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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 My new 535I vs returned 535d First 100 mile observations
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      03-30-2015, 07:50 PM   #1
NewM3driver
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My new 535I vs returned 535d First 100 mile observations

As most of you know, in November I took delivery of a 2015 535d Xdrive sedan. The diesel engine had a rattle beyond the normal diesel sounds and corporate engineers decided to order me a fresh new car.

Today, after a long wait, I picked up my jet black 535i, with an amaro brown individual interior complimented by individual red sycamore wood trim. The car looks stunning in M-sport guise, and the amaro/sycamore interior in real life is as rich and elegant an interior as you will ever find in any BMW. The coolest thing is that the rear seats are perforated as well as the fronts, something that was not the case with the black nappa leather. The ceramic controls compliment the jet black paint beautifully, and all in all the car exhumes class.

I was not a huge fan of the way the x-drive diesel handled and steered. The diesel torque is amazing, and pulled like a locomotive, rarely needing a down shift, but it was far less refined than the gas sixes I've become accustomed to... and the low revving diesel was, in a word, boring.

So this time around I decided to drop the x-drive and lose the 300 pounds. I have two winter cars, so for the 10 or 20 snowy days I'll forgo the all wheel drive and enjoy a lighter, nimbler car for the remaining 345 days of the year. The difference in the drive is REMARKABLE. lighter, nimbler, smoother.... oh SO much smoother.... this car is so much more alive than the oil burner. What the gas engine gives up in torque it makes up for with sweetness, mating perfectly to the 8 speed tranny. The steering weights up perfectly and is such an unbelievable improvement in the rear wheel drive car.

New Country BMW in Hartford, CT did an outstanding job prepping the car for delivery, and the detailing shop hand washed and hand waxed the car to an impeccable, brilliant black shine (nothing looks like perfect jet black paint).

I will try to get some photos together this weekend and figure out how to post them. The interior is amazing and I would suggest the combination to anyone looking to set up a special looking car.
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      03-30-2015, 08:30 PM   #2
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Glad you're happy with the switch!

I agree, the gasoline engines are just too sweet - I can't do diesel. Too clunky, rattly, etc. My 550xi has 479lb-ft of torque - I'm very happy with the way it pulls. And I get nicely refined sounds and feel, no crazy rattling or what not.

Yes, they've made the new diesels more refined, but I just can't stand the idea of buying a very premium/expensive car only to have it sound like a 1980's engine is under the hood. Screw the gas savings - just not worth it. Likewise, as you said, the engines rev out too low to be entertaining.

Congrats on your new car.
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      03-30-2015, 08:44 PM   #3
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Thanks. You know it never dawned on me that a big part of the BMW driving experience was the silky smooth sound of the engine, and even more so that rip sound when you run one of the gas sixes to redline. The V8 snarl in past 550's, the M3 V8 music and all the various straight 6's define the car. The diesel looked like a BMW but didn't sound or feel at all like a BMW.

Over about 6000 miles my 535d averaged 28.3 mpg overall. That's not bad, but the diesel fuel was about 60 cents more per gallon than premium unleaded. The way I see it you will get about 20% better gas milage, but pay about 20% more for your fuel so it is about a wash.

I hope by being honest I can help someone else trying to make a decision on which way to go.
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      03-30-2015, 09:50 PM   #4
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Congrats. Car sounds stunning, can't wait to see pics. Nice decision on going for the rear wheel drive. I agree with your logic 100%. I think all wheel drive is a good thing if you have so much HP and torque that you are unable to get your car to hook up, otherwise rear wheel drive is the way to go for PURE driving pleasure.
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      03-30-2015, 10:38 PM   #5
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Wow, New Country BMW really came through for you by ordering a replacement car. I will keep them in mind next time I'm in the market for another Bimmer.

Congrats on the new ride, it sounds like a great color combo.
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      03-30-2015, 11:02 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by TourStageFan View Post
Wow, New Country BMW really came through for you by ordering a replacement car. I will keep them in mind next time I'm in the market for another Bimmer.

Congrats on the new ride, it sounds like a great color combo.
Well, BMW customer service actually offered the replacement car after BMW regional engineers drove the car on two separate occasions and concluded that there was something not right. They offered an extensive engine repair or a replacement so my decision was an easy one.

The original car was purchased at BMW Darien, and sadly the folks at Darien from top to bottom were no help what-so-ever. BMW corporate could not have been better, and the rep that helped me all along the way set up the replacement delivery through New Country in Hartford and hinted that they (Hartford) were probably the best dealership in my area.

Honestly all the folks at New Country were awesome, making sure the new car order was exactly as I wanted, doing probably the best prep job of any recent BMW delivery I can remember, and invited me back in about 30 days for lunch and a free detail and tank of gas. I will definitely give them all of my future BMW business as well as all of my referrals.
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      03-30-2015, 11:29 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewM3driver View Post
Well, BMW customer service actually offered the replacement car after BMW regional engineers drove the car on two separate occasions and concluded that there was something not right. They offered an extensive engine repair or a replacement so my decision was an easy one.

The original car was purchased at BMW Darien, and sadly the folks at Darien from top to bottom were no help what-so-ever. BMW corporate could not have been better, and the rep that helped me all along the way set up the replacement delivery through New Country in Hartford and hinted that they (Hartford) were probably the best dealership in my area.

Honestly all the folks at New Country were awesome, making sure the new car order was exactly as I wanted, doing probably the best prep job of any recent BMW delivery I can remember, and invited me back in about 30 days for lunch and a free detail and tank of gas. I will definitely give them all of my future BMW business as well as all of my referrals.
New Country definitely sounds like it delivers great customer service. I thought my local dealer (Prestige BMW) was friendly, but they never invited me back for lunch, a free detail and a tank of gas!
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      03-31-2015, 09:31 AM   #8
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Great to hear you're happy and BMW made it right. I remember reading thread about issues with your diesel and kept thinking how frustrating it would be to be dissapointed with your new, expensive brand new car.

RWD and BMW's "bread and butter" engine, what's to argue, good choice.

Can't recall, but I think you mentioned ordering this car with DHP, looking forward to reading your (positive I'm sure) impressions on that as well.
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      03-31-2015, 12:19 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewM3driver View Post
Thanks. You know it never dawned on me that a big part of the BMW driving experience was the silky smooth sound of the engine, and even more so that rip sound when you run one of the gas sixes to redline. The V8 snarl in past 550's, the M3 V8 music and all the various straight 6's define the car. The diesel looked like a BMW but didn't sound or feel at all like a BMW.

Over about 6000 miles my 535d averaged 28.3 mpg overall. That's not bad, but the diesel fuel was about 60 cents more per gallon than premium unleaded. The way I see it you will get about 20% better gas milage, but pay about 20% more for your fuel so it is about a wash.

I hope by being honest I can help someone else trying to make a decision on which way to go.
I agree with this statement. I had a 328d sport wagon that I traded in for the 535i. Granted that my 328d, average 35mpg, it was not what i hoped it would be. For the extra premium you pay for the actual car and the extra price for diesel, it does not make much sense.
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      03-31-2015, 03:15 PM   #10
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I guess with the low cost gas in the US, the diesel engined cars won't be very popular over there. Here diesel fuel is 5-10% cheaper compared to gas.
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      03-31-2015, 08:39 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by remmib View Post
I guess with the low cost gas in the US, the diesel engined cars won't be very popular over there. Here diesel fuel is 5-10% cheaper compared to gas.
True at the moment. I'm not sure about others, but it seems to fluctuate. Sometimes it's slightly higher than premium, other times on par or even lower. I've never tried to understand (or research) what accounts for it, but I'm certain there's some complex explanation including refinery capacities, geopolitical state of OPEC countries, phases of the moon, number of Instagram followers for the Kardashians, and what-not...

Either way, I'm sticking with petrol. We're lucky enough here in the US to have decent gas prices (at the moment), so I don't think we have anything to complain about right now.
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      04-02-2015, 08:07 PM   #12
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In South FL, I get diesel for 2.87 and premium for 3.09. I also average about 33-35 mpg. For my personal driving style, I like the low end torque diesel more. I agree it's not as refined if you're outside your car though...

Congrats on your new car. Looks like BMW really came through for you and you're happy. Post pics.
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      04-02-2015, 10:52 PM   #13
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Having had a diesel x-drive for 10 months I'm quite happy with it.
Economy and low end torque is great. So power vs cost is much much better than petrol.

Will I go diesel next time...... Probably not.
Yes there are a lot of good stuff about the diesel, but I really miss the upper half of the rev band, also it's just too quiet, and aftermarket exhaus is not an option on a diesel.

The jury is still out on my next car, but it looks like it will be an M5 or M4.
Can't wait to get a screaming ///M engine under the hood again, really miss the sound of my e46 M3.
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      04-02-2015, 11:55 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Noggie View Post
Having had a diesel x-drive for 10 months I'm quite happy with it.
Economy and low end torque is great. So power vs cost is much much better than petrol.

Will I go diesel next time...... Probably not.
Yes there are a lot of good stuff about the diesel, but I really miss the upper half of the rev band, also it's just too quiet, and aftermarket exhaus is not an option on a diesel.

The jury is still out on my next car, but it looks like it will be an M5 or M4.
Can't wait to get a screaming ///M engine under the hood again, really miss the sound of my e46 M3.
The M550 diesel has to be a seriously strong engine. It'a hard to explain, but you will understand owning a diesel... At first glance in an hour long test drive, I found the diesel torque to be intoxicating. But after a month of ownership, it became apparent that the engine was somewhat boring. In fairness, my particular car had a very rough spot that would show up anywhere from just off idle to 3500 rpm. That coarseness was particularly annoying and took all the joy of driving away.

After spending 6 months and about 6000 miles with the diesel X-drive, the gas RWD car feels like heaven. The silver car was, well, blah and the black interior with dark wood very, well, dark. The upgraded amaro interior is just spectacular, and the basic jet black exterior seems to shrink the exterior and show off all the nice taunt lines of the F series body.

Once you have owned an M car, you will always be longing to get into another M. I didn't even drive mine hard. Never had to. It simply was the best handling, most capable road car I ever owned. Effortless acceleration, perfect balance... once you have experienced it and gotten used to it, everything else you drive seems to be a poor compromise.

I am enjoying the new found luxury of my latest 5. Thanks for the response.
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      04-03-2015, 04:26 AM   #15
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      04-03-2015, 06:09 AM   #16
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I've tried the M550d F11 (381hp/740Nm) a couple of times, but the fact it's a wagon and has xDrive makes it really heavy, so I really like to try a F10 535d (not the one in US, but the euro one with 313hp/630Nm) RWD saving over 200 kg of weigth. But that's rare her, way to much XDrive and F11 wagons.
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      04-03-2015, 06:46 AM   #17
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I honestly think x-drive is a way for BMW to make more money/profit on the hundreds of thousands of cars it sells year in and year out, so they convince everyone that it is absolutely needed. I too, fell for that marketing ploy.

I have a new Jeep Wrangler for those snowy winter days, and a nice Toyota 4x4 pickup as well. I don't NEED an all wheel drive car, and all the weight/steering/handling penalties that go along with it.
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      04-04-2015, 02:43 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewM3driver View Post
The M550 diesel has to be a seriously strong engine. It'a hard to explain, but you will understand owning a diesel... At first glance in an hour long test drive, I found the diesel torque to be intoxicating. But after a month of ownership, it became apparent that the engine was somewhat boring. In fairness, my particular car had a very rough spot that would show up anywhere from just off idle to 3500 rpm. That coarseness was particularly annoying and took all the joy of driving away.

After spending 6 months and about 6000 miles with the diesel X-drive, the gas RWD car feels like heaven. The silver car was, well, blah and the black interior with dark wood very, well, dark. The upgraded amaro interior is just spectacular, and the basic jet black exterior seems to shrink the exterior and show off all the nice taunt lines of the F series body.

Once you have owned an M car, you will always be longing to get into another M. I didn't even drive mine hard. Never had to. It simply was the best handling, most capable road car I ever owned. Effortless acceleration, perfect balance... once you have experienced it and gotten used to it, everything else you drive seems to be a poor compromise.

I am enjoying the new found luxury of my latest 5. Thanks for the response.
Well, it's different than the normal series in many ways for sure since the M division has tinkered with it.
One of the first things I did not like about the diesel was the throttle lag, the approx. 0,5 seconds it takes from you press the accelerator to the car actually moves.
Got used to it now, but scared me a bit in the beginning.

I do love the diesel torque, the 0-60 in 4,9 seconds (F11), the comfy ride, the practicality of the wagon... the list goes on.
However I do miss those screaming revs, the fake v8 sound it makes really does not cut it, and shifting at 4800rpm..... thats where the fun normally starts.
I don't need the wagon much, and since I also have an old BMW 850 coupe and a motorcycle, I think an M5 sedan is the best option for me, I'll be looking for an LCI in a year or so I think.

Enjoy your 535i, I'm sure that is a very nice and fun car to drive.

Friend of mine once said, "once you go ///M, you don't go back", think he might be right about that.
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      04-06-2015, 08:15 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Noggie View Post
Well, it's different than the normal series in many ways for sure since the M division has tinkered with it.
One of the first things I did not like about the diesel was the throttle lag, the approx. 0,5 seconds it takes from you press the accelerator to the car actually moves.
Got used to it now, but scared me a bit in the beginning.

I do love the diesel torque, the 0-60 in 4,9 seconds (F11), the comfy ride, the practicality of the wagon... the list goes on.
However I do miss those screaming revs, the fake v8 sound it makes really does not cut it, and shifting at 4800rpm..... thats where the fun normally starts.
I don't need the wagon much, and since I also have an old BMW 850 coupe and a motorcycle, I think an M5 sedan is the best option for me, I'll be looking for an LCI in a year or so I think.

Enjoy your 535i, I'm sure that is a very nice and fun car to drive.

Friend of mine once said, "once you go ///M, you don't go back", think he might be right about that.
The new M3 is just marginally smaller inside than the 5 series, and it is a hoot to drive. Well worth taking a test drive.
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