M5 2006 BMW M5 Test Drive

[Mark]

Last Friday night I had the privilege and pleasure of driving a brand new BMW M5.... All what I have read on reports about it is true! I spent 90% of my drive in Sport mode with DSC engaged and with the 'power' button on in P500 mode (you can select from P400 or P500 HP), I used the SMG paddles all the time. A little trick I learned from many years of driving manual shifters with clutch, is to let go the gas pedal a tad right before changing gears with the paddle shifters to achieve a smooth transition.

The car is like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it can be a civilized touring sedan, or programmed to behave like a race car simply with a push of a button!
You can program almost everything on this car, like the timing the gears change while on automatic mode, on SMG, etc. Once the desired 'performance' is programmed, you find yourself behind an amazing race car on the road!
This is a barely legal rocket with a roaring sound that most of you will call a perfect symphony. No need to turn the radio/stereo on!

On tight corners (and depending on the amount of G-forces generated by the angular acceleration) the seats change shape actively wrapping your body from the left or the right side depending on which way you are turning and then the seat goes back to normal when on a straight line! I felt 3-4 stages of gripping (these are intelligent seats!).

The V10 engine is truly amazing! This was an exhilarating experience!

 

[Zafiro]

Yep the car is awesome. I drove the M6 got a ride in two M5's, one original and one Hartge. Great cars for the money

 

[Alx]

NSL... Sounds like you had a real enthusaist drive, playing and testing out all options, very interesting. I cant wait to get my hands on one. M5's are some of my favorite driving cars.

 

[Giannis]

The car is like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it can be a civilized touring sedan, or programmed to behave like a race car simply with a push of a button!

BMW M5: It's a luxury sedan with attitude at the push of a button.
"The M5 is, in fact, the thinking man's Ferrari."

 

[Mark]

Yep the car is awesome. I drove the M6 got a ride in two M5's, one original and one Hartge. Great cars for the money

Awesome , how do you compare M5 and M6, what would you get if you had to choose one?

 

[Matt]

so, NSL, was the M5 "over-hyped" in your opinion or did it meet your expectations. Do you think it isnt as good as it was made out to be by the drooling public? I am just curious what your reaction was.

edit: actually you told us your reaction.

Is it as good as so many people who havent driven it think it is?

 

[Zafiro]

Awesome , how do you compare M5 and M6, what would you get if you had to choose one?

M5 is more practical with more space but since I dont have any kids I would go with the M6. Besides its slightly faster and gives you a sportier feeling.

BTW M5 Hartge sounds better than a standard M5 and there will also be a kit for M6.

 

[Zafiro]

Is it as good as so many people who havent driven it think it is?

yes and better

 

[klier]

M5 is more practical with more space but since I dont have any kids I would go with the M6. Besides its slightly faster and gives you a sportier feeling.

BTW M5 Hartge sounds better than a standard M5 and there will also be a kit for M6.

Also, the material use in the 6-series is a full class above the 5-series.

 

[PanterroR]

Also, the material use in the 6-series is a full class above the 5-series.

Wich material, klier?

 

[klier]

Leather, wood and plastics

There is better and more leather in the 6er, much more wood on places where there is plastic in the 5er and you really don't find any hard plastics in the cabin at all. Rests for your arms have some soft material under the leather in the doors, aluminium cupholder with awesome design, and other small things like that make it feel more like a 7er coupe than a 5er coupe from the inside in terms of quality.

 

[audi_rudy]

wow i didnt know that the seats changed shapes while going around a corner
is this the 1st car to have this cause i have never heard about it
seems like a excelent idea

 

[Zafiro]

wow i didnt know that the seats changed shapes while going around a corner
is this the 1st car to have this cause i have never heard about it
seems like a excelent idea

I think it something you can programme cause I cant remember I notice it while driving the M6 but I felt it in the M5.

 

[Giannis]

Leather, wood and plastics

There is better and more leather in the 6er, much more wood on places where there is plastic in the 5er and you really don't find any hard plastics in the cabin at all. Rests for your arms have some soft material under the leather in the doors, aluminium cupholder with awesome design, and other small things like that make it feel more like a 7er coupe than a 5er coupe from the inside in terms of quality.

Klier, you are absolutely right. Indeed, the materials' quality is the first thing you see/feel at a car, before even turning its engine on!! Personally, when i have to choose a car over some others, the first critirea is the quality of the plastics, leather and other materials used in it's interior, whether it is a BMW or not.

 

[klier]

But the difference between the M5 and M6 is smaller, because things like a full leather interior is a very expensive (here in Holland €5,000+) option only available in the M5. So not in the normal 5-series while the 6-series basicly has all that leather/wood/alu standard.That package makes the 5er cabin tons more luxurious. Mix the full leather interior with some BMW Individual, and you have a jaw dropping, high quality 5-series from the inside.

The only sad thing is that the M5 still has that ulgly piece of plastic here while a normal 5er has that updated already:

M5:


5er:
View attachment cec5540b4df95f7fbcac91533732734f.jpg

 

[wltsm]

Sounds like you liked the car NSL!

How did it compare to your 650i?

 

[Car Diva]

The M5 interior is quite different from the 650. Both have their appeal. 6 has much more wood.

The M5 had seats which adjusted from the waist up vs the entire back (top part hinged vs full back changing angle of adjustment).
I loved the cornering; we took 'suggested' 25mph turns at 65-70 and it felt as on rails. Never tried that on the 6 though...but perhaps NSL has.. hummm

 

[Mark]

Thank you Just_me and klier, very good points comparing M5, M6.

so, NSL, was the M5 "over-hyped" in your opinion or did it meet your expectations. Do you think it isnt as good as it was made out to be by the drooling public? I am just curious what your reaction was.

edit: actually you told us your reaction.

Is it as good as so many people who havent driven it think it is?

Yes!

I think it something you can programme cause I cant remember I notice it while driving the M6 but I felt it in the M5.

There's a button for it, much like the seat heaters, with different levels too.
You must've had that off..

Sounds like you liked the car NSL!

How did it compare to your 650i?

You can easily tell there's a lot more power available, there's also a lot of noise coming from the engine (if you are into performance cars, you will absolutely love this!) and the car feels taut even in normal mode. The 6er feels more luxurious (even though the M5 had all leather interior, kind of like the 'designo' editions from MB), and a bit softer ride.
After the test drive, as soon as I started driving the 6er, I instantly felt more comfortable. Now this may not be the case for an M6... It would be nice to have owners of both cars here to enlighten us further.