[SteveP15]

VDC AAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!! Seems to always spark the debate! Well I've gone for VDC and 19's on a 535d Luxury. Havent found a demo car with vdc on so not tried it but have read everything going and think I would kick myself if I didnt have it. However I do have the option to change the wheels if I chicken out! The rest as before but added the Pan Roof (the other driver wanted it!) So bust the budget but the man maths has taken over!

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by xs2man

I did consider the surround view, but to be honest, with my wifes reversing ability, I figured the full on rear view would have been better for her. I did test drive a motor with the surround view, and it was nice though. Can you change that option to give you the reverse view if you wanted? Not that it makes much difference to me now admittedly.

Yes, it basically defaults to the reversing camera. But you have the option to have front side view for emerging from difficult junctions, etc., and the bird's eye view for parking position.

Being a big boat it does help you to see around the car.

HighlandPete

[gspannu]

Originally Posted by xenon

Anyone tried active LED lights yet?

Yes. I have the Active LED on my 535 LCI model. I would not say it is any brighter than Xenon (but does seem whiter). Also, the lights seem flatter/ wider than the Xenon (on an open clear road).

The Adaptive Part does work; and it is exactly as this video.

Add to this the coolness factor

I am indeed very pleased.

[xenon]

Cool. I've always gone for adaptive xenons which I've been very impressed with. Now that standard (non-adaptive) xenons are standard anyway then going for the full LED lights is an expensive luxury. Would I do it on my next car. Definitely!!

My current 2013 F10 has adaptive xenons but I must have missed out on LEDs being an option by just a few weeks. My dealer will be getting a slap.

[fat dog]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

For me it is exactly the opposite, I tried a touring on standard suspension (not M-sport) and the ride and handling were severely compromised on poor road surfaces, compared to the active suspension. I have found the rear air suspension is a key to getting a better suspension in a BMW, the ability to have a lower spring rate at low loads smooth out the rear end jitters, even more so with the VDC option. It is a key reason I went to a 5-series again, rather than have another 3-series. OK, I've the full cream Adaptive Drive in my F11, but no issues at all with suspension quality or the modes changing the overall suspension feel of the car. It adds refinement in all suspension modes. BTW, I use all modes, the mid setting is my normal 'default' ride.

What are your issues? Wrong feel all the time, compared to standard passive suspension, or the modes don't change the ride and handling feel as you'd expect? Or some odd behaviour?

HighlandPete

I've seen many of your posts on this subject since you got your F11 and have always been disappointed that my experience has been at the opposite end of the spectrum. I seriously do wonder if there's an issue with my car or whether the F11 really needs ARS as well as VDC to work well. There are seemingly so few owners with F11 plus VDC and so very few posts.

I fully agree that the air suspension that the F11 brings to the rear end coupled with VDC should be about as good as it gets in terms of ride quality for any 5, but I'm nearly always left disappointed with my car. The car just struggles to filter out any of the road imperfections and this is true of both the rear end as well as the front end. Also, the car still crashes into pothles, again the rear end crashing just as much as the front. BMW tell us that the VDC is intelligent and reactive, so the system should be able to react to a consistently bad road surface or prep the rear dampers to react to the front end going over a particularly bad pothole. I feel no evidence of this whatsoever and the only pre-empting is the gritting of teeth in readiness for the inevitable thump at the rear end.

In terms of ride quality, I find the differences between all modes to be very subtle and now only really use the toggle switch to vary the drivetrain characteristics.

Out of interest, what 18" wheels are you running? I'm on Style 328's with Goodyear Excellence RFT's.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by fat dog

I've seen many of your posts on this subject since you got your F11 and have always been disappointed that my experience has been at the opposite end of the spectrum. I seriously do wonder if there's an issue with my car or whether the F11 really needs ARS as well as VDC to work well. There are seemingly so few owners with F11 plus VDC and so very few posts.

I fully agree that the air suspension that the F11 brings to the rear end coupled with VDC should be about as good as it gets in terms of ride quality for any 5, but I'm nearly always left disappointed with my car. The car just struggles to filter out any of the road imperfections and this is true of both the rear end as well as the front end. Also, the car still crashes into pothles, again the rear end crashing just as much as the front. BMW tell us that the VDC is intelligent and reactive, so the system should be able to react to a consistently bad road surface or prep the rear dampers to react to the front end going over a particularly bad pothole. I feel no evidence of this whatsoever and the only pre-empting is the gritting of teeth in readiness for the inevitable thump at the rear end.

In terms of ride quality, I find the differences between all modes to be very subtle and now only really use the toggle switch to vary the drivetrain characteristics.

Out of interest, what 18" wheels are you running? I'm on Style 328's with Goodyear Excellence RFT's.

ARS definitely is the part that impresses me most, the ability to run a relatively soft ride quality but have a very 'flat' car when you start pushing it, even in the comfort mode. Add the ability to virtually decouple the wheels across an axle, does have the benefit of not transferring single wheel bumps across the car when driving straight.

I do sense VDC softening the rear suspension damping, once the front axle passes over an imperfection.

I agree there is not a massive change in the modes, as you cycle through them, but we wouldn't really expect a big change with the 3-base settings, but there is a definite and easily measured difference in my car from comfort to sport mode. Normal is the best damped setting, Comfort slightly under damped, and Sport slightly over damped for the spring rate, just as we'd expect.

I'm on Style 150 rims with Continental Sport Contact 3 SSR tyres. My winter wheels are 17" with Dunlop Winter Sport 3D DSST tyres. I'd describe my winter setup as feeling the same at around freezing temperatures as my summer set at about 20C. Hardly any RFT behaviour coming from either wheel set, so a similar ride and handling balance summer or winter.

I was down in Wiltshire a few weeks back for a few days, must say the ride was even better on the 'average' roads in Wiltshire than my local patch, made for a very limo like ride. The suspension didn't have to work half as hard as it does up here.

HighlandPete

[Piers]

Blimey all the kit I have put on my F10 coming in a few weeks, and I never even looked at VDC.....
The way you guys all talk about it, sounds like a standard car is rubbish without it, I hope I am not disappointed coming from an E60 LCI with no adaptive susp...

[SteveP15]

Mate I have an F11 520d M sport at the mo no vdc, u will love it! I'm only ordering it coz I'm having a Luxury model this time and Fancy having the choice of hardening the suspension every now and again!

[Piers]

Originally Posted by SteveP15

Mate I have an F11 520d M sport at the mo no vdc, u will love it! I'm only ordering it coz I'm having a Luxury model this time and Fancy having the choice of hardening the suspension every now and again!

Cheers Steve, hope you are right

[SteveP15]

Well if you doubt me.........was offered a cracking deal (online dealer bought through them before) on a new 535d F11 luxury was gonna add VDC etc, however went to my local dealer to look at colours etc today, got talking to the guy who sold me a 3 series a few years, and just bought a 535d F11 m sport huge discount and no vdc! Signed and sealed, phoned me later and said at the mo quoting delivery jan 4! However he reckons it will be mid december, just wondering if I should put 19's on it and risk the ride?

[B33M3R]

Hi Piers

When I ordered mine I ended up taking some advice from my good friend who is also my Sales Adviser.

I had initially spec'd the VDC on my M Sport but he advised to remove it as all it would do is give me the option of going softer. No real world performance benifit for an M Sport so for the additional £1000 I dropped it. On non-M Sports it may very well be more desirable.

I can't offer any real world comparison myself but my friend has driven countless BMW's and said he wouldn't bother having it himself.

I did read about some people having problems with VDC on the F30's in that they have had noise problems, clunks and so forth. Don't know if this is so for the F10/11's?

[B33M3R]

Originally Posted by SteveP15

Well if you doubt me.........was offered a cracking deal (online dealer bought through them before) on a new 535d F11 luxury was gonna add VDC etc, however went to my local dealer to look at colours etc today, got talking to the guy who sold me a 3 series a few years, and just bought a 535d F11 m sport huge discount and no vdc! Signed and sealed, phoned me later and said at the mo quoting delivery jan 4! However he reckons it will be mid december, just wondering if I should put 19's on it and risk the ride?

Wow, nice car, must have been a good deal! If you don't mind me asking, and feel free to say get lost, but what sort of discount % did you manage? Must have been sizeable if its undercut an online broker!

[Piers]

Cheers B33M3R

[SteveP15]

26% plus chucked in the service pack

[B33M3R]

Originally Posted by SteveP15

26% plus chucked in the service pack

wow, that's a mental deal! Congrats

[SteveP15]

Yep apparently they have extra from BMW on 535's I'd almost signed on the other but the sales guy said let me have a look and came back with the figures. Couldn't believe it! Now 19's?????

[xs2man]

Wow. That is good. I thought I was doing well with 20% off my 530d M-Sport. Maybe should have pushed for the 535d.

[SteveP15]

Yep great deal, can I ask have u gone for the 19 inch wheels on the 530? Really not sure but the have quoted me £299 for tyre and alloy wheel insurance, so any damage could be repaired and had a puncture on my present msport about a year ago and it cost me £250 for the tyre so could be money well spent!

[mistry]

I've got 19s on my 530, and I've got no issues with comfort and think it fills the arches better.

That said, I think you really need to take one for a drive on your local roads. Go back to your dealer and see if he has one with 19's you can try for a short trip.