2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 - View Single Post - Newbie Questions

thenewrick · 05-17-2013, 10:40 PM

I was interested in the 2011 535i and 550i and was hoping to gain a little more insight into them. I know I have a lot of questions that are really specific but I know there are some savvy people out there. I am a bit OCD and paranoid that I am missing something small, like an extra oil cooler or something really nice that I wouldn't see in a typical spec sheet. It seems to me that the 550i comes with a lot more standard equipment, is heavier, more powerful, and less fuel efficient than the 535i but I know there are bound to be a bunch of nuances.

I see in the spec sheet:
Total Cooling System Capacity
535i-9.510
550i-12.046
Maximum Alternator Capacity (amps)
535i-210
550i-220
Are these numbers meaningful and is it a worthwhile figure to look at?

How common are the folding rear seats for these models? I think I read that they were an option only but it's important I can get it.

BMW's website says these cars have, "Locking/Limited Slip Differential"
Am I missing something or is this the same rear LSD that people are getting from wavetrac and quaife and are already on M models? Or is this just some type of "electronic diff" that is what I'm already used to on the 07 335i with DTC and DSC. Ideally, I'd like to have a real mechanical LSD in rear and be able to turn the traction control completely off in the 2011 535i and 550i, anyone know if this is the same or different than my 335i? I have a feeling the LSD they're talking about is something in the front part of the drive-train and it's something that all cars have but I don't know.

How is the intercooler(s)? set up in these two cars? Does the 550i have some type of dual front-mounted intercooler to the sides or behind radiator and the 535i have a single larger front mount intercooler?

Looking at a car comparison website it says:
Axle ratio
Standard:3.08 550i
Standard:3.23 535i
Available:2.81 550i
Available:3.07 535i
What is this saying exactly? That the 550i has a more fuel efficient axle ratio than the 535i? I kinda don't know what's going on here with available ratios?

It looks like the 550i has a few things over the 535i including:
nav standard-1900
backup camera standard-400
parking sensor-750
larger front brake calipers(some sites say larger rear brakes also, can anyone confirm?)-0
auto-dimming mirrors standard-500
interior ambient lighting-0
Nicer wheels- maybe 500
exhaust- 0
metallic paint- 500
dakota leather- 500
garage door opener- 500
Total of these options on a 535i=$5000+

With a 10k price difference it seems you're paying roughly 5k for just the motor essentially.

I'm sure I'm missing stuff, what am I missing?

05-17-2013, 10:40 PM	#1
thenewrick Captain 30 Rep 606 Posts Drives: 2007 E93 335i Black Sapphire Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (2)	Newbie Questions - 550i vs 535i I was interested in the 2011 535i and 550i and was hoping to gain a little more insight into them. I know I have a lot of questions that are really specific but I know there are some savvy people out there. I am a bit OCD and paranoid that I am missing something small, like an extra oil cooler or something really nice that I wouldn't see in a typical spec sheet. It seems to me that the 550i comes with a lot more standard equipment, is heavier, more powerful, and less fuel efficient than the 535i but I know there are bound to be a bunch of nuances. I see in the spec sheet: Total Cooling System Capacity 535i-9.510 550i-12.046 Maximum Alternator Capacity (amps) 535i-210 550i-220 Are these numbers meaningful and is it a worthwhile figure to look at? How common are the folding rear seats for these models? I think I read that they were an option only but it's important I can get it. BMW's website says these cars have, "Locking/Limited Slip Differential" Am I missing something or is this the same rear LSD that people are getting from wavetrac and quaife and are already on M models? Or is this just some type of "electronic diff" that is what I'm already used to on the 07 335i with DTC and DSC. Ideally, I'd like to have a real mechanical LSD in rear and be able to turn the traction control completely off in the 2011 535i and 550i, anyone know if this is the same or different than my 335i? I have a feeling the LSD they're talking about is something in the front part of the drive-train and it's something that all cars have but I don't know. How is the intercooler(s)? set up in these two cars? Does the 550i have some type of dual front-mounted intercooler to the sides or behind radiator and the 535i have a single larger front mount intercooler? Looking at a car comparison website it says: Axle ratio Standard:3.08 550i Standard:3.23 535i Available:2.81 550i Available:3.07 535i What is this saying exactly? That the 550i has a more fuel efficient axle ratio than the 535i? I kinda don't know what's going on here with available ratios? It looks like the 550i has a few things over the 535i including: nav standard-1900 backup camera standard-400 parking sensor-750 larger front brake calipers(some sites say larger rear brakes also, can anyone confirm?)-0 auto-dimming mirrors standard-500 interior ambient lighting-0 Nicer wheels- maybe 500 exhaust- 0 metallic paint- 500 dakota leather- 500 garage door opener- 500 Total of these options on a 535i=$5000+ With a 10k price difference it seems you're paying roughly 5k for just the motor essentially. I'm sure I'm missing stuff, what am I missing? Last edited by thenewrick; 05-18-2013 at 04:29 PM..
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