Kew East

My wife just bought an X5 30d and after a weekend in country, city and winding roads - it handles and drives supremely and is econimocal BUT - only get one if you like your innards jarred to bits over even the mildest bumps in the road, tyre noise over anything but silky smooth bitumen is very obtrusive, to get air on your face from the centre vents while keeping the rest of the car on auto temperature setting requires one to be a Rhodes scholar, etc.

I take delivery of a 350 Bluetech with Active Curve in September and am so looking forward to quiet, refined luxury driving, yet still be able to tackle the roads I just covered with ease, with air on my face and yet the rest of the cabin on auto temp. My only gripe is that, as with my current ML, the radio system has to be on to be able to engage the reversing cameras!!!! Where is the logic. Surely this can be fixed with a software update.

shortspark

The radio system has to be on? You know, come to think of it I may have heard that complaint before but I don't understand it. I have a 2012 ML350 (gas version) and my radio does not have to be on to engage the back-up camera. In fact, I never play the radio as I prefer to listen to my custom music via USB drive, CD or SD card. The one I want is selected by pressing the disk button. When I have the command screen on (which is always as I seldom turn it off) and put the car in reverse the back-up camera comes on and when I put it in forward gear the camera disengages and my navigator screen pops up. When I want to listen to music I hit the disk button and go through the options until I find the media I want to play. Once I make my music selection I hit the navigator button and I can listen to the music and watch the screen at the same time, no matter if it is the navigator screen or the back-up camera picture. If I am listening to a cd and no longer want to hear it, I simply hit the disk button to something else that is not loaded, SD for example. In my case at least, none of these functions is dependent on the other and they all work independently.

jprescott

You are noticing the run flats. Horrible road noise, hard bumpy ride. The bane of my BMW existence. Get non run flats

GregW / Oregon

As mentioned, switching to conventional tire vs. runflats will improve the ride. Get a space saver spare to throw in the back on trips.

The COMAND system does have to be on (not necessarily the radio); I agree it would be good for the backup camera to always come on regardless.

My '12 with Active Curve and 20s has a comfortable yet firmly controlled ride. You should like it.

Cyber GS

^^ Yup, it's definitely this. Someone I know switched out the RF's and there was a noticeable improvement in the ride.

rh71

yup it's the run-flats. I got rid of those after 500 miles and it's better. But the BMW suspension (especially with adaptive drive) is why the car handles so well. Plush ride - get a Lexus or MB.

gplank

I know what you mean about the X5 ride. I had a 2012 X5 fairly loaded (i.e., all the Dynamic packages) before I went to a MY13 ML550 loaded the same. I love the better ride of the ML, but don't like the multi-contour seats after enjoying the super multi-contour seats of the X5 that wrap to your every curve and length. I just don't feel 'one' with the ML as a I did with the X5. The bladder system in the ML seats are just too lame...and have failed on me more than once. Also, even with the Active Curve System, the ML doesn't corner as well as the X5, which was vertically 'corner flat.' But it does still corner well enough to make me not feel planet enough in my seat.

The ML also has all the latest safety features, which really make a difference. But now the MY14 X5 has come along, with all the safety features and more, as well as a 'comfort setting.' So, now I'm anxious to take one for a ride...but looks like I'll have to wait until fall.