[AC_S5]

I seriously don't feel a need for an 4WD/AWD vehicle even though you live in the North.

I used to live in Toronto and a set of winter tires for my E46 is all I need. We do get our share of the snow and there's no condition that I need 4WD. I used to have a Nissan Xterra and I just found it waste of gas when I put it on 4WD in the snow. Though the car will pull away quickly in the snow, it takes the same distance to stop the car and does give the driver a false sense of security.

I much prefer a RWD car without the torque in the front wheel.

But I prefer BMW to Audi, I have drove my friend's A5 and the ride is real harsh for everyday use. People complaints about the iDrive, but I think the MMI is a joke, I have to take my eyes off the road to use it because the 4 corner buttons is so far apart and I have to reach for the button instead of leaning on the seat when I use the iDrive, but no car mags says anything about it. Maybe a huge sponsor from Audi to the car mags?

Just my 2 cents

Also, does the OP refers to Harman Kardon in the 550? I think only Audi offers B&O sound system.

[Bimmernerd]

Originally Posted by AC_S5

I seriously don't feel a need for an 4WD/AWD vehicle even though you live in the North.

I used to live in Toronto and a set of winter tires for my E46 is all I need. We do get our share of the snow and there's no condition that I need 4WD. I used to have a Nissan Xterra and I just found it waste of gas when I put it on 4WD in the snow. Though the car will pull away quickly in the snow, it takes the same distance to stop the car and does give the driver a false sense of security.

I much prefer a RWD car without the torque in the front wheel.

But I prefer BMW to Audi, I have drove my friend's A5 and the ride is real harsh for everyday use. People complaints about the iDrive, but I think the MMI is a joke, I have to take my eyes off the road to use it because the 4 corner buttons is so far apart and I have to reach for the button instead of leaning on the seat when I use the iDrive, but no car mags says anything about it. Maybe a huge sponsor from Audi to the car mags?

Just my 2 cents

Also, does the OP refers to Harman Kardon in the 550? I think only Audi offers B&O sound system.

From MY2013 you can get B&O high-end surround system as an option (6F2) in F10/F11. Previously the most advanced sound system in the 5:er was HiFi Professional 600 W Dirac (677), not Harman Kardon.

[F11-Diesel]

Originally Posted by AC_S5

I seriously don't feel a need for an 4WD/AWD vehicle even though you live in the North.

I much prefer a RWD car without the torque in the front

+2

[Stonehauler]

When I was looking for my next vehicle, I test drove a lot of brands. Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, Lincoln, Ford, Dodge...basicly anyone who offered a RWD or AWD sedan the size of the 5...

Now, not all of the dealers near me had the exact models I was looking at, but if I could not find new, I could usually find a 1 year old used. When I did initial test drive of the 550 and the A6, both were used. Now, I can not know what kind of abuse they might have been through, but the Audi really seemed to have aged quickly. The showroom had a new A6, and it had the typical German build feel...door thwumped closed, etc. The used one I drove felt like it was in the stage just before the doors fell off. My wife's 6 year old 330 felt more solid then the Audi did.

I am sure the Audi is a nice car, but I scratched it off the list because I was just not sure of it's long term quality. I am sure there are plenty of Audi's out there that are older, and that they made some nice cars...but it just seemes to me the BMW will hold up better.

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by AC_S5

I seriously don't feel a need for an 4WD/AWD vehicle even though you live in the North.

Though the car will pull away quickly in the snow, it takes the same distance to stop the car and does give the driver a false sense of security.

People complaints about the iDrive, but I think the MMI is a joke, I have to take my eyes off the road to use it because the 4 corner buttons is so far apart and I have to reach for the button instead of leaning on the seat when I use the idrive.

You are right, AWD is not necessary in the north, just like your BMW is not necessary, you can easily get around with a Hyundai. AWD is a safety feature if you drive in the snow or rain. Sure, one can swap out snow tires twice a year, but with AWD, a good set of all season tires can go all year long.
Any experience driver knows that AWD will not help with stop in the snow. The false sense of security only apply to unexperience or simply bad drivers.
The current i-drive is pretty much a copied version of the MMI, if you ever use the last gen or i-drive, it was horrible. I find the 4 corner button on the MMI very easy to use. I can pretty much find them without looking down. Overall, I would say both system is average at best. A lot of steps to do some simply task.

[TheGr8Swami]

I was faced with the same decision last year when I purchased my 2011 550xi. Before I got married, I was a straight VW/Audi advocate! I owned multiple 4Motion Passats (2.8 & W8), a C5 RS6, and a B7 RS4 before making the switch to BMW. Dealership service in the DC Metro Area for Audi is terrible and paired with a sub-par warranty made the ownership experience a pure headache! Don't be fooled by the add-on Audi Service Agreement! You still end up coming out of pocket for services and warranty work.

BMW, for 4 years/50K miles all you pay for is gas & tires! Heck, I even paid to extend my warranty and maintenance for 6 years/100K miles for a no-nonsense drama free ownership experience.

Good luck, and if you buy the S6 make sure you find a good independent Audi Tuner.

Will aka The Swami

[AC_S5]

Originally Posted by Bimmernerd

From MY2013 you can get B&O high-end surround system as an option (6F2) in F10/F11. Previously the most advanced sound system in the 5:er was HiFi Professional 600 W Dirac (677), not Harman Kardon.

Oh, thanks for the info. Does the speakers pop outs like the ones in Audi too?

Originally Posted by The X Men

You are right, AWD is not necessary in the north, just like your BMW is not necessary, you can easily get around with a Hyundai. AWD is a safety feature if you drive in the snow or rain. Sure, one can swap out snow tires twice a year, but with AWD, a good set of all season tires can go all year long.
Any experience driver knows that AWD will not help with stop in the snow. The false sense of security only apply to unexperience or simply bad drivers.
The current i-drive is pretty much a copied version of the MMI, if you ever use the last gen or i-drive, it was horrible. I find the 4 corner button on the MMI very easy to use. I can pretty much find them without looking down. Overall, I would say both system is average at best. A lot of steps to do some simply task.

Is a feeling, it is different for everyone. I feel I don't need AWD and that's from experience, is like I feel you fit better into a Hyundai forum.

Try to stick it to the topic of helping the OP decide which to get instead of getting personal.

AWD does gets you around in snow and dirt faster and that's been proven by Audi by introducing quattro to their rally racer. It also been proven you can reduce weight and go faster by stripping your car of things like A/C, CD player, insulation, rear seats etc. But I don't feel I have the need to do that, again that's personal preference.

Any person who likes driving including myself will prefer a set of summer tires and a set of winter. Well at least out of the majority of driver I talked to say that.

Before my Xterra, I have never driven anything with 4WD in the snow and the first time. I was going too fast because of the new found traction and almost crash into the car in front of me when I try to stop, but I did a quick lane change to save myself from the accident. I was inexperience because I have never experienced it, so can you jump to a conclusion that I was a bad driver? Absolutely not. If so I would've crashed. But seem like you are trying to say I am a bad driver just because I have never experience it before.

Your statement saying inexperience driver = bad driver seem like you are those that would laugh at young people for making mistakes as you associate inexperience with bad. I am sure we have all been through something where we are inexperience before but does that mean we will do bad. I certainly don't feel that way, again is a feeling. Is like I feel you are more suited to the Hyundai forum.

The MMI on the A5 is mounted right below the screens and the air vents compare to the BMW iDrive which is mounted near the hand rest with buttons right beside the knob. I need to take my eyes off the road because I couldn't feel the button as they were too far apart from the knobs and I have to reach for the buttons because they were mounted near the A/C controls. People criticize the iDrive on the E60, but I got the hang of it the moment I took delivery of my E60, I feel it was very straight forward and easy to use, I have never met a BMW owner that said the iDrive was hard to use.

The system are average in terms of what they can do and could be better I agree, but the design of the MMI is really a joke to me due to reasons provided. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just like I feel you fit better into the Hyundai forum.

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by AC_S5

Is a feeling, it is different for everyone. I feel I don't need AWD and that's from experience, is like I feel you fit better into a Hyundai forum.
Try to stick it to the topic of helping the OP decide which to get instead of getting personal.
AWD does gets you around in snow and dirt faster and that's been proven by Audi by introducing quattro to their rally racer. It also been proven you can reduce weight and go faster by stripping your car of things like A/C, CD player, insulation, rear seats etc. But I don't feel I have the need to do that, again that's personal preference.
Any person who likes driving including myself will prefer a set of summer tires and a set of winter. Well at least out of the majority of driver I talked to say that.
Before my Xterra, I have never driven anything with 4WD in the snow and the first time. I was going too fast because of the new found traction and almost crash into the car in front of me when I try to stop, but I did a quick lane change to save myself from the accident. I was inexperience because I have never experienced it, so can you jump to a conclusion that I was a bad driver? Absolutely not. If so I would've crashed. But seem like you are trying to say I am a bad driver just because I have never experience it before.
Your statement saying inexperience driver = bad driver seem like you are those that would laugh at young people for making mistakes as you associate inexperience with bad. I am sure we have all been through something where we are inexperience before but does that mean we will do bad. I certainly don't feel that way, again is a feeling. Is like I feel you are more suited to the Hyundai forum.
The MMI on the A5 is mounted right below the screens and the air vents compare to the BMW iDrive which is mounted near the hand rest with buttons right beside the knob. I need to take my eyes off the road because I couldn't feel the button as they were too far apart from the knobs and I have to reach for the buttons because they were mounted near the A/C controls. People criticize the iDrive on the E60, but I got the hang of it the moment I took delivery of my E60, I feel it was very straight forward and easy to use, I have never met a BMW owner that said the iDrive was hard to use.
The system are average in terms of what they can do and could be better I agree, but the design of the MMI is really a joke to me due to reasons provided. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just like I feel you fit better into the Hyundai forum.

I think you must have said I fit better into the Hyundai forum three times in your post. There is really no need for personal attacks, as we are simply having a debate. My prior post was not an attack toward you personally, even thought you feel that way.
You do realized that AWD can improve cornering performance as well traction off the line right? The AWD system in the modern day sport sedans or sports car are not quite the same as the 4WD system in your Nissan xterra. AWD in a sport sedan is not just for foul weather anymore.
When I said inexperience driver, I did not imply bad driver, maybe you are just a little too self conscious.
The MMI unit you used on the A5 is non Navi version, the navi version is mounted in front of the armrest.
I guest the MMI system is such a joke that BMW copy it and most reviews say the new i-drive system is much more user friendly than the old one.

[D-Rock]

I would go with the 550I but it would have to have the M Package. That means more to me then any of the engine. If you don't want the M package I would say the S6.

[AC_S5]

Originally Posted by The X Men

I think you must have said I fit better into the Hyundai forum three times in your post. There is really no need for personal attacks, as we are simply having a debate. My prior post was not an attack toward you personally, even thought you feel that way.
You do realized that AWD can improve cornering performance as well traction off the line right? The AWD system in the modern day sport sedans or sports car are not quite the same as the 4WD system in your Nissan xterra. AWD in a sport sedan is not just for foul weather anymore.
When I said inexperience driver, I did not imply bad driver, maybe you are just a little too self conscious.
The MMI unit you used on the A5 is non Navi version, the navi version is mounted in front of the armrest.
I guest the MMI system is such a joke that BMW copy it and most reviews say the new i-drive system is much more user friendly than the old one.

I was on the assumption that you like Hyundai since you say it does the same job of owning a BMW which is to get you from point A to B.

Not personal? Then why need to quote what I say to make a point? If you quote someone, I think receiving a reply from the poster is somewhat expected. If you don't want that next time just post your opinion and move on. I feel a discussion in the forum is more appropriate then a debate.

The assumption was the OP is mainly concern about foul weather as he lived in the North. Again that was an assumption only. For me, I don't drive my car to the limit so AWD or not doesn't really matter, I don't like having the torque in the front. The same goes for driving in the snow.

Even though the MMI is mounted on the armrest, how they place those buttons still doesn't do it for me. Look at the cluster where the transmission is, 4 buttons beside the knob, another 4 on the outside, 3 more on the bottom and a keypad to the left, another dial on the passenger side, that's more button than what I wanted near the transmission. To top it off Engine start/stop button on such an easily accessible place? where the passenger could easily press it by accident

I like the place where BMW place the buttons, that's my opinion. Whoever copies who I don't really care, I m sure BMW wasn't the first company to mass produce cars. Does that mean I should buy a Ford base on that assumption?

[michal12]

I also believe BMW xDrive is better than Audi's system.
Check out this video (it will make you eyes pop):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=HvqQuC_8VrM#!
4WD systems are complicated and in lots of situations, interaxle diff can betray you

Originally Posted by Bimmernerd

Please explain to me why BMW:s 4WD system that kicks in when needed is inferior to Audis quattro system? And to me 4WD and AWD is the same thing, what is the difference? I have a 530d xDr and I am very pleased with the handling during winter. Another benefit is the hydraulic steering that IMO is much better than the electric one in the rwd models. The disadvantage with the F1x is the weight, it should lose 100-150 kg...

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by AC_S5

Even though the MMI is mounted on the armrest, how they place those buttons still doesn't do it for me. Look at the cluster where the transmission is, 4 buttons beside the knob, another 4 on the outside, 3 more on the bottom and a keypad to the left, another dial on the passenger side, that's more button than what I wanted near the transmission. To top it off Engine start/stop button on such an easily accessible place? where the passenger could easily press it by accident
I like the place where BMW place the buttons, that's my opinion. Whoever copies who I don't really care, I m sure BMW wasn't the first company to mass produce cars. Does that mean I should buy a Ford base on that assumption?

I am starting to think you have never been in a A5 before and you made up the story about the your friend having a A5. As you can see from the picture below, the A5 does not a keypad to the left.

[Bimmernerd]

Originally Posted by AC_S5

Oh, thanks for the info. Does the speakers pop outs like the ones in Audi too?

Don´t know really. For more info on the B&O sound option:

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/car-audio/car-models/bmw

[dave70]

Considering that C&D chose the S6 over the M5, I think the choice is pretty obvious. I had my 550ix M sport for a year and 14,000 miles before I sold it.

The car is a bloated 4520lbs. anvil (fast in a straight line but very nose heavy and not sporty at all in the turns - losts of wheel hop)! I installed Dinan stage II which did not help the sportiness, just made it a straight line rocket. After 4 bubbled RF tires and constant "Drivetrain Malfunction" problems, I said goodbye...

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by dave70

Considering that C&D chose the S6 over the M5, I think the choice is pretty obvious. I had my 550ix M sport for a year and 14,000 miles before I sold it.

The car is a bloated 4520lbs. anvil (fast in a straight line but very nose heavy and not sporty at all in the turns - losts of wheel hop)! I installed Dinan stage II which did not help the sportiness, just made it a straight line rocket. After 4 bubbled RF tires and constant "Drivetrain Malfunction" problems, I said goodbye...

I agree, people looking at 550 and the S6 definitely have performance as their top priority. Bottom line is that the S6 performs better. If one were comparing the 535 to the A6, then the argument can be made that maybe the buyer's top priority is luxury and not performance and the 535 is a better choice.

[gtron]

add any options to the s6 and you're looking a paying 5-10k more than you would for a 550. you you'll get 20 extra hp and about a tenth of a second better 0-60 time. the rest is all personal preference. which one feels better to you when you drive it.

[AC_S5]

Originally Posted by The X Men

The photo you posted is a navi version of the A5, I have never been in one. The one I was referring to was for the non navi version just like this photo:

http://www.a5coupe.com/wp-content/up...e-interior.jpg

Since you talked about how you like the MMI on the S6 so I search around for a photo of the S6 because I have never been in the S6 before and my comments was about the ergonomics of the design instead of how the system actually functions as I have never tried for myself before.

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-...#photo-4997534

Take a look at the transmission console for yourself. 8 buttons around the knob and a keypad. I am starting to wonder if you have ever been in the S6 and the F10 to make your comment saying how the MMI system is more superior compare to the one on the F10

My remarks was based on the experience of the A5. There should be similarity in the system as the iDrive in the 1er is not much different compare to the 5er. That was the assumption. Re-read the post again and if you've got nothing much to input then just keep quiet.

We can wonder about alot of things like do you actually own a BMW or you drive your folks Hyundai etc. Do that in the chatroom. Don't high jack this thread.

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by AC_S5

We can wonder about alot of things like do you actually own a BMW or you drive your folks Hyundai etc.

Childish comment. Its pretty clear to me that you know very little about Audi. Please educate yourself before enter into a discussion.

[AC_S5]

Originally Posted by The X Men

Childish comment. Its pretty clear to me that you know very little about Audi. Please educate yourself before enter into a discussion.

You have nothing more to say now and resorting to personal attacks again?Right We are in a BMW forum aren't we.

My point was that you can say anything you want, you can say my friend don't have an A5 or I don't even drive an F10. Likewise I can say that you don't own a BMW and have never driven an Audi. The thing is let's try to keep it to the topic.

I don't know about Audi then what? All I know is that I don't like the lay out of the S6 transmission console and I still think my friend's A5 MMI is a joke.

Passion is all you need sometimes to buy a car, some people drive Alfa Romeo because they are petrol head. They don't care if Italian cars have a bad reputation. The OP want a 550xi then go for it, he can always trade it in for something else after a while.

[WilliCO]

Audi is making beautiful, cool cars. If you want to own one long term, though, I recommend visiting an indie import mechanic first and asking him about Audis.

Just sayin'. I've owned two Audis and two BMWs, so IME only.

[sieben1973]

I wonder did you post the same question on an audi forum?
And if so were the responses completely different?
I dont see much bashing here which is interesting,
Everyone has been very fair and objective with their statements

And my 2 cents, Quality cant beat the BMW, after 3 Audis and 3 BMWs, hands down BMW. But if you lease it or want to own it for few years only its kind of the same.

[Bpark1977]

Flip a coin. It's apples and oranges when you pick any two cars from different manufacturers. Especially when one hasn't been released yet. I would probably go S6 just because it'd be a little more exclusive than a 550, but under steer sucks and every Audi has it, so.........
Like I said, flip for it.