Newer luxury choices/BMW SMG Trans

If you could choose a 2008-2010 Luxury European car for $35-$45k your choice would be......

Getting my dad a new car, selling Corvette this spring.
Also discuss the BMW SMG amtomatic clutch transmission on the M

Looking for a lease return in Phoenix.

 

Audi A7




BMW M6



BMW M5



BMW 750i

 

Audi RS-6 without a doubt

 

BMW M3 would be nice..

 

You do not want an m5 the 2008-2010 model was terrible my father and i test drove one at a track in germany and the car doesn't have the handling or driving characteristics of a v10 it sound like it has a v6 and the electronic gear box shift way to much (on its own). It is also far to complicated with the idrive and start control features.....by the time you figure everything out every time you get in the car you've been sitting there for 10 minutes. Finally the performance of the stock m5 in the time frame is abysmal compared to m5s of past and their are lots of mechanical/electrical glitches that would make the car annoying as a DD. Personally I would get the a7 or the m6 the cars are much more put together and overall are a better driving and performance experience than the m5 (of these years). As for the 750i its a nice car but certainly in a different category and the performance is not near as good.....Despite 1/3 more curb weight around 4500 lbs compared to 3000 lbs in the m5 or m6 the horsepower is nearly half (315hp) that of the m5 or m6 (584hp) It is very luxurious (even compared to the other cars in this comparison) but is not a performance car in any shape or form shifts are slow and the sport mode is essentially useless.

If you weren't set on these cars I would look at 2008-9+ mercedes s63, s65, and smaller e63 AMGs as well as the cls65 (coupe) AMG. Also the audi RS5 (very comparable to the m6 is usually cheaper and has more luxurious amenities) and if you are looking more at sedans give the RS6 which is more performance oriented than the a7 (as it is specced with a twin turbo v10 vs the supercharged v8)

Sorry for the long post and I hope this helps I have experience with lots of these cars so please feel free to get back to me with more questions.

 

We were actually only looking at luxury cars, 750i. Then a M5 came up for sale, got to thinking. Just been wathcing a bunch of youtube clips of a M5/6 beating a Lambo, ferrari, R8, Gt500 ect. Hard to resist.

I have a dealership updating us when new inventory comes available and a lease return consultant too. Im going to take a look at the m5/6 at the local dealership and see which one I like more. Hopfully will be in the next 2 months if the price and miles are right.

My favorite is the 2010 Mercedies ClS550 or Cls63 amg, just a little out of price range, wouldnt buy pre 2010 model. Ill check the RS5 too. A 2010 A7 jsut came back from a lease, sold for $34k. Thats how i got interest in that.

Ill post up here if i have anyother questions.

 

just a fair warning the maintenance on any of those cars is going to be 3-4x more than the vette.

 

Great, I will be here!!! Definitely look as the RS5, RS6, and S8 (they are a bit hard to find) all great cars. Mercedes s63 and s65 are definitely the best in the production saloon category and certainly worth a look (if you can find one in your $ range). However if you like the m5 alot (which you seem to) I would consider looking at the B7 Alpina (they are extremely rare (essentially a m7). meaning you may have to go beyond you dealer). Its spec usually include a biturbo v12 and is probably the most unique/different production saloon if that matters.

Also on a different note if you are looking at AWD the only cars available in such drive configurations are the B7 Alpina... and all of the audi models except the A7.

 

Because the rest of us won't get to live vicariously through him

 

We've already looked at a bunch, taken the test drive, set up the connections ect. Just looking to get some more reviews and possibilites. Open to a wide variety. Just trying to narrow it down a bit. Its hard when all the cars look so damn good. If he has to choose, we wont have one for another year.

 

I sell these, and fuck they are sweet!

Infiniti M56
420 very awesome horses, AWD, and all the tech features you could want.

brand new $75k here in Canada

 

Had a M45 for a rental before and neighbour had a g35s. Just not really into lexus or infinty. Hate to say it but they look a little plainr then bmw or audi. love the way they sound tho. I would like the new luxus LFA.

The Audi RS is pretty much unavailable, same with the B7 Alpina, a little out of price range. looking for $35-45 with under 30k miles. If the new MB CLS550 was in that range id def chose that.

Went to the dealership and looked again today. I think its between the M5/M6 or even a 650i. When i think about it, only need a coupe because 80% of the driving is 1 person. Its nice tho with the rear seat for the odd occasion when we do need it.

If a 2010 A7 comes up it will def be considered too. Thaks for the advice. Ill be looking into a extended warrenty whatever the purchase.

 

Ya, thoes wernt exactly what I was looking for. Something newer would be better. Like I said i have a lease return sales person working on it. They sell the cars back at the buyout price and dont get commisions so deals are pretty good if a lease comes back with low buyout.

 

Not really in the price range bur I love my Lexus GS250

 

Yeah man you will be happy with the m6 it is a very very impressive car (probably the best BMW ever save the older m5s) I would still steer clear of the m5.....also the m6 will be a collectors edition if that matters at all because they are not producing any more m spec versions for the present, which would give it that extra coolness factor.

The RS audis are hard to find.....however there is a 2008 Silver B7 for sale in Portland Oregon (you're from BC?) for 45k......

and two 2007 in Denver and Pennsylvania for 42k

CLS AMG are not to hard to find although i guess if your bound to that dealer then that changes things...

 

C63 AMG, Audi RS4, S6, or S4, an M5 or M3. Those would be my choices. As far as the M5 sounding like a V6 I find that to be a rather baffling comment lol. I've heard many both stock and with aftermarket exhaust and never heard one that sounds remotely like a V6. A little less rumble than the V10 in say the Audi's but more of a higher exotic tone. New M6 is coming so not sure how much of a collectors car that would make a previous M6

 

Lexus isF or the new GS350 F sport.

 

Sorry should have clarified the m5 doesn't just sound less appealing.....that can be fixed (obviously)...the interior is confusing and the driving characteristics lose a lot of the sporty feel of old on the new models. The m5 is an alright car but the others would be a better choice. Quite frankly the newer model m5s are just not as good as they were....just my opinion based on experience. They also have lots of gadgetry and electrical functions that don't always work properly or well (BMW just over engineered the car so well that they lost the sporty heritage and made things overly complicated and touchy) i.e. the radio and sat nav are difficult to use and there are way to many buttons cluttering the interior. One example of design flaws are the blinkers if you hit one to turn it will keep going for like 5 minutes and i you turn it off the other blinker will come on just small irritating factors like that.

As far as the m6 being a collectors car or not I know they are releasing a mid year model but if you did your research you would know that it was hosting a 4.4 v8 instead of the 5.0 v10. The m6 is the last production car with the legendary v10 that made the m series (m5 and m6) what it is today. The engine like its mercedes v12 counterpart is perhaps one of the greatest engines of automotive history and thus he would be getting a 2009 or 2010 being the last of this engine spec. Sorry to confuse the situation but yes his car would be a collectors item.....much as a RS6 v10 or a Passat W8 is a collectors car.

Sorry to be a snob I just wanted to lay out all the facts for the OP