[dexter]

don't know much about them except that i have always wanted one. the car i am looking at is immaculate and has 75k miles. what i want to know is are they expensive to maintain? how is the reliability? anything in specific go wrong with these cars in particular? any info is greatly appreciated.

[Kenix]

E39 M5s are relatively reliable compared to other older German saloons, but only if the previous owner took excellent care maintaining the car. Definitely go for 2001 or later and demand to see service records. The stock clutches tend to last 40,000 miles or so.

Try poking around the e39 forums too.

[dexter]

thanks man, i just realized i posted this in the wrong section, mods please move

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by Kenix

E39 M5s are relatively reliable compared to other older German saloons, but only if the previous owner took excellent care maintaining the car. Definitely go for 2001 or later and demand to see service records. The stock clutches tend to last 40,000 miles or so.

Try poking around the e39 forums too.

Exactly. Beware of VANOS, though, since it can become a 5 digit repair cost if and when it dies. Other than that, I think it is one of the best cars BMW has ever made.