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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 Dynamic Handling Package: Why it's the Best BMW Suspension Money Can Buy
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      11-04-2014, 08:53 AM   #89
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Originally Posted by NewM3driver View Post
Really? I don't know.. every time I get into an Audi A6 I walk away not liking the way it drives or handles at all. I just cant like them even when I try.

My sweetest BMW was an E39 530 sport with a standard transmission. That particular car was as close to perfect as I have ever seen. I went from that into an e60 545. It was a nose heavy pig. Next was an E60 550 automatic, which was again nose heavy. I got rid of that 2 years into my 3 year lease and got into a new 2008 M3. The M3 made me smile.
I suppose it's a matter of what you're comparing against. I'm not shocked that you would find an M3 to show better driving dynamics than an E60.
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      11-04-2014, 01:23 PM   #90
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So does DHP help get rid of the nose dive when braking? and the nose pointing to the sky when flooring the gas?
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      11-04-2014, 08:31 PM   #91
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akaye7474 View Post
So does DHP help get rid of the nose dive when braking? and the nose pointing to the sky when flooring the gas?
Of course , but only if you don't brake or accelerate too hard

Otherwise, nose remains very unstable as to where it points.


Funny stuff... Internet forums

Last edited by Bbb34; 11-05-2014 at 06:38 AM..
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      11-06-2014, 11:24 AM   #92
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I just checked the inventory of 435xi coupes at the three largest dealers in Colorado, for fun. I only found 2 cars on lots that had DHP - and those two cars both had MSRPs around $65,000 because the dealers obviously checked every single box on the order.

So, one interesting issue with DHP is that dealers don't seem to value it.
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      11-06-2014, 02:03 PM   #93
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WillInDenver View Post
I just checked the inventory of 435xi coupes at the three largest dealers in Colorado, for fun. I only found 2 cars on lots that had DHP - and those two cars both had MSRPs around $65,000 because the dealers obviously checked every single box on the order.

So, one interesting issue with DHP is that dealers don't seem to value it.
Because DHP is not something a regular driver can see or feel. However, bigger wheels, ventilated/heated seats, Nappa leather, LED headlights, etc... are something that will wow people. That stuff sells.

Most people will never drive their BMW hard enough to need DHP. Those that do are usually reckless or enthusiasts. One will check all the box because they have the money, the other will find the exact model/options or custom build their cars.

Dealers are only interested in the mainstream buyers that will flop over and sign the loan/lease agreement.
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      11-06-2014, 03:30 PM   #94
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 493263
Quote:
Originally Posted by WillInDenver View Post
I just checked the inventory of 435xi coupes at the three largest dealers in Colorado, for fun. I only found 2 cars on lots that had DHP - and those two cars both had MSRPs around $65,000 because the dealers obviously checked every single box on the order.

So, one interesting issue with DHP is that dealers don't seem to value it.
Because DHP is not something a regular driver can see or feel. However, bigger wheels, ventilated/heated seats, Nappa leather, LED headlights, etc... are something that will wow people. That stuff sells.

Most people will never drive their BMW hard enough to need DHP. Those that do are usually reckless or enthusiasts. One will check all the box because they have the money, the other will find the exact model/options or custom build their cars.

Dealers are only interested in the mainstream buyers that will flop over and sign the loan/lease agreement.
I agree completely. Except then we start reading and hearing about BMW's decline as a sport sedan builder.

I think a lot of these BMWs people are driving do feel different, only people don't seem to know why.
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      11-09-2014, 05:18 PM   #95
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WillInDenver View Post
I just checked the inventory of 435xi coupes at the three largest dealers in Colorado, for fun. I only found 2 cars on lots that had DHP - and those two cars both had MSRPs around $65,000 because the dealers obviously checked every single box on the order.

So, one interesting issue with DHP is that dealers don't seem to value it.
I recently ordered a custom build. Although the wait was about 6 weeks, I love having the exact car I wanted. The only regret I have is not taking European Delivery.

If you can't find a car with DHP, I say do a custom order.
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      11-09-2014, 10:03 PM   #96
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 493263 View Post
Because DHP is not something a regular driver can see or feel. However, bigger wheels, ventilated/heated seats, Nappa leather, LED headlights, etc... are something that will wow people. That stuff sells.

Most people will never drive their BMW hard enough to need DHP. Those that do are usually reckless or enthusiasts. One will check all the box because they have the money, the other will find the exact model/options or custom build their cars.

Dealers are only interested in the mainstream buyers that will flop over and sign the loan/lease agreement.

You could definitely feel DHP. It takes the car to a completely different level.
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      11-10-2014, 09:00 AM   #97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewM3driver View Post
You could definitely feel DHP. It takes the car to a completely different level.
I think what he might have meant is that DHP is a rather expensive option that provides a benefit a lot of people don't care about. Spending $1000 ($3500 on an F10) for DHP doesn't get you a cool projector on your dashboard, an air dam to scrape on parking blocks, or anything that other people can see - so why bother.

Many of us on this forum would never drive a car without either DHP or the 704 suspension, but the fact that dealers aren't ordering spec cars with it says that most of the target market doesn't understand or value it.
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      11-10-2014, 09:59 PM   #98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WillInDenver View Post
I think what he might have meant is that DHP is a rather expensive option that provides a benefit a lot of people don't care about. Spending $1000 ($3500 on an F10) for DHP doesn't get you a cool projector on your dashboard, an air dam to scrape on parking blocks, or anything that other people can see - so why bother.

Many of us on this forum would never drive a car without either DHP or the 704 suspension, but the fact that dealers aren't ordering spec cars with it says that most of the target market doesn't understand or value it.
Correct.

The middle upper-class soccer mom who wants a BMW to impress her girlfriends won't care what DHP is, nor will she ever use it - sorry to be so crass, but it's true. Even most run of the mill guys won't give a darn either. And without really getting to experience it (limited cars on the lots to test drive), even the enthusiast may find it troubling to spend $3,500 on an option and "hope" they'll like it.

The reality is, it IS that good... and it's worth every penny. Not only for those who drive "recklessly" or are "enthusiasts" - but anyone who values comfort AND sportiness in one vehicle will love it. And the ARS helps make the car feel smaller by controlling its girth in the corners.

The way I see it, this should just come standard on the 550. I don't see why anyone spending $70k - $90k on a car should be quibbling about $3.5k of cost if it makes the car significantly better. And I suspect that's where it's going - an expensive option today that we'll slowly start to see incorporated as standard equipment at the top of the line and work its way down.

Is it the future of suspensions? I think so. My R8 has Audi's magnetic ride (similar to DHP) - but it only goes from "firm" ("Normal") to "eyeball popping firm" ("Sport") but completely transforms the ride in doing so as with BMW's DHP. Normal works fine for the road, providing just a little relief over bumps, and the sport setting allows you to firm up for the track, all with one simple button push. Granted, if these shocks break/leak, they're about $8k to replace all 4... so with this technology comes a trade-off in maintenance costs down the road (don't know how much BMW's shocks cost to replace with DHP).

Anyone considering a modern BMW, especially a bigger saloon like the 5 or 7, really owes it to themselves to drive a car with DHP to decide. Out of all the gadgets on my 5 series, DHP is one of my favorites - because it gets used routinely and can really help make the car fit the driving situation.
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      01-24-2015, 11:27 AM   #99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ezmaass View Post
Correct.
.................................................. ......
Anyone considering a modern BMW, especially a bigger saloon like the 5 or 7, really owes it to themselves to drive a car with DHP to decide. Out of all the gadgets on my 5 series, DHP is one of my favorites - because it gets used routinely and can really help make the car fit the driving situation.
Couldn't agree more.
Just picked up my 535i M Sport with the Dynamic Handling Pkg (Adaptive Drive) and Performance RFTs.

To be honest, I was worried since my ailing wife needs her comfort.
But in Comfort Plus mode it was more comfortable than my previous 528i with All Season tires.

I've only tempted myself in Sports Plus mode because I only have 65 miles on the car.
However, I can feel everything tighten up and am looking forward to putting this baby through its paces.
Have fun.
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      01-24-2015, 01:25 PM   #100
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My understanding is that Sport+ is the same as Sport except it turns off DSC. That is, the suspension, tranny and steering should feel the same as Sport mode all the way up to the point where the car wraps around the tree.
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      03-23-2015, 10:18 AM   #101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalnoah View Post
The handling of a car is the most important feature to me. That's why I drive a BMW.

I recently researched and ordered a new F10 5 series and did extensive research on BMWusa.com, on review sites, here on these forums, and in person at the dealer, test driving multiple vehicles.

So I went to the dealer and test drove two F10 cars back to back. One with the DHP and one without.

[[/LIST]
Digitalnoah- this is one of the best reviews I've seen on DHP. I can't belive BMW isn't more proactive in promoting this feature and there's obviously lots of confusion in the marketplace about it.
You and I are in the same market and I can't find any DHP equipped F10's to drive at any of the local dealerships. My question for you is: in your back-to-back test, were you driving two LCI F10's or were one or both of them pre-LCI?
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      10-03-2016, 11:56 PM   #102
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Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalnoah View Post
The handling of a car is the most important feature to me. That's why I drive a BMW.

I recently researched and ordered a new F10 5 series and did extensive research on BMWusa.com, on review sites, here on these forums, and in person at the dealer, test driving multiple vehicles and configurations.

I have been particularly interested in the Dynamic Handling Package (DHP), as everything I had read stated that the F10 grew in size and weight, was based more on the 7-series platform, and suffered from body roll and diminished road feel/numb steering. But reading about a package was not enough to make a decision, especially when the DHP is a $3500 upgrade.

So I went to the dealer and test drove two F10 cars back to back. One with the DHP and one without.

I went into the first test drive expecting to only benefit from the dynamic damper adjustments I had read about: changing the personality of the car from soft to sporty with a flick of a switch. I toggled through the settings and felt a noticeable difference. The normal ride felt balanced, but the Sport+ ride felt tight, sharp, and with much more road feedback. Even though this was a refreshing experience, I decided I could live without this feature.

Then I went in the car without the DHP. The car felt like a completely different car. It felt big, heavy, and seriously affected by body roll. It was rocking all over the place; over bumps, in corners, on the highway. I simply could not wrap my head around how BMW went to market with a car that handled like a 1980s Buick. And as an owner of a E90 3 series and E60 5 series, I began to doubt if BMW as a company was starting to head in a terrible direction. (I'll leave that for another thread.)

Having read all the threads on DHP, and now having done my own research, I want to clarify a huge misconception here on the forums. DHP is not just about Dynamic Damper Control and being able to manually set the stiffness of the shock dampening. Yes it allows this, and yes this is a nice feature. But this is a feature that should only cost $1000, which it does when added to an F30 3 series. The DHP also features Adaptive Drive, which is truly remarkable technology. But, sadly it's a technology that is very poorly understood online.

Unlike Dynamic Damper Control, Adaptive Drive isn't about changing the car's personality. It's an always-on feature that is always there behind the scenes, counteracting physics to make a big, heavy car feel flat in corners and predictable no matter what the road throws at it. How does it do this? It adjusts the adaptive dampers, independently on all four corners, multiple times per second. And in addition to this, it also adjusts a dynamic set of sway bars that can become stiffer and softer automatically.

This is absolutely genius engineering. Sure you can put racing coil overs on the F10 and get M5 sway bars to tighten up the suspension to track-ready specs (you can read on this forum that hundreds of people are doing this as a "must-have" mod). But you end up stuck with a track-ready car that is unbelievably stiff at all times. Take it on a road trip and you'll be exhausted. Go over a speed bump, and you'll scrape your under carriage. With the DHP, you get dynamic sway bars that are constantly flexing and stiffening to ensure the car is square, flat in corners, and confident. Yet they are softer and smoother when the car is going over uneven pavement and bumps. I see it as a completely uncompromising experience: you get the ride-quality benefits of a softer luxury sedan and the handling benefits of a modified suspension. $3500 for that combination? Yes, please.

Why am I writing all of this? Because in the hundreds of forum posts and reviews that I read, I didn't read any of this information anywhere. (note, I have since found this group of 5 YouTube videos which describe the engineering behind Adaptive Drive, though in the context of the X5. And I found this video which shows the swaybars adjusting, but on an older E60 5 series). I'm hoping that writing this thread will help get the information out there so that more people realize the following:
  • DHP is more than just dynamic dampers
  • The DHP is worth every penny of its $3500 price tag
  • The best suspension available is not the m-sport, but the DHP
  • BMW as a company is still a pioneer in the world of superior handling cars
  • You don't have to void your warranty and spend thousands of dollars on modifications to make your car F10 handle as it should
I mean, you should of tried the M-sport version too rather than assuming DHP is the best.
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      10-04-2016, 04:29 AM   #103
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AntDX316 View Post
I mean, you should of tried the M-sport version too rather than assuming DHP is the best.
Saying something is 'best' is always open to debate, one man's best is not always another's.

Suspension fits into that category, as it is a set of compromises. Passive suspension (of any combination) is more limited by design, has a fixed set of compromises. Adaptive suspensions widen the working envelope, which equates to less compromise, over varied conditions. Something like DHP (Adaptive Drive) gives us a wider envelope over an even wider working range.

Now whether we as drivers see extra value in a particular suspension, is again influenced by our view of compromises. Some are willing to compromise on ride quality with a firmer passive suspension. Will sacrifice comfort on poor surfaces for better handling. If we can have both, many will rate that as better. It is certainly going to be different, as we don't get both with passive, be it standard or sport suspension.

For me less compromise is very advantageous, I see it as the best OEM suspension on offer. I've driven many BMW 704 suspensions over the years, always some limitation, Adaptive Drive is my choice any day.

I fully understand many will not see or feel its value, option 704 will be a good enough compromise, even preferred. Partly due to it giving a stiffer sport feel we are accustomed and conditioned to expect. Adaptive Drive has a different feel, "soft where possible, firm when necessary". Live with it for a while and it is clear it is an advanced suspension, which works for those who want comfort and a controlled chassis.
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      10-04-2016, 04:26 PM   #104
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I find it funny that they made adaptive drive a separate package. my previous car was an e60 msport 550 and that had adaptive drive, and yes, it made a huge difference. I didn't even bother putting coil overs on my 550 for that reason. they would have been redundant. then again, my e60 550 also had adaptive side bolsters (standard on the e60 m5, optional on e60 550 only), and it was lovely
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      02-13-2018, 01:46 PM   #105
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Is there any way to upgrade the springs with the DHP?
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      02-13-2018, 02:10 PM   #106
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Is there any way to upgrade the springs with the DHP?
Yes. You can use any springs you like with DHP.
Replacing the shocks with aftermarket units is what causes extra grief, as they don't have the electronic valves for the DHP system to use.

Be mindful that lowering springs WILL accelerate the wear on your stock shocks. The lower the spring, the stiffer the spring, the harder it will be on your stock shocks. Traditionally, BMW shocks tend to wear quicker than others.

What car year and model do you have? How many miles? More than 50k miles? Those DHP shocks may have already started their downward decline and springs that are too aggressive can destroy them in short order. These shocks are very expensive too, $800+ each. BMW charges $2200 to install them, on top of that.

A question for you... Is your car LCI or preLCi? Does the front of your car dip down when you lightly brake to a stop? Like at stop signs or pulling into a parking spot?
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      02-13-2018, 02:18 PM   #107
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akaye7474 View Post
So does DHP help get rid of the nose dive when braking? and the nose pointing to the sky when flooring the gas?
In theory it should...
But in practice, the LCI models with DHP suffer more dive on braking than does the base suspension or 704 suspension. Squat on acceleration and front end lift on acceleration are negligible. But that brake dive is horrendous... In all driving modes, even sport +, it's there.
It is worse on light to moderate braking, but when braking hard, it seems that the electronics try a bit harder to resist the dive and rebound.
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