Diamond

huh? Go drive a 5 series sport or m sport, an M5, then a dedicated track car.

not sure anyone would disagree with this

JohnC

Back to the OP, I have an xi with the standard suspension. It has much better handling than my 02' A6 Avant, '03 A4 Avant and '05 Acura TSX did and the ride is better than all but the A6. It is about the same as that. Being your first BMW, you will love the standard suspension. I alaways thought I wanted the sport, but I drive in northern NJ and NYC. I don't think I would want it any stiffer. If you don't have to deal with bad roads, the sport would be well worth it. If the roads here were better, I would get it.

Kzang

I'm in your area with a sports suspension and to me the pros outweigh the cons.. even with teh bad road conditions.

JohnC

That is why it is all personal preference. 10 years ago, I would of preferred the sport hands down. Now I lean a little more towards comfort. I still enjoy the handling though. It is kind of like asking the question " what is the best way to cook a steak and what is the best amount to cook? rare, med. rare, medium, medium well or well?" I prefer mine grilled, medium rare.

tuffluck

i can't really imagine driving around in NYC anywhere going above 35mph and actually needing anything more than a 1989 ford bronco suspension. in those kinds of driving environments, the perks of the BMW are definitely things like brakes, NAV, comfort, etc. and not suspension anyway.

JohnC

I drive in the City about 3-4 days a week. Before that I was in Boston for 2 years. I blew out the front 2 tires on my Audi up there. I had 40 series on 18's. I have no problem with my 17's and stock suspension between these two cities. I do get out on the weekends and get to drive the car a little more vigorously. This past week we went to the Pocono's and took on some mountain roads. Considering the trunk full of luggage and 2 bikes on the back, the stock suspension was great.