From Car and Driver "For people who love cars, the BMW M5 is quite simply the most desirable sedan in the world at any price."

2000 BMW M5 First place: Battle of the Best. How do you characterize a roomy four-door, leather-lined luxury capsule that can keep up with a C5 Corvette? All the way to 150 mph! With quarter-mile performance of 13.3 seconds at 108 mph, let's just call it the fastest production sedan on the planet. But the new M5 is more than a tire shredding drag racer (the traction control occasionally cuts in during a hard three-four shift over bumpy pavement—at 110 mph!). It stopped from 70 mph in the shortest span (156 feet), it performed emergency-lane-change maneuver successfully at the highest speed (66.2 mph), and it tied for the best cornering grip at 0.90 g. The M5 is simply a remarkably well-rounded performance machine. The engine makes its presence known the first time you toe into the throttle. Not only is response immediate and strong, but it also takes on an alto scream as the tachometer needle curls past 5000 revs. "Right next to the Ferrari note," said one driver. Yet at a more sedate pace, the engine is almost as silent as it is in any 5-series sedan. The M5 is remarkably civilized in other ways as well. Despite running on extreme high-performance tires, inflated to 44 psi front and 49 psi rear, the M5 feels absorbent over pockmarked Michigan and Ohio roads. The bumps are heard more than they're felt, and they're only heard because the M5's cabin is otherwise so hushed. Wind noise is low, the engine is muted when you're not pressing it, and on clear pavement, the car drives with an uncanny, otherworldly smoothness. One of the joys of this car is the six-speed manual gearbox, which we found ourselves shifting for the sheer joy of it. Although based on the optional unit in the 540i, the beefed-up M5 version shifts with less effort but greater precision. We quickly executed perfectly smooth shifts without conscious effort. The gearbox also employs a relatively short ratio in top gear for plenty of acceleration without downshifting, if you're feeling lazy. Although the M5's steering feels slightly vague at first, we all quickly grew fond of it. This car became the favorite of the three drivers when the going got fast and challenging. The car's immense grip, viceless handling, and very precise controls assisted the M5 to the quickest lap times on the track, a second and a half swifter than the E55, without breaking a sweat. Of course, such work requires switching off the DSC, which is BMW-speak for traction-and-stability control. This system engages inordinately early and could use a sport mode, as Ferrari employs, to reduce its sensitivity when desired. The M5's sport button only increases the effort of the power-steering system and quickens the electronic linkage between your right foot and the V-8. As a people mover, the M5 falls in between the two other speedy sedans with a very comfortable rear seat, although it does not have the leg-crossing space that the Mercedes offers.Creature comforts are in abundance, from a standard navigation system to auto-leveling Xenon headlights. Interior finish is also outstanding. Its beautifully stitched, soft leather upholstery and a headliner tailored from Alcantara add up to a very rich-feeling, high-end ambiance. We're not, however, totally sold on the metallic trim that BMW has fitted in place of wood on the dashboard. It has a vaguely plasticky look to it, as does the shift knob that seems like a plastic imitation of titanium. "Metalloid" is the term we quickly applied for it. That said, our visceral craving for this car is not curtailed even slightly by that nit. For people who love cars, the BMW M5 is quite simply the most desirable sedan in the world at any price. What more can we say? http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2000-bmw-m5-vs-2000-mercedes-benz-e55-amg-2000-jaguar-xjr-comparison-test-2000-bmw-m5-comparison-test-car-and-driver-page-4