M Buyers Guide
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BMW M5 E60

BMW M5 E60

2006 to 2010SedanM car

Guide Score 78Very good$5,023 a year to ownAbout 24th of 69
Best year
2010
Example asking
$13k to $55k
Prices near you
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Photo: IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The E60 is the fourth M5, sold here from 2006 to 2010 with the S85: a 5.0-liter V10 that makes 500 hp and revs past 8,000 rpm.

The score, part by part

78Guide Score for 2006Very goodabout $5,023 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
About 24th of 69, likely 9th to 36th
Likely score range
69 to 88
Confidence
Medium
Acclaim
67 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
59%

The seven parts and acclaim, 2006 model year

Heritage counts 15 of 100
3024% of it not measured
Engine counts 15 of 100
89
Drive feel counts 20 of 100
74
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
80
Weight counts 10 of 100
66
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 13 of 100
9
Acclaim counts 15 of 100
67

Each part is scored from 0 to 100 on a fixed outside scale. Acclaim comes from published expert lists, launch reviews and awards; the more acclaimed a car, the less its ownership cost counts in this all-time score (its dollars below are unchanged). A part marked not measured carries no weight for this car, and the others share its weight.

Long-term value, shown and not scored

9 prices from sources that allow this use (classiccars.com, enthusiastauto.com), read October 27, 2026: the middle one is $54,490, about 67% of the price new (40% once the price new is put in today's dollars). Asking prices sit above what cars sell for.

Long-term value starts to count in the score once 75% of the 69 generations have permitted prices. Today 43 do.

The cost to own

About $5,023 a year to own ($3,553 to $7,061), about $25,115 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Rod bearing wear (S85): about $5,460 over five years, expected (source)
  2. Throttle actuator failure (S85): about $1,505 over five years, expected (source)
  3. VANOS pump and solenoids: about $1,400 over five years, common (source)

Expect about $3,600 to $7,100 a year; the bills that decide it are rod bearing wear, throttle actuator failure and VANOS pump and solenoids. Bought without receipts, about a 12 in 20 chance of more than $10,000 in repairs in five years. Ownership risk: high.

Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.

S85500 hpRWD7-speed SMG or 6-speed manual11 city, 17 hwy mpg

Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.

Routine service a year, estimate
$700 to $1,400

Best year to buy

2010The best year to buy, reading 78 of 100, about $5,023 a year to own.

No logged change between model years sets it apart; every year reads within 2 points of it, so buy on condition and records.

No year to think twice about: none reads 3 or more points below the 2010, and no logged fault separates them.

  1. 200678$5,023 a year
  2. 200778$5,023 a year
  3. 200878$5,023 a year
  4. 200978$5,023 a year
  5. 201078best year

From our log of the changes between model years, each with its source. Only changes the score reads count as reasons; recalls BMW fixes for free, options and tuning notes do not. The cost a year is for a car bought at five years old, or its own age if older, kept five years. How the score works.

The longer answer

Most came with the seven-speed SMG automated manual; for 2007 BMW added a six-speed manual for North America only, and about 1,360 were built.

It is one of the great M engines and one of the most expensive to keep: rod bearings, throttle actuators and the SMG pump are known costs.

What to look for
  • Receipts for rod bearings with the date and mileage, rebuilt or replaced throttle actuators, VANOS work, and on SMG cars the pump and clutch
  • A cold start with no knock
  • A complete service history
  • With an adult in the passenger seat, no passenger restraint warning (a failed seat mat switches that air bag off)

Holds value

  • The six-speed manual
  • Low documented mileage
  • Interlagos Blue
  • Sepang Bronze
  • Indianapolis Red and Monaco Blue paint
  • Bearings done with receipts
  • Original cars

Hurts resale

  • SMG cars with slow or jerky shifts
  • High mileage with no bearing records
  • Deferred maintenance
  • Accident history
  • Modification

What to do next

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