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Originally Posted by 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.
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 [...]
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I drove a 550e and G90 M5 back to back to at my dealer. I think your impression of the 550e is spot on.
It starts in electric mode and will continue that way until you switch into sport mode forcing the B58 to come alive. I drove it for a few miles in electric mode and told my CA it was “nice” but my G30 with Dinan tune felt livelier. Power to weight should be the same. Then he switched it to sport mode and I suddenly felt what I expected. Not M550i boatloads of torque and instant power but certainly much, much more enjoyable to drive. Moreso than the G60 540i Xdrive. I was not inclined to like it before the test drive but when it was over I found myself looking much closer at this car as if maybe I should just get one. That surprised me.
Then the M5. Hmmm. Well it’s an M5 and I knew in the first mile of driving it, and in busy traffic, that it was well controlled and loads of untapped power available. But I don’t think I could live with it 7 days a week…maybe 2-3 days. It’s very much on edge as all M cars are. It’s not bad, just not right for me at this stage of my life. I had an E90 M3 for 7 years from new as a year round daily driver, even in snow and on track. The M5 looks badass though. Honestly wasn’t impressed by the quality of the interior.
If BMW made the 550e more of an M550e in the spirit of the M550i, I would probably be convinced. Even though the PHEV thing really doesn’t work for me where I live 4 months a year. My search for a low mileage ‘23 M550i not in black/black continues but if I don’t find one I like, the 550e is now a stronger candidate.