thinking of the above for fast but comfy!

around 22-23k gets a nice 540 but for 3k more an M5 becomes possible.

is an M5 significantly better? and also is it more costly (much more) to run, MPG, service and the like?

Tiggs

ps- last time i did fast and comfy i got a passat 2.8V6 tipptronic.....PLEASE tell me that either bemmer is going to be quicker/better than that as the build was lovley but it was no drivers car!

pps- or......is a 330 as good as you need and a 5 series is overkill if you dont need the size (i dont, but i'll have it if its free with the car!)

MattOz is your man to answer this one, he has a rather nice my2000 M5, what a piece of kit that is. Fully loaded with air con on I think he was getting 24mpg cruising at 90mph.
Surely the M5 would hold its value better than the 540...

J

Buyers guide in Evo this month.

M5 everytime! 540 will depreciate a lot more, MPG is about the same, servicing costs on an M5 might be a tad more (can't remember off the top of my head), but M5's performance is the best bit, and the way it looks...

Get an M5 :D

Rich :)

is evo out now?

No contest M5 every time. Its an 'M'..nuff said..differnt car to the 540i.......

I hate BMW's but
M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5 M5





Or get a proper drivers car like a vectra sri kia pride etc

I subscribe and got it yesterday.

am i right in thinking there was a face lift? and when was it/what did they do? i have seen a 99T with 40k on it but i assume this is pre-face lift?

also whats the score with miles on this engine? am i better of with a 99T having done 45k or a 2000/2001 with 60-70k......ie. does anything drop off after a while or is the M engine as good as the 540's and below?

i suppose my point is...as a "performance" engine is it more fragile?

T

Face lift got clear rear lights, angel eye headlights, different wheels and quite a few other bits that I can't remember! Facelift was around late 99 / early 2000 I think. Facelift looks a lot better. M5 engine isn't fragile :)

Rich :D

330 sport will keep value better than both.

What about an Alpina B10, way more exclusive and a brilliant drive.
I would go for the B10 every time.

My mates got a B10 for sale 2000V reg blue FBMWSH 1year warranty left £22500 ono mint condition

Go for the M5. I have one and its the best car i have ever owned. Period.

No problems with the engine as its relatively unstressed only developing 80bhp/litre. Just check the VANOS thats all otherwise its bulletproof. Try and get the comms pack too if you can.

Depends how serious you are but try and get the AC Schnitzer dampers (very rare) they transform the car in the right conditions...

Tiggs,

M5 or 540? Tricky one. You can get the 540 with a manual 6-spd box, but they are rare. If you want an auto, then that rules the M5 out.

Mine is a 2000 W as Jase says, and can be fairly economical on a run. However, most of the time it isn't and struggles to get into the twenties. My average is 21.7 according to the computer.

Servicing is great. I just had mine main dealer serviced and paid £98. I supplied my own oil, but that was it. It takes 7 litres of Castrol RS10W60, so paying £10+vat per litre from the dealer would've made it twice what I paid. Thank God I had some in the garage! LOL

Service intervals on the M5 are every 15k miles. I imagine that it's the same with the 540. Every other service is an inspection, and the in between services are merely oil changes.

You'll find that M5's had a mild facelift around late 2000. They had the angel eyes and clearer "celis" rear clusters fitted, a smaller steering wheel, the wider sat-nav/tv screen and some minor piston changes to slow down on the appetite for oil that the engine has.

I've fitted the angel eyes to mine and it makes the car much more aggressive and improves the look.

There are plenty about between £24 and £27k, and these are normally the earlier cars. They should have about 60k miles on the clock. The 60k service is the big one, and can cost about £400 from a dealer. All you have to look for is condition of bodywork, interior and general wear and tear stuff. A car with comms pack is preferable and can gain up to £1500 at trade in time.

Try and get one with a warranty, and if it's about to run out, pay the £450 and get it extended for a further year. It's well worth it.

I've really enjoyed mine and it's the best car I've ever owned. unfortunately, with a new house on the way and some other expensive times coming up, I think I might have to sell it. Still, at least I can say that I've had one and I know that if my lottery numbers ever come up I'll have another. :D

Matt

Evo mag mentions to check oil levels regularly as it uses about .5 litre every 1000 miles.

cheers ppl,

however, sat in one and it just killed it for me..tooooo big for the roads i drive....i have gone 330 route.

T

Funnily enough I think the 3 series is too small and the chassis and handling of the 5 series makes it seem smaller than it is.

Was looking at 540 or M5 myself but the cost of the M5 was just too steep to justify so I went for the 540.

It is true that the 540 depreciates a lot. My own one was 4 years old when I bought it. It cost £45K new and I bought it for £11K. Not bad for a fully kitted 1998 "S" reg :D



The other thing that put me off the M5 was the "look"..... Attracts too much attention and I am paranoid enough as it is. The 540 still has plenty of power but is subtle enough not to be noticed IMHO.

M5 is awesome car but if its too big go down the 330 route, fit the ACS supercharger to it. 300 brake..

There wasn't any change of wheel design on the M5 either.

Why not try an M3 rather than a 330? You can get an absolute mint E36 for less than £20k (though I asssume an E46 will be over £35k) which will have far more character than a 330. If you don't need the rear seats then a 2.7 Boxster perhaps....

E36 M3 is looking very dated now next to an E46.....i have also been in a mates and the shake was rubbish on the soft top...the E46 is just put together much better (as you'd expect from a newer car)

T

Hi,

I can confirm shake on conv M3....really, poor IMHO. Handling goes off a lot too with roof down. If I had another M3 it would be new shape coupe. I had hardtop with my conv, without it on it was really annoying.

M3 attracted too much attention for my liking. Now have Carbon black M5. No probs with that (so far) I don't think Joe Bloggs even knows what it is until you fly past. :) I've got a 535 Auto and the difference is amazing. They dont even feel like they are even based on the same car.

330 though can't complain about those I drove a 330 sport all day and loved it.

Cheers,
Chinnybloke

Sold MY00 for a beemer
Drove 328ci, 330ci auto/man, 528i and 540i 6spd
Loved the 330 but went for the 540 as I thought it was more car for the money and with the M-susp/M-wheel, big alloys and 6spd it's a great drive. Driving fast on small roads was easy and fun in the Scooby and indeed the 330 but out on the open road and the M-way the 540 is sooo refined and frankly goes like stink. That engine really belongs in an aeroplane!
Oh. Looked at an M5 but the costs were too silly for me. Insurance was more than double the 540.
I found a 540 with TV, sunroof etc and I have to say it's tops.

Nice one. Sounds like a really good buy. What colour?


Chinnybloke

What sort of MPG do you get out of the 540i Vate?

Cheers,

Phil
528i Sport

The 540iA I have returns an average of 24MPG. This is 50% M-Way and 50% urban driving so its pretty good.

Tip - stick with super u/l or optimax. Altho the car runs happily on normal u/l and you get more petrol for your money as its cheaper, the car runs more efficiently on higher octane = more MPG on super or optimax.

The amount you "save" on the cheaper fuel is out-weighed by the drop in MPG.... I've tried it....



Rich
10/98 540iA

Stupid double post.... :rolleyes:

[Edited by Richie1 - 12/07/2003 08:40:07]

Rich,

I'll confirm what you've said about Optimax or SUL -v- NUL. The M5 runs fine on both, but Optimax gives about 2mpg more on average. I'm getting 23mpg average with about 50/50 driving. My overall average for the last 6 months is 21.7mpg. :D

Matt

And not only do you get extra MPG, you get more response ;)