Just ordered another X5 M50d (f15)

[watrob]

My new M50d was delivered to the US shipping docks on the 26th Jan 2015 bound for Australia, it has sat there for 46 days before being loaded onto a ship on the 14th March 2015.

Have informed BMW that I will not accept the vehicle that has been sitting exposed to the elements for 46 days, and a further 30 days on a freighter? delivery is now to be to be end of April? instead of mid March 2015

A boat leaves every 10 days so I have asked for an explanation? It does not matter how much of a protective coating is on the vehicle, that industrial fallout damages paint, pits glass and not to mention the flat stops on the 20" tyres.

Very disappointed?

[watrob]

Well I finally pickup my M50d this Thursday evening from the dealer. Had fitted a towbar, window tint, painted calipers, ceramic pads, black grills and M Sport pedals.

On another note got an email from Ferrari the my new California T was completed on the 29th April, started production on the 25th April, 4 day build.

[Stunnaz]

Wow, nice Ferrari. I was in Brisbane and Gold Coast last week for vacation. Beautiful city, but I had a hard time adjusting to driving on the right side and your "roundabouts" at every other intersection. I don't think I've ever come across a roundabout in the U.S. so I wasn't sure what to do at first.

While over there I noticed there are tons of Toyota Land Cruisers. In the U.S. the Land Cruiser isn't popular because the only model available is the top of the line model, which is quite expensive. Had I visited Australia before ordering my X6 I may have gotten a Land Cruiser instead. Land Cruisers are rugged and reliable, I kind of fell in love with it after visiting Australia.

[watrob]

Originally Posted by Stunnaz

Wow, nice Ferrari. I was in Brisbane and Gold Coast last week for vacation. Beautiful city, but I had a hard time adjusting to driving on the right side and your "roundabouts" at every other intersection. I don't think I've ever come across a roundabout in the U.S. so I wasn't sure what to do at first.

While over there I noticed there are tons of Toyota Land Cruisers. In the U.S. the Land Cruiser isn't popular because the only model available is the top of the line model, which is quite expensive. Had I visited Australia before ordering my X6 I may have gotten a Land Cruiser instead. Land Cruisers are rugged and reliable, I kind of fell in love with it after visiting Australia.

Toyota are the number one selling cars in Australia, the 4x4 range Landcrusier, Hi-Lux etc are big sellers also and nearly all mining companies here use them..

This is my beach vehicle, 1974 Toyota FJ40:-

[MeTaLX6]

wow on all accounts

[Ninjaoz]

congrats watrob! Where are the photos of your spanking new M50d?

[watrob]

Originally Posted by Ninjaoz

congrats watrob! Where are the photos of your spanking new M50d?

I am hoping to pick the M50d up this evening or tomorrow, just waiting on a call?

[watrob]

Well picked up the F15 M50d this evening and it handles quite well compared to my last E70 M50d.

In my original E70 M50d we did not get the special diff which only came in E71 X6 M50d, but now comes in F15 M50d except if you order the 3rd row seats then you don't get it, well here anyway, not sure in the US.

The Comfort perforated seats are a lot better than the ones that came in the E70's also and the sports 8 speed certainly is a lot smoother. With some 740nm of torque it gets up and goes once your moving, also noticed less lag than the E70 M50d as well.

Cannot really say I am impressed with the full digital dash, think the screen is a little fuzzy, like comparing an iPad 1 to the current version iPad, but it does stand out.

The full leather dash is standard in the F15 M50d whereas in the E70 M50d it was a $4000 option which I skipped last time but consider this an option you must have, certainly makes a crisper & cleaner dash.

The other item is the led driving lights, the E70 M50d have adaptive Xenon and as you know the inner lights were dummies (only the led rings worked, also the E70 M50d did not have fog lights either. The F15 M50d front led lights work on low beam on all 4 lights and the outer light switch to high beam, plus led fog lights, that 6 lights up front and that's back to the days of the E53 X5.

The HK audio, in the E70 M50d I had the high end 16 speaker system, not cheap, think $3k or $4k extra at the time, but I have to admit after adjusting the balances its pretty good. Some have complained the HK is no good but maybe with the full leather dash, comfort perforated seat and the different head lining, panorama roof etc (or BMW has improved the speakers) has changed the sound. At half volume you cannot talk to you passenger I know that, and I have to go negative on the bass, so whether they have up the watts I don't know or tuned the system better, not sure but after having a brand new standard X5 as a loaner for 5 months, its chalk & cheese.

Brakes remain the same (massive) on the F15 M50d as did the old model, again had ceramic pads made, no dust.

Tyre's this time are Continentals on 20" wheels, last two X5 had Dunlops & Bridgestones. Noticed the Continentals seem wider (balloon more on the rims) than the other 2 brands thus not needing that rubber lip/ridge protection that Bridgestone & Dunlop have. So the whole sidewall of the tyre is the protection against a kerb contact.

Its steadier and more flat footed thru corners, again due the diff, also I have control thru iDrive of the setting for Sports+, standard button settings are:- Eco, Comfort, Sports and then Sports+, which I pre-set in iDrive, a bit like the M button in the old M3 etc. I can see wearing out a set of tyres very quickly here?

In Eco mode it says I will get 1,200klm out of a tank of diesel, not game to look at what Sports+ would say?

Well tomorrow night is up to the beach house (14klm of beach driving, no road), half tide, so soft sand, love it, its the only rallying I get to do these days. So that's 150klm of freeway, 14klm of beach, that should run things in

PS. Photos coming

[MiguelPt]

Here in Portugal full leather dashboard is an optional... I have it and i love it

HK can be very different from car to car... I have it on my m50d and i like it a lot... I had it on a m550d and it wasn't good... So, in resume, HK on the m50d is not so good as B&O but for the price it's very very good.

I also had 2 x5 e70 (35d and 40d) and i think the F15 is a very big jump (to a better model).

Good luck with yours m50d

[watrob]

Had the F15 M50d calipers done in the same colour as my old E70 M50d.

[schaeffs]

Originally Posted by watrob

Had the F15 M50d calipers done in the same colour as my old E70 M50d.

Nice watrob!! You have a similar garage to mine - except I have a Scud rather than the Cali - really enjoying the M50d - it rocks.

[akhter]

What diff are you talking about that gets deleted if you have 3rd row seat? is there an option code or a part number?

Usa M Sport is totally different--it doesn't even include M adaptive suspension (which is included everywhere else with m sport).

do you have DHP? did you drive with and without DHP and are you sure the 'flat' cornering you mention is not just DHP which is exactly what its for?

[watrob]

Originally Posted by akhter

What diff are you talking about that gets deleted if you have 3rd row seat? is there an option code or a part number?

Usa M Sport is totally different--it doesn't even include M adaptive suspension (which is included everywhere else with m sport).

do you have DHP? did you drive with and without DHP and are you sure the 'flat' cornering you mention is not just DHP which is exactly what its for?

Here in Australia if you order 3rd row seats you loose the Torque Vectoring and Anti-Roll in the F15 X5. As far as I know this was first introduced in the E71 X6 which had an E type diff for this to happen.

It has to do with the floor pan in the rear to accommodate the 3rd row seats.

I will take a photo of my diff on the M50d and compare it to my daughters new X5 M sports diesel coming next week which has standard M sport suspension?

[akhter]

Originally Posted by watrob

Here in Australia if you order 3rd row seats you loose the Torque Vectoring and Anti-Roll in the F15 X5. As far as I know this was first introduced in the E71 X6 which had an E type diff for this to happen.

It has to do with the floor pan in the rear to accommodate the 3rd row seats.

I will take a photo of my diff on the M50d and compare it to my daughters new X5 M sports diesel coming next week which has standard M sport suspension?

Isn't DHP=torque vectoring and anti roll

[watrob]

We don't get DHP as a option so to speak, our options are:-

1. M Sport Pack suspension
2. Adaptive Drive option with air suspension "Comfort" 2VM & Professional 7SZ
3. Adaptive Drive option with air suspension "Dynamic" includes 2VM "Comfort" & 7SZ plus 2VP.

If you add 3rd row seats you loose parts of 2VP

Then on the X5M & M50d which has some extra electronic rear & frontend axle control which allocates power to each wheel which standard X5's don't have.

[akhter]

All I have is:
2VF Adaptive M suspension (which has electronic dampers--I saw them when swapping wheels so I know they have them). This is also part of the M sport package here.
4UB 3rd row seating (which supposedly has rear comfort air suspension).

I checked my VIN build sheet and I don't have 2VM or 7SZ, or 2VP. In anywise sounds like yours handle like beast .For me 3rd row was how justified the whole upgrade

[AGV]

Originally Posted by watrob

Then on the X5M & M50d which has some extra electronic rear & frontend axle control which allocates power to each wheel which standard X5's don't have.

really?

[akhter]

Originally Posted by AGV

really?

I am surprised as well. i thought xdrive meant exactly that...

[watrob]

You will find that the software mapping of the sports gearbox along with permanent multi-plate clutch system allows apportioning up to 100 per cent of drive to either the front or rear axle and then split left & right controlled by torque vectoring, this more aggressive mapping is seen in the X5M & M50d.

I have seen on the digital cluster in Sports + mode on the beach showing 4x4 mode and then swap into 2x4 while on the move, also felt the front only pulling the X5 and power be applied more to the outside turning wheel.

The M50d like the X5M would be pretty useless with all that torque if all 4 wheels did not have the ability to have power directed to all wheels at once, and not only in apportioning to front to rear but to left to right side wheels.

I know that if I had ordered third row seats I get a detuned mapping and loose torque vectoring and ant-roll. This mapping controls the e-diffs and if you don't order the extra handling packages you end up with a standard diff which is what you get when your have third row seats.

The standard diff part numbers are 33107636992 & 33107636996. The e-diff is 33107595261 and its double the size, hence no room if you have third row seats and only the top adaptive handling package gets the e-diff also.

So you may order a M-Sport but unless you get top the dynamic adaptive package you don't get the diff and if you have third row seats you cannot get it at all.

[AGV]

watrob
So standard X5's + M package + DHP=

Originally Posted by watrob

some extra electronic rear & frontend axle control which allocates power to each wheel

?

[watrob]

Originally Posted by AGV

watrob
So standard X5's + M package + DHP=

?

The US has different option list to us but if you look under the rear of the X5 and you see diff that looks like a normal car diff then you have not got the e-diff.

The minimum option is the adaptive DYNAMIC drive option, the comfort version does not get the e-diff. The combined option here is 2VF & 2VP, if you have 2VM which is comfort you don't get the diff. A standard M-Sport with just 2VF does not get the e-diff and a X5 with 3rd row seats does not get the e-diff either.