Which is better M3 or M5

[Wolvie]

hello im new to this forum and any way im interested in the bmw Ms. Well any way which ne os better the M3 or M5. Performance wise and price. Which of them have a better engine and how big are the engines. well anyw ay this does not include CSL.

[Anzeige eBay]

Hallo Wolvie,

 

kennst du schon Which is better M3 or M5 (Anzeige)? Dort ist vieles zu finden.

 

BMW M Ersatzteile (Anzeige) | BMW M Zubehör (Anzeige)

[kleinefisch]

The M3 has a 3.2 liter,333hp 262 lb-ft torque, in-line six motor. With a weight of 3415 lbs, it does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. It is perfectly balanced with a balance of 50.1/49.9 front/rear. The M5 has a monsterous 5 liter, 394 hp, 368 lb-ft, V8 engine. It is heavier weighing in at 4024lbs. It too has a very nice balance of 52/48. Its 0-60 time is also 4.8 sec. Both cars have wonderful brakes and top speeds of 155(damn limiter ). I think that the M3 is more stylish, but the M5 is superb too. I'm not a fan of BMW interiors at all, but you are not comparing them to anything else, so I guess it doesn't matter. M5, being bigger and a sedan, is more pracitcal and has the same performance figures (I don't know about skidpad ratings). If you want style, M3 is your best bet, if you want less style (but still some) and more practicality, go M5. The M3 is $46,500 and the M5 will set you back $70,400 (US figures).

[Kevin321]

And in about a year or two, the new m5

will come out with a 5.5 litre v10 good for

about 550hp

[thepolarfoxqx]

In a little over two years, we are told to expect a 4.5L V8 making up to 440hp to go under the hood of M3, which should be also lighter.

[LateNightCable]

I know that the M5 pulls something like .90g on the skidpad, and has been reported to pull as much as 1.02.

Thats one of the great things about M cars. They are so consistantly good, that it's hard to choose one over the other. As far as value, I would have to say the M5 takes the cake, it's the total package. The M3 only starts at about $46,000, but commonly hits well into the 50's.

Anyways, forget about M's that aren't here yet, we're talking about the ones now.

[kleinefisch]

Is a V10 in a sedan really a good idea, I mean they put those limiters on for a reason, to please the Green Party, what makes a V10 any better in their eyes?

[thepolarfoxqx]

i personally would have liked a V12 in M5, but that V10 sounds plenty cool. The green party thinks cars like that pollute too much and are harmful to society (why should everyone else's air be dirty just so you can drive wrecklessly? - those damn tree huggers).

Right now, both M3 and M5 run 0-60 factory numbers of 4.8 to 60 and 13.3 in the quarter, though both have been tested faster, some say the M5 is a hair quicker, but they are close, the M3 is more flingable. My vote goes to M5, and M5 only gets better for '05, when it will be so fast, not even the best sports car will keep up.

[LateNightCable]

I don't know, anything above a V8 in a 5-Series just seems weird to me. In a 7-Series yeah, but the 5 is meant to be balance between the vurtues of the 3 and 7. V10, and V12s' make the whole package really complicated. Less of a pure 5-Series, and more like some kind of mutant. Because it's so far removed from what is available in the standard models.

[thepolarfoxqx]

but the thing is,

M5 is not just a 5 series, it is take no prisoners make no compromises full bore rocket sled on wheels, so it won't have the total balance of a 540/545, but it's not meant to, the scale has been unbalanced, and now tips away from comfort to sportiness.

[Wolvie]

well basically you guys are just telling me they are the same except M5 is a lil better than the M3 And m5 has a bigger engine? right? i wasnt really talking about stylisha nd all the thing i was interested in performance. Which one is better performance wise in oda words which goes faster and is superior 8) A friend of mine told me M3 are better than M5 But you guys reken that the M5 is better than M3

[Anzeige Amazon]

Hallo Wolvie,

 

schau doch mal hier zum Thema Zubehör für BMW M (Anzeige)? Eventuell gibt es dort etwas Passendes.

 

Auch interessant: Der V16 Motor zum Selberbauen (Anzeige).

[Wolvie]

And yes the handling which cars handling is better ya know how good it handles or are they basically the same. I read some where on the net there is this switch in the m3 which makes it go even hard and improves the handling. This switch converts it into sports mode

[1115]

Personally the M3 Looks awesome, a 3series on steroids. M5 is still elegent yet a recket.

M stands for mutant doesnt it? hehehehehe

[PorscheFanatic88]

My suggestion is that its all in what you want....If your a person who wants a convertible, besides the Corvette T Top, the M3 is probably the best car for the money. I know that when I went to a BMW dealer last saturday, the 2003 M3 fully loaded was listed at 53,000 and wen u roll in taxes its around the low 60's and that goes for the 2004. The M5 is for someone who is looking for a fast midsize sedan. The only real competition at this point for the M5 is the E55 which is a monster, but BMW in my opinion makes a better car. In my opinion, there still isnt anything like a 911.

[LateNightCable]

Yeah, BMW Mutant 5 .

The M3 being a smaller, lighter car is the " sharper " handling one if thats' what you mean. M5 does have a bigger engine, 5.0 V8 compared to the 3.2 I6 in the M3, but nobody is complaining about either. Handling wise they are both at the top of their class, and better than just about any roadcar you will find. Neither disapoint in the performance department. It really comes down to what flavor of car you want. A four-door luxury sedan with kick ass performance, or a two door coupe or convertable with kick ass performance. Your call. I still think the M5 has the edge on value and versatility though.

[kleinefisch]

The E55 is not the only competition to the M5, the Jag. S type R, and the Audi RS6 are true competitors. By performance, the M5 and the M3 are almost the same car. By personalities, however, they are quite different. The M5 is a sedan, so it will have a different disposition than the M3, a two door, lightweight coupe/convertible.

[LateNightCable]

I think the Jaguar S-Type R is simply a contemporary rather than real competiton performance wise to other cars Like M5, E55 and such. It's almost a certainty that when Jaguar comes out with a super high performance model, that the other cars are in no way threatened. A Jaguar can never be as " hard core " as the Germans. Thats' a big reason why people buy the German machines. Jaguar may be a little reticent to dive headlong into the super-sedan big leagues. Maybe they feel the need to maintain a certain " softness " no matter what, which would be in keeping with their own brand of luxury.

[kleinefisch]

The Jag is not serious competition, but the engine does rival that of the current M5. It does have high horsepower ratings for a Jag too. The XJ220 wasn't a joke either. Jaguar isn't as serious now that Ford bought them, but they are still nice cars and Jag has a history (if limited) in super-sports car making.

[TheDriver]

With all do respect to the M5 it's heavier then the M3 and when you compare the handling and performance of both cars in the curvs the M5 eats the smoke of the M3, if you wanna enjoy the driving machine go for the M3 if you are an executive who drive mostly straight and fast go for the M5 you will also have more space to hang you suits in the back.

[thepolarfoxqx]

i've seen dinan M5's pulling over 1 lateral G, trust me, there is plenty of handling capacity in that car.

And the new one will be massively better yet.

The M3 is the more naturally athletic of the two, i'll admit, it small size, high winding motor, and supreme balance make it so, but the M5 compensates with brute force.

And remember now, a Dinan S2 kit for M5 gets 0-60 to 4.1.

At that point, you are threatening vipers and 911 turbos.

[P.I.M.P]

i would easily take the M3. Even with that new M5 V10 500hp, the M3 can still hit 60 almost as quick as that cars gonna. Its also 30000k less and a lot more distinct looking. What I reallly think they need is an M7. They are getting their asses whooped in the ultra-sport-luxury market by the S600 and S55. I have seen one 760Li, and many S55 and S600s.

[850 Ci]

i thinkk the diff between the M3 and M5 is this. M3 screams i am fast, and eveyrone will move out of your way. with an M5, its a sleeper, some kid in a rice thinks they cna beat it becuase its not an m3, just a heavy 5 series, and u blow teh smoke out of them and leave their mouths open. its really either u want turned heads, or wide open mouths. and that why ferrari and porsche and lambos are awesome, they do both.

[kleinefisch]

No explanation necessary.

(Sorry Fox, I copped this off you from another post)

[thepolarfoxqx]

feel free to use that image as much as you want.

[skyline_r34v]

Personally if i had the choice i'd go with the M3.

IMO it looks better and for the extra money ur saving

from buying the M5 u can either supercharge it or turbocharge it.

That solves the problem of ur performance and u'll still be under the wallet sorta speak than buying the M5 and have helluva lot more performance in it.

I like the M5's don't get me wrong bad ass sedan's

i'd just much rather go with the M3.

Me and my gurl are most likely going to get an M3 and she wants to hurry up and get a 2003 or 2004. But should i wait to see what couple of years of wait for the new M3 would be worth the wait?? give me ur thoughts plz.

[thepolarfoxqx]

this i promise you. Turbocharging or supercharging an M3 would be just as expensive as moving to an M5, i promise. It requries a total engine rebuild (unless you want your engine to detonate), and the basic design of the S54 means it does not respond well to forced aspiration, you wouldn't see a drastic increase in performance. As far as performance goes, don't hope to get more than 380-400hp from your M3, and don't expect getting there to be cheap.