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      11-24-2012, 06:00 PM   #43
rory breaker
Private First Class
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Drives: C63
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NC

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Quote:
Originally Posted by HottRodW View Post
Several minor issues, and a few that aren't so minor. I was one of the unfortunate M Sport owners to get stiffed on the paddle shifters. The dealer was less than helpful, and BMW doesn't seem too concerned that my first BMW may be my last. The fuel economy has been very disappointing, too, although switching to the LRR Pilot PA3's for winter has resulted in an improvement. And the ride quality of the M Sport can be borderline abusive at times. On smooth asphalt, the car is an absolute joy and begs to be driven hard. But on an aged concrete highway, it just begs for an exit. I've described the ride as Jekyll and Hyde-like in another post, and I'm standing by that assessment. As my son commented: "I've never before seen a car have a seizure!" Minus-sizing the rubber and passing on runflats for winter has helped, but not as much as I expected. I haven't driven any other trim levels, but I suspect the ride of the M Sport is notably worse than the base suspension.

The minor issues: speedometer reads 5 mph high; garage door opener doesn't work properly, if at all; my car is missing the ambiance lighting feature that it's suppose to have; disappointing GPS performance/accuracy; the TPMS won't reset and is currently not functioning; the stereo defaults to AM frequency if I eject a CD before switching to radio first; and the car doesn't have a sunglasses holder. I have a service appointment to have some of the issues addressed, but most of them I just have to live with.

I'm trying not to be too negative because there are some things about the car that I really like, but it's hard not to be disappointed considering the experience thus far. I mean, I have a portable GPS on my windshield, a garage door opener clipped to one visor, and a cheapo sunglasses holder clipped to the other.
Sounds terrible. Definitely makes me rethink the M package. I love the look but honestly, I really enjoy a nice comfortable smooth ride, and for a non-performance car 45k+, I don't expect it to ride rough.

So we've narrowed it down to the X1 and the Q5 3.0T. I prefer the Q5 a bit because it's more comfortable, has more features frankly I expect on a car in this class (power liftgate, elec parking brake, rear vents, etc), and is the best balance between performance & comfort. It's also much roomier and to me has a much better interior. She likes the X1 a bit better because it feels less like an SUV...it's more zippy, feels much lighter and nimble. Tough call....going to come down to the best deal and some more research/advice from others!
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