K-A

Ddeliber: never heard of that personally actually.

Martin: yeah I actually just host it on a site like photobucket for example.

JVC: Nice! Glad to hear that my work words inspired you to do that! I have some more thoughts via the two that I'll add soon as well. This car feels so right and fit for me it's just really blowing my mind, and it's just such a hot car I think, but the more I drive it I do start to appreciate certain things about the E too, though I really do think that the 5 overall feels at least a class above.

Some more pics:

martinlarose

Thanks KA

220S

Just noticed your rear paper plates.....Santa Barbara Auto Group.

You must have bought this off of Jon.

Had I known I would have bought you dinner and a few drinks here: http://www.luckys-steakhouse.com/

Or at least some tacos here: http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/gui...nt-detail.html.

hyperion667

nice KA, and congrats!! so is it an M car? saw an M on the steering wheel.....
I have to admit I'm curious too about the BMW quality.......
but I like my Benz' and Pcar.......

thanx for sharing all the pictures!



Whats up 220s!!

jvc300

I still love my MB too, but that M5 and the 535 were a blast.

Theres an option called the M Sport package (ZMP) for 2900 bucks. There is a 550 version....

hyperion667

so there is a 535 and a 550? what is the output difference?

jvc300

The 550 has 400 HP with 450 lb-ft peak torque. 4.4 Liter TwinPower Turbos V8. . 0 - 60 time of 4.7 seconds. Plus the Gas Guzzler tax...

The 535 develops 300 HP with 300 lb-ft of torque. 3.5 Liter Six with TwinPower Turbos. 0 - 60 of 5.6 seconds.

hyperion667

okay, thanx, guess I could just go to the website too haha......not that I'd ever buy a BMW

it is interesting though, thanx again for the info jvc

jvc300

Np Hype!!

One thing I found impressive was the eight speed transmission. Didn't even notice it was shifting except for the needle changing positions.

The M5 has 560 HP with 500 lb-ft of torque for a 4.2 second 0-60. Which is interesting since the 550 does 4.7..

AMG: E63 is a 5.5 with 518 HP and 516 lb-ft torque. With the AMG performance pkg you get 550 HP and 590 lb-ft of torque.

K-A

Yes! I bought it from Jon, amazing guy, amazing buying experience. Best I could have imagined. On Bimmerfest he said something along the lines of "in decades of being in the business and thousands of contracts that have come across my desk, this is one of the best deals I have ever seen".

Now you guys know why I ran so quickly to get one while I still have the E.

Ahh, I would have been very down for a congratulatory steak, drinks or Tacos! Oh well, if I come down there for anything I will give you a shout.

hyperion667

I can vouch for that

hyperion667

good for you brother, everyone loves a good deal, glad you finally got something you wanted besides your E class
are you planning on keeping the E too? would be nice to go back and forth to each car every few days to keep them fresh....
I also find it keeps my brain working in different ways, which is good for my brain haha, my Pcar has to have everything done, versus my benz' that do everything for me

K-A

Thanks bud.

Yesterday I had to drive to the other side of town..... I ACTUALLY chose to go the "Canyons" route! That's insane coming from me! I've never bought a new car that I actually want to "put work into" while driving.

The suspension of the car is a huge leap above the E-Class in terms of composure around turns, just as you think it'll start rolling hard like the E, it flattens itself. However, upon more driving I'm starting to think that perhaps the E might be a liiiiiitle smoother in fact, while the 5 retains a slightly stiffer ride (though honestly dynamic enough to be close to the E's comfort), however most of the E's additional comfort comes from the strong floatiness you get from the car (it's gotta be one way or another, usually). I still stand on the 5 being a bit better over bumps, but I'm not starting to wonder if it feels that way because the 5 does a better job of absorbing harsh noises from the ground and just feels a bit more composed. The more I drive the 5-Series the more I appreciate and love the dynamic ride, HOWEVER, the more I drive it, the more I also appreciate the E's use of simplicity in areas and the E's unquestionably serene and frankly "numbing" (i.e numb you from the road) ride- though not boring-numbing like a Lexus, as it's still best in class in that dept (if they could only make it "numb" over bumps, which is where you truly want the numbness).

Hype: Thanks brother, I won't be keeping the E much longer at all as it's in the process of being transferred, I wish I could though. I got more work to do before I could be comfortably and reasonably balling like that. It's just sitting in that driveway in those pics (not my driveway and a small distance from where I live) just collecting dust and dirt wondering what happened.

As for the 535 VS 550. First off, jvc is spot on about that tranny. Mine has the Sport Auto option which comes with a more aggressive tune and/or build and paddles, and it's insanely smooth and responsive.

The N55 motor in the 535i is one of the best motors in the world, IMO. It's actually been voted in the "Best Engines" like every year since its inception, 10/11/12. It isn't all about brute power, it's about how smooth it is, mixed with the power delivery and powerband, and very importantly how great it is on gas mileage whilst doing all that. It's a mix of small size/boost/engineering that gives it all at once an economical factor, puts power down well, and is still smooth and quiet when it needs to be. Basically very well efficiently dialed in.

It's a very sportily oriented motor as you can feel from how it puts the power down on the ground, and has that unmistakable BMW I6 sound.

It's notoriously underrated at 300HP/300TQ as Dyno's on the 535i has shown around 285-290 RWHP (on brand new, i.e not yet even broken in cars) which would signify actually around 330-340 HP (HP ratings by manufacturers are always by the crank output not the wheel output as crank output is considerably higher).

Like I said before, the I6 has that true BMW feel and sound that I really did miss, however the Turbo's have given it a new feel all around. It feels a lot more aggressive and torquey than N/A I6's (while maintaining as much of that BMW-silky-I6 feel as it could), which were purely buttery-smooth high revving style motors.

The 550i is a beast, but it's really purely a straight line beast (in comparison). It's absurdly heavy as the 535i already is so much so on its own, it doesn't have the 50/50 weight distribution that the 535i does (which is a BMW hallmark/trademark), is obviously far more front heavy, and according to many reviewers, whilst being exhilaratingly fast, doesn't have the same "BMW DNA feel" of the I6 Turbo, and feels less balanced and dialed in on the turns obviously due to all the extra frontal weight.

That said, I'd love one, but I've been fawning over the balanced and albeit new on aggressive grunt due to the Turbo, still slightly heritage'd approach of the I6 535i w/ Turbo formation.

220S

I think you mean "up here." We're one hour and 45 minutes north of you (unless you moved to Morro Bay or somewhere up the coast ) SBAG is probably one of the best dealers in the US. Audi, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar, Acura, and Land Rover all under one roof. The staff is highly knowledgeable and well educated (it's a discerning clientele in Montecito and SB.)

I've bought my last three cars from them. Where will you get it serviced? Century West?

Enjoy the Bimmer. I knew you'd see the light eventually, lol.

hyperion667

here is some more light.....from a fellow driver here......

ImInPA

I would consider a diesel 5 with X-drive, but, I really did not like the turning circle of the 5 when I first drove it. It has an un-naturally big turning circle, like, they forgot a link or two in the front suspension. Very comfy interior, although, the E's back seat is better in my opinion. In any event K-A, drive it in good health and report back on your owner experience.

K-A

Ah yes, "up" indeed. Yeah, the Dealer was awesome. Not only nice and befitting of a plethora of luxury cars within it, but working with Jon was just an experience on its own, and even their Finance lady didn't push me into buying those overpriced Dealer ad ons. Very great all around.

Jon was actually asking me where I'd get it serviced, and recommended Bob Smith BMW the most. I think if I can, I'll do it there. Not as clustered as Century West I'd assume.

Yeah, the turning radius is terrible especially compared to the insanely tight and great turning radius on the E. I got spoiled by being able to clear about any U Turn in that car. And thanks!

I forgot to comment on the paint thing. Not only am I terrified about having a black car, but I'm terrified that BMW's paint quality isn't as hard as M-B's. I guess I'll find out soon enough. I've heard many people say BMW's paint quality is amongst the best, so hopefully it's comparable in the durability department. As far as looks, IMO BMW's colors are some of the sharpest, and as I heard somebody else say when I was researching this car, "nobody does Black like BMW's Jet Black". And thanks again!

Thank you very much!

BTW, let me update with my 3 worst favorite parts in this car that I love so dearly so far:

Start/Stop makes it feel like you drive a 70's beater that can't hold an idle and constantly stalls out (or a bad Manual driver). You can turn it off though, at least, so no big deal (I'm trying to get used to it and keep it on to save more gas).

HAVING TO PULL THE DOOR HANDLE TWICE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IS VERY STUPID.... MERCEDES WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING SO ILLOGICAL WHEN IT COMES TO SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL THING.

And the HVAC TURNING ITSELF ON WHEN YOU START THE CAR IS RIDICULOUSLY STUPID.

EDIT: Just heard that you can turn the HVAC off from coming on whenever you start the car. Thank universe.

ImInPA

K-A. Black is not a color. It is a evening/weekend job. You will need to get used to enjoying your vehicle for the 10-15 minutes is looks great immediately after a wash. I love mine. Don't worry about the paint. BMW paint is top shelf.

jvc300

The dealer told me that you can have the start/stop turned off if desired. Then you press the button when you want it on.

Also, I found the door thing annoying. What is the point especially on the drivers side? That needs to change.

BM2BZ

you don't have to worry about their paint a bit. they are one of the best, if not the best, you could find.

i actually like that pull twice feature more than pull once now in the w212 or other cars. it's for security purpose. try imagine if kids accidentally pull the handle and the door will swing open. many things could possibly happen.

YYZ-E55

I don't mind the dual pull handle setup, but I have to say, most other manufacturers use a single pull setup and you don't hear about people getting injured/dying from randomly falling out! If there was a strong safety argument in favor of dual-pull setups, the helpful folks at the NHTSA would be all over it.

I'd argue it's just a feature BMW has embraced out of nostalgia.

jvc300

[QUOTE=K-A;5491015]

HAVING TO PULL THE DOOR HANDLE TWICE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IS VERY STUPID.... MERCEDES WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING SO ILLOGICAL WHEN IT COMES TO SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL THING.

KA, you can try this for the double pull:
You probably have the auto lock set to activate in the idrive system. Turn that off, and use the car unlocked. Now you won't need to double pull the handle.

ddeliber

On the drivers door? Besides, isn't that what child locks are for?

I recently test drove 4 535i xdrives recently 1 2009 (dealer mistake but I was there so I said what the hell) and 3 2010s (the turbo crapped out on the test drive on one of them so I tried a difft one on the same day - which lead me to the E350 that I am driving now) and I don't recall having to pull twice. I do remember this "feature" from a test drive when I was shopping for my wife's car (can't remember which) a couple years ago - so it is not an exclusive feature.

K-A

[quote=jvc300;5492094]Yeah someone told me that on the Bimmer Forums as well. I actually like the doors locking when I drive so I guess I'll have to live with it. I mean, if I can at least understand BMW's method for it then I can be less criticizing of it, hear the method to their madness on that, etc. If it has a purpose, I'd sure like to be enlightened. If it's done for nostalgia then that's cool, I love when iconic brands embrace nostalgia, however obviously if it's literally regressive to the functionality of the car then they should move on, IMO.

The worst thing I can think of about this car is how the HVAC comes on automatically when you start the car. WHY?! I'd love to hear the reasoning behind that as well so maybe I can understand and maybe in some crazy way appreciate it.

Other than that, I love it. The way the car drives and what it has to offer is just truly unreal to me, I've never driven a car like it in terms of how balanced and dialed in it is in giving you a medium of all these different worlds.... and I just recently took a Ferrari Scuderia around a track!

For those who give me the honor of taking my opinions and reviews to heart and/or brain, rest assured that yesterday as I was driving my E to what will be its new destination of owner/operator, I had a newfound respect for just how damn smooth that car rides. Yes it did feel a lot more detached, isolated and numb than before now that I'm used to an interior that "hugs you", not to mention you really feel like you're sitting on a couch in that very straight-edged/flat and open-air interior, but that's what it's about IMO. The ride is very cushy and it just wafts away and eats up mileage without trying to make you think much. That's what it's supposed to do. However, I have to give BMW major props in the suspension engineering department as they managed to make a car that has 19's, runflats, and a much flatter cornering suspension and direct road feel go over bumps less hard and fumbly (not to mention less road noise from bumps transmitted into cabin I think). If M-B can just manage to fix how the W212 Sport goes over bumps it wouldn't be a contest as to who has the cushiest and most harshness-absorbing suspension in the segment.

BM2BZ

that's very true and in fact, i don't know who else is using the dual pull setup. dual pull or not, i feel kind of "unsafe" now all the doors are unlocked with either one of the front doors opened . i guess i'm still used to the bmw setup .

not only the driver's door, you need to pull twice for all the doors.

you can do like what jvc300 said, deactivate the auto lock feature and lock it yourself or leave it activated and press the unlock before you pull the door handle. then everybody only needs to pull once. that's what i did when i had someone in the back. i'm only driving with a front passenger 99% of the time, so i just pull twice.