ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I've just swapped our euro-barge...a 530d SE GT for a 535d Luxury GT.

Nothing much wrong with the old car....bar the ride quality on anything but a smooth road. The replacement car has adaptive drive and 19" wheels. The old one didn't and had 20" wheels. To be frank have been looking at other cars for ages just to find something as big that rides well ( CLS shooting brake being top of the list )

Anyhoo, problem solved: The ride and handling is like two totally different cars, forget about runflat ride issues, if you have no spare tyre (or space for one) and don't like the idea of being stranded after a blow out - this is the solution with no shadow of a doubt.

Granted its a £2.5K option, but IMO every high spec BMW should have adaptive dampers fitted as standard. I mean they could let it slip on a 320d, but on higher class cars like the 335 or 530..or even M135i - its obvious the driver has bought it for performance and handling, not for economy. So comfort should also be added to that criteria.

Its also got a load more extras....These days its actually very hard to find any second hand BMW with this amount of extras specified whilst still including the adaptive dampers/suspension (that's also correctly listed on the advert ). That little switch to the right of the gear lever having a "comfort" option as opposed to "normal" or "eco-pro" makes the world of difference. I should have done this sooner (if I could find a car with it without buying new).

I'm not unfamiliar with poverty-spec Beamers....I remember the days when they were one of the last companies to have manual windows as standard fitment, but in all those cases it never affected how the car drove or handled (bar the obvious M-sport and various wheel sizes).

Seems odd when they once claimed to be the "ultimate driving machine". Far from it these days...unless you check the spec-sheet carefully and tick the extras on the options list correctly.

Carnut

I've just been reading TG magazine with Clarkson saying how the stig said the new M3/M4 is s**t which Clarkson agreed with. They are talking about track driving with the elec steering etc although Clarkson does also say that as a road car it is marvellous. It would seem the DNA has been replaced with electronics though.

I'm not sure this matters to the people who actually buy these cars as after all, they are used as road cars and sold as such. It's just I like the idea that when any M car/sports car is built they design a chassis that can handle well and manage the power with no elec aids then when mastered they add the elecs to build in a saftey margin. I'm not sure this is the done thing though these days and suspect that they are designed from day one with the electronics at the front of there mind and build the car around the elec steering etc.

Still not sure it matters when the end product is as good as it is

Dingdongler

My previous car, a F10 535d MSport on 19s, was without doubt the worst riding and handling car I have owned or driven in the last 15 years.It was shockingly bad. I endured it for three years because I bought brand new and specced it highly and so had to even out the depreciation.

It's really put me off the brand
It's

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

To be honest, now I'm past the honeymoon period on my E92 330D, the hardness of the ride and indeed tram lining from the Continental runflats is irritating me. That's only on 17" wheels too, one thing that put me off purchasing one with 18/19" wheels. I would much prefer said larger wheels with softer, non-runflat tyres.

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

Even my 10 year old Peugeot 607 (it's a long story, but mostly bought as cut-price stop-gap for ferrying relatives and other acquaintances in greater comfort and relative quiet than the aging scoob ) has adaptive ride, so it does seem quite strange that a so-called premium brand such as BMW doesn't offer this as standard on all but their absolute bottom of the range models.

john banks

I have fond memories of driving the E60 M5 and passengering in the E39 5 series and M5. All have wonderful ride and handling, when they were fresh at least.

Dingdongler

My E60 M5 had no such issues, it's ride was firm but compliant, exactly what you would expect from a sports saloon. If it hit a pothole you would feel it but the car remained composed.

In the F10 if you hit the same pothole the car basically bottoms out and loses all composure.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I'm inclined to agree...an F10 and F07 without the adaptive dampers rides nowhere near as good as the e60 and e39 predecessors (so long as it wasn't tired and worn out).

But WITH adaptive dampers, different story.

Its a big improvement, its what the car should have been in the first place. I can't believed I suffered 3years without it. Every BMW should have this fitted as standard IMO (or at least ever BMW with runflats, at least).

The thing is, as soon as I'm off the Eurotunnel in Calais, the road and consequent ride is noticeably better.....and thats the only reason why I tolerated the last car, because when driving in Europe it was OK. Maybe BMW need to do more pre-production testing in the UK.