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Sedans BMW 5-Series BMW 5-Series Sedans
12657 messages, Last post on Nov 05, 2009 at 6:14 PM
You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: jeqq (Feb 10, 2008 5:44 pm) Wow, I REALLY like both the auto gear selector and the auto blink mechanism. They become seamless after using briefly and when I drive my other cars, I miss 'em. I find the signal/blinker mechanism especially very ergonomic compared to clunky signal mechanisms on other cars. |
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Replying to: jeqq (Feb 10, 2008 4:42 pm) The electronic gear shifter takes a little time (just a little) to get used to. In the new X5 it actually provides a somewhat useful benefit... the switch to an electronic shift mechanism clears space on the center console for extra storage and two very large (by German standards) cup holders. The mid-model revision of the 5 series gets the electronic shifter and the corporate 6 speed steptronic transmission, but no improvement in storage space. So it does seem like a no-value-added technology "improvement" in the 5.
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Replying to: roadburner (Feb 10, 2008 6:07 pm) The point of my comments is exactly this: the trend for years in every vehicle (not just BMW) has been towards more and more technology and that's not going to change. So we might as well get used to it and learn to adapt. We should be glad that BMW doesn’t take the cynical view that its customers are barely intelligent enough to tie their shoes and couldn’t possibly learn to use a different gear shifter or turn signal (that's Lexus' target market). These new features entail trade-offs and have some disadvantages, but the net effect is a better vehicle. We're just complaining about inconveniences at the margins and ignoring the major improvements that this technology makes possible. And all this complaining about "learning new gadgets" reminds me of my grandparents' first attempt to figure out the remote control for their satellite TV receiver. |
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Replying to: anon3 (Feb 12, 2008 7:08 pm) |
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Replying to: og_oggilby (Feb 09, 2008 8:22 am) my mileage reference point is my old 540i though and i would have expected the new v8 to be no less efficient than the old one. perhaps the auto transmission is killing the mileage..time will tell.
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Replying to: jamesg (Feb 12, 2008 8:53 pm) Overall for this size car with this much performance, I think anything in the 20s is pretty good. I too opted for the 550 sport over the 535 because it feels like a different car. I don't think it's the engine as much as the M suspension and perhaps the fact that it has non run flats. Driving the 2 back to back was a different experience. Both great cars and I don't know that the price difference is really worth it, except it is to me.
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Replying to: topspin628 (Feb 13, 2008 6:07 am) ... to you. True that. Enjoy the 550! - Ray Thinking 28 MPG at 65 is pretty good - but would mean 25 or less at the highway speeds I typically hit... |
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Replying to: anon3 (Feb 12, 2008 6:16 pm) How many times have you looked at a new product and said " Man what were they thinking, why didn't they do this instead of that?" |
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Replying to: anon3 (Feb 12, 2008 7:08 pm) Just for the record, I have no hesitation in tearing into my PCs to swap memory sticks/video cards/power supplies/etc. I've also installed more than a few home theaters, including a 7.1 setup for myself as well as my BIL(and as for flawed interfaces, most any HTR menu system wins hands down). And back in the early 90's I was opening Motronic boxes to swap Dinam and Conforti EPROMS. I was also one of the first CCA members in my region to purchase a Peake Research code reader. So I don't think that I can be considered a technophobe. You see, my issue isn't new technology- it's whether the new technology is an improvement. The initial implementation of iDrive is a good example- it was a very flawed interface that was neither simple nor intuitive to operate. On the other hand, Comfort Access is an excellent example of new technology which simplifies several mundane tasks. As for the lack of a dipstick, the issue for me is the fact that -aside from draining and measuring the oil- there is no way to verify the accuracy of the sensor outside of a dealer service bay. Contrast that situation with that of the TPMS. Even though I am obsessive about keeping track of tire pressure, I welcomed the advent of the TPMS since it provides a driver with real-time information any time the vehicle is in operation. however, as someone else observed, the TPMS accuracy can easily be verified with a tire gauge. All I want is a dipstick so that I can verify the sensor readout. I don't think that is too much to ask.
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