How can you tell?
09-02-2010, 06:27 AM
#32
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You call that test driving? When you can hit double the posted speed limit on a curve with a non sport and sport (with active steering) and say they are the same, then come tell us. Sport package on BMW is not like Lexus or Infiniti. It's not just for the looks. I'm afraid you have not pushed the car far enough to tell the difference.
09-02-2010, 12:48 PM
#33
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My Ride: 2005 BMW 545i, Silver Grey, Sport Package, R. Shades, Cold Pkg, Sat. Rad., Prem. Sound.
160mph, are you serious? well i'm sorry, i didn't realize the only way you could tell the difference between the two was by driving speeds that no one in their right mind drives and maneuvering corners at those speeds that in any car while not being on a racetrack would be called idiotic. that totally slipped my mind. i bet if you drove them in water they'd probably handle differently, too. i'll have to add that on my "how to really tell the difference between sports package and no sports package" list next time.
Recommended speed limit on ramping, changing freeway ramps/bridges, and a few other situations can be as low as 35 mph. If you are familiar with a particular ramp, you can hit 65-70 mph with sport package with confidence. I used to do it for the fun.
Do that on a non sport and come tell us your experience. Just don't tell us your dream, "Internet driving experience," or your naive "switching lane at 80+ mph." Heck, I can do that in a Yugo or my Camry with no problem on a moderate freeway curve for that matter. And if you are wondering how I got my hands on a non sport, it is a call a BMW loaner. 
The point is that "there IS" a performance (handling and sometimes mechanical reaction as in tranny shifts) difference between sport and non sport for BMW, and you don't have to go pass 80 mph to experience it.
In the retrospect, either your ass is numbed or your concept of testing sport and non sport is quite lamed and does not merit credibility. For daily driving, a sport package might be a hint stiffer and non sport.
09-02-2010, 03:54 PM
#34
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The point is that "there IS" a performance (handling and sometimes mechanical reaction as in tranny shifts) difference between sport and non sport for BMW, and you don't have to go pass 80 mph to experience it.
In the retrospect, either your ass is numbed or your concept of testing sport and non sport is quite lamed and does not merit credibility. For daily driving, a sport package might be a hint stiffer and non sport.
In the retrospect, either your ass is numbed or your concept of testing sport and non sport is quite lamed and does not merit credibility. For daily driving, a sport package might be a hint stiffer and non sport.
FYI, i happen to believe between swerving lanes at 80mph and taking a 35mph ramp at 70mph, the former is certainly more disconcerting and dangerous and therefore what i used as a reference in my comparison between the sport and the non-sport.
bmw, just like any other car manufacturer, markets the sport's package as a great addition and attribute to their cars. i believe that. but i also believe like any option to any car, there are typically more subtle differences than the layman wants to admit they may have fallen victim to paying for. i do believe there is a difference between the sport and non-sport suspension, but in my experience it is not the night and day difference that many want to believe.
also, you may notice a handling difference on your car and not on a non-sport, sure, i believe that too. that does not mean however that it is vastly better in your car, just that you are comfortable in your car and know how it reacts; you also have your certain seat adjustments made which no matter how much time you spend toying with it in a rental, you're not going to get it to the exact comfort and feel of your own car, which makes a world of a difference in how you visualize the handling. i would also venture to guess any car, better or worse, would have a foreign feel to you other than your own.
neither of us have the measuring devices to pinpoint if and how much less roll there is between suspensions, but i think that is a moot point. in the end no one wants to admit they paid for something that isn't as good as what they think it is worth. maybe it's a lot better, maybe it's not. i can tell you from my testing and my everyday driving experience and probably yours too, it's not much of a difference. at all. but, to each his own.
FWIW, i'm completely indifferent about the seats. i am so tall that the extension on the base in the sport's package does nothing but annoy me.
09-03-2010, 07:40 AM
#35
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My Ride: 2005 BMW 545i, Silver Grey, Sport Package, R. Shades, Cold Pkg, Sat. Rad., Prem. Sound.
first off, i did not say there wasn't a difference, i said there wasn't much of a difference. secondly, i didn't say switching lanes at 80mph, i said swerving at 80mph. thank you so much for twisting my words. and i don't even know what you are talking about with my "dream internet experience." when did i say anything of the sort?
FYI, i happen to believe between swerving lanes at 80mph and taking a 35mph ramp at 70mph, the former is certainly more disconcerting and dangerous and therefore what i used as a reference in my comparison between the sport and the non-sport.
bmw, just like any other car manufacturer, markets the sport's package as a great addition and attribute to their cars. i believe that. but i also believe like any option to any car, there are typically more subtle differences than the layman wants to admit they may have fallen victim to paying for. i do believe there is a difference between the sport and non-sport suspension, but in my experience it is not the night and day difference that many want to believe.
also, you may notice a handling difference on your car and not on a non-sport, sure, i believe that too. that does not mean however that it is vastly better in your car, just that you are comfortable in your car and know how it reacts; you also have your certain seat adjustments made which no matter how much time you spend toying with it in a rental, you're not going to get it to the exact comfort and feel of your own car, which makes a world of a difference in how you visualize the handling. i would also venture to guess any car, better or worse, would have a foreign feel to you other than your own.
neither of us have the measuring devices to pinpoint if and how much less roll there is between suspensions, but i think that is a moot point. in the end no one wants to admit they paid for something that isn't as good as what they think it is worth. maybe it's a lot better, maybe it's not. i can tell you from my testing and my everyday driving experience and probably yours too, it's not much of a difference. at all. but, to each his own.
FWIW, i'm completely indifferent about the seats. i am so tall that the extension on the base in the sport's package does nothing but annoy me.
FYI, i happen to believe between swerving lanes at 80mph and taking a 35mph ramp at 70mph, the former is certainly more disconcerting and dangerous and therefore what i used as a reference in my comparison between the sport and the non-sport.
bmw, just like any other car manufacturer, markets the sport's package as a great addition and attribute to their cars. i believe that. but i also believe like any option to any car, there are typically more subtle differences than the layman wants to admit they may have fallen victim to paying for. i do believe there is a difference between the sport and non-sport suspension, but in my experience it is not the night and day difference that many want to believe.
also, you may notice a handling difference on your car and not on a non-sport, sure, i believe that too. that does not mean however that it is vastly better in your car, just that you are comfortable in your car and know how it reacts; you also have your certain seat adjustments made which no matter how much time you spend toying with it in a rental, you're not going to get it to the exact comfort and feel of your own car, which makes a world of a difference in how you visualize the handling. i would also venture to guess any car, better or worse, would have a foreign feel to you other than your own.
neither of us have the measuring devices to pinpoint if and how much less roll there is between suspensions, but i think that is a moot point. in the end no one wants to admit they paid for something that isn't as good as what they think it is worth. maybe it's a lot better, maybe it's not. i can tell you from my testing and my everyday driving experience and probably yours too, it's not much of a difference. at all. but, to each his own.
FWIW, i'm completely indifferent about the seats. i am so tall that the extension on the base in the sport's package does nothing but annoy me.
