Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about. In my driveway!
My first impression upon seeing my car at the dealership was that it was black instead of gray. Sophisto Gray is dark, especially on a cloudy day or in the evening, and I really like it. Outstanding detail on the headlamps and dual exhaust. With the sport package, the proportions are perfect -- the car's a beast.
The Oyster/Black/Anthracite interior is very classy and comfortable. My wife thought the overall look and feel was like "sipping on a great cup of coffee." The layout of the controls, idrive, indicators and are intuitive and convenient.
I was surprised at how large and roomy the interior is. The huge moon roof really gives the car an open feeling. Plenty of leg and shoulder room in front and back. I'm 6'2" and sometimes feel kind of jammed into my E39. I feel very comfortable and sit much more upright with plenty of headroom in the F10. Visibility is excellent. My dealer posed the question, "Why would anyone buy a 7 series?"
Now the drive. Smooth as silk. Serene and composed. It's very easy to not notice the 8-speed auto transmission change gears when accelerating. It takes off like a coiled spring with surprisingly strong torque and zip. Very strong from a stand-still and lots of pop at 80 or 100 mph. The handling is exceptionally well balanced; the impact of the wide track and long wheelbase is obvious to the driver. It gives the sense of being crouched low, hugging the road. It really puts a grin on your face. I drove around all afternoon thinking about the line from the movie Office Space, "I did absolutely nothing all day, and it was everything I thought it would be..." I'm very happy with the 535i.
Now for some comments on the options.
- Sport - love the look. Multi-contour seats significantly better than standard.
- Dynamic Handling - Clever feature I viewed as a must-have to tune your driving experience to the road, your mood, the type of trip, fellow passenger preferences, etc. I see myself using this a lot. It's fun.
- Premium and Premium 2 - Navigation screen is spectacular, deep/clear audio.
- Driver Assistance - Was a little unsure when I ordered but very much like it so far. I've only tried lane departure and blind spot detection and find them excellent. I'll post an update once I test out the auto high beams and park assist. This is $1750 well spent. UPDATE: Auto high beams are excellent.
- Cold Weather - No brainer for Northern climate.
- Convenience - OK, I probably went overboard on this. Power tailgate and soft close doors are marginally useful features but keyless entry is cool. Probably not worth $1700 but what the hell.
My overall thought is "What a great car!" Great job BMW! Enjoy the photos and post any questions you may have. I'll post more after I've had some more time in the saddle.
Model/Options: 535i Sophisto, Oyster/Black, Anthracite, ZCV, ZCW, ZDA, ZDH, ZP2, ZPP, ZSP, 2TB