[RichardInCA]

Looks like BMWUSA is saying 3.75h for L2 and ~20hr for L1

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

Looks like BMWUSA is saying 3.75h for L2 and ~20hr for L1

X5 50e takes 2x the time on a level 2 but only 1.5hr more on level 1 - does this make sense?

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

X5 50e takes 2x the time on a level 2 but only 1.5hr more on level 1 - does this make sense?

Perhaps the 550e has better charging capability at level 2. In other words the X5 50e maxes out ac charging at a lower current.

[thinker]

Sadly, drove a 550e , finally, and the car i drove had a forever lag before the 6 cylinder kicked in.

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by thinker

Sadly, drove a 550e , finally, and the car i drove had a forever lag before the 6 cylinder kicked in.

Was it in sport mode?
Sport mode keeps the engine engaged and according to all other reviewers in sport mode there is not a percievable lag beyond anything in a normal car and if anything the electric motor assistance makes it non existent.

Long story short - you should provide more information in your attempt to leave such feedback.

[Dragonfly Trumpeter]

Originally Posted by thinker

Sadly, drove a 550e , finally, and the car i drove had a forever lag before the 6 cylinder kicked in.

It's a hybrid, with many driving modes for a reason, I sometimes drive it for days without the ice kicking in. If you were in hybrid / personal mode, it is supposed to be like that.

But if you were in sport mode, the car is goosed so don't drive it ever again

[PeterC4]

Originally Posted by thinker

Sadly, drove a 550e , finally, and the car i drove had a forever lag before the 6 cylinder kicked in.

I noticed this when I drove a 750e. It was very pronounced. I didn't push the 550e I drove as it was brand new.

So for current owners, what happens when you are just driving normally, (not in sport mode) and the battery ultimately exhausts itself so that it cannot run on pure electric anymore, just hybrid mode. Does it still exhibit this long "tip-in" or lag?

[BMW5151]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly Trumpeter

It's a hybrid, with many driving modes for a reason, I sometimes drive it for days without the ice kicking in. If you were in hybrid / personal mode, it is supposed to be like that.

But if you were in sport mode, the car is goosed so don't drive it ever again

I just took delivery of a 550e (sadly traded in my M550ix. Big mistake). Unless I am missing something, there are NO choices to configure the "Personal" mode. That is such a misnomer. Why not just call it "Hybrid" mode. I would like to have adjusted the suspension and steering weight. In my M550i I could do that in the Eco Mode, but with this turkey, no choices. After two days, I am so bored with this smartphone on wheels.

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by BMW5151

I just took delivery of a 550e (sadly traded in my M550ix. Big mistake). Unless I am missing something, there are NO choices to configure the "Personal" mode. That is such a misnomer. Why not just call it "Hybrid" mode. I would like to have adjusted the suspension and steering weight. In my M550i I could do that in the Eco Mode, but with this turkey, no choices. After two days, I am so bored with this smartphone on wheels.

I honestly can’t wrap my head around calling a mode “personal” and allowing zero drivetrain configuration and only letting you change the damn color light bar. They then don’t let you customize the light bar in sport mode so you’re stuck with this stupid red and blue light bar any time in sport mode. I agree - in the latest bmw versions, the cars were given about 25% of the thought needed. Don’t even get me started on why they would replace idrive controller with this flatter POS that makes it impossible to do the side to side and up and down movements. I guess they saved $.50 per car…

[MongoTom]

The CT5-V that we considered let you adjust almost everything: steering, braking effort, throttle response, suspension and more. This car is certainly disappointing in this regard. I don’t care about the colors.

[Dragonfly Trumpeter]

Originally Posted by BMW5151

I just took delivery of a 550e (sadly traded in my M550ix. Big mistake). Unless I am missing something, there are NO choices to configure the "Personal" mode. That is such a misnomer. Why not just call it "Hybrid" mode. I would like to have adjusted the suspension and steering weight. In my M550i I could do that in the Eco Mode, but with this turkey, no choices. After two days, I am so bored with this smartphone on wheels.

The "Personal" or "hybrid" mode name makes no difference. That driving mode is the base you get in a phev, hybrid driving. It is the climate change world we live in now. But the turkey you bought does give you the choice, same as the M550i. Change it out of hybrid mode, which the M550i never had anyway, and pick your settings.

A smartphone on wheels is very good though. The good news is, if BMW did a G60 M550i it would have exactly the same over done tech and idrive. I would ask if that would make it a smartcar but you already get them.

Why did you buy a phev when it is clear what they are?

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly Trumpeter

The "Personal" or "hybrid" mode name makes no difference. That driving mode is the base you get in a phev, hybrid driving. It is the climate change world we live in now. But the turkey you bought does give you the choice, same as the M550i. Change it out of hybrid mode, which the M550i never had anyway, and pick your settings.

A smartphone on wheels is very good though. The good news is, if BMW did a G60 M550i it would have exactly the same over done tech and idrive. I would ask if that would make it a smartcar but you already get them.

Why did you buy a phev when it is clear what they are?

I’m sorry, but what my mode (s) are you referring too when you’re saying move it out of “personal” and select your settings?

The only customizable mymode I know of is sport, which is not fully customizable bc I cannot control the ambient light color.

But bmws of the past had comfort or hybrid which is not customizable, sport, sport plus and then sport custom. Having a default sport and sport plus and an additional custom sport gives you a lot more flexibility than what’s offered now..

[Dragonfly Trumpeter]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

I’m sorry, but what my mode (s) are you referring too when you’re saying move it out of “personal” and select your settings?

The only customizable mymode I know of is sport, which is not fully customizable bc I cannot control the ambient light color.

But bmws of the past had comfort or hybrid which is not customizable, sport, sport plus and then sport custom. Having a default sport and sport plus and an additional custom sport gives you a lot more flexibility than what’s offered now..

Is driving in your chosen sport settings a problem coming from an M550i? Or only because of the fixed ambient light colour? Fwiw, I do not like the red sport colour either. But it does not hinder the driving.

You say bmws of the past had hybrid which is not customizable but your main gripe is that hybrid mode in the 550e is not customizable. And there are not enough sport modes.

There are a number of comparisons on this forum with 550e and M550i. I am not sure why, a bit like apples and oranges, but I suppose trying to compare M550i drivetrain options with a phev is interesting and entertaining.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by BMW5151

I just took delivery of a 550e (sadly traded in my M550ix. Big mistake). Unless I am missing something, there are NO choices to configure the "Personal" mode. That is such a misnomer. Why not just call it "Hybrid" mode. I would like to have adjusted the suspension and steering weight. In my M550i I could do that in the Eco Mode, but with this turkey, no choices. After two days, I am so bored with this smartphone on wheels.

Serious question: why did you go through with the delivery given prior negative impressions? It seems clear that the 550e is polarizing but was there some reason not to buy out the car you really loved, the M550i, rather than switch?

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly Trumpeter

Is driving in your chosen sport settings a problem coming from an M550i? Or only because of the fixed ambient light colour? Fwiw, I do not like the red sport colour either. But it does not hinder the driving.

You say bmws of the past had hybrid which is not customizable but your main gripe is that hybrid mode in the 550e is not customizable. And there are not enough sport modes.

There are a number of comparisons on this forum with 550e and M550i. I am not sure why, a bit like apples and oranges, but I suppose trying to compare M550i drivetrain options with a phev is interesting and entertaining.

I’d like to have a sport mode and a custom mode. Right now I have to modify the stock sport mode to be my custom mode which is less flexibility than what I had in the past. I liked being able to dial back sport mode to comfort suspension for every day driving but then quickly go into stock sport mode when I wanted the suspension tightness. One would have thought with the “personal” designation and sport mode, you’d be able to accomplish. Bmw should really change that mode to be “comfort”. And a custom mode should start as a copy of xyz mode not a replacement of. It’s silly to not offer this.

TBC - I have an i5 m60 which I was comparing the m550 too. I’ve never driven a 550e.

[BMW5151]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

Serious question: why did you go through with the delivery given prior negative impressions? It seems clear that the 550e is polarizing but was there some reason not to buy out the car you really loved, the M550i, rather than switch?

Thought long and hard on this, but I just didn't want to end up having to visit the dealer frequently as the car ages. Even with a substantial aftermarket extended warranty, there will be things just not covered. Having driven BMWs for decades (many were owned, then switched to leasing) they become needy after a certain amount of time. Originally I was excited to hear about an M560e, which really would have been the replacement for the M550i but unfortunately the M560e was stillborn. Finally, it is getting harder to find a place to enjoy a driver's car in the LA Metro area. Traffic is almost always congested, and my favorite canyon runs spoiled by getting behind a slow moving Prius or similar.

At least I enjoyed that M550i for 40months, and will look back on it as probably the best BMW I ever had. Good memories.

[AiredaleDad]

I di think BMW should code in a "Custom Mode" and call it "Personal Mode" where you can set the car up the way you would like to drive it all the time. Keep the current "Personal" mode but call it something else like "Default" mode. Because in no way is it "Personal" other than the colors.

[thinker]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

Was it in sport mode?
Sport mode keeps the engine engaged and according to all other reviewers in sport mode there is not a percievable lag beyond anything in a normal car and if anything the electric motor assistance makes it non existent.

Long story short - you should provide more information in your attempt to leave such feedback.

Well…sport mode is of course fine. that’s trivial. I gave it an extensive drive with a very experienced rep. I used several modes and even put it in sport for a while to make sure the engine was warm. Engine cutover felt very, very, very long. I was in personal, ev, etc. Totally different than other phev im testing and even the x5 50e. How’s that? I’m wondering if it was because this was one of the first to hit my area and wasn’t configured properly….

[thinker]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

I di think BMW should code in a "Custom Mode" and call it "Personal Mode" where you can set the car up the way you would like to drive it all the time. Keep the current "Personal" mode but call it something else like "Default" mode. Because in no way is it "Personal" other than the colors.

i agree…this was confusing….

[thinker]

Originally Posted by thinker

Well…sport mode is of course fine. that’s trivial. I gave it an extensive drive with a very experienced rep. I used several modes and even put it in sport for a while to make sure the engine was warm. Engine cutover felt very, very, very long. I was in personal, ev, etc. Totally different than other phev im testing and even the x5 50e. How’s that? I’m wondering if it was because this was one of the first to hit my area and wasn’t configured properly….

BTW…the new M5 ev-engine interaction was 100% perfect ( just like an x5) under the same conditions…

[thinker]

Originally Posted by PeterC4

I noticed this when I drove a 750e. It was very pronounced. I didn't push the 550e I drove as it was brand new.

So for current owners, what happens when you are just driving normally, (not in sport mode) and the battery ultimately exhausts itself so that it cannot run on pure electric anymore, just hybrid mode. Does it still exhibit this long "tip-in" or lag?

Hi…. can you talk a little more about the 750e…because i was going to drive that next and i watched some good reviews on YT.

[Maverick241]

Originally Posted by BMW5151

I just took delivery of a 550e (sadly traded in my M550ix. Big mistake). Unless I am missing something, there are NO choices to configure the "Personal" mode. That is such a misnomer. Why not just call it "Hybrid" mode. I would like to have adjusted the suspension and steering weight. In my M550i I could do that in the Eco Mode, but with this turkey, no choices. After two days, I am so bored with this smartphone on wheels.

Yep it's strange why they even call it that. Personal mode is basically just the standard/balanced mode.