Quote:
Originally Posted by ted99
I just traded my 2018 X5 40e for a 530e. While I loved the form factor of the X5 (higher seating position, higher ground clearance, more flexibility for load carrying), I hated the ride. For some reason, BMW (and others) give stiffer springs to their SUV's, despite them never going off-road or carrying heavy loads. My ideal vehicle would be the SUV form factor with a sedan-like ride.
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Interesting perspective. The sedan like ride in an SUV is exactly why my wife keeps going back to the X5 ever since the E53. There are suspension options even with the E70 and F15 that greatly impact ride characteristics. In fact I think each generation since the E53 has three configurations if not more. Wheel size also has a big role with ride. On a side note, stiff springs are terrible for off-roading since you want articulation of the axels.
Now getting to the ride of the 5'er, I feel like the standard suspension on some of the 5'ers tend to be too soft and geared to the US (and China?) market. Even with the M550i, I would like a little firmer suspension but it's generally okay for daily driving. So suspension tuning is somewhat personal and based on preferences. BMW does offer options but the impact on ride isn't always well conveyed and dealers don't always have all the suspension combinations (even including wheel and seat combinations) of each model for people to try before they buy.