BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
BMW 5-Series (G30) Forum 2017+ BMW 5 Series (G30) General Discussions M550i or M340i?

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      04-05-2020, 08:27 AM   #89
Bob in IL
Captain
746
Rep
981
Posts

Drives: 2024 G01 X3, 2019 G30 5 Series
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Chicago area

iTrader: (0)

When researching the G30 one of the common positive themes in the reviews was the material quality and fit and finish. After owning mine for 8+ months I agree with them. Maybe the loaner you drove had lived a hard life?
Appreciate 1
530iDriver1707.50
      04-05-2020, 12:48 PM   #90
530iDriver
Colonel
530iDriver's Avatar
United_States
1708
Rep
2,539
Posts

Drives: 2017 BMW 530i
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Florida

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob in IL View Post
When researching the G30 one of the common positive themes in the reviews was the material quality and fit and finish. After owning mine for 8+ months I agree with them. Maybe the loaner you drove had lived a hard life?
Exactly. I have owned a G30 for over 2 years and the fit/finish, build and material quality of this car are absolutely top notch. Your fingertips will simply not come across a single piece of cheap hard plastic on this cabin, hard as you might try.

And most reviewers have praised the high quality cabin and appointments. Tend to be skeptical of people that come here and post non-sense but claim that any Tesla whatever built after 2017 has a higher quality interior. Talked about oxymorons.
__________________
2017 BMW 530i, Sport Line,Alpine White, Canberra Beige Sensatec, 19 inch V-Spoke wheels, basic plain Jane build with no options whatsoever..... "Less is more".

Before: 2011 BMW 328i E90 sedan, Platinum Bronze Metallic, Dakota Brown leather, 17 inch wheels, 6-speed auto, N52 6 Cyl inline N/A goodness....
Appreciate 0
      04-05-2020, 12:55 PM   #91
SteveinArizona
Brigadier General
United_States
3086
Rep
4,210
Posts

Drives: BMW 530e
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Greater Phoenix

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by zagyyz View Post
I find it shocking just how rattly even the 5-Series can be. I had a rental 520d with Dakota leather... way too many cheap parts. A few weeks later I got a rental 320d with Vernasca and it felt similarly built. I would probably just wait for the M3 in your case, or I'd get something like an X5, E53 AMG or Tesla Model S Performance (in the US, a Long Range Plus model should suffice for much less money). Only if you can get a good charging point. They're all better built than the 3 or 5, with the exception of pre-2017 Teslas that have big panel gaps.
Like others here, I don't agree with your comments about the quality of the 5 series. I do note that both the cars you drove had the cheaper Dakota/Vernasca leather. I think they both come off as pasticky and terrible. That is one reason I upgraded from a 3 series to a 5 series...I got the much better quality Nappa leather.

Sure, there are some cheaper parts than I would like (such as the lower portions of the dash) but that is equally true of all the competitors and there are probably less such parts in the BMW 5 series than its competitors. The storage tray under the light switches was a pretty crappy item but it was replaced with a much better quality version under warranty.

But...the nice thing about cars is that there are many manufacturers. If you don't like the BMW 5 series...don't buy it. Get the Merc, Tesla or whatever else turns you on.

Incidentally, you don't say in your signature what you drive.
Appreciate 0
      04-06-2020, 07:21 AM   #92
Titan2004
Private
28
Rep
79
Posts

Drives: M550i/M50i/488/Maybach/RR
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Philadelphia

iTrader: (0)

Incidentally, you don't say in your signature what you drive.[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what I was thinking...
Appreciate 0
      04-06-2020, 08:04 AM   #93
Dutt1113
Lieutenant
Dutt1113's Avatar
167
Rep
596
Posts

Drives: 2018 M550i xdrive
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Michigan

iTrader: (3)

I had an '11 f10 550i, but it got totaled about a year ago. Just been driving a lowly Lincoln MKZ 3.7 until I figure out what I want to spend some real money on.
Appreciate 0
      04-07-2020, 05:54 AM   #94
jjscsix
Private First Class
United_States
93
Rep
184
Posts

Drives: 2017 540, 2016 GX460
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Houston

iTrader: (0)

Quality is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to materials. Soft leather is not really a quality attribute, it's a luxury attribute. Quality is how well something is made to last and look and function over time.

My 540 is nearly two years old and still has rattles that it has been in the shop close to 20 days to fix. A few times we thought they were fixed, but were not. That is a quality issue.
__________________
2017 540 M-Sport, 2016 Lexus GX460
And some fast motorcycles
Appreciate 0
      04-12-2020, 02:54 PM   #95
florinant93
New Member
3
Rep
19
Posts

Drives: 2022 745Le LCI, 2023 530e LCI
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: London

iTrader: (0)

M550 always
Appreciate 0
      04-12-2020, 09:32 PM   #96
obhitn3
Enlisted Member
obhitn3's Avatar
United_States
39
Rep
38
Posts

Drives: 2020 M5
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: WPB

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by VirtualGuitars View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by drjolokia View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssquared View Post
Don't look at iDrive 6 as being outdated compared to idrive 7. It is older, but it is also a much better design. Aside from the countless bugs drivers are experiencing with iDrive 7 (see the x5 forum), it's just a poor design and unintuitive wheras idrive 6 is excellent. The digital instrument cluster serves little purpose other than for BMW's marketing team to say they have a fully digital instrument cluster to compete with Audi's virtual cockpit. The BMW digital cluster in the 3 series is ugly, hard to read and doesn't present the driver with the right information. The cluster in the G30 5 is better

Aside from the electronics, how the car drives is another big difference. The 3 will be much more tossable than the 5 and feel more sporty. The 5 has a more planted stable feeling, but lacks in steering feel and driver engagement. Do you prefer sport or luxury?

Personally I'd go for the refinement of the 5 over the sportiness of the 3 for a daily driver. And definitely 540 not 550. The 540 has more than enough power for a sporty luxury car and weighs much less than the 550 so it feels better and gets much better fuel mileage. The 550 strikes me as pointless as putting a larger engine in an car that's not engaging to drive doesn't make it anymore engaging. 540 is the perfect balance
I agree with a lot of what you said but to say the M550i is less engaging is completely false.

The raw power of the V8 even in comfort mode is amazing and acceleration is silky smooth.

In sport+ the suspension becomes tight and responsive. The car feels much lighter than it is.

On top of that consumer and professional reviews of the M550i are higher than the 540.

Honestly, I'd take the 340 over the 540. But I think the M550i tops them both.
M550i all day every day. There's not a day that goes by that I regret purchasing my vehicle.
X2. Ditto!!! Love my M550i
__________________
2020 M550i x-drive
Appreciate 1
      04-15-2020, 07:55 PM   #97
JDUNITNOW
Colonel
JDUNITNOW's Avatar
United_States
3453
Rep
2,340
Posts

Drives: BMW 335I, 750li, X5 G80
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Glen Allen, Virginia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by clee1982 View Post
unless you're being driven what's so good about all the stuff in 7 series back seat...
LOL.... I always complained I never get to enjoy the back seat if my car and I would sometimes go in the garage and set in the back.
Appreciate 1
clee1982796.00
      04-18-2020, 05:03 AM   #98
zagyyz
New Member
10
Rep
23
Posts

Drives: /
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Croatia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
Cheap parts? Care to explain?
Hard parts around the center console and "soft-touch" materials that are scratchy. I didn't notice this on the X5 or E-Class/Model S.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Titan2004 View Post
What rattled in the 5? What cheap parts are you referring to in the 5? What are you referring to in the 3? Have you driven an M3 and if so did it feel the same in your opinion?

Details requested

Plastics around the center console (near the AC controls and vents). 3-Series felt similarly built. I sat in a 2017 M3 and it felt better built than the new 3-Series, but that could be because it had merino leather.
Appreciate 0
      04-18-2020, 05:23 AM   #99
zagyyz
New Member
10
Rep
23
Posts

Drives: /
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Croatia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
Exactly. I have owned a G30 for over 2 years and the fit/finish, build and material quality of this car are absolutely top notch. Your fingertips will simply not come across a single piece of cheap hard plastic on this cabin, hard as you might try.

And most reviewers have praised the high quality cabin and appointments. Tend to be skeptical of people that come here and post non-sense but claim that any Tesla whatever built after 2017 has a higher quality interior. Talked about oxymorons.
It's not bad quality, to be clear. I just felt pretty underwhelmed given the quality of similarly priced cars like the X5 or E-Class. Maybe Nappa or Merino leather makes it better, but the reality is that most 5-Series come with Dakota. An E-Class with half-leather and half-cloth seats feels better built IMO.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinArizona View Post
Like others here, I don't agree with your comments about the quality of the 5 series. I do note that both the cars you drove had the cheaper Dakota/Vernasca leather. I think they both come off as pasticky and terrible. That is one reason I upgraded from a 3 series to a 5 series...I got the much better quality Nappa leather.

Sure, there are some cheaper parts than I would like (such as the lower portions of the dash) but that is equally true of all the competitors and there are probably less such parts in the BMW 5 series than its competitors. The storage tray under the light switches was a pretty crappy item but it was replaced with a much better quality version under warranty.

But...the nice thing about cars is that there are many manufacturers. If you don't like the BMW 5 series...don't buy it. Get the Merc, Tesla or whatever else turns you on.

Incidentally, you don't say in your signature what you drive.
BMWs used to be the best quality of the German trio, and this is still the case for most segments. I just feel that they've dropped to second place in the mid-size segment, because the E-Class feels better built than the 5-Series. Given that the Tesla uses many parts from the E-Class and S-Class, it's similar quality to those.

The X5 is far ahead of the GLE and slightly ahead of the Q7, and the same can be said for the 7-Series vs the S-Class or A8. Even the 3-Series feels better than its rivals. The 5 simply doesn't feel as nice as some of its competitors.

I ordered the Tesla Model S because I was surprised to see how much it has improved over the last 8 years. Thought that the X5 was the car for me, turns out it's not. I heard a lot about quality issues and panel gaps and while that's true for some older models, the 2020 feels rock solid, full of leather and full of smooth soft touch materials. In Europe, a nicely equipped X5 40i costs more than a Model S Performance.
Appreciate 0
      04-18-2020, 09:58 AM   #100
hlothery
Seeking mental floss
482
Rep
806
Posts

Drives: 2022 Mercedes EQS 450+
Join Date: May 2016
Location: San Antonio, Tx

iTrader: (0)

My take is that my M550 is head and shoulders above the M4 it replaced. I like that it is bigger, offers more luxury, is quieter, has none of the rattles in the doors and the dash that the M4 had. The M3/4 owners were constantly compaining about the rattles, and there are several long and detailed fixer videos in the DIY sections of those forums, and multiple products recommended to fix them. I have had none since getting the M550. Zero, zip, nada. Love my M550. I, too, have Napa leather.
Appreciate 0
      04-20-2020, 04:32 PM   #101
magbarn
Lieutenant
168
Rep
416
Posts

Drives: '17 540i Msport
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Southern CA

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by zagyyz View Post
It's not bad quality, to be clear. I just felt pretty underwhelmed given the quality of similarly priced cars like the X5 or E-Class. Maybe Nappa or Merino leather makes it better, but the reality is that most 5-Series come with Dakota. An E-Class with half-leather and half-cloth seats feels better built IMO.



BMWs used to be the best quality of the German trio, and this is still the case for most segments. I just feel that they've dropped to second place in the mid-size segment, because the E-Class feels better built than the 5-Series. Given that the Tesla uses many parts from the E-Class and S-Class, it's similar quality to those.

The X5 is far ahead of the GLE and slightly ahead of the Q7, and the same can be said for the 7-Series vs the S-Class or A8. Even the 3-Series feels better than its rivals. The 5 simply doesn't feel as nice as some of its competitors.

I ordered the Tesla Model S because I was surprised to see how much it has improved over the last 8 years. Thought that the X5 was the car for me, turns out it's not. I heard a lot about quality issues and panel gaps and while that's true for some older models, the 2020 feels rock solid, full of leather and full of smooth soft touch materials. In Europe, a nicely equipped X5 40i costs more than a Model S Performance.
I guess you guys have more options available to you or Tesla has fooled you but all the stuff here in the States is pleather. The test drive I did last year on the 2019 S did not convince me of the fake leather quality. You need to spend some quality time in a loaded 5 series with Nappa/Merino leather. Not the stripped lease specials. Plus you can get 10% easily off a 5 series up to 15% with all incentives. Try that on a Tesla.
__________________
G30 540i Msport
G05 X5 xDrive40i Msport
Retired '03 330i, '10 335d
Appreciate 0
      04-22-2020, 06:18 AM   #102
zagyyz
New Member
10
Rep
23
Posts

Drives: /
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Croatia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by magbarn View Post
I guess you guys have more options available to you or Tesla has fooled you but all the stuff here in the States is pleather. The test drive I did last year on the 2019 S did not convince me of the fake leather quality. You need to spend some quality time in a loaded 5 series with Nappa/Merino leather. Not the stripped lease specials. Plus you can get 10% easily off a 5 series up to 15% with all incentives. Try that on a Tesla.
I was looking at an M550i or 540i Touring and would only take it loaded - I do believe that full Merino leather would make the build quality better than in the Tesla. However, those cars loaded would cost 10-15% more than a fully equipped Performance S, and while I would get fantastic leather and good seats, I'd sacrifice rear seat comfort, rear seat space, trunk volume, handling, performance and wow factor, all for more money. Not to mention the price of 100 gas, which in Europe is ridiculously expensive. I don't care too much about the environmental benefits, but it is a bonus. (the 530e never came close to my shortlist - total rip off, and BMW should be making an i5 or 545e if they really want to get in the EV or PHEV game, rather than embarrassing themselves with a half-assed 4-cylinder that has less power than their base gas engine and less total power than their second cheapest
gas engine).

I do have to admit that the rental 5-Series that I've been in have been really poorly equipped. The only non-tech options that they've had are Dakota leather seats (somehow an option in Europe, even though they suck), power tailgate and heated front seats. That probably has something to do with my opinion of the build quality, but then again, I've sat in E-Classes that don't even have leather seats and those felt better quality.
Appreciate 0
      04-22-2020, 01:35 PM   #103
530iDriver
Colonel
530iDriver's Avatar
United_States
1708
Rep
2,539
Posts

Drives: 2017 BMW 530i
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Florida

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by zagyyz View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by magbarn View Post
I guess you guys have more options available to you or Tesla has fooled you but all the stuff here in the States is pleather. The test drive I did last year on the 2019 S did not convince me of the fake leather quality. You need to spend some quality time in a loaded 5 series with Nappa/Merino leather. Not the stripped lease specials. Plus you can get 10% easily off a 5 series up to 15% with all incentives. Try that on a Tesla.
I was looking at an M550i or 540i Touring and would only take it loaded - I do believe that full Merino leather would make the build quality better than in the Tesla. However, those cars loaded would cost 10-15% more than a fully equipped Performance S, and while I would get fantastic leather and good seats, I'd sacrifice rear seat comfort, rear seat space, trunk volume, handling, performance and wow factor, all for more money. Not to mention the price of 100 gas, which in Europe is ridiculously expensive. I don't care too much about the environmental benefits, but it is a bonus. (the 530e never came close to my shortlist - total rip off, and BMW should be making an i5 or 545e if they really want to get in the EV or PHEV game, rather than embarrassing themselves with a half-assed 4-cylinder that has less power than their base gas engine and less total power than their second cheapest
gas engine).

I do have to admit that the rental 5-Series that I've been in have been really poorly equipped. The only non-tech options that they've had are Dakota leather seats (somehow an option in Europe, even though they suck), power tailgate and heated front seats. That probably has something to do with my opinion of the build quality, but then again, I've sat in E-Classes that don't even have leather seats and those felt better quality.
LOL you would not like my 530i with SensaTec.
__________________
2017 BMW 530i, Sport Line,Alpine White, Canberra Beige Sensatec, 19 inch V-Spoke wheels, basic plain Jane build with no options whatsoever..... "Less is more".

Before: 2011 BMW 328i E90 sedan, Platinum Bronze Metallic, Dakota Brown leather, 17 inch wheels, 6-speed auto, N52 6 Cyl inline N/A goodness....
Appreciate 0
      04-25-2020, 06:43 AM   #104
zagyyz
New Member
10
Rep
23
Posts

Drives: /
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Croatia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
LOL you would not like my 530i with SensaTec.
At least it's standard in the US. In Europe you get cloth seats as standard (yes, full cloth seats, just like a Toyota Corolla).
Appreciate 0
      04-25-2020, 11:23 AM   #105
530iDriver
Colonel
530iDriver's Avatar
United_States
1708
Rep
2,539
Posts

Drives: 2017 BMW 530i
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Florida

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by zagyyz View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
LOL you would not like my 530i with SensaTec.
At least it's standard in the US. In Europe you get cloth seats as standard (yes, full cloth seats, just like a Toyota Corolla).
Yes I seen photos of cloth seats and even a short run of the G31 520D with a 6-speed manual.
__________________
2017 BMW 530i, Sport Line,Alpine White, Canberra Beige Sensatec, 19 inch V-Spoke wheels, basic plain Jane build with no options whatsoever..... "Less is more".

Before: 2011 BMW 328i E90 sedan, Platinum Bronze Metallic, Dakota Brown leather, 17 inch wheels, 6-speed auto, N52 6 Cyl inline N/A goodness....
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:02 PM.




5post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST