dlevi67

Mmm. Interesting. I'd have said the opposite (mind you, part of it may be me recalling my E39 when it had 120k miles - no matter that it had new shocks; bushes and springs were probably on their way out). But I also wonder how much of the effect is related to the US sports package. I don't feel it at all floaty with the standard SE suspension (and it's an E61!), nor does it manifest any wallowing under acceleration or braking.

bimster

I agree with jet190rs. My 03 e39 sport pkg transformed above 80 or 90mph. It did give the impression that it was hunkering down and getting growly (as much as a 525 could get growly) at higher speeds. The e60 is lighter, and feels stable at high speed, tho it never quite feels ready for a high speed maneuver or as solid as the e39. Maybe it is and there's just less feeling transferred to the driver... a la cadillac deville.

cidair

My E60 is defenitely NOT floaty.......... but my E91 330 is TOO floaty.

The E91 is actually quite hard dampened but it has too soft springs. :thumbsdown:

pennetta

No traffic cameras in my area. The police are generally pretty good about testing the car every now and then, they are people too. Anyway we are not driving extended periods of time at those speeds.

Raighne

Something doesn't add up here at all...

- it's very unusual for Americans to be complaining about the sports suspension being 'floaty' and 'soft' when Europeans are saying it's firm and that even the standard is fairly firm. It's normally the other way around! Something's up...

It sounds like the US sports suspension must be a very different set of hardware (and the theory that because DD is standard in the sports package they could afford to add softer, comfortable springs for US models seems reasonable enough).

Does anyone have access to the parts system to compare the suspension components in the sports suspension in Europe and the US to confirm they are different (or the same).

550isport

That's a good question. I know the M sport suspension and dynamic drive suspension for the E60 use completely different kit, but I wonder if the U.S. sport package suspension (dynamic drive) is dumbed down for us Americans with our speed limit that some radio controlled toy cars can achieve. If so, BMW should know better. Many of us americans strive to buy Armani suits, Bang & Olufsen Stereos, swiss watches etc... We strive for what we percieve is the best in its category. BMW is the best sports sedan IMHO because they have always tuned their cars for high speed stability and performance handling. If you try to soften them up - which has undeniably happened across the whole line since the E65 was introduced in 2002...with the possible exception of the E90 and the M cars - they will loose their appeal. BMW is not likely to produce a more solid and better riding car than Mercedes or perhaps even Audi. What is has produced is cars as solid as a merc/audi with much better handling. Take away the handling and we're in trouble.....reliability and technology are many times more fungible than performance and handling. That said, I am waiting with great anticipation to see if the sport package on the refresh is a big step forward....and if so retrofit it!

DRP

windnsea00

There is a recall out for the steering wheel sensor and a TSB out for the rear shock bushings (mandatory replacement in Germany however)...I read the whole stickie @ Bimmerfest and these seem to be the culprit. One US owner living in Germany had these done and had said the car feels rock solid while before it was downright floaty above 120 mph on the Autobahn.

fraseman999

A bmw is a drivers car.

Get the adrenalin flowing and live a little. Or live a lot!

narvselius

Personally I believe BMW were too fast to fit cars with RFL tyres. I remember my first ride in an E61 535d 2005 and it was harsh! How people could put up with this ride I dunno - and the problem gets even worse in Sweden as we have a tarmac that is more "rugged" than the tarmac in Germania. Being hesitant about the ride I waited for the coming suspension upgrade and when I drove an E91 535d -06 a couple of weeks ago it was a completely different car!

When the E92 was presented a BMW spokesman replied to a journalist's exclamation that the car had a wonderful ride that "we have had 1,5 years to learn and improve". I believe that they have taken a) the sophisticated ride and b) the new generation of RFL:s and combined them into a much more pleasant package.

markt540i

Interesting amount of comments on floating. No "Float" issues with my sport package equipped 550. Feels very solid and secure at 100+. Fastest I have gone is 141 mph on a rural 2 lane open stretch and the feeling of being floaty never entered my mind. Maybe I was too worried about what would happen if a deer or something ran out in front of me, but the car felt really glued to the road and with no sense of bounce or wandering.