Thanks - so far so good but I am a sucker for a fast estate. First imoressions are very positive but that is judged against the relatively cheap lease I got... do I think its worth £100k, not a chance. I wasnt sure about the styling before I got it but it has definitely grown on me... and I think the colour really suits it...I also deliberately chose the wheels that looked to me most traditional BMW style and the least like an EV... Range so far is holding up - clearly close queuing on the M25 is good for efficiency...
I enjoyed it, mine was the 2 door variant which I do think looks better, but for a large car it's hugely impractical. The back seats are for emergency use only, think Porsche 911! Mine had pretty much every option (B&W, Laserlights, Driving Assistant etc). Hard to fault otherwise though, but the 7 Series was a better all-rounder for me. The fuel economy is actually very good too, you can quite easily average mid to late 30's if you're being sensible. Just bear in mind the BMW warranty is ridiculously expensive if you want it, think £2.5-3k a year! I might do a thread on all my previous cars at some stage and go into a bit more detail.
During my lunch break I found myself on the BMW configurator, and "built" the M60 Touring spec that spoke to me. £105K!! Gulp. The way they have set up the "packs" is nonsense, it really is difficult to get the options you'd actually want without having to select others. I'd want a heated steering wheel (Raynaud's Syndrome, so for medical reasons of course...) but can't without the full comfort pack. Here is my version: https://configure.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/configid/qsnl6f5b
I certainly wouldn't be BUYING a new one. Mine is 9 & 23 lease, 560 a month! 2 years because I generally get bored and also because I should have a better view of retirement by then... Doing what it was chosen for today!
The “pack” situation makes zero sense to me these days. Example, when I got my first G80 you could spec the laser lights as the visibility pack. This simply gave you the lasers with matrix function. Now they have dropped the lasers but for me to have the matrix function on my lci’s LED headlights I need to add the “tech pack”. This in addition gives me an electric boot lid of which I have no interest in and comfort access which again I don’t want so because of that I can’t have the adaptive matrix function on my headlights - utter nonsense
I know its allegedly because they have to put every permutation through the fuel cycle tests, but it is really annoying. No doubt they sell a lot of ultimate packs off the back of it...but that added in the region of £400 a month to my lease and I wasn't paying that. So it is standard and I am sure I will moan about some of the omissions from time to time!
Now I do really quite like the steering wheel with the stitching and the red ring. Sadly and this is my personal preferance I really am not a fan of all the black plastic on the grill/bumpers etc. It's the black around the number plate area, a bit too much for me. I quite like the bits on the corners. I do like lighter interiors it does give the cabin a far less opressive look, sadly rather impractical for me. I do love the biscuit colour leather you can spec on the Alpina's, best of both worlds light enough but can hide a bit of dirt. I see you have a bit of (scratch as soon as you look at it) piano black around the centre console, I'll be interested to see how that fairs in 6 months. How are you finding having no sodding buttons? Is that a touch sensitive strip where the Hazard button is?
Interesting because I think the steering wheel is too fat and the red bit gets on my nerves... There is a lot of gloss back outside. Its why a lot of new 5s are dark colours I think to hide it... but it doesn't bother me and I like the contrast. It would be a big car to not break up the colour... Yep, gloss black centre console and you can't change it however you spec it. There is a ppf kit on line to protect it but I am not that fussed, its a lease car... I dont like touch screens. I am coping as the jag had one and only some physical controls. Using voice control which is pretty good but you need to know the right name - i wanted to turn off the lane vibration thing, apparently its called Lane departure warning... I would have gone tartufo inside by choice but my options were black, darkish brown or smoke white unless I paid 000s more and that wasn't going to happen! There are buttons in the light bar - haptic I think they are called. Light bar is too blingy but I have it dulled now....
There are two things I do as soon as I start the car: press the SET button on the steering wheel to turn the speed bongs off, then click up on the idrive controller and click on the pre-set “button” to turn off the steering intervention. You can use the widgets on the top menu of the screen to add applications that you need/want to access more often.
These are the things I need to suss - but cars shouldn't be this complex.... I am going to try voice control again as not touching the touch screen whilst moving is key for me... The electric steering adjustment that takes it out of the way to get out is my current favourite toy...along with the stereo.
Parked at work next to an F82 ? M4. It clearly shows the size difference! Love the colour on the M4 but for everything else I will keep mine, thanks...
Refuelling whilst I sleep. And yes I still have the grille lit up Had a wash today and the back seat has been used. Maybe I should check the performance at some point...
Ah, so I take it you can turn off the grill light. I don't think I'm a fan of the grill lights particularly the Golf one with the badge that lights up and there is an SUV of some make (Q6 maybe) with a rear one that I think looks awful. Horses for courses I guess. The light up grills and bars remind me of Al's car from the original Quantum Leap in the 80's That said I think the headlights look smart.
Yep, it can be turned off, not really a fan myself but still at the "novelty" stage and people do seem to move over more on the motorway Also not a fan of front and rear light bars and light up brand badges...
Yes totally agree I too would be at the "novelty" stage as well. Actually, didn't think of the motorway thing. Perhaps as it gives the illusion that the car is bigger than it is.
Well, now 3.5 months in and 3300 miles. I have to say it is very accomplished and does exactly what I wanted. Its very refined and quiet - which when you are doing long motorway drives is critical - and that is what it was bought for. Great Bowers and Wilkins stereo is the only noise I need on a run. Rides very well and handles great. More manoeuvrable than you would imagine thanks to 4 wheel steering. And its fast - and love the boost paddle to get full sport mode max power for a short burst when needed (or you want a laugh). Range is ok - clearly dropped a lot in this weather. But for my use its still charge at home (at 2p a mile) most of the time and top up at public charging only as needed. Even then you get a first year sub to ionity for free which reduces the cost to more like 15p a mile... Charging speed is much better than the Jag and the real game changer as even when I dont charge whilst I do something else, its so quick to add the miles that its not a hardship. Its a big old beast which means that parking spaces can be a challenge - and the boot / back seat area dont seem huge given the exterior bulk. The long wheelbase proved a problem accessing a temp car park on the run up to xmas as it grounded - so needs a trip to the dealer to check what was damaged and then a fight with the organisers who thought that was an appropriate entrance! But it is fulfilling the brief very well and enjoying the journey. Picture for attention on a grey and bitterly cold day on the edge of the peak district.
