[LuvMyE92]

Question for anyone who's had both an M550 and F90 M5... Or if you've had extensive experience driving both on the street. I've driven the M5 at the BMW performance center, and the M550i on the street. Never vice-versa. The M550ix has a stiffer, more "M-like" ride than the regular M540i that I owned for a few years. My question is: does the M550i ride like the M5, or is the M5 more firm and unforgiving?

I'm not planning to track whichever one I buy, so day-to-day comfort is my primary concern.

Thanks!

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Question for anyone who's had both an M550 and F90 M5... Or if you've had extensive experience driving both on the street. I've driven the M5 at the BMW performance center, and the M550i on the street. Never vice-versa. The M550ix has a stiffer, more "M-like" ride than the regular M540i that I owned for a few years. My question is: does the M550i ride like the M5, or is the M5 more firm and unforgiving?

I'm not planning to track whichever one I buy, so day-to-day comfort is my primary concern.

Thanks!

I am almost positive that a similar post is over on the F90 forum, I have read it. It is more likely that you will get a better perspective over there as it is more likely that there are a lot of M550 guys there that upgraded. Not many downgrade.

I do read that forum a lot. It is my understanding that the M5 suspension is remarkedly stiffer, but those guys with them will swear on a bible that it is a fine daily driver. Once of these days my local dealers will have one in stock long enough for me to test drive one. I definitely will go for a Competition.

[2022M550i]

I haven't driven the M5, but I can say the M550i is incredibly comfortable.

In case you didn't already see this video

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

... the F90 forum ... you will get a better perspective over there as it is more likely that there are a lot of M550 guys there that upgraded. Not many downgrade.

LOL, true that. Thanks, I will take a look.

Originally Posted by 2022M550i

I haven't driven the M5, but I can say the M550i is incredibly comfortable.

In case you didn't already see this video

Thank you too! I will watch it.

[2022M550i]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Thank you too! I will watch it.

The guy drives both cars on the same exact stretch of road. Take note that he bounces a little more abruptly in the M5.

A harsher ride may not be a big deal depending on where you live. I'm in the northeast and the roads are horrible during the winter and the spring aftermath. I also have a Viper where the ride can get annoying during these times of year. The M550i never gets annoying. If I get roughed up in the M550i, I know the roads are a complete disaster....in any other car, it would be spine splitting.

[Gautam]

I’d echo the suggestion of asking in the f90 board. Not at all the same, but I have plenty of experience commuting with the f82, which is an entirely different - almost opposite - animal to the m550. The m550 is a fast luxury car, which honestly shouldn’t wear any sort of m badging. It’s also anything but tossable. The f82 would not be suitable to me personally as a daily, far too firm and loud, and I presume the f90 is similar (though quieter).

[SundaySnores]

I'm debating this exact same thing right now. The 540 is the fastest car I've ever driven and now I want more. A friend in HS had an M3 and I vividly remember a couple of times girls yelling at us on the road. To have an M5 would be a dream but so much damn power for a daily + gas.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by SundaySnores

I'm debating this exact same thing right now. The 540 is the fastest car I've ever driven and now I want more. A friend in HS had an M3 and I vividly remember a couple of times girls yelling at us on the road. To have an M5 would be a dream but so much damn power for a daily + gas.

Going from a 540, I feel like the M550 is going to check the box for "more".

[SundaySnores]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Going from a 540, I feel like the M550 is going to check the box for "more".

Hands down but it would be fun.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by SundaySnores

Hands down but it would be fun.

100%. I'm definitely not trying to deter you! Get the M5 man!

[MelbourneFinn]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Going from a 540, I feel like the M550 is going to check the box for "more".

Originally Posted by NGT2

Going from a 540, I feel like the M550 is going to check the box for "more".

I kind of went the other way - from an M6 Comp to 540… naturally, there are many other differences, but thinking about driving alone, surprisingly I don't really miss the extra power, mostly. Off the line there is literally no real difference, considering the xDrive gets the power to the ground, whereas the M6 was always struggling. When moving, fair enough, there are situations where in the M6 you'd floor it (overtaking as an example) and you are gone, but in the 540 you need to think twice whether the gap is big enough…

In terms of ride, sure, there's a massive difference in the compliance and ride quality - both cars are/were on 20" wheels - but that all depends what you like, and what kind of conditions you drive. I never had any issues with the M6 on Australian pretty rubbish condition roads, but I like it rather firm. I test drove M5 Comp LCI and must say it was significantly firmer than the M6 - kind of normal suspension setting in the M5 was the same or even a bit firmer than Sport in the M6. This was the main reason I never went from M6 to M5 (well, looks played a part, too).

OP, suggest don't make your decisions based on other people's opinions… M5 is a different animal compared to "normal" 5-series models (I'm probably going to aggravate all 550 owners by saying this…), whether 550 or 540 or whatever, anything M in it is really just design and looks, not that much technology when compared to a real M car. But find an M5 and drive it on the roads where you would typically drive - not on a slick and smooth surface of restricted area - and if you are happy with the way it drives there, go for your life if performance is your thing, nothing really beats a real M car!

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by MelbourneFinn

I kind of went the other way - from an M6 Comp to 540… naturally, there are many other differences, but thinking about driving alone, surprisingly I don't really miss the extra power, mostly. Off the line there is literally no real difference, considering the xDrive gets the power to the ground, whereas the M6 was always struggling. When moving, fair enough, there are situations where in the M6 you'd floor it (overtaking as an example) and you are gone, but in the 540 you need to think twice whether the gap is big enough…

In terms of ride, sure, there's a massive difference in the compliance and ride quality - both cars are/were on 20" wheels - but that all depends what you like, and what kind of conditions you drive. I never had any issues with the M6 on Australian pretty rubbish condition roads, but I like it rather firm. I test drove M5 Comp LCI and must say it was significantly firmer than the M6 - kind of normal suspension setting in the M5 was the same or even a bit firmer than Sport in the M6. This was the main reason I never went from M6 to M5 (well, looks played a part, too).

OP, suggest don't make your decisions based on other people's opinions… M5 is a different animal compared to "normal" 5-series models (I'm probably going to aggravate all 550 owners by saying this…), whether 550 or 540 or whatever, anything M in it is really just design and looks, not that much technology when compared to a real M car. But find an M5 and drive it on the roads where you would typically drive - not on a slick and smooth surface of restricted area - and if you are happy with the way it drives there, go for your life if performance is your thing, nothing really beats a real M car!

I'm laughing to myself while I read your post, because this 540 is the fastest car I've ever had. I drove a 1993 Infiniti J30 in high school that I thought was fast. Since then, all GM trucks with different generations of their 5.3 v8. The 2016 Tahoe I traded in December for my 2018 540 would smoke that Infiniti sedan from high school. I say all that just to illustrate my perspective.

So I'm laughing at you saying you have to think about the overtake space in the 540. On the highway, if I punch it from 60+ mph then I feel like I'm at 100 in no time, especially in sport mode. I can't imagine how my mind would be blown in an M550, much less a real M car!!

One of these days…

[eliphil]

I am a BMW newbie, I have owned my M550 for 6 months and never had a BMW prior. I took two extended test drives in 2021 pre owned M5's and did not like either. The cars had hyper transmissions that were anything but smooth and the ride was harsh. My old Rs7 was a true sports sedan, great comfort and fun to drive. I did like the M5 competition version I drove but still greatly prefer the M550 as a daily driver. The ride is unbelievably comfortable and its fun to drive in sport mode.

[AmooManiak]

M550i with DHP will be A LOT more comfortable. Granted, I did have the M Performance suspension in the 21 M5C when I got it so I don't know what the regular M5 feels like. Still, I don't think it will be as comfortable as M550i with DHP.

M5 will feel a little faster during daily driving but you won't be able to tell a drastic difference unless at the track or in higher speed driving as it's typically the torque that's most noticeable and they are not far off there.

Handling - what can I say - they are big 4 door sedans. Driver engagement won't be there like the smaller BMWs so don't expect the M5 to feel much more exciting. You definitely feel a disconnection from the road if you drive it back to back against the smaller siblings, which is also to be expected as it's a luxury sedan. I also assume that you won't take it to the track where you may notice the 5% difference in lap time. They will set fast track times but they won't "feel" fast in the car because they have to serve the purpose of being luxury sedans at the same time.

Sound - 21 M5C and M550i are about the same, with the edge maybe even going to the stock M550i. I didn't realize how disappointing the M5C sound was until I put the car back to stock and the sound became almost non-existent compared to the Eisenmann performance exhaust.

Overall, you can't go wrong with either if you're looking for a big sedan. They have slightly different purposes and the M badge is more prestigious, which is the biggest difference in price. M550i is better for daily driving while M5 is better if you are planning on taking the car to the track once in a while.

[malp33]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Question for anyone who's had both an M550 and F90 M5... Or if you've had extensive experience driving both on the street. I've driven the M5 at the BMW performance center, and the M550i on the street. Never vice-versa. The M550ix has a stiffer, more "M-like" ride than the regular M540i that I owned for a few years. My question is: does the M550i ride like the M5, or is the M5 more firm and unforgiving?

I'm not planning to track whichever one I buy, so day-to-day comfort is my primary concern.

Thanks!

I had a 2018 E63S AMG, granted not a M5 but I believe based on everything I have read that both have very similar ride comfort. For me the E63S was not workable for a daily driver- I live in the Chicagoland and the roads are not great, as much as I tried to convince myself- even changed to all season tires (helped) it was never comfortable enough if you just wanted to drive normally. I switched to a 2021 M550, comfort is great and it provides 85-90% of the performance, which for me is enough as I put more weight on everyday usability than the few times I was pushing the car to 10.

[bmw5er4life]

M550 will be a more comfortable ride. F90 is firmer and so is an M3. Test drove the 3 and went with the m550. Came from a 540 m sport with 20" wheel with the standard m sport suspension and the m550 is also way more comfortable and not as firm (m550 has the standard m sport adaptive suspension)

[Boosted_8]

Bold statement here but I think I've kind of managed to solve this puzzle.
I wanted the following: V8, very fast, comfortable and under the radar transport for 4 people.

M5 V8 - yes, Very fast - yes, comfortable - not really, under the radar - not really. List price £103k

Alpina B5 V8 - yes, Very fast - yes, comfortable - yes, under the radar -yes. List price £98k

M550i V8 - Yes, Very fast - almost, comfortable - yes, under the radar - yes. List price £69k

So I figured I could do the following and create my own special blend.

Start with an M550i, add 100hp, Alpina size brakes, M5 sway bars, wider non-runfat tyres and create a kind of hybrid of the two with 25 grand left over for wild partying on a yacht (yeah right)

[LonnieWeaver]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I am almost positive that a similar post is over on the F90 forum, I have read it. It is more likely that you will get a better perspective over there as it is more likely that there are a lot of M550 guys there that upgraded. Not many downgrade.

I do read that forum a lot. It is my understanding that the M5 suspension is remarkedly stiffer, but those guys with them will swear on a bible that it is a fine daily driver. Once of these days my local dealers will have one in stock long enough for me to test drive one. I definitely will go for a Competition.

Can you share that F90 forum link? If you have time
Czy możesz udostępnić link do forum F90? Jeśli masz czas. Poczekam na odpowiedź i do tego czasu zajrzę tutaj https://onlinepolskiekasyna.com/kasyno-na-zywo/ bo chcę zarabiać i na tej stronie znalazłem te strony na których mogę zarobić realne pieniądze jednocześnie przebywanie tylko w domu. Proszę o jak najszybszą odpowiedź.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by LonnieWeaver

Can you share that F90 forum link? If you have time

Same website, different section for M5

[VirtualGuitars]

As an M550 owner for four years, I can tell you it’s a very stiff riding car if you drive in sport mode in a city like Houston. Hitting unavoidable potholes caused three hairline cracks in each of my passenger side wheels. I was able to get them repaired and switched to conventional tires, which made a night and day difference. No more run-flats. I probably would never would have cracked my rims if I had switched sooner. It’s also much smoother when driving in comfort mode.

I can also tell you that when I get a five series loaner car, it’s a completely different vehicle. I would buy another in M550 if I needed a new vehicle. The funniest thing to me is the 2019 M550 was quicker than the 2019 M5. Or course that changed the next year, but I still think it’s funny.

[Mattl0806]

I have to say I’m probably an outlier… so far I have not really been enjoying the m550 ride as much as I had hoped. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason. My recently acquired 2023 has DHP and I find it to be stiff in some scenarios but then also floaty / boaty in others. I have been susceptible to motion sickness for years now, where getting on a boat can leave my body feeling the rocking for a week.

I’m getting a lesser version of this when driving the car. I get out and feel a little off balanced. This could simply just be the front end weight and power that can produce some more jerky/lurching motions (it’s still smooth for what it is but actions like on throttle off throttle are certainly more abrupt than a 540). It could be the DHP package doing things to a car my body is just not used to. It’s supposed optimize performance and comfort and maybe this what I’m feeling. I’ve never had a car do this to me before.

I did mentioned this to a BMW enthusiast who is a CA and he said I wasn’t the first to report this and it is why he believes go 540 or M5. The m5 was never in the cards for me tho.

Anyways, I think 99.9% here will disagree with me but figured I’d share my experience.

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

I have to say I’m probably an outlier… so far I have not really been enjoying the m550 ride as much as I had hoped. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason. My recently acquired 2023 has DHP and I find it to be stiff in some scenarios but then also floaty / boaty in others. I have been susceptible to motion sickness for years now, where getting on a boat can leave my body feeling the rocking for a week.

I’m getting a lesser version of this when driving the car. I get out and feel a little off balanced. This could simply just be the front end weight and power that can produce some more jerky/lurching motions (it’s still smooth for what it is but actions like on throttle off throttle are certainly more abrupt than a 540). It could be the DHP package doing things to a car my body is just not used to. It’s supposed optimize performance and comfort and maybe this what I’m feeling. I’ve never had a car do this to me before.

I did mentioned this to a BMW enthusiast who is a CA and he said I wasn’t the first to report this and it is why he believes go 540 or M5. The m5 was never in the cards for me tho.

Anyways, I think 99.9% here will disagree with me but figured I’d share my experience.

Back to the drawing board?

In seriousness though sorry to hear. What you’re describing is more or less what the dynamic damping control is supposed to be doing. It’s independent of the M550i and is isolated to dhp. (I won’t mince words, I think 540 or M5 is terribly foolish advice) the behavior not being what your mind and body expect is also not entirely surprising if you’re sensitive to motion. My wife struggles with motion sickness in plenty of cars, but luckily has not in my DHP equipped M550.

It sounds like you have a bit of a lead foot though. The car has way too much power for most scenarios, and most of the time one needs to be gentle with the gas. You might want to spend some time in eco pro, and bump up to comfort after getting used to it.