Autos Fans

Reviewed by David P from San Diego, CA

Pros: rock solid handling, responsive, tight steering, fast acceleration, iDrive
Cons: small gas tank, upgrades add over $10K but make a difference

I did a lot of comparisons of the M5 and AMG E63. No losers in this bunch. The cars compare closely on a lot of specs (both have 500 HP). When it came down to choosing, the M5 is simply more fun to drive. The AMG is blistering fast but so quiet the racing fun was taken from the car. The M5 is ‘throaty’ - you can here the engine racing as it revs higher.

The M5 handles like its on rails. It’s scary how well it grips the road. There is a setting that allows for 5 levels of shifting aggressiveness. On the highest, it’s going to shift hard at high revs and press you back in your seat like a rocket taking off. On the gentlest setting, it starts in 2nd gear and shifts at low rpm to quickly get to 7th gear. You’ll read a lot of complaints about the SMG transmission. I understand the issue and compared to the E63 - which is automatic and shifts smooth as silk - it might drive some to choose the E63 for that reason alone. But I think the complaint is misplaced. This is a manual transmission car that frees from dealing with a clutch. It shifts like a professional driver is doing the job and shifts gears faster and smoother than I ever could. In truth this car is a lot more fun if you do the shifting. You get a bit of a lurch like you would on any manual transmission but it’s quick and much smoother than I’d do so to me it was a plus. I tried the 6-speed manual and shifting from 1 to 2 I was like a guy with a learners permit. With SMG I was a pro shifter. The AMG is smooth but that’s because its automatic. My Ford Explorer shifts smooth too. But they’re boring. All the paddles in the AMG do is permit you to choose a gear really - it just doesn’t have that racey feel. As mentioned, in the ‘automatic mode’ the M5 shifting takes some getting used to, but it’s nice to know you don’t HAVE to shift if you don’t want to. There are times it feels like you expect it should upshift and it hasn’t yet, but you can always customize the shift points or simply choose a less aggressive automatic setting. Overall, I view the auto-shifting as a bonus since I really like manual transmissions and prefer to shift gears on my own anyway, so I’m not going to nit-pick on the auto-mode.

The interior is nicely appointed and really is improved with the upgraded perforated leather package. Also the Head-up display option is well worth $1200 - it keeps your eyes more focused on the road and it’s easier to watch and maintain your speed. You’ll hit 100 mph and think you’re going 50 if you’re not careful.

iDrive. I read so many complaints from automotive reviewers I was quite worried. After a 20 min demo from the salesman, I got it. No issues. It’s not complicated. The hands-free bluetooth works PERFECTLY. My Blackberry paired easily and the clarity is amazing. My phone lists import with no issues. The AMG salesman admitted that MB is not great at the pairing and phone list importing but ‘they eventually get it to work’. The sound is excellent. There’s an up and down arrow on the steering wheel that you can use to zip through your radio/satellite presets easily. New for 2008 is a set of buttons that you can program to jump/perform your favorite iDrive functions (eg. dial home, set navigation to bring you home, bring up FM presets, etc.).

Read More About 2008 BMW M5