M5 F10 Shopping - Laggy?

[x77md]

Hi All

New to this forum as I’m usually over on E90post talking N54 and 335i’s.

Currently looking at F10 M5s as I need a fast four door saloon to replace my E92 coupe to haul around little ones.

I went to see a 2013 M5 today with 40K miles on the clock - originally a ROI registered vehicle which was then imported to the UK. 4 Previous owners and a very highly specced car with almost all optional extras, aftermarket cat back & lots of exterior carbon, however no receipts for any maintenance work.

On the surface, looked a like a serious bit of kit for the money but after driving the car (my first time behind the wheel of an F10) - I felt quite underwhelmed with the throttle response almost like there was a fair bit of lag. 40-60mph felt no quicker than my manual 35 or even an F82 M4. The roads were damp but I wasn’t having any issues with traction control and the throttle response in comfort and in sport (with DCT In highest setting) still felt like it was at 70% of what it ‘should’ have felt like (I.e the face melting acceleration one would expect for 560 odd horses)

The dealership tells me the m5 hasn’t had much use since arriving a month ago on the lot (they deal mainly in Porsches) and today morning brought up a ‘drivetrain malfunction’ error code which disappeared by the time I took it out. The salesman suggested it could be due to the battery discharging and he planned to hook it up to a charger (an error message for the battery did come up on start-up). A quick search shows it can be anything from bad coils, plugs, injectors or software issues and I’m wondering if this could be related to the drivetrain code & laggy feeling from the engine bay. For reference, immediately after driving the M5 I hopped back into my circa 400hp 335 and the throttle response felt more instant… which shouldn’t be the case imo.

Of course without having the car inspected by a 3rd party mechanic and going through diagnostics I wouldn’t know for sure. But I thought I’d get the opinion of F10 afficianados as to whether you think this might be the result of a faulty plug/coil etc?

Will try to get behind the wheel of a different F10 to test again as it might have just been that example but man I wish the M5 blew me away like I expected it to so I could have placed a deposit and drove it back later this week.

[M5Rick]

If no Service Book with stamps then it's up to selling dealer to check from i-drive service and chase up the dealers concerned for history docs...and sort the low charge battery. A trickle charger is a must for these which you can charge from the engine bay with the bonnet shut and car locked.
I normally have DCT in comfort all the time and engine in sport when warmed up.

[x77md]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

If no Service Book with stamps then it's up to selling dealer to check from i-drive service and chase up the dealers concerned for history docs...and sort the low charge battery. A trickle charger is a must for these which you can charge from the engine bay with the bonnet shut and car locked.
I normally have DCT in comfort all the time and engine in sport when warmed up.

Thanks, will be chasing up on a few things to clear any gripes I had with the test drive yesterday.

I drove in all comfort first then once warmed a little into sport DCT and sport engine but still felt like the car was holding back. Last V8 I was in was a RR SVR and whilst it’s an apple and oranges comparison the pull was mighty strong on that, I expected something with similar brutality…

[M5Rick]

A new set of spark plugs fitted by dealer sorted my one which had started to hick up and these will eat any Range Rover for breakfast.

[x77md]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

A new set of spark plugs fitted by dealer sorted my one which had started to hick up and these will eat any Range Rover for breakfast.

Yeah could be set of worn plugs, I’ve asked if they could get me any history from BMW on what’s been done thus far, don’t imagine BMW would provide it to me due to GDPR.

If all goes well might ask for a 3rd party bmw specialist inspection for peace of mind.

[M5_Raz]

You drove it in “comfort” and “sport” only? Huge difference between sport and sport plus on my car.

[M5Rick]

^ Aha but a bit too fierce with S+ in town.

[SCD-1983]

The F10 M5 is a killer sedan for sure. I owned many high performance cars and I’m on my third F10 M5, because it’s a very appealing total package.
I have to admit that the true nature of the brutal drive train comes to full fruition in Sport Plus throttle setting and MDM, but it requires some driving skill.
As mentioned before, this specific M5 might just need some extra maintenance, that’s all. The S63 is a very responsive engine and the turbo lag is hardly noticeable!

[x77md]

Originally Posted by M5_Raz

You drove it in “comfort” and “sport” only? Huge difference between sport and sport plus on my car.

Conditions were damp and for the first time behind the wheel I wasn’t sure if ‘sending it’ would be wise… I would’ve imagined some sort of livening up from comfort to sport though

[x77md]

Originally Posted by SCD-1983

The F10 M5 is a killer sedan for sure. I owned many high performance cars and I’m on my third F10 M5, because it’s a very appealing total package.
I have to admit that the true nature of the brutal drive train comes to full fruition in Sport Plus throttle setting and MDM, but it requires some driving skill.
As mentioned before, this specific M5 might just need some extra maintenance, that’s all. The S63 is a very responsive engine and the turbo lag is hardly noticeable!

Of course, I have a feeling this one might not be the best example sitting around on the forecourts. Told the situation to the bmw specialist who looks after my 335i and deals with all kind of M’s on the daily - he told me to walk away. Said it should have pulled strong from the get go.

[SpeedProtocol]

The stock tune is sluggish mid throttle. Unless you floor it its not going to get up and go.

Intakes and tune change this.

[MFM5]

No one drives in "efficient"... right? The car feels like a Camry.

M1 Button
MDM
Engine: Sport Plus
Steering: Comfort
Suspension: n/a due to KV3s
DCT: D3

M2 Button
same as above except DCT set to S3 when I want to have fun

BPM Sport Stage 1

[vafan13]

Test drive it when it's dry, use the paddle shifters with S2 or S3, and sport+ throttle.