Mozieman

Ok Guys..(and gals if there are any) I will admit..the M5 is BY far the best car I've owned performance wise and arguably looks wise...However there are some issues that I think BMW could have thought out a little better...maybe I'm being picky...but my payment is $1700 a month and I think I can afford to be picky...ok...so has anyone noticed.....

1. There is no real way to line up the steering wheel so you can see the WHOLE dash cluster?? I find myself constantly changing the wheel position so I can BARELY see the whole thing..If I move my seat or head I have to adjust again..thank God it's motorized and smooth. or then again..maybe I sit too far back...I'm tall and I just know I'm going to run into Grandma at 20MPH and get my nose broken by the airbag...I know 2 people this has happened to.

2. The oval mirrow is cute...but doesn't square up to the rear view mirrow too well..I'm getting used to it..(12,000 beautiful miles) but my 540 had a better mirror. I think the European models have the square ones judging from the pictures I've seen. Dealer said he would be happy to change it for $350!

3. back split seat flies forward during hard stops unless totally..and I mean totally secure in place..(slam!)

4. Bigger gas tank would be nice..at 22mpg I can barely get to Chicago from St. Louis on one tank of gas...And by the way...when the Germans say 0 range..they pretty much mean it...I found out the hard way one night in Lincoln, Illinois at 2 am.

5. Brake dust...what the F___!!! I know..I know...I hear how great the brakes are..and they are good..but there are alot of cars with good brakes that don't need to be cleaned EVERY DAY!

6. Wish it had the weather channel like the 540 did...not a big deal..but it was nice..

7. carpeeting is of very average quality...the mats are crap...the 540's were MUCH nicer. At least they got rid of those annoying retainer clips that broke all the time..

8.The cupholders break ALL THE TIME...I replaced 2 sets on the 540 and the rear one broke in the first week on this one...They should make them out of lightweight aluminum. I have little kids...they tug at them...

9. Moonroof works like a gutter in a light rain...hit the breaks and a tidal wave hits you....right on the head!

10....Tachometer that won't keep up..and a speedometer that reads 3.7 miles slow at 70 MPH...I complained about it..they gave some technical reason why it had to be this way..but none of my other cars had this problem..and 3.7 miles is just tooo much..

11. Rims that scratch WAAAAYYY to easily..I have black marks along the edges on the rear wheels..not sure why this doesn't happen to the fronts..

Having said all this...I wouldn't trade it for any other car on the street...She's a keeper...but it does have more of these little nagging issues than say the Accord and the Maxima I owned..

panoply

I agree with you about the weather station on the radio. I miss it too. Also suggest you close the roof in the rain, bro!

Jim Dolan

Your right but you forgot the one that bugs me.

The cruise control on the steering wheel with not one but four buttons. What's that all about. A vendor got a hammer and started seeing nails everywhere. This is not a BMW exclusive and I can assure you it will go someday. Focus groups....sheeeeeeaz.
A single stick would do.

This type steering wheel, with buttons, belongs on the Pontiac it originally came on years ago. Even the radio controls are not necessary with the radio so well positioned.

What they should have on the steering wheel is: A mute button for the radio not tied to the telephone no one buys so I can listen to my lovely wife, the recirc air button like on the 540, ok add telephone controls, left side drivers door window for the toll booth and a button switching between the radio and nav screen instead of on the radio console.

And please remove the cup holders, we have enough fat people in this country now as it is. Drinking a half gallon on the way to the office is a bit much don't you think. If you give the kids a drink, all they want to do is pee. Can't have fun driving like that.

Tim W

Hey I have your brake dust fix.

The fronts are the same size as the 540. I had an extra set of Mintex Red Box dustless pads left over from my 540. I put them on today. They work like a champ. And they product little to no dust (Experience from my 540).

Tim

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Tim W.

Jim Dolan

ME, good idea putting the sport mode on the steering wheel.

Nico

Sorry, but I've to say it: Do you really wanted this car or did you just buy it because it's IN..? Accord? You can't be serious about this, I was owner of a Honda Store, you want me to say more?
Some things could have been done better, but does things your complaining about are really normal, Mirrors they are not the largest, but they look good. Breaks, easy to change, the original loose a bit of their effectivity after 20'000 miles.
Carpets, you can replace at any time the M5 ones with them from the 540 (not a big deal).
3.7 miles problem... open the tachometer and just but the needle a bit higher.
Cup holders, they are a bit sensitive, but for sure not that sensitive as the good and pretty looking girls you're gonna give a RIDE in this lovely car.

You'll love one day all this

Nico

panoply

Good point about the girls, Nico.

Mozieman

Nico,I was referring to the rear view mirror, not the side ones..I believe in Europe you have a rectangular one..here it is oval and doesn't line up with the rear window too well. Sure, I can replace this or that..but why should I have to spend more money for simple stuff they should have done better. The Accord and Maxima's are good cars. I'd go so far to say they are better value's overall, when I bought this car I wasn't looking for value, I was looking for the best car my .com money could buy I'm making contstructive critiscism..not trashing the car..like I said...There's nothing out there I would replace it with.

Jim Dolan

Nico, this is my ninth BMW. Acquiring status is not my particular goal. I bought it because this is the greatest BMW ever built for the road. However, constructive comments are healthy and can bring about positive change for the good of all.

Cheers

johann

Mozieman,

What is it you can not see in the "dash cluster"?

European pre 2000 cars had the rectangular shaped inside rear mirror. I agree that this was better but you'll get used to the new one.

Of course your back split seat flies forward during hard stops unless you secure them. I can not see how this is a flaw of the car.

Bigger gas tank would be nice. Still I can not see how this would help you if you do not fill it in time. Should not 0 range mean 0 range?

What is the weather channel?

What is wróng with the carpeting?

Cupholder sucks!

Why don't you close the moonroof when it rains?


Speedometer should be exact however it can save you a speeding ticket some time.

You can't really blame the rims for you scratching them, can you?

Jim,

Whats is wrong with buttons on the steering wheel? And how can you handle the cruise control with only one button?

Personally I would like to have some more buttons on the steering wheel like DSC, Sport mode, Nav screen control and perhaps some more.

If you have seen a F1 car's steering wheel you must have noticed all the buttons, there is a reason why they are located to the steering wheel: They are easy to see and use even when you drive fast!

As for the cupholders you can have water or coffee in your cup, neither will make you fat!

/Johan

Mozieman

In the dash..If I want to see the top of the gauges or the high beam indicator for that matter...I cut off the info window at the base of the cluster...I can get them both in view but with zero tolerance for moving my seating or head position.

The carpeting is as I said..very average..meaning very lightweight...probably 24 to 28 ounce quality. It won't wear well in the long run.

The weather channel is a system we have here in the US where they broadcast current weather info and forecasts on a set frequency, with slight variations depending on your city. Very usefull in bad weather or wintery conditions. The 540 had "WB" on the radio which picked up this frequency. It even scanned the frequency to find the channel for your local area.

Ok..as for the rain..I don't really drive in the rain with it open BUT sometimes if it has been raining I'll open it because I DARE I SAY IT!!...smoke in my beast..DONT FLAME ME! The moonroof is a nice chimney..Anyway the water slides off of the roof if it has been raining right on my head! I don't know how my other cars did it..I never looked, but it didn't come in.

oh..and by the way..I have an appointment Monday morning to replace the shift knob, console panel and parking brake handle.. At least these things are fixable!

MEnthusiast