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2001 BMW M5

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Ratings	( Maximum score is 100 )

Overall:	( 100 )
Comfort:	( 100 )
Performance:	( 100 )
Quality:	( 100 )
Appearance:	( 80 )


Comments
Favorite feature:	Incredible handling and acceleration
Least favorite feature:	Gets 13 mpg and looks like every other 5-series BMW
Advice to buyer:	Don't buy this car if you can't drive responsibly with 400 HP; you'll wreck it, kill yourself, or end up in jail.
Detailed review:	I've owned a 2001 M5 for just under a year and have put about 7K miles on it. At this point, I'm very comfortable with this vehicle and have thoroughly tested its capabilities. Living in Germany, I'm able to really wring out my M5, both on the backroads and on the no-speed-limit autobahn. My M5, while a very comfortable and well-behaved luxury car at low speeds, has proven a true Beast (in the good sense) when running hard. It handles sharp curves like it's on rails (to be expected from a Corvette or a Porsche, but pretty exceptional for a 5-seat, 4K-pound luxury car), and it accelerates like a motorcycle. It is very stable at 165 mph (it's actually electronically limited to 155, but that can be deactivated), and can achieve that speed faster than anything else I've ever driven. In fact, it is so fast and stable that my M5 continually tempts me to drive it faster and faster. High speeds in this car are achieved with absolutely no drama, so you never realize that you've hit triple-digits and are still accelerating until you start passing everything else on the road. Fortunately, the brakes are excellent. It is VERY tempting to drive this car like a race car all the time, and that is why only people who have the maturity to handle 400 HP responsibly should buy this car. The M5 handles so well that there is no way to push it anywhere close to its limits on public roads without truly becoming a menace to the other traffic. Frankly, it is the only car I've ever owned that I can not out-drive. My car has the Extended Leather luxury interior (every interior surface except the floor, windows, and instrument panel is covered with glove-soft leather or suede, to include the roof, rear parcel shelf, and dash board) with burl walnut trim. The fit and finish of the interior are nothing short of fabulous. The CD player and navigation system are wonderful and easy to use (at least for me). Needless to say, my M5 simply reeks decadence, but amazingly, the car also seems to fit around me like an old glove. After driving my M5, every (and I mean every) other car I've ridden in seems cheaply made. I just wish my M5 got better gas mileage, but performance at this level (NASCAR speeds) never comes without a price.
Also considered:	2001 BMW 740 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430
Vehicle purchased:	2001 BMW M5


About This Reviewer...
Location:	Big River, California
Other vehicles owned:	None
Review submitted:	March 22, 2002

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