My 2006 530i SMG has arrived!
04-19-2005, 02:22 PM
#1
Members
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My 2006 E60 arrived last Thursday and I took delivery on Saturday. Overall I had an excellent experience with my dealer. They kept me updated regularly on production and delivery status. Pricing was decent though I suppose I could have done better by haggling more. Delivery was great - it was the 3rd trip for me with the same sales representative. They even found better financing since BMW FS is only offering 6.5% or more for 60 month traditional loans.
The following is my amateur report of various characteristics of the overall driving experience:
Performance - the new 255bhp I-6 feels far beefier than previous E60 530i SMG models that I have driven in the past. While I haven't performed any 0-60mph acceleration tests yet, the low end torque effortlessly pushes past nearly anything short of the super tuned M and AMG on the street. I was noticeably pushed far back into my seat when I floored it this afternoon at a stop light.
Ride - the 18" run flats are smooth and well suited to this car. Highway on- and off-ramps at 50 mph are good but if there's any sand or rough pavement, there is a little slippage. Comfort seats are the way to go - the head rest (as opposed to head restraint) plus the shoulder adjustment make you feel like the seat is actually gripping you. Unfortunately for me, my 10 week old son likes the bumps and bounces that one may expect of the back seat. He cries because it's too smooth. I'm finding myself looking for bumpy parts of the road to satisfy him.
SMG - the advice I've gotten from the various posts on this board were invaluable in helping my SMG learning curve. My wife claims that she can hardly notice that she's not in an automatic based on the .3-.5 second throttle release delay that I now execute after an SMG upshift. As everyone has claimed, the downshifting from 5-3 or even from 5-2 are enough reason to consider this transmission the best of all worlds. Automatic mode is a little choppy but will work in a pinch.
Bluetooth - my Verizon V710 paired with the car but had some initial problems maintaining a connection. I remembered some advice from an earlier post about requiring a new firmware update for the V710 to get the E60 to work with the phone. This was good advice - I went Sunday to the local Verizon shop and had them update the firmware - sync like a charm. I can now leave the phone clipped to my belt, sit in my car, and if someone calls, the caller ID + name (if loaded in my phone's address book) are displayed on the i-drive display. Sound quality is good but the E60's microphone could use a little tuning as some callers experienced some initial delay in my speech. (ex: count from 1 to 10 with one second between numbers and you'll experience a 50-100ms delay in the mic response.
The following are the photos I took of it on Sunday. Let me know if there's anything in particular of which you would like a close-up.
The following is my amateur report of various characteristics of the overall driving experience:
Performance - the new 255bhp I-6 feels far beefier than previous E60 530i SMG models that I have driven in the past. While I haven't performed any 0-60mph acceleration tests yet, the low end torque effortlessly pushes past nearly anything short of the super tuned M and AMG on the street. I was noticeably pushed far back into my seat when I floored it this afternoon at a stop light.
Ride - the 18" run flats are smooth and well suited to this car. Highway on- and off-ramps at 50 mph are good but if there's any sand or rough pavement, there is a little slippage. Comfort seats are the way to go - the head rest (as opposed to head restraint) plus the shoulder adjustment make you feel like the seat is actually gripping you. Unfortunately for me, my 10 week old son likes the bumps and bounces that one may expect of the back seat. He cries because it's too smooth. I'm finding myself looking for bumpy parts of the road to satisfy him.
SMG - the advice I've gotten from the various posts on this board were invaluable in helping my SMG learning curve. My wife claims that she can hardly notice that she's not in an automatic based on the .3-.5 second throttle release delay that I now execute after an SMG upshift. As everyone has claimed, the downshifting from 5-3 or even from 5-2 are enough reason to consider this transmission the best of all worlds. Automatic mode is a little choppy but will work in a pinch.
Bluetooth - my Verizon V710 paired with the car but had some initial problems maintaining a connection. I remembered some advice from an earlier post about requiring a new firmware update for the V710 to get the E60 to work with the phone. This was good advice - I went Sunday to the local Verizon shop and had them update the firmware - sync like a charm. I can now leave the phone clipped to my belt, sit in my car, and if someone calls, the caller ID + name (if loaded in my phone's address book) are displayed on the i-drive display. Sound quality is good but the E60's microphone could use a little tuning as some callers experienced some initial delay in my speech. (ex: count from 1 to 10 with one second between numbers and you'll experience a 50-100ms delay in the mic response.
The following are the photos I took of it on Sunday. Let me know if there's anything in particular of which you would like a close-up.
04-19-2005, 03:15 PM
#3
Contributors
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: San Luis Obispo, California
Posts: 1,032
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2007 Titanium Gray 550i, with sport, nav, HUD, Logic7, sat radio, cold weather, rear side airbags, rear seat heaters, and it goes like a bat outta hell!
Sweet ride....congratulations........I'm thinking SMG for my 550 
04-19-2005, 03:32 PM
#4
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Francisco Bay area
Posts: 2,882
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: '05 545i, silver gray, black leather with anthracite maple wood, sport package, premium sound, navigation, cold weather package, electric rear sunshade, folding rear seat, satellite radio prep, PIAA 4150K fogs, red rear reflectors, hardwired Valentine One
Congrats--enjoy!
04-19-2005, 04:47 PM
#6
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: So Cal, USA
Posts: 14,776
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 545iSMGSilver GrayAuburn Dakota LeatherLogic 7 Premium SoundSports Package
NICE! Congrats!
Picture 7 Sirius or CD Text. I know its not MP3. Guessing Sirius. 
Picture 7 Sirius or CD Text. I know its not MP3.
Guessing Sirius.
04-19-2005, 04:59 PM
#8
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Singapore
Posts: 2,926
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 530iA Silver Grey , black interior. Premium Package, Navigation System, Head-up Display, Radio Satellite, Adaptive Xenon Headlights. AC Schnitzer Front Lip, H&R springs, Rear red reflector, All season Floor mat,
WoW!! I think you are the first person to get the 2006 models with SMG.. 
04-19-2005, 05:27 PM
#9
Members
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by noonehome' date='Apr 19 2005, 07:38 PM
In picture # 7 - Is that Sirius or MP3?
[snapback]117323[/snapback]
04-19-2005, 05:31 PM
#10
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: So Cal, USA
Posts: 14,776
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 545iSMGSilver GrayAuburn Dakota LeatherLogic 7 Premium SoundSports Package
Originally Posted by GenoInDC' date='Apr 19 2005, 05:27 PM
[quote name='noonehome' date='Apr 19 2005, 07:38 PM']In picture # 7 - Is that Sirius or MP3?
[snapback]117323[/snapback]
[snapback]117378[/snapback]
[/quote]Oh ya... not out till Sept for NAV cars...