F10 test drive feedback

[Schwepps]

Yeah, nice interior. But it's also a function of the material used: brushed aluminium, walnut burr, etc.

Al Bundy, so it's confirmed that they're back to ZF boxes in the F10? Yayy! :top:

 

[pussy]

Yeah, nice interior. But it's also a function of the material used: brushed aluminium, walnut burr, etc.

Al Bundy, so it's confirmed that they're back to ZF boxes in the F10? Yayy! :top:

these days.. car manufacturers are competing which each other on who's the best interior...:motz:

but, i see the F10 interior a bit contemporary in design.. well much better than the e90..:smokin:

 

[affan66]

the interior is damn good. Those ergo engineers even thought of putting a walkie talkie holder

 

[macdaque]

macdaque, the lever is thicker and slightly different in design. Will snap some picture later. The 523 gear lever is similar to the lci e60.

Just did a comparison drive between the f10 523 and e60 525 sport. Set the f10 to ds and sport + mode, the car comes alive with the 8 speed close ratio gearbox transforming the car into a sport luxury saloon. In terms of driving pleasure, the f10 wins hand down. Throttle response and steering response were noticeably sharper. Around the u turn before heading back to glenmarie, the f10 can turn in sharper due to the active integral steering, very distinct difference to the e60 that will understeer much earlier.

Astroboy, 523 got no HUD even though the compartment is built in but it's empty la

On the way back set the drive mode back to comfort mode, feels like a merc ;p

OK got a pic of the 535 gear lever.

 

[viewfinder]

Another comparison of the F10 and E60 interior, the E60 is pale by comparison.

F10

E60

Kamion, I believe the 8 speed transmission offered in both the 523 and 535 are similar ZF units, perhaps the unit in the 535 is slightly upgraded for the additional torque, but they both feel very similar in terms of shifting speed.

Cheers

Haven't seen the F10 yet. Don't think they've it in Pg AB. From the pictures I can't feel that big of a difference and definitely not being able to understand Albundy's comment that "the E60 is pale by comparison". Perhaps the photos are not doing justice to the F10... wait till I see one.

Albundy, when will you bring joy up north??!!

 

[ALBundy]

Viewfinder,

Joy will be in Penang soon

The interior finishing of the F10 is much better than the previous generation, the dashboard is softer and the trimmings are of better quality. There is also an air-con panel and the instrument cluster display are all akin to high definition compared to previous LCD pixel type of display. The ergonomics has also been improved with attention to minor details like location of seat memory buttons on the door panels instead of on the seat itself, door handle slanted upwards instead downwards in the E60, key holder and etc etc.

This is the 535, a couple of pictures snapped with Iphone.

The 535 also has a different steering with paddle shifts, comfort seats, quad climate AC control and etc

Cheers

 

[E46Fanatic]

Can't wait to see how the M Sport trim F10 will look like. If the 535i is already hitting Rm600k in CBU trim, at best we'll see it about Rm50k cheaper when it comes from Tom Yam land (like the F01 730i) or at most RM100k off in SKD specs.

 

[macdaque]

Can't wait to see how the M Sport trim F10 will look like. If the 535i is already hitting Rm600k in CBU trim, at best we'll see it about Rm50k cheaper when it comes from Tom Yam land (like the F01 730i) or at most RM100k off in SKD specs.

Hey, shouldn't new cars be no less than 25% cheaper with the weak Euro? What's the deal now? Are they making more profit? Shouldn't we be benefiting from the cheaper parts / car cost?

 

[kamion]

The paddle shift on the 535i looks like it's flick right for upshift, and flick left for downshift. This is good.

Better than the flick up (both sides) for upshift and push down (both sides) for downshift like on the E9x 3 series.

 

[David Yong]

The paddle shift on the 535i looks like it's flick right for upshift, and flick left for downshift. This is good.

Better than the flick up (both sides) for upshift and push down (both sides) for downshift like on the E9x 3 series.

Actually you can just modify a bit on the wiring and it can works exactly like the 535i or ///M car paddle shift. Less than 10 minutes work. I have done mine. Just a switching and disconnecting certain wires

 

[vish]

i went for the group test drive event today, it was a pleasant surprise to see bro albundy there as the driver of the lead car in our convoy. after some nice (but not filling) finger food, we were given a brief history lesson on the 5 from the E12 all the way to the E60. heres an interesting bit of info, to date more than 5.5 million 5s have been sold :top: and then the F10 535i was unveiled :rock: some time back when i first saw pics of it i didnt like it much, seemed like an E90 front end had been glued to an F01's butt, but seeing it in the flesh changed my mind; this is a seriously good looking hunk of metal.

ok on to the fun bit, the test drive. a friend of mine and i were in car no1, which gave us the privilege of being right behind bro bundy (or mr wong as he is known professionally ) and his heavy right foot. first impression was good, the key phrase here is sense of occasion. there wasnt the shadow of a doubt in my mind that i was in something other than a proper luxury saloon, the cabin is seriously miles ahead of the E60 (i hope my mum doesnt read this). so off we went, on the road where paws is on your left, all the way to the u-turn that slopes downwards in an S-bend. having test driven a 525i sport before, i decided not to touch the brakes but gently lift off the throttle. true to form, the 5 stayed in its lane and i got an opportunity to test the brakes ('test' is putting it mildly) when bro bundy slowed down to wait for the others to catch up while i was happily being a hooligan. a couple of seconds later i got chastised over the walkie-talkie :rofl: while i was braking i noticed a little bar at the bottom of my rev counter turn blue, this is the Brake Energy Regeneration system kicking in which harnesses the energy from the overrun to do 20% of the overall brake charging. when we got back on the straight, i heard the words "full throttle" cackle over the radio and stepped on it :burnout:. here, i was disappointed. the 523i is a tad underpowered to be honest, but the 8-speed transmission kept revs high and was unnaturally smooth and refined. i just hope that the forthcoming M5 doestnt have as many gears or it might suffer from the same problem as the Lexus ISF which continuously hunts for the right gear to use. we had been in comfort mode the entire time (E-class?what on earth is that?) and were now told to switch to sport mode. this four mode system (comfort, normal, sport, and sport plus) is a touch of brilliance on the part of bmw, hopefully the F30 has it as well. having said that, the gearbox upshifts on its own even in manual/sport mode. which doesnt make any sense and is HIGHLY ANNOYING. still, being able to control suspension stiffness is a welcome feature, something future M-sport variant owners will no doubt be thankful for. back to the test drive, we drove to subang airport for driver changeover and i noticed an E39 owner pointing with a huge grin on his face.

overall, i was impressed. but would i buy the 523i?my answer is a resounding no. it simply isnt worth 400k. i would wait for SKD or CKD units to enter the market and they bloody well better include navigation.

and now, time to compare it with the E60. (523i vs 523i)

performance : tie (same engine, but for some reason the E60 seems to pull slightly harder)
comfort and refinement : F10, but only slightly
exterior aesthetics : E60
interior aesthetics : F10 (without a doubt)
ergonomics : E60 (the i-drive controller is too far away from the driver and the electronic hand brake is
annoying)
cabin space : F10
convenience : F10 (thanks in no small part to 4-wheel steering)
pure unadulterated sex appeal : E60 (ill admit this is a biased view, after all my love affair with BMW
started with the E60)

the E60 was revolutionary, the F10 just took the formula and improved it.

thank yew for reading, comments are welcome

 

[macdaque]

i went for the group test drive event today, it was a pleasant surprise to see bro albundy there as the driver of the lead car in our convoy. after some nice (but not filling) finger food, we were given a brief history lesson on the 5 from the E12 all the way to the E60. heres an interesting bit of info, to date more than 5.5 million 5s have been sold :top: and then the F10 535i was unveiled :rock: some time back when i first saw pics of it i didnt like it much, seemed like an E90 front end had been glued to an F01's butt, but seeing it in the flesh changed my mind; this is a seriously good looking hunk of metal.

ok on to the fun bit, the test drive. a friend of mine and i were in car no1, which gave us the privilege of being right behind bro bundy (or mr wong as he is known professionally ) and his heavy right foot. first impression was good, the key phrase here is sense of occasion. there wasnt the shadow of a doubt in my mind that i was in something other than a proper luxury saloon, the cabin is seriously miles ahead of the E60 (i hope my mum doesnt read this). so off we went, on the road where paws is on your left, all the way to the u-turn that slopes downwards in an S-bend. having test driven a 525i sport before, i decided not to touch the brakes but gently lift off the throttle. true to form, the 5 stayed in its lane and i got an opportunity to test the brakes ('test' is putting it mildly) when bro bundy slowed down to wait for the others to catch up while i was happily being a hooligan. a couple of seconds later i got chastised over the walkie-talkie :rofl: while i was braking i noticed a little bar at the bottom of my rev counter turn blue, this is the Brake Energy Regeneration system kicking in which harnesses the energy from the overrun to do 20% of the overall brake charging. when we got back on the straight, i heard the words "full throttle" cackle over the radio and stepped on it :burnout:. here, i was disappointed. the 523i is a tad underpowered to be honest, but the 8-speed transmission kept revs high and was unnaturally smooth and refined. i just hope that the forthcoming M5 doestnt have as many gears or it might suffer from the same problem as the Lexus ISF which continuously hunts for the right gear to use. we had been in comfort mode the entire time (E-class?what on earth is that?) and were now told to switch to sport mode. this four mode system (comfort, normal, sport, and sport plus) is a touch of brilliance on the part of bmw, hopefully the F30 has it as well. having said that, the gearbox upshifts on its own even in manual/sport mode. which doesnt make any sense and is HIGHLY ANNOYING. still, being able to control suspension stiffness is a welcome feature, something future M-sport variant owners will no doubt be thankful for. back to the test drive, we drove to subang airport for driver changeover and i noticed an E39 owner pointing with a huge grin on his face.

overall, i was impressed. but would i buy the 523i?my answer is a resounding no. it simply isnt worth 400k. i would wait for SKD or CKD units to enter the market and they bloody well better include navigation.

and now, time to compare it with the E60. (523i vs 523i)

performance : tie (same engine, but for some reason the E60 seems to pull slightly harder)
comfort and refinement : F10, but only slightly
exterior aesthetics : E60
interior aesthetics : F10 (without a doubt)
ergonomics : E60 (the i-drive controller is too far away from the driver and the electronic hand brake is
annoying)
cabin space : F10
convenience : F10 (thanks in no small part to 4-wheel steering)
pure unadulterated sex appeal : E60 (ill admit this is a biased view, after all my love affair with BMW
started with the E60)

the E60 was revolutionary, the F10 just took the formula and improved it.

thank yew for reading, comments are welcome

Yes, I too found the 523i underpowered. And yes on pricing and lack of navi, I had booked the CBU, but changed to SKD after the unveiling and test drive. Must admit the lack of navi was the tilting point. But I hear that Navi will still be the navi basic, with 7" LCD? Navi Professional comes with the large 10.2" LCD?

Aesthetics: As has always been the case, and with previous models, the current model will grow on you, while the outgoing will fade through time. Same with sex appeal. Well, coming from a person who never believes in love at first sight. My love for a car grows as I become more attached to the intricacies and behaviour of the car. My kind of love anyway.

I agree that electronic parking brakes are annoying. Can't imagine leaving my car with the older folks whilst being away on holiday. Also noticed the foot brakes react in a funny manner when electronic parking brakes are engaged / disengaged. But love the space saving and clean lines resulting from removing the hand brakes. Compared with foot operated handbrakes, I would vote for electronic hand brakes anytime.

Additional air-cond vents on the b-pillar a welcome addition, finally.
Gear lever (though electronic and complicated) is much better than that of the e-class (can't get used to the hand operated lever thingey).

 

[libra1919]

Hey, shouldn't new cars be no less than 25% cheaper with the weak Euro? What's the deal now? Are they making more profit? Shouldn't we be benefiting from the cheaper parts / car cost?

If u compare today's forex rate of Euro against Ringitt with Dec09,i think Euro has depreciated by 20%. Whether that difference is reflective on car price remains to be seen.Maybe in the name of protecting resale value or exercise 'fairness' to earlier buyers,we won't see any real change in retail price.Perhaps better specs,more attractive package like low interest rate...etc for CBU models ex Europe.Wonder what's the impact of Euro depreciation on CKD / SKD models.If 20% drop in Euro is fully reflected in their CBU models,then we can see a significant price drop not just apllied to BMW.Mercs ML,CLS models,Audi's complete range of models.Let see events unfold.Euro should b remaining weak for some time to come

 

[vish]

Yes, I too found the 523i underpowered. And yes on pricing and lack of navi, I had booked the CBU, but changed to SKD after the unveiling and test drive. Must admit the lack of navi was the tilting point. But I hear that Navi will still be the navi basic, with 7" LCD? Navi Professional comes with the large 10.2" LCD?

Aesthetics: As has always been the case, and with previous models, the current model will grow on you, while the outgoing will fade through time. Same with sex appeal. Well, coming from a person who never believes in love at first sight. My love for a car grows as I become more attached to the intricacies and behaviour of the car. My kind of love anyway.

I agree that electronic parking brakes are annoying. Can't imagine leaving my car with the older folks whilst being away on holiday. Also noticed the foot brakes react in a funny manner when electronic parking brakes are engaged / disengaged. But love the space saving and clean lines resulting from removing the hand brakes. Compared with foot operated handbrakes, I would vote for electronic hand brakes anytime.

Additional air-cond vents on the b-pillar a welcome addition, finally.
Gear lever (though electronic and complicated) is much better than that of the e-class (can't get used to the hand operated lever thingey).

SKD = semi knocked down?yup, navi proffesional is on the 535i with the larger screen...haha i disagree, UDMs dont grow on me, i love em instantly...but yeah i understand the bit about developing feelings for a car's unique behavior and personality :top: coming from a generation addicted to video games, the joystick shifter is the coolest thing ever, and quite honestly once you get used to it its a whole lot less cumbersome to operate compared to traditional auto stepped gearshift...

 

[ALBundy]

A couple more photos snapped with Iphone before the last test drive yesterday...

A closer view of the interior,

The upward slanting door handle which is more ergonomical with the seat memory buttons on the door panels

 

[ALBundy]

Yes, I too found the 523i underpowered. And yes on pricing and lack of navi, I had booked the CBU, but changed to SKD after the unveiling and test drive. Must admit the lack of navi was the tilting point. But I hear that Navi will still be the navi basic, with 7" LCD? Navi Professional comes with the large 10.2" LCD?

Aesthetics: As has always been the case, and with previous models, the current model will grow on you, while the outgoing will fade through time. Same with sex appeal. Well, coming from a person who never believes in love at first sight. My love for a car grows as I become more attached to the intricacies and behaviour of the car. My kind of love anyway.

I agree that electronic parking brakes are annoying. Can't imagine leaving my car with the older folks whilst being away on holiday. Also noticed the foot brakes react in a funny manner when electronic parking brakes are engaged / disengaged. But love the space saving and clean lines resulting from removing the hand brakes. Compared with foot operated handbrakes, I would vote for electronic hand brakes anytime.

Additional air-cond vents on the b-pillar a welcome addition, finally.
Gear lever (though electronic and complicated) is much better than that of the e-class (can't get used to the hand operated lever thingey).

The lack of a navigation system is the common feedback I have heard from most of the participants in this test drive event as most are current E60 owners that have gotten use to navigation and HUD.

Perhaps, in the 523 "they" should have included gizmos like navigation, bigger LCD screen and HUD while removing the active integral steering feature (which is an option in other markets) to ensure the price remains below 400k, OR best still let the customers choose what options they wish to have!!

Cheers

 

[ALBundy]

ok on to the fun bit, the test drive. a friend of mine and i were in car no1, which gave us the privilege of being right behind bro bundy (or mr wong as he is known professionally ) and his heavy right foot.

Vish, I was on Efficient Dynamics mode already!!!! :slug:

So it wasn't heavy k hehehe :rock:

 

[vish]

The lack of a navigation system is the common feedback I have heard from most of the participants in this test drive event as most are current E60 owners that have gotten use to navigation and HUD.
Perhaps, in the 523 "they" should have included gizmos like navigation, bigger LCD screen and HUD while removing the active integral steering feature (which is an option in other markets) to ensure the price remains below 400k, OR best still let the customers choose what options they wish to have!!

for some reason our options here are extremely limited, theres almost no freedom in customizing your ride to your tastes...navigation is now a necessary technology, im sure the E250 has it

Vish, I was on Efficient Dynamics mode already!!!! :slug:

So it wasn't heavy k hehehe :rock:

oh really?haha your "Efficient Dynamics" mode left us in the dust more than once :burnout: the lead car should have been a 523i as well, just to level the playing field...

 

[ALBundy]

oh really?haha your "Efficient Dynamics" mode left us in the dust more than once :burnout: the lead car should have been a 523i as well, just to level the playing field...

523 is just as fast if not faster with the 8 speed tranny. We were doing acceleration tests, and both cars have similar torque (250nm).

But seriously I tested the 523 a couple of times and it is by no means slower

 

[macdaque]

The lack of a navigation system is the common feedback I have heard from most of the participants in this test drive event as most are current E60 owners that have gotten use to navigation and HUD.

Perhaps, in the 523 "they" should have included gizmos like navigation, bigger LCD screen and HUD while removing the active integral steering feature (which is an option in other markets) to ensure the price remains below 400k, OR best still let the customers choose what options they wish to have!!

Cheers

Yup, you are right, Navi is going to be standard feature on most cars soon. It is on the Nissan Selvy. Bigger screens may be considered a luxury best reserved for higher models, but don't just completely remove an essential must-have item. I doubt that BMW Malaysia has the ability (for some reason) to deliver options as they do in the US. I guess too in the US, they would customise their car, and pay for their car or deposit via credit card? Like ordering an item over ebay?