[armanm]

Hey guys,
I want to place a custom order for a MY14 535i in Alpine white with either black leather or with the mocha nappa leather. I will be getting the drivers assistance package, M sport line, 8 spd sport automatic tranny, harman kardon, power rear sunshades, and premium package. As equipped it comes out to $66,775 but there are a few options I am iffy about:

Lighting package: How do the leds look in person and is that something I can live without?

Luxury Seating package: I feel this might be a waste because I can live without the 20 way power seats. Have any of you found the active front seats or the front ventilated seats useful in this package?

and lastly the ceramic controls, again I can live without it but at the price it seems like a huge deal.


Aside from these concerns I have another concern, and this is a big one.
I've been looking into the 535D given that its a diesel and which is more fuel efficient and is only $1k or so above the price of the 535i what would I be better off with. I heard the torque curves are amazing, but will it depreciate faster because I am thinking of keeping the vehicle in the long run for atleast 5 years or so.

[raleedy]

I think LED's look cool -- would order them myself. Luxury seats? Not so much, but definitely the multi-contours. Standard seats are a little too austere for me. Ceramic controls look nice, but it's purely cosmetic. I would pass on that.

If it were me, I'd think hard about the diesel. Fuel savings and time saved gassing up are both significant. You probably should drive both before you decide, and have a look at the unfinished space under the trunk in the diesel to make sure that doesn't put you off.

[Tuesday]

I just got rid of an Audi diesel - found the savings only significant during long drives. Around town (trying to keep up with the flow of traffic) it didn't get much better MPG than my V8's have. Only advantage was the huge gas tank. Until diesel prices come down in California it's a bad bet.

[wrickem]

I have all of those options on my 528.

Lux seating - i didn't think I'd use the massage feature, but I use it every night after getting off the train, and I like the ventilation on hot days.

Lighting Pkg- I love the white light and I see better on dark back roads than I ever did with adaptive Xenons. On the highway though, you don't see much of a difference. They look good too.

Ceramic controls - they look nice with their graphite/black sheen and I like the smoothness when you touch them. When I drive a BMW without them and change the temp or use the I drive now, it feels kind of cheap in comparison. When you see how little is really ceramic though, you might not think it's such a great deal though. For me, I'm glad I got them.

[armanm]

Originally Posted by raleedy

I think LED's look cool -- would order them myself. Luxury seats? Not so much, but definitely the multi-contours. Standard seats are a little too austere for me. Ceramic controls look nice, but it's purely cosmetic. I would pass on that.

If it were me, I'd think hard about the diesel. Fuel savings and time saved gassing up are both significant. You probably should drive both before you decide, and have a look at the unfinished space under the trunk in the diesel to make sure that doesn't put you off.

Yea I need to test drive the diesel. About the LED's I have heard that they are not full LED's that they have some halogen part to it, is it true?

I guess I can pass on the ceramic controls.

For the multi contour seats how much do they differ from the regular sport seats that come with M sport?

What do you mean by unfinished space under the trunk in the diesel?

Thanks

[armanm]

Originally Posted by Tuesday

I just got rid of an Audi diesel - found the savings only significant during long drives. Around town (trying to keep up with the flow of traffic) it didn't get much better MPG than my V8's have. Only advantage was the huge gas tank. Until diesel prices come down in California it's a bad bet.

Where I live in some gas stations the diesel prices are cheaper than premium gas.

For the fuel savings, as little as they may be, compared to the 10cent price difference when fueling up I am sure it would not be a huge deal.

Thanks though.

[armanm]

Originally Posted by wrickem

I have all of those options on my 528.

Lux seating - i didn't think I'd use the massage feature, but I use it every night after getting off the train, and I like the ventilation on hot days.

Lighting Pkg- I love the white light and I see better on dark back roads than I ever did with adaptive Xenons. On the highway though, you don't see much of a difference. They look good too.

Ceramic controls - they look nice with their graphite/black sheen and I like the smoothness when you touch them. When I drive a BMW without them and change the temp or use the I drive now, it feels kind of cheap in comparison. When you see how little is really ceramic though, you might not think it's such a great deal though. For me, I'm glad I got them.

I guess it would be nice to have it here in southern california, especially in the summers with leather seats.

[pillpusher84]

Originally Posted by armanm

Lighting package: How do the leds look in person and is that something I can live without?

Absolutely a must in my opinion ... much brighter, crisper/sharper, and defined versus the HIDs.

Originally Posted by armanm

Luxury Seating package: I feel this might be a waste because I can live without the 20 way power seats. Have any of you found the active front seats or the front ventilated seats useful in this package?

Ventilated seats are a must in humid spring/summer weather ... active seats are weird and I never use them ... bought the package for the ventilation solely. IMHO ... I could not live without Multi-Contour seats ... so if its down to standard/multi-contour/ZLS ... i would atleast go for the multi-contour.

Originally Posted by armanm

and lastly the ceramic controls, again I can live without it but at the price it seems like a huge deal.

Definately nothing other than cosmetic value ... however I personally have them and feel it looks nicer than the silver. FYI ... forum member has a SAT shifter with Ceramic controls for $450 in the classifieds.

Originally Posted by armanm

Aside from these concerns I have another concern, and this is a big one.
I've been looking into the 535D given that its a diesel and which is more fuel efficient and is only $1k or so above the price of the 535i what would I be better off with. I heard the torque curves are amazing, but will it depreciate faster because I am thinking of keeping the vehicle in the long run for atleast 5 years or so.

Break-Even on the $1500 upcharge for the diesel at today's fuel prices is 3.25 years. Therefore it will pay-off for you as you plan to keep it for 5 years. Also everyday performance and fuel economy will be increased over 535i.

[raleedy]

5-series doesn't have "sport seats". Either standard seats or multi-contour. Check it out.
Look at the luggage compartment (under the floor) of the 535i and the 535d to compare.

[Russkey]

LED package is a must imo. Ceramic controls look so much better, I highly recommend!

[armanm]

Thank you everyone for the input.

So I think I have narrowed it down to my original options plus the lighting package.
Im going to skip the ceramic controls. Im still thinking about the seating package.
I dont go on long drives often, then again I am going to test out both seating arrangements and see which one I like better.

Also, I am coming from a F30 328i how much of a difference is it, the feel and performance and overall comfort compared to the 535i.

[ezmaass]

I've found the LED lights to be on par with the xenon. I'm glad I got them as I think they look nice, but I'm not yet convinced there's a real visibility benefit. That said, they also come with auto highbeams which I'm finding to be beneficial.

The luxury seating package is nice! I haven't gotten use out of the ventilation yet as it's winter, but the active seats are great! If you find yourself on a long drive (and you should!), these seats really help keep you comfortable. The slight movement is not intrusive - just enough to keep your lower back and legs awake.

The power sunshade is also great. I originally didn't want this but have now found it indespensible. I have a 6 month old in a rear facing car seat - does wonders to keep the sun off his face.

If you're not getting the DHP, I'd honestly recommend looking at it too. It's been the best driving feature of the car so far for me... very impressive. At $3500 it's not cheap, but I think it's worth every penny. I'd leave off the $1900 LEDs, honestly, if it freed some budget for the DHP. The LED package for me was more of a "what the hell's a few more bucks" decision versus a must have.

[ezmaass]

Oh... BTW the ceramic controls are also nice. I got them in the executive package I think... At first I couldn't care less, but I do agree now that they're a heck of a lot nicer to see and touch than the standard controls. They're certainly not a must have and really should be icing on the cake if you've maxed out all the important stuff.

[ezmaass]

Also have you considered the driver assistance plus and ACC stop & go? I've only played with these a little, but they really work. The collision detection seems very useful and actually saw it in action (not on purpose) the day I picked up the car. It has the ability to brake if necessary, which is somewhat comforting. The stop & go I haven't tried yet, but I do a fair amount of business travel - tend to find myself on a conjested highway crawling along. I can see this being very valuable in avoiding leg cramps. Demos of it online seem to be convincing. Again, I think I'd opt for this over something like LED if you had to choose.

[armanm]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

I've found the LED lights to be on par with the xenon. I'm glad I got them as I think they look nice, but I'm not yet convinced there's a real visibility benefit. That said, they also come with auto highbeams which I'm finding to be beneficial.

The luxury seating package is nice! I haven't gotten use out of the ventilation yet as it's winter, but the active seats are great! If you find yourself on a long drive (and you should!), these seats really help keep you comfortable. The slight movement is not intrusive - just enough to keep your lower back and legs awake.

The power sunshade is also great. I originally didn't want this but have now found it indespensible. I have a 6 month old in a rear facing car seat - does wonders to keep the sun off his face.

If you're not getting the DHP, I'd honestly recommend looking at it too. It's been the best driving feature of the car so far for me... very impressive. At $3500 it's not cheap, but I think it's worth every penny. I'd leave off the $1900 LEDs, honestly, if it freed some budget for the DHP. The LED package for me was more of a "what the hell's a few more bucks" decision versus a must have.

Yea I think I am leaning more towards the LED's especially after reading your thread titled "day 6" I really like the look of the LEDS they are similar to the ones in the 6 gran coupe.

As for the luxury seating pack I dont know I am kind of torn because it is $2400 and in a lease it makes about 30-50 difference I am assuming. I guess I just need to test it out at the dealer. I dont have any seat ventilation in my F30 and I feel like I can live without it, but might want to give the multi contour seats a try.

Can you take a picture of your seats and the buttons at the base I want to see how different they look in reality.

Thanks a bunch.

[armanm]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

Also have you considered the driver assistance plus and ACC stop & go? I've only played with these a little, but they really work. The collision detection seems very useful and actually saw it in action (not on purpose) the day I picked up the car. It has the ability to brake if necessary, which is somewhat comforting. The stop & go I haven't tried yet, but I do a fair amount of business travel - tend to find myself on a conjested highway crawling along. I can see this being very valuable in avoiding leg cramps. Demos of it online seem to be convincing. Again, I think I'd opt for this over something like LED if you had to choose.

I dont know about the DA+ but I will opt for the surround view, have them in my F30 and they help a lot in tight spaces. I wont have use for the lane departure warning or the blind spot warning, I feel like it will piss me off after a while.

[GXAlan]

Get LEDs. Everyone says the same thing. "I don't think they are that bright." And then after a while, as you drive on more familiar roads, you realize that, in fact, it is better than Xenons. Some people have poor blue vision and see better with the color temp of Xenons. The other nice things are very bright cornering lights and turn signals.

Ceramic controls are like window tint or aftermarket rims. I like it, but it's cosmetic.

I recommend parking assistant if you go rwd. Even if you never use it, it switches the useless metal side badge to a functional sensor so it serves a purpose.

[ezmaass]

I've taken a few pictures so you can see the seat buttons, seat surface, and the extra control in the dash for the ventilation function.

Yes, after driving at night a few more times now, I've definitely noticed the difference with the LEDs over xenon. Will it matter THAT much to you, I don't know. I can, however, now say that there's a noticeable difference... and I'd probably recommend the LEDs, not just for their crisper/whiter appearance but also because of the auto highbeams. I'm finding that they're a nice convenience.

All of this said, what I can't say ENOUGH good things about is the Dynamic Handling Package (DHP). I'd seriously consider getting this option. I'd sacrifice the LED lights and luxury seating, combined if necessary, to get DHP. I've driven the car with the regular suspension, and it's good. But it's nowhere near the experience of the DHP in my opinion.

While coming back from an errand today, I drove the car mostly in Comfort Mode, and it was pleasant and refined as I cruised over broken asphalt due to winter's toll. As I got off the highway and onto the back twisty roads leading to my house, I put the car in Sport Mode, and for the first time (while breaking in carefully) I really pushed the car for a few miles. My God. Not only was the suspension nice and tight - and I could now feel the road, including all its bumps and imperfections - but the anti-roll is simply AMAZING. This is a heavy car, but it took the corners like a car that's 1,000 pounds lighter in this mode and with the anti-roll hard at work. With xDrive, as well, it really makes for an amazing combination of systems. The car felt like a muscular athlete quickly maneuvering from side to side as I tossed it through some pretty tight turns at high speed, and not once did I feel the sensation of a heavy car causing roll in the corners. If I sound like I'm oozing support for this system, well... I am. I was on the fence about DHP at first, but I'm so, so, so glad I ended up getting it. It really gives me the best of both worlds in one car - the ability to have split personalities at the click of a button - and with the active anti-roll, the car feels more composed under hard cornering than any standard, passive system I've driven on a sedan of this size. The DHP has, by far, become my favorite option and best bang for the buck. As I've said, I'd take it over the LED package or the luxury seating if you had to choose. After all, BMWs are about driving first and foremost - the LED and luxury seating packages, to me, are ancillary to the way the car drives.

Here are the pics, as requested. The first pic shows the side controls. I don't play with half of these, but I do find it nice that the thigh support is now motorized, as well - was manual on my 335i. The second pic shows the perforations in the leather to allow the ventilation system to work. They're hardly noticeable unless you get right up close to it in person. And the last pic is just showing that there's an extra button on the HVAC controls to turn on the ventilation (just to the left of the Sync button). It works just like heating the seats - three stages of cooling. I didn't take a pic of it, but on the door there's also an extra button, next to the memory buttons, to turn on/off the Active Seats.

[armanm]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

I've taken a few pictures so you can see the seat buttons, seat surface, and the extra control in the dash for the ventilation function.

Yes, after driving at night a few more times now, I've definitely noticed the difference with the LEDs over xenon. Will it matter THAT much to you, I don't know. I can, however, now say that there's a noticeable difference... and I'd probably recommend the LEDs, not just for their crisper/whiter appearance but also because of the auto highbeams. I'm finding that they're a nice convenience.

All of this said, what I can't say ENOUGH good things about is the Dynamic Handling Package (DHP). I'd seriously consider getting this option. I'd sacrifice the LED lights and luxury seating, combined if necessary, to get DHP. I've driven the car with the regular suspension, and it's good. But it's nowhere near the experience of the DHP in my opinion.

While coming back from an errand today, I drove the car mostly in Comfort Mode, and it was pleasant and refined as I cruised over broken asphalt due to winter's toll. As I got off the highway and onto the back twisty roads leading to my house, I put the car in Sport Mode, and for the first time (while breaking in carefully) I really pushed the car for a few miles. My God. Not only was the suspension nice and tight - and I could now feel the road, including all its bumps and imperfections - but the anti-roll is simply AMAZING. This is a heavy car, but it took the corners like a car that's 1,000 pounds lighter in this mode and with the anti-roll hard at work. With xDrive, as well, it really makes for an amazing combination of systems. The car felt like a muscular athlete quickly maneuvering from side to side as I tossed it through some pretty tight turns at high speed, and not once did I feel the sensation of a heavy car causing roll in the corners. If I sound like I'm oozing support for this system, well... I am. I was on the fence about DHP at first, but I'm so, so, so glad I ended up getting it. It really gives me the best of both worlds in one car - the ability to have split personalities at the click of a button - and with the active anti-roll, the car feels more composed under hard cornering than any standard, passive system I've driven on a sedan of this size. The DHP has, by far, become my favorite option and best bang for the buck. As I've said, I'd take it over the LED package or the luxury seating if you had to choose. After all, BMWs are about driving first and foremost - the LED and luxury seating packages, to me, are ancillary to the way the car drives.

Here are the pics, as requested. The first pic shows the side controls. I don't play with half of these, but I do find it nice that the thigh support is now motorized, as well - was manual on my 335i. The second pic shows the perforations in the leather to allow the ventilation system to work. They're hardly noticeable unless you get right up close to it in person. And the last pic is just showing that there's an extra button on the HVAC controls to turn on the ventilation (just to the left of the Sync button). It works just like heating the seats - three stages of cooling. I didn't take a pic of it, but on the door there's also an extra button, next to the memory buttons, to turn on/off the Active Seats.

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Thanks for the reply. Now you really have me torn between the Lighting package, luxury seating package, and the DHP (im starting to consider it). I guess I really need to get down there and drive one with and one without the DHP and see which I feel as better. Keep in mind mine will be a 535i and not the 550i monster v8 like yours so I am sure you have more use for it with that mighty engine.

I wish I could get all 3 but payments will sky rocket and I dont want to be paying any more than $600 per month.

BTW: What wood trim do you have? My current F30 has similar wood trim and its a pain in the ass and after a years worth of use you can see swirls. I am thinking of opting for the aluminum hexagon trim.

[ezmaass]

armanm, I definitely understand. I couldn't decide between what the compromise, so I pretty much loaded it up. I left off the B&O since the Harmon Kardon really sounds pretty good, and the night vision (which I was contemplated) really based upon some very poor reviews I've read. Other than that, I pretty much went all out.

I think you have the right idea - head down to the dealer and play with everything they'll let you touch/drive. Then prioritize. If you're going to test the DHP vs. non-DHP, I'd drive them back-to-back and don't be afraid to push it. I'm not sure how your friendly your CA is, but I'd just let them know that you need to push it a little to decide. You'll feel the anti-roll at work mainly in the turns - so I'd take the same roads on both test drives, drive spirited in both, etc, to really get apples to apples.

DHP vs. passive suspension seems to be an age-old debate around here, but it's still probably worth reading all of the threads. Many people tend to focus on "adjusting the dampers" and forget all about the active roll. To me, especially on a car of this size, the anti-roll is just as critical as adjusting the dampers. Likewise, I'd take your two test drives over a variety of surfaces. Make sure to hit some rough roads and adjust the settings as you go.

I think it'll really come down to what you value the most, though. If you're all about the driving experience, I'd look hard at the DHP. If creature comforts are higher on the priority list, then certainly the LEDs and luxury seats may be worth prioritizing. At the end of the day, you're going to have a GREAT car. The I6 is a fantastic engine, too, and it's quite quick - in normal driving circumstances it's honestly a better choice than the V8. After driving BMW I6's for the last 13 years, I figured I'd go nuts with the V8 this time around... but I'm pretty sure that most of the time I'll just be using more gas and not really tapping the power.

Keep us informed - definitely curious to hear your thoughts after going for some test drives!

[ezmaass]

BTW - the trim is anthracite in my car. It looks much brighter in that photo than it actually is in person due to the flash. It's actually a very nice, deep color. I've had the standard "dark wood" trim on my previous cars, which is also nice.

[newtoav]

I have a car very similar to your spec - AW/Mocha, and pretty much everything on it, including ceramic controls - but not soft close doors. If I were to do it over again, I'd reverse those two options.

1) Ceramic controls don't really stand out that much with the Mocha - the matte silver actually looks great

2) Soft close doors are incredibly useful in this car where the last door to shut always requires a strong pull (or push).

Other than that, get ACC, it's really fun.

Cheers!