New Member, What To Buy... - BMW Forum

WolverineSam · 01-17-2013, 10:45 AM

Hey everyone:

So I'm rapidly becoming a BMW fanboy (much to the chagrin of some friends) and have been a lurker around these parts for some time. Since I'm looking to buy a new vehicle over the next few months, I thought I'd go ahead and join in the discussion. Any advice is more than welcomed here.

Current Vehicle:

2009 328xi, nice car, perfect entry level into BMW. Love it, but ready to upgrade to a bigger ride, more "back-seat friendly", more "get up" etc.

Looking at:

Pre-owned all:

2006-2009 550i - love the stance, love the sound. I've read you don't get a ton more performance out of the V8 than you would in a 535xi, but the stance, engine note, interior styling may make it worth the $$.

2008-2010 535xi - Nothing wrong with this car, but definitely not the sexy choice, especially when you consider...

2006 M5 - This is the goal. However, I have to go into more mileage/older model year to attain this. This also needs to be an every-day driver. I get that I need all-weather tires, etc. but can somebody help me out here? Can this truly be an every-day-driver? Or should I play it relatively safe with the 535/550 and live to fight another day with the M's? Is 60k miles some kind of "break point" that I don't know about on this vehicle?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks - WS.

Lord Vader · 01-17-2013, 11:39 AM

Welcome to Bimmerwerkz.

Do you live in an area that gets snow half the year, or is it sunny all year?

Personally, go with an M5. The M cars are by far worth every penny for a clean example. The E39 M5's (1998-2004) are by far my favorite. 400hp V8, which is highly tunable to 1,000hp on the original block and pistons (Forced Induction required). I know several people who DD an M3 year round with the snow. If you live in an area with snow just make sure you get a second set of wheels with dedicated snow tires and you should be fine. Also make sure you clean it often and inspect for rust.