My new M5

[Bönz]

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.

[bronch]

Congratulations and really nice write up! But, I think you should post it here, so people don't have to go back and forth. Just copy and paste, you don't have to re-write the whole thing and posting the pics is no big deal, lol. Nice color too, I was torn between what I have and MCB. I agree about the LEDs and B&O. With my music on my phone or when I stream Deezer it sounds amazing for a car stereo. I messed around with the equalizer, but I'd be interested in your settings. Can you post a pic of the Eq? Coming from an E92 M3, this car just amazes me so far, it really defies physics how fleet of foot it is yet so big and heavy. I only have 300 miles, so haven't run it like I'd like to, but the acceleration and handling are impressive. Good luck, enjoy.

[cassidysdad]

nice choice
my 06 m5 had similar color trim
really looks beautiful
enjoy!

[E90potentialbuyer]

Really nicely done! Question for you - if you think the all black interior is too monotone and dark, why did you go with it? The Sycamore does make it stand out so that's good.

But thank you for the really nice writeup.

[Bönz]

Originally Posted by E90potentialbuyer

Really nicely done! Question for you - if you think the all black interior is too monotone and dark, why did you go with it? The Sycamore does make it stand out so that's good.

But thank you for the really nice writeup.

Thanks. To answer your question about interior color choice, I don't like the silver or the SO and I didn't want to pay $9500 for full individual leather. I'm actually loving the black, with the Sycamore and B&O. No issues.

[POBA]

Originally Posted by Bönz

Thanks. To answer your question about interior color choice, I don't like the silver or the SO and I didn't want to pay pay $9500 for full individual leather. I'm actually loving the black, with the Sycamore and B&O. No issues.

+1

[E90potentialbuyer]

Originally Posted by Bnz

Thanks. To answer your question about interior color choice, I don't like the silver or the SO and I didn't want to pay $9500 for full individual leather. I'm actually loving the black, with the Sycamore and B&O. No issues.

Great. I think the black in M5 looks better in person having sat in one a few days ago.

She's a beauty. Congrats again

[Hasser]

I just picked up that interior trim off eBay for £175!!! Bargain price.
I like it inside with my black leather, but the wife hates it. She thinks I should go back to the aluminium trim.
Exterior colour is alpine white.

[nynd]

Originally Posted by Hasser

I just picked up that interior trim off eBay for £175!!! Bargain price.
I like it inside with my black leather, but the wife hates it. She thinks I should go back to the aluminium trim.
Exterior colour is alpine white.

Go Carbon - looks more rich and rightfully so as it costs a hell of a lot more.. lol

[Bönz]

Originally Posted by bronch

Congratulations and really nice write up! But, I think you should post it here, so people don't have to go back and forth. Just copy and paste, you don't have to re-write the whole thing and posting the pics is no big deal, lol. Nice color too, I was torn between what I have and MCB. I agree about the LEDs and B&O. With my music on my phone or when I stream Deezer it sounds amazing for a car stereo. I messed around with the equalizer, but I'd be interested in your settings. Can you post a pic of the Eq? Coming from an E92 M3, this car just amazes me so far, it really defies physics how fleet of foot it is yet so big and heavy. I only have 300 miles, so haven't run it like I'd like to, but the acceleration and handling are impressive. Good luck, enjoy.

These are the settings I am using. I did this listing to rock music at a pretty high volume on satellite. But overall, I find it works okay with various sources at different volumes.

[bronch]

Originally Posted by Bönz

These are the settings I am using. I did this listing to rock music at a pretty high volume on satellite. But overall, I find it works okay with various sources at different volumes.

Thanks for doing that. Sat radio is pretty bad compared to other streaming services. Right now I'm using Deezer which is pretty good at 1411 kbps, compared to something like Spotify which is 320 kbps and Sat radio much less than that. You can clearly hear the difference. There's a new service called Tidal that also streams at higher bit rate, but haven't checked it out. I listen to AM sports radio and ESPN a lot of the time when I drive to work and it pisses my wife off having this higher end car stereo and listening to sports radio, lol.

[E90potentialbuyer]

Originally Posted by bronch

Thanks for doing that. Sat radio is pretty bad compared to other streaming services. Right now I'm using Deezer which is pretty good at 1411 kbps, compared to something like Spotify which is 320 kbps and Sat radio much less than that. You can clearly hear the difference. There's a new service called Tidal that also streams at higher bit rate, but haven't checked it out. I listen to AM sports radio and ESPN a lot of the time when I drive to work and it pisses my wife off having this higher end car stereo and listening to sports radio, lol.

I used to listen to a lot of NPR / classical whenever I drove... Until I got married. It switched to pop. Then we had a baby and it switched to nursery rhymes. So I hear you.