C5 FOR

Firstly I guess you should probably know a bit about me, the driver, my thinking being that reviews can be very slanted depending on your driving style and the reader should know a little about the reviewer. So here goes, in no particular order;

Age 48 (don?t know why I?m telling you that!)
Height ? 6? 4? (sorry haven?t gone metric yet!)
Location ? Livingston, Scotland
Points on Licence ? 0
Speeding Tickets ? 0 (yes!..... Zero!!)
Previous Car ? E61 525i Touring M Sport, Le Mans Blue, Oyster/Oyster Dakota
Current Car ? F11 520d M Sport, Alpine White, Oyster/Black Dakota leather, Visibility Package, BMW Pro Media Package, 19? 351M?s, Sport Auto Transmission, Auto Tailgate, Grey Shade band, High Gloss roof rails and exterior trim, Sports Seats, Light Ash Wood Grain, Headlight Wash, Full Black Panel Display, M Sport Suspension, Steering Wheel and Bodystyling, Sun Protection Glass, Model Designation deletion, OEM Black Grilles and Hi Gloss tape on the chrome indicators (basically de-chromed the car)
Journey Computer Readouts ? 69.11hrs, 2137mls, 45.9mpg, 31.9mph
Previous publications ? Zero
Other car ? Z4 3.0, S Drive, Space Grey, Pure White Design Package (it?s the wife?s, not mine)

Right, now that?s over, where does one start, at the beginning I guess.

I loved my E61 (still do) but the Falcon has gone and I pine for her every day, she will never be forgotten, my first 5 and you never forget your first true love do you! Hankie anyone?

Right now, pull yourself together man, talk about your new babe, the F11.

Engine

I posted previously about this being my first diesel (not just in a 5, first diesel EVER!) and after 2 months I can honestly say if you ignore the fact that it sounds like a tractor (yes I did really say that) when you fire her up, it?s a pretty class act, smooth, quiet, punchy, everyone?s aware of the torque ratio?s on all BMW diesels, I would have to say I?m surprised at just how good it is. Don?t ask me if I would swap it for the petrol V6?s, my answer at the moment would be no, but then I haven?t driven the 535d yet.

Driving

First off it feels like a bigger car, longer and wider, yet when you check the dimensions against the E61, there?s not much in it. My driving position is different from the E61 (hence why I mentioned my height). The seat is higher (E61 was bottom setting) and further back, which means the steering wheel is pulled away from the dash and all of that is to make my left leg comfortable to sit against the footplate. Might seem like a niggly point but it?s quite a change to get used too. The other thing I noticed was the angle of the dash, for example the interior trim where the stop start button is located is raked further back than previously and for me the angle doesn?t feel totally correct. These are minor quibbles, but I thought I should get them out there. Actually driving the car is a pure pleasure, the steering is lighter, the new electrical motor v the old hydraulic style providing a certainly different if not necessarily improved feel. All the different driving modes available have been tried and coming from the previous E61 6 speed manual to this one is taking some getting used to. The Eco Pro mode is perfect for driving to work (no need for any other setting ? one long line of traffic going in the same direction); the comfort mode is erm.... ?comfortable?, the sport and sport plus modes are where the fun really begins. The manual short shift takes a lot of getting used to, with 8 gears, I?ve still got some way to go to get the best from her yet in terms of understanding which gear to select if I?m doing 70 say in 7th or 8th and want to punch it through to 85, do I drop it to 5th or 4th or even 3rd. I?m not pushing her in terms of revs just yet, been up to around 4000ish, so, as I said, still some way to go to get the best from her. Overall, from what I know so far, what?s not to like and clearly there?s more to come.

One other thing I meant to mention was the bonnet (the bonnet I hear you say?). From the drivers position, the external character lines on the bonnet become the edge of the car and take a LOT of getting used to in terms of judging car width, found myself avoiding pavements by the odd country mile when parking (mirrors being used to a much larger extent than before). Another thing (oh Jesus! I hear you say!) is that when I reverse into a space and get out to leave the car I find its parked not quite straight. (now I hear you saying the fool just can?t park and maybe that?s the case). The car wheelbase is wider at the back (by a smidgen) than the front and I think (hope, actually) that it?s just that I?m getting used too!!!

Cleaning (living with the car might be a better header)

Its white, and that?s all good, coz it?s a well known fact that white cars don?t look as dirty as other colours, (maybe just an old BMW wives tail!). But I clean her at least once a week externally and once a month internally, 2 points I have to make here. First the bottom edge of the window tailgate, has been designed I?m sure to collect as much dirt as the road can throw at it. It?s a Mecca for all things dirty and secondly the door sills are also collecting a heck of a lot of muck as are the bottom edges of the doors.

Whilst I?m on about doors, and bearing in mind my height and as such, reach, when you get into the car you have to stretch out a heck of a long way to grab the handle to shut the door. I?ve started to grab it as I get into the car to make the whole ?shutting the door exercise? a little bit easier!

Otherwise, when she?s clean (and a little bit dirty), she?s a beaut, constantly demanding my gaze from wherever I am in the house, office and anywhere she might be within my eye line.

Quality and Finish

WOW! It really doesn?t get any better does it (then again, never having sat in a Merc or Audi I could be wrong). But do I care? Not one bit. The finishes internally are sublime, the Black Panel dash is a work of genius, the steering wheel feels right and everything is where it should be (good ergonomics I think you call it!)

Summary

There are certainly a lot of other points up for discussion, but I think those can be saved for later. So, there you are then, I didn?t realise it would take so many words when I started, but it?s done. Do I love the car? I think I will leave that up to you to decide.

Ricracing

Congrats for your new very fine car C5 FOR

"One other thing I meant to mention was the bonnet. From the drivers position, the external character lines on the bonnet become the edge of the car and take a LOT of getting used to in terms of judging car width, found myself avoiding pavements by the odd country mile when parking. Another thing is that when I reverse into a space and get out to leave the car I find its parked not quite straight. The car wheelbase is wider at the back (by a smidgen) than the front and I think (hope, actually) that it?s just that I?m getting used too!"

Nice writing, after owning a F10 for 18 months I still don't have a clue of the cars external lines.
I happily have the PDC, otherwise I guess my car would have scratches allover.

higher

Storage, cubby holes ?

What's with the twin openings on the central arm rest cubby, isn't that annoying as hell ?

Any punctures yet ? Ride comfort on RFT's ?

I'm 6ft 5" - do you find the car interior too small ?

Park bay issues ? Any overhangs ? Boot looked V small compared to E61 when I looked ?

C5 FOR

my, my, did somebody get out of bed on the wrong side this morning? (Just kidding!)

Storage isnt a major concern for me, I like to keep the car with a "minimalistic" look, jesus that sounds awful, but bottom line is i dont build up a lot of crap in the side bins, etc.

TOTALLY agree with your comment on the split opening armrest! would like to get the designers thoughts on that one!!!!!

No punctures yet and Im still making my mind up about the ride, the Eco Pro setting rolls to much on bends but the sports mode does stiffen things up, overall I would say at the moment, prefer the E61 ride. I dont have the adaptive drive option with this car, so would like to hear if that makes a worthwhile difference.

Do I find the interior small?, would have to say a big no on that one. The overall driving position is excellent and their is still further room to move the seat back and steering wheel out (to the detriment of ones passenger comfort possibly!)

parking bay issues? - rely heavily on the PDC system and the nearside mirror pointing to the kerb, as stated in my first post, the external lines of the car arent easy to judge. Alloys still 100% intact!!!!!!!

Overhangs?, 2.0 diesel still sounds like a tractor when starting and moving off, gear changes not as fast as I was expecting when using the paddles or the short shift stick when in sports mode, still need to take my driver out of the golf bag when putting clubs into the boot, button on the auto tailgate doesnt feel as good as the E61's when depressing (lighter to the touch), water bottle sits in front of the controls section, indicator lever needs to travel a lot further than on the E61 which doesn't "feel" as good. minor quibbles really apart from that damn tractor that follows me around!!!!!! oh aye, another thing, I dont think the 19" alloys do the wheel arches justice, it needs 20" or even 21"'s for a much better look.

Theo

Have you test-driven a regular suspension before you bought it?
If so how does it compare to your M-sport?

Thanks for the review BTW, it's nice to see someone taking the time and effort to share his experiences

C5 FOR

Thanks Theo, always happy to share.

I didnt test drive the SE so cant offer any opinion on that one, sorry!

one other thing I meant to mention was that bloody rear window wiper blade, I'm forever knocking it off when Im washing the car, now, THATS annoying!. Never did that on the E61.