Had my test drive..
06-17-2005, 09:13 AM
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Last Wednesday I managed to get an M5 from the dealer for an hour to play around with.
What a machine! I'm talking about hitting 105 mph on a slip road, before hitting the A road and it does not let off at all.
Unfortunately it was wet, so I had to take it a bit easy. With traction control off there is wheelspin in almost every gear.
The electronic damper control works great, although on the hardest setting you can feel where all your organs are after a few minutes.
The one I drove didn't have the M-seats, which was a bit disappointing. The seats were good, but by far not as good as my comfort seats.
The Merino leather is not as nice as my Executive leather. This one had the full leather pack, but the only thing that was clad in leather more in this one than in my own one, is the little trim bit under the CD slots as far as I could see.
The engine is obviously the whole point of this car. It sounds absolutely fantastic! Especially when it revs up a bit when downshifting. Put a smile on my face every time it did that. It sounds like a dog barking.
This machine will definitely cost me my license...
On getting back in my own car however, it felt like a relief somehow. It is so much more comfortable. I guess it's the seats and the fact that I do not have the sports suspension but I do have the Dynamic Drive. It is a combination I can recommend to everybody.
So to conclude:
It is a great engine and a great car, but more as a toy than a tool. I don't think I could do or would want to do 30k miles per year in it.
Maintaince, fuel consumption, insurance costs and the price of the car itself will make this one twice as expensive per year compared to a 535d full options, and I do not think it is twice as good/nice as a full option 535d..
Most likely scenario now will be to trade in the X3 for a 911 or a Z4 as the toy, me getting a 535d as a tool and getting an old Defender for the dogs.
So at the moment I am more likely to get a 535d than an M5, but it sure was an experience.
What a machine! I'm talking about hitting 105 mph on a slip road, before hitting the A road and it does not let off at all.
Unfortunately it was wet, so I had to take it a bit easy. With traction control off there is wheelspin in almost every gear.
The electronic damper control works great, although on the hardest setting you can feel where all your organs are after a few minutes.
The one I drove didn't have the M-seats, which was a bit disappointing. The seats were good, but by far not as good as my comfort seats.
The Merino leather is not as nice as my Executive leather. This one had the full leather pack, but the only thing that was clad in leather more in this one than in my own one, is the little trim bit under the CD slots as far as I could see.
The engine is obviously the whole point of this car. It sounds absolutely fantastic! Especially when it revs up a bit when downshifting. Put a smile on my face every time it did that. It sounds like a dog barking.
This machine will definitely cost me my license...
On getting back in my own car however, it felt like a relief somehow. It is so much more comfortable. I guess it's the seats and the fact that I do not have the sports suspension but I do have the Dynamic Drive. It is a combination I can recommend to everybody.
So to conclude:
It is a great engine and a great car, but more as a toy than a tool. I don't think I could do or would want to do 30k miles per year in it.
Maintaince, fuel consumption, insurance costs and the price of the car itself will make this one twice as expensive per year compared to a 535d full options, and I do not think it is twice as good/nice as a full option 535d..
Most likely scenario now will be to trade in the X3 for a 911 or a Z4 as the toy, me getting a 535d as a tool and getting an old Defender for the dogs.
So at the moment I am more likely to get a 535d than an M5, but it sure was an experience.
06-18-2005, 08:49 AM
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My Ride: Collected Sept 2009 - BMW E90 M3, Silverstone II, Novillo Black leather, 19" M Double-Spoke alloys, High Beam Assist, Electronic Damper Control, Voice Control, PDC, USB, DAB, High Gloss Shadowline, Sliding armrest, Trim Finishing in aluminium grey.
Nice one 
So did u cancel your M5 order?
Haven't driven one yet (although hope to at some stage) and certainly couldn't afford the ?150000 premium for one in Ireland (plus the insurance cost that would probably require a re-mortgage, fuel consumption at a realistic 12 mpg and a queue of yobs arriving every night to try and relieve you of your loved one).
Even without driving one I surmised that the car would be hard to live with if you depended on it for everyday transport. Although I wonder how many people would buy one and use it everyday.
I think I'd agree with the 535d (and probably more so with the E90 335d when it arrives) that it may be the ultimate Q-car. A grin on every spin and be able to live with it as well.
So did u cancel your M5 order?
Haven't driven one yet (although hope to at some stage) and certainly couldn't afford the ?150000 premium for one in Ireland (plus the insurance cost that would probably require a re-mortgage, fuel consumption at a realistic 12 mpg and a queue of yobs arriving every night to try and relieve you of your loved one).
Even without driving one I surmised that the car would be hard to live with if you depended on it for everyday transport. Although I wonder how many people would buy one and use it everyday.
I think I'd agree with the 535d (and probably more so with the E90 335d when it arrives) that it may be the ultimate Q-car. A grin on every spin and be able to live with it as well.
06-19-2005, 12:55 AM
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Originally Posted by IrishEyes' date='Jun 18 2005, 05:49 PM
So did u cancel your M5 order?
[snapback]140728[/snapback]
06-19-2005, 03:04 AM
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My Ride: [i][b][u]Since 19 august 2004[/u][/b][/i]: [color=red][b]530i[/b] High Executive[/color], Silvergray with beige interior, Popular wood, Servotronic, Sportssuspension, electric foldable and dimmed mirrors, dimmed interior mirror, pappelmaser braun wood, cupholders, styling 123 18" wheels, Logic 7, Steptronic, alarm class 3, electric sunscreen in the rear and suncreens for sidewindows, Comfort seats, heated seats, Xenon with headlightwashers, Adaptive corner lights ALC, Advanced airconditioning, lightpackage, Nav Pro, 6 cd changer, side airbags rearseats, bluetooth siemens S55, chrome kidneys, gearlever with wood, voice recognition retrofit, front windshield with green band.
Waiting for trunkopener button from Hobi :)
C'mon Fred.. you forgat to call me to be your co-pilot!!!!! 
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