ccmun

As a diversion from the list of problems we encounter with our car, I just wanted to share how happy I am with my car after its first long trip. I Took my 530i on its first long distance run last weekend. I decided to take my wife on a weekend jaunt to Key West, in celebration of our wedding anniversary. Key West is approximately 200 miles southwest of my town and I figured the trip would provide an opportunity for me to get familiar with a car that I?ve had for less than two months.

So with the alleged Hurricane Ernesto churning its way across the rugged mountains of eastern Cuba, we started the trip by blasting south on Interstate 75, which offered ample opportunities to allow the car to stretch its legs.

For those of you not familiar with Florida driving, it can get pretty hairy. It?s a confluence of some of the most aggressive and lame drivers in the world. Lets see?You have a mix of pushy, impatient Northeastern transplants from NY and Boston (that would be me), with dicey South Americans who don?t hesitate to turn a corner on a dime, ---from the center or opposite lane. Add the older folks with all day to get to their favorite mall. Add people yakking on cell phones in huge SUVs or V8 pickups..?I could go on, but you get the picture. The trick to driving on the interstates in South Florida is you have to do at least 90mph in the passing lane, while tailgating Nascar-style to get people out of the way, or simple relent to the slow lane. (Just kidding , please don?t flame me)

The beemer was quite up to the task, I simple dumped it in DS mode which gave me ample time to blast out from behind sleepy old folks, or to walk away from teens in modded, but annoyingly buzzy 4 cylinders with loud open pipes. I was a bit disappointed that I did not get to up to triple digits?but se la vie.

We have pretty much straight roads in South Florida, so my only opportunity at exploring the handling capabilities of the car was on/off ramps, and changing lanes while at speed or accelerating. The car rewarded me with effortless response at all times.

We got a couple of summer showers along the way, and my wipers worked fine in auto mode?However, it would speed up and slow down, for no apparent reason, even with a steady drizzle.

My wife did notice a bubble on the wood trim below the idrive screen on the passenger side, and after a few miles, she made me promise that I would have the dealer change it.

Once on the islands, it was pretty much 90 miles of slow going, as the road is mainly two lanes except on the larger islands?So you have no choice but to enjoy the azure waters of the Atlantic or the Gulf, even if you are stuck behind a rumbling RV.

After a quick swim in the Atlantic on Bahia Honda Key at MM 37 (that would 37 miles from Key West) we arrived in Key West and headed down town to find our favorite ice cream shop. I really got to learn my navigation system on Key West. I was disappointed in the ?Points of Interest? list, which did not list several important points such as the "Southernmost Point" of the U.S. or Ernest Hemingway?s house among others. So we spent a lot of time getting lost, but that was fun too. (Well, except the part where you argue with your spouse about which way to go) I finally figured out the differences of the various ?perspective? modes and how to toggle between NAV settings while driving.

I won?t bore you with the gory details of the rest of my weekend?Key West was pretty cool, find a nice bar with a view of the sea, order a mojito and just chill.

I managed a few practice launches in DS mode, whenever possible, but with an impending storm, and kids at home...we had to cut the fun time short. The ride back was cool, I was having so much fun, my wife could not believe that I did not even ask her to drive....There is so much more to learn about this car. So far, I am loving it, and look forward to many more memorable trips.

EBMCS03

Wow awesome! That sounds like a VERY nice trip and the best time to bond with the E60. We need the Key West closer to the West Coast... Hello only makes sense... Key West.. West Coast! Either that or someone move Hawaii Closer to CA.

Nice write up.

jrsamps

A quick stop in South Beach would have capped off what sounds like a great time.

octee

OMG, LMAO, that is sooo true about South Florida... sounds like you had a great trip!

amigo525

lovely story..


Guess what? whenever I see a plate here from Florida..i stay away from his/her. I dont like the way they cut
in front of me. It is just rude or lack of...any one can fill-in the blank.

ccmun

So true...Dont blame you at all.

ccmun

Good idea, add your great canyon roads, the mountains and that would be paradise....well if you overlook the traffic and other minor inconveniences of modern life.

ccmun

Yeah, it was...the sad part is that you do get accustomed to the craziness of SoFlo.

Don Juan

nice! I'm going to Orlando this weekend with some of my friends ..about 200+ miles each way and it will be more fun since one of my friends is driving his E39 M5 along side mine...i expect some nice engine braking

cobradav

I assume you are coming up Turnpike and not I95/Beeline (SR 528 - now Beachline). Otherwise I might venture out for a little run with your 550