[mrh335]

My wife and I just returned from a European Delivery of a car for each of us, M3 and 535i. I will let you guess which one is replacing my 335i. This was quite an adventure as we had one of the first 2011 5 series European Deliveries and my wife was 8 months pregnant during our 2 week adventure.

I thought I would at least get a few pictures posted from our trip which was from Munich, Regensburg, Rhine River valley (St. Goar), Frankfurt, Cologne, Paris, Strasbourg, Black Forest, and Munich again.

I think these might be some of the first pics with the Eiffel Tower and the new 5, but I haven't searched and could be wrong.

I also have a 19 page write up from our trip I hope to post parts of in the future.

Now the wait continues for the delivery of my M3 which we dropped off first. It is on the Fedora with an ETA of July 28 in Newark.

We really enjoyed driving the 535i for 1500 miles around Europe. The car was very quiet, it rode nice, low RPMs and noise even at 150 mph. We can't wait to get it back into our hands. Very happy with the purchase considering we ordered the car without seeing it and without knowing the price and believe it was worth the risk.

[kscarrol]

Nice! More scoop on the 535 please. I own a 2008 550 and am leaning towards the M3 when my lease is up in late Oct. I love my E60 but can't get excited about the F10. Some extended driving impressions would be helpful, look forward to more details...

[mrh335]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Nice! More scoop on the 535 please. I own a 2008 550 and am leaning towards the M3 when my lease is up in late Oct. I love my E60 but can't get excited about the F10. Some extended driving impressions would be helpful, look forward to more details...

Obviously going from a 550i to a M3 is completely different from overall size, ride quality, and general feel in my opinion. Both are great, but since you have owned two previous 5's, you may be very surprised as you think your teeth are going to fall out of your head.

My thoughts on the 2011 535i after driving it for 1500 miles on mountain roads, high speeds, and cobble stone streets are that we love it. The critics haven't been in love with the new 5, but that is a short term feeling.

We found the 535i to be agressive in engine and trasmission response, quiet, and smooth riding while still sporty. All of the new technology in the car is quite cool. Lots of features we weren't aware of until our presentation of the car. One simple feature that is nice in traffic is a Auto H which when engaged will hold the brake for you once you come to a stop and release when you push the accelerator allowing you to not have to sit with your foot on the brake in traffic and allows you to be more comfortable. Soft close doors and auto open/close trunk lid are options we will never do without again. The instrument cluster is all reworked and updated to the 21st century and is pretty cool with extra graphics, navigation aids, etc.

The car feels like it has great pickup and acceleration. I like the agressiveness with the way it drives. It isn't a Lexus with seemless shifts, but let's you know it wants to run and play. Downshifts are nice and quick and the engine runs at a nice low RPM when cruising at high speed which results in great fuel economy for such a large car.

As for the looks of the car. In person it is awesome compared to pictures. I personally wasn't too impressed with the pictures. My wife loved them and that's why we ordered it, but when we first saw it in person in June, we knew we had picked the right car. We are partial to black cars and I personally think it looks best in black. The lines are agressive like the car drives and the more pronounced nose of the 535i is a style I am liking.

Fortunately, we will have both the M3 and 535i to satisfy our whims on a given day. They are completely different vehicles making a comparison between the two different. If you want driving excitement and great luxury, you can't go wrong with a 5. If you want all out race car feel all the time and plan to race your car a couple times a year and not just sit in traffic, the M3 is a great option. Don't kid yourself though and get a M3 just to sit in traffic or make grocery store runs as you will look cool doing it, but leaving tons of potential fun in the garage.

The 2011 550i is a whole other beast. We test drove this after the 535i and I kind of wished we ordered it instead, but too late in the game. That engine is a monster. I thought it had turbo lag, but I am not so convinced as it just had so much power that you were already going so fast that it kind of seemed like turbo lag when you senses caught up. That car is an animal and can get you into trouble quick because it is so deceiving.

[kscarrol]

Thanks for the additional comments! The 550 w/ sports package I am currently driving is not exactly a smooth ride though I still do have most of my teeth! Are you using the M3 as a daily driver? Do you have the Electronic Dampening Control? If so, does the Comfort setting help with the ride as a daily driver?

[mrh335]

The M3 will be more firm for sure. I found it comparable to my 335i with sport package.

I haven't driven my M3 for more than 10 miles yet. I picked it up in Germany and put it on a boat. We drove the 535i on our trip. My M3 is loaded with EDC and lowered suspension and 19" wheels. It is firm and can be rough depending on the road. The 5 series with or without sport package will always be a smoother ride. Don't take my word on it, spend 2 hours at your dealership and drive them all.

[kscarrol]

I have though the M3 they had did not have the EDC. Thanks again for your comments...