JMD535

Ok, so I come to realize that I have too many toys with either 2 wheels, or 4 wheels! So, I saw a nice 2016 535xi,...with M-Sport package. It is a very nice 535,...loads of options,...damn near at my M5 level. SO, I do a long test drive and walk away with the following: First, I not new to the F10 as I have previously owned a 2012 535i Sport (...no AWD). It was a nice car,..a different ride, etc. After being away from the F10 chassis, I had forgotten how far removed from how "floaty" the F10 feels on the roll,...especially in Comfort mode. Once you hit the Sport button, things change a lot,...and for the better. There is decent get up and go,...but no snap acceleration,...(more on this later). The interior was as expected,...very nice, etc. One thing I did notice was the pronounced noise coming from up front that sounded like "drivetrain noise",...it definitely wasn't tire noise. All in all, the car felt sold,...had a lot of options,..appeared to be priced right, etc.

But now, comes the reality of how good my e60 535xi Sport really is! After the long test drive,...I hopped into my 535xi (with M5 rear swaybar),...and immediately I sense the difference. I mean, just at a standstill, the e60 felt more directly connected to the road! Amazing I thought! And then this happened,....you see, the F10 535,...with XDrive is a heavy car and it shows,...as I try to tip into the throttle of my e60 535xi (with MHD Tune). As I tip into the throttle,...using the same amount of gas paddle pressure as used in the recently vacated 2016 535xi,...My Head Snapped Back! Straight-Up! I said to self,.."Well Damn Then"! I had to drive something else to see that my MHD tuned 535xi was snappier and faster than it lead on to be. I had become accustomed to it's off the line torque that I had no reference point for a comparison.

The said, the F10 535xi had 48k+ on the odometer,....and the pronounced hum from the front drivetrain was a turn off! My 2010 e60 535 XDrive has well over 78k on the odometer,...and I can't tell if it's 2WD or AWD! Amazing!

If the dealer were to check out the drivetrain hum,...perhaps I would revisit the thought of buying this particular 535! But for now, I'm sticking with my e60!

JMD

So, there you have it,...the e60 535xi is better than we sometimes think it isn't!