hliu21

http://www.autospies.com/article/ind...articleId=5120

M5KILLR

500hp, v10, 81.2k with nav is a great deal, just the looks are not all there. also, on m5board 25 launch control launches and you warranty is voided!!!

MBE55AMG

Indeed, Top Gear did do a great review on this one. I love how the guy's skeptical, yet still fair on the rating.

onesixeight

yup...it was a good review except it seemed like he just wasn't used to the car. He got the seek button and volume button the the wheel mixed u and I know you can self-cancel the E60's triple signal. Although I like the Benz triple single activation better, with the benz, you can push it again, and it will continue to flash another 3 times. With the BMW, it cancel when you push down again.

I liked Tiff's review on Fifth Gear better...

Can't wait to get mine in May! I got a good deal where BMWNA agreed to buy back my 745Li and get me into an M5 for very little money.

jparch

still i prefer the E55.......

Vetluver

Makes me want to trade my M3 for the new M5. And keep the beast too. Of course. :p

RyE55

yea i think that was a preety fair review,the m5 is one of those cars where you hate it or love it, personally I dont like the looks but, theres no question when it comes to its power and performance...i can't wait when tuners start to modify these beast, dont forget about the m6

Hammer Down

With all that being said....It only beat the CLS55 1:26.9 to the M5's 1:26.2. I have listen to all of the hype and I would take the CLS55 or my own E55 over the M5. It's a great performing car with all the bells and whistles but who really cares?

stevebez

One major issue on the M5's IDrive - it assumes you drive a left hand drive car and are right handed.

Here in UK we have to navigate left handed through it - which when using a mouse all day right handed the transition is a little awkward - you always wanna grab it with your right hand - but cannot unless you wanna park the car in a barrier.

Guess their ergonomics guys missed this one .... or did not care.

Rgds Steve

BlownV8

That makes me believe that with the M5's much stiffer suspension that the CLS55 would out accelerate it on the street and if the track had longer straights that the M5 may fall behind. Sounds like a fun car to drive hard but not one you would EVER want to live with on a daily basis.

All in all, a bad car with poor reliability but a high revving fun engine. The breakdowns do not bode well for the M5. I'll stick with the E55.

SoulBladeZA

The big difference between the M5 and the CLS 55/E55 is exactly the opposite of what you are claiming. The really noticable difference between them only comes at higher speeds. While the ride isn't AS good as the E55's, it's still a very comfy ride. Also, the Stig isn't a very consistent driver. He seems to drive cars whose traction control systems can't be completely switched off much better than the ones without it.

Wow, ONE guy says that he heard it from an UNNAMED source and you believe him? Nowhere is it stated in the owner's manual. I've talked with my dealer and he says you can launch it as much as you want, the car will stop you from doing a LC if you do it too many times and cause excessive heat. Also, I have heard and read that you have to drive a certain distance after every launch.

You are one of those people who gets drafted into the suicide cults, believing everything some fool tells you.

Then stick to the E55. Each to his own. The M5 is an awesome car - my opinion. As for the diff issues, a local mag had the same problem. None of the owners have reported this, it SEEMS to be a problem only with the press cars. They aren't final spec, I don't know if this includes revisions to the diff.

One thing is for certain - those press cars have been drilled like no owner will ever drive his M5, or E55, for that matter. The ones over here are in a different test almost every day. Such a huge amount of abuse in such a short time will take it's toll on any car. I just hope it gets sorted out. Every first year car has it's faults.

krispykrme

I don't understand why people even bother to deal with redneck on this board.

A lot of E55 owner here bought the car to show off status instead of being a true enthusiast. In their eye, their E55 is god creation and can't be criticized no matter what.

BMW does not void warranty if LC is used over 25 times. It simply requires you to replace the clutch out of your own pocket. And why should BMW pay for your clutch if you insist on killing it by using LC on cosistent basis.

The warranty is still in place except the clutch. Which in this case is a wear and tear item, because it is like you as driver is abusing it by dumping cluch at 4k+RPM.

MBAMGPWR

Funny review! I actually laughed out loud a couple of times with his remarks/comments. Seems like a super sedan, too bad it's U-G-L-Y. If I didn't have to puke every time I saw an add/review on it, I'd get one.

W210

"Yeah look at me, I'm tough, I'm a shark, I have a fin"..

Count me in as one of those who cannot warm up to the M5 (which is why I'm still here). Decided to keep the E55 (for effortless power) and added to the famly a 750Li for comfort and luxury instead.

For those interested in a BMW, try forcing your dealer into placing an Individual Program order for you. While there is nothing we can do to improve the Bangle exterior, the piano black trim and the very nice light cream interior completely transforms the cheap BMW interior into something much nicer.

Test drove the Cayenne Turbo yesterday, the car is great but I'm convinced MB makes the best automatic gear box out there, bar none. Too much lag in the car below 3000 rpm those whose who're used to the E55k powertrain.

The effortless power in the E55 is highly addictive.

ImaginAsian

the performance is awesome! the styling is not what i expect if i forked over that kind of cash. and what happened to the good ole days when i dont have to read a drivers manual to operate my car - call me resistant to change, but i prefer analog controls then some crazy joystick/mouse.

there is a reason why dealers are buying up off-lease previous gen 3/5 series, so they can make some nice profit for those not diggin the new styilng BMW is heading down. its been 2 years(?) since the 7 series came out and i still cant get used how it looks

they dont look like a german car anymore - they look like high dollar japanese imports. thats not a bad thing, but if i wanted that look i'd just buy a Lexus or Acura with better reliability....my 2 cents

AMGfan

The Top Gear review on their BBC TV show was equally funny...

http://www.mininova.org

W210

I agree, even after the face lift the 7 is ugly! Almost bought a Lexus but don't like the way they drive, new model coming around the corner, lack of leg room, and I prefer the European smelling leather, if you know what I mean.

Like with all ugly cars, I went black with the 750Li to hide the unattractive lines. Long gone the days of attractive cool BMWs.

ajoe

I sometimes wonder if we all saw the same review. It was a pretty bad review until he pressed the magic "M" button and opened it up on a highway. He also said he found the smg jerky around town. I personally don't want to rev the sh_t out of an engine to get needed power on the highway. I'm number 1 on the waiting list for this car, but there's no way I'm going to pull the trigger without a test drive. I love the effortless and smooth performance of my E55 and see no reason to change based on this review. I also get the sense that this car is over engineered and after experiencing the nightmare of owning a 745i I would suggest waiting til at least the third model year and 300th software upgrade before purchasing an M5.

BlownV8

That's what I was thinking too. I don't see how you could change your opinion of a car after it performed so poorly in town, rode like a rock, had the annoying sat-nav wench that wouldn't go away, or after the damn thing had to be towed from the track because it broke down. I wouldn't care how the damn thing performed when you pressed the "M" button because if it did everything else so poorly it would not be a car you could live with on a daily basis.

I guess owning this car would be like marrying a really ugly crack addict who was great in bed. You couldn't take her out because she's too ugly and you couldn't go too far from home because you'd be afraid that she would have a breakdown. Not to mention, your crack ***** much like your new BMW will be very expensive to maintain.

SoulBladeZA

It doesn't ride like a rock. It's no E55, but it IS comfy. Sat-Nav works exactly like any other BMW's I-Drive, and I find it VERY easy to use. The Sat-Nav in the SLK is no harder to operate than that of the 645. And yes, you can turn it off easily. As for the jerkiness in town - just like any other manual car, you learn very quickly how to drive it smoothly. My mom had an E46 M3 SMG and after 30 mins seat time I was driving it without the whole head-nodding thing. And it won't roll backwards. I've asked people who actually own the car, and they say it won't roll on an incline, the hill-assist uses the clutch to steady the car. Press cars aren't the final production cars, so they might still have a few problems that have (hopefully) been sorted out. Which might also explain the whole diff problem.

As for the reliability issues - Merc is no better than BMW. Go read up on the S-Class forums, alot of those guys have their service manager on speed dial! My dad's first 745 was also back the dealership every 2nd week, but they gave him a later model and it didn't go back once, save for servicing.

One thing to remember - the press car M5's have been THRASHED beyond belief over and over by "journalists" and such mechanical errors are bound to step in. I'd only start worrying if actual owners started reporting the same sort of failures. The diff problem occured to a local magazine too in an E55 vs M5 shootout. The E55 was faultless. HOWEVER. When they tested the E55 in 2003 - i.e FIRST EDITION OF A NEW MODEL - they had to get THREE cars before they could actually start to drive it. One had electronic problems, and the other one would lock up at random times and no amount of effort could get the car to open up again.

So before you judge a car based on one stupid old fart's opinion and utterly sensasionalistic reviews, rather drive it yourself when it arrives in the USA.

As for the whole torque issue. You realise it has more than the C55? So it's hardly a Honda S2000 engine. Yes the torque comes at high revs, but 80% of torque is already on tap at very low revs. The number evades me now but I'm sure Improviz can track it down

The point I'm trying to make is : No, it won't be as comfy a daily driver as the E55, but it's not meant to be. If it were it'd lose it's driver's edge. You can't say it's a bad car because it aims at a more enthusiastic market. I personally DON'T mind winding that V10 up to 8000 rpm+ on the highway, I think it's utterly intoxicating. Some people would rather just mash the throttle without even downshifting from high gear. Each to their own.

The E55 and M5 are both masterpieces in their respective rights. Anyone who says otherwise is, frankly, an ignorant MTV child who believes whatever the TV tells them.

W210

Yeah, exactly how I feel. Only dare to pick up a 7-series after its mid-life face lift. May consider the M5 2-3 years down the road.

For now, I'll enjoy the proven E55.

WayneE

Very well said!

vraa

But here's the thing, what is the M5's and the E55's respective right?
They are both direct competitors!

You can't really expect us BMW and Benz owners to be friends!!

jangy

Sure can't!! Especially after this body E has been reviewed to OUT HANDLE the smuglly 5 series.

HAHA.

Oh, and yeah...actually, I do drive it HARD and MB loves it. That is why it is the BEAST. You pay $100K to have a car that drives as soft as, well a Mercedes.... and the a$$ to drag with ANY car (or motorcycle) on the road. If you wanted a flat out sports car, spend $50K on a new Vette. If you want 4 seats, get the Caddy CTS-V. Either way, you save a load and are just a step under the M5.

Hehe

NOTKTS

Cross Posting or whatever you call it.... But check out this CLS55 vs M5 Video if you haven't already.
http://www.autoclips.net/detail.php?...&id_video=2319