[niju321]

Finally finished the 1200mile break-in period on my 540i xDrive. This is my first BMW (coming from a mid-size Japanese non-luxury sedan) and it still puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel--I find myself looking back at it when I leave it in a parking lot!

Here's my configuration. Ordered March 4, delivered April 29. Graz built.
540i xDrive Sedan
Luxury Line
Executive Tier
Imperial Blue Metallic
Cognac Dakota Leather
Fineline Ridge Wood Trim
18" double-spoke wheels, style 634 with all-season run-flat tires
Front and Rear Heated Seats
Heated Steering Wheel
Multi-contour seats
Driving Assistance Plus Package
Parking Assistance Plus Package
Harman Kardon surround sound system
Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection
Space-saver spare

The good:
-The B58 engine/ZF 8 speed combo is intoxicating. After finishing the break-in period, I have been driving it a bit more aggressively (more revs) and I love the sound/smoothness/power every time I dip into the gas. Quiet and smooth when commuting, responsive and a beautiful burble when I punch it.
-Fuel economy is better than expected, about 28mpg combined.
-I took a risk on the Cognac leather, but felt it would be a more "unique" color and hoped it would go well with the Imperial Blue exterior paint--I love the combo even more in person!
-Interior quality is excellent overall, and I love the ambient lighting at night
-Harman/kardon speakers are excellent--I have turned off the LOGIC7 surround as I feel the clarity of music is better this way (using Spotify Premium, max audio quality which I believe is 320kbps Ogg).
-I like the iDrive interface and navigation--haven't really bothered to use CarPlay. The dynamic digital instrument cluster looks superb.
-The ConnectedDrive app is useful when I feel OCD and want to look at my car remotely, or when the weather is hot and I want to start ventilating the interior before I get in.
-Love the night vision, does a great job of picking up people, though (thankfully) I haven't had any emergency alerts
-Traffic Jam Assistant works as advertised, takes a lot of the stress from bumper-to-bumper traffic
-I use the gesture control much more frequently than I thought I would--nice to change the volume or change songs with a hand motion instead of smudging the controls (there's that OCD again)
-A/C has worked quite well so far, even when the car has been baking in 95F heat for a few hours. I did get a Covercraft sunshade which fits perfectly and helps protect the interior.
-360 degree cameras are great, though I have yet to use the auto-parking feature--I still feel more comfortable using the cameras and my mirrors
-Headlights are superb on low and high beam
-Head-up display is fantastic--the incorporation of navigation info is quite helpful
-Multi-contour seats--worth every single penny. Took a while to find the perfect setting (my old car had far fewer adjustments) but now the seat fits me like a glove! Definitely recommend trying before buying as this is perhaps the most important customizable aspect of the car, in my opinion
-Dealer was great in the most important aspect--the deal. They gave me a great price on the car, and did not mess around with the numbers while I was doing the paperwork--a much smoother experience than my Japanese car purchases.

The not-so-good/nit-picking
-I am not a fan of the runflats--I have the Pirelli P7 Cinturatos--still seem to be pretty loud and the ride is not great--impacts feel harsher in this brand new car than in my old car with 100k miles! Will probably swap them for go-flats pretty soon, before the interior develops a cacophony of rattles--thinking about the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. I'm glad I ordered the car with the spare tire option--well worth $150, though the impact on trunk space is substantial.
-why does the car give me a rear-seatbelt warning nearly every time I start the car? The back seat has never been occupied, and I don't keep anything on the seats.
-Spotify is sometimes reluctant to connect--this has improved after changing my behavior (I now restart my phone more often, and open the app on my phone before starting the car)
-The actual navigation map doesn't seem to be that great--often have "reduced functionality" areas or the car will send me to the wrong building in a shopping center. I am in an urban (well, suburban) area, not the middle of nowhere, and these areas are not new construction...
-I wish I didn't have to enable the auto-highbeams every time I drive at night--gets annoying, though the feature itself works quite well (jealous of the rest of the world's lane splitting lights)
-My old car had Siri Eyes Free--could hit the voice button and instruct the phone to read text messages, call a contact, etc. When I try that in this car, I get a notification that the phone is locked (which it is, but that didn't faze the old car). I will need to learn more about the system to see if there is a different way to make calls using voice commands, through iDrive or Siri (I am reluctant to use CarPlay since BMW went to the subscription model)
-while the instrument cluster looks great, there is an occasional stutter, as if the framerate isn't always keeping up--a true first world problem, I know
-I am not a fan of the illuminated "Luxury Line" door sills--feels a little tacky. Wish they would say "BMW" or "5" or...nothing at all
-ASS works pretty well, but is too aggressive--when the engine shuts off as I am coming to a halt, it's more difficult for me to stop smoothly, and it's too aggressive to start up when the car in front creeps forward by a few inches.

The nitpicks are just that, nitpicks. Overall, an amazing car, which I grow more attached to every day. Need to make the follow-up "BMW Genius" appointment to delve deeper into the technology. Looking forward to many more happy miles!