After A Weekend With My New 550i.....
12-10-2006, 06:21 PM
#1
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I love the car more than I thought I would. Some observations after putting about 200 miles on the car on different types or roads:
1. I love the Active Steering. It took almost no time to get used to it and it works great. Parking the car is a snap. Handling in tight quarters at slow speeds is effortless and intuitive. On twistie roads at moderate speeds, the movement of the steering wheel is minimal. At highway speeds, the steering is solid. This was one option I questioned but I am very glad I decided to get it.
2. The acceleration is all I expected and the transmission shifts seem very smooth.
3. The car was very stable in all situations with minimal lean in the turns yet the ride was not harsh. Pretty much a perfect compromise.
3. The seats are the most comfortable of any car I've owned including Lexus and Audi.
3. The car is very quiet. The only noise I hear is the Dunlop run flats.
4. The Logic 7 sound system is by far the best I've had in a car - including Nakamici and Mark Levinson
5. While I would like to have had some more buttons (ie radio), the I-Drive system is pretty easy to learn. While it is not perfect and can/should be improved, it is certainly not the terrible system the various magazines rant over.
6. The HUD is pretty cool and effective. The height of the display is not a problem for me.
7. The I-POD adapter system seems to work o.k. but I have to play around with the Playlists to make it more friendly.
7. Night Vision really works. I used it on a country road at night and it picked up a deer running across the road that was out of the range of the headlights. I don't think I would have hit it if I didn't have the option but it's nice to have.
7. I would have liked to have more storage but it is a small price to pay for the rest of the car!
What a great vehicle!!! Pictures to follow as soon as I get my digital camera back from my friend.
1. I love the Active Steering. It took almost no time to get used to it and it works great. Parking the car is a snap. Handling in tight quarters at slow speeds is effortless and intuitive. On twistie roads at moderate speeds, the movement of the steering wheel is minimal. At highway speeds, the steering is solid. This was one option I questioned but I am very glad I decided to get it.
2. The acceleration is all I expected and the transmission shifts seem very smooth.
3. The car was very stable in all situations with minimal lean in the turns yet the ride was not harsh. Pretty much a perfect compromise.
3. The seats are the most comfortable of any car I've owned including Lexus and Audi.
3. The car is very quiet. The only noise I hear is the Dunlop run flats.
4. The Logic 7 sound system is by far the best I've had in a car - including Nakamici and Mark Levinson
5. While I would like to have had some more buttons (ie radio), the I-Drive system is pretty easy to learn. While it is not perfect and can/should be improved, it is certainly not the terrible system the various magazines rant over.
6. The HUD is pretty cool and effective. The height of the display is not a problem for me.
7. The I-POD adapter system seems to work o.k. but I have to play around with the Playlists to make it more friendly.
7. Night Vision really works. I used it on a country road at night and it picked up a deer running across the road that was out of the range of the headlights. I don't think I would have hit it if I didn't have the option but it's nice to have.
7. I would have liked to have more storage but it is a small price to pay for the rest of the car!
What a great vehicle!!! Pictures to follow as soon as I get my digital camera back from my friend.
12-10-2006, 07:10 PM
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My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
Congrats on your new car and thanks for your opinions. Pretty much everything you said is typical of many owners here. You'll may be surprised to find that you're going to like this car more and more as you get used to it even more and things become second nature to you... 
12-10-2006, 08:09 PM
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My Ride: 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S Convertible. Midnight Blue, 6 Speed.Retired - 2007 997 Carrera S, Midnight Blue, Grey leather, premium audioRetired - 2007 550i, Monaco Blue over Beige, Navigation, Logic 7, Cold Weather Pack, Comfort Access, Sport Package
Model Year: 2008
Originally Posted by stanatl' post='365864' date='Dec 10 2006, 07:21 PM
I love the car more than I thought I would. Some observations after putting about 200 miles on the car on different types or roads:
1. I love the Active Steering. It took almost no time to get used to it and it works great. Parking the car is a snap. Handling in tight quarters at slow speeds is effortless and intuitive. On twistie roads at moderate speeds, the movement of the steering wheel is minimal. At highway speeds, the steering is solid. This was one option I questioned but I am very glad I decided to get it.
2. The acceleration is all I expected and the transmission shifts seem very smooth.
3. The car was very stable in all situations with minimal lean in the turns yet the ride was not harsh. Pretty much a perfect compromise.
3. The seats are the most comfortable of any car I've owned including Lexus and Audi.
3. The car is very quiet. The only noise I hear is the Dunlop run flats.
4. The Logic 7 sound system is by far the best I've had in a car - including Nakamici and Mark Levinson
5. While I would like to have had some more buttons (ie radio), the I-Drive system is pretty easy to learn. While it is not perfect and can/should be improved, it is certainly not the terrible system the various magazines rant over.
6. The HUD is pretty cool and effective. The height of the display is not a problem for me.
7. The I-POD adapter system seems to work o.k. but I have to play around with the Playlists to make it more friendly.
7. Night Vision really works. I used it on a country road at night and it picked up a deer running across the road that was out of the range of the headlights. I don't think I would have hit it if I didn't have the option but it's nice to have.
7. I would have liked to have more storage but it is a small price to pay for the rest of the car!
What a great vehicle!!! Pictures to follow as soon as I get my digital camera back from my friend.
1. I love the Active Steering. It took almost no time to get used to it and it works great. Parking the car is a snap. Handling in tight quarters at slow speeds is effortless and intuitive. On twistie roads at moderate speeds, the movement of the steering wheel is minimal. At highway speeds, the steering is solid. This was one option I questioned but I am very glad I decided to get it.
2. The acceleration is all I expected and the transmission shifts seem very smooth.
3. The car was very stable in all situations with minimal lean in the turns yet the ride was not harsh. Pretty much a perfect compromise.
3. The seats are the most comfortable of any car I've owned including Lexus and Audi.
3. The car is very quiet. The only noise I hear is the Dunlop run flats.
4. The Logic 7 sound system is by far the best I've had in a car - including Nakamici and Mark Levinson
5. While I would like to have had some more buttons (ie radio), the I-Drive system is pretty easy to learn. While it is not perfect and can/should be improved, it is certainly not the terrible system the various magazines rant over.
6. The HUD is pretty cool and effective. The height of the display is not a problem for me.
7. The I-POD adapter system seems to work o.k. but I have to play around with the Playlists to make it more friendly.
7. Night Vision really works. I used it on a country road at night and it picked up a deer running across the road that was out of the range of the headlights. I don't think I would have hit it if I didn't have the option but it's nice to have.
7. I would have liked to have more storage but it is a small price to pay for the rest of the car!
What a great vehicle!!! Pictures to follow as soon as I get my digital camera back from my friend.
12-10-2006, 08:19 PM
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My Ride: 2006 550i, Alpine White, Beige Ltr, Sport Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, Premium Sound, Active Steering, Comfort Access, Steptronic, Nav, Satellite Radio, Split Fold Rear Seats, V1
I very much agree with your observations. Good luck with the new ride!
12-11-2006, 09:56 AM
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My Ride: 2006 BMW 550i "Ben Hogan's 5 Iron"
SilverGrey/Black Sport, L7, NAV, CW, AS, Split FR
2003 Audi A4 3.0 CVT "Part of the Moniker"
Silver/Ebony, Prem, CW, Star 17s
Originally Posted by Rudy' post='365876' date='Dec 11 2006, 12:10 AM
You'll may be surprised to find that you're going to like this car more and more as you get used to it even more and things become second nature to you...
Congrats on the car.
CVT Benhogan
12-11-2006, 10:38 AM
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My Ride: 2006 525i Silver Gray/Gray Dakota Leather | Steptronic | Cold Weather | Xenon | Premium Package
Modifications:
M Aero Kit | Carbon Fiber Kidney Grill | K&N Air Filter | Charcoal Filter Removed | Radenergie R10 Silver 20" soon | kW coilover V3 | SprintBooster soon | M5 trunk finisher
Next planned mods:
?Hamann quad exhaust + Hamann quad rear diffuser + Hamann Front Lip?
It's great that you like it! Congrats!