[adhrp]

Originally Posted by NGT2

I feel like longer drives would be pretty comfortable in the M5. I haven’t been in one but it seems long drives are typically on decent roads (highway/interstate) and the M5 should have pretty comfortable seats. Any negative effect from the tighter suspension would be in town, I’d think.

I think the seats are probably not the main issue, it could be the transmission and throttle in the sense that if one is cruising along on cruise control, then no worries...but if it is a long distance drive involving manual acceleration and gear changes, then perhaps it is a bit more aggressive than desired. Anyway, I'm just guessing here but the OP can shed more light on what 'comfortable' means to him/her.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by adhrp

I think the seats are probably not the main issue, it could be the transmission and throttle in the sense that if one is cruising along on cruise control, then no worries...but if it is a long distance drive involving manual acceleration and gear changes, then perhaps it is a bit more aggressive than desired. Anyway, I'm just guessing here but the OP can shed more light on what 'comfortable' means to him/her.

Yep, all relative.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by NGT2

OP - I see two obvious answers and one obvious alternate route.

Option one - keep the F80 and maybe get an M550 to go with it.

Option two - get an M5.

Alternate route - M340

But if you get an M550 you won’t be disappointed. It’s fabulous. It’s a luxury muscle car. But in true muscle car form, it’s heavy. Especially the nose. It drives lighter than it is. DHP option can add to this trait. But not all like it. Coming from and M3, you may not love DHP. Regardless, the primary place the weight can’t hide is the nose. It’s a front heavy car. But it’s effortless in power and incredible to drive every day.

I had a G30 540i RWD before my M550. It’s also a great car and much lighter feeling. Depending on how you drive, you may like it as well. But if you’re going with the B58 engine, I think I’m back to the M340. Unless you’re ready to sacrifice sport for comfort. In which case, a 540 M Sport is a great option if you want a lighter feel. My wife’s X7 40ix is obviously big and drives big but the front end of it feels light as a feather. It’s really quite impressive. Such a large vehicle but it drives lighter than my M550. It rolls around more and is clumsier, of course. But the V8 makes a noticeable difference in the feel of the front end.

I don’t mind the front end feeling so heavy when I take a fast 90 degree turn because it feels so good when I straighten it out and release that power!

Keep us posted!

Appreciate your input. As much as I'd like to keep the F80, it doesn't make sense financially to do that so I'll trade or sell it to get the next vehicle. I have considered an M340i and they are obviously great cars as well. One consideration is that I will probably keep the next car for six or seven years so I'm concerned about the styling and how it ages. That's one thing I like about the M550i. It's obviously more conservative than the M3 or even the M340i but I wonder if it might look a little better as the years go by. Also there's the V8 which is pretty desirable. I'm very anti-electric vehicles and that whole trend so part of me wants to get a V8 with the most horsepower and the worst gas mileage imaginable as an "up yours" to the people who are ruining the auto industry with the electric vehicle mandates lol.

As for the M5, I have considered that as well if the price was right. The concern I have on it would the longevity if I kept it for a long time. I would want some kind of extended warranty for sure. As you know, most people tend to conclude that the M550i is more than enough car especially for the money. I will try to post any cars I'm looking at on here to see what everyone thinks.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by adhrp

OP, I have bolded what I think is the most decision-driving part of your post and with that I agree with NGT2's advice above but will add a bit more to it. Since you don't want a constantly aggressive drive, I would mostly rule out the M5. That leaves you with the M340i and M550i. The M340i will be a wonderful driver that is more comfortable than your M3, but probably not more luxurious. The M550i will be very comfortable, very luxurious, VERY powerful, but less tossable than the M3 or M340i (still very good handling nevertheless). With these attributes in mind, I think you will be able to see which one fits your needs/priorities and hope this helps with your decision-making.

Thanks for your help. I agree with all that. I may need to drive an M340i to see it would be an option.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Understood, I guess I was so surprised by how much closer it was to the M550 in terms of overall comfort that it may be worth a look if he can find one locally to drive and it's in his budget.

The seats in the M5C were noticeable more comfortable than mine.

OK now you're making me look at M5s😂. Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on a pre-LCI M5 vs a 21 or 22 M550i? Part of the reason I was shying away from the M5 was to get the newest car for the money since I planned to keep it a long time.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Bt31st

OK now you're making me look at M5s😂. Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on a pre-LCI M5 vs a 21 or 22 M550i? Part of the reason I was shying away from the M5 was to get the newest car for the money since I planned to keep it a long time.

Just FYI - on M550 the 2020 model year is kind of a half step to LCI. Got the updated engine and an updated idrive, though not the full idrive update. Also got a digital instrument cluster. But has the pre LCI styling and you can sometimes find them with more options (pre Covid issues).

I got a 2020 because I wanted all those updates but I prefer the pre-LCI styling.

Not sure if there’s a similar half step LCI situation going on with the 2020 M5.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Bt31st

Thanks for your help. I agree with all that. I may need to drive an M340i to see it would be an option.

Okay, I went and test drove a 2024 M440 coupe today. Just for fun.

Long story short - I retract my previous ideas. Get the M550 or M5. You’ll be happy you did.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Just FYI - on M550 the 2020 model year is kind of a half step to LCI. Got the updated engine and an updated idrive, though not the full idrive update. Also got a digital instrument cluster. But has the pre LCI styling and you can sometimes find them with more options (pre Covid issues).

I got a 2020 because I wanted all those updates but I prefer the pre-LCI styling.

Not sure if there’s a similar half step LCI situation going on with the 2020 M5.

I actually prefer the 2020 styling as well. I was just thinking I'd go with the LCI to get the newest model since I plan to keep it a long time.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Okay, I went and test drove a 2024 M440 coupe today. Just for fun.

Long story short - I retract my previous ideas. Get the M550 or M5. You’ll be happy you did.

OK good to know lol. You saved me some time.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Bt31st

OK good to know lol. You saved me some time.

You just can’t beat the torque and the luxury combined. And frankly, I didn’t think there was that much more body roll in the corner when I got back in my car. The M550 handles pretty decent. It’s just less dramatic.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Bt31st

OK now you're making me look at M5s😂. Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on a pre-LCI M5 vs a 21 or 22 M550i? Part of the reason I was shying away from the M5 was to get the newest car for the money since I planned to keep it a long time.

Honestly, there isn’t much of a difference at all. Same engine, same output. The idrive thing really isn’t a differentiator.

I’m personally looking for an LCI because of the updated look of the of the tails and some other subtleties the LCI brings. I’m also trying my best to not spend $85+ and then start swapping tails, spoilers, exhaust etc. I’m looking for a comp because of fhe exhaust upgrade, suspension and black grill and trim. They didn’t make the comp for MY2018.

Besides all that, I want the newest car I can find in terms of looks and MY. I would not complete rule out a pre LCI, but it would have to be something like the 2018 anniversary frozen edition.

If you prefer the look of the pre LCI, you have a lot more options out there! Trust me, I’ve looked at every M5 on the national database, daily.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Honestly, there isn’t much of a difference at all. Same engine, same output. The idrive thing really isn’t a differentiator.

I’m personally looking for an LCI because of the updated look of the of the tails and some other subtleties the LCI brings. I’m also trying my best to not spend $85+ and then start swapping tails, spoilers, exhaust etc. I’m looking for a comp because of fhe exhaust upgrade, suspension and black grill and trim. They didn’t make the comp for MY2018.

Besides all that, I want the newest car I can find in terms of looks and MY. I would not complete rule out a pre LCI, but it would have to be something like the 2018 anniversary frozen edition.

If you prefer the look of the pre LCI, you have a lot more options out there! Trust me, I’ve looked at every M5 on the national database, daily.

There should be 21s coming off lease all year I guess. I'm looking to stay under 70k is possible so that's why a newer M550i might be more attainable.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Bt31st

There should be 21s coming off lease all year I guess. I'm looking to stay under 70k is possible so that's why a newer M550i might be more attainable.

Understood.

The thought of buying an M5 lease return makes me cringe. I’m not against all lease returns, but I’ll profile here, people that lease M5’s and pay $2,000 grand a month probably don’t give a shit about the car or treat it well or at least to my standard. A lot of them are company leases, so even less loyalty to the car. IDK, I picture some large overweight dude beating the shit out of the drivers seat.

When you can afford to buy a $120,000+ car, I think on average you’re a more responsible owner and maybe an enthusiast. At least I like to think that way.

I’ve leased a few times. I definitely treated the car right, but not nearly as well as if I bought it. After the novelty wore off, I eventually developed a “well, it’s going back and that door ding or scratch won’t matter” attitude. Ran them through automatic car washes too eventually.

I drove a ‘21 M5C last month. It was a lease return. Perfect car in terms of color combo and options, but man was that interior beat to shit for a low mile car.

[BMW012]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Okay, I went and test drove a 2024 M440 coupe today. Just for fun.

Long story short - I retract my previous ideas. Get the M550 or M5. You’ll be happy you did.

haha knew it! I would only do the m340i/m440i in a vert.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by BMW012

haha knew it! I would only do the m340i/m440i in a vert.

I was just really underwhelmed with the way the power felt. Even in sport plus. I’d like to get a chance to try a true M4/M3.

It will be much harder to get one in my market but now the M850 coupe is on my list to test drive. Just for fun. I like the GC more to own, but I’d like to see how the coupe drives.

I think I’m just more of a muscle car guy at heart and the M550 is basically a muscle car in a suit.

I have a friend that sells Porsches. He’d let me drive one. I need to see what that’s like.

[Flint Rockbone]

I currently own a 2021 550i and a 2016 F82 GTS so I can give you my perspective. I completely agree with the OP on styling. I despise the look of the G80s and everything else coming out of Munich these days. The G30 will likely be the last good looking BMW until (hopefully) the New Class cars fix the styling woes.

The first thing you’ll notice about the 550 is how soft it feels. The engine obviously has a lot of power, but it delivers it very gently. You can floor the pedal at a light and the car just surges forward. There’s none of the F82’s jitters on hard acceleration. It accelerates quickly and smoothly with no drama.

The suspension is soft which makes for a nice ride, but don’t expect to fling it into a corner the way you can with an F80. The V8 makes the front feel very heavy and I just don’t trust it on the twisties the way I trust my F82.

The interior refinement is light years beyond the F82. I previously owned an F10 550i and I had forgotten how comfortable a 5 Series cabin is. It’s so quiet, road and wind noise are basically non-existent. I found a CPO ‘21 with nearly every option box ticked and I’m loving the heated and massaging seats.

Basically the 550 feels like a modern luxury muscle car while the F82 is a sports car. For me, the G30 is exactly what I was looking for in a daily driver, but I am never planning to sell my GTS. So I will always have the fun weekend toy. The two cars are very different. You should definitely test drive one before making any decisions because the G30 will feel nothing like your F80. If you’re ok with giving up the sporty feel of the F80, I think you’ll be happy in a 550i.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Understood.

The thought of buying an M5 lease return makes me cringe. I’m not against all lease returns, but I’ll profile here, people that lease M5’s and pay $2,000 grand a month probably don’t give a shit about the car or treat it well or at least to my standard. A lot of them are company leases, so even less loyalty to the car. IDK, I picture some large overweight dude beating the shit out of the drivers seat.

When you can afford to buy a $120,000+ car, I think on average you’re a more responsible owner and maybe an enthusiast. At least I like to think that way.

I’ve leased a few times. I definitely treated the car right, but not nearly as well as if I bought it. After the novelty wore off, I eventually developed a “well, it’s going back and that door ding or scratch won’t matter” attitude. Ran them through automatic car washes too eventually.

I drove a ‘21 M5C last month. It was a lease return. Perfect car in terms of color combo and options, but man was that interior beat to shit for a low mile car.

Hadn't thought about that but you are right. I'll keep that in mind. Definitely will avoid corporate fleet cars. I'm not used to shopping used cars. Much easier to order a new one exactly how you want but that's not an option on these now. I'm so unhappy with the direction BMW has taken. This will be the last one I buy.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by Flint Rockbone

I currently own a 2021 550i and a 2016 F82 GTS so I can give you my perspective. I completely agree with the OP on styling. I despise the look of the G80s and everything else coming out of Munich these days. The G30 will likely be the last good looking BMW until (hopefully) the New Class cars fix the styling woes.

The first thing you’ll notice about the 550 is how soft it feels. The engine obviously has a lot of power, but it delivers it very gently. You can floor the pedal at a light and the car just surges forward. There’s none of the F82’s jitters on hard acceleration. It accelerates quickly and smoothly with no drama.

The suspension is soft which makes for a nice ride, but don’t expect to fling it into a corner the way you can with an F80. The V8 makes the front feel very heavy and I just don’t trust it on the twisties the way I trust my F82.

The interior refinement is light years beyond the F82. I previously owned an F10 550i and I had forgotten how comfortable a 5 Series cabin is. It’s so quiet, road and wind noise are basically non-existent. I found a CPO ‘21 with nearly every option box ticked and I’m loving the heated and massaging seats.

Basically the 550 feels like a modern luxury muscle car while the F82 is a sports car. For me, the G30 is exactly what I was looking for in a daily driver, but I am never planning to sell my GTS. So I will always have the fun weekend toy. The two cars are very different. You should definitely test drive one before making any decisions because the G30 will feel nothing like your F80. If you’re ok with giving up the sporty feel of the F80, I think you’ll be happy in a 550i.

Thanks for the advice. That sums it up pretty good. I love my M3 and I could keep it a couple more years I guess but I'm trying to be practical and plan for the future. I'm 54 and retiring in 5 or 6 years. I don't want to be daily driving a 14 year old M3 when I retire. So if I'm going to trade and pay off the next car I would prefer to get that done well in advance of retirement so I've got options. I'll never put more than 6k miles a year on it because we keep an SUV for any travel. Currently that's a 2024 X3 that my wife drives.

My original plan when i got my M3 was to trade for the new one when it came out but it is just so ugly. It's a crime what they have done to the M3. And new 5 is even worse. My guy I've bought BMWs from for 18 years is a manager now and he said they all hate the new 5 and all the electric stuff too. Says they can't sell them and when someone comes back to trade an EV they bought there, they hate to even take them back because they can't give them away. The lot and showroom are full of them and they aren't moving at all he said. I understand the government mandates forcing them into EVs but no one forced then to abandon the styling that made BMW great and then make everything hideous looking. It's so baffling. You definitely need to keep your M3 as long as you can. I'd keep mine and buy a third car but it just makes no financial sense to do that.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Bt31st

Hadn't thought about that but you are right. I'll keep that in mind. Definitely will avoid corporate fleet cars. I'm not used to shopping used cars. Much easier to order a new one exactly how you want but that's not an option on these now. I'm so unhappy with the direction BMW has taken. This will be the last one I buy.

You know, I’m starting to enjoy the challenge of finding the diamond in the rough. I’ve bought plenty of new ones, but I gravitate towards the two year old CPO’s. I’ve learned what to look for in terms of the prior owner. For example, mine was ordered with a factory badge delete and was PPF’d. Bowers tells me something too. Good sign that an enthusiast owned it before me.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

You know, I’m starting to enjoy the challenge of finding the diamond in the rough. I’ve bought plenty of new ones, but I gravitate towards the two year old CPO’s. I’ve learned what to look for in terms of the prior owner. For example, mine was ordered with a factory badge delete and was PPF’d. Bowers tells me something too. Good sign that an enthusiast owned it before me.

I enjoy looking and researching too. Do you think I should consider any non CPO cars?

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Bt31st

Thanks for the advice. That sums it up pretty good. I love my M3 and I could keep it a couple more years I guess but I'm trying to be practical and plan for the future. I'm 54 and retiring in 5 or 6 years. I don't want to be daily driving a 14 year old M3 when I retire. So if I'm going to trade and pay off the next car I would prefer to get that done well in advance of retirement so I've got options. I'll never put more than 6k miles a year on it because we keep an SUV for any travel. Currently that's a 2024 X3 that my wife drives.

My original plan when i got my M3 was to trade for the new one when it came out but it is just so ugly. It's a crime what they have done to the M3. And new 5 is even worse. My guy I've bought BMWs from for 18 years is a manager now and he said they all hate the new 5 and all the electric stuff too. Says they can't sell them and when someone comes back to trade an EV they bought there, they hate to even take them back because they can't give them away. The lot and showroom are full of them and they aren't moving at all he said. I understand the government mandates forcing them into EVs but no one forced then to abandon the styling that made BMW great and then make everything hideous looking. It's so baffling. You definitely need to keep your M3 as long as you can. I'd keep mine and buy a third car but it just makes no financial sense to do that.

I’m a financial advisor. There’s levels of things not making financial sense. I’m not trying to be a bad influence. But I’m just saying that sometimes things do have value, even if it’s not on paper. Can’t take the money with you. That said, I suspect if it held that much intangible value for you or you could afford to do it (even if it didn’t “make financial sense”), you’d already be keeping it.

If you’re really torn about it and could afford it but would feel guilty just knowing it’s a “bad” financial move, then you could always try keeping it and sell it later if it’s not worth it. At this point, I doubt your depreciation is accelerating that fast. And you’ll be putting even less miles on it.

I’m sure this sounds like a doctor telling you to smoke, but I see responsible people beat themselves to death over the math all the time. Sometimes intangibles and experiences are worth the opportunity cost of otherwise investing the money.

You obviously know what’s best and you’re 15 years ahead of me in life experience, but thought I’d add another flavor of perspective on the finances. Of course if it would cause you sacrifice too much elsewhere, that’s a different story. But if it’s a matter of account balance, sometimes a slightly lower balance and significantly more life enjoyment is worth it.

[Bt31st]

Originally Posted by NGT2

I’m a financial advisor. There’s levels of things not making financial sense. I’m not trying to be a bad influence. But I’m just saying that sometimes things do have value, even if it’s not on paper. Can’t take the money with you. That said, I suspect if it held that much intangible value for you or you could afford to do it (even if it didn’t “make financial sense”), you’d already be keeping it.

If you’re really torn about it and could afford it but would feel guilty just knowing it’s a “bad” financial move, then you could always try keeping it and sell it later if it’s not worth it. At this point, I doubt your depreciation is accelerating that fast. And you’ll be putting even less miles on it.

I’m sure this sounds like a doctor telling you to smoke, but I see responsible people beat themselves to death over the math all the time. Sometimes intangibles and experiences are worth the opportunity cost of otherwise investing the money.

You obviously know what’s best and you’re 15 years ahead of me in life experience, but thought I’d add another flavor of perspective on the finances. Of course if it would cause you sacrifice too much elsewhere, that’s a different story. But if it’s a matter of account balance, sometimes a slightly lower balance and significantly more life enjoyment is worth it.

Appreciate your thoughts. And yes you are correct. I could technically afford to keep it and buy something else. Especially if I got something a little cheaper than a newer model M550i. And you're definitely correct that just saving a dollar doesn't make you happy in the long term when it comes to cars. I've bought cars in the past that had slightly less options than I wanted for example and you end up unhappy. I've never been unhappy with a car that I ordered how I wanted even if I kept it for a long time.

I've had experience in the past with getting a third car for weekends. Did that with a Porsche Boxster and other cars. Every time I've done that I end up regretting it after a couple of years because I just don't drive the weekend car enough to justify it. It seems that I'm more content having one car that does everything that I need. Before my M3, that was an E90 335i. The key really is that I work 3 miles from my home and we always keep an SUV for travel. If I had to drive a lot of miles, I would have sold the M3 on time ago because it's really not that comfortable on long trips. So I can handle anything with four doors, even if it's pretty hardcore like an M3 or M5 I guess. And before someone tells me to get a 911, I have three small grandchildren so that's not an option unfortunately.

Having said all that, you may be right that I should just hang on to my car for a little while longer and not be in a hurry. I still love driving it. And as you said, it's not going to depreciate much quicker over the next year or so. I've got a guy that would probably pay me 39-40k for for it right now. I also need to actually drive an M550i, as many have suggested on here to see if I even like it well enough to get one. I guess I just don't feel like there are many other options out there. The M550i or M5 are about the only cars I would look at right now. The new M3s are finally coming down but I just cannot deal with the looks and believe me I've tried. I don't ever remember having a car for 8 years and struggling to find something else that I would trade it for after that length of time. Maybe I'll just keep it forever and be like one of these old people we make fun of when we see them driving a Lincoln Town Car LOL. For now, I'll just keep looking and researching I guess.

Me to my wife: my financial advisor told me to keep my M3 and buy a loaded M5. He's the the expert honey so we need to just do what he says.😂