[PeterC4]

The car I ordered was finally delivered to the dealer today and after some back and forth I'm close to a financially acceptable deal. Seems the lease rates moved in the right direction amongst a number of other things. I drove it and here is a first hand comparison from an M550 driver. The car I ordered has virtually every option.

It's not that bad looking in real life. In my view, the black skirts look good in some colours, not so good in others. Mine is Oxide II Metallic and my wife gave me the nod when she saw it. It feels like a bigger car inside than the M550.

From a trim, interior perspective, like most newer cars, there is noticeably less switch gear, and the trim like the dash seems a little less opulent. The lack of real exhaust ports, a lack of light strips and no keyless access for rear doors exaggerates the point. There are no M emblems for the Canadian cars even equipped with MSport Pro.

The ride is quite good. The 550e is optioned with Msport Pro and Adaptive Suspension Professional with Rear Wheel Steering riding on 20 inch wheels. The car is surprisingly responsive and the added weight does not seem to hinder the handling. The car is better able to cope with irregular roads than the M550, but still maintains a sporting performance feel. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the steering feel, but that was at modest speeds.

Now for the drivetrain. Its definitely different. When I started the car it was quiet, I drove off and my wife and I were impressed with how quiet it was. I think it was in fully electric mode. It seemed reasonably responsive, but not like the confident abundance of torque in the V8 of the M550. I have no idea as to longevity of the battery but it was depleting as we were driving. We didn't drive more than 8 KMS or so.

In sport mode it feels reasonbly comparable to the M550, but I didn't test it on the highway. You would have to get out a stop watch to understand the differences in city driving. I did not press it too much but it was nicely responsive once the car was rolling, which I understand is a big plus related to the drivetrain. Overall, in sport mode, it has noticeable torque at low speeds.

You don't notice the added weight. The car is quiet.

Overall, the car seems pretty good. Its different. It is not the M550. I would strongly recommend the Adaptive Suspension Professional with Rear Wheel Steering. As to whether it really a worthwhile trade-off for fuel efficiency - time will tell.