[sam555]

Dear kind folks,

After trying to buy an M550i and getting bitch slapped in this market with dealers hiking prices, reneging commitments etc., I am now considering a 2019 M5 with about 30K odd miles. I am not an affluent man and am going to be doing a loan on this baby for 6 yrs. Likely will take me all to pay off, and am at the top end of my budget. With that said, M5s look less overpriced than the M550is, and hey, it's an M5.

Simple question: should i go for it, or no? What should I look out for, what questions should I ask of the dealer? How important is a warranty on this- as, of course, that would mean I have to budget for it. Dealer cannot give a CPO. Carfax looks like it has regular maintenance- although battery charging system was repeatedly checked, and engine/powertrain computer module. Don't know if that's just routine, or indicative of some underlying concern.

Please advise! And thank you.

sam

[Greer]

To Op,

Please remember that the "M" in BMW M stands for money. Do you have money set aside for the eventually of used car repairs?

[sam555]

Originally Posted by Greer

To Op,

Please remember that the "M" in BMW M stands for money. Do you have money set aside for the eventually of used car repairs?

how about 3 K/year max. I cannot do more than that...I guess the related question is, do they have known and predictable issues that are rearing p which I should plan for.

[DryBark]

I wouldn't consider owning an M5 without extended warranty, but that's just me. It's not like the car has a history of issues, it's been very reliable. There are just so many little things that could go wrong and I'm not the kind of person to be able to let them break and not fix it.

[crypto]

I'll add onto the considerations above with what you are looking for in a car. Were you considering a low mileage used LCI or new M550i? I'm guessing yes as they're about the same price in many cases as a used and good shape 2019 M5C. Then what do you want — more comfort and a new[er] car with warranty or less comfort, faster acceleration, and little to no factory warranty? The M550i is a very quick car and is significantly more comfortable than the M5 but if you want more brutal acceleration and better handling.. then go M5.

[sam555]

Originally Posted by crypto

I'll add onto the considerations above with what you are looking for in a car. Were you considering a low mileage used LCI or new M550i? I'm guessing yes as they're about the same price in many cases as a used and good shape 2019 M5C. Then what do you want — more comfort and a new[er] car with warranty or less comfort, faster acceleration, and little to no factory warranty? The M550i is a very quick car and is significantly more comfortable than the M5 but if you want more brutal acceleration and better handling.. then go M5.

Wow when you put it that way....

Problem is the M550s that are low mileage, LCI are literally at original price, no depreciation, nil. Some are even higher than sticker price! Also, few years down the line, when all this shit goes down, M5 will hold value better perhaps? While the original price/higher than sticker M550i s will take a much bigger hit? Maybe I am not thinking right on all of this...but thanks also to DryBark

[UglyBuzzard]

Originally Posted by sam555

Wow when you put it that way....

Problem is the M550s that are low mileage, LCI are literally at original price, no depreciation, nil. Some are even higher than sticker price! Also, few years down the line, when all this shit goes down, M5 will hold value better perhaps? While the original price/higher than sticker M550i s will take a much bigger hit? Maybe I am not thinking right on all of this...but thanks also to DryBark

When the shit hits the fan, the fan will be full of shit. Expect a shitty fan…

Buy what you can afford in the worst case scenario. Will you sleep at night? Are you young and reaching or a geezer that needs this thrill for the back nine? Kids or need to make kids still? Be wise and live happy!

[AHall]

I think if possible you should know the history of the car. If you do not mind sharing, what is your budget. Have you considered a M3? Maybe you could get into a new M3. I have a 2021 M5 I ordered and love the car. It seems very solid and plan to own for a while. I know everything that has been done to the car and I am the only driver. I purchased an extended warranty at the time of purchase as well. The problem I have with used cars, is you do not know how the car has been treated in most cases.

[sam555]

UglyBuzzard if you must know, older geezer here looking for back nine thrills as you aptly put it...considered a brand new M3. Heavily marked up and long wait. M550 was the ideal car, but the new car wait times are unbelievable. The advise here is spot on...thanks.

[Pzl1nz00]

Originally Posted by sam555

Dear kind folks,

After trying to buy an M550i and getting bitch slapped in this market with dealers hiking prices, reneging commitments etc., I am now considering a 2019 M5 with about 30K odd miles. I am not an affluent man and am going to be doing a loan on this baby for 6 yrs. Likely will take me all to pay off, and am at the top end of my budget. With that said, M5s look less overpriced than the M550is, and hey, it's an M5.

Simple question: should i go for it, or no? What should I look out for, what questions should I ask of the dealer? How important is a warranty on this- as, of course, that would mean I have to budget for it. Dealer cannot give a CPO. Carfax looks like it has regular maintenance- although battery charging system was repeatedly checked, and engine/powertrain computer module. Don't know if that's just routine, or indicative of some underlying concern.

Please advise! And thank you.

sam

Go for it!

These cars are pretty darn reliable. ZF trans is great and not some dual clutch needing expensive service every 40k. Engine has been known to hold BIG power. Maybe have to watch for rod bearings if you absolutely abuse the car, but overall they are pretty stout. I do agree with others, make sure you get some history to make sure the car was cared for. Most people buying M5s, don't buy them to abuse for 15,000 miles and sell though. In addition, by driving a few, you will be able to tell and look at who cares for their cars vs who didn't.

The new buck toothed M3 is brilliant, but I suspect they will become the "ugly duckling" in the M line up over the long term.

I suspect this generation M5 will go down as one of the better/best ones to have and collect.

In addition, if you shop rates right and have decent credit, you can get some attractive rates still.

We just did our car at 1.99% for 66 (that is truly free money in this inflation riddled market)! One of our banks is CEFCU. It is a credit union; you should check them out!

[jnotrom711]

Originally Posted by sam555

Dear kind folks,

After trying to buy an M550i and getting bitch slapped in this market with dealers hiking prices, reneging commitments etc., I am now considering a 2019 M5 with about 30K odd miles. I am not an affluent man and am going to be doing a loan on this baby for 6 yrs. Likely will take me all to pay off, and am at the top end of my budget. With that said, M5s look less overpriced than the M550is, and hey, it's an M5.

Simple question: should i go for it, or no? What should I look out for, what questions should I ask of the dealer? How important is a warranty on this- as, of course, that would mean I have to budget for it. Dealer cannot give a CPO. Carfax looks like it has regular maintenance- although battery charging system was repeatedly checked, and engine/powertrain computer module. Don't know if that's just routine, or indicative of some underlying concern.

Please advise! And thank you.

sam

I may be in the minority here, maybe not.... But i'm a firm believer that you should just buy what you want. Figure out how to make it work.

I personally don't think the maintenance will be that big of a deal assuming the car is in good shape , not tuned etc. I don't see it being that much more expensive to maintain vs 550i long term.

One independent mechanic I talked to who has long history of M cars, mentioned , yes they are expensive to fix. As are ALL BMWs.

With that said, he mentioned, overall , M cars are engineered very well, and in many case OVER built to withstand the beating.

Just food for thought....

The times I have decided to go with the "lower model" be it a car, TV, house, appliances, whatever it is.... all that happens is I end up spending the extra money a year later to ultimately get what I wanted to begin with.

So I say go for it. Set aside some money for maintenance, although with F90's there isn't a lot of inherent issues that are really costly.

It's one of the more reliable M cars out there.

Otherwise, I predict we'll see you back in 6-12 months trying to trade it in taking a bath on the 550 you bought when you could have spent the same and just got the m5 and set aside money for maintenance.

my 2 cents....

[sam555]

So bloody hell...has a history of not regular oil changes. Hence BMW will not CPO. Other than looks regularly taken care. Also not competition. With that said a beauty to look at, no doubt. And also nice loaded jnotrom711 this is good to know: "although with F90's there isn't a lot of inherent issues that are really costly." Pzl1nz00 not looking to abuse the car. Just an old geezer looking to ride something fun for the back nine...

[Pzl1nz00]

Originally Posted by sam555

So bloody hell...has a history of not regular oil changes. Hence BMW will not CPO. Other than looks regularly taken care. Also not competition. With that said a beauty to look at, no doubt. And also nice loaded jnotrom711 this is good to know: "although with F90's there isn't a lot of inherent issues that are really costly." Pzl1nz00 not looking to abuse the car. Just an old geezer looking to ride something fun for the back nine...

Hi Sam,

…was not referring to you abusing car; sorry Mate!

Was thinking that as you look for cars, good history and the condition of the car itself will speak volumes to you as to how the car was cared for.

We looked at 7 M5s before we bought ours. One was NOT taken care of at all and didn't even do 1200 mile service, which made it exempt for future warranty. 3 were OK, maintenance done but some scratches, curb rash, paint chips, dents, etc. 2 were pristine, we bought one of those!

[UglyBuzzard]

Originally Posted by sam555

UglyBuzzard if you must know, older geezer here looking for back nine thrills as you aptly put it...considered a brand new M3. Heavily marked up and long wait. M550 was the ideal car, but the new car wait times are unbelievable. The advise here is spot on...thanks.

In that case, get a CPO M5 with a BMW warranty - you can thank me later…. 🍻

[sam555]

Originally Posted by Pzl1nz00

Hi Sam,

…was not referring to you abusing car; sorry Mate!

Was thinking that as you look for cars, good history and the condition of the car itself will speak volumes to you as to how the car was cared for.

We looked at 7 M5s before we bought ours. One was NOT taken care of at all and didn't even do 1200 mile service, which made it exempt for future warranty. 3 were OK, maintenance done but some scratches, curb rash, paint chips, dents, etc. 2 were pristine, we bought one of those!

Pzl1nz00 no worries at all...so that's the level of diligence. Impressive, got it. Seeing a few out there without the 1200 mi service. Another good point to watch out for. Thanks. Will do my digging with all this in mind. Cant believe people wouldnt take good care of this car after buying it..arghh...

[micvite]

Originally Posted by sam555

Pzl1nz00 no worries at all...so that's the level of diligence. Impressive, got it. Seeing a few out there without the 1200 mi service. Another good point to watch out for. Thanks. Will do my digging with all this in mind. Cant believe people wouldnt take good care of this car after buying it..arghh...

Keep in mind only way to verify that 1200 mile service 100% is through bmw, mine doesn't show on any of the third party sources like carfax or autocheck.

[Pzl1nz00]

Originally Posted by micvite

Keep in mind only way to verify that 1200 mile service 100% is through bmw, mine doesn't show on any of the third party sources like carfax or autocheck.

Yes very true.

Car at BMW dealership is simple, they can pull up all the info on car and give you a print out of all service records.

The way we did it with a few cars not at a BMW dealership is that we took VIN and called BMW dealership and asked to put an extended warranty on. They were able to pull up info on car and tell us you or no and pricing.

Everything we looked at had factory warranty remaining. I do believe that is a condition to do the BMW extended warranty.

We went with an after market extended warranty that extended us out until 2029 and 100,000 miles, which is transferable. It was offered by the dealership we bought car at and the 3 local dealers near us confirmed it was a great warranty and they cover well and find it easy to work with… sold!

[pbonsalb]

How about an Infinity G80 or Lexus GS or Acura RLS? I like BMW but they are expensive to maintain and require more maintenance and parts aren’t cheap. I do think $3k per year for a maintenance/repair budget is fine, though. Most years you will come out ahead, but in the 5-10 year old range you should expect some major servicing or repairs that even things out.

[secretariat]

Here's my .02c worth. I would never ever take a 6 year loan. Too long and with inflation and gas prices skyrocketing and no solutions in sight I would pass. Their are too many variables and from reading what you wrote why put yourself in that situation. You are an older gent hold off and see what the future brings. If you had money to burn then yeah I guess but you said you don't. Pass on this stay in good health and be happy in thine own self. Another poster wrote that these vehicles are very reliable and that's true but beware that ///M cars are expensive to maintain. 3k a year for maintenance could be wiped out in a single problem.

[josec70]

I've owned 6 M5's and would deem them to be very reliable if properly maintained and not abused.

With that said, things happen and my suggestion would be that you purchase an extended warranty for peace of mind as some components will inevitably fail and you can be stuck with a large expense.

As others have mentioned, be diligent in your analysis of the service history of the car and see if you can have someone at a BMW dealership run the VIN for you as not everything will be reflected on Carfax or similar services.

On a more personal level, there are no guarantees about tomorrow, so if this is something you want and have yearned for GO FOR IT!

Good luck with your search!

[Maverik259]

Would also second the extended warranty. Not because something will break but because if it does you'll want that piece of mind.

I wouldn't spend too much time worrying over the carfax service history. Many use Indy car shops or do themselves. But given bmw gives them for free for 3 years I would expect at least 1 to be on record at bmw but maybe the owner traveled alot and couldn't get to a dealer? You never know. You can usually look at a car though and tell if it was cared for. If it looks beat up and no service history then there ya go. Lol

When I bought my 2014 X5 back in 2017 I bought a 5 year extended warranty. Didn't pay for itself until January when we had the transfer case replaced for $6000. So for the last 4 years I thought I wasted my money lol. Other than that I haven't used the warranty barely at all. Some speakers here and there and some small odds and ends.

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by josec70

I've owned 6 M5's and would deem them to be very reliable if properly maintained and not abused.!

How many miles on them at the end of your ownership and how many years old were they? 6 new M5s all sold at 30k miles and 4 years would not mean much to me.