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      04-11-2015, 05:09 PM   #1
Bönz
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My new M5

Hi all. I promised pictures and a review. For pictures go here:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...20#post9020120

This is my initial impression of my new (leased) 2015 M5. Keep in mind I have only driven about 500 miles and I am adhering to the break-in schedule. I am coming off a DSB F13 2012 650i (CB, full leather interior) and will draw the occasional comparison. This report is pretty much my opinion. Take it for what it’s worth.

The spec: I custom ordered this car in MCB metallic, full black (Merino) leather, individual Dark Red Sycamore wood trim, 20” 343M wheels (silver), B&O, Executive package and enhanced BT. I went with the individual wood to make the interior pop a bit, as all the black can get a little dour. It works. The wood is beautiful and was worth the time and money. I hope the pictures do it justice. I am also glad the M5 has a sun roof (unlike the M6) as it lets in some light on would could be a pretty dark interior. The interior fit, finish and leather quality are beyond reproach. It may not be as stylish as the swoopy 6er, given the way the dash blends into the console, but it is an extremely pleasant place to be, despite all the black. It’s nice to have an Alcantara headliner again as I skipped this on my 650, but did have it on my E39 M5.

Now the important stuff: I love this effin car! I feel in control, secure and comfortable. This thing is tight! It is as solid as if it’s cut from a steel billet. In comfort mode the suspension is firm but never jarring (no RFTs on this baby). The longer wheel base (compared to 6), I am sure, contributes to the smooth ride, but all the various suspension, transmission, steering and throttle settings really imbue the M5 with multiple personalities – which is what I wanted. This is one of the reasons I didn’t go with the CP. I like the ability to switch from luxury sedan to pavement pounder at the push of a button. The gulf between the most comfortable and most aggressive settings seems to be more significant than that in the 6 series which enhances the bipolar nature of this car.

The MDCT has 3 levels each for D (automatic) and S (sequential/manual) modes compared to 11 total on the E92 M3 I had. But overall it is a vastly improved unit. The comfort settings are as smooth as the ZF 8, but when accelerating aggressively in position 3, the shifts bang off with neck snapping quickness (and that’s at part throttle – like I said, I’m driving pretty sedately). Speaking of necks (yeah, weird segue I know), the seats are vastly superior to the 6 series. Even though the adjustability is the same, they are more comfortable and supportive (mainly due to the bigger bolsters). They are also better looking seats IMO. I also prefer the newly designed thigh support which sort of unrolls under your legs instead of a flat piece that extends. This design eliminates the gap between the seat cushion and the thigh extension which used to bother me.

I haven’t had much opportunity to throw this beast around any corners, bends or ramps. For one thing, it hasn’t stopped raining since I took delivery and for another the tires are still a bit greasy from their production. But I can say that the hydraulic steering feel is much better than the electric system in the (non-X drive) 6ers. It has road feel; perhaps not as much as the E39 M5 did (or does) but more than the 650i. My M5 came with the Pirelli P Zeros. A great tire no doubt, but I was hoping for the Michelin PSS. I think the Michelins have longer life and they score better in Tire Rack testing. But I don’t intent to track this car and I’m sure the Zeros will be fine for a DD.

Moving on to other things: It is nice to have the power open and close trunk, but I did discover one advantage to the concealed back-up camera on the 6er. It’s protected from rain. I could barely see one rainy morning, backing into my parking space at work. A lot of rain renders the camera almost useless. I’ll try a little of my Klasse on the lens so it sheets water to see if there’s an improvement. The power door closers will still take some getting used to. I forget about this feature and slam the doors anyway. But when I do remember, it’s cool to just barely push/pull the door closed and let the mechanism take over. This would have been nice on my 6er with the bigger heavier doors.

I have read a lot about the B&O in these forums without any real convincing opinions. The main reason I opted for it was that I didn’t have it in my 650i. With proper tweaking it does certainly sound a little better, depending on source and volume, etc. It most definitely looks better. Those machined aluminum grills are fantastic and also add some sparkle to the almost monochromatic interior. Is it worth the money? Hard to say conclusively, but I’m leasing, so to me, yes.

The new LED headlights are great. I had LEDs on my 6, but these are the new improved version that will be coming with the 6 series LCI. The detail on the reflectors, especially the bottom surface, is beautiful (see pic). The white eyebrow turn indicator, blinks with yellow LEDs. This is the set where the high beams are on the top of BOTH projectors and the dip beams are the lower half. Very cool effect.

The thick rimmed steering wheel is perfect both functionally and aesthetically. It’s great to look out over it and see the multicolored head up display. What a great feature, but now I have to get non-polarized sunglasses. In the meantime I tilted the HUD to the left and turned up the brightness. This allows me to see it pretty well. I do wish ceramic controls were available. I had them in my 6 and they add a classy touch. Regarding the latest iDrive; it is much nicer than what I had in my 2012. The new features and graphics are great, but I still know my way around easily. The larger touch knob is a fun feature, but its larger size makes it more difficult to hit the adjacent buttons. A very, very minor annoyance. The finger writing feature functions well and can easily read my scrawl even when driving.

The attached photos are after one coat of Klasse Sealant Glaze. I decided to stick with my acrylic based Klasse / Sonus regimen instead of going ceramic. It may not last as long, but I am familiar with it, the products are fantastic, look great and are easy to use. I don’t mind the work as I find it cathartic. The glass is polished with Klasse All-In-One and the tires are dressed with Sonus Tire Gel. After every wash I use Sonus Acrylic Glanz to maintain that just polished look.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.

Last edited by Bönz; 04-11-2015 at 08:57 PM..
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      04-11-2015, 05:51 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bnz
Hi all. I promised pictures and a review, it's all posted here:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...20#post9020120

This was easier than trying to repost all the pictures here again.
Congratulations on the new toy. Excellent write up. Looking forward to hearing a few more comparison between your new car vs the out going car.
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      04-11-2015, 09:26 PM   #3
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Congrats and enjoy.
Keep in touch.
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      04-12-2015, 01:05 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bönz View Post
... individual Dark Red Sycamore wood trim ... I went with the individual wood to make the interior pop a bit, as all the black can get a little dour.
We ordered that trim in our B6 for the same reason. We saw it in a B6 at a dealership and fell in love with it.

Great write-up, and I agree with some of the annoyances of the 6er.

Have fun with the new addition!
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      05-02-2015, 10:56 PM   #5
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That link to bimmerfest did not work!

Congrats Bonz - you are a brave man sticking with a RWD car where you live

What are you going to do for winter?
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      05-03-2015, 12:59 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doug_999 View Post
That link to bimmerfest did not work!

Congrats Bonz - you are a brave man sticking with a RWD car where you live

What are you going to do for winter?
doug, I think it's time for you to give it a chance and to be "a brave man" too
Trust me, with Active M Differential you will be safe even on icy roads...
You may want to read this article:

Tuning of the Active M differential is performed hand in hand with that of the chassis and the control systems, such as the DSC. All in all, it is a repetitive process. The responsible engineers conduct their testing activities jointly. The interplay of the individual systems is optimised as they are developed. Our tests are conducted on a variety of tracks under widely differing conditions, such as in Northern Sweden in winter and on the Nürburgring in summer.


http://www.bmwblog.com/2014/08/06/bm...-differential/
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      05-03-2015, 01:14 AM   #7
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Doug, also you may be surprised watching this:

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      05-03-2015, 05:46 AM   #8
Bönz
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Yup. I am just going to get a good performance winter wheel/tire set. I take off in second gear when the roads haven't been plowed and work from home if things are really icy.
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      05-03-2015, 08:53 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M6-Coupe View Post
doug, I think it's time for you to give it a chance and to be "a brave man" too
Trust me, with Active M Differential you will be safe even on icy roads...
Ah, I actually had RWD for all of my life until 2011 with my X6 (well there was a Civic Si in there - so one FWD car).

I had no problem with any of them - but now I have seen the dark side and I like. For instance..
There is a slight hill I go up on my way to work, with a stop sign at the top. The road I need to cross is somewhat busy in the morning. If it is raining, snowing, or anything in between (anything but dry), with the RWD car, you need to carefully plan your attack. With AWD? Just press the gas and go - even with being on a slight incline.

Same thing with leaving work... I turn onto a 35mph road. Same thing, any kind of weather and it was always a bit scary with the RWD. That traction control kicks in and you now have a car barreling down on you while you feather the throttle praying they don't take you out.

And... to top it all off? We have crappy weather here in Chicago more often than we have nice weather. So in the end, while I did 25 years of driving with a RWD car, I really didn't know what I was missing until 2011...

Sorry for the threadjack Bonz!
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      05-03-2015, 10:24 AM   #10
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No worries Doug. I already wrote my review.

I find it better in slippery conditions to turn off traction control so I can control the wheel spin, like the good ol' days. This actually gives me more control, stronger acceleration and eliminates the "com'on move" factor.
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      05-03-2015, 10:28 AM   #11
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I saw the M5 video in winter wonderland.
The goal for most of us however is not a well controlled skid thru every turn. Growing up and learning to drive in Vt. I have some winter driving skills but I'm more relaxed, esp with the Mrs. in the car, when the x-drive keeps us going straight.
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