NSX or M5?

[Rococo]

Debating on whether to stay with an NSX or get more practical family car (ha ha) and get an M5. What is your opinion?

[This message has been edited by Rococo (edited 30 April 2002).]

 

[Number9]

Well let's see, my NSX has more RWHP and weighs half a ton less - hmm, let me think...

 

[Jimbo]

My opinion is that the M5 is a beautiful car. In fact, I look at the M5 engine as a hint of what the next generation NSX V8 might be similar to (but better of course).

Other than that...I'm not sure what you're really looking for us to respond with. It's not a car you can even begin to compare to the NSX, so I'm wondering why you're even asking?

I mean you might as well tell us you're thinking of getting a pickup truck or a stretched limo.

-Jim

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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
Looking for 76-79 Honda Accords

 

[MvM]

Well, the M5 is a very fast sedan which is looks like any other sedan. It's just faster than most. 99 out of a 100 people will just see it as a normal car and quite a lot of them will not even see it's a BMW.
Your NSX will stand out anytime, anywhere as something different, extra-ordinary, special and exotic.
For me there is not even a choice. I'd take the NSX.

 

[ktan]

Boy these are both completely different cars. In terms of quality, I would go with the M5. I've had a good number of cars over the years and the one I've kept the longest is my 97 740il which i purchased in 99. The quality and "solid" feel of the car is unbeatable in my opinion. I thought i would never go back to a japanese car until i got my NSX at the end of last year. The NSX is also a great car in its own way but still doesn't have that solid feel of the BMW.

I actually had the chance to have some fun with a M5 about a month ago, we went for about 1/8th of a mile, and we seemed pretty even for this short distance.

Overall, i think the M5 is a great "overall" car. You have the luxury, the comfort, the power and the handling. The NSX on the otherhand is more of the "ultimate" (in this comparison) sports car and built well for its purpose.

kevin

 

[ERicincal]

Originally posted by ktan:
I've had a good number of cars over the years and the one I've kept the longest is my 97 740il which i purchased in 99. The quality and "solid" feel of the car is unbeatable in my opinion.....The NSX is also a great car in its own way but still doesn't have that solid feel of the BMW.

kevin

3 good friends of mine have M5s and all of them love them. I dont know if I agree with the statement that the BMW has a better quality. In the first few years they are great, then little things tend to break. Granted, still great cars.

I think that the "solid" feel of the BMWs Kevin feels is simply the weight and girth of the car, but shouldnt be seen as a relfection of its quality.

 

[Michigan NSX]

Originally posted by ktan:
Overall, i think the M5 is a great "overall" car. You have the luxury, the comfort, the power and the handling. kevin

I think the NSX excels in all of those categories plus it has that look!

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'91 Black/Black

 

[Tom Larkins]

I guess if your gonna be hauling around car seats for kids the car is ok, no doubt about it. Consider this however, what is the re-sale on them if your buying new. I believe a new M5 is about $65 to 70k and you can buy a new 7 series for close to that if you like the way they look after the makeover, and the new 5 model is coming within the next year. Also, what is the re-sale market on that car with so few sold in comparison to a normal 5 model. If your gonna pay that type of money for a souped up 5, your could get something that looks just as good with less $. I looked at one myself and bought a GS 400 instead and was $13k less with aftermarket wheels/tires. Its not an M5 but its OK and I got a family car. Hopefullly if all goes well with inspections on the 96t tomorrow that I may be buying, i'll have a NSX in my garage by the second week in May next to the family car, just gotta find out how to dis-connect the passenger air bag for my 5 or 7 year old, so they can go for a blast.

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[Rococo]

I appreciate the reply Tom. If I am going to leave my NSX, I surely don't want to downgrade in performance by going to the Lexus. I have driven the Mercedes CLK55 and it was an absolute beast when you stepped on it. The triptronic Transmission was the next best thing to manual. I like the M5 better as it seems more aggressive than the CLK55. I have two small children and can work around the NSX limitations but was just trying to make a post that might sway me either way. I most definitely agree the NSX in incomparable to the M5 in looks, but the M5 is a true Sports Car wrapped in Sedan Clothing.

 

[Number9]

Originally posted by Rococo:
... but the M5 is a true Sports Car wrapped in Sedan Clothing.

No, it's not. It's a high-HP drag racing pig. If you want a high performing car (which includes cornering) that has a back seat, get an M3 - it's closer to that compromise. But still a compromise...

--twc

99 NSX-Z SC (360 RWHP)
95 Dinan M3 SC (290 RWHP)
95 BMW M3 (Bone Stock)

 

[ktan]

the solid feel of the car that I'm refering to are things like how the door or trunk closes. Asthetic things like not having a single rattle or squeak. The windows go up smoothly and so on. I know this isn't an M5 but here's my other toy ...

Don't get me wrong, I love my NSX, but as my "sports car". Although if i had only one choice between the M5 and NSX, I would probably go with the M5 as it combines both the key features I want in a single car, luxury and sports.

Kevin

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by Number9:
No, it's not. It's a high-HP drag racing pig. If you want a high performing car (which includes cornering) that has a back seat, get an M3 - it's closer to that compromise. But still a compromise...

I agree with Ted. The M5 is not a sports car. It is a high-powered luxury car. There is a big difference. If you want a car that is nimble for carving up your favorite curvy road, the NSX is ideal. If you want a heavy car that has a lot of power to make it accelerate quickly, and the space (back seat) and luxury car accoutrements, get the M5. These are two totally different cars. Each is a great car in its own way. But just as the NSX is not a luxury car, the M5 is not a sports car.

Originally posted by Tom Larkins:
you can buy a new 7 series for close to that if you like the way they look after the makeover

That's a big "if". That car looks like the team that designed the trunk lid wasn't talking to the team that designed the rest of the car. See for yourself:

It looks even worse in person.

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 01 May 2002).]

 

[mlambert890]

Squeaks and rattles are highly conditional and vary widely from car to car.

My $42k 2001 BMW 330xi already has some little noises after 13,000 miles.

My 1998 NSX is not at all noisier after 53,000. It all depends and your mileage may very well vary.

 

[Number9]

Originally posted by ktan:
Although if i had only one choice between the M5 and NSX, I would probably go with the M5 as it combines both the key features I want in a single car, luxury and sports.

Kevin

So ponderously heavy and mediocre build quality is your idea of luxury sports? For the same money, you could have a late model NSX coupe which is faster, or an early model coupe hot-rodded to be WAY faster. And the reliability and build quality of the NSX is way better than BMW, per JD Powers and me. M5s and 745s are just moving pylons...

--twc

99 NSX-Z SC (360 RWHP)
95 Dinan M3 SC (290 RWHP)
95 BMW M3 (Bone Stock)

 

[Tom Larkins]

Ya its a downgrade to go to a Lexus from an NSX, thats why i'm trying to by one(NSX). My point was the cost of an M5 in comparison to something else you might want at a lessor $ amount that will serve a purpose and have some performance. If you could go with a coupe, I agree with the other guy and get an M3 @ $10k less if you want a BMW. Personally the new 7 does look like a Dodge Stratus from the rear and it appears shorter, although it may not be. The next 5 will most likley follow the same lines which has been the norm for them. If you like the M5 now you may want to get it, before they change it....

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[kEn]

M5 without a doubt, if you're talking about the E39.

Low end torque is simply

. Although the NSX is an "exotic" and has that "supercar" look, the M5 simply has more advantages. It has that practicality of a daily driver and plus, it doesn't stand out (to cops and haters) on the road. The interior is so much more refined than the NSX, with plenty of amenities that the NSX doesn't have. Lastly, the M5 is on par with (or if not better) than the NSX performance-wise. What more could you ask for?

 

[sabashioyaki]

Originally posted by kEn:
the M5 is on par with (or if not better) than the NSX performance-wise.b]

Only in a straight line.



[This message has been edited by sabashioyaki (edited 01 May 2002).]

 

[Number9]

Originally posted by sabashioyaki:
Only in a straight line.

Actually, the M5 is worse than a late model NSX coupe in a straight line, stock for stock. Heck it's even slower than my lightly modded E36 M3 (empirically determined). And if you encounter twisties, well - no contest compared to the NSX or the M3.

--twc

 

[MvM]

Seems the image of BMW in the US is a bit different than overhere in Europe.

If anyone would be asked which car is of better build-quality, the NSX (Honda) or BMW most people would immediately say the BMW is much better. That is, of course, nonwithstanding the fact that European reliability-surveys (even German ones) usually have Japanese cars all over the top ten.
Generally speaking, Japanese cars including Honda definitely do not have the same status or quality image they seem to enjoy in the US. My quess is that a lot of the quality-image is more the result of careful and good PR and therefore mostly a case of perception. And that is something you cannot argue with or against.

 

[Edwardo]

Originally posted by MvM:
Seems the image of BMW in the US is a bit different than overhere in Europe.

If anyone would be asked which car is of better build-quality, the NSX (Honda) or BMW most people would immediately say the BMW is much better. That is, of course, nonwithstanding the fact that European reliability-surveys (even German ones) usually have Japanese cars all over the top ten.
Generally speaking, Japanese cars including Honda definitely do not have the same status or quality image they seem to enjoy in the US. My quess is that a lot of the quality-image is more the result of careful and good PR and therefore mostly a case of perception. And that is something you cannot argue with or against.

That is an interesting opinion you Europeans have on the two brands. I would say that BMW is more luxurious, but not necessarily of better quality. I am not sure if all the other Americans feel the same about this.

I would defianately go with the M3 though. Unless you are ready to trade in the NSX for a pure sedan, I would not trade it in on a M5. Go for the compromise though if you must. The M3 is the car you should consider i think. Otherwise, you will go through NSX withdrawl.

[This message has been edited by Edwardo (edited 01 May 2002).]

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by MvM:
My quess is that a lot of the quality-image is more the result of careful and good PR and therefore mostly a case of perception. And that is something you cannot argue with or against.

In the United States, there is a magazine called Consumer Reports, that is published by an independent non-profit organization called Consumers Union. They do testing of many different types of products. Each year, they collect surveys from 250,000 readers on their repair experiences with cars and other products. Based on the repair frequency reported in these surveys, all of the Japanese brand cars are more reliable than all of the non-Japanese brand cars. BMW is the most reliable of the non-Japanese brands.

There is another independent testing organization called J. D. Powers and Associates that surveys car owners. Its survey results are purchased by the auto manufacturers, and are often summarized in the press. J. D. Powers found, in a 1996 report on the repair experience of owners of five-year-old cars, that the NSX was the most reliable car on the road. Not just the most reliable sports car, but the most reliable car of any kind.

The widespread reporting of actual results by both Consumer Reports and J. D. Powers have been instrumental in shaping public opinion in the United States.

 

[ktan]

Honda & BMW's Build Quality...

I think BMWs from the late 80s and some early 90s have been given the reputation of being less reliable and of lesser build quality wheras Honda's reputation began to soar during these times. Hopefully its not going that direction again because simply put the new 7-series is plainly ugly!

The new 7...

I was invited by my sales person to drive one and I've heard some rave reviews about its drivability and motor. In person it actually does not look as bad as in the photo (thats up close, they look like crap on the road! funny how that is - maybe its just me!) I took the car out for a somewhat "spirited" drive around some twisty roads and felt like i was driving a boat, it has lost alot of its sportiness and drove similarly to an Audi A8, real big and bulky. Yes my 97 is a huge car, length is just shy of a suburban. But it still holds it sporty driving feel and sure doesn't feel as big as the new 7. Yes the new 7s back end is ugly, but if you're ever at a dealership, you should take a close look at it, it may seem more appealing.

Back to M5 vs NSX ...

I guess what I meant when i said I would pick the M5 if i had a choice is simply because it is more practical to me. Practical in the sense of the back seat, the bigger trunk, the navigation and so on. Yet you have "somewhat" of that sport feel integrated into it.

Kevin

 

[MvM]

quote:
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In the United States, there is a magazine called Consumer Reports, that is published by an independent non-profit organization called Consumers Union. They do testing of many different types of products. Each year, they collect surveys from 250,000 readers on their repair experiences with cars and other products.
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There are similar reports in Europe. Most of these reports are based on the statistics from road-service organisations or testing-services which do the mandatory yearly-testing of cars older than a given number of years (3 in Netherlands, 4 in Germany). Despite these high rankings for Japanese cars their status and general image remain below that of German cars. Mercedes, BMW, Audi and, to a lesser extend, VW.
Last year though, in Germany at least, the Ford Focus ranked first, first time a European car placed first in over 15 years if I recall correctly.

 

[NSX2F1]

I had own a lot of car, including a couple of NSXes. My absolute worst car, no contest, to date is a 1991 BMW 850i that I had since it was 20k miles and three years old.

I spent upward of $15k to fix the damn thing. A lot of my friends own Bimmer, as they got older, they are also worse than any other car I own.

Recently, before it was sold, a good friend's 97 M3 with 68k miles loose 2 qtzs of oil within 3000 miles. What a nightmare.

 

[Rococo]

I take it quite a few of you have never driven the M5. I had the opportunity to drive one for two weeks and it is most definitely a sports car! I ripped it open on very curvy roads and it handled better than my Corvette! If you have never driven an M5, please don't reply to this post as if you know what the car drives like. I am truly looking for valid opinions and I know this is an NSX forum and may be biased in one direction, but please only offer advice if you truly have realworld experience. Thanks!