Quote:
Originally Posted by czarmar
To BMW NA, here's what your list of exec. package options do for me:
Heated Steering Wheel
• Heated rear seats - This option will get very minimal usage
• Power rear sunshade with rear manual side window shades - I'd rather tint my windows. The sunshades are easy to break, and in my old car, they create rattling headaches.
• Power tailgate - Nice to have, extra weight. I really like the premium package in the 528i that includes this feature. The 528i premium package is a lot of value for the cost.
• Active front seats - Extra weight
• BMW Apps - You still have to pay extra for the cradle, and BMW apps doesn't do a lot right now. I'd rather not take my phone out of my pocket anyways, except on longish trips.
• Front ventilated seats - Extra weight, harder to clean, not important to me
• Soft-close automatic doors - Extra weight
• Head-up Display - One of the useful options
• Smartphone Integration - Comes with BMW Apps
• 4-zone automatic climate control - very low usage
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My M5 would be a Tanzanite Blue exterior (wish they offered that normally like they do on the M6!!), Silverstone Full Merino, 20", HUD, maybe BMW Apps (for Pandora over USB, screw the cradle), and most agonizing decision of all, maybe manual transmission -- that's it. Neither package does anything for me, and while I do want Comfort Access, I'm not willing to pay for a package that has else nothing I'm interested in (besides HUD, which I'm getting anyway) and in fact adds features which for me would DETRACT from the value of the car. Most of those features add weight while offering little to no utility, and some of those features would be very expensive to repair/replace outside of warranty. As for the standalone options:
- Night vision is a gimmick
- B&O sounded practically identical to the standard-for-US "Premium Hi-Fi system" when I compared them
- Rear seat entertainment is more expensive and less functional than a pair of iPads
- Ceramic brakes are practically useless unless you plan to track, and seeing as they're not covered by Ultimate Service, you'd be looking at major cash when you wear them out or if you ever damage them (which is frighteningly easy to do). I think they'd actually damage resale value since prospective buyers wouldn't want to risk getting stuck with a $10K bill to change their front brakes shortly after taking ownership. Oh, and BMW even admits on the configurator that they will squeal on the street. Pass.