Comparing old and new

[p.o.t.u.s]

I've got a 2012 E71 with the N63 engine. For the last week and a half while my engine was being worked on as part of the recall--I mean, customer satisfaction program, I had a brand new (300 miles) 2015 F15 to drive around.

Granted, my F15 loaner had the smaller engine, but man, where did all the fun go?

Steering, even in sport mode, was loose . NO feeling of being connected to the road like my X6.

Furthermore, I got to play around with the eco-pro and comfort modes and, even with the smaller engine, I noticed only a marginal improvement in mpg over my big old N63 V8.

As far as the interior, I like the new look better and some of the finishes are improved. But I missed my climate control features on my X6. Setting the climate to "auto" and adjusting the air temp via the idrive kept me comfortable at all times. I don't think the tweaks to update the F15 were positive because I couldn't do the same thing on the F15. I had to use the little manual sliders by the vents which honestly did not work as well.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Did I get a lemon loaner?

[opasha]

You got a lame loaner. BMW is expensive so they won't give anyone a high end loaner often (unless you live in a select country where they are easily maintained and offered) because loaners are known to be abused here and there.

What you really need to do is test drive a F15 50i or F16 50i with DHP (the tight steering you miss - huge difference here) and your mind will be happy again. Trust me . Suspensions and different engines make a huge difference, and also the N63tu is unaffected by any of these other recalls you see in the news. I asked my dealer and few others specifically about that recall that was recently seen for the N63.

Also, many things in the car can be coded to perfection .

[MattBianco]

I guess the car is not for you. I don't think designed behavior makes it a lemon.

You can only improve mpg so much in a large engine. If MPG is the issue, you should look at the diesel, whose engine has torque comparable to the N63, of course, without the matching hp. People are posting closed to 38 mpg just a few threads down from your post today.

Steering is very soft in the F15 and bothersome for a lot of people. That said, it is very sensitive, and another complaint has been difficulty in keeping it centered in the lane. Overtly responsive, with feedback characteristic vastly changed. A lot less sporty as you have said.

If you are ready to swap, the Cayenne maybe an alternative.

[p.o.t.u.s]

Valid points. The dealer had a new X6 with the 50i engine that I'll have to go and try and see how it drives.

My point related to MPG was that while I noticed a change (reduction) in performance when I used the eco-pro/comfort modes, I did not see enough of a rise in MPGs to justify the loss of power (and fun). I, on average, get 19 mpg in my X6 and got only 21 in ecopro mode.

[barcelona]

Yes, for valid comparison do drive the 50i and I would be shocked if you still say no fun.
From 50i to 35i the hp drops from 445 to 300, appx 50%. Your reference to smaller engine is noted, but perhaps you expected equivalent similar performance in expectation, which needs to be adjusted for the facts. Also, I understand that E71 is more fun to drive than E70. If you can test to F16/50i, take advantage of the Customer Care Package Program. I bought 35i then changed order to 50i 2 days later. True, majority miss steering in E70/71.

Not sure if you had seen poll:
http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...&highlight=e70