Quote:
Originally Posted by sandwi54
I really wish I had read this thread before buying my X5 50i with base suspension. It's entirely my fault because I've owned many sports cars in the past, including my current F80 M3, and suspension should've been the top priority when I was looking for a SUV (somehow I thought since it's a SUV, sports suspension isn't needed).
I bought the fully-loaded M-sport X5 last year (literally every option EXCEPT for DHP!) from a dealer who gave me a very good discount. When I test drove the car for 20 minutes, the suspension felt compliant, but now looking back I think it was because the roads near the dealership were good and didn't have many bumps and potholes. The first month of ownership was also ok as the car was purchased for my father and he drove most of the time. As soon as I started driving the car more, I noticed the bounciness and unsettling nature of the suspension.
My wife, her sister, and I took a trip from San Francisco to LA and her sister sat in the back. 30 minutes into the trip she complained about nausea. Knowing that my wife is also prone to getting carsick, I asked her to be the driver and put my sister-in-law in the front and myself in the back. 30 more minutes later, I started feeling a little uncomfortable in the stomach as well from all the bounce in the rear. Mind you, I don't ever get carsick or seasick after childhood, and this is the first time that happened. Now that my wife and I are expecting a baby, I do not want to put our baby through this and get sick.
Since I love the rest of the car so much and trading the car in for a new one with DHP would mean over $10k in loss due to depreciation, I decided to place an order for KW V3 coilover since I had good experience with it before on another car. My only worry is that the coilover will make the ride too stiff which may not be a good feeling when carrying a full car of passenger, but I'd rather have the car be stiff than bouncy. I still love the car a lot and it served well the purpose of taking us on multiple snowboarding trips and carrying the in-laws and relatives with many luggages. Once the coilover is installed, I expect to love it as much as my M3.
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Had the same experience on ordering 2016 F15 M-Sport - literally every option except DHP. Coming out of E70 which was tight/compliant with standard suspension. Unhappy enough that I ordered a replacement with DHP (dropped night vision). End of 2016 model year - discounts were steep - dealer requested BMWUSA assistance on trade only 60 days-in (24% drop) - used USAA pricing.
I lost some dollars - but wasn't going to be able to settle for the new F15 standard suspension - felt like a Buick of old. Stuck with 2016 for discounts, .9% on purchase and get the full coverage maintenance which is now optional for 2017 (saving of $3,500 at 50K miles)
Huge lessons learned.