Need you guys again - fast advice on new 2016 M5 purchase required

[darrko]

Always wanted an M5....who doesn't?!.....so I got the closest thing I could purchase: the 2012 520d. Yeah long story, main factor was the Customs duty in my country which meant the 520d cost me around $130K. Yikes!

I just moved to the UK a month ago and I decided to get the 535i as I didn't want to get another diesel and really wanted to see what the fuss was all about on the straight-6. Visited the dealer, saw some numbers and as it turned out the 550i wasn't that far away from the 535i monthly payments. I gave them my list of options and the dealer then tells me my configured vehicle would be quite close to the M5 as far as monthly payments go. So here I am seriously considering the M5. Totally freaked out.

1. Please tell me its not too much of a beast to handle. I live just outside central London and will be doing the occasional driving around. I do not have a long commute. I really do want to drive all over Britain on the weekends and the in-frequent road trips through Europe with the family. Overkill? I am not a racer, I have no intentions of after-marker mods. I just want to enjoy this superb car that I have always admired and is now finally within my reach.

2. While I'm going almost all out on desired options, I keep thinking if its the right time to be investing in the F10 when the G30 is proverbially around the corner. My dealer says there is no chance of any orders before early 2017. Can anyone confirm either way? Even if the G30 is released end-2016 what would I be losing out in terms of tech and features? I like to have the latest tech in my car and I don't want to miss out on something awesome. I also get emotionally attached to my cars so I don't want to think about selling this one anytime soon. I still have my 520d back home!

3. LED adaptive headlights. Yay or nay? Can't decide. Is option "524 Adaptive headlights" the same as LED adaptive headlights?

4. I am getting what they call here the M Sports Plus package which includes 19" 351M, harmon/kardon system, M rear spoiler and sun protection glass. If I don't get this I can have the B&O sound system. How good is the B&O sound system? I have the BMW Professional system in my 520d and I think its great. Is B&O a tad too much? I'm not an audiophile but I can appreciate good speakers.

5. Upgrade to 20"? I don't want to NOT enjoy the drive because I went too big or too small. This is the only time I get to choose, I don't want to spend any further on any changes later on.

6. I love how the black kidney grilles look on the F10. I did the same with my 520d. Is there an option to have black kidneys directly? I changed mine later on.

7. Here is my selected list of options. Please advise what you think would be a waste and add what I might be missing and should get.

248 Steering wheel heating
2NK M Carbon ceramic brakes
2TX 20" M Double-spoke style 601M alloy wheels
316 Bootlid operation, powered
322 Comfort Access
3AG Reversing Assist camera
488 Lumbar support, driver and front pass.
496 Seat heating, rear
4MA M Multi-function seats, front
575 12V power sockets
5AG Lane change warning system
5DL Surround-view
688 Loudspeaker system - harman/kardon surround sound
6AK BMW Online Services
6AM Real Time Traffic Information
6AN Concierge Service
6AP Remote Services
6AR Internet
754 M rear spoiler
7MA Competition package
8TH Speed limit display
7S9 ConnectedDrive Services
223 Variable Damper Control (VDC)
2MK Seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) w/ DRIVELOGIC
2VB Tyre pressure monitoring
302 Alarm system (Thatcham 1)
403 Electric Glass Sunroof
423 Floor mats, velour
428 First Aid Kit & Triangle
430 Ext. mirrors - folding, auto dimming
431 Rear-view mirror, auto dimming
441 Smokers package
494 Seat heating, front
4L9 Aluminium Trace interior trim
4NB Air conditioning, automatic with four-zone control
4UR Ambient lighting
502 Headlight wash
508 Park Distance Control (PDC), front and rear
522 Xenon Headlights
524 Adaptive Headlights
5AC High-beam Assistant
609 Navigation system-BMW Professional Multimedia
610 Head-up Display
654 DAB digital radio
6AC BMW Emergency call
6AE BMW TeleServices
6NS Enhanced Bluetooth telephone with USB & Voice Control
760 Exterior trim, High-gloss Shadowline
775 Headlining, Anthracite

Thanks guys. I am in a hurry because I need to decide before the weekend as I am flying out on a trip and won't be back for another week. This might mean I could miss the confirmation for the slot that gives me the car by early Jan, so please help!

[ozbmwnut]

Remember one important thing...

YOU ARE A LONG TIME DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!

they are amazing cars. Provided your lease pays dont break the bank, i see no reason why you wouldnt treat yourself.

Go with your heart.

[bimmer-boy]

What colour are you getting too?

[darrko]

Thanks ozbmwnut, that's what I'm thinking too.

bimmer-boy I'm leaning towards Singapore Grey with either a light grey interior (Silverstone Merino or Individual Silk Grey) or maybe just black interior, although I think black interiors kinda "black out" the interior details. I'm not too adventurous so the Sakhir Orange and the classic Blue, although lovely to look at, are a bit too wild for me. The only thing that worries me is that my 520d is almost the same combination: Sophisto Grey with Oyster/Black. I'm honestly not too keen on the aluminum trim in the cabin as well. What do you suggest?

[DingolfingLove]

Lol.... I was in a similar position, but enough was enough of 535d's ! The touring was useful, but I will use a zip van for heavy lifting !

I collected my Singapore Grey last month and have done just over 1k - and have loved each one (even the occasional commute into town is made an experience by the engine sound alone).

I have 20' rims and they set the car off nicely. The Harmon Kardon is v good and unless you are really into high end hifi I wouldn't bother with the higher spec. The comfort access is great. Overall it's a beast, but you can reign it in with the family onboard. But even my daughters like the noise it makes... especially the pops and bangs in tunnels (done purely in the interest of running in and below 5.5k rpm of course)!

Ps the black interior is very functional for families/young kids - I don't mind a bit of black out, it lets you see the ambient lighting!

I've had alloy trim in both my previous F11's / the piano black is a nice change

[bimmer-boy]

Originally Posted by DingolfingLove

Lol.... I was in a similar position, but enough was enough of 535d's ! The touring was useful, but I will use a zip van for heavy lifting !

I collected my Singapore Grey last month and have done just over 1k - and have loved each one (even the occasional commute into town is made an experience by the engine sound alone).

I have 20' rims and they set the car off nicely. The Harmon Kardon is v good and unless you are really into high end hifi I wouldn't bother with the higher spec. The comfort access is great. Overall it's a beast, but you can reign it in with the family onboard. But even my daughters like the noise it makes... especially the pops and bangs in tunnels (done purely in the interest of running in and below 5.5k rpm of course)!

Lol well said

[bimmer-boy]

Originally Posted by darrko

Thanks ozbmwnut, that's what I'm thinking too.

bimmer-boy I'm leaning towards Singapore Grey with either a light grey interior (Silverstone Merino or Individual Silk Grey) or maybe just black interior, although I think black interiors kinda "black out" the interior details. I'm not too adventurous so the Sakhir Orange and the classic Blue, although lovely to look at, are a bit too wild for me. The only thing that worries me is that my 520d is almost the same combination: Sophisto Grey with Oyster/Black. I'm honestly not too keen on the aluminum trim in the cabin as well. What do you suggest?

Individual silk grey would be a nice touch

[DingolfingLove]

Ps unless you are tracking the car, I would avoid ceramics, as when you need discs, the bill will be eye watering - also unless you are tracking the car (think warranty!), you don't need them - the standard stoppers are great - so much better than my 535d and more feel.

Pps the next M5 won't be avilable until the end of 2017 & realistically 2018 - so just the right timing to then trade in for the new one!

[darrko]

Great advice, thanks guys!

I chose the ceramics because I always loved the way they look! I didn't think of them in the long run cost kinda way. What do normal brakes look like on the M5? And what kind of replacement cost are we talking about for the ceramics? If I'm not tracking and have an annual run of around 8,000 miles....how soon would I need replacement discs?

Also, how does the ambient look on a black interior? I always figured the black leather would absorb the light and the entire lighting effect would be a bit subdued. Am I wrong? So you have a black interior with piano black trim?

[TazOjla]

The ambient lighting is ok, I have a black interior and it's better than say the E60 but it's no Mercedes S-Class. Piano black is just a b*tch, granted it looks really good but if you've got an OCD on how your car looks then the amount of scratches it'll accumumlate will drive you mad. IMO if I was ordering the car I'd go with Singapore Grey/Imperial Blue with Amaro Brown interior. Having been in a car with Amaro Brown I instantly hated Black, it just gives the interior so much more life. Also save a few quid and don't bother with the powered bootlid, it's only fun for for the first 2 weeks haha

[GMT234]

My favourite things, apart from the amazing engine, are in no particular order, HUD with speed limit display too, all dancing adaptive lights, electric set adjust, seats are soooo comfy and prof nav. not sure which are standard out of these or options.

[darrko]

Noted on the powered boot, it was more of a "what the heck, why not?" kinda option. Now that you mention it, I don't see the utility beyond the novelty factor which I agree won't last longer than two weeks.

All the options you mentioned are standard I think, apart from the adaptive headlights.

[Nikolov]

Originally Posted by darrko

Great advice, thanks guys!

I chose the ceramics because I always loved the way they look! I didn't think of them in the long run cost kinda way. What do normal brakes look like on the M5? And what kind of replacement cost are we talking about for the ceramics? If I'm not tracking and have an annual run of around 8,000 miles....how soon would I need replacement discs?

Also, how does the ambient look on a black interior? I always figured the black leather would absorb the light and the entire lighting effect would be a bit subdued. Am I wrong? So you have a black interior with piano black trim?

Probably around 3,6k GBP per disc (front) and 3k per disc for the rears. These are the part numbers for the fronts, you can ask your dealership for a quote:

34112284801 - left
34112284801 - right

They do look great and they wear much slower than the normal brakes, but in terms of stopping power it's just the same as the regular brakes. Ceramics just don't overheat as regular brakes and since you said you don't race the car, you should be more than fine with the regular brakes. If you don't mind paying the extra cash just for looks, then by all means go for it

I would go for the LED headlights instead of CCB and ventilated/active seats as well.

[darrko]

Thanks Nicolov, great info. Can you please tell me what the normal brake look like? I didn't opt for the ventilated seats because I figured it's usually quite cold here in London anyway. Would I feel the need for these? Any other reason why you recommend them?

[ozbmwnut]

darrko, i have what you decribed. singapore grey, silverstone full leather. and piano black trim, a combination that i love.
However, be prepared to keep on top of keeping the leather clean. it will show every mark, which is fine if you are anal retentive like me. Also, the piano black shows every spec of dust, but looks magnifient when clean....

over to you, sir...

[darrko]

Whoa. Yeah I was thinking that about the piano black trim. I have the fineline anthracite in the 520d and that started showing scratches one week into the ownership, I can only imagine how difficult piano black would be to maintain. What other choices do I have anyway, all the normal wood veneers just wouldn't go with the M5 and I'm not too fond of the light aluminum trace trim. Any suggestions?

As for light leather, I agree as my oyster does need to be cleaned often as well.

[Nikolov]

Originally Posted by darrko

Thanks Nicolov, great info. Can you please tell me what the normal brake look like? I didn't opt for the ventilated seats because I figured it's usually quite cold here in London anyway. Would I feel the need for these? Any other reason why you recommend them?

This is what the regular brakes look like:



Regular brakes disks are smaller than CCB and all brake callipers are blue, regardless of what color the car is. Same as CCB calipers are always gold.

I guess ventilated seats might not be a priority with the weather over there, I always found it to be a nice option, since temps do go up here during the summer.

LED headlights are a must though, I consider it a crime to order Xenons on a LCI F10 In terms of light output I wouldn't call the LEDs an upgrade over Xenons, but they completely transform the looks of the car and the anti-glare feature is pretty cool. Here's a video explaining how it works:

[ozbmwnut]

Originally Posted by darrko

Whoa. Yeah I was thinking that about the piano black trim. I have the fineline anthracite in the 520d and that started showing scratches one week into the ownership, I can only imagine how difficult piano black would be to maintain. What other choices do I have anyway, all the normal wood veneers just wouldn't go with the M5 and I'm not too fond of the light aluminum trace trim. Any suggestions?

As for light leather, I agree as my oyster does need to be cleaned often as well.

i forgot that you said you had oyster now. Compared to that, silverstone might be easier to maintain.... i dont like any of the aluminium or timber finishes either, thats why i took the risk and went for piano black.. it truely is gorgeous IMHO.

[darrko]

Originally Posted by ozbmwnut

i forgot that you said you had oyster now. Compared to that, silverstone might be easier to maintain.... i dont like any of the aluminium or timber finishes either, thats why i took the risk and went for piano black.. it truely is gorgeous IMHO.

Got it, thanks!

[darrko]

Originally Posted by Nikolov

LED headlights are a must though, I consider it a crime to order Xenons on a LCI F10 In terms of light output I wouldn't call the LEDs an upgrade over Xenons, but they completely transform the looks of the car and the anti-glare feature is pretty cool. Here's a video explaining how it works:

Sold, sir

[darrko]

ozbmwnut, where can I see more photos of your M5? Do you have silver rims? I'm thinking of getting the black 20".

[DingolfingLove]

The black rims weren't for me - I have seen them on a black M4 and they look a bit too glossy/gangsta. I have 20' 343M's which look like they're anthracite in colour.

As for interior, mine is Black extended Merino and it is perfect (for me - accepted each to their own), as for Piano black, it is a matter of time before it gets scratched, but the alloy in the previous cars took a hammering from the wife's blingy handbags, and scratched alloy looked nasty.

I didn't really pay attention to what lights mine cam e with but they're Xenon/adaptive/with assistant - standard spec possibly? They are nice enough for me.

The wife likes the bootlid operation (as do the kids) & softclose doors are ideal for day-to-day family use. Folding rear seats were also a must for me (coming from Tourings).