[ted99]

I have never seen an in-stock car at a dealer with the $1000 Dynamic Damper Control option so I had never been able to try it out. I now have a basis for direct comparison and would never order another car without it. I ordered a 2020 530e for my wife with almost every option. In addition, I replaced my leased 330e with another 2020 530e but this one only has two options: metallic paint and heated steering wheel. Got a great deal on it--I suspect it was a customer order that was not taken because I've never seen a "bare" 5-series on a lot.

Anyway, back to the dampers. Both cars have the Pirelli 245/45 18 P-Zero A/S run flats. The wife's car was first and it was so smooth over Houston's really lousy streets that I was thinking that Pirelli had found a way to make run flats have the compliance of go-flat tires. With the dynamic option, we have been able to set her car for "Sport" steering and transmission and "Comfort" suspension. Then came my car and it was obvious that it was the dampers that so vastly improved the ride. My car still had the bumpiness and lack of compliance that marks run-flats. Cannot recommend this option more for anyone suffering with the lousy streets so common in the USA.

If anyone has questions about the efficacy of any of the other options, I'd be happy to comment as I have direct one-to-one comparison of them. The only option I would not order again in a 5-series is the leather dash. The leather dash looked so good in her X5 40e in Mocha brown we did it again. In her 530e, the dash is Black leather with her Midnight Blue seats and doesn't look much different than the Sensatec black dash in my 530e. We might feel differently if the dash had also been Midnight Blue, but it wasn't.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by ted99

I have never seen an in-stock car at a dealer with the $1000 Dynamic Damper Control option so I had never been able to try it out. I now have a basis for direct comparison and would never order another car without it. I ordered a 2020 530e for my wife with almost every option. In addition, I replaced my leased 330e with another 2020 530e but this one only has two options: metallic paint and heated steering wheel. Got a great deal on it--I suspect it was a customer order that was not taken because I've never seen a "bare" 5-series on a lot.

Anyway, back to the dampers. Both cars have the Pirelli 245/45 18 P-Zero A/S run flats. The wife's car was first and it was so smooth over Houston's really lousy streets that I was thinking that Pirelli had found a way to make run flats have the compliance of go-flat tires. With the dynamic option, we have been able to set her car for "Sport" steering and transmission and "Comfort" suspension. Then came my car and it was obvious that it was the dampers that so vastly improved the ride. My car still had the bumpiness and lack of compliance that marks run-flats. Cannot recommend this option more for anyone suffering with the lousy streets so common in the USA.

If anyone has questions about the efficacy of any of the other options, I'd be happy to comment as I have direct one-to-one comparison of them. The only option I would not order again in a 5-series is the leather dash. The leather dash looked so good in her X5 40e in Mocha brown we did it again. In her 530e, the dash is Black leather with her Midnight Blue seats and doesn't look much different than the Sensatec black dash in my 530e. We might feel differently if the dash had also been Midnight Blue, but it wasn't.

Thanks. Very interesting report. I have the dynamic dampers on the 530e. My question is have you tried driving in adaptive drive and if so, how do you compare it to the setup you described?

I sort of agree with you on the leather dash. If you get the Nappa (or Merino) leather, I think the leather dash (which includes the door tops) really finishes it off. But if you have Dakota, then I agree that it is not worth having.

[ted99]

I couldn't notice any significant difference between adaptive and my "custom" setting. If I were on a road trip, I'd select adaptive to have the car select the best settings for the roads I'd be on. But, in town, I just give the computer a rest and tell it "comfort" as the streets are so bad there isn't any reason to deviate from comfort and the computer obviously softens the shocks anyway. I do like "Sport for the brakes and steering, though. It has a good weight.

Yes, the better grades of leather might be more visible than the Dakota. Wife wanted Midnight Blue and it was only available in Dakota. She is the one saying we should have saved the $1000 and gotten the black sensatec dash, since the dakota leather dash is black and not blue. My remark may not apply to the higher grades of leather. Actually, I am unable to say that, other than color choice, the Dakota leather is any better than Sensatec. Another potential savings. Where leather is concerned, my advice would be to "go big, or go Sensatec".

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by ted99

Yes, the better grades of leather might be more visible than the Dakota. Wife wanted Midnight Blue and it was only available in Dakota. She is the one saying we should have saved the $1000 and gotten the black sensatec dash, since the dakota leather dash is black and not blue. My remark may not apply to the higher grades of leather. Actually, I am unable to say that, other than color choice, the Dakota leather is any better than Sensatec. Another potential savings. Where leather is concerned, my advice would be to "go big, or go Sensatec".

Yes. Exactly. I would pick Sensatec over Dakota but I love my Nappa. It is the principal reason I went from a 3 series to a 5 series even though I like a smaller car; I just couldn't stand the Dakota. I have the Nappa Mocha upholstery; the leather dash is black but it works well with the Mocha. Since the dash and steering wheel are Nappa (or like Nappa), it really finishes the car off nicely if one has Nappa upholstery.

[clee1982]

I stick with Dakota because from day 1 had to stick a car seat in the back..., it is a bit on the hard side though...

[rferebee]

Thanks for the comments Ted. I was on the fence about this option but now I'll be sure to add it to my build.

[LuvMyE92]

Ditto on the thanks, Ted. Like you said, it's difficult to find cars optioned the way that you want, and although I do usually prefer to order a new car, the timing of this latest decision (getting rid of 7 series running out of warranty) plus the end of model year discounts, all pushed me into buying something off the lot, not equipped exactly as I'd like. But close.

My car does not have DCC, and looking back, since I spent nearly $1000 buying new tires (non-RFT) right off the bat, it would have been money better spent to just get the DCC instead.

[ted99]

I have an addition to my story. When I leased a 528i in 2015, it had the first generation of run flats and they were like solid rubber tires. Switched them out for Conti DWS-6 A/S non run flats. When I turned the lease in, I switched the run flats back on and saved the Conti's as they still had 75% tread. I just took the Pirelli run flats off my 530e and put these Conti's on the new car. This was zero cost to me as I had purchased the Conti's from Discount Tire and they included lifetime service. I'll save the Pirelli's for my wife's car with the adaptive shocks for when the OEM pirelli's on her car wear out (given reports on run flats, should be around 15-20K miles). In the meanwhile, the non run flats on my car without the adaptive shocks now rides 'almost' as well as her car with the adaptive shocks and the run flats. I expect the Conti's to last as long as I'm going to keep the car and since it's not leased there is no requirement to put run flats back on.

[SteveinArizona]

Ted, you are the only person I know who has both a 330e and a 530e. Would you give us your thoughts on both now that you have been driving and owning both?

[ArchieV]

Originally Posted by clee1982

I stick with Dakota because from day 1 had to stick a car seat in the back..., it is a bit on the hard side though...

How is your Dakota fairing against the car seat, once I finally get mine I'll have to be doing the same ;(

In my current car I basically have the Dakota equivalent and when I take the seat out to clean the car you can definitely tell and the indents from the pressure points even after the seat has nothing on it for 48 hours.

[ted99]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

Ted, you are the only person I know who has both a 330e and a 530e. Would you give us your thoughts on both now that you have been driving and owning both?

Traded the 330e for the second 530e. The 3 was more nimble but paid for that with a much bouncier ride over bumps, potholes and heaves. The shorter wheelbase was very much in evidence. Turning radius more or less the same ie: I can do a U-turn from a left turn lane in one movement--no need to back up to get another go at completing the turn. Boot in 5 much deeper, but height about the same because of the higher floor. But, the drop down feature in the 5 boot a nice feature for holding paper grocery bags. Haven't done a long trip with the 5, yet; but the 330e gave 45MPG in a 1000 mi trip back from Spartanberg with no charging and an 80.1 MPH average speed. I haven't run the numbers, but with BMW charging a premium for the new 330e and no premium for the 530e there might be very little difference in cost between the two. It's pretty much as you would expect: If you want a "Sport Sedan", buy the 3. If you want a "Luxury Sedan", buy the 5. The base 5 is a lot better feeling than the base 3.

[ted99]

Just for grins, I checked the price of the 2021 330e against the 2020 530e. MSRP for the 3 is $46,550 and the 5 is $53,900. You can get a $4,000 MSRP credit for finance for the 2020 530e. No data yet on the 2021 330e, but the 2020 330 (non-e) has a $2,500 MSRP credit. Battery size is the same so the Fed TC is the same. If one assumes that there is no MSRP credit for the 2021 330e, there is only a $3450 difference between the two, and $5950 if the $2500 MSRP credit carries over to the 2021 330e. Anyone willing to guess that the 2021 LCI 530e will continue price parity between the "e" and non-e?

[Wivenhoe]

Originally Posted by ted99

Anyone willing to guess that the 2021 LCI 530e will continue price parity between the "e" and non-e?

As the car is made in Europe then I think the price parity between the “e” and non-e will continue in order to encourage sales. As from 1st Jan 2020 European manufacturers are fined for exceeding an overall emissions limit for 90% of the cars it makes in Europe - “phased in from 2020, the EU fleet-wide average emission target for new cars will be 95 g CO2/km. The penalty will be €95 for each g/km of target exceedance”. As the 530e is only 40g CO2/km compared to 133 for the 530i then every 530e sold brings the fleet average down considerably.

That is why the European manufacturers are starting to subsidise EV’s & plug-ins. Last year BMW Europe sold say 750k cars (in 2018 average CO2 was 125 so say that is now 110) then 750k x (110-95) x €95 = $1 billion fine.

[clee1982]

Originally Posted by ArchieV

How is your Dakota fairing against the car seat, once I finally get mine I'll have to be doing the same ;(

In my current car I basically have the Dakota equivalent and when I take the seat out to clean the car you can definitely tell and the indents from the pressure points even after the seat has nothing on it for 48 hours.

I put another layer on top, and re check if it's secured. My garage is 10 minutes walking so I never remove the car seat (other than one time she puked because some cheese..., luckily it all land on the protective stuff).

I think for the one time I remove it has a bit dent, but not super visible

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by ted99

Traded the 330e for the second 530e. The 3 was more nimble but paid for that with a much bouncier ride over bumps, potholes and heaves. The shorter wheelbase was very much in evidence. Turning radius more or less the same ie: I can do a U-turn from a left turn lane in one movement--no need to back up to get another go at completing the turn. Boot in 5 much deeper, but height about the same because of the higher floor. But, the drop down feature in the 5 boot a nice feature for holding paper grocery bags. Haven't done a long trip with the 5, yet; but the 330e gave 45MPG in a 1000 mi trip back from Spartanberg with no charging and an 80.1 MPH average speed. I haven't run the numbers, but with BMW charging a premium for the new 330e and no premium for the 530e there might be very little difference in cost between the two. It's pretty much as you would expect: If you want a "Sport Sedan", buy the 3. If you want a "Luxury Sedan", buy the 5. The base 5 is a lot better feeling than the base 3.

Thanks. I had a 2016 330e before my 2018 530e and my wife hated the ride in the 330e (it did have the MSport suspension). My 530e, with the dynamic dampers, definitely gives a smoother ride.

I did a trip over Thanksgiving from Phoenix to Las Vegas and back and checked my mpg on the highway portion (I didn't measure the local driving I did in Las Vegas). I got about 32 mpg also averaging a high speed. Your 45 is incredible.

[ted99]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

Thanks. I had a 2016 330e before my 2018 530e and my wife hated the ride in the 330e (it did have the MSport suspension). My 530e, with the dynamic dampers, definitely gives a smoother ride.

I did a trip over Thanksgiving from Phoenix to Las Vegas and back and checked my mpg on the highway portion (I didn't measure the local driving I did in Las Vegas). I got about 32 mpg also averaging a high speed. Your 45 is incredible.

My wife hated the 330e ride as well. I think the 45 MPG is due to maintaining a cruise control steady speed on Interstates all the way and stopping only twice for food/fuel. Greenville to Houston. Incredibly, there were no traffic delays and no road construction. Baton Rouge and Atlanta are usually bottlenecks but I hit them at exactly the right time and was able to make a steady 65 MPH thru each. I reset the trip indicator to zero at the start of the trip at 7am and checked it for what the computer said was my fuel economy and average speed when I arrived at Houston. Remember, this was the 330e, not the 530e.