BMW M5

I own a 2003 M5, and I cannot imagine a better sports sedan.

I think the E39 M5 is nearly the perfect mix of aggressive sportiness and restrained luxury. A quick glance, and it looks like a dignified and solid German sedan. Nice lines, well balanced, a car anybody could aspire to drive. However, when one looks a little closer, and sees the deep front airdam, the sporty, aerodynamic mirrors, the quad exhaust, and the big wheels with huge tires, one realizes that the car is more than just a regular German sedan.

Inside, the door panels are all leather, the seats are all leather, the headliner is alcantara (a synthetic material, but it looks and feels like suede), and all of it is tightly fit together. Panel gaps are small and consistent, the trim is solid, the plastics feel very high quality, and, overall, it just feels like an extremely well-built car. There is a real feeling of solidity to the vehicle, a feeling that the current generation 5 series has lost. It feels like they didn't cut any corners, like they designed the car's interior to be a great place to be, not to fit into a certain price range.

Being an M car, the real reason why I rated this vehicle so highly is the way it drives, but let me say one thing first. While I think this is one of the best driver's cars ever built, you have to realize that it is not a sports car. I have friends with Porsches, M3s, and other cars of that ilk, and they say things like "it's too quiet", "it rolls too much in the corners", "it dives too much under braking", et cetera. IT'S NOT A SPORTS CAR! People don't seem to get this. M5s are designed for people who need to carry up to 4 passengers, and their luggage, over long distances, at high speed and with a large degree of comfort, while still being something that is fun to drive on twisty roads with no traffic. Because of this duality of being a luxury sedan and a sports sedan, there are compromises that have to be made.

Yes, the suspension can be a little soft when you're really pushing it; however, an AMG E or CLS class Mercedes feels not only way more floaty over bumps, but also rolls, dives, and squats much more. 99% of the time, for 99% of drivers, an M5's suspension feels taut, controlled, and comfortable over anything, despite having big wheels with wide tires. Having had mine over 180 mph, I can tell you that though it is a compromise, you most likely will never care.

The brakes are great. German cars today have electronic braking systems, which are hard to modulate and don't have much feel. It's difficult to be smooth with the brakes, since the electronic pedal functions more like a switch than a rheostat. Braking generally goes like this: brake too hard, let off, then you're braking too little, brake harder, too much again, let off, too little again. It's jerky and irritating. The E39's brakes are perfect, the exact opposite of that.

I have to talk about the engine. In many ways, it defines the car. Always torquey, always willing to push back into your seat, the S62 4.9 liter V8 is just incredible. Any gear, any rpm, it always wants to play. It's super-responsive, exhilarating, and will thrill you every time you drive it.

The E39 M5 is a masterpiece. No car built since then has so convincingly mixed sport and luxury. This car was a classic the minute it came off the assembly line. If this review doesn't convince you that it is the perfect car, go test drive one. I don't care who you are, or how fast you drive. You will love it.

The BMW M5 is an engineering wonder. It's incredibly fast, yet comfortable and luxurious. I've owned many Porsches and it has the fun of a Porsche without the hard ride and the difficulty getting in and out(I'm 6'3") It also looks gorgious. Now for the bad part, the transmission stinks. The SMG is a nice idea, but it really doesn't work. It's a very clunky trans, always bucking and shifting awkwardly. I have been driving stick since I was a teenager and beleive me I could make any stick seem smooth, but this one is tough. Downshifting is also difficult, third to second always bucks and so on. If I'm alone it doesn't bother me, but my wife says "why do you drive a car that is more like a mechanical bull than a car." My response is "507 horse power, that's why"