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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum '14 550xi - Day 2
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      01-01-2014, 10:23 PM   #1
ezmaass
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'14 550xi - Day 2

So today I took the 550xi for a roughly 200 mile trip - visiting family for the day. I had a chance to do some nice back roads, highways, and twisty parkways. What a blast!

DHP:

First off, let me just say that Dynamic Handling is AMAZING. For those who live in the NYC metro area and have EVER driven the length of i-684 through Westchester County, you know that this highway is a complete POS in terms of road quality. There are many miles of completely broken concrete, making for uneven surfaces galore. My 335i with normal sport suspension would skip laterally over a good deal of this mess... making for a choppy, uncomfortable, and cringing drive. Even my Audi Q5 skips around quite a bit on it despite being an SUV with plenty of cushion.

Well, the 550's dampers on "Comfort" made all the difference. Even with RFTs, the ride was comfortable, controlled, and confidence-inspiring. The car never floated, skipped, or even felt for a moment uneasy. I switched back and forth to Sport mode to check out the difference, and it was clear. In sport, the car "tightened up" enough to make the ride feel "familiar" - still not as bad as the 335i, but clearly similarly bumpy territory.

When I took some smaller 2-lane parkways, sport mode was a blast. The car was sharper in steering, firmer in suspension, and more responsive in the throttle. And as for the anti-roll, I can't say enough good things about what BMW has done here. This system is truly amazing. While it won't do away with roll completely if you really toss the car, in "spirited" driving conditions corners will be all but flat... just putting a smile on my face each and every turn.

Bottom line here - if you're looking to buy a 5 and are unsure (as I was) about a typical "stiff" passive sport suspension or DHP, I'd go with DHP for sure. It truly gives you two cars in one - comfortable and sedate when you want it, and sporty and responsive when you feel the need. I have a feeling we're going to see BMW eventually phase out passive suspensions altogether in the coming years. This may also make sense why they've stopped offering the M Sport suspension on the 5 - assuming you'd opt for the DHP vs standard. I'm sure others may differ in opinion (and have valid reasons for it) - but for me, the DHP on this car is shaping up to be one of the best features.

Luxury Seating:

I also spent some time playing with the Active Seats and Ventilated Seats, both of which came as part of the Luxury Seating Package. The Active Seats were surprisingly good at their job. I was a bit weary that they'd do little more than poke my butt, but I have to say they work as advertised. The seat slowly moves, elevating your left cheek, then your right, and so on. These small changes in elevations truly keep your muscles from settling in and potentially cramping. While I drove a decent amount today, I'm curious to see how this works on a much longer trip and will report back. But if you do a lot of driving, this may actually be a good option to consider.

The ventilated seats? I guess they do what they say. It's winter, and I'm wearing clothing probably too thick to adequately measure their effectiveness, but they give a "slight breeze" from the perforations in the seat, which I imagine on a really hot day will feel considerably more intense than on a winter's day.

LED Lighting:

I also gave the new LED headlights a run for their money this evening. The light is on par with standard HIDs that BMW offers. So, in my opinion, if you're looking to get the LED (Lighting Package) for better quality light alone, I'd pass - it's a $1,900 option. That said, the package also comes with "automatic highbeams." I gave this a try on the back-roads leading to my house - I have some semi rural twisties in the CT countryside. My first impression was - "I hate this." The car flicked the high-beams on and off as advertised - when lighting changed, on-coming traffic approached, or traffic directly ahead (same direction) was identified. I found it a bit disconcerting that I wasn't in control of this function that I'm so used-to controlling. But after a few more miles of flicking them on/off manually, I suddenly had the urge to let the car do it for me. Ha! Surprising how quickly I was willing to change my mind on this and give up the mundane task of controlling the high-beams.

Still - is the Lighting Package at $1,900 worth it? I'm not sure. While LEDs are the future (and they're fantastic to look at - the car looks great with them), their utilitarian effectiveness, to me, is no greater than typical HIDs. Bright white color and intensity looks on-par with HIDs from the driver's seat. Perhaps, long term, their reliability may prove greater? That said, I've never had a HID fail on me, but I know it does happen... and likely will with LEDs in similar, yet rare, frequency.

Entertainment System:

I'm LEAST impressed, so far, with the entertainment system. I'm finding the controls way too complex for simple things like adjusting the radio. This may just be a matter of getting more familiar and acquainted with the new iDrive system, but for now I'll say it's overly complex for some features. I'm going to put this to the test much more this week as I start loading music to the on-board HD, too.

New iDrive:

The new iDrive system (sans the entertainment portion) seems great so far. The touch controller actually works much better than I would have thought. After entering a letter, it'll repeat it audibly to you, which could get old or may be nice depending upon the circumstances. However, I can say that the recognition is fairly good. I stuck to entering everything in all caps as it appears that was easiest for the car to recognize, but it did seem to do well with lower case when I used it.

All in all a successful "Day 2" with the 550xi. Tomorrow and Friday we're expecting some heavy snow. I'm tempted to take it out and see how it handles, but at the same time, I'd like to keep it cozy and warm in the garage - the Q5 typically pulls "snow duty" - not that it's all that great in it, honestly. More to come, though. I have to say, I'm loving this car so far!
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      01-01-2014, 11:05 PM   #2
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Congrats!! GREAT reviews bud!

I am about to order a 550ix and your reviews have been EXTREMELY helpful!

Thank you!

Best of luck to you.
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      01-01-2014, 11:22 PM   #3
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Alright!
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      01-01-2014, 11:43 PM   #4
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Pretty crazy!!! Your making kind of jealous. I have a question. I'm 18, just totaled my first car which was an e60. My dad is purchasing my next car for me, which is a bmw f10. I am looking at a 2011 BMW 535i, pretty loaded with a MSRP of $67k.

It has m sport, jet black exterior, black Dakota leather. From the pictures this car has the sport/comfort setting for the suspension. Does this mean the car has dynamic handling package, or m sport suspension? I looked up the VIN on some BMW site, and it says I have Here is a picture of the sticker. And what the website told me.

On the website picture, look at 2,3 and 6.

Is that the great suspension you are talking about? Is it the same on the '11? I've heard complaints about the drive on the 2011 5 series but never knew if they were talking about that suspension setup on my possible next car, or the standard suspension.
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      01-01-2014, 11:45 PM   #5
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Here is the sticker for that specific car
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      01-01-2014, 11:59 PM   #6
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Boss - based upon the picture you've posted, I'd say the car is fitted with DHP. The interior of each 5 has the "comfort / sport" rocker switch - so you can't go on the pictures alone. For those cars without DHP, the rocker switch can adjust the drivetrain (throttle and steering) but not the chassis (dampers). For those cars WITH DHP, the rocker switch can be configured to adjust drivetrain AND chassis. The iDrive settings menu for the rocker switch will allow you to choose, for each setting, if you want drivetrain and chassis effected by the mode.

But again, based upon the equipment you're showing here, it looks to have DHP. You can always have the seller confirm - if it's coming from a BMW dealership, they can easily tell you.

Now, is DHP the same on an '11 as it is on a '14, I don't know. Perhaps someone can comment there. My car is a '14, so I can't comment on how DHP feels on an '11. Like many systems, especially with the LCI, things may have been improved or tweaked - keep in mind the F10 was also introduced for 2011, and many systems will undergo changes from year to year. I do know that the standard suspension was "tweaked" for the LCI (2014) model year. I HAVE driven the pre-LCI and LCI standard suspension and can say it feels different (better for the LCI) along with significantly improved steering.

Good luck with your search.
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      01-02-2014, 12:22 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ezmaass View Post
Boss - based upon the picture you've posted, I'd say the car is fitted with DHP. The interior of each 5 has the "comfort / sport" rocker switch - so you can't go on the pictures alone. For those cars without DHP, the rocker switch can adjust the drivetrain (throttle and steering) but not the chassis (dampers). For those cars WITH DHP, the rocker switch can be configured to adjust drivetrain AND chassis. The iDrive settings menu for the rocker switch will allow you to choose, for each setting, if you want drivetrain and chassis effected by the mode.

But again, based upon the equipment you're showing here, it looks to have DHP. You can always have the seller confirm - if it's coming from a BMW dealership, they can easily tell you.

Now, is DHP the same on an '11 as it is on a '14, I don't know. Perhaps someone can comment there. My car is a '14, so I can't comment on how DHP feels on an '11. Like many systems, especially with the LCI, things may have been improved or tweaked - keep in mind the F10 was also introduced for 2011, and many systems will undergo changes from year to year. I do know that the standard suspension was "tweaked" for the LCI (2014) model year. I HAVE driven the pre-LCI and LCI standard suspension and can say it feels different (better for the LCI) along with significantly improved steering.

Good luck with your search.

I understand what you're saying. The car is from a private seller. How do I instruct him to check? Give me full details step by step. By the way, thank you for your detailed response, very very helpful!
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      01-02-2014, 03:18 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BossBeamer
Quote:
Originally Posted by ezmaass View Post
Boss - based upon the picture you've posted, I'd say the car is fitted with DHP. The interior of each 5 has the "comfort / sport" rocker switch - so you can't go on the pictures alone. For those cars without DHP, the rocker switch can adjust the drivetrain (throttle and steering) but not the chassis (dampers). For those cars WITH DHP, the rocker switch can be configured to adjust drivetrain AND chassis. The iDrive settings menu for the rocker switch will allow you to choose, for each setting, if you want drivetrain and chassis effected by the mode.

But again, based upon the equipment you're showing here, it looks to have DHP. You can always have the seller confirm - if it's coming from a BMW dealership, they can easily tell you.

Now, is DHP the same on an '11 as it is on a '14, I don't know. Perhaps someone can comment there. My car is a '14, so I can't comment on how DHP feels on an '11. Like many systems, especially with the LCI, things may have been improved or tweaked - keep in mind the F10 was also introduced for 2011, and many systems will undergo changes from year to year. I do know that the standard suspension was "tweaked" for the LCI (2014) model year. I HAVE driven the pre-LCI and LCI standard suspension and can say it feels different (better for the LCI) along with significantly improved steering.

Good luck with your search.

I understand what you're saying. The car is from a private seller. How do I instruct him to check? Give me full details step by step. By the way, thank you for your detailed response, very very helpful!
The DHP in the 2011 and 2014 are the same. In that picture, the dynamic drive is the DDC (sport, normal and comfort). The adaptive drive is the active roll stabilization, where it reduces the roll during turns. I have DHP on my 2011 and it says the exact same thing. If you're unsure, just look under the car at the rear sway bar, right smack in the middle is a black box that controls the sway bars. http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39...ide-e39-2.html. Go to post #19. Cars without ARS has a continuous long bar.

Nice review, ezmass. You should try the comfort vs sports mode if you're driving through soho in NYC. Those cobble brick roads is an amazing test. In sports, you'll feel every single brick and it's very bumpy. Hit, "comfort", and the bumpiness will go away and feels very smooth, it's like driving over a flat road. It always impresses my friends. Enjoy the car .
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      01-02-2014, 08:04 AM   #9
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Way to hi-jack the OP's thread..... Lol
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      01-02-2014, 08:35 AM   #10
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Is DHP exactly the same as the Adaptive Drive option that is available in the UK?
I did recently order a 530d with AD for Mar14 delivery, and it is very good to hear recent opinion on how owners view active suspension.
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      01-02-2014, 09:02 AM   #11
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fseyyad - not sure how the packages and/or their names may differ from the US. There's a package here in the US called Dynamic Handling Package (DHP). From the description, BMW says the DHP is essentially Adaptive Drive. Adaptive Drive is the combination of Active Roll Stabilization and Dynamic Dampers. At least that's the way it reads on the web site when configuring a car. So, just keep in mind there are two pieces to the puzzle - anti-roll + dynamic dampers. I know you guys in the UK have the ability to purchase many options separate without packages - so perhaps you should just check with your CA, or another UK members can comment here.
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      01-02-2014, 09:22 AM   #12
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ezmaass - yes adaptive drive is certainly those 2 components. was really just a question of whether there is anything extra included in the DHP. What can you say about ride height of the car? is it changed by DHP vs normal or M sport.
And we dont' get a choice of AWD in the UK, so that is one thing denied to us.
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      01-02-2014, 01:33 PM   #13
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Nice review, the seats sounds great for long trips.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fseyyad View Post
ezmaass - yes adaptive drive is certainly those 2 components. was really just a question of whether there is anything extra included in the DHP. What can you say about ride height of the car? is it changed by DHP vs normal or M sport.
And we dont' get a choice of AWD in the UK, so that is one thing denied to us.
I believe only the m-sport suspension lowers the car 10mm.
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      01-02-2014, 03:22 PM   #14
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fseyyad - It's a good question - I'm not sure there's anything beyond Adaptive Drive in the DHP. You know, there's so much marketing at play in these names, it really confuses the facts. From what I can tell, however, it's just the two systems - anti-roll and electronic dampers.

As for the ride height, it's not terrible. I tend to leave my cars stock, and the wheel gap on the DHP setup is acceptable to me. It doesn't look goofy, but it's also not as low as many on these boards would like. I guess that's a personal preference. You can see pictures that I posted in my thread from Tuesday when I picked up the car. If you're the type who needs the car low to the ground (see remmib's sig block photo as an example), the look of the DHP system is probably not going to make you happy. I'm not sure if you can swap the springs for something lower w/o impacting the system? Maybe someone who's done it (or looked into it) can comment there.

On another note, Day 3 today brought some snow driving. We got the first inch or so already today with about 8 - 12 expected tonight into tomorrow. I had to run a few errands so I took the 550xi out for a spin. OK - so it's now officially dirty from road slush, but hey, that's what happens in the winter!

The xDrive worked well. It gripped flawlessly, and I could feel a tire here and there break lose from a dead stop while attempting to turn and/or go up a hill. Each time, the system caught and seemed to adjust the torque effectively to tires with grip. I'm excited to see how this handles in deeper snow... especially since I'm a bit underwhelmed with my Q5's quattro system.

This car IS heavy, though, and it shows when you do lose traction stopping. I approached one stop on an unplowed road where the ABS engaged, and you can certainly feel the extra weight of this car when it slides.

I played a bit with the heated steering wheel - I could take it or leave it. While it does heat the wheel, it seems a bit pointless to me. I know others, though, that claim they can't live without it.

Finally, I stumbled today into the iDrive screen that shows power and torque dials - pretty novel. I'm not sure there's any good use for it, but it's a neat little novelty.

She's now warm and resting in the garage.... waiting for the snow to arrive. Hopefully we don't get as much as they're predicting, but it's also supposed to get down to -5 degrees, as well... brrrr. As if snow-blowing isn't bad enough, I hate it even more when I'm literally frozen. Be careful out there if you're driving in the NE today/tomorrow.
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      01-08-2014, 07:23 PM   #15
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I really miss having DHP on my new 2014 550Xi, had it on my last 2011 740i, the new 2014 Msport 550xi does not handle as well as my past 740i. they should make DHP a must with Msport option on XI at least. well.. have to make the car handle better modding the springs and sway bars.
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      01-08-2014, 08:44 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audiogolf View Post
I really miss having DHP on my new 2014 550Xi, had it on my last 2011 740i, the new 2014 Msport 550xi does not handle as well as my past 740i. they should make DHP a must with Msport option on XI at least. well.. have to make the car handle better modding the springs and sway bars.
I agree with you. I'm a complete DHP believer now... may become the DHP spokesperson if they allow me. It just feels night and day over the standard suspension. I couldn't consider the M Sport suspension due to my desire for an xDrive car (not available), but my previous 335i had a sport suspension, so I have a decent idea what I'm "missing" with a passive sport setup. I really believe DHP is superior than anything passive. The adjustable dampers can be written off by passive sport suspension proponents as a creature comfort (since the M Sport suspension is quite good as far as suspensions go), but the active anti-roll is another thing altogether and can't be matched with anything passive. In a corner it really shines!
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