DRIVE's Cars of the Year 2012

[Mperial]

I usually appreciate and respect what the guys at DRIVE have to say but in this segment, it's hard to believe they've even driven the F10. Matt Farah thinks AMG are now more exciting than M and calls the performance "muted", really?
Granted, Chris Harris wasn't present for this and he has reviewed the F10 twice in the past year and was impressed with the improvements from the E60. Typically, I don't care what reviewers have to say about a car that I drive everyday but this bit on the M5 just smacked of serious ignorance on their part.


M5 "reviewed" at about 10:15

[stealth.pilot]

Sorry but AMG are old men's cars. That sloooow single clutch transmission and the poor turn in steering kill it for me.

[RPiM5]

Ok, so I can understand their sentiments if we are strictly talking about stock M5's and stock AMG's. Yes it is undeniably true, the AMG's do not have Active Sound Design, and their exhausts are designed by Eisenmann, and they have bigger displacement engines, even on their turbo cars. So while their comment about the F10 M5 being "muted" does have real merit (again talking about a stock M5 here), I still think they fail to account for everything else the M5 does better within the segment, like handling, comfort, technology, rear wheel drive, Active M Differential, the ///M DCT, etc etc. I think what they refer to as missing, is just the NA engine sound and feeling from what an ///M car used to be.

I wouldn't go as far as to to say that ///M and AMG have switched though. At least I don't feel this way. I will say this though, as far as AMG goes, they have really started to innovate. They were essentially the ones who invented the 4 door coupe concept. Now they are bringing idea to a new segment with their upcoming CLA45 AMG, which in my opinion looks fantastic inside and out. I mean the CLA45 AMG has the most powerful 4cyl turbo engine in stock form to date. That engine combined with a real DCT and AWD in the CLA45 AMG, is going to give BMW some real competition. I just hope that BMW ///M answers it well with an ///M2 Gran Coupe but that won't be around for years to come.

Let the debate begin!

Oh yeah, and I will agree that the new Porsche Boxter is pretty badass.

[bmellion]

That's why you buy an M6 instead...

[wisesoul]

X5 M more exciting? Damn did they dislike the Active Sound so much as to say something that preposterous? This gen M5 is definitely a hit or miss with people. I've driven the new AMGs (E63TT) and the only thing I can imagine they describe as exciting would be the exhaust note. Not a fan of big bodied AMGs dynamically to be honest.

[ufgtrs2007]

HMMMM.....I don't think anyone of us bought this car because we want to pull up somewhere and be noticed, even though this car does illicit stares and thumbs up. Does it look too much like a 5-series M sport? Sure, but that's what I love about this M5, it's a sleeper super sedan with executive road presence.

[Netwon]

Originally Posted by ufgtrs2007

HMMMM.....I don't think anyone of us bought this car because we want to pull up somewhere and be noticed, even though this car does illicit stares and thumbs up. Does it look too much like a 5-series M sport? Sure, but that's what I love about this M5, it's a sleeper super sedan with executive road presence.

Exactly... Although I love the idea of a loud exhaust in my province with a $25000 CAD max speeding fine and the ability to lose ones license with 3 stunting tickets being sen and not heard is not a bad thing!

[Netwon]

Originally Posted by ufgtrs2007

HMMMM.....I don't think anyone of us bought this car because we want to pull up somewhere and be noticed, even though this car does illicit stares and thumbs up. Does it look too much like a 5-series M sport? Sure, but that's what I love about this M5, it's a sleeper super sedan with executive road presence.

Exactly... Although I love the idea of a loud exhaust in my province with a $25000 CAD max speeding fine and the ability to lose ones license with 3 stunting tickets being sen and not heard is not a bad thing!

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by Netwon

Exactly... Although I love the idea of a loud exhaust in my province with a $25000 CAD max speeding fine and the ability to lose ones license with 3 stunting tickets being sen and not heard is not a bad thing!

Seriously?! A $25,000 speeding fine? Remind me to never visit Canada in my M5. I hit 126mph just today for fun after work. Lol!

[greentrbo95gst]

AMG has gone a long way, but one thing hasnt changed. They are still very much about straight line performance rather than handling.
Who remembers when 03 e55 AMG came out and it was spanking a lot of cars out there with just BPU?

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by greentrbo95gst

AMG has gone a long way, but one thing hasnt changed. They are still very much about straight line performance rather than handling.
Who remembers when 03 e55 AMG came out and it was spanking a lot of cars out there with just BPU?

Yeah cause it made 518tq from its Supercharged V8. An amount of torque never before seen in a sports sedan before. Handled like garbage though.

[Netwon]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Seriously?! A $25,000 speeding fine? Remind me to never visit Canada in my M5. I hit 126mph just today for fun after work. Lol!

$12000 ticket for going 164 mph

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by Netwon

$12000 ticket for going 164 mph

Damn! You were not kidding!

Why even own an M5 or any car capable of 200mph or 330kph, in such a country like Canada then with such ludicrous traffic fines? Unless money is no object. That makes no sense to me. I would gladly be driving a Honda Fit if I lived there. Lol!

(Why do I get the feeling I just opened up a can of worms? Let the "you shouldn't be speeding on public roadways anyways" flaming on me begin ).

[Mperial]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Ok, so I can understand their sentiments if we are strictly talking about stock M5's and stock AMG's. Yes it is undeniably true, the AMG's do not have Active Sound Design, and their exhausts are designed by Eisenmann, and they have bigger displacement engines, even on their turbo cars.

No argument here. AMG has come a long way and I can appreciate another car without having to justify or defend mine against every negative comment. Let's be honest here; there is no perfect car and there never will be. However, Matt was describing the performance being 'muted' not the sound...Frankly, I didn't buy the M5 because of its sound or lack thereof but because of the positive elements that I think exceed other cars which you listed in your post.