probably be a more comfortable DD.
IMO it still can hold its own with today's modern cars as far as comparing options and luxury.
I sprung for the upgraded/retrofit factory nav components which is very expensive, but now I have nav, sirius and bluetooth that is probably just as good as what is in my 2014 Chev truck.

The E39s are pricey to maintain, find one with good service records or low mileage or both. A poorly maintained E39 will cost you thousands to make right.

Then there is the beautiful sound it makes.

08-05-2014, 02:21 PM	#1
Nicholas///M Banned 2 Rep 50 Posts Drives: ///M Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	E46 M3 vs E39 M5 I don't know which car I want to buy more! I need opinions and reasons for each! Possibly pros and cons of both cars! Obvious accepted too.
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08-05-2014, 03:03 PM	#2
wisesoul Savoir Faire 74 Rep 1,772 Posts Drives: 2013 BMW M5 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Los Angeles, Ca iTrader: (0)	Drive both and see which one suits you. Fundamentally different cars though. You can have a nice and torquey V8 inside a comfortable saloon, or a high strung I-6 that you can rev to 8200, but not much power otherwise. E46 M3s are very mod friendly, and will probably be cheaper to maintain in the long run. E39 M5 is the more collectable of the two and has the more subtle styling. For a daily, I'd prefer the M5. __________________ Current: Alpine White F10 M5\|H&R springs\|12mm/10mm spacers\|Eisenmann Race Sold:Imola Yellow RS4-KW V3\|MTM 10mm spacers\|Hotchkis rear sway bar\|APR Stage 1\|Milltek Catless\|RNS-E\|Euro RS4 Flat bottom Steering Wheel Sold:E46 323i
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08-05-2014, 03:12 PM	#4
Northern X5M Captain 105 Rep 806 Posts Drives: 2014 Tanzanite Blue M5 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada iTrader: (0)	E39 would probably be a more comfortable DD. IMO it still can hold its own with today's modern cars as far as comparing options and luxury. I sprung for the upgraded/retrofit factory nav components which is very expensive, but now I have nav, sirius and bluetooth that is probably just as good as what is in my 2014 Chev truck. The E39s are pricey to maintain, find one with good service records or low mileage or both. A poorly maintained E39 will cost you thousands to make right. Then there is the beautiful sound it makes. __________________ 2014 ///M5 CP Tanzanite Blue/Cohiba - 11.15 @ 128.8 & 1.84 60' (2150' DA) - BPM Tune - MSR Intake - SSP DCT - SS DPs & HFC Mid Pipes/X-Over - E Race Muffs - 19" MT DRs... On to a new home.
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