Yes, so, back to the 540iXdrive
My considerations for choosing that particular model were:
- The family needed a car for longer journeys, especially during winter (which, in Sweden, you could argue lasts 6 months)
- I wanted a BMW with a straight six (after all, driving one for 18 years showed me the intrinsic beauty of that engine)
- We knew it had to be gasoline as coming regulations would kill off Diesel in Sweden
- We needed a wagon (for cycling, skiing, etc)
- We needed a four wheel drive for winter conditions
So, after ticking off all the boxes there really was not much choice left
The car is almost fully specced (in Sweden they call the "Ultimate" package) with the exception of two items:
- ///M coloured seat belts (I have that on the M3)
- EDC and associated Adaptive Dampers. The car rides on the passive M-sport suspension.
That second part might be a bit controversial. My overriding impression of riding a press car, fully loaded with Adaptive drive was one of overriding comfort. It was much more of a 7-series drive than a 5
to me. I've found that previous 5s straddled the divide between the nimble and agile 3 and the large and luxurious 7 much more in the middle. The EDC and adaptive drive I felt pushed the car much more towards luxury.
Also, as many of you have already discovered, choosing EDC (or adaptive drive) in anything than the M550i raises the length of the springs by 10mm. While not much, I felt, for the first time in a BMW noticeable brake dive and acceleration lurch, which, frankly, after the E46 and the M3 made me a bit nauseous.
I also felt that putting the suspension in sport (every time, since for some reason it cannot remember the last setting) made the car unnecessarily stiff, typical where you are trying to compensate with dampers what you lack in springs.
So, after trying the passive M-sport suspension I felt it was the perfect compromise. The car was taught and responsive, the comfort was slightly less than w EDC, but still perfectly acceptable (and way better than the F10 w EDC) but most importantly
lean and brake dive were mostly banished! The car rode like an M-sport equipped BMW again!
Here are some pics of the interior (again, apologies for my lack of photography skills)
If I had to sum the 540iX in one word it would be....
refinement I guess?
The car just wafts.. Almost a Rolls like feeling. It is crazy silent, even with studded tires. Wind noise is almost zilch in normal driving speeds. The engine just murmurs.
I covered 400km without getting out with zero fatigue on icy Swedish roads in -10°C. Amazing...
My list of best features on the car:
- Remote heating via App - seriously, plain luxury! The ability to sprint to the car in the morning in -15 and sit in a warm and comfy vehicule is just miraculous!
- Heated and ventilated seats! Again - related to the above, but such comfort. I've previously avoided leather and stuck to Alcantara and cloth to avoid that clammy feeling with leather, but this now is just stupendously good!
- Adaptive LED lights - Silly good! They even make a U-formed tunnel to keep the car in front of you in the dark, while everything else is on high beam. Amazing visibility, they make the night almost day!
- That Engine! - I haven't really pressed it, since the car has less than 2000km on the odometer and is in "running-in mode", but still - smooth, refined, turbine-like, no vibrations, just endless shove
And oohh so silent. Almost to the point where I regret purchasing the MPPSK on it (it has not been delivered and mounted yet)
- Night camera - has already saved us from rein-deer on the road and also does curiously good things with illuminating people walking on the road in the midst of darkness (i.e. 3pm in winter in Sweden)
- Massaging seats - while the name is a misnomer - there are not anywhere near a shiatsu massage chair - they are really good to alleviate stiffness and boredom on long journeys
Other features/equipment I'm on the fence with are:
- The Bowers & Wilkins sound system. It is good, better than the standard H&K system, but not by a mile. I am an audiophile, my home system costs much more than the entire car, so admittedly spoilt for choice, but still... I thought it would be better than it is. In hindsight, I would not have purchased it
- The Electric Sunroof - sure, it makes the car airier, but one wonders about the weight and the cost... In all, nice, but not must have for me
- The HUD - my wife swears by it, I am on the fence. I find that the time it takes to focus on it and back on the road detracts from the attention one should always pay on the road. All in all, would probably purchase again
- Adaptive cruise control - work in progress.. Has potential in stop-and-go traffic, but again, has a mind of its own.. disengages in unpredictable ways
- comfort entry - sure, nice, but seems to have security drawbacks. Would not purchase again
- The rear privacy tinted glass screens.. I don't like them, makes the car look gangsta-wannabe.. Reduces visibility backwards
And in the next post I'll write about the things I don't like on the car.
Curious to hear from the community, is this post helpful to anyone?