[aherman18]

Originally Posted by vadnart1

Hi - i'm trying to decide between 550e vs 540xi. Curious for 550e owners, what is the performance like just on ICE, does the additional weight appreciably impact the acceleration, cornering, etc.. vs 540xi. lastly does anyone have the dynamically handling package option, that's actually one of the reasons i'm interested in the 550e over the 540xi.

my dealership doesn't have 550e so have not been able to test drive. thanks in advance for any feedback and advice.

I've had my 550e for about 6 weeks. Only about 800 miles, but 700 electric.

Keep in mind that there is always some juice in the battery, even when showing -0- miles left. Coming from a 530e and wife has X5 45e, even with little or no e-miles, I haven't noticed a performance drop. Seems like there is always a bit more power than in the 540, which more than compensates for the weight. Remember the electric motor has 100% torgue at 0 rpm.

I have the "adaptive suspension pro" which was available by special order prior to the them adding the DHP in the US. Not having anything to compare it to, I really like the option. Smooth compliant ride, yet in sport mode it handles well. Also, seems like lots of settings available in sport. Can't compare to standard option. Also, the 4ws allows the car to feel much smaller when parking. I would definitely consider the DHP.

550e seem to be in very short supply. My dealer has very limited allocations and I think 2026 production actually starts in Feb or March??

Good luck.

[BMW5151]

Originally Posted by aherman18

I've had my 550e for about 6 weeks. Only about 800 miles, but 700 electric.

Keep in mind that there is always some juice in the battery, even when showing -0- miles left. Coming from a 530e and wife has X5 45e, even with little or no e-miles, I haven't noticed a performance drop. Seems like there is always a bit more power than in the 540, which more than compensates for the weight. Remember the electric motor has 100% torgue at 0 rpm.

I have the "adaptive suspension pro" which was available by special order prior to the them adding the DHP in the US. Not having anything to compare it to, I really like the option. Smooth compliant ride, yet in sport mode it handles well. Also, seems like lots of settings available in sport. Can't compare to standard option. Also, the 4ws allows the car to feel much smaller when parking. I would definitely consider the DHP.

550e seem to be in very short supply. My dealer has very limited allocations and I think 2026 production actually starts in Feb or March??

Good luck.

Congrats on your new 550e. Mine had less than 500 miles on the clock when it was lost, along with my house in the Palisades Fire this past week. Total loss.

Turns out that option 2VV didn't include the IAS (rear steering). The dealer had been assured by BMW NA that the two options are linked together. But driving it made me realize the IAS wasn't there - felt like an older 7 in that regard - large boat to turn. Adaptive Dampers are great, but only one piece of the package. Overall, the driving experience on twisty canyon roads was super disappointing for me. Do you believe your car has IAS? One way to be sure is to call BMW Genius and let them verify the build using the VIN. They were very nice, and did what they could, but the IAS was not included.

The only bright side of the fire loss is that I get to reorder. Will wait for MY 2026 as modifications of allocations for MY 2025 are difficult. And I won't need it that soon while waiting for the adjuster to deal with my car. I will use my X3 M40i in the interim.

[aherman18]

Originally Posted by BMW5151

Congrats on your new 550e. Mine had less than 500 miles on the clock when it was lost, along with my house in the Palisades Fire this past week. Total loss.

Turns out that option 2VV didn't include the IAS (rear steering). The dealer had been assured by BMW NA that the two options are linked together. But driving it made me realize the IAS wasn't there - felt like an older 7 in that regard - large boat to turn. I Adaptive Dampers are great, but only a part of the package. Overall, the driving experience for me was terrible. Are you sure your car has IAS. One way to be sure is to call BMW Genius and let them verify the build using the VIN. They were very nice, and did what they could, but the IAS was not included.

The bright side of the fire loss, is that I get to reorder. Will wait for MY 2026 as modifications of allocations for MY 2025 are difficult. And I won't need it that soon while waiting for the adjuster to deal with my car. I will use my X3 M40i in the interim.

I'm really sorry for your loss of your home. As you noted you can replace the car.

I'll check with the Genius about my IAS. I took photo's underneath the rear and there appeared to be a steering control unit, but I'm not sure what I'm looking at. Also, there is the option to disable for snow chains. I assume that is for the rear steering.

Again, so sorry for your loss and hope all your family is OK.

Andrew

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by BMW5151

Congrats on your new 550e. Mine had less than 500 miles on the clock when it was lost, along with my house in the Palisades Fire this past week. Total loss.

Turns out that option 2VV didn't include the IAS (rear steering). The dealer had been assured by BMW NA that the two options are linked together. But driving it made me realize the IAS wasn't there - felt like an older 7 in that regard - large boat to turn. Adaptive Dampers are great, but only one piece of the package. Overall, the driving experience on twisty canyon roads was super disappointing for me. Do you believe your car has IAS? One way to be sure is to call BMW Genius and let them verify the build using the VIN. They were very nice, and did what they could, but the IAS was not included.

The only bright side of the fire loss is that I get to reorder. Will wait for MY 2026 as modifications of allocations for MY 2025 are difficult. And I won't need it that soon while waiting for the adjuster to deal with my car. I will use my X3 M40i in the interim.

Awful news about your car and your home. Best of luck with moving forward - I hope everything is swift and successful for you.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by BMW5151

Congrats on your new 550e. Mine had less than 500 miles on the clock when it was lost, along with my house in the Palisades Fire this past week. Total loss.

Turns out that option 2VV didn't include the IAS (rear steering). The dealer had been assured by BMW NA that the two options are linked together. But driving it made me realize the IAS wasn't there - felt like an older 7 in that regard - large boat to turn. Adaptive Dampers are great, but only one piece of the package. Overall, the driving experience on twisty canyon roads was super disappointing for me. Do you believe your car has IAS? One way to be sure is to call BMW Genius and let them verify the build using the VIN. They were very nice, and did what they could, but the IAS was not included.

The only bright side of the fire loss is that I get to reorder. Will wait for MY 2026 as modifications of allocations for MY 2025 are difficult. And I won't need it that soon while waiting for the adjuster to deal with my car. I will use my X3 M40i in the interim.

So sorry to hear this, I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. I hope everyone is safe.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by aherman18

I'm really sorry for your loss of your home. As you noted you can replace the car.

I'll check with the Genius about my IAS. I took photo's underneath the rear and there appeared to be a steering control unit, but I'm not sure what I'm looking at. Also, there is the option to disable for snow chains. I assume that is for the rear steering.

Again, so sorry for your loss and hope all your family is OK.

Andrew

There’s a much easier way to look at IAS. In your driveway, engage drive, then angle the drivers side mirror all the way down and see if you can see the rear wheels turn. It’s quite obvious.

[BMW5151]

Thank you all for the kind words. Right now, so much to deal with - Insurance on the house, car, housing, etc. The target of a replacement 550e sort is a bright light for me, out at least several months. A positive to think about.