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      05-24-2010, 10:30 PM   #1
pharding
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Drives: 23 Audi Q4 e-tron + 14 X3 28i
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chicago

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Test Drive Today in the F10 in Chicago - Uber Awesome

This evening I test drove a new 535 F10 at Elmhurst BMW is suburban Chicago. As an architect I am into the aesthetic of the car in addition to the driving performance. First of all it was noticeably larger than my 2008 550. The front of the car has noticeably more volume with the vertical nose of the car creates a larger front end volume. The additional 2 creases on the hood emanating from the BMW medallion look really cool. The front windshield has more rake or slope than the E60 giving the car a more sleek appearance. The rear of the car appears wider with more presence than the E60. It is probably due to less taper on the sides toward the rear of the car than the E60. The overall design is clearly more conservative than the E60 which broke new ground and was widely emulated. The F10 builds upon the BMW formal language and has an incredibly elegant, refined exterior envelope.

The cabin fit and finish is incredibly impressive, definitely two steps above the E60. The ultra refined interior has rich, well detailed finishes and shapes. The ergonomics of the F10 are incredibly well executed. Prior to this evening's test drive I had some concerns. Having sat in the 2011 535 GT, I thought that its center stack was too wide and cramped my leg room. Fortunately the center stack in the F10, while much wider than my E60, was slightly less wide than Gt version. It was quite comfortable and I did not feel that the center stack cramped my legs. BMW had those dimensions dialed into the nth degree. The cabin uses the volume of space throughout quite well. The driver's door panel and controls do not assert themselves on the driver's left leg. The cabin definitely feels more spacious without being vacuous. The center console with its two hatches is noticeably wider than the E60 with more space. The screen is slightly larger and is not tucked back into the dash. The screen and navigation system are both beautiful and easy to navigate through the menu. The cup holders are better resolved than those on the E60 that always seemed to be in the way. There is a receptacle between the two cup holders for the key which is important because you can no longer plug the key into the steering column. However I did not care for this approach because it forces you to keep the cup holder lid up with the key in place.

The F10 was a Sapphire Black 535 with the Venetian Beige leather interior. It is a classic BMW color scheme and the car looks spectacular. I did not care for Oyster Gray headliner with the beige leather. It looks clumsy in an expensive refined interior. It looks like an ordering mistake. The reminder from BMW that was my lease was nearly up had a photograph of the Venetian Beige interior and it had a beige headliner which looked spectacular. In fact I disliked the Oyster headliner with the beige leather so much that I am going to change the color scheme of the F10 that I have on order. I am going to bag the Venetian Beige interior and go with Oyster interior or maybe Oyster Black interior.

The driving characteristics of the 535 without the sport suspension were incredibly impressive even by the already high BMW standards. With my client adviser in the car I didn't drive overly aggressive into turns for fear of trashing their F10 on its first test drive. Even without the sport suspension the car had that wonderful sporty BMW feel. The 535 is very torquey and fun to drive. Its power was was impressive even in comparison to my 550 with the sport package.

The F10 exceeded my already high expectations. It is incredibly impressive in person. I am amazed that BMW created a car that is perfect in so many respects. The comfortably equipped 535 with everything that you really need had a sticker price of $56,000. It has to be the best value of any car produced in my lifetime. With the F10 you get perfection with a moderate price tag. What a great, fun to drive sports sedan.

Thanks to Josh Douglas at Elmhurst BMW for emailing me immediately when the F10 hit the dealership. Elmhurst BMW isn't the biggest BMW Center in the Chicago area. However the sales experience and service are second to none. Negotiating my Euro Delivery F10 was quick and to the point without the usual sales games. Plus I got a great price.
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23 Audi Q4 e-tron; 23 i4 M50 on order
14 X3
Retired: 20 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD; 17 540i x; 14 550i Euro Del; 11 550i Euro Del; 08 550i Euro Del; 06 330i Euro Del; 04 545i Euro Del; 01 530i Euro Del

Last edited by pharding; 05-26-2010 at 05:48 AM..
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