Quote:
Originally Posted by VK_Technician
I went from 2014 F06 650ix GC M Sport to M550ix. I owned the GC for 2 yrs and here is my experience. The most handsome car I have ever owned. The whole 2yrs of ownership I was bombarded with compliments about how good the car looked. The exterior was sexy, elegant and aggressive all at the same time. The car sat low enough to give the car an aggressive stance, but sat high enough to clear speed bumps and driveways. and The interior was tight, refined and had the feeling of exclusiveness. Cosmetically, it was perfect. It didn't need to be modded with wheels or CF, wings, etc. I was satisfied. The stock exhaust sounded perfect. Quiet enough for daily driving, and loud enough to get your attention in Sport+. The car was a blast to drive in Sport +, but thats where the fun ended. In comfort mode the car was sluggish, the throttle response was so poor I had to really push the pedal to get the car going. It was not fun to drive unless it was in Sport or Sport+. The steering was very heavy, even for a luxury car like this. Felt like I as doing a shoulder workout at the gym some days. The fuel economy was to be expected 14mpg was average, but 26-28mpg highway. I felt the brakes weren't really the best either. The car should have been offered with blue M Sport Brembo brake kit. The car weighed 4600lbs! Its not a sports car by any means but the car really lacked in the handling department. Putting it in Sport and adjusting the suspension stiffness was the only way I could really enjoy the ride without the car feeling like a boat. The icing on the cake, was the seat comfort, or lack there of. The car came with ventilated sport seats that had the massage function...the worst seats I have ever sat on. After 3 months of ownership I realized I couldn't drive the car on long trips more than 2 hrs+ without severe pain developing in my right leg/butt. The Sport seats provided very little cushion and even with the massage function on it did little to ease the discomfort in stop and go ATL traffic or long out of state treks. I began to have a "love/hate" relationship with this car. It was gorgeous, but abusive... Soon I started looking at other cars and there was nothing I saw that got my attention. I started to look at M3's but they didn't have any refinement and sounded atrocious, but then I remembered the M550ix. On paper it was the ideal choice, 462hp, newest tech, and all wheel drive. At first I wasn't attracted to the car at all. It looked bland and boring online, nothing sexy about it. But when I saw it in person and test drove it, it made sense. The test drive is what won me over. The M550ix handled damn good. It weighs 300lbs less and you could feel it. The steering feel was perfect and I didn't need to adjust it. The seats feel great, I can take long trips and handle traffic without the previous discomfort. This car has features the old F06 had and more obviously, some of which I've been wanting, like adaptive cruise and lane keep assist. The fuel economy is excellent. I get 28-32mpg highway cruising at 75-80mph. If I drive at 70mph or lower I've managed 34mpg. Thats crazy for a 4300lb AWD twin turbo V8 IMO. But overall the M550i grew on me and I realized its more sports-oriented than my old 650. The stock exhaust is abnormally quiet. When I test drove it, it actually sounded strange, like something was wrong with the exhaust. Then I realized it was the fake exhaust noise playing thru the speakers. The first thing I did after I bought it was pull over to a gas station and code out active sound. Next I had a shop remove both sets of resonators to get the sound I wanted, now its perfect. This car has this subtle yet aggressive raked stance on the stock 20's and its perfect, no need for lowering springs. This thing stops on a dime with the huge Brembo brake package. Requires very little effort to stop this thing in everyday conditions. One thing I didn't like, but most do like, are the Cerium sliver trim pieces. I swapped them all out with gloss black trim and added a CF lip and man does it give the car a more aggressive look. That's as far as I'm willing to go cosmetically. I can say without a doubt this was an upgrade. I do miss the look of the 650ix GC but I have gained more than what I have lost with the M550ix.
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Great comparison....I think. I am 72, and in the process of trading a 2014 650 GC for a 2021 M550. I realize that I am not getting a better looking car....even the 8 doesn't beat the 650, IMO. But, the tech and interior upgrades are significant. Also, looking for a softer comfort mode and a car that I won't have to claw my way out of as my back ages with me. Looking forward to ferocious acceleration, then driver assist cruising.
