Originally Posted by pharmb' post='830010' date='Mar 29 2009, 08:08 PM

I know this sounds too simple, but you may want to check the tire pressures - even though you have new tires, under inflation can cause a lot of what you've described. Hope it works out for you, good luck.

Originally Posted by BMRMEUP' post='829701' date='Mar 29 2009, 10:58 AM

Hi all. I just traded my trusty 02 525i 5 speed for an 06 530xi certified lease return that the dealership purchased for me (sight unseen). (Silver gray/black, sport, premium, navigation, Logic 7, cold weather pkg and some other stuff? ) I was really hesitant to commit to it since I hadn?t driven an all wheel drive and it just seemed like a huge risk in general. However, the salesman reassured me that the vehicle would be immaculate, that a factory paint technician would address all cosmetic issues on the exterior to my satisfaction, and that in addition to the certification warranty they would offer a 3 month 3000 mile bumper to bumper warranty on the car. And it would have 4 new tires. It looked like a good value with about as many assurances as you are going to get with a used car, and the trade numbers were right, so I decided to risk it. Well?it was a very long doubt filled week waiting for the car, with many changes of heart?.!!! I?m sure it took 50 years off my life?which I could not spare. Anyway, they delivered on the immaculate and by and large on the exterior as well (a couple small boo boos still visible on close inspection). It?s a beautiful car. The handling is another issue however. Everything I had read about the AWD was that it was seamless. Only one person mentioned that it was a different feeling from the RWD, like the car was constantly searching for traction. Well, I think he nailed it. It doesn?t have that rock solid feeling in the steering that my RWD had, although the handling is otherwise crisp and precise and off pavement feels really secure. My husband drove it for the first time yesterday and said he wasn?t comfortable with the feel of it at high speed. I also feel more body movement than with my other car, even on a straight line, and find myself compensating for the slight but constant movement, which is tiring. This is perhaps partly due to the fact that the sport package on the xi is not really a sport suspension, which I learned after the fact I did do some research first but missed that somehow. I?m thinking retrofit with comfort seats for the added bolstering might help but, ahem, I have not mentioned this to my husband yet. Maybe I?ll just do and see if he notices? Actually, maybe the dealership would work with me on that, since the salesman told me it was the same car as another one we were considering, but with AWD?so clearly he didn?t know about the suspension issue either. Anyway, I read somewhere that changing the rear springs can help with body roll, but wondered if that would compromise the ride (like driving an empty pickup over bumps in the road). And, finally, I don?t know how much might be attributable to the tires, which are Dunlop Signature tubeless radials. I know these are not top flight tires, but they have some followers. I had Michelins on my other car, which was a perfect match, and have read good things about Continentals (the spare is a Continental?so I?m betting that was the original equipment). Any thoughts anyone? (Besides the fact that I?m an idiot for buying a car I hadn?t driven? I know this already? ) Any experiences with either of these issues or retrofits? Thanks!!! Nice to meet you all BTW! Sorry for the book?.

Originally Posted by z06bigbird' post='830648' date='Mar 30 2009, 12:01 PM

"Tubeless"--no one has used that term since the early 50s. You are really showing some age. Cut that out.