E34 M5 price against E39 M5
Moderator: martauto
As the E36 M3 is now way cheaper than the E30 M3, the E34 price of M5's have not rallied. Do folk think the price will rise and eventually become more expensive than the E39 M5?
Or will the E34 M5 always be cheaper than the E39 M5 because the E39 was an big improvement over the E34, where as the E36 M3 lost some edge over the E30 M3 to appeal to a wider market? This is not a dig at the E36, just a comparrison.
Or will the E34 M5 always be cheaper than the E39 M5 because the E39 was an big improvement over the E34, where as the E36 M3 lost some edge over the E30 M3 to appeal to a wider market? This is not a dig at the E36, just a comparrison.
Toby
1987 E30 M3 S14 Turbo
1971 V12 E type Roadster
1987 E30 M3 S14 Turbo
1971 V12 E type Roadster
quote "Or will the E34 M5 always be cheaper than the E39 M5 because the E39 was an big improvement over the E34"
I agree with this bit and an E30 M3 looks special! The E36 M3 looks shit like a normal E36
I agree with this bit and an E30 M3 looks special! The E36 M3 looks shit like a normal E36
Last edited by fingerman on Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Previously owned loads of old E30s, E34s, a few E36s, E32s, E39s and an E38.
Currently in a diesel Audi - miss me old E30's....
Currently in a diesel Audi - miss me old E30's....
but is it really 321? they say not! and i assume you mean the E36!! otherwise we'll need to send someone round!Benho wrote:the m3 looks gay as gay can be but 321hp for under 5k? im not complaining! lol
Toby
1987 E30 M3 S14 Turbo
1971 V12 E type Roadster
1987 E30 M3 S14 Turbo
1971 V12 E type Roadster
twas me, just seeing what different zones thought, as not everyone visits other sites.Pilsbury wrote:Odd, the same post seems to have appeared on a few BMW forums in the last 24 hours...
you don't have a view then?
Toby
1987 E30 M3 S14 Turbo
1971 V12 E type Roadster
1987 E30 M3 S14 Turbo
1971 V12 E type Roadster
I posted an answer on another forum
I'd say the E34 is being dragged down by the number of ratty E34 M5's kicking about. Once they die, values will go up. Having owned or driven all 4 variants of the M5, I'd say the E34 is the best built, and best all round car.
The E28 is the most fun to drive though IMO.
I'd say the E34 is being dragged down by the number of ratty E34 M5's kicking about. Once they die, values will go up. Having owned or driven all 4 variants of the M5, I'd say the E34 is the best built, and best all round car.
The E28 is the most fun to drive though IMO.

-
Rav335uk
- E30 Zone Meets/Events Team

- Posts: 27985
- Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Mad mad mad
- Contact:
Totally agree on that.I used to enjoy mine everyday, back in the days of old, 1991 that isThe E28 is the most fun to drive though IMO.

If you Got "Haters",Then your doing something Right!
CR24v??? Where's it all gone?? LOL
-
ollyt
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: blackburn lancashire
- Contact:
the e34 is a top motor,but imo only the 3.8s will hold decent money and in some cases they are overtaking the value of e39s. its all down to mileage/condition really. a mint e34 will be worth more than a rough e39.
as to what happens in the future...its all about demand i suppose.
as to what happens in the future...its all about demand i suppose.
Thing you have to bare in mind is the newer they are the more fragile they become, E39 M5 is way way way better car than E34 or E28 but will break down as quickly as the E28 rusts... swings and rounabouts really spend money on bodywork or electronic failures when abused.
I think both e36 m3 @ e34 m4's are hitting base line, all the crap will become parts foder and any orginal cars with a FSH in the next couple yeas will go up.
Or at least thats what I hope as i bought a e36m3 with 96k and FSH for just over 3k.
Jason
Or at least thats what I hope as i bought a e36m3 with 96k and FSH for just over 3k.
Jason
-
ollyt
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: blackburn lancashire
- Contact:
i have an e39 m5 that gets drove hard,ShakeyC wrote:Thing you have to bare in mind is the newer they are the more fragile they become, E39 M5 is way way way better car than E34 or E28 but will break down as quickly as the E28 rusts... swings and rounabouts really spend money on bodywork or electronic failures when abused.
its always been 100% reliable.
-
steerfromtherear
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 775
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Bridgwater(home) Bristol(work)
Id say one of the biggest problems for e34 m5 prices is e36 M3's.
E34 m5s need such commitment and a large wallet to own. Maintaining one for regular use is comparable to owning a classic ferrari or the likes, nothing is cheap.
e36 m3s cost the same, go the same, look better to most people on the street and are mass produced off the shelf type cars. Sure they have Mtax over their base models but they lend themselves to the task of reliable daily smoker so much better than an m5.
I bought my m5 when I had just had a promotion and was working 5 mins from home. I had a little more money in my pocket, a garage and did not rely on my car for transport. As soon as I needed to commute 50miles daily it had to go. When I try to explain to people why I sold it everyone thinks it is because of the fuel economy but that isnt the issue. I couldnt risk being without a car for long periods of time if it went wrong and normally when things go wrong on an m5 it involves saving some money up for a few months to put it right.
I also dont understand why people go for the 3.8 as the model to own, its far more fragile and far more expensive to run than the 3.6. Personally id get the best of whichever one I could afford at the time.
My m5 was more solid, more unique, more enjoyable to own than my m3 by a long shot but was it worth the massive increase in running costs? The jury's still out for me.
E34 m5s need such commitment and a large wallet to own. Maintaining one for regular use is comparable to owning a classic ferrari or the likes, nothing is cheap.
e36 m3s cost the same, go the same, look better to most people on the street and are mass produced off the shelf type cars. Sure they have Mtax over their base models but they lend themselves to the task of reliable daily smoker so much better than an m5.
I bought my m5 when I had just had a promotion and was working 5 mins from home. I had a little more money in my pocket, a garage and did not rely on my car for transport. As soon as I needed to commute 50miles daily it had to go. When I try to explain to people why I sold it everyone thinks it is because of the fuel economy but that isnt the issue. I couldnt risk being without a car for long periods of time if it went wrong and normally when things go wrong on an m5 it involves saving some money up for a few months to put it right.
I also dont understand why people go for the 3.8 as the model to own, its far more fragile and far more expensive to run than the 3.6. Personally id get the best of whichever one I could afford at the time.
My m5 was more solid, more unique, more enjoyable to own than my m3 by a long shot but was it worth the massive increase in running costs? The jury's still out for me.

-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
e34's is possibly the best built bmw ever. The fact the M5's were lovingly assembled by hand speaks more volumes to me than a run of the mill e39! Much more special
e34 is the best all rounder less chinks in its armor overall compared to the others which might be more raw or faster in a straight line.
e34 is the best all rounder less chinks in its armor overall compared to the others which might be more raw or faster in a straight line.
An E34 M5 is on the list of cars i need to own!
Avus Blue with Silver leather.
Or an LE in calypso.

Avus Blue with Silver leather.
Or an LE in calypso.
Si, this is thought to be the norm and in many cases it is true as can be seen by feedback from forum users. However, I have a friend that has had his E39 M5 for the past 75,000 miles, he uses it every day and it is now on 125k with no more problems than the usual servicing regime and dodgy ARB links. Overall he finds it reasonable to run and gives him MPG returns in the low/mid 20's. They are very reasonably priced now too.Simon13 wrote:18inch tyres, MAF failures, eating clutches, vanos dramas, high oil consumption, fuel, brakes mean you won't be far from a garage for long running one everyday!
My E60 M5 is a different story. It loves the dealer that much it calls the service department directly
My average fuel consumption is 14.6 mpg!
-
Rav335uk
- E30 Zone Meets/Events Team

- Posts: 27985
- Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Mad mad mad
- Contact:
E28 M5 is a better daily driver I think, used to use mine for work, but petrol was half the price it is now, and no issues with the car either 

If you Got "Haters",Then your doing something Right!
CR24v??? Where's it all gone?? LOL
-
Rav335uk
- E30 Zone Meets/Events Team

- Posts: 27985
- Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Mad mad mad
- Contact:
And mow going cheap tooMy E60 M5 is a different story. It loves the dealer that much it calls the service department directly
My average fuel consumption is 14.6 mpg!

If you Got "Haters",Then your doing something Right!
CR24v??? Where's it all gone?? LOL
-
ollyt
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: blackburn lancashire
- Contact:
my e39 m5 has done 165k. the oil consumption by the book is 1 litre every 500 miles. mine uses half a litre every 2000 miles.Simon13 wrote:18inch tyres, MAF failures, eating clutches, vanos dramas, high oil consumption, fuel, brakes mean you won't be far from a garage for long running one everyday!
average mpg 20.
if you smoke the tyres then they will chew them up again; mine are still ok.
mafs; every 40k amazon us £125 the pair.
these e39s arent as "heavy duty" to run as you think.
-
steerfromtherear
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 775
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Bridgwater(home) Bristol(work)
3.8 m5Simon13 wrote:18inch tyres, MAF failures, eating clutches, vanos dramas, high oil consumption, fuel, brakes mean you won't be far from a garage for long running one everyday!
18" tyres
Maf failures (£500)
EDC failures (£1800 a corner)
Engine failures (God only knows how much but they do go wrong)
Engine rebuild (common knowledge dictates a 3.8 will need a strip and rebuild before 200k)
Timing chain (big bucks again)
SLS failures (up to £2000 for the whole shebang)
Coil pack failures
Plug leads (£400 FFS)
Fuel consumption(my 3.6 averaged 16.6mpg during ownership)
Rust issues
To name but a few.
Im not here trying to put down the M5, I wish I didnt have to sell mine but an affordable daily driver it is not imho.
There is a thing on the M5board that they call the Dominoe effect for e34 m5s.
As soon as you start on one issue the list keeps growing and growing.

£30k?ShakeyC wrote:They are cheap to buy now but remember it still a 30k+ car when new only few years ago
My M5 was £58k when it was new, although I bought it second hand. It is probably worth half of that now! But ask me if I'm bothered
I have been watching prices however; the lowest the E60 M5 got to was in mid December 2008. The prices have actually rallied considerably since then.
I gave up worrying about depreciation a number of years ago. I have a few other older BMWs that have been appreciating gently over the past few years to (slightly) help offset the losses on the newer ones I buy for everyday use.
You only live once remember. This is not a drill
-
ollyt
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: blackburn lancashire
- Contact:
thats the one.old_skool wrote:£30k?ShakeyC wrote:They are cheap to buy now but remember it still a 30k+ car when new only few years ago
My M5 was £58k when it was new, although I bought it second hand. It is probably worth half of that now! But ask me if I'm bothered![]()
I have been watching prices however; the lowest the E60 M5 got to was in mid December 2008. The prices have actually rallied considerably since then.
I gave up worrying about depreciation a number of years ago. I have a few other older BMWs that have been appreciating gently over the past few years to (slightly) help offset the losses on the newer ones I buy for everyday use.
You only live once remember. This is not a drill
they are climbing back up again,same as x5s.
depreciation is only a problem if your selling,if your keeping;
so what.
-
scootlife
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1164
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Notts/Derbys Borders
A friend of mine had an E28 M5 for years.. Loved it. He worked for Hometune doing mobile car tuning and he insisted nothing could touch it.. He did service a lot of other cars and Ive no reason to doubt him. His wife was Scottish and he used to love the drive up there..(not the cost though!! )
Simon...you may have seen his car, as he lived in Farnborough(Cove), It was a red one ?? He had it 5 years ago still when i moved away from the area.
Simon...you may have seen his car, as he lived in Farnborough(Cove), It was a red one ?? He had it 5 years ago still when i moved away from the area.





