Which one to buy

No question, the M5. Lighter, more nimble, and easier to keep running.

I'd buy the M5; my mother would buy the 850.

-- Larry

M5. Much lighter and will handle better. More reliable and easier to work on.

850, definatley. This is a classic, think of the M1. Plus you get a fat v12 that you can tune far more than the M5. Interiors on the 8s are sweet too. They are just as reliable as any bimmer as long as you do the maintaince... but the M5 will cost you more in "special parts" when you do that same maintainance... Sound like a tough decision, wish I had to make that choice.. :)

For daily transportation the M5 is way more practical. The two really aren't in the same category. The 850 is a superb machine in it's own right, and has a loyal fan base. It has a presence that is almost unmatchable among BMWs. If it were a weekend car I might just do an 850 because I've always admired them... but in truth, were I going that route, I would search out a mint E24 M6 instead. The 850 isn't really as of a sports car as you might expect from a bimmer coupe -- it really depends what your priorities are.

For a daily driver though, an E34 M5 or an E39 M5 are both superb cars that you will love to drive every day.

-Russ.

Get the M5 - tons of fun all the time, but requires effort - manual shift too. 850 - v12 okay, classic car, not for me.

The M5, no question. Well, maybe one question. ;-)

How old is the M5?

Jeff

Jeff

Both cars are 1991 vintage. The M5 has 152,000 km and the 850 186,000 km. The 850 is $18k and the M5 is $19k.

rtt

I don't mean this in an obnoxious way.......but I wouldn't care what other people think and would simply buy the car that I like most.

Rob

Actually I am seriously interested in what people have to say about either of these machines. So far nobody has said that there is a litany of problems with either unit. I guess most people like either one. I myself currently drive a 95 Maxima, so I have no real appreciation for what the differences could be between the two BMW's. They both look good, they both drive well, the 850 seems to have more oomph, possibly the M5 has been driven hard and is tired, whereas the former owner of the 850 was a more sedate driver. I think I sense that the M5 has a tighter suspension and possibly handles better. No one has yet commented on maintenance costs for BMW's of this age. Do you need to have $500 a dollar a month set aside for regular visits to a dealer or other European mechanic type person. I am not a self maintenance type person so how easy it for a non-BMW mechanic to work on these types of cars and be successful, or is there too much high-tech type stuff that you need to see a dealer for the specialized tools they maintain for service?

rtt

If someone else with a strong or interesting opinion were to be confronted with a similar choice, what would cause them to go either way? I figured that I'd probably see some more opinions on the matter, especially from the BMW crowd.

"+ Rob +" wrote in message news:eev1e.5199$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...

specialized

I think $500 would do for the M5 but more like $750 for the 850. You wouldn't pay it out regularly, just every once in a while in really large chunks.

That's mostly extrapolated from what I've seen on 750's and other E32's though, then compared to E34's, not firsthand on the E31.

-Russ.

Because of reliability issues, I'd still take the M5. Did you say whether or not the 850 was the 12? If the 8 then I'd have to think about it a little more. If the 12, I'd most definatley take the M5.

Jeff

The 850 was a V-12; the V-8 was the 840.

Tom

Richard, I think these prices sounds pretty high. Where are the located?

$18k for a 1991 high-mileage BMW coupe? That's about twice what it should sell for. I just saw a listing on CarsDirect.com for a 1992 BMW 850 with

118k for $10,885. That's more like it.

FWIW: I bought my 2000 Z3 with 77k miles on Ebay for $13,600 last summer. It's not the big coupe/sedan experience, of course; but the ladies go crazy for it.

Chronological age is what really hurts a car's reliability. The rubber seals start to let go, electric parts start failing, suspension, hydraulic struts, etc. I've owned a 14 year old BMW coupe, and I won't repeat that mistake.

Hope you end up with the one that makes you happy.

R

These are in Canada, both at different aftermarket dealers, being offered with 2 year warranty coverage.