mr_djurgarden

Congrats!!! I looks great!! I love your combo!! The msport package is great

Tommy

And now the break-in period has come to an end with +2500km on the tacho, the fun slowly starts, but with the sun shine last week-end, other fun is lurking around.

Pics all in the gallery

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?act=module...album&album=759

tegel

Tommy,
could you share some feelings and thoughts on your car? I have an e61 520d Step on order and I would like to hear some things from a fellow Steptronic small-diesel-traveller.

/M

BMW ///M 525xi

I didn't notice it before, but is it possible that you don't have the chrome grills??
It would be strange since the E60s now have the chrome grills right away with the ///M sports pack and since mine is from mid February and yours from the beginning of April, you should have them too...

Let me know please

tegel

Chrome grills and tail pipes only on 6-cylinder cars.
/M

Tommy

Yep - I was even thinking of having them exchange for entire gloss black, but that may be a bit too aggressive

BMW ///M 525xi

Ah i didn't know that from the 6 cilinder cars they automatically have chrome grills, i thought M packed E60s always had the chrome grills and that starting in 2006.

Well, i wouldn't go for gloss black, if i would change it. I kinda like the chrome grills with black surroundings for the (carbon) black cars

Tommy

Hi Martin,

I find the steptronic very smooth in gear change when put in the regular D. Even more smooth compared to an MB ( I have been an MB petrol driver for the past 10 years and this is my first diesel). The step is very well balanced to the 2 liter diesel power & torque. I only find a small hesitation in the acceleration from a stand-stil, like at traffic lights, and yes, that must be the turbolag. Then you get the small diesel feeling. Having said this, even the 530d suffers from this, but to a lesser degree. Test driving the 535d with the twin turbo indeed confirmed that it is posible to get rid of the turbo lag - that is a heck of a machine, but could not convince myself spending the extra money on just power.
I must say, the turbo lag does not disturb me when driving in D and I never get the impression that things don't move - all goes very smooth and swiftly and even when paying attention, I can't feel the gear change at all ( you have to put on the radio to mask the changing engine sound). Absolutely fantastic. And in D I also found that the step limits
In DS mode, the engine revs are kept up to a min of about 2000 revs, so if you drop below, there is a gear change. In this way the car can re-accelerate using its max torque and there is no turbo lag. But now I have noticed that the gear change is not always so smooth anymore when applying a normal driving style. When pushing the engine, the gear changes are more smooth and get you more to feeling in D mode. If you take your foot of the accellerator, then you will notice the step will start changing gears downwards to give you engine break.
An inconvenience I found, is when you have to go in reverse from DS, you have to remember to go first to D (to the right) before shifting the lever back to R. It requires you to be always aware if you are in D or DS and for me, this awareness is not always there as I change between D and DS depeding on the traffice conditions
Hence, I have not tried the manual mode very often. So far only a few times to preset the gear to prepare for taking over other vehicles. But the DS mode is so go that the fully manual mode seems not necessary under normal circumstance. Perhaps when going through a hilly or mountain area or perhaps in snow/ice conditions, the use of it is more applicable ( but none of that is around here for me).
Recently I went to Paris on a 900km round trip with the family (4 persons) and luggage. Even with the additional load, the car remains very swift and does not give me the feeling of being underpowered. In fact, the max speed gong from BMW comes in quite handy since you loose a bit contact with the outside world since the feeling of speed on a highway isn't there

With 4000 KM done so far, I can assure you, I have not regretted my choice for a second and I am sure that you will enjoy yours as well.

Congrats with your choice and waiting for delivery seems to be the worst about this car

Enjoy !

Tom

Tommy

Indeed, it does not match up very well with the carbon black;, unless a carbon black grill - but hey, I am fine with the front grill the way it is but today the E60 was kept in the garage as it is convertable day.