Impressions so far
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,348
Likes: 0
From: Northern NJ
2014 BMW 550i
Impressions so far
These are my impressions of my 2004 E500 after about 2000 miles:
Performance: Overall, very good. As expected, the E is solid and unwavering during any driving condition. High speed stability is excellent. Overall handling is very good. While not downright sporty, it has a nice balance between ride comfort and handling. The adjustable suspension is of course a cool feature. I've been keeping it in Sport 1, but I am going to play around with it a little bit to see which of the other modes may also provide the balance I'm looking for. The engine has a nice exhaust note, and while it takes a little bit to get it going, once it gets going, hold on to your seat! At first I thought it was a little slow, but seemingly after I broke it in, it has become a little more athletic. The 7 speed is cool, that even in the Comfort mode starting in second gear, the car still has good power. But, I find the shifting to be a little rough at slower speeds, particularly when giving it more throttle. Car also does pull to the right.
The look: The Appearance Package adds a nice touch to the vehicle. The white gauges are very nice looking, as is the silver surround by the shifter. The blue tinted glass looks real nice with the Platinum Blue, and is a really nice contrast with the Ash interior. I purchased the Charcoal floor mats, and looks contrasts beautifully with the black wood. Overall with the Xenon lights, this car looks very sharp. I'm looking to replace the driving/running lights real soon, and probably the fogs as well. It would have been great if the exhaust was exposed, and would have given it a much more agressive look.
Comfort and convenience: Very quiet inside (if it wasn't for the noisy Crapinentals it would be even quieter). The Parktronic system is excellent. I had some experience with this, and I have to say that it has probably already saved me a ding or two. My garage is difficult to get in to with a bigger car, and it gives me a lot of confidence. The seats, while a little firm at first, provide a nice level of comfort. I wish the center console was a little more padded, but there is very nice padding on the doors. The wheel feels very comfortable in the hand, but I do wish it was a three spoke wheel. A lot of little neat features abound. The heated seats are nice and even, and the heated steering wheel is a lot better and more useful than I originally thought it would be.
The Navigation: Overall, not a bad system. I was able to easily master it, although it did take a while to figure out where the space key was. The nav voice is pleasant, although a little abrupt sounding at times. The display in the MFD is very convenient (as is when the nav is not in use). Some of the functions could be alittle easier to get to. Accuracy, in terms of position and actual directions given has been pretty good, but I have seen tons of errors, mainly with the POI's. Incomplete phone numbers, improperly positioned ones, or in quite a few cases, not even there (it showed a few gas stations in a totally residential area). And this may be common among nav systems, but the coverage of rural areas was very lacking. Having touch screen abilities would be a major help, but it is much better in most areas than the COMAND I.
Dislikes are mainly little things, but a little annoying in some cases.
The wiper system: Needs to be redone. It is quieter than the 2003 system in my friends E, but still a little loud. The rain sensing mode is not very good. It either way over or under wipes. In mist, it goes like crazy. When there is bonafide rain, it is much slower. A control to adjust the sensitivity like in some other cars would be a very useful feature. I end up using the manual mode mostly in light rain, just because it is more convenient.
Sound system: While not a total disappointment, I am not that impressed by it either. I should clarify that I listen to a lot of bass heavy music, so I think that is where the problem lies. Overall, the accuracy is very good for most types of music, and I would imagine that if I listened to a lot of classical I would be very happy. But the bass is so crashing that I have to keep it way down, and it just doesn't sound right. A speaker replacement may be in order as a future mod. The CD-Text feature, though is very cool. But, it is a little flaky. When starting the car with a CD playing, it always defaults to the first song in the display, but plays the last song exactly where it stopped. I also like the interface a lot better than the 2003's. Basic functions are much easier to get to. The changer is a little slow, though.
Other little quibbles: The cupholders are crap, period.
The car is also very rough at idle, when in Park or Neutral. At idle in drive, it is nice and smooth, and no vibration is evident throughout the cabin. Otherwise, it almost feels like it is shaking the car up and down. This was similiar in my friends old 2001 S as well.
A couple of little rattles at times, but nothing major. Car does have a very solid feel.
Overall, very impressed, and even though I had a ton of problems getting delivery of the car, it has been a great experience, and was certainly worth the wait.
Some pics to follow...
Performance: Overall, very good. As expected, the E is solid and unwavering during any driving condition. High speed stability is excellent. Overall handling is very good. While not downright sporty, it has a nice balance between ride comfort and handling. The adjustable suspension is of course a cool feature. I've been keeping it in Sport 1, but I am going to play around with it a little bit to see which of the other modes may also provide the balance I'm looking for. The engine has a nice exhaust note, and while it takes a little bit to get it going, once it gets going, hold on to your seat! At first I thought it was a little slow, but seemingly after I broke it in, it has become a little more athletic. The 7 speed is cool, that even in the Comfort mode starting in second gear, the car still has good power. But, I find the shifting to be a little rough at slower speeds, particularly when giving it more throttle. Car also does pull to the right.
The look: The Appearance Package adds a nice touch to the vehicle. The white gauges are very nice looking, as is the silver surround by the shifter. The blue tinted glass looks real nice with the Platinum Blue, and is a really nice contrast with the Ash interior. I purchased the Charcoal floor mats, and looks contrasts beautifully with the black wood. Overall with the Xenon lights, this car looks very sharp. I'm looking to replace the driving/running lights real soon, and probably the fogs as well. It would have been great if the exhaust was exposed, and would have given it a much more agressive look.
Comfort and convenience: Very quiet inside (if it wasn't for the noisy Crapinentals it would be even quieter). The Parktronic system is excellent. I had some experience with this, and I have to say that it has probably already saved me a ding or two. My garage is difficult to get in to with a bigger car, and it gives me a lot of confidence. The seats, while a little firm at first, provide a nice level of comfort. I wish the center console was a little more padded, but there is very nice padding on the doors. The wheel feels very comfortable in the hand, but I do wish it was a three spoke wheel. A lot of little neat features abound. The heated seats are nice and even, and the heated steering wheel is a lot better and more useful than I originally thought it would be.
The Navigation: Overall, not a bad system. I was able to easily master it, although it did take a while to figure out where the space key was. The nav voice is pleasant, although a little abrupt sounding at times. The display in the MFD is very convenient (as is when the nav is not in use). Some of the functions could be alittle easier to get to. Accuracy, in terms of position and actual directions given has been pretty good, but I have seen tons of errors, mainly with the POI's. Incomplete phone numbers, improperly positioned ones, or in quite a few cases, not even there (it showed a few gas stations in a totally residential area). And this may be common among nav systems, but the coverage of rural areas was very lacking. Having touch screen abilities would be a major help, but it is much better in most areas than the COMAND I.
Dislikes are mainly little things, but a little annoying in some cases.
The wiper system: Needs to be redone. It is quieter than the 2003 system in my friends E, but still a little loud. The rain sensing mode is not very good. It either way over or under wipes. In mist, it goes like crazy. When there is bonafide rain, it is much slower. A control to adjust the sensitivity like in some other cars would be a very useful feature. I end up using the manual mode mostly in light rain, just because it is more convenient.
Sound system: While not a total disappointment, I am not that impressed by it either. I should clarify that I listen to a lot of bass heavy music, so I think that is where the problem lies. Overall, the accuracy is very good for most types of music, and I would imagine that if I listened to a lot of classical I would be very happy. But the bass is so crashing that I have to keep it way down, and it just doesn't sound right. A speaker replacement may be in order as a future mod. The CD-Text feature, though is very cool. But, it is a little flaky. When starting the car with a CD playing, it always defaults to the first song in the display, but plays the last song exactly where it stopped. I also like the interface a lot better than the 2003's. Basic functions are much easier to get to. The changer is a little slow, though.
Other little quibbles: The cupholders are crap, period.
The car is also very rough at idle, when in Park or Neutral. At idle in drive, it is nice and smooth, and no vibration is evident throughout the cabin. Otherwise, it almost feels like it is shaking the car up and down. This was similiar in my friends old 2001 S as well.
A couple of little rattles at times, but nothing major. Car does have a very solid feel.
Overall, very impressed, and even though I had a ton of problems getting delivery of the car, it has been a great experience, and was certainly worth the wait.
Some pics to follow...
