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NSX vs M5

jlindy

jlindy

Experienced Member
Joined
11 November 2002
Messages
1,658
Location
St. Louis
Lately, I have been struggling with the idea of selling my NSX even though after two years, I have finally got her darn near perfect fixing almost every little quirk that I could find. As much as I love driving it, I was looking to move to something that is not only fun to drive, but also more family orientated with the addition of our child earlier last year. In addition, my wife has been nagging me to consolidate my two cars into one nice car that more than just myself can go in to cut back on gas, insurance, property tax, etc..

I really like the looks and power of the M5's and was looking at the 2000-2001 range which goes for about 37-45K. I really like the new 500 HP M5's, but they are not only on a 2 year waiting list, but cost 90k as well. The 2000-2001 M5 has a respectable 400HP, 4.6-5.0 zero to sixty, 13.1 quarter mile times, and I have read glowing reviews on them in general. I was wondering what you think of the M5 compared to the NSX which I know is completely different in almost every way.

Also, I looked on a Bimmer forum and they didn't have anything like what NSXprime has, at least what I can find. The NSX community should really consider themselves lucky to have such a great resource and wealth of information like NSXPrime. With the NSX, I know to look for things like snap ring, climate control problems, windows, etc., but I have no idea what to look for with the M5. Potential maintenance problems and cost of it, blah, blah, blah. Anybody think I'm crazy here? Do you have any other suggestions as to what vehicle to buy or should I keep my NSX. :confused:
 
I understand your decision. The main thing to consider would be maintenance and insurance. I've never owned a BMW, but I hear service costs are a killer.
I did check into insurance on an M3 vs. NSX. NSX was much cheaper.
 
If money is the issue, you could look at a 540i with the 6-speed. They are still fast and fun to drive and you could get one for much less than the M5. Hopefully that would save enough to keep the NSX :)
 
NetViper said:
If money is the issue, you could look at a 540i with the 6-speed. They are still fast and fun to drive and you could get one for much less than the M5. Hopefully that would save enough to keep the NSX :)
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The new 545i's have 325 HP vs the 282 of the old. I like those as well.
 
jlindy said:
The new 545i's have 325 HP vs the 282 of the old. I like those as well.
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But 400 hp for the M5 and IMHO, the styling of the previous generation 5 series still looks better.
 
jlindy said:
The new 545i's have 325 HP vs the 282 of the old. I like those as well.
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I like those as well. I just sugested the 540 because of the body style. The 545i will run you $60K! :eek:
 
NetViper said:
I like those as well. I just sugested the 540 because of the body style. The 545i will run you $60K! :eek:
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I was told by my buddy who works for a local BMW dealership in town that I can lease a 2005 545i that stickers for 64k for $800ish per month for 36 months. Yes that is more than I want to spend, but if I leased a 2004, I can get those for about 10k less. Just an idea. I'm also not sure how fast the 545 and the 540's are.
 
jlindy said:
I was told by my buddy who works for a local BMW dealership in town that I can lease a 2005 545i that stickers for 64k for $800ish per month for 36 months. Yes that is more than I want to spend, but if I leased a 2004, I can get those for about 10k less. Just an idea. I'm also not sure how fast the 545 and the 540's are.
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I don't have the stats in front of me, but I think a 545 6-speed is low 5's to 60 and mid 13 in the quarter. It is very quick. I will look up some times when I get home.

Here is a test in motortrend. Not sure if it is manual though.

http://motortrend.com/roadtests/luxury/112_0408_bmwsts/index7.html
 
My brother had both an NSX and he now currently has a 02 M5. He likes his car very much. He has the stage 3 Dinan suspension setup which changes the shocks, springs, and sways. In stock form the car handels respectably but the Stage III helps to control the 4000 pounds that the M5 is. From a roll the M5 pulls smartly away from my 91 w/ intake and exhaust up to about 100. We never have had a chance yet to go over that.

Power: The M5 has lots of torque and feels like genuine thrust. I drove a Porsche Turbo and the pull of the two vehicles feel similar in how they accelerate at freeway speeds. The NSX by comparison winds up but never really gives a feeling of *thrust*.

Turning: The M5 is over 4000 pounds but with the Stage 3 kit it still felt soft. I have bilstines and C-Tech springs on my X and switching to his car felt like I was in a very comfortable yet sporty car.

Visceral Experience: He used to have an x-pipe and a Kelners exhuast (do a search on the M5 boards for videos) and his car sounded AWESOME. Hands down sounded better than any NSX I have ever heard. He now has a Haman (sp?) exhaust and it is much more subdued. With the M5 it is all exhaust sound, no intake. With the NSX it is all intake and little exhaust (when you are in the car)

Nit-Pics: The shifter on the 5, when compare to the X, is slop. Compared to other cars (save the S2k) it is great, but the NSX just has a more direct and clunky feel. I like that, you may not.

Tires on the 5 cost a bundle and go fast. Torque + soft tires = short life span. I think the rears cost 350+ and I believe my brother got 5k out of his last set.

Sqeaks: I *HATE* rattles and squeaks. My brother is worse than me in this regard and he says his car makes a ton of noise. Probably could be attributed to the suspension mods but he says everything squeaks. Perhaps the frame is not as stiff as it should be, but comming from and X that develops rattles on occasion but never sqeaks, it is very annoying.

Bottom line though, if I were to replace my car with a 4 door, it would probably come down to an M5.
 
IF you are going to get a used M5 get a 2001+ one, after the facelift (Many bugs fixed). There should be only one previous owner and it should have >80 000km. You should get one of these for 32 000 - 38 000 €. Dont let the low costs of an E39 M5 blind you. A engine failure would be a financial failure. A M5 shouldnt be over 5 years old. Dont think the upkeep will be cheap. The purchase price can be low but when something breaks-down the fixing costs will blow you away. If you think you got the money you get a car that makes fun like nothing else if driven before.

Good luck.
 
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A close friend of mine owned a 96 NSX, and sold his NSX for 2002 M5 for the similar reason that you have presented.

He said that his M5 had lots of electric glitches, and he had to be very careful with how he used his clutch. Nevertheless, he is very happy with the decision. M5 is already a fun car to drive on the street. He certainly misses the NSX, but as you have already mentioned, they are oranges and apples.
 
The one thing that I have heard, is that the clutch can go out quickly. I can only imagine how expensive that would be. The more that I research, the more that I think I may sacrifice a little power for something less worry free like a 540 or 545 if the lease price is right. I want to make sure I get a warranty. Also while not a prevalent as M3 owners, in many cases, people who buy the M series, do so to drive it hard which would compromise the mechanical stability I think. Any other cars out there that meet my needs? I am not entirely sure I want to get rid of my NSX.
 
I pulled the pics from tirerack.com. 2002 M5 on top, 2005 545i below.
 

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  • 2002 M5 vs 2005 540i 3.jpg
    2002 M5 vs 2005 540i 3.jpg
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jlindy said:
Any other cars out there that meet my needs? I am not entirely sure I want to get rid of my NSX.
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How large a vehicle do you need? Is luxury more/less/same level of importance than performace?
 
SoCalDude said:
How large a vehicle do you need? Is luxury more/less/same level of importance than performace?
Click to expand...

I don't need a large vehicle, but would prefer one that was large enough for a baby seat. Also, the four doors of the M5 was appealing too. I will never track the vehilce, so I don't need it for that, but always love some punch during acceleration. Previously I had a 2000 CLK 430, 99 Vette, 87 Porsche 928 S4, 91 NSX, 2002 Mercedes ML320.

I want a fast car that has four seats and some luxury and/or exclusivity. I was originally thinking of selling my NSX for a 993 Turbo, but have now decided to consolidate two cars into one and get something fast, but classy like a M5 or C55. (not as big of a fan of the benz's after owning two) The M5's are fairly rare as well as the NSX and Porsche 928's. I saw a Vette on every corner.
 
jlindy said:
I don't need a large vehicle, but would prefer one that was large enough for a baby seat. Also, the four doors of the M5 was appealing too. I will never track the vehilce, so I don't need it for that, but always love some punch during acceleration. Previously I had a 2000 CLK 430, 99 Vette, 87 Porsche 928 S4, 91 NSX, 2002 Mercedes ML320.

I want a fast car that has four seats and some luxury and/or exclusivity. I was originally thinking of selling my NSX for a 993 Turbo, but have now decided to consolidate two cars into one and get something fast, but classy like a M5 or C55. (not as big of a fan of the benz's after owning two) The M5's are fairly rare as well as the NSX and Porsche 928's. I saw a Vette on every corner.
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Hard to beat a M5 then. I was thinking Mitsubishi Evo MR for the performance and 4 doors but not much on the luxury/classy side.

M3 too small for you?
 
I have owned several BMW's. The best advice I can give you is don't own one out of warranty. BMW makes great cars, but if you are on a budget you will cringe at the repair bills. Leasing a new one may be less expensive than buying an older car and paying for repairs.
 
steveny said:
I have owned several BMW's. The best advice I can give you is don't own one out of warranty. BMW makes great cars, but if you are on a budget you will cringe at the repair bills. Leasing a new one may be less expensive than buying an older car and paying for repairs.
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My thoughts exactly.
 
Dave Hardy said:
I'm thinking M3 - It is much closer to the NSX than the M5. Similar weight, similar power. Completely different segments of course. I hate big cars, so that alone would put me in the M3 over the M5. They are available with 4 doors. Get the SMG and be the envy of all your friends, including the NSX ones.
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They have a comptetion package option now that gives it handling similar to the CSL!
 
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Dave Hardy said:
I'm thinking M3 - It is much closer to the NSX than the M5. Similar weight, similar power. Completely different segments of course. I hate big cars, so that alone would put me in the M3 over the M5. They are available with 4 doors. Get the SMG and be the envy of all your friends, including the NSX ones.
Click to expand...

The M3 is much more similar to the NSX than the M5. I prefer the NSX over the M3. I have driven SMG and 6 speed E46s back to back with my NSX and I never wanted to get rid of the NSX. I was about to get an E46 M3 as a daily driver, and still might, but my new obsession is in fact the E39 M5. That and having 400 rwhp in my NSX.

I love the E39 M5. I am scheming to get rid of my 2004 TL 6 speed, which I love, to get an M5 and a cheaper winter car (and keep the NSX of course). If only I could swing the TL, the M5 and the NSX. It is feasible, but not advisable. Really I should just be happy with my NSX and TL for a little while longer before getting an M5 or other uber-sedan.

M5board.com is great. Very much like NSXprime, as in knowledgeable owners rather than 13 year old pretenders and e-baller/e-thugs.

An E55 is faster in a straight line, but heavy and soft. It is a mediocre chassis with a monster engine. The RS6 is an interesting choice if you see winter duty, but the lack of a manual is a killer for me.

I share the previous comments and advice regarding the 2001 MY and newer cars, 2003 if you want DVD Navi. The clutches wear out easily. There were problems with the vanos units in the early cars. The shifter throw is way too sloppy and screams out for a SSK.
 
My friend was looking into the M5's awhile back, and what he found was kinda disquieting. He found that M5's and the 5 series in general had problems with their water and oil pumps giving out. Just a heads up.

Also my insurance is a lot cheaper for my m3 than it was for my nsx.
 
Jlindy, what's your other car?

Is there no way to keep both cars if your other car is practical? I have 4 vehicles, one for Monday, one for Tuesday... ;)

Actually our 3 Hondas and one SUV is very nice for any occasion. 4 cars sure beats just one, no matter how nice that one car is. It's great to have back up cars for availability.

Regarding the M5, I drove it last year and I love it. I don't think I'd trade my NSX for it, but I don't think you can go wrong with it either.

Cheers.
 

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