[canuckinjapan]

I am in a bit of shock today so need to vent.....

My F11 535i M Sport had to go in this week to get a new rear end suspension after only 9,000km but this is not the reason for my shock.

I've had this car for 6 months and am coming off a 2007 335i Touring M Sport (before that a E92 M3). I've gotten used to the F11 being big and have noticed the difference in handling/response of course but have lived with it and I do enjoy the F11.

So the loaner they gave me was a 2011 320 M Sport - god can that thing handle and steer! It's like being on rails and not in a shipping lane! It is so crisp and nimble.....this is where the shock has set in. I forgot how good the 3 series was for handling and how boring the F11 is in that department.

Has the trade off been worth it? I guess when I pick up my F11 Friday and get back into those luxurious seats and that spacious/gorgeous interior I will adore it again but until then I am going to be taking so quick corners and lane changes with the loaner

Suggestions on how to make my F11 drive more like a 3 series welcomed!

[Bimmernerd]

Hmmm...difficult! The electric steering in F10/F11 has indeed been criticized. I have a F11 with xDrive so I have the hydraulic steering. I think it handles very well, crisp, sharp - the right feeling to it. But of course it is a much bigger (and heavier) car than the E90 - nothing can change that My other car, a VW Passat Touring feels like a much smaller car to handle.

On the other hand the F10/F11 is so much more comfortable and luxerious than E90! It is almost like a smaller version of the 7-series, but more fun to drive!

In the reviews of F30 I have read that some think it has become too big, heavy and too close to F10/F11 in terms of how it feels to drive. Not sporty enough?

The thing is, almost every new car gets heavier and bigger than the model it replaces...

[Rochdale Pioneers]

I came out of an E91 into my F10. Steering was sharper on the E91 - no doubt about it. But it was very heavy and unassisted which made enthusiastic driving an arm-aching experience.

I much prefer the lighter set-up on my F10. Can I ask if you have checked tyre pressures? When I had the car delivered, after a service and after having new tyres fitted, they were always inflated up to the full load pressures. Deflating them back down to normal pressures makes a significant difference to handling!

[JNoSol]

Coilover Suspension + Light Weight Forged wheels + Non-Run Flat Sport Tires should do the trick for the F11.

[canuckinjapan]

Originally Posted by Rochdale Pioneers

I came out of an E91 into my F10. Steering was sharper on the E91 - no doubt about it. But it was very heavy and unassisted which made enthusiastic driving an arm-aching experience.

I much prefer the lighter set-up on my F10. Can I ask if you have checked tyre pressures? When I had the car delivered, after a service and after having new tyres fitted, they were always inflated up to the full load pressures. Deflating them back down to normal pressures makes a significant difference to handling!

Will check once i get it back! Cheers

[BigMikeTwn]

Originally Posted by JNoSol

Coilover Suspension + Light Weight Forged wheels + Non-Run Flat Sport Tires should do the trick for the F11.

+1 on that.

My F10 was almost undrivable with handling more along the lines of a boat. Getting new rims, non-RFT, and springs solved that problem. It drives great now!

[delvek]

Steering on my F10 is incredible. I have only installed AC Schnitzer spring and have tire pressure at 43psi front 46psi rear (off the top of my head).

[jedpause]

I find it quite challenging with my F10, it has a longer wheelbase for turning (than previous Audi A4 Estate, and VW Touran and Golf IV for example)...

And the Servo assisted steering is not quite right, as you don't get all the feedback... I find that I under-steer a lot (because of lack of feedback), and sometimes have to turn sharply as last part of a bend to keep on track....

It is better than when I first started, but I don't feel 100% confident... a real pity for an otherwise very nice car to drive... YMMV

[Hunter5179]

My car handles great. I can throw it into turns hard without a problem. Active roll stabilization def helps out with this as well as the ac shnitzer springs I have on. Dinan stage 3 makes my F10 feel more snapy and responsive through out the power band so I have no complaints. With these upgrades my car feels more responsive and nimble but still has that heavy tank/solid feel that I like as well. If the F10 weighed 4100LBs max it would be insane but the way my car is now its perfect for me.

[alextremo]

A pretty common mod in the e9x world was to steal suspension parts from the M3. Some vendors even packaged the parts for this: http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

Who's going to be the first to try with F10 M5 parts?

[PeterF11]

I have a f11 with acs suspension and came from a e92 coupe with 18 inch and m suspension. I must say i agree that the 3 series steering is far superior in feel. Cornering felt more controlled but with all the added weight of the f11 this is no surprise. The bright side is that the f11 finds a better balance between comfort and sportiness. The e92 was not always comfortable when driving with my kid in the back

[canuckinjapan]

Originally Posted by PeterF11

I have a f11 with acs suspension and came from a e92 coupe with 18 inch and m suspension. I must say i agree that the 3 series steering is far superior in feel. Cornering felt more controlled but with all the added weight of the f11 this is no surprise. The bright side is that the f11 finds a better balance between comfort and sportiness. The e92 was not always comfortable when driving with my kid in the back

My first step will be the springs and I am on the verge of getting the Hartge ecu.

How much difference did you notice from stock to acs?

[PeterF11]

My car has been fitted with the ACS suspension immediately after delivery to the dealer but I have had a testdrive in a 19 inch equiped M sport before I ordered mine. I believe the difference in comfort is worth it for what you get back in sportiness. For a car this size, it really handles corners well. My 19 inches and non-rft bridgestone potenzas keep the comfort level okay while the ACS suspension makes it feel a bit more controlled in the corner. As you can see in my other post, I am still not convinced about what I need to do with the rear suspension since it is not low enough yet. Let me know how low your F11 will be after lowering. Btw, if you search for ACS in this forum, you will get all sorts of results. To save you some time, I chose for ACS because of its still (relatively) good comfort. It is not the lowest but to me it is the best compromise between looks and handling.

[delvek]

Originally Posted by PeterF11

My car has been fitted with the ACS suspension immediately after delivery to the dealer but I have had a testdrive in a 19 inch equiped M sport before I ordered mine. I believe the difference in comfort is worth it for what you get back in sportiness. For a car this size, it really handles corners well. My 19 inches and non-rft bridgestone potenzas keep the comfort level okay while the ACS suspension makes it feel a bit more controlled in the corner. As you can see in my other post, I am still not convinced about what I need to do with the rear suspension since it is not low enough yet. Let me know how low your F11 will be after lowering. Btw, if you search for ACS in this forum, you will get all sorts of results. To save you some time, I chose for ACS because of its still (relatively) good comfort. It is not the lowest but to me it is the best compromise between looks and handling.

Agree

[Pimpsy]

I took my 535ix into the shop today and got a brand new 328i loaner, and it reminded me of just how different the 3 series is from the new 5.

I've had a 318 and 325 conv in the past, and while I love the luxury feel of my 535ix, the handling of the 3 series is just in an entirely different league. It's just so crisp and responsive and nimble feeling...it feels like driving a luxury go cart.

The interior seemed really cheap though, and I felt cramped. In fact, I think the interior of the 3 is to the 5 what the handling of the 5 is to the 3, if that makes sense.

All in all, I'm looking forward to getting my ride back tomorrow.

[pwrplaya]

Can't agree with you more about the comfort and luxuriousness of the F10. I test drove a 528i xDrive w/ the M-Sport package yesterday and loved it! I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of the features you normally find in a 7-series available in the F10.

Originally Posted by Bimmernerd

Hmmm...difficult! The electric steering in F10/F11 has indeed been criticized. I have a F11 with xDrive so I have the hydraulic steering. I think it handles very well, crisp, sharp - the right feeling to it. But of course it is a much bigger (and heavier) car than the E90 - nothing can change that My other car, a VW Passat Touring feels like a much smaller car to handle.

On the other hand the F10/F11 is so much more comfortable and luxerious than E90! It is almost like a smaller version of the 7-series, but more fun to drive!

In the reviews of F30 I have read that some think it has become too big, heavy and too close to F10/F11 in terms of how it feels to drive. Not sporty enough?

The thing is, almost every new car gets heavier and bigger than the model it replaces...

[psyxologos]

Sorry to interject, but I am just wondering if the F11 (and the F10 for that matter) handle so 'bad' with the stock OEM suspension that so many people are changing them. I am about to take delivery of my F11 530d SE tomorrow, and I am worried by what people post here. I also own an E46 330 ci SE and never had to worry about handling, despite having the softer suspension the SE range has. Any thoughts welcome! Thanks!

[delvek]

Originally Posted by psyxologos

Sorry to interject, but I am just wondering if the F11 (and the F10 for that matter) handle so 'bad' with the stock OEM suspension that so many people are changing them. I am about to take delivery of my F11 530d SE tomorrow, and I am worried by what people post here. I also own an E46 330 ci SE and never had to worry about handling, despite having the softer suspension the SE range has. Any thoughts welcome! Thanks!

NO It does not handle "bad".

The F10 is awesome, take it out and drive it yourself and you will see. I got the springs to lower the cars center of gravity because of my driving style, in normal applications the car will drive like a dream. Enjoy it!

ps. Forums will always have people who just complain, complain, complain ... most who complain dont even own the car.

[Bimmernerd]

Originally Posted by delvek

NO It does not handle "bad".

The F10 is awesome, take it out and drive it yourself and you will see. I got the springs to lower the cars center of gravity because of my driving style, in normal applications the car will drive like a dream. Enjoy it!

ps. Forums will always have people who just complain, complain, complain ... most who complain dont even own the car.

+1

[psyxologos]

After driving the car for a couple of hundred miles I agree. The car drives and corners brilliantly with the OEM suspension. I am happy as it is...

[bmwjpn]

Originally Posted by delvek

NO It does not handle "bad".


ps. Forums will always have people who just complain, complain, complain ... most who complain dont even own the car.

I was not complaining and I did not say it steers bad - I simply stated that the 3 series is better than the F11 and I am looking for ways to make it more 3ish in steering/response. :cool

edit - logged in under my old ID - this is canuckinjapan either way.