Used 2003 BMW M5 for sale near Chicago, IL

They actually listen. No sales lines like “these won’t last” or “someone else is already interested.” Just respectful, pressure-free help. It made the process easy and comfortable.

I purchased a 2002 with 130K miles and drove it as my daily driver until the timing chain guides gave out at around 240K. I liked it so much that I bought another one for a preposterously low price at the beginning of the pandemic, which I still own. BMW is primarily an engine builder. This engine just feels so good, especially from 3500 rpm up, and it is extremely comfortable on long trips (lack of rear leg room is a common complaint though). There is a reason why the E39 M5 was one of the preferred Cannonball Run cars! It is heavy at around 4,000 pounds, but the handling is predictable and responsive and it is fun to get this car sideways. The old navigation system is showing its age, but at least you can easily add aux cable support and the Sirius satellite radio module. Don't get me started on how awful the cup holders are - certainly the most common complaint about E39s in general. High mileage cars are always a risk - particularly BMWs with lots of options - and especially if the previous owner didn't keep up with everything. You don't want one of these if you can't afford to light $5K on fire to fix e.g. an engine problem when you least expect it. That said, this is one of the most reliable engines BMW ever made, especially if you have a code reader and keep up with pre-emptive maintenance (e.g. timing chain tensioners! Ask me how I know.) The ideal owner of this car is a weekend mechanic who can do most of the maintenance, especially the cooling system, control arms, and bushings. BMW designs their suspension components to be regular wear items, and the parts are surprisingly inexpensive except for the front shock absorbers. M5s are not great cars for showing off - most people have no idea what an M5 is. To the untrained eye it just looks like a boring family sedan that your accountant might drive. That said, you will regularly encounter people who give a thumbs up or want to do a quick drag race. This car was the BMW flagship model during their most dominant years. if you enjoy a manual transmission, rear wheel drive, 4 doors, and want to enjoy a piece of automotive history, you simply can't do better than this car.

The E39 M5 is used as a yardstick for modern sedans yet the car has been out of production for 11 years. Good reasons: It has a high quality roomy interior (although rather plain) combined with a smallish exterior size, very powerful but economical engine (mine does 24 highway @ 65 mph, 21.5 mpg overall for the last 18,000 miles), solid body, famous handling. The negatives: Regular mechanical upkeep is required and can be expensive. Clutch wears quickly if abused (mine has 50,000 miles and is still okay). Gearshift is notchy. Audio/Nav units are crude by current standards. In summary, an extremely fast, solid, comfortable, fun to drive family sedan that will be fondly remembered 20 years from now.

I love this car. I have had a 525,540,M3 and now the king the E39 M5. It is a wolf in a sheeps clothing. Daily driver for sure but a sportscar when you push the pedal. Its great on long or short trips and the sport button is s blast. The styling is my favorite or any BMW ever made clean lines and no wasted steel. This car is the best sedan that I have ever seen, there are no comparisons.

Talked to several employees was treated very nice , also stopped in 2 stores phoenix and chicago

This car is the beat well rounded car ever. The fastest production car when it came to the market. You can seat 4 people with lots of room. And the car really moves for being 4k pounds. Push in the sport button and it's like it picks up 60 more HP and grips the road great. They only brought 10,000 cars from this third GEN M5 (with the s62 motor, which is a modified 4.4L from the 540 bored out to make 4.94L engine) I get so many looks and people love seeing my car. There will not be too many of these original left after another 3-5 years and with 394HP and 367lbs torque for the price. FYI though, find a mechanic who can work on your car because the cost of bring this thing into BMW shop is expensive so have someone lined up before you go out and just trust everything those scammers say. Lots of things to look for when buging one of these so be careful.