[zachBMW]

alright, so i was looking at a 06 E60 M5 with 101k miles for roughly 10 grand (US$)… the car is around 500 miles away from me and i wouldn’t be able to see it in person. i would have it shipped to my house and hope it isn’t a lemon - it has a carfax buyback guarantee

car looks pretty good and have the service records but in still weary about the S85 reputation + i’m a 16 year old in high school and would most likely drive it fairly often …

just phoning a friend.. would this be a bad decision

[Sal@AUTOcouture]

have an extra $10k for gas if it lasts you all year lol

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by zachBMW

alright, so i was looking at a 06 E60 M5 with 101k miles for roughly 10 grand (US$)… the car is around 500 miles away from me and i wouldn’t be able to see it in person. i would have it shipped to my house and hope it isn’t a lemon - it has a carfax buyback guarantee

car looks pretty good and have the service records but in still weary about the S85 reputation + i’m a 16 year old in high school and would most likely drive it fairly often …

just phoning a friend.. would this be a bad decision

Long story short: you don't want an '06.

Honestly, at 16 years old and in high school I would stay far away unless you have a financial stream that could stomach a potential five figure repair bill. Have you owned BMWs in the past? S85s are no different than other BMW engines; they have their known weak points, and if you address them before they fail you'd more than likely be OK. The biggest one for me was the high pressure VANOS pump, that was enough to steer me away from the E60 M5. Rod bearings, throttle actuators, and the SMG stuff has been figured out by the DIY community and isn't too crazy.

[Honda]

If you love your wallet, stay far away from e60 M5

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by Honda

If you love your wallet, stay far away from e60 M5

Naw, it's not that simple. They're awesome cars if you know what to look for when buying, are handy with a wrench, and know what Achilles heels to address and when to address them. Sure you need to have a budget to maintain it, but they're so old now that anything someone would encounter has been solved by the online DIY community and is well documented. Again, for me the big turnoff was the high pressure VANOS pump and the eyewatering cost of a replacement if you need it, just for the part. The other three or four common failure points on the S85 aren't really that scary once you do your homework. I'd rather own an S85 than an S65, S65s are known for spinning main bearings which doesn't seem to happen nearly as often on the S85 for some reason. The E60 chassis itself is damn good, I had one for years and was able to fix everything the car threw at me in my garage, electronics included.

[Honda]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

Naw, it's not that simple. They're awesome cars if you know what to look for when buying, are handy with a wrench, and know what Achilles heels to address and when to address them. Sure you need to have a budget to maintain it, but they're so old now that anything someone would encounter has been solved by the online DIY community and is well documented. Again, for me the big turnoff was the high pressure VANOS pump and the eyewatering cost of a replacement if you need it, just for the part. The other three or four common failure points on the S85 aren't really that scary once you do your homework. I'd rather own an S85 than an S65, S65s are known for spinning main bearings which doesn't seem to happen nearly as often on the S85 for some reason. The E60 chassis itself is damn good, I had one for years and was able to fix everything the car threw at me in my garage, electronics included.

I know what I am looking at as I have ALWAYS considered buying e60 M5 every now and then especially with prices they have become now at however there is a reason why these are sold at this price.

Unfortunately, it is not just 1 issue or 2 issues that can be addressed and then it is wonderful car to drive. There is long list of issues that needs to be addressed and they are all costly and many of them can re-occur again that's why I've decided not to pursue one any further.

If you end up buying one, make sure you have the budget for any problems that would eventually arise. These are not cheap to maintain and/or fix.

[Redd]

I drive with a bunch of E6x M5/M6 and let me tell you that S85 V10 is intoxicating on another level. I have a full straight through exhaust but when I'm chasing a straight piped M5 I can't even hear my own car. They're fast and fun cars, even in the twisties.

Reliability wise they're not as reliable as the E9x but not scary. 2007+ cars had the VANOS pump issue taken care of from factory. If you get an 06 you can upgrade to the 07 parts. Aftermarket VANOS solenoids are cheaper, throttle actuators are the same, and S85 coils are a whole lot cheaper and easier to get. I actually considered getting one during covid and did all my research on it. In the end I test drove an M5 and decided it was too big for me. Might look at the M6 though.

[pbonsalb]

Definitely not for a 16 year old. The purchase price is the cheapest part of ownership and it is unlikely the 16 year old has the DIY skills to fix much. Even if he has a relative who owns an independent German auto repair shop who would fix it at the cost of parts it would still be very expensive to own. But they can be incredible cars if well maintained and sorted out, provided you could afford a $5k to $15k repair in the worst case.

[carseatsm5]

Wow. What a terrible idea. Are you pranking us with this question?