MOOK03TRMN8R

Ive been looking at 2006 M5s and 2005-06 E55 AMGs for about 3 months now, and am getting ready to pull the trigger, just cant decide on which... I have looked over this board quite a bit and you guys have some beautiful cars.
Im an American car guy(Mustangs) and love to work on my own car and make it unique... and im ready to take step into luxury/performance rides. Who better to sell me on a E55 than you guys... what should i be looking for? I appreciate some links or sites where i can look at mods like rims, spoiler lips, rear deck wings/lips, performance mods( i assume the supercharger can get a pulley swap, porting, or some other mods to produce a bit more boost). Intake? Exhaust? Tuners? - do Germ cars have plug in tuners like the american cars do?
I also noticed there seems to be a split between going with 20 inch rims, or doing 19s and some sort of lowering... how is the car lowered? through the computer, or a kit? not familiar with such a high tech suspension...im used to springs, shox, coilovers.
As soon as I buy this thing im sure ill quickly dump about 10-15k into making it my own, just like ive done with every other car i own... point me in the right direction guys!
thanks!

Carl Lassiter

Get the E55- engine more responsive to mods, needs aero aids anyway and it has low down tq you'll be used to from American big blocks.

Busta Riles

Take this advice from a guy who owns an M5 ^^^^^

cls55

55 all the way.

Scorcher

Have you driven both?

I testdrove the pair, back to back - and didn't rate the M5 vs the E55.

Personally felt it was overly complicated, and not hugely different in looks from any other E60 - and I was a BMW fan, having had three in the last few years. Engine sounded great, certainly was fast, but too 'clinical' for me.

Never had, or even considered an MB before the E55, and now feel it's the best car I've ever had - and my previous car was this little fella...



...and that 55 engine has sooooo much torque - ridiculously so when K2ed

e55 baller

Find a M5 that can run 11.0-11.1s without NOS. I don't know if they exist. See my sig.

If you prefer domestic muscle you will much prefer the torque output of any Mercedes over its BMW competitor. The E55 or E63 is no exception to the rule.

If you prefer handling considerably over straight line performance then get the M5...but I don't think that is what you are looking for. A vote for the E55.

Fast55

It's very simple actually. If your use of the car includes lots of daily grind B2B traffic, less than perfectly smooth roads, etc., the 55 is the only way to go. If you will spend more time on smooth twisting pavement with little traffic, the M for sure.

ROCKETW19

Drive both you will pick the E55
Tuners and mods in general are way way way more than you are used to.
19s or 20s thats easy you wanna look good get 20s you wnt performance stay 18s max19s. For the lil performance I lost with 20s is way worth the looks. I hade brand spanking new 19" HRE comps and hated every bit of the 4 weeks they were on untill I got new ones in 20"

Vic55

Im not sure why you came here and asked to be convinced into buying an E55 just as if you asked to be convinced to buy an M5 at the M5Board- you are obviously going to get some bias that should be expected.

I have owned both cars (well I have an M6) and its truly based IMHO on your driving habits and what you want in a car.

You want a fast drag racer that crushes cars at stoplights then E55 is the way. You can speed at will down low and it just requires a pedal mash. The steering and brake feel are things to be desired along with the piggy suspension. Overall its an amazing car with gobs of TQ throughout the rpm range. Looks are sensible and rarely receive thumbs down.

If you love a race bred engine that is high reving and involves the driver then the S85 engine in the M5 is a great way to go. The car requires the driver to be more aware to get the most out of it though. If you are hard driver and love running the engine rpms above 6k this is the car for you. Its a freeway screamer that will pull and pull all the way to 200 mph delimited and the stability is amazing. The steering and brake feel are better than the E55 IMO and the handling too. The exhaust in stock format sounds excellent but one simple bolt on change and the car no longer needs a radio. I love the E55 grunt but there is nothing quite like the F1 sound that comes from these cars (unless you have a Lambo, Ferrari, or other exotic). The M5 looks are arguable but they have grown on me over the past few years. At first I thought it was just nasty but the bangle butt design is ok.

Do I miss my E55, absolutely but Im not looking back with the M6. If you are one that loves to blast in traffic, stop lights, and from a dig in general and enjoy just chilling at times, the E55 is probably the ride. Of course you can learn to drive the M5 and enjoy to almost the same. Most people never give it a chance.

I didnt do a great job in convincing you but these are my thoughts from 42 months of E55 ownership and 12 months with an M6.

Jakpro1

Take a piece of paper and mark down how many times you really throw your car into HARD "twisties" in a typical week. Also take note of how many times you do "top speed" runs against other cars getting it up to 175. All reasons to go M over E.

THEN see how many times you are going to rely on "brute force torque" to get you into another lane......into traffic.....on an off ramp.....off a red light...OR just to relieve some stress from a rough day and you want to see tire smoke.

Case closed. E wins.

If you live in the canyons of Cali and twist your way to work everyday, go M. Otherwise it's a no brainer.

LOVEMYBS

Without a doubt the E55 is the better car! Look at my partial list of former BMW's (there have been 7-to date) and you'll understand why I made the switch. Since you like to tinker with good ole' American muscle cars you would also be impressed by my list of former Shelby's, Corvettes, Mustang Cobra's, Mach I's and etc. But I degress. BMW has lost its way and no longer appeals to the true enthusiast. Their cars are too "techno" and complicated to enjoy e.g. iDrive, SMG, launch control etc. And, they are still Bangle-ugly! (JMHO) When you consider the M5 only produces 400 HP and you must push a button (if I recall) to get 500 HP (unless you drive with 500 HP all the time and waste a lot of gas) as compared to the E55's always available 463 supercharged HP (lol, its actually 493 HP) the choice become readily apparent. I've driven the M5 and M6 for comparison and walked away afterwards thinking my E55 is soooooo much better! No brainer, buy the E55. You'll never consider a BMW M-car again.

FloridaE55

Well, make that two..
I'd also take the E55 - just make sure it's loaded...right now, it's a buyer's market!

SL55_Forever

These kinds of threads don't help you. Lets say you bought the 55 and love it but get the chance to test drive a M5 which you happen to like ever more...

Test drive both of them and make your own choice.

After you test drive both and buy the one you like more than come back to here or M5board to find out about mods, recalls, meets, etc.

Max.H

+1 with what vic said. if you want to be a stop light hero with a comfy ride go with the e55. if you want a high tech triple digit screamer get the m5.

IMO you should not need convincing to buy an amg product.

i learned that you dont choose the e55 it chooses you.

DFW01E55

Not to detract from the M5 engine which is a work of art, but the SMG leaves me bucking at shifts during normal traffic. (Maybe I stink at SMG!)

The 55's don't have 7 gears, but they do have 5 gears loaded with torque and that's what kept me focused.

There's a lot of sage advice in this thread from E55 lovers without bashing the excellent M5. Determine what your needs are and it will be crystal clear which car is perfect for you.

aleksandar1099

wow! that is an epic line.... i feel like my world is turned upside down....

... its true btw, the e55's power cannot be ignored, especially with 10k into it!!!

Michael_s

I traded in a 2007 M5 for a 2006 E55. While the M5 is a great car, you really need to get on it to enjoy all it has to offer. I found myself cruising around at 4000 RPMS's just to get some torque out of the engine. Down low the M5 really does not pull at all. You need to be over 3500 RPM to get moving. And then the small gas tank and **** poor gas mileage. Filling up every 2 days. Only 140 miles to a tank is crazy annoying. The damn thing would start beeping at 1/4 of a tank which is like everyday. Don't get me wrong, the M5 is an amazing machine, but it's not meant for US driving. If you had 100 plus miles to drive on the autobaun the M5 would do nicely. The E55 on the other hand has mass amounts of tq right from 800 RPM. My only gripe is the E55 is a little small for the passenger. I was a little more comfortable in the M5, specifically the center arm rest. Either way your driving an awesome machine....

MOOK03TRMN8R

This kind of feedback is exactly what im looking for... someone asked why i want to be convinced... well who else would i ask about an E55 than a bunch of folks that own them? I really appreciate the feedback...time to go drive both. Normally when i want a car i know exactly what i want, and exactly how i want to mod it way before i ever even purchase.... but im really on the fence in this decsion. The car isnt going to be a daily driver, never on a track, and rarely beat on... it will probably get about 3-4k miles a year tops... Sunny days will still be spent in the Cobra with the top down...
thanks all.

ItalianStallion

If you already have a highly modded cobra that produces more power and is faster than a modded E55, then I'd say go for the M5. The M5 is a more complete package of a car. Handling, power, transmission, brakes.

The E55 is sort of like taking your cobra engine and putting it into a luxury vehicle. The M5 does not have the low-down torque you are used to. You really have to rev it to have fun, but that is what I like about it. You have to keep it in the right RPM range and coupled with the SMG tranny, it makes for a pretty involving experience.

If this was your daily driver and you were getting rid of your musclecar Stang, then I'd say hands down go with the E55. But since you are keeping the cobra and this isn't even your daily driver, then the M5 will give you a different experience altogether and should keep you entertained.

You can get lip kits, rims, exhaust, air scoops/intakes, rear diff swaps, etc for the M5. No, it will NOT be even close to a fully modded E55 in terms of speed. So if you want a low 11 second car, it ain't happening in the M5...but isn't that what you got the Cobra for? (this is of course assuming that your Cobra is a beast)

Also, if you want a project car...something you can work on and enjoy with step-by-step mods, then the E55 is also king.

Definitely test drive both my friend. You can't lose either way

Ol'School

Being american (in a Mustang-fan way) you should preffer the E55 for it's low down LARGE amounts of tourqe.

Also being an american you then will appreciate the MB fine interior, they have a touch of class and luxury BMW designers aren't very fan of.

Finally being an american makes wanna beg you please please please don't do the 26" gold-chrome rims thing

MOOK03TRMN8R

haha... no worries... i dont bling out my rides... im more into blacking them out and going stealth. whatever I choose will get a set of 19s... Im diggin the rims on Benzoiboys ride... they look perfect... but i dont know if im ready to drop that kind of $$ on new shoes!

FloridaE55

You wrapped it up perfectly. those are the reasons why I wouldn't buy the M5 again.

FloridaE55

Not so sure about that. The interior (soft leather, comfort-seats and even leather on the dashboard) of the M5 is one of the few things I would say the M5 has an advantage over the E55.

prodigymb

i couldnt agree more

AMGfan

It is an automobile made for comfort and useable power (out of the box). You can get in it, hit the cruise control, and drive it with your thumbs if you wanted. THEN when you want it...downshift and now you have an instant Beast.

It's looks are stealthy and engine happy to be modded. You can't really truly mess up with either choice but for my lifestyle the E55 is a great match.

G/L on your choice.

Jon