650 v. 550

[Lorch92]

Well, it's coming up on decision time. I had been waiting to do ED on a 550i, but have recently been thinking more and more about the 650i. I know the engines are the same, but what do people thing about the relative merits of the two? A 530xi is another possibility (I live in the NE, where we get a fair amount of snow, etc.), but would get snows either way, so I'm leaning towards going for the greater performance. Any and all input is greatly appreciated!

[BmW745On19's]

I'd get the 650 since not many people will have one and alot of people already have a 5 series and they almost all look alike. No no for the 530xi, the 4-wheel drive greatly reduces performance so its kinda ludicrous to spend that kind of money for a 4-wheel drive sedan, i'd just get an suv or subaru. BMW 650ci= :bling:

[AriciU]

It depends what you want really. If it's just you and your girlfriend/wife i'd say get the 6er because it looks much more appealing then the E60 IMO. It will also be sportier and faster due to the lower weight and lower center of gravity. Also, it will handle bad roads better then the E60 since it's suspension settings are more "tuned" for the runflat tires then the suspension on the 5er witch is kinda rough IMO.

So if performance is all that you are after then the 6er is a nobrainer. Don't think you'll have much trouble in the snow with snow tires mounted and i would never get xDrive with any BMW (unless it were a X3 or X5 of course) for that matter... they we're made to be RWD in the first place.

[gbelton]

Hello My Friends:

I would go with the 650 for its uniqueness, performance, style, and all the 2nd, 3rd and 4th looks you will get in NE; or any place you go for that matter! Speaking of NE, there is another member (From NE) who owns a 645ci who responds frequently. He may just pop-in and give you his thoughts.

I would go with the 550 if you have a family and no other car(s) you are willing to share with the spouse... You get my drift. Nice big body 5 goes well where ever you go but nothing looks like that 6! That's what I hear... (Good points of course)

:thumbdwn:I would choose begrudgingly the 530xi only if I could not drive in:thumbdwn: the wintery weather conditions. Only if I have a spouse who
:thumbdwn:would be driving it... NO WAY!! xi in a sedan are for
:thumbdwn:sap-suckers. Get it if you like and I promise not to laugh. :cry:

Either way my friend they are all BMW's and will satisfy your taste for the Ultimate Driving Machine.:)

[SmoothCruise]

Well, it's coming up on decision time. I had been waiting to do ED on a 550i, but have recently been thinking more and more about the 650i. I know the engines are the same, but what do people thing about the relative merits of the two? A 530xi is another possibility (I live in the NE, where we get a fair amount of snow, etc.), but would get snows either way, so I'm leaning towards going for the greater performance. Any and all input is greatly appreciated!


I got a 645 convertible, and I live in New England. I haven't driven the 5 series, so I can't truly compare, but I've read enough about it, that hopefully I can give you some decent input.

If you are leaning towards performance, I would go with the 650 or 645. No question about it.


If there's a good chance you'll be driving around more than one passenger, I would get the 5. You can carry 2 people in the back of your 6er, but it's cramped, and your rear passengers won't be in much comfort. They will go about 45 miles before wanting to get out and stretch. I know, because I've done it a few times. I drive mostly by myself, so this isn't really an issue.

Regarding rain conditions. My 6er handles fine in the rain with stock tires. The only time this becomes a problem is if there are puddles, and I'm using the gas pedal liberally. Yes it can fish tail on you. Okay, this is hitting puddles at over 80MPH. Rather extreme for any car. Thus, if the road is wet, 6er is good. If the road has puddles, 'momentum drive' through them.

Regarding snow conditions. I got my 6er in February of this year. And last winter was one of the most unusual winters in New England. We got the most snow ever on record. At times we had a major snow storm once a week, and minor one like every 3 days. It was bad. I thought buying my car at the end February, I'd see the end of the winter. Boy was I wrong. We had the 2 biggest snow storms of the season right after I bought my car.
One of them was bigger than the famed blizzard of '70 something.

Anyways.... here's how my 6er handled. It was fair to awful. Mind you, I think my 6'er would be decent (note that's decent, not good), had I gotten some snow tires, but silly me, I thought the winter would soon be gone.

Here's the conditions where it was just plain awful: When there is more than a half inch of snow covering the road. Doubly bad, when you need to accelerate up an incline, especially when you're starting from stop. Even if you are tapping the gas pedal, my 6er could fishtail by 4 inches. And, there's a good chance it could spin out. One time I was in the right lane, of a two lane road, and I was worried that my rear would fish tail into the guard rail, denting my car. I'm a pretty good driver, so I can tell right away when this is about to happen, and also I can anticipate it ahead of time too.

That last paragraph should scare you. But, let me guess the number of times this has happened. About 3 times. And everytime it was snowing heavy, and the plows could not keep up. Just don't drive when it snows heavy, work at home, or shift your work hours around. Give plows enough time to clear the road. Know alternate routes ahead of time that you can take which are plowed but have less cars on them, and less inclines. You'll be fine... even without snow tires.

Go with the 6er, they have the classiest looks, the most beautiful looks. Their interior is the best out of all the models. Sedans and SUVs are everywhere. Coupes are rarer, and the 6er even more so. The 5er, since it's a sedan, just doesn't have that not-often-seen aire about it. The 6er does.


Since 6er handles better than a RWD 5er, they handle better in the conditions I described.

However, if you are still worried about New England weather, and I completely understand that.... go with a 5x'er.


Hope that helps.

[credit777]

Get the car that best suits your needs - or you'll regret it.

My wife and I have no kids - so in addition to a very clean house :rofl: its usually just the two of us in the car on the weekends. I drive a 545 to work - because I often have three to four people in the car. No matter how much I would want to drive the 650 - it simply wouldn't work most of the time.

However, we have a 650 coming shortly because my wife doesn't have business lunches - and we can both take it on the weekend.

Both cars are great - so you can't go wrong :thumbup: ...but you may be unhappy if you have to carry people and/or kids in the 6er.

[gbelton]

Hello My Friends:

Anyone purchased snow tires yet? I just purchased mines from TireRack: Wheels - 18x8 moda R6 Bright Sil Tires - 245/45VR-18 Continental ContiWinterContact TS810 S N0

I have the Michelins for my 7ers and they are good but performance is lacking...

-GMAN

[Malibubimmer]

Both cars are great - so you can't go wrong :thumbup: ...but you may be unhappy if you have to carry people and/or kids in the 6er.
Credit, I hope you're wrong. I've got lots of cars but my daughter (who's 8 1/2 -- still at an age when the 1/2 counts) desperately wanted me to get a 645Ci convertible.

So we went to our dealer, Bob Smith in Calabasas, and drove the coupe and convertible. When my daughter is in the back of the CL55 she kicks the bejeezuz out of the back of the front seat. I put her in the front with a "baby smart" booster seat that turns off the air bag. No such option in the 6er. I had her sit in the back, and she loved it. "Plenty of room, Daddy," she said. I sure hope she wasn't lying. :rofl: Because that's where she's riding. (She's 54 inches tall, so she's pretty tall for a girl her age, too.)

She wanted me to buy a 645Ci but I knew the 650 was coming out (and thought it would be the 650Ci, little did I know). I had been burned by Mercedes when the next year's CL55 came out with 140 more HP. Even though the 650i has only 30 more HP, I wanted every one of them. The 645Ci was almost as quick - or felt that way - as my CL55 despite having 25 less HP. I suspect the 650i will be a real rocket. But I will be carrying small children in the back from time to time.

Which leads to a question - is there any way to turn off the front passenger seat air bag?

[credit777]

Which leads to a question - is there any way to turn off the front passenger seat air bag?

No - there's no way to turn it off. (Although many have requested it.) I read recently that BMW doesn't support that option because their position is that a child has a greater chance of injury in the front seat with our without an airbag. (Again, that's their position).

I've got lots of cars but my daughter (who's 8 1/2 -- still at an age when the 1/2 counts) desperately wanted me to get a 645Ci convertible. So we went to our dealer, Bob Smith in Calabasas, and drove the coupe and convertible.
Remember when they used to want ponies? Now its 360+ horses.

4 more days!! :thumbup: