[Blue Angel]

Originally Posted by SpaceSilver.X1

Each time I walked past the car in the garage, it unlocks then locks over and over again.

Considering most people carry their phones with them most of the time, this seems like a crazy oversight. Why doesn’t the phone just replace the traditional fob and still require the door handle sensor to unlock the doors?

[RichardInCA]

I noticed that happen through a wall once or twice, or when my wife would randomly ask me if I unlocked my car. It seems to stop reacting though - I couldn’t work out whether that was just patchy connectivity. When the car goes into a less sensitive state it sometimes won’t unlock until I grab the door handle. Can’t say it’s a big deal and both scenarios seem to happen less now. Who knows if there’s some sort of AI/ML algo in the background trying to optimize this function.

[SpaceSilver.X1]

Originally Posted by Blue Angel

Considering most people carry their phones with them most of the time, this seems like a crazy oversight. Why doesn’t the phone just replace the traditional fob and still require the door handle sensor to unlock the doors?

maybe the next version will be smart enough to detect what my intentions are with the onboard cameras... the AI will think "ok, Dave seems to be just walking back and forth in the garage for no reason, I will not unlock the doors for him"

Edit: on second thought... that's probably a bad idea. I can just picture myself being locked out because the car thinks my shoes are too muddy or something.

[BimmerGuyFL78]

Originally Posted by 8GranCouper

How is the turning radius (impressions-wise, not numerical) compared to the G30 with the inline 6? I know this version not having the rear steer of the i5 despite being a bigger car than its predecessor was a blow for some people.

Also wondering if you've ever driven the 840i GC and could comment on how the driving experience compares to that, especially since the G60 is now essentially the same size as the 8er. I've heard impressions from folks with the i5 but I want to hear how it feels with the engine being equal.

Honestly didn't do a U-turn to determine the turning radius. However, now that the variable sport steering is standard across all G60 models, it does make the car more maneuverable at parking lot/lower speeds as the steering ratio becomes much faster the further you turn the steering wheel away from the center and closer to the lock being either left or right. The G30 didn't have the variable sport steering ratio standard and was only offered if you opted for the M-Sport package on the LCI.

The G60 honestly reminded me a lot of a larger more mature and refined G20 M340i which I had prior to my 2023 G30 540i.

[DavidXJ]

[QUOTE=BimmerGuyFL78;30870124]Absolutely. So I am what you would consider a perfectionist so I pay very close attention to the details.

On the G30 5-series you will notice that the lower sections of the door card (interior door panel) is a soft touch material that has some what of padding that when you press with your finger tips, has what what feels like cushion, the G60 feels like they only wrapped a thin vinyl over hard plastic over that same area. The center console/transmission area between the driver and front passenger on the G30 is all soft touch padded material, on the G60 the lower section of that same area is now hard touch plastic.

The dash on the G60 is padded and of high quality but it no longer the stitching that the G30 had standard on the LCI models. Same thing for the upper interior door padding.

The standard seats on the G60 no longer have power adjustable head rests. This has been a standard feather on all types of BMW 5-series seats since the E34 5-series. If you want power headrests for the front seats of the G60, you now have to pay extra for the luxury seating package (which I would get not only for the power headrests but for the ventilated front seats). Also, the Luxury, seating package does not include the upper section of the back rest that articulates front and back.

The front and rear cupholders on the G60 No longer have a cover tray conceals them like the G30 does.

Comfort access now only works using the front door handles on the G60. On the G30 Comfort access was available on all four doors.

The Harmon Kardon stereo in the G60 Is more like the best stereo [...]

Thanks for offering us such a detailed appraisal. Crikey, it does sound like with the new gen they have stepped down on a number of immediately palpable fronts. Of course, it shouldn't surprise us that they're cutting corners on interior particulars, given the move toward more homogeneous cabins that ID8 by itself heralded a couple of years ago (thereby bannishing bespoke binnacles for good).

But it does make you wonder, especially in a market like ours (in the UK) where the 40i will soon be considered a heretical possession, whether all this homogeneity and lack of nice stitched dashwork is also part of the uniformity drive (or banality masquerading as efficiency and sustainability) that ultimately curves, as we all know, towards the beige landscape of cars-as-short-term-appliances.

Will be interesting to see what kind of attempt at luxury they make with the new M5...

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by Blue Angel

So for someone like me who commutes to work and who’s car only has me in it 99% of the time, I set CA to unlock the driver’s door only. With CA on all four doors if I want to unlock the passenger side door for my wife, I just touch the rear door handle and then all four doors unlock.

Is there a workaround for this with the 2 door system on the G60? Agreed that penny pinching on a 5 Series is not a good look for BMW, and I’m afraid we have no choice but to blame the i5 for this and other cost cutting regression.

My F10 has four door CA and the optional soft close doors. The G30 that replaced it had the same and in Canada had standard 4 zone climate control (very cool) and an even nicer interior with more soft touch surfaces and even better finishes.

It seems the G60 is a step backwards in many ways that the customer will definitely notice. Can you even get soft close doors? Not that they’re a clutch feature, far from it, but when uber premium options start disappearing from the list there’s less and less to make a car feel special and to justify its higher price over lesser cars.

My F07 535 GT had soft close doors and motorized window blinds for the rear doors. Loved them. Ordered soft close door on my X5 but the rear window blinds is only available as manual. Seems BMW just won't let you have a perfect car. Each generation, they always manage to add some cool stuff but in the meantime remove some items from your favorite list (also from the F to G generation, they removed the non-mechanic turn switch which I personally like a lot). However the comfort access canceling on the rear doors is just way too cheap to do. And all these phone access, digital card stuff, should be an option, not a reason to delete the basic functions the car supposed to have. There are times people like me just do not want to mess around these "technologies", but be able to just pull the handle to open the door, including the rear doors. And I had the experience on the auto lock-unlock feature on a loaner car, same problem as others already mentioned.

[Blue Angel]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

My F07 535 GT had soft close doors and motorized window blinds for the rear doors. Loved them. Ordered soft close door on my X5 but the rear window blinds is only available as manual. Seems BMW just won't let you have a perfect car. Each generation, they always manage to add some cool stuff but in the meantime remove some items from your favorite list (also from the F to G generation, they removed the non-mechanic turn switch which I personally like a lot). However the comfort access canceling on the rear doors is just way too cheap to do. And all these phone access, digital card stuff, should be an option, not a reason to delete the basic functions the car supposed to have. There are times people like me just do not want to mess around these "technologies", but be able to just pull the handle to open the door, including the rear doors. And I had the experience on the auto lock-unlock feature on a loaner car, same problem as others already mentioned.

Get off my lawn, lol. Join the club!

[RockvilleMD540i]

I got my 2024 540i a few weeks ago. The digital key card doesn’t activate the comfort access when I walk near the car. Just if I tap it to the handle. The key fob itself if near about 8 feet unlocks the doors and locks when walking away (I setup iDrive option that way). I, like others have said, was annoyed by the digital key PLUS on my iPhone, with it activating the car when I was in my kitchen near my driveway or bringing the trash cans past the car even. I only activate passive entry on the key plus on my iPhone when needed now.

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by RockvilleMD540i

I got my 2024 540i a few weeks ago. The digital key card doesn’t activate the comfort access when I walk near the car. Just if I tap it to the handle. The key fob itself if near about 8 feet unlocks the doors and locks when walking away (I setup iDrive option that way). I, like others have said, was annoyed by the digital key PLUS on my iPhone, with it activating the car when I was in my kitchen near my driveway or bringing the trash cans past the car even. I only activate passive entry on the key plus on my iPhone when needed now.

This is so called technology improvement. Like you experienced, I had a loaner with this tech. I was on my Kubota mowing the lawn and the BMW key happen to be in my pocket, as I approached the drive way, the car unlocked, drove away I heard it locked, so lock, unlock, lock, unlock. I was then thinking which is more useless, the gesture control or this? Why BMW prioritize this kind of technology instead of other items. Similarly, my G30 has nobs for AC temperature control, then the X5 substitutes nobs with buttons which is less convenient, and now on the i5 you have to touch the screen. Is this really technology being advanced? Well, for me I do not feel that way. Never thought I would switch to another brand because I am so used to bimmers, but if Audi or Mercedes makes one with all physical buttons (and now I know the CA for all doors too), I will seriously consider switching the brand. Again, what BMW is thinking? As a business owner, I would never implement something new that you do know can turn the customers away.

[Hassan1490]

Originally Posted by BimmerGuyFL78

Absolutely. So I am what you would consider a perfectionist so I pay very close attention to the details.

On the G30 5-series you will notice that the lower sections of the door card (interior door panel) is a soft touch material that has some what of padding that when you press with your finger tips, has what what feels like cushion, the G60 feels like they only wrapped a thin vinyl over hard plastic over that same area. The center console/transmission area between the driver and front passenger on the G30 is all soft touch padded material, on the G60 the lower section of that same area is now hard touch plastic.

The dash on the G60 is padded and of high quality but it no longer the stitching that the G30 had standard on the LCI models. Same thing for the upper interior door padding.

The standard seats on the G60 no longer have power adjustable head rests. This has been a standard feather on all types of BMW 5-series seats since the E34 5-series. If you want power headrests for the front seats of the G60, you now have to pay extra for the luxury seating package (which I would get not only for the power headrests but for the ventilated front seats). Also, the Luxury, seating package does not include the upper section of the back rest that articulates front and back.

The front and rear cupholders on the G60 No longer have a cover tray conceals them like the G30 does.

Comfort access now only works using the front door handles on the G60. On the G30 Comfort access was available on all four doors.

The Harmon Kardon stereo in the G60 Is more like the best stereo in the G30. Bower and Wilkins stereo on the G60 sounds extremely good however, it is more to what Harmon Kardon Stereo sounded like in the G30.

The dash looked very cool in the G60 but seems less luxurious to what the G30’s dash does. Plus I like more physical controls, however I’m sure I would get used to the touch sensitive controls on the new G60. Time will tell.

If you have any other questions let me know. I’m more than glad to answer.

Furthermore,

- No airplane rear seat pocket.
- No rear climate control.
- No door pocket lining material. It is now just hard plastic like in a base Corolla. All your keys will rattle there.
- Whenever I get out the car from the rear seat, there is a hard plastic protrusion on the front seat that hits and hurts your leg every time. Just like in an old Kia Rio.
- If you choose any other interior color, the color will be limited to the seats and small portions of the door ONLY!

The interior materials feel way inferior compared to a well specs Toyota.
I really don't like it. I hope BMW is not following Mercedes steps when they cheap out their cars.
The car I tested (i5 M60) doesn't feel a 90k car at all.

[COBodom]

100% agree on the Toyota Corolla comparison.

I am blown away by how cheap some pieces feel against the G30. The absolute eye sore are the sun visors. The plastic used there is an embarrassment. This is a part frequently touched (unlike lower doorcards) what on earth BMW?

Seats - I had two G30s, pre and post LCI both cars had nappa leather, ventilated, heated and massaged seats. Initially I thought I would miss the G30 seats but... the seats in G60 are unbelievably comfortable. I do not miss the upper back tilt adjustment at all. Overall seating position (for my body type) is much better and that includes the steering wheel, which I think is perfectly shaped.

Someone said that before (not my line) but I will repeat it here...I think BMW finally built a prefect Lexus minus the use of some hard plastics refurbished from public school folding chairs.

[RockvilleMD540i]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

This is so called technology improvement. Like you experienced, I had a loaner with this tech. I was on my Kubota mowing the lawn and the BMW key happen to be in my pocket, as I approached the drive way, the car unlocked, drove away I heard it locked, so lock, unlock, lock, unlock. I was then thinking which is more useless, the gesture control or this? Why BMW prioritize this kind of technology instead of other items. Similarly, my G30 has nobs for AC temperature control, then the X5 substitutes nobs with buttons which is less convenient, and now on the i5 you have to touch the screen. Is this really technology being advanced? Well, for me I do not feel that way. Never thought I would switch to another brand because I am so used to bimmers, but if Audi or Mercedes makes one with all physical buttons (and now I know the CA for all doors too), I will seriously consider switching the brand. Again, what BMW is thinking? As a business owner, I would never implement something new that you do know can turn the customers away.

I’m getting used to my new 540i. First time BMW owner. I came from a 2021 Audi A6 55 Premium Plus. But as to you wanting buttons. There were basically 2 on my Audi. Start/Stop and a volume/mute button. And a couple more for cameras functions and drive mode. So you won’t get more physical buttons there, new Audis are all mainly screen driven too. (The great things I miss about my Audi, so far, are the superior premium stereo, the more luxurious look and feel of the interior, and the inside center armrest/hidden USB C ports. They are awkwardly placed in the 2024 540, in front of the cup holders.) But I love this 540 as you sit higher in it, so I don’t ‘fall’ into this car as one does on the A6. And the iDrive system in general is just a way better and faster interface over Audi. If only BMW could iron out the software activation issues I’m currently plagued with on iDrive 8.5.

The BMW gesture control is one of the silliest things I have seen. I will never use it, it just changes the border color of the iDrive screen for me as it senses my hands moving around near the screen.

[franxx]

Originally Posted by BimmerGuyFL78

Yesterday I had the opportunity to test drive the 2024 G60 540i xDrive for about a good hour and being able to compare it to my 2023 G30 540i.

Can you say something about the engine sound? From a youtube pov video with the G60 it looks like there is more sound inside the cabin (improved ASD I guess).

Thanks a lot.

[Blue Angel]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

This is so called technology improvement. Like you experienced, I had a loaner with this tech. I was on my Kubota mowing the lawn and the BMW key happen to be in my pocket, as I approached the drive way, the car unlocked, drove away I heard it locked, so lock, unlock, lock, unlock. I was then thinking which is more useless, the gesture control or this? Why BMW prioritize this kind of technology instead of other items. Similarly, my G30 has nobs for AC temperature control, then the X5 substitutes nobs with buttons which is less convenient, and now on the i5 you have to touch the screen. Is this really technology being advanced? Well, for me I do not feel that way. Never thought I would switch to another brand because I am so used to bimmers, but if Audi or Mercedes makes one with all physical buttons (and now I know the CA for all doors too), I will seriously consider switching the brand. Again, what BMW is thinking? As a business owner, I would never implement something new that you do know can turn the customers away.

These moves are about cost cutting and nothing else. The big expensive battery in the i5 has driven the Bean Counters to cut everywhere possible, and since it shares the architecture with the standard car the cuts do too.

Buttons, knobs and sensors cost money. Not much, mind you, especially considering the retail on these cars, but this is the first generation of 5 Series to go BACKWARDS in terms of luxury and features from the model before it. The touchscreen has to be there anyway, and it costs nothing to add “buttons” to it, but real buttons do cost money.

BMW (and every other company it seems) are perfectly willing to sacrifice points with their existing client base to potentially gain points with a younger one, or one in China. A curious move, and a bad one in my mind.

#savethebuttons (if that’s even a thing )

[tsbrown]

Originally Posted by COBodom

100% agree on the Toyota Corolla comparison.

I am blown away by how cheap some pieces feel against the G30. The absolute eye sore are the sun visors. The plastic used there is an embarrassment. This is a part frequently touched (unlike lower doorcards) what on earth BMW?

Seats - I had two G30s, pre and post LCI both cars had nappa leather, ventilated, heated and massaged seats. Initially I thought I would miss the G30 seats but... the seats in G60 are unbelievably comfortable. I do not miss the upper back tilt adjustment at all. Overall seating position (for my body type) is much better and that includes the steering wheel, which I think is perfectly shaped.

Someone said that before (not my line) but I will repeat it here...I think BMW finally built a prefect Lexus minus the use of some hard plastics refurbished from public school folding chairs.

These are the things that will push me to an 840i GC and pay 20k more for the privilege. I just can’t see paying 80k-ish for a G60 540iX with less than my current G30 540i. I really don’t think these relatively small things are worth 20k more, but 80k for a 540i without them will feel like a big miss and wasted money. I’m really more of a committed 5 series customer but with a luxury product the details matter.

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by Blue Angel

These moves are about cost cutting and nothing else. The big expensive battery in the i5 has driven the Bean Counters to cut everywhere possible, and since it shares the architecture with the standard car the cuts do too.

Buttons, knobs and sensors cost money. Not much, mind you, especially considering the retail on these cars, but this is the first generation of 5 Series to go BACKWARDS in terms of luxury and features from the model before it. The touchscreen has to be there anyway, and it costs nothing to add “buttons” to it, but real buttons do cost money.

BMW (and every other company it seems) are perfectly willing to sacrifice points with their existing client base to potentially gain points with a younger one, or one in China. A curious move, and a bad one in my mind.

#savethebuttons (if that’s even a thing )

I hear what you saying. I reckon it is about cost saving, i.e. removing the physical buttons, canceling the CA on the rear doors.... What I am curious is that this kind of cost saving BMW doing would not distinguish itself from its peers. We all learned lessons from Amazon and Tesla that you need to be unique to be ultra successful. When others trying saving money on return orders, on customer service, Amazon was doing the exact opposite, and when the idea about electric cars was equal to be small horse power, being slow, Tesla provided a car faster then most sports cars. Now we see what these 2 companies have grown into. And I would expect Toyota doing such cost saving, but BMW does not have to. Because I assume most BMW owners are not price sensitive to few hundred bucks. Give us an option at least. I would be more than happy to pay the price of the 22" wheels for getting back all the physical buttons and knobs for example. After all, most of us dealing with enough touch screen in our work and life already. And even some of the best touch screen is not so easy to use, I struggle to fast forward a minute on youtube even on a big ipad pro screen. There is no fun there. Wish some brand can think differently and may the market reward that.

[tsbrown]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

I hear what you saying. I reckon it is about cost saving, i.e. removing the physical buttons, canceling the CA on the rear doors.... What I am curious is that this kind of cost saving BMW doing would not distinguish itself from its peers. We all learned lessons from Amazon and Tesla that you need to be unique to be ultra successful. When others trying saving money on return orders, on customer service, Amazon was doing the exact opposite, and when the idea about electric cars was equal to be small horse power, being slow, Tesla provided a car faster then most sports cars. Now we see what these 2 companies have grown into. And I would expect Toyota doing such cost saving, but BMW does not have to. Because I assume most BMW owners are not price sensitive to few hundred bucks. Give us an option at least. I would be more than happy to pay the price of the 22" wheels for getting back all the physical buttons and knobs for example. After all, most of us dealing with enough touch screen in our work and life already. And even some of the best touch screen is not so easy to use, I struggle to fast forward a minute on youtube even on a big ipad pro screen. There is no fun there. Wish some brand can think differently and may the market reward that.

It IS about cost cutting. That’s the problem when this is a 70k+ luxury car not a 25k economy car. A wise aunt of mine said “never skimp on the luxuries”. Yet that’s what is happening here. And why I’m considering the 8GC more and more.

[RichardInCA]

The positioning of the 5 series on BMW’s November corporate presentation shows where BMW see the car relative to other offerings on the “compact to luxury” scale

[arkhi]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

This is interesting. So you meant if the car is locked, and I need to get something from the back seat, I would have to first touch the front door handle to unlock it, then I would be able to open rear door ? It is hard to believe BMW would do this to a 60K car. It would be a deal breaker for me.

No big deal. I have to do the same with my 27K camry (it's all four doors on the twice-the-price-Lexus ES). It should be fine doing the same on a car that costs 3x as much 🙄

[tsbrown]

Originally Posted by arkhi

No big deal. I have to do the same with my 27K camry (it's all four doors on the twice-the-price-Lexus ES). It should be fine doing the same on a car that costs 3x as much 🙄

Camry and Lexus ES are the same car.

[arkhi]

Originally Posted by tsbrown

Camry and Lexus ES are the same car.

If you want to be pedantic, the ES is based on the Avlaon, not the Camry, and it has been like that since 2013.

[tsbrown]

Originally Posted by arkhi

If you want to be pedantic, the ES is based on the Avlaon, not the Camry, and it has been like that since 2013.

Maybe so but the Avalon is a stretched Camry.