[BMWKLG]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I try to make my appointments mid-week, in the morning. That seems to help.

I'll definitely try that going forward!

[BMWKLG]

Originally Posted by RonronEG

My 540i was in for coolant issues and then was damaged at the dealer, the loaner was a 2023 XM still in the break in period. Had it for 6 weeks or so. In that time I wasn't able to decipher how iDrive 8 worked- car needs more physical controls. Figuring out the HVAC controls seemed impossible lol.

The drivetrain in that car is pretty nuts. Really liked the electric portion more than I thought I would.

I love the XM. Never driven it and have only seen them on the road but they look awesome. Did you try to enable HVAC controls with "Hey BMW"?

[RonronEG]

Originally Posted by BMWKLG

I love the XM. Never driven it and have only seen them on the road but they look awesome. Did you try to enable HVAC controls with "Hey BMW"?

Towards the end of my time with it I did end up using voice controls. You can do a lot with voice controls in iDrive 8.

The XM looks better in person for sure. The look definitely started to grow on me. Drives like a car 2/3rds it's weight. Very comfortable even with massive 22" wheels. With the shadow line package and dark paint even the split headlights looked good. Didn't like the geometric roof instead of a large glass sunroof- that's probably my only real gripe. Well I'd also add that it draws a massive amount of attention anywhere you go- gas station, grocery store, any parking lot, any roadway, people at work, it never ends.

I did find it funny that when I asked them for a X7 or 8 series Gran coupe for a loaner (the two BMWs I'm shopping for) they kind of chuckled and said they don't have those models in the fleet then the next day tell me an XM is ready for me to pick up. Bizarre but did play a part in making the whole experience with my car being damaged a bit more palatable.

[BMWKLG]

Originally Posted by RonronEG

Towards the end of my time with it I did end up using voice controls. You can do a lot with voice controls in iDrive 8.

The XM looks better in person for sure. The look definitely started to grow on me. Drives like a car 2/3rds it's weight. Very comfortable even with massive 22" wheels. With the shadow line package and dark paint even the split headlights looked good. Didn't like the geometric roof instead of a large glass sunroof- that's probably my only real gripe. Well I'd also add that it draws a massive amount of attention anywhere you go- gas station, grocery store, any parking lot, any roadway, people at work, it never ends.

That's cool that the voice controls were functional and a useful aid; however, I know lots of people miss physical buttons for many things in today's modern vehicles.

There is a dichotomy that exists between reviewers and XM owners and I've watched so many reviews over and over of the XM (sometimes just to lull me to sleep) and the overwhelming majority loathe the automobile after a day or two with it (some review it on the lot and parrot what the consensus says).

So many owners I've listened to or interacted with (including one of the SA's at the dealership) has great things to say about it. It's not perfect; however, they loved the vehicle enough to justify the 135K price tag even after employee discount.

Lastly, it is definitely a head turner. I've only owned white vehicles because I love the contrast of the black and white parts and I saw a mineral white XM at an IHG hotel at the Wharf in DC last month. It was right before sunset and angle the vehicle was parked, the sunset on the Potomac, and the Ambient Lighting inside made it look like art.

I was spellbound. The XM is way too big for me so I don't envision myself an owner but it wouldn't hurt to have it as a loaner. 😊

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I could have sworn there was already a thread about this, but for the life of me I can't find it, so here goes...

My 540i is at the dealer getting a fresh set of plugs, fresh oil & fresh brake fluid and I got a 230i X-Drive as a loaner. I HATE the "live dash" layout and the inability to have the split-screen on the NAV portion. I can't set the time and even though I selected LA for the time zone (-8GMT), the time is still 4 hours fast. Shifting is really stupid with a lever instead of a proper shifter. It's oddly optioned with manual trunk operation. The integrated OM is practically useless. I can't find how to unlock all the doors when unlocking the car vs. just the drivers door. The iDrive menus aren't intuitive at all. I know I'll only have the car for a day, but it is quite frustrating to not be able to find the simplest adjustments in the iDrive. The back seat is for no one bigger than a toddler. The trunk seems adequate for a car this size. The engine seems pretty well matched for this sized car. My wife is very displeased with the high door sill height and told me that I better not by this model car! I told her not to worry, I wouldn't.

Rant over and I CAN'T wait to get my car back tomorrow!

I can imagine. On a local Autobahn the other day I was trying to imagine how annoying it must be (in the newer cars) to mess with the digital climate controls and then bounce back to the nav or media screens all while driving.

What a mess.

[Joe-BMW33]

A related fun question would be - What was your all time favorite loaner?

I’d have to go with an Alpine White on Cardinal Red 3-series hard top convertible. I’ve never owned a convertible and wanted one when I was younger (not so much anymore). It was fun for a few days.

[tsbrown]

Favorite loaner…E90 335d M Sport. It had mountains of torque, great suspension. If I didn’t have my E90 M3 at the time I would have seriously considered buying one.

[overcooked]

Favorite loaner: Porsche Macan when I had my XC90 in for oil change. I didn't want to give it back, the steering was so good for a SUV!