M5POST
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   M5POST - BMW M5 Forum > F10 M5 Forum > BMW M5 (F10) General Forum

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      09-01-2012, 11:04 PM   #1
dkoren
Private
2
Rep
65
Posts

Drives: F10 M5 - 6spd
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Alexandria, VA

iTrader: (0)

Finally got to put some miles on my car - a review

Now that I’ve put nearly 150 miles on the M5 I feel I can safely give my thoughts on the car.

First a quick rundown of how my car is equipped. 6spd Manual, Executive Package, Driver Assistance Package, B&O Sound System, and 20” wheels.
First Impression: In short, it’s a very easy and fun car to drive. As many have said the power on tap at such low RPM is very accessible. I honestly haven’t noticed the turbo lag but I also haven’t really put my foot down yet. Damn that break in period.

Transmission: I went with the manual option and frankly I don’t regret it at all now that I have driven the car. The car responds nicely to the manual, it feels natural in the car not really an afterthought at all. I haven’t driven a manual on a regular basis in nearly 4 years and picking it back up I’m already smoother than I ever was on my M6 with the SMG. I can see where the dual clutch will be faster for the average driver, I know it would be faster for me, but frankly I’m fast enough with the manual for any driving I’ll ever do with this car. I have seen a few reviews that have noted that the throws are a bit long, I do agree here, they could be a bit shorter but again it’s not too bad honestly. That would be my one “complaint” if I had to pick one. In contrast I think my favorite feature is the rev match on down shift (comfort and sport) and the ability to remove it (sport plus). Having the option to turn it off lets me be lazy when I have the family in the car and have more fun when I’m alone.

Ride and Handling: Having the adjustable suspension will come in handy when I have passengers in the car. Most of my driving thus far has been in sport or sport plus modes for all the options. Even in sport mode the construction around the beltway didn’t feel half bad, I suspect the comfort mode would even it out even more. I was a bit shocked by this, given that my car is equipped with 20” wheels I was expecting a bit more of a jolt going over some of the bumps in the pavement. The handling is typical BMW M in the corners and the car feels nicely planted even in the rain. Once again I can’t wait to get out of the break in period and really get to some back roads to have some fun. The biggest thing that struck me is that for such a large car it feels small when you drive it. When I drove my M6 I could always somewhat tell I was driving a 17’ long car. The Sport Plus steering mode feels very very crisp, I can see this being the way I drive the car on a daily basis.

Interior: The materials, fit and finish, and the ergonomics of the F10 blow away the e63. I have much more of a feeling of being in a cockpit than I did in the e63. Controls are all in easy reach and seem to all be in a logical position. For example, having the PDC switch by the gearshift is nice when pulling in to a garage or a tight space. The plethora of options in the car do make for more buttons than I usually care for however. I suspect I’ll get used to it as many are turn on once and forget about, for example the HUD.

B&O Sound System: Another option that I was worried about when I ordered. Again I’m very happy with my choice. Unfortunately I don’t have a “standard” one to compare it against. I would say that the B&O is an upgrade over the Logic7 in my old M6.

Updated Idrive: Wow what a difference. The response times are noticeably better. The menus look fantastic and the animations top off the look very well. Over all the feel of idrive hasn’t changed much between revisions and in my book this is a good thing. I was able to find all of my options quickly and efficiently since I was used to the “old” idrive. The voice commands are improved from what I can tell. I haven’t played much with the voice yet, since who wants to play with voice control when you can drive. This update visually is a nice evolution to idrive and I suspect the added features are as well.

Final Thoughts: The E63 M6 on startup sounded like a beast that you rudely woke, loud roar followed buy muttering under its breath about the various ways it was going to kill you. Driving the M6 always felt like you were on the edge, even if you wanted to just go to dinner. I don't get that same feeling from the M5, sure I get the loud roar but then it quiets down. I get the feeling that it's still plotting to kill me but probably not by trying to bite my head off. The F10 M5 feels much more refined, it doesn’t seem quite as on the edge 100% of the time. I’m looking forward to the post break in period to give it that push to see how it feels closer to the edge. The M5 seems to be the ideal mix for me, ample power, great handling, fun to drive when I’m on the back roads, and yet still has the ability to be a quiet cruiser when needed so that my wife won’t cringe when I suggest taking my car out to dinner.

I think the best review I can give it would be to simply quote my wife after she picked it up from the dealer this week. "So you bought this car for me right?"
Appreciate 0
      09-02-2012, 06:58 AM   #2
727jbh
Lieutenant
727jbh's Avatar
United_States
15
Rep
593
Posts

Drives: 2020 M8 GC Donington Grey
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Florida

iTrader: (0)

Nice review and congrats!!
Appreciate 0
      09-02-2012, 09:13 AM   #3
M5 Orthodox
Private
8
Rep
67
Posts

Drives: 2013 F10 M5
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Huntington, WV

iTrader: (0)

The E63 M6 on startup sounded like a beast that you rudely woke, loud roar followed buy muttering under its breath about the various ways it was going to kill you."[/QUOTE]

Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:18 PM.




m5post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST