"Downgrading" from F10 M5 to F80 M3?

[HXS]

Just wondering if any of you guys did this? The more I drive the M5, the more I think it's a bit too big and not as agile. I know I'll miss the torque if I convert.

I'd like to hear thoughts on those considering the switch or have undergone the switch.

[URBAN LEGEND]

You'll miss the M5 roll power. I roll raced an M4 and it wasn't good. Keep the possible roll runs lost in mind.

[Vic55]

I wouldn't call it downgrading (I know you used quotes) but more of a change of pace. Yes its not as fast on a roll or as luxurious but there are things where it has a subjective advantage.

I don't have real seat time in the F80; driving only one time but owned an F10 M5 for a bit. I think the M3 is more aggressive looking with its front and rear fascia. It has an abundance of available aesthetic and tunable mods. It can not be modded to the level of the 4.4 S63tu can, but it can be a reasonably fast car. I like the rear fender set up and the ability to get all the M Performance items for cheap.

One thing that will steer me away is the sound- even modded it really has a bad tone IMHO. I think there are some options out there but the F80 board will serve you better with details.

Again if you can afford an M5 but want an M3, that is not a downgrade but more of a driving style/requirement adjustment. Good luck.

[clar]

If u get the M4 instead, it would have been comfortably an upgrade Like what Vic said, S55 sounds really awful.

[M6-Coupe]

Maybe you can't call it downgrade but definitely you lose power, torque, luxurious and exhaust note... Oh wait you also lose the comfort BUT you gain some agility... Like Vic said different animal
For sure M3 (or M4) is not as fast as M5 either in roll or from standstill but easier to drive over track if you care... and yes it's smaller and lighter

[Simon H]

Ive owned an F10 M5, and now have an M4, which ive owned for 12 months now. The biggest thing you will miss from the M5, is the comfort and luxury it offers.
I dont think you will miss the torque that much, as i disagree with others, in that, the M4 is quicker off the line, and to get into its stride. It is a quick car. From a roll, yes, probably the M5 will start to pull away over 100mph. This is comparing the M4 to a standard pre LCI, non comp pack M5.
A couple of weeks a go, i had the opportunity to drive a friends comp pack M5 on a sedate motorway hack, and i fell back in love with the M5. Yes, its heavier, and feels bigger than the M4, but also feels less aggressively set up suspension wise, not as harsh, stiff, and crashy, and able to soak up bad surfaces better.
This translates to making great progress on the road, for all its girth.
You really need to spend time in the M4, and make up your own mind, but dont for one minute think its a downgrade, because it isnt. They are different cars offering virtually the same performance, but in different packages.
You cant lose out here, as they are both fabulous imho.

[URBAN LEGEND]

A couple of weeks a go, i had the opportunity to drive a friends comp pack M5 on a sedate motorway hack, and i fell back in love with the M5.

Taken from the above post. Enough said.

[Bimmer6]

Originally Posted by HXS

Just wondering if any of you guys did this? The more I drive the M5, the more I think it's a bit too big and not as agile. I know I'll miss the torque if I convert.

I'd like to hear thoughts on those considering the switch or have undergone the switch.

Good luck with your choice as I do agree with Vic not a down grade, and the sound it's a little weird until you get use to it? I went with a M4 vert for a couple of reasons, I don't need four doors, wanted a convertible, M6 too darn big same reason for selling the M5.

I'm one of the opinion the M5 is over powered for the street and I tracked it several times, and it's like wrestling a bull a lot of work. I had my for three year 14000 miles not too much opportunity to drive it hard. Think the GT3 made the M5 expendable because those fun weekend drives got pushed to the Porsche, and the M5 only saw duty driving to work. I'd say you need more than one test drive. I got the M4 with full leather and a lot of options it works for me as I said the convertible for the ticket for me.

[Alpine300zhp]

Originally Posted by Simon H

Ive owned an F10 M5, and now have an M4, which ive owned for 12 months now. The biggest thing you will miss from the M5, is the comfort and luxury it offers.
I dont think you will miss the torque that much, as i disagree with others, in that, the M4 is quicker off the line, and to get into its stride. It is a quick car. From a roll, yes, probably the M5 will start to pull away over 100mph. This is comparing the M4 to a standard pre LCI, non comp pack M5.
A couple of weeks a go, i had the opportunity to drive a friends comp pack M5 on a sedate motorway hack, and i fell back in love with the M5. Yes, its heavier, and feels bigger than the M4, but also feels less aggressively set up suspension wise, not as harsh, stiff, and crashy, and able to soak up bad surfaces better.
This translates to making great progress on the road, for all its girth.
You really need to spend time in the M4, and make up your own mind, but dont for one minute think its a downgrade, because it isnt. They are different cars offering virtually the same performance, but in different packages.
You cant lose out here, as they are both fabulous imho.

This is the best and most accurate summation IMHO. Having a lot of seat time in the F10 M5 and having picked the F82 M4 over the M5, your thoughts mirror my own. The reality is that neither car is "better" than the other. It is about which car fits your needs and wants the best. Only seat time will answer that question.

[Alpine300zhp]

Originally Posted by URBAN LEGEND

A couple of weeks a go, i had the opportunity to drive a friends comp pack M5 on a sedate motorway hack, and i fell back in love with the M5.

Taken from the above post. Enough said.

Let me extrapolate on that comment, because that comment alone clarifies the essence of the M5. The M5 is the car you want if you take a lot of long trips of more than one hour in duration. The M5 is the car you want if you drive on bad roads. The M5 is the car you want if luxury is your first priority. If you take short trips of less than one hour in duration, you like to take corners fast, you like to feel the suspension and the imperfections in the road and you ride solo most of the time then the M4 is probably the better car for you.

[gmfive]

In addition to a lot of good points that have been made, the M3/4 look ricer and are more noticeable than the M5. Nothing wrong with that, for the most part, it's just a different group. The M5, as you know, is more stealth and beastly and can also be surprisingly loose in a scary but fun way. Go with what you love, won't go wrong either way. Both are "safe" options. You might miss the M5 unless you go out of BMW territory to the next level.

[IANNUZZI]

M5 on most counts is better; seats, acceleration, braking from very high speeds, ride, space, sound system, comfort for all passengers, it is the quintessential sports sedan. The extra weight and larger motor does not get better fuel economy but not an issue with current gas prices and anyone who can afford these cars.... I do feel the m3 can keep more speed around corners but that is more than remedied by using sport cup2s on the m5....

[RPiM5]

You'll miss the luxury of the M5. I just take one look at the 8bit graphics on the temperature controls of the M4 and I feel like I'm driving Toyota Corolla.

[RPiM5]

I stand corrected. A Toyota Corolla has better graphics than an M4.

http://www.toyota.com/corolla/?dfaid...38519:65743579

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by Simon H

I dont think you will miss the torque that much, as i disagree with others, in that, the M4 is quicker off the line, and to get into its stride. It is a quick car.

Nope. This video proves M6 is quicker than M4 off the line and you know M5 is almost as fast as M6...
http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1212510

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

You'll miss the luxury of the M5. I just take one look at the 8bit graphics on the temperature controls of the M4 and I feel like I'm driving Toyota Corolla.

Originally Posted by RPiM5

I stand corrected. A Toyota Corolla has better graphics than an M4.

http://www.toyota.com/corolla/?dfaid...38519:65743579

LOL... I was waiting for these comments

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by M6-Coupe

LOL... I was waiting for these comments

[Bluehorseshoe]

Been pondering this for quite a long time myself. I couldn't care less which car is faster off the line or from a roll because I don't drag race.

IMO the more highway driving you do, the more long journeys you take, the more passengers you have in your car the more you'll appreciate the M5 over the M3. If it's your daily driver and you have kids and you have a commute I have to believe that the M5 is the ticket. It's the total package.

For me it's not a lot of long trips or commutes, just going around town, enjoying back country roads and very short commute to work (haha, I actually just moved like two minutes from my office and I really miss my old commute which consisted of 15-20 minutes each way along some twisty back roads). And when I'm taking the family we almost always use another vehicle.

I have never driven the F80 and probably wouldn't consider the F82 because I'm not into coupes and would likely go for a Porsche if I only wanted two doors.

When the M3 ZCP comes out I will give it a long, hard test drive. In the meantime, I plan on testing the M3 with 6MT and adaptive suspension. (I would never go for the M3 with DCT although I'm sure it's sublime.) Based on my needs I think the M3 will be more suitable from a purely functional perspective. However, I do feel that the M5 suits me more aesthetically and in demeanor. I find the M3 maybe a bit to edgy or sporty or immature or whatever you want to call it for my personality (and profession).

Regardless, if I enjoy the M3 more as a pure driver's car, as hard as it will be to sell my M5, I will likely make the switch. The "downgrade" feeling may likely manifest itself in the form of less perceived luxury and sophistication but overall it's only a step down if you're giving up more than you're getting.

[Bimmer6]

Originally Posted by Bluehorseshoe

Been pondering this for quite a long time myself. I couldn't care less which car is faster off the line or from a roll because I don't drag race.

IMO the more highway driving you do, the more long journeys you take, the more passengers you have in your car the more you'll appreciate the M5 over the M3. If it's your daily driver and you have kids and you have a commute I have to believe that the M5 is the ticket. It's the total package.

For me it's not a lot of long trips or commutes, just going around town, enjoying back country roads and very short commute to work (haha, I actually just moved like two minutes from my office and I really miss my old commute which consisted of 15-20 minutes each way along some twisty back roads). And when I'm taking the family we almost always use another vehicle.

I have never driven the F80 and would never consider the F82 because I would likely go for a Porsche if I only wanted two doors.

When the M3 ZCP comes out I will give it a long, hard test drive. In the meantime, I plan on testing the M3 with 6MT and adaptive suspension. (I would never go for the M3 with DCT although I'm sure it's sublime.) Based on my needs I think the M3 will be more suitable from a purely functional perspective. However, I do feel that the M5 suits me more aesthetically and in demeanor. I find the M3 maybe a bit to edgy or sporty or immature or whatever you want to call it for my personality (and profession).

Regardless, if I enjoy the M3 more as a pure driver's car, as hard as it will be to sell my M5, I will likely make the switch. The "downgrade" feeling may likely manifest itself in the form of less perceived luxury and sophistication but overall it's only a step down if you're giving up more than you're getting.

True fun story my old boss COO of a 40b dollar year company drove a Hyundai to work. Car does not make the profession just saying.

[Bluehorseshoe]

Originally Posted by Bimmer6

True fun story my old boss COO of a 40b dollar year company drove a Hyundai to work. Car does not make the profession just saying.

Haha your story reminds me of a fun tune.

[Bimmer6]

Originally Posted by Bluehorseshoe

Haha your story reminds me of a fun tune.

That's funny. Yeah he has 40m just a down to earth guy.

[Bluehorseshoe]

Originally Posted by Bimmer6

That's funny. Yeah he has 40m just a down to earth guy.

Hyundai gets a bad wrap, LOL. Mentioned in one of the all-time classics.