innerloop
09-08-2011, 04:38 PM
Just got back from picking up my new GT from Munich and driving it around Europe for a week and a half. Felt obligated to return all the helpful advice here and write up a review of the car after a thorough and scenic test drive!
First, specifics on the car. I ended up ordering a 535GT (2011 still) pretty loaded up with all the usual stuff everyone gets (Convenience package, sports package, etc.). Also added on the Cameras, HUD, and Adaptive Drive (not steering). Deep Ocean Blue ext. with black interior.
My previous car, also Euro Delivered, was a 335 convertible that I picked up 3 years ago, just after they changed over to the new iDrive.
My first impressions of the car compared to my previous car:
* Liked the blue color, just a shade brighter than my previous car which was the dark-blue-almost-black color, I forget the exact name.
* I didn't get the luxury rear seating package, yet the back seats still independently moved forward & back and reclined (non-powered). Wasn't expecting that.
* Car looks big & hulking, a little menacing, on the Welt floor next to (generally) much smaller cars. It towers over the X1 sitting next to it.
* The iDrive display screen is noticable larger than my 3er
* Absolutely love the way the navigation information (next turn, etc.) is integrated into the instrument displays, freeing me from using that in the split screen.
* I really liked the HUD, glad I got it, it was a great way to avoid distractions while driving in Europe, which is already plenty distracting on its own.
* The Comfort setting on the Adaptive Drive really makes a BIG different in terms of the handling of the suspension, I didn't expect such an obvious change for some reason.
* The integration of radio & audio entertainment info in the instrument cluster display is also great.
* Love that I can change the units on the HUD & Instrument panel to KM instead of Miles, much easier when matching speed to Euro speed limits. Only oddity is that the Cruise setting on the instrument panel remains miles, even though it shows KM in the HUD.
* I didn't notice any throttle lag, even though I DID notice quite a bit of it on the test drive, so I suspect some newer programming between the model I test drove and the one I picked up (thank goodness!)
* Took a few tries to remember how to do the power lift gate on the remote, its dangerously close to "panic alarm" controls (oops!)
* Camera package was nice for getting into notoriously tight Euro parking spaces. I was a bit confused about why it sometimes defaults to "Rear camera" and sometimes "top down camera".
* The proximity beeping is a bit too conservative (solid tone with a foot of room left?). Wish I could adjust it and adjust the volume of it (probably I can, but its not obvious)
* On my previous car, if I did a "Random Play" of my iPod, it was easy to just the "next/previous" steering wheel control to skip a track I didn't care for. Now that this steering wheel has a rolling selector instead, its less obvious how to just do "next". Any ideas?
* After 9 days of driving, my average MPG through all variety of terrain was about 23.5MPG - better than my 335. Amazing!
* I expected to see other GTs on the road in Europe, but I saw zero others on the road. I DID see about 3-4 X6s however, which I sometimes mistook for GTs at first glance. And a shocking number of X5s and X3s. I didn't realize so many Europeans would import them back from the US factories. Go figure.
* The GT got lots of stares and looks when we would stop, and confused Valets trying to figure out how to load/unload the trunk until I showed them the "big" opening.
* Had a lot of fun throwing the car through curves in the mountains through Switzerland and Cote d'Azure, in Sport mode it can really behave like a smaller BMW.
* I liked how it projects a small blue dot on the target speed for the cruise, a bit more classy than how it was done in my 3 series.
* Liked the welcome lighting in the door handles, and the fact that all 4 doors had the comfort access ability
* Liked the addition of an audible confirm tone for lock/unlock (toggle-able) on the locking system, wasn't in the 3.
* Wow, the Comfort seats are REALLY comfortable. I love the upper-back separate adjustment and the side bolster adjustments. Most comfortable seat I've sat in for long rides bar none. And the "base" leather in this car felt better/richer than the Dakota in my 3.
* The panorama sunroof was nice. Not QUITE a substitute for my covertible top, but the next best thing. However because of the overall size of that sucker, the open/close sequence feels like it takes forever!
* Much better drink holders than the ones that fight for knee space with the passenger in my 3.
Overall it felt like a great luxury upgrade from my last car, especially in terms of seating comfort (front and back) and electronic systems & displays.
Really excited for it to arrive in 6-8 weeks from where we dropped it in Nice.
First, specifics on the car. I ended up ordering a 535GT (2011 still) pretty loaded up with all the usual stuff everyone gets (Convenience package, sports package, etc.). Also added on the Cameras, HUD, and Adaptive Drive (not steering). Deep Ocean Blue ext. with black interior.
My previous car, also Euro Delivered, was a 335 convertible that I picked up 3 years ago, just after they changed over to the new iDrive.
My first impressions of the car compared to my previous car:
* Liked the blue color, just a shade brighter than my previous car which was the dark-blue-almost-black color, I forget the exact name.
* I didn't get the luxury rear seating package, yet the back seats still independently moved forward & back and reclined (non-powered). Wasn't expecting that.
* Car looks big & hulking, a little menacing, on the Welt floor next to (generally) much smaller cars. It towers over the X1 sitting next to it.
* The iDrive display screen is noticable larger than my 3er
* Absolutely love the way the navigation information (next turn, etc.) is integrated into the instrument displays, freeing me from using that in the split screen.
* I really liked the HUD, glad I got it, it was a great way to avoid distractions while driving in Europe, which is already plenty distracting on its own.
* The Comfort setting on the Adaptive Drive really makes a BIG different in terms of the handling of the suspension, I didn't expect such an obvious change for some reason.
* The integration of radio & audio entertainment info in the instrument cluster display is also great.
* Love that I can change the units on the HUD & Instrument panel to KM instead of Miles, much easier when matching speed to Euro speed limits. Only oddity is that the Cruise setting on the instrument panel remains miles, even though it shows KM in the HUD.
* I didn't notice any throttle lag, even though I DID notice quite a bit of it on the test drive, so I suspect some newer programming between the model I test drove and the one I picked up (thank goodness!)
* Took a few tries to remember how to do the power lift gate on the remote, its dangerously close to "panic alarm" controls (oops!)
* Camera package was nice for getting into notoriously tight Euro parking spaces. I was a bit confused about why it sometimes defaults to "Rear camera" and sometimes "top down camera".
* The proximity beeping is a bit too conservative (solid tone with a foot of room left?). Wish I could adjust it and adjust the volume of it (probably I can, but its not obvious)
* On my previous car, if I did a "Random Play" of my iPod, it was easy to just the "next/previous" steering wheel control to skip a track I didn't care for. Now that this steering wheel has a rolling selector instead, its less obvious how to just do "next". Any ideas?
* After 9 days of driving, my average MPG through all variety of terrain was about 23.5MPG - better than my 335. Amazing!
* I expected to see other GTs on the road in Europe, but I saw zero others on the road. I DID see about 3-4 X6s however, which I sometimes mistook for GTs at first glance. And a shocking number of X5s and X3s. I didn't realize so many Europeans would import them back from the US factories. Go figure.
* The GT got lots of stares and looks when we would stop, and confused Valets trying to figure out how to load/unload the trunk until I showed them the "big" opening.
* Had a lot of fun throwing the car through curves in the mountains through Switzerland and Cote d'Azure, in Sport mode it can really behave like a smaller BMW.
* I liked how it projects a small blue dot on the target speed for the cruise, a bit more classy than how it was done in my 3 series.
* Liked the welcome lighting in the door handles, and the fact that all 4 doors had the comfort access ability
* Liked the addition of an audible confirm tone for lock/unlock (toggle-able) on the locking system, wasn't in the 3.
* Wow, the Comfort seats are REALLY comfortable. I love the upper-back separate adjustment and the side bolster adjustments. Most comfortable seat I've sat in for long rides bar none. And the "base" leather in this car felt better/richer than the Dakota in my 3.
* The panorama sunroof was nice. Not QUITE a substitute for my covertible top, but the next best thing. However because of the overall size of that sucker, the open/close sequence feels like it takes forever!
* Much better drink holders than the ones that fight for knee space with the passenger in my 3.
Overall it felt like a great luxury upgrade from my last car, especially in terms of seating comfort (front and back) and electronic systems & displays.
Really excited for it to arrive in 6-8 weeks from where we dropped it in Nice.