[Eddien123]

Hello all, I'm an E90 guy but recently I drove my dads CTS and it was really quite nice. It wasn't as sporty as the 3 but the comfort was miles better. I'm assuming it stays true for bmw and their 5 series. My question is since I like the luxury a little more I'm thinking about a 5 series next. So my question is has anyone came from a three series and if so do you regret your decision? Thanks for the read!

[tree]

I had 2009 e90, and now a 2013 f10. Waaay more luxury and refinement in the f10. Not as sporty or tossable though, but I don't regret the decision at all. The 5 is a great car.

[bake]

I am coming from an older 3 series (2005 E46 Sedan) and now have a 2011 535i M-Sport. While I miss the sportiness of my 6-spd ZHP, I am in love with my F10. Great all around car, and even with the smaller engine, has plenty of power for my needs.

[nal13]

Had an e92 then a B8-S4. My wife and I both now drive F10s. The refinement and comfort is miles ahead of the 3 series. I was just in a 3 series F30 loaner for the last three days and there is truly no comparison between the two. Don't get me wrong, the F30 is a great machine, but you're dealing with a different beast when you move up a class.

[ezmaass]

I owned 3-series cars for 13 years (e46 and e90) and now have an f10 550xi. A few things I can share - take them for what they're worth as they're largely my opinion, and others may disagree:

1. The Drive

The 3-series is a fun car, and the 5 is certainly larger, but don't believe the misconception that the 5 is less of a sports sedan somehow, won't be fun, or isn't just as capable to be tossed around. I've so far found the 5 an AMAZING car performance-wise. It takes a little getting used to the larger stance, but in my daily spirited driving, I've not been able to find any limitations. It's not as if I've come around a corner and said, "Gee, I better slow this down - my 3 could do it, but the 5 can't." That's just not the case.

If you've seen some of my other reviews/posts on the 5, you'll know I'm a huge fan of the Dynamic Handling Package (DHP). In many ways, I feel like the 550xi I have now handles BETTER than my 335i with sport suspension due to DHP. The active anti-roll stabilization makes the car feel 1,000 pounds lighter than it really is, and I've been able to toss it pretty hard into a corner, and the car just remains FLAT. My 335 (and previous 325 e46) would clearly roll if asked to do the same, especially after years of stress on the passive suspensions.

The active dampers on the DHP are also amazing. You can make the car feel stiff and tight or comfy - your choice at the click of a button. It sounds like you enjoy the comfort side, which means you'll value this system. When you want the car to feel more like your old 3 with a sports suspension, click it into Sport or Sport+ mode, and off you go. Long story short, I think the DHP is probably THE best option that can be fitted to a 5-series in order to improve the driving experience.

You'll also notice that this is a heavier car with more road presence. The 3 tends to "blow around" on the highway with some cross winds, can bounce off the ground with some rough surfaces, etc - not so much with the 5. It provides a bit more "presence" for me, which makes the car feel more level-footed at speed.

2. Technology

The tech in the 5 is to die for. Plain and simple, it's like a spaceship. It's really just a matter of how much you want or can afford, as a lot of it is optional. I pretty much loaded the car because I couldn't decide. The luxury seating option with active seats and ventilation is nice. The ACC Stop and Go is a must if you're going to drive on congested highways and take longer trips. The Driver Assistance Plus package is also pretty darn sweet. Heads Up Display. Soft Close Doors. Automatic Tailgate. LED Lights. Cameras, cameras, and MORE cameras... I think I've counted 8 or 9 cameras on this car already all with various purposes from helping you park, seeing cross traffic, automatically reading road signs, etc.

BMW ConnectedDrive is also awesome from what I've seen so far - streaming any music you want, remotely controlling the car (lock, unlock, vehicle location, ventilation, etc) from your smart phone, concierge services, sending addresses from Google to your navigation system, e-mail/texts/FB/twitter right in the car, voice dictation, etc. The list goes on and on.

The tech in the 5 series is massive. I had fun just reading the manual. It'll make you go, "whoa... no way" - lots of little things the car does that regular F10 drivers may not even know, like how it can decouple the transmission from the engine during "coasting" in ECO Pro mode to conserve gas!

3. Comfort and Luxury

Night and day. That's all that needs to be said. After 13 years of being crunched into 3 series cars, I'm glad I finally made the transition to the 5. I'm 6'3", and while the 3 fit me just fine, I'd never fit in the back comfortably... nor did many passengers. The 5 is much more luxurious in seating surfaces, plenty of room in the back, and the trunk is just huge.

From a luxury standpoint, I've found the build quality to be much better in the 5, as well. The e90 wasn't BAD by any means, but it's no F10 for sure. Leather, wood, metal trim all over... nicer headliners, and if you're really picky about touch, get the ceramic controls... they're beautiful and feel solid to the touch.

Since picking up the F10 I couldn't be happier. The e90 was just always "OK" to me - I never really liked it as much as I loved my e46, despite the e46 being a "lowly" 325i versus my much more powerful e90 335i. The e90 just always felt a bit odd to me, especially with the bulging and large interior dash... wasn't as streamlined and sporty as the e46. The F10 really is a return, for me, to a more streamlined and driver-oriented dash... turned-in towards the driver, angled controls, sweeping lines versus odd bumps/humps/bulges, etc...

I can go on and on... you'll love the F10. Do it.

[Eddien123]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

I owned 3-series cars for 13 years (e46 and e90) and now have an f10 550xi. A few things I can share - take them for what they're worth as they're largely my opinion, and others may disagree:

1. The Drive

The 3-series is a fun car, and the 5 is certainly larger, but don't believe the misconception that the 5 is less of a sports sedan somehow, won't be fun, or isn't just as capable to be tossed around. I've so far found the 5 an AMAZING car performance-wise. It takes a little getting used to the larger stance, but in my daily spirited driving, I've not been able to find any limitations. It's not as if I've come around a corner and said, "Gee, I better slow this down - my 3 could do it, but the 5 can't." That's just not the case.

If you've seen some of my other reviews/posts on the 5, you'll know I'm a huge fan of the Dynamic Handling Package (DHP). In many ways, I feel like the 550xi I have now handles BETTER than my 335i with sport suspension due to DHP. The active anti-roll stabilization makes the car feel 1,000 pounds lighter than it really is, and I've been able to toss it pretty hard into a corner, and the car just remains FLAT. My 335 (and previous 325 e46) would clearly roll if asked to do the same, especially after years of stress on the passive suspensions.

The active dampers on the DHP are also amazing. You can make the car feel stiff and tight or comfy - your choice at the click of a button. It sounds like you enjoy the comfort side, which means you'll value this system. When you want the car to feel more like your old 3 with a sports suspension, click it into Sport or Sport+ mode, and off you go. Long story short, I think the DHP is probably THE best option that can be fitted to a 5-series in order to improve the driving experience.

You'll also notice that this is a heavier car with more road presence. The 3 tends to "blow around" on the highway with some cross winds, can bounce off the ground with some rough surfaces, etc - not so much with the 5. It provides a bit more "presence" for me, which makes the car feel more level-footed at speed.

2. Technology

The tech in the 5 is to die for. Plain and simple, it's like a spaceship. It's really just a matter of how much you want or can afford, as a lot of it is optional. I pretty much loaded the car because I couldn't decide. The luxury seating option with active seats and ventilation is nice. The ACC Stop and Go is a must if you're going to drive on congested highways and take longer trips. The Driver Assistance Plus package is also pretty darn sweet. Heads Up Display. Soft Close Doors. Automatic Tailgate. LED Lights. Cameras, cameras, and MORE cameras... I think I've counted 8 or 9 cameras on this car already all with various purposes from helping you park, seeing cross traffic, automatically reading road signs, etc.

BMW ConnectedDrive is also awesome from what I've seen so far - streaming any music you want, remotely controlling the car (lock, unlock, vehicle location, ventilation, etc) from your smart phone, concierge services, sending addresses from Google to your navigation system, e-mail/texts/FB/twitter right in the car, voice dictation, etc. The list goes on and on.

The tech in the 5 series is massive. I had fun just reading the manual. It'll make you go, "whoa... no way" - lots of little things the car does that regular F10 drivers may not even know, like how it can decouple the transmission from the engine during "coasting" in ECO Pro mode to conserve gas!

3. Comfort and Luxury

Night and day. That's all that needs to be said. After 13 years of being crunched into 3 series cars, I'm glad I finally made the transition to the 5. I'm 6'3", and while the 3 fit me just fine, I'd never fit in the back comfortably... nor did many passengers. The 5 is much more luxurious in seating surfaces, plenty of room in the back, and the trunk is just huge.

From a luxury standpoint, I've found the build quality to be much better in the 5, as well. The e90 wasn't BAD by any means, but it's no F10 for sure. Leather, wood, metal trim all over... nicer headliners, and if you're really picky about touch, get the ceramic controls... they're beautiful and feel solid to the touch.

Since picking up the F10 I couldn't be happier. The e90 was just always "OK" to me - I never really liked it as much as I loved my e46, despite the e46 being a "lowly" 325i versus my much more powerful e90 335i. The e90 just always felt a bit odd to me, especially with the bulging and large interior dash... wasn't as streamlined and sporty as the e46. The F10 really is a return, for me, to a more streamlined and driver-oriented dash... turned-in towards the driver, angled controls, sweeping lines versus odd bumps/humps/bulges, etc...

I can go on and on... you'll love the F10. Do it.

Whoa what a review! Thanks for all that! I know what you mean about the comfort. I do love the sportiness of the 3 but the comfort is so underrated honestly.