Adios X5///M - Hello 50i M Sport/M Performance w/ AD
 

Couldn't take the beat-down ride any longer - not tolerable where I live.

Drove a 50i with M Sport/M Performance w/ adaptive and there is a giant difference in road hazard (pot holes/frost heave) comfort. The 'sport' on/off provided a definite change - one that was not present with EDC on/off in the ///M.

To my butt-meter, the 50i M/M with adaptive was still more comfortable over bumps in 'sport' than the ///M is with EDC off. YMMV.

A little less high strung, but sounded great and moved along nicely with 440'ish hp. I don't care if I give up a few tenths to 60mph.. this is my daily. Love the 8 speed trans.

Should be here in a few weeks.. more to follow.

:stickpoke

I find this interesting.... I drove both the 50 and the M and actually found the M to be a better ride... I live in Houston and the streets SUCK here so "pothole comfort" was definitely a consideration.

I think you may be rationalizing your decision.. I have had both as well and find the M ride to be better over bad roads than the non M suspension on the 50i with adaptive.. Maybe its me but have talked with others familiar with both and they feel the M can be more compliant. I do envy the 8 speed a bit but really only for mileage. Short of that I wouldn't change a thing outside some better build quility, My '10 M seemed put together a little better than my '13.
Keep us posted on how you compare the two after having your new one.

^^^agree I believe BMW goofed for not putting 8 speed in M

To be fair, I did not drive the 2013 ///M.

My 2010 ///M has abused me long enough.. it rides harder than any of the other 7 cars I own. As a daily, it's unacceptably firm and there is no way to soften the suspension. EDC on/off has no effect on ride 'comfort'.

As I said, YMMV, but IMO there was absolutely no comparison (the 2013 50i with AD being far, far more civilized over potholes) than my 2010 ///M.

No rationalizing needed.. I bought the best 'daily' SUV BMW offers (for me).

You gotta do what makes you happy. I rationalize car buys all the time, not that you are, like parting with my 1M for an e90 M3 then going from my 2010 M to my 2013 M. Anyways keep us posted on how you like it. Oh and you may need to change your tag line to "go medium or go home" :thumbup:

I'll keep you all posted.

LOL at the tagline suggestion.

ps.. my lease went from $1585 a month to < $900. That doesn't suck.

My X6 5.0 with the M pkg is such the perfect vehicle as a DD for my wife. Not too high strung for her to drive as a DD and fun for me with the fam on the weekends. 440hp doesnt suck and is definitely no slouch. Truck is very comfy too.

:wow:
I remember when my leased co cars were ~$3-$4 Bens a month.
Hope you can write that all off.

Either car is pretty cool, imo.
GL, mD

Yeah, they get pricey.

As the first X5M in my market, I paid MSRP ($93K) for the pleasure. That didn't help the already so/so residual.

I paid invoice for the 50i ($77K) and both the residual and MF are better.

No regrets - the ///M is an amazing truck. Unfortunately, for me, the extra performance isn't used as I only drive it when hauling the family and/or in the rain and/or in the snow.

Congrats, even though I have a soft spot for the M I can understand your desire to switch. Can't wait to see the new X!

You are a wuss.














I kid, I kid!

I know... :(

I've been thinking about this damn thread since I saw it yesterday. I just crossed over the other way. 2010 X6 50i lease is up. Ordered a 2013 X6 ///M - never drove the ///M. :scared:

My only consideration between the 50i and the M was the 100+ hp. I never thought about a difference in ride.

I'm going to love it! I'm going to love it! I'm going to love it!....


Carry on.

Don't worry, you will :)

Trust me, you will love it, the ride quality is far superior in the M than in the 50 or any other ordinary X with adaptive drive. I am on my 6th X5 and the M is by far the best ride of any E53 or E70 I have had.

Ride quality in combination with steering, brakes, throttle response, power delivery, all of these items, different than an ordinary X vehicle, makes for near perfection...

x100

The issue of ride harshness is minimal and can be easily addressed by getting rid of run flats IMO. I do agree that the truck is over kill for 90% of the time it is driven, at least for me. The 5.0 is more than adequate considering the price difference specially if you lease.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this - at least as it pertains to the 2010 ///M.

Rode/rides like a dump truck.

Perhaps they made some improvements to the 2013 (beyond tire tech)

:dunno:

yeah I had a 2010 before my 2013 and the ride was perfect. Agree "agree to disagree" or possibly simply personal preference. We all can't be wrong.

I got rid of my X5M because of build quality. I also have a M Sport I bought at the same time as a daily driver. I dumped the run flats on both and the ride instantly improved on both and noise level dropped as well.

The build quality on the M Sport is no better ( or worse) than the M. I'm about to trade it as well as I'm tired of it being at the dealer constantly for small crap breaking. After nearly 30 years of BMW ownership these two will likely be my lat BMW's.

I guessive become completely dissatisfied. Love the ride and the performance they just aren't built so well anymore.

Understood ^^

BMW eases our pain as owners by providing 'free' maintenance (aka, time for them to perform non-stop updates/repairs).

Not sure if there is more reliability to be found at Mercedes or Porsche (or if you do, you'll pay through the nose re increased buy-price, reduced residuals and/or higher money factors).

Re swapping runflats - not an option for me as this is my family hauler (daily).

What's next?

what did you do until few years ago before runflats became the norm? You know the car comes with a spare if you want. My car rides smooth as caddy with regular tires

The last SUV I owned that didn't have runflats (8 years ago) was a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

It had a spare.

Have to agree with HIRISC on this one.
Although I never drove one without run flats, the ride was the biggest weakness of the vehicle.

I changed out the OEM Brisdgestones to Michelin Diamaris at 20K miles on my 2010 X5M. Ride was much improved but I felt handling in the bends was diminished slightly, not to mention it was a hassle when trading it in that the run flats had been removed. Dealer couldn't certify even though I had the spare.

Not sure i'd do it again just from a resale point.

Diamaris are also not very good. Very noisy tires. I went from Diamaris to Bridgestone Dueler non-RFT and it was a relief.

I am currently running Continental DWS, when time comes to sell I put back the Bridgestones, a brand new set will cost a bit over 1K

Rides like a dump truck? Never heard of the X5M ride's being described as such.

Interesting...

I've test-driven both the 2012 and 2013 X5M, and I guess, I've never test-driven a dump truck before, so I can't honestly make a comment regarding the ride quality, but it felt pretty darn good.

Guess, I am about to put an order on the dump-truck riding SUV.

What other 7 cars do you own, by the way?

You're entitled to your opinion.

One of us has owned an X5///M.. I gather you have not. Report back in 38K miles and let us know what you think. :stickpoke

Re your question: read profile

Thank you for a pleasant reply.

Good riddance!

LOL @ the noob.

When your sarcastic in your post, you're likely to get the same back.

I was torn between a 11 CPO X5M and a new 13 50i. The difference for me was the ride as well. I drove them back to back a few times and pondered over it for an entire weekend. I chose the new 50i as the ride was certainly better than the M.

Getting Close:
Track My 2013 X5 xDrive50i

Step 03:
https://cache.bmwusa.com/image_a679f...f2f0ce0f6.arox
Finishing
Touches

Heated Steering Wheel
Adaptive Drive
Soft close automatic doors
Comfort seats with lumbar support
Dark Bamboo wood trim
Rear seat entertainment
Cold Weather Package

• Ski bag
• Retractable headlight washers
• Heated rear seats

M Sport Package

• Shadowline exterior trim
• M Sports leather steering wheel with paddle shifters
• M steering wheel
• BMW Individual roof rails Aluminium
• M exterior parts in body color
• Increased top speed limiter
• Self-leveling suspension
• Anthracite headliner
• Sport seats
• Multi-contour seats

M Performance Package

• M Sports leather steering wheel with paddle shifters
• M Performance Package

Premium Package

• Interior mirror with compass
• Rear View Camera with Top View
• Universal garage-door opener
• Comfort Access keyless entry
• Rear manual side window shades
• 4-zone automatic climate control

Premium Sound Package

• Satellite radio with 1 year subscription
• Premium hi-fi system

Technology Package

• Head-up Display
• Side-view camera
• Automatic high beams

https://cache.bmwusa.com/cosy.arox?c...30&paint=P0354
Exterior: Titanium Silver Metallic
https://cache.bmwusa.com/cosy.arox?c...0&fabric=FLUSW
Interior: Black 'Nevada' Leather

It's probably closer than you think. Mine went from finishing touches to at your dealer in the blink of an eye.

Last Wednesday morning it went into finishing touches. That afternoon it said released to carrier awaiting transport and I got the call she was at the dealer Friday afternoon.

You'll have it before you know it :cool:

Exciting times, congrats!

I am astonished still that you're counting down the minutes for going from a M to 50i. I wish you all he best and trouble free motoring but you'll be back...

LOL - Hardly counting the minutes. :confused:

I am however looking forward to a more mellow version of my current ///M.

My next vehicle after this X5 will most likely be a Tahoe or something even larger (unless I can convince my wife to drive the family truckster - then I'll be driving some AWD sedan).

Again, no hate on the ///M.. it's a great truck. For me, the extra performance just is not used.

haha... I have to agree.

And the OP might want to change his signature to "Go almost big, or go home" :) :)

I like the ride in the M just fine, but I totally get the frost heave issue. Abusive really is the best description.

:smokin:

The Grand Cherokees still have a full size spare. They are smart to stick with regular tires.

My new X5 arrived.

I love it (except the non-elegant) dealer hack trailer hitch install. Why BMW can't do this at the factory is beyond me.

Very familiar (of course). The ride is great. More to follow.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l5...G_98641024.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l5...G_98581024.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l5...G_98601024.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l5...G_98571024.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l5...G_98541024.jpg

How do you like the drive compared to the M?

Well, I've only got about 50 miles on it, but so far, I much prefer it.

The 2010 ///M - on well used tires - did not and could not (IMO) ride very comfortably over rough/pot-holed like terrain.

The 2013 50i with AD (presuming that helps) in both sport or comfort mode - with new tires - is much better behaved (less jarring) over rough terrain.

I haven't had a chance to (and probably won't) wring it out on twisty roads to compare. With sport button active, it handled the couple of cloverleafs I took very well.

I also have the comfort seats, which, well, are more comfortable than the 'sport' seats in my former X5M.

I am on 20" RFT's on the new ride.

I have disclaimed that I did not test the 'new' 2013 X5M. I saw no reason that the basic harshness of the suspension would be reduced/improved vs the 2010.

Plus, the 2013 leased out about $650 a month cheaper than my ///M - that doesn't suck.

Congrats. I liked your white M better of course but $650 in pocket monthly easily makes the difference.

I actually prefer the 50i over the ///M. The money part was just a bonus.

You keep telling yourself that. After awhile you may just believe it...:D

Congrats on the ride though, looks really good.

I believe it more every mile I drive. :)

Why are you guys busting his chops? :dunno:

I can absolutely relate going from a 50i to an M. The 50i is much more civilized for a daily driver. The M is high strung. They are both great vehicles but with different pros and cons. At times I find myself questioning my decision to go with the M. If you haven't had both, how can you criticize?

Because I think the M is actually a bit too civilized, not sure I would like any more soft and civilized.

I believe we are just teasing him a bit. I would hope that is all taken with a grain of salt. I for one am happy for the guy and that is why BMW makes different versions for different tastes and for the record I have had both, actually I am on my 6th X5 and the two M's are tops. But of course that is only my opinion. I hope you are not regretting your move up... wait till breakin is over. It is simply amazing..

All taken in good fun, but thanks cmyX6go :)

The ///M was perfect for me at the time. With a baby, with the way I drive, where I drive, and what else I drive, the 50i is perfect for me now.

I'm very greatful to be/have been able to drive such amazing SUV's - and, as mswaz indicated, to have options.

I realized after I posted that you probably don't need a girl sticking up for you :rofl:

I'm not regretting it. It just took a little time to get used to that stupid speed sensitive steering. I do miss my exhaust note. The ///M has nothing on the roar of the 50i. It's a shame the ///M doesn't have a better growl.

I can't wait till break in is over. :D

Good luck with the new ride.:thumbup:
You got to do what you got to do for your family.

My wife sticks up for me all the time CMY :-)

Thanks iMpower.

100% agreed. Happy wives = happy homes!;)

My ordered '13 x5m is technically for my wife (family car), but daddy gets to drive it too (stretch those turbocharged 8 cylinders!):D

Dump the Run Flats and Enjoy your X5 Already!
 

My 19" run flats are sitting in my storage shed waiting for the day I sell my 5.0.

When I got my 5.0 I IMMEDIATELY ordered a set of Vredestein Wintracs to go on the factory 19" Style 335 wheels - these tires ride SOOO much better than the run flats. I cannot understand how anyone can pay the $$$ we all do for our X5s and then leave the ride and handling so much compromised by run flat tires.

When I removed the run flats I installed the portable spare for peace of mind. I currently have on order a set of 20" Avant Garde wheels to be mated up with my summer tires which will be Vredestein Ultrac SUV Sessantas.

I am looking forward to an even more improved ride with the non run flat summer tires, not to mention staggered 20s!

BTW, I really love my 5.0! I test drove a 2011 X5M and thought it was an awesome car, but the 5.0 made the most sense for me as our X is primarily my wife's car. The 5.0 is a very FUN car, but I know the X5M would be more fun!

However, the 5.0 sounds SOOO sexy - I wish all the Bimmers I have owned had sounds as luscious as the 5.0 does! I know sound shouldn't be a car's key attributes, but if you have it, you love it every time you fire her up!