WTB E39 M5 model yr 2003 or 2002

[Adam]

not exactly E9 content, but this is a savvy bunch so i thought i'd post here. a buddy of mine is looking to buy an E39 M5 with "not too many miles" (60k miles or thereabouts). model year 2003 or 2002 -- not interested in anything older than that.

if you have or know of one for sale, please PM me.

thanks,


-Adam

 

[craterface]

Check enthusiastauto.com. High prices, but good selection.
Scott

 

[Adam]

thanks. yes, the selection does appear to be great. but as you noted, the prices are high.


-Adam

 

[HB Chris]

Just wait until it needs repairs, that V8 is notorious for it's complexity and inaccessibility to make even small fixes. Not to mention BMW's extensive use of plastic in the cooling system that means everything gets replaced every 75K miles or you risk over heating the motor. Be sure your friend understands those hidden costs.

 

[rb1971]

Just sold my 2001 M5 for around about $14k. It had 105k miles but was otherwise impeccable. $22-25k for a great one with half the miles seems like it would be a fair price to me.

Not sure why these cars get a bad rap for maintenance. I am pretty anal with maintenance, sure, but I haven't heard of major costly issues with examples that have been well-maintained. I'm sure there are outliers, but the problems that I've heard all come from people paying $20k for a 10-year-old M5 and expecting maintenance on par with a $20k new car. YMMV.

(Of course I had an 850i as well that never had any expensive problems, so who knows. That car can be a bit of a money pit.)

Why a 2002-3 versus the '01? There was a mid-model refresh after 2000, but that included the 2001s as well. I think the only difference from 2001 on was an upgrade at some point to DVD-based nav instead of the old CD nav.

 

[gkb]

e39 M5

I think there was a VANOS upgrade in 2002 (this can be an expensive fix) - at least there was on the Z8 which uses the same engine. Whether justified or not (Mike Miller always says these are the most expensive BMW engines to maintain), these cars depreciate like rocks so it should not be much more expensive to get a 2002 or 2003. Compare with a 2002 Z8 - still ~$100K if in good condition.

 

[rb1971]

I think there was a VANOS upgrade in 2002 (this can be an expensive fix) - at least there was on the Z8 which uses the same engine. Whether justified or not (Mike Miller always says these are the most expensive BMW engines to maintain), these cars depreciate like rocks so it should not be much more expensive to get a 2002 or 2003. Compare with a 2002 Z8 - still ~$100K if in good condition.

Maybe you're right. I never had any VANOS noise whatsoever, even though I understand that some ticking is normal even from new.

 

[Nicad]

This is an extreme example. Just came on BAT this morning. Makes me feel like I need to buy it. Sell everything and go M5!

http://bringatrailer.com/2011/10/27/seller-submission-as-new-2002-bmw-m5/