Adaptive drive
 

What should I look for when engaging adaptive drive. How do I know it's working?

When you enable the sport mode, adaptive drive is turned on. You will feel there's less roll in a corner with adaptive drive on.

Adaptive drive is always on... the sport button is just for the suspension stiffness.

I got my X535d on Friday, and I was wondering the same. In a sense, it's too bad that it's always on, because there is no way to do A/B testing (Adaptive Drive On / Adaptive Drive Off). This makes it a difficult option to justify spending $3k for....

Having said that - I got it because I want my luxury ride to feel like a luxury ride, and with Adaptive Drive it does. Tremendously so.

No body roll in corners, no yaw when braking. It's funtastic.

When you press it do you feel a difference normally (steering, braking etc..) or do you have to push the car in order to feel the difference.

When conditions permit, go around one of those curved on or off-ramps at +20mph the suggested limit.

I can say for sure that it is stiffer with sports on. My wife would always tell me how sick she was everytime I drove her VW R32 around turns and corners, but not with the X5 and adaptive drive. She hardly notices how fast I'm going around corners now. You won't believe you are driving an SUV with sport turned on. It's a must have option for me.

What do you mean "press"?

Press the sport button? Or "press" the car more aggressively?

As stated, AD is always on.

I've been impressed with how un-intrusive the effects are... just feels very settled, composed.

But you don't feel any 'difference' unless you are driving one car then another.