XSeries-forum

Hi Guys i'm considering a new M50d, i have a test drive booked for Sunday.

Before then i just wanted to find out how everyone is getting on with theirs, ive read the numerous posts on here and owners feedback and they have been very helpful.

There are a few posts on F15 post suggesting suggesting the steering is somewhat detached on the F15 models. Does this apply to the M50d too? I currently have a 5 series and while I'm not expecting the x5 to drive like that i don't want the drive to be completely detached either. Also has anyone specced adaptive drive? If so how do you find it, I really want this option but struggling to justify the 2.5k cost.

Spec wise i'm thinking of the following
Cold Weather Package
M Sport Plus
Climate Comfort Screen
Comfort Seats Front
Surround View
Reversing Assistant Camera
Multi Function Instruments

there's lots more i would like but it pushes the price up to much, such as
adaptive led's
adaptive drive
adaptive cruise
Comfort Access
Leather Dash
4 Zone Climate

So in summary are there any tips or advice that existing owners can give to a prospective new owner?

thanks

In short I would ask he dealer to lend you the car for a few days - only then will you ascertain what it's like to live with.

When I got my 50d I noticed the steering required more turns of the wheel than my F30 and I figure this is a price you have to pay for easy 'around town' driving.

Also, some say the steering is vague on the motorway; again I can see what people are referring to but rather that it being a problem it related to the car being a different type of drive to a 4 door saloon. If you settle into a cruise and don't hold the steering wheel like  you're on a race track then it's just fine - exceptional in fact.

Now, switch to sport or sport plus (I have the adaptive m-sport suspension not full adaptive drive) the car very much comes alive. It's phenomenal as bumps are soaked up yet there is little or no roll; you have excellent visibility into bends and masses of power to take advantage of it.

For me, who wanted a more refined but quick car, after looking at M3/M5 and competitor cars, this I believe is the perfect vehicle.

Enjoy the test drive!

[quote="sak83"]
Hi Guys i'm considering a new M50d, i have a test drive booked for Sunday.

Before then i just wanted to find out how everyone is getting on with theirs, ive read the numerous posts on here and owners feedback and they have been very helpful.

There are a few posts on F15 post suggesting suggesting the steering is somewhat detached on the F15 models. Does this apply to the M50d too? I currently have a 5 series and while I'm not expecting the x5 to drive like that i don't want the drive to be completely detached either. Also has anyone specced adaptive drive? If so how do you find it, I really want this option but struggling to justify the 2.5k cost.

Spec wise i'm thinking of the following
Cold Weather Package
M Sport Plus
Climate Comfort Screen
Comfort Seats Front
Surround View
Reversing Assistant Camera
Multi Function Instruments

there's lots more i would like but it pushes the price up to much, such as
adaptive led's
adaptive drive
adaptive cruise
Comfort Access
Leather Dash
4 Zone Climate

So in summary are there any tips or advice that existing owners can give to a prospective new owner?

thanks
[/quote]

I've had mine for a month now and moved from an F10 M5

No doubt the steering is totally different to the M5, but it's a different car!

It's simply not the type of car you can really push down an A road, it's too big and heavy...............but....

it does what it does very well and I'm not disappointed. If anything it's a better ride than the M5 and I don't feel like I'm always have to try and break to land Speed record  )

I've got the following spec:

20" wheels - a must and worth the money
Heated steering wheel - not cold enough to have an opinion yet
HUD - brilliant and I had that on my M5 and it's worth every penny
Harmon Kardon - should be standard and again is worth every penny
Pano roof - lovely to have so much light inside
Comfort seats - I understand the normal seats are good, these are very, very comfortable
LED lights - I had adaptable zenon on the M5. the adaptable element is great and the LED light is much whiter and seems to be better than Zenon
Driving Assistant Plus/traffic Jam Assist - I was in London yesterday and used this again through heavy traffic only steering the car, brilliant, bloody brilliant  On a motorway or dual carriageway it also steers the car up to 35mph in heavy traffic - very clever!
Wifi hotspot - haven't used this
Speed limit display - very handy
Comfort Access - I like this but some others seem to be firmly in the against camp
Reversing camera Assist (full camera) - a must on a car of this size
Sun protection glass - looks great and would always spec

Overall I'm really happy with my recent purchase and believe it or not I didn't drive one until the day I picked it up!

Currently nothing I would change about the 50d. I'm only getting mid 20's mpg but I haven't been on a long run yet and i would expect that to stay the same until I do.

Items I don't have

4 zone climate - had that in the M5...........never got used!
Multi-function panel - did have that spec'd but changed my mind as I don't like the red dials in sport mode and I'm happy with conventional dials
Leather dash - looks great but I had to draw the line somewhere!
Adaptive drive - didn't consider it but mine seems to drive quite well without it.

Great car and I really enjoy driving it 

[quote="MarkG_M50d"]

Now, switch to sport or sport plus (I have the adaptive m-sport suspension not full adaptive drive) the car very much comes alive. It's phenomenal as bumps are soaked up yet there is little or no roll; you have excellent visibility into bends and masses of power to take advantage of it.

[/quote]

That's a good point.

It has been suggested going into sport makes the car crashy and unpleasant.

It's not and you do have the choice of changing suspension and steering or just suspension or just steering.

I don't often use sport, the car drives quiet well in comfort but the throttle is far more responsive in sport and good for those moments when you want instant response.

The review comments about detached steering- not on this forum- made me question. But in all honestly it's not a problem. I have just done 250 miles today and there is nothing that has made me think....ooh hold on a minute I don;t like that. It is a fantastic car and more comfortable than my 535D. In Sport the response is superb and the steering is tighter than in Eco and Comfort. The comfort seats are great, so many adjustments to get just right. Pano roof also great. 20" wheels, good choice. The iDrive is a step up from the previous version. Reversing camera is a must. A point about the steering, in town it makes the car a doddle to steer, so for me, again, better than the last 6 BMs I've had. Some people have de-badged. Someone at work said that when another car sees this, it just says ' don't even think of trying'.  :smoke:

Thanks for the input, I'll report back with my comments after the test drive

Mogsyman, nice summary on the options you specified; was interesting to hear your opinion on each of them.
Thanks for sharing.

Just a quick update, the test drive with the local dealer did not go great. We were meant to drive a 40d m sport to try out the adaptive m sport suspension as I couldn't find an M50d close by. When we turned up for the test drive we were presented by a 30d se which the sales guy kept insisting was a 40d until I pointed out the badge  ::)

There wasn't much we could draw from the test drive except the size of the car was manageable, this being a concern before we had driven it. That aside the se suspension was surprisingly choppy, the car was on optional 20's

The dealer did have a 40d m sport in the showroom but didnt want to use it for a test drive as they wanted to sell it  :blink: Before leaving i thought I would talk to them about a deal to see if they would be competitive but they were not willing to discount beyond the current bmw contribution of 6.5k and therefore not interested in providing a test drive on a more suitable vehicle.

So now I've abandoned the dealer and been contacting other dealers over the phone and online. Despite not having driven an m sport let alone a M50d I'm close to doing a deal on a car with the following extras

M Sport Plus
20" 468M
Harmon Kardon
Head Up Display
Speed Limit Display
Cold Weather Package
Heated Steering Wheel
Heated Rear Seats
Climate Comfort Windscreen
Comfort Seats
Surround View
Reverse Assist Camera
Driving Assistant Plus
Dynamic Adaptive Drive
Adaptive LED Headlights

Theres a few other bits that i would like but had to draw the line somewhere. Im taking a punt on the adaptive drive, dropping it would pay for a lot of other stuff but from reading online i think it will be worthwhile.

The next problem will be choosing the colour, the available options are limited. I think it looks good in space grey but my current car is space grey so fancy a change. I would have liked a blue but thats not even available as an individual.

[quote="sak83"]
Just a quick update, the test drive with the local dealer did not go great. We were meant to drive a 40d m sport to try out the adaptive m sport suspension as I couldn't find an M50d close by. When we turned up for the test drive we were presented by a 30d se which the sales guy kept insisting was a 40d until I pointed out the badge  ::)

There wasn't much we could draw from the test drive except the size of the car was manageable, this being a concern before we had driven it. That aside the se suspension was surprisingly choppy, the car was on optional 20's

The dealer did have a 40d m sport in the showroom but didnt want to use it for a test drive as they wanted to sell it  :blink: Before leaving i thought I would talk to them about a deal to see if they would be competitive but they were not willing to discount beyond the current bmw contribution of 6.5k and therefore not interested in providing a test drive on a more suitable vehicle.

So now I've abandoned the dealer and been contacting other dealers over the phone and online. Despite not having driven an m sport let alone a M50d I'm close to doing a deal on a car with the following extras

M Sport Plus
20" 468M
Harmon Kardon
Head Up Display
Speed Limit Display
Cold Weather Package
Heated Steering Wheel
Heated Rear Seats
Climate Comfort Windscreen
Comfort Seats
Surround View
Reverse Assist Camera
Driving Assistant Plus
Dynamic Adaptive Drive
Adaptive LED Headlights

Theres a few other bits that i would like but had to draw the line somewhere. Im taking a punt on the adaptive drive, dropping it would pay for a lot of other stuff but from reading online i think it will be worthwhile.

The next problem will be choosing the colour, the available options are limited. I think it looks good in space grey but my current car is space grey so fancy a change. I would have liked a blue but thats not even available as an individual.
[/quote]

Not sure whether you're going for an M50D? Find another dealer that has one to test drive. You should get a bigger discount than that. The suspension is altered on this car based on which drive mode you choose.

Yes definately going for the M50d, I've spoken to a few dealers and the discount is similar to what others have got recently approx 22.6% off the List OTR price  But that took a fair bit of effort to get as it seems a lot of dealers have met their allocation on the model and not looking to discount as much as previously.

[quote="sak83"]
Yes definately going for the M50d, I've spoken to a few dealers and the discount is similar to what others have got recently approx 22.6% off the List OTR price  But that took a fair bit of effort to get as it seems a lot of dealers have met their allocation on the model and not looking to discount as much as previously.
[/quote]
Good luck it's a superb car, drive sensibly when needed and it's smooth and refined, put in Sport and it's a different story

[quote="sak83"]
Just a quick update, the test drive with the local dealer did not go great. We were meant to drive a 40d m sport to try out the adaptive m sport suspension as I couldn't find an M50d close by. When we turned up for the test drive we were presented by a 30d se which the sales guy kept insisting was a 40d until I pointed out the badge  ::)

There wasn't much we could draw from the test drive except the size of the car was manageable, this being a concern before we had driven it. That aside the se suspension was surprisingly choppy, the car was on optional 20's

The dealer did have a 40d m sport in the showroom but didnt want to use it for a test drive as they wanted to sell it  :blink: Before leaving i thought I would talk to them about a deal to see if they would be competitive but they were not willing to discount beyond the current bmw contribution of 6.5k and therefore not interested in providing a test drive on a more suitable vehicle.

So now I've abandoned the dealer and been contacting other dealers over the phone and online. Despite not having driven an m sport let alone a M50d I'm close to doing a deal on a car with the following extras

M Sport Plus
20" 468M
Harmon Kardon
Head Up Display
Speed Limit Display
Cold Weather Package
Heated Steering Wheel
Heated Rear Seats
Climate Comfort Windscreen
Comfort Seats
Surround View
Reverse Assist Camera
Driving Assistant Plus
Dynamic Adaptive Drive
Adaptive LED Headlights

Theres a few other bits that i would like but had to draw the line somewhere. Im taking a punt on the adaptive drive, dropping it would pay for a lot of other stuff but from reading online i think it will be worthwhile.

The next problem will be choosing the colour, the available options are limited. I think it looks good in space grey but my current car is space grey so fancy a change. I would have liked a blue but thats not even available as an individual.
[/quote]

Poor show on your dealers behalf and I would buy it elsewhere simply because of that!

Looks like a good spec and you'll enjoy the car that's for sure.

So I've done the deal with Terry Linford at Arden Maidstone one the specification posted above, he's been really professional unlike my local dealer. I was close to doing the deal with Tony Lewis who has also been really helpful but the deal from Arden was better in the end. Delivery is going to be February time so a bit of a wait but thats fine as i'm not in a hurry.

I need to decide on a colour combinations which I'm usually really decisive on but not sure on the F15. I was thinking of going for terra interior and a suitable complementary exterior colour but having not seen it in person it's a bit of a risk so may play it safe with black. I looked through f15 post and found a few cars with Terra but as its a reddish hue im not sure it photographs accurately. If i go for Black interior I may stick to a sapphire black exterior but I'm worried how to keep it clean without loads of swirls over the expansive panel work. In which case a white or grey exterior color may be better  :blink: The limited selection of colours is a bit annoying, usually there is a standout combination but i don't feel the F15 has one. In the meantime i will keep spotting them on the road and see what i think will suit best.

One option I havent gone for is enhanced bluetooth, does anyone have thoughts on this?
From what i understand this can be coded in afterwards obviously missing the wireless charging part. I have an iphone so the wireless charging is not something I can use but the enhanced bluetooth part of being able to pair multiple devices appeals.

[quote="sak83"]
So I've done the deal with Terry Linford at Arden Maidstone one the specification posted above, he's been really professional unlike my local dealer. I was close to doing the deal with Tony Lewis who has also been really helpful but the deal from Arden was better in the end. Delivery is going to be February time so a bit of a wait but thats fine as i'm not in a hurry.

I need to decide on a colour combinations which I'm usually really decisive on but not sure on the F15. I was thinking of going for terra interior and a suitable complementary exterior colour but having not seen it in person it's a bit of a risk so may play it safe with black. I looked through f15 post and found a few cars with Terra but as its a reddish hue im not sure it photographs accurately. If i go for Black interior I may stick to a sapphire black exterior but I'm worried how to keep it clean without loads of swirls over the expansive panel work. In which case a white or grey exterior color may be better  :blink: The limited selection of colours is a bit annoying, usually there is a standout combination but i don't feel the F15 has one. In the meantime i will keep spotting them on the road and see what i think will suit best.

One option I havent gone for is enhanced bluetooth, does anyone have thoughts on this?
From what i understand this can be coded in afterwards obviously missing the wireless charging part. I have an iphone so the wireless charging is not something I can use but the enhanced bluetooth part of being able to pair multiple devices appeals.
[/quote]

Well done and it will be worth the wait 

I am also disappointed in the colour options and as it happens I really like Coral interiors which aren't available on any X5 other than the X5M  :-\

I eventually went for Space Grey which I think suits the car really well. I wold have liked a dark colour but like yourself swirls and day-to-day marks would be more visible that's for sure.

I would have liked a red interior even with that grey but alas it wasn't to be so I went safe and have got black.

Still a good combination though  :punk:

I am bored with Black and Silver, white, not quite for me, Space Grey it was. It shows the lines very nicely. The Terra is a burnt dark orange and would go well with black external. On the swirl issue, especially if you go for black, get the care detailed with Crystal Serum as it really protects as long as you wash in the correct way. Good luck and you will love the car.