[JMP14]

I will soon be placing an order for a factory build:

540i x-drive
Bluestone metallic
Cognac SensaTec & Aluminum Rhombicle trim
M-sport
Premium pack
Shadowline pack
M-sport breaks with red calipers
Heated steering wheel
SensaTec Dashboard

I’d appreciate thoughts/advice from current g30 owners re: are there any options you passed on that you now wish you had added?

Any options you included that you feel like are not worth it/you don’t use them enough to make them worth it now that you’ve lived with the car for a while?

This will be my first factory build and want to optimize it without going beyond my budget and simply checking every option available.

Thanks

[SteveinArizona]

Two absolute must haves for me are Automatic Cruise Control ("ACC") and the HUD (Headup display).

I have an Msport and do like it BUT if it had come down to the MSport vs. the HUD and ACC, it would have been a no brainer for me...HUD and ACC everytime. So if you can't afford both, I would suggest switching.

I like your choice of sensatec seats and dash. They will go together well.

One of the reasons I went to the 5 series from the 3 series was to be able to get Nappa upholstery. But that is expensive so I understand. I would get the Sensatec before the Dakota/Vernasca. So...IMHO...good choice.

One other thought. Your significant other (if you have one) might have a problem with the standard MSport suspension. Do a test drive and see if she is okay with the MSport suspension or just add the dynamic handling package.

[2022M550i]

My car came with every option except the dynamic handling suspension and Bowers and Wilkins options. Some of the options that came with it I thought were gimmicky, but honestly I love it all. If your springing that kind of cash on a car, get every option you can afford. And maybe it's worth while waiting a little extra time to save up for some additional goodies. The Nappa seats were a must for me same with automatic cruise control. It is wonderful to be able to set it and forget it in traffic. The car basically drives itself. Really helps with the fatigue if you're stuck in long traffic jams. With respect to the M sport suspension, perfect. Comfort mode is like riding on air…. Even in sport mode, it's very good., Not aggressive at all.

[DNYC1919]

I think the 550 suspension adjusts slighty in different modes. Is that correct ?
The 540 does not adjust. But I have m sport and ride is great. Perfect balance between sport and luxury ride.

But I almost didn't get the parking package and driver assist package on my 2021 but I do love both options.
I don't think parking package is available on 540 anymore , but is standard on 550 now. But if you can add that I would And if you can swing the driver assist I would go with that.

If I had to make some sacrifices/ adjustments I would pick between parking package and the driver assist. I like both so it's kinda a tie for those. But I would leave out sensatec dash if that would help you add one of these.

[RonronEG]

Originally Posted by DNYC1919

I think the 550 suspension adjusts slighty in different modes. Is that correct ?
The 540 does not adjust. But I have m sport and ride is great. Perfect balance between sport and luxury ride.

With DHP the 540 suspension adjusts, we just don't get the IAS with it like the 550 gets. With DHP the car also sits higher which isn't a deal breaker but the 550 can have the lower ride height with DHP.

My 540 has every option available except extended leather & alcantara headliner, night vision, cold weather package (heated wheel and rear seats), and spare tire. If I had it my way I would've given up rear entertainment for the night vision and heated steering wheel. Mine was purchased CPO do I didn't have a choice.

[Gautam]

Echoing others,

Must-have:
All parking and driving assist packages.

Do not skimp on them. They will make your life much easier. No one likes driving in stop and go traffic. The surround view will reduce your chances of making mistakes. Everyone makes them. I sideswiped a pillar in my last car. The damage cost more than getting the 360 camera would’ve.

Strongly recommend:
Multi-contour seats with nappa, as others said it’s a perk of the 5. They are excellent, almost as good as the 7’s. Seats are just about the most important thing in a car to me.

Good on going with heated steering wheel if you live in cold climates. I’d get rear heated seats too if you have passengers with some frequency.

HUD- so much more convenient and safer than looking down at the speedo

Nice to have:
Rear sunshades
Not sure how the options on the 540 work but I love having a power lift gate. Close the trunk with your leg when your hands are full. Super convenient.
(For the m550 I’d put dhp and b&w here- I love both)

Gimmicky/unimportant
Gesture control - wanted to love it. Not useful over the steering wheel controls for the driver. Somehow very bad at detecting gestures of the passenger.
Alcantara headliner- have it. Do not notice it, do not care.
Leather/upgraded dash- do not have it, do not care. Doubt I’d notice it.
Ceramic controls- have it, makes the controls look expensive but not a big deal.
Night vision- don’t think it’s offered anymore. I can see it being useful in an emergency but looking off to the side almost defeats the purpose.

[eliphil]

The Heads up display, all safety options are a must. I have the dynamic handling pkge and like it. Shadowline is also a must for me

[NGT2]

Echoing others, but the HUD and Driver assist (lane keeping and adaptive cruise) are my favorite options. The driver assist was a must when I was looking for a CPO and the HUD ended up being way more helpful than I expected.

[DealBMW]

Originally Posted by JMP14

I will soon be placing an order for a factory build:

540i x-drive
Bluestone metallic
Cognac SensaTec & Aluminum Rhombicle trim
M-sport
Premium pack
Shadowline pack
M-sport breaks with red calipers
Heated steering wheel
SensaTec Dashboard

I'd appreciate thoughts/advice from current g30 owners re: are there any options you passed on that you now wish you had added?

Any options you included that you feel like are not worth it/you don't use them enough to make them worth it now that you've lived with the car for a while?

This will be my first factory build and want to optimize it without going beyond my budget and simply checking every option available.

Thanks

That's a really nice build, very similar to mine. I don't have sensatec dash, but did get driver assistance package. I don't use it everyday tbh, maybe if I drove trough heavy traffic daily, I'd use it more often. Btw, I just remembered that for some reason every time the car stops in traffic with ACC on, it wouldn't start moving until I press the gas pedal lightly.
The new perforated sensatec is amazing, way better than what it was a few years ago.
If there was one thing I could change, I would've ordered a parking assistant as well.

[JMP14]

Appreciate all the feedback. Seems like it's unanimous for adding the driving assistance pro pack. As I've never had a car with that tech I felt I wouldn't miss it, and I don't drive in heavy traffic often, but agree if it helps me avoid a single accident it well makes up for the cost over the life of ownership.

The HUD does come as part of the premium pack so I am good there. Unfortunately the parking assistant pack is not available...must be due to chip shortage?

No doubt the nappa seats would be amazing, but I am really set on the cognac interior color and that's not available in nappa. From other discussions on the forum it seems pretty consistent that folks prefer sensatec over the dakota. I currently have dakota in my 3-series and they have held up great, no complaints aside from them being a bit stiff but that lends to the durability I guess.

I am curious about the ride quality of the standard m-sport suspension. M-sport is a must have for me, as I love the look it gives. Too bad they have put the adaptive suspension in the dynamic handling pack. I don't need the other items it comes with. On the M340i it's a stand alone option for $700 which seems like a no brainer.

[DealBMW]

Originally Posted by JMP14

Appreciate all the feedback. Seems like it's unanimous for adding the driving assistance pro pack. As I've never had a car with that tech I felt I wouldn't miss it, and I don't drive in heavy traffic often, but agree if it helps me avoid a single accident it well makes up for the cost over the life of ownership.

The HUD does come as part of the premium pack so I am good there. Unfortunately the parking assistant pack is not available...must be due to chip shortage?

No doubt the nappa seats would be amazing, but I am really set on the cognac interior color and that's not available in nappa. From other discussions on the forum it seems pretty consistent that folks prefer sensatec over the dakota. I currently have dakota in my 3-series and they have held up great, no complaints aside from them being a bit stiff but that lends to the durability I guess.

I am curious about the ride quality of the standard m-sport suspension. M-sport is a must have for me, as I love the look it gives. Too bad they have put the adaptive suspension in the dynamic handling pack. I don't need the other items it comes with. On the M340i it's a stand alone option for $700 which seems like a no brainer.

Yeah, it's way too expensive to get. Honestly, I am more than okay with the standard M sport suspension and 19" wheels. The ride is pretty smooth.

[JMP14]

Originally Posted by DealBMW

Yeah, it's way too expensive to get. Honestly, I am more than okay with the standard M sport suspension and 19" wheels. The ride is pretty smooth.

Good to know...thanks. Seeing as you're a client advisor I am wondering if you can provide any insight on the availability of the parking assistance package and 360 camera? Those options aren't available on the build site. I've seen some comments on the forum where folks say you can request those and your dealer can put them into your order but chip shortage has impacted availability.

I honestly would much rather have those options vs. the drive assistance pro, but perhaps BMW prioritized the higher cost options? I really hope as chip shortage issues resolve they may be able to phase these options back in. However, I don't want to wait for MY2023 as all indications point to a notable price increase.

[AP]

Echo HUD and ACC

Alcantara headlining lifts the interior as well but not cheap for what it is so arguably not good value but if you have the cash….

[DealBMW]

Originally Posted by JMP14

Good to know...thanks. Seeing as you're a client advisor I am wondering if you can provide any insight on the availability of the parking assistance package and 360 camera? Those options aren't available on the build site. I've seen some comments on the forum where folks say you can request those and your dealer can put them into your order but chip shortage has impacted availability.

I honestly would much rather have those options vs. the drive assistance pro, but perhaps BMW prioritized the higher cost options? I really hope as chip shortage issues resolve they may be able to phase these options back in. However, I don't want to wait for MY2023 as all indications point to a notable price increase.

Just checked, unfortunately not available.

[2022M550i]

The M sport suspension is extremely mellow, my opinion. It doesn't get any more comfortable than comfort mode. My M550i Is the most comfortable car that I have ever driven.

[HerkHealer]

Its too bad you cant order the Soft Close Doors during this car madness.
It's one of my favorite/silly features. I purposely dont shut my door just to hear the little robots that live inside go to work.

DEFINITELY get the Safety stuff and Napa seats for sure.

[H_T]

My one regret: I plan on keeping the car as long as I can, it probably would be better with the leather dash. Otherwise Sensatec should be fine.

The 2 features I can't live without: 360 cameras and Wireless Apple car play. I can do without parking assistance, but I think 360 comes with that package. I'm always watching how close I can park to the curb without scraping.

I have a 2021 and haven't checked if the package changed for Wireless CarPlay.

[AmooManiak]

Love how different our opinions are. For some the "must haves" are "not important" to others. Just tells you how everything should be taken with a grain of salt because you will end up having your own opinions later anyway.

Between the F90 and G30, I think I've had just about all the options available. Keep in mind that the G30 is an M550i, so you may not have all the options available.

-B&W (have it in the M550i, didn't have it in the M5) - definitely better than the standard sound system - although I don't think it justifies the $3.5k price. Mostly like it because of the ambient lighting.
-Driving Assistance Plus - (had it in the M5, don't have it in the M550i) - 100% gimmick. My wife's 2022 Kia has a better lane keep assist system and traffic recognition than in the $130k BMW. I used it the first week a few times and never again. Between how it bounces between lines and how intuitive it is, BMW really needs to revisit this.
-Extended Merino Leather (had it in the M5 - have standard dash in the M550) - because of this in the M5, I would definitely advise on upgrading the leather dash. The M550i does not look like it belongs at that price point with a standard dash. I currently don't have it in the M550i, but wish I did.
-Executive Package - must in this class.
-DHP - must in such a big car if you have the option. The M550i actually drives so much nicer than the M5 did during every day driving.

[NGT2]

The different opinions on the driving assistance really highlight how people's opinions can differ. I have done 3-4 road trips since I got my G30 back around Christmas. I use the ACC and lane keeping anytime I'm on the interstate and I love it. As long as the lines are painted well, I think it works great. This feature was a huge reason I bought the car.

I have not used it in town, except for once in a traffic jam where a stop light was out. It seemed pretty good then, too.

It's all relative. I haven't experienced one better, so it's great to me. The 2016 Tahoe I had was much worse about wandering within and even between lanes.

[HerkHealer]

Originally Posted by H_T

My one regret: I plan on keeping the car as long as I can, it probably would be better with the leather dash. Otherwise Sensatec should be fine.

The 2 features I can't live without: 360 cameras and Wireless Apple car play. I can do without parking assistance, but I think 360 comes with that package. I'm always watching how close I can park to the curb without scraping.

I have a 2021 and haven't checked if the package changed for Wireless CarPlay.

Do you have to specifically order Carplay ? I thought it was just part of I Drive 7 ? I use Android Auto and its just part of the I drive.

[JMP14]

Originally Posted by H_T

My one regret: I plan on keeping the car as long as I can, it probably would be better with the leather dash. Otherwise Sensatec should be fine.

The 2 features I can't live without: 360 cameras and Wireless Apple car play. I can do without parking assistance, but I think 360 comes with that package. I'm always watching how close I can park to the curb without scraping.

I have a 2021 and haven't checked if the package changed for Wireless CarPlay.

100% agree on the 360 camera. It seems that's only available via the park assistance package which is not available on MY22 540. Just a huge miss....but not enough to have me wait until MY23. I am definitely going to try and work with the dealer to see what can be done, if anything, when I place my order. Retrofit possible when chips become more readily available?

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by JMP14

100% agree on the 360 camera. It seems that's only available via the park assistance package which is not available on MY22 540. Just a huge miss....but not enough to have me wait until MY23. I am definitely going to try and work with the dealer to see what can be done, if anything, when I place my order. Retrofit possible when chips become more readily available?

I know other car manufacturers are promising retrofits down the road for things they can't offer now. So that is very possible.