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turbo lag

2K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  markl53 
#1 ·
While on a test drive, I'm on the freeway going about 60 and I mash the throttle.
I notice the tach. races up but nothing happens, then in about 2 - 4 seconds the car accelerates. I'm thinking this was turbo lag. Is this the case? I think I was in sport+ when I did this.
thanks
 
#5 ·
Keep the Maxima. No, seriously, maybe you didn't push the pedal as far as you think you did. The 8-speed transmission responds pretty quickly, actually, immediately in my 2011 535i. For maximum response, push the transmission lever over to Sport. I don't have the comfort-sport button, but with the trans in the sport gate, the transmission is even faster to respond. However, at 60 mph, I would have expected an immediate burst of speed -- the trans will drop multiple gears in one shot, the way the clutching is set up. Try it again.
 
#6 ·
I have a 550 so not apples to apples, but I do notice some turbo lag from time to time, especially if I am not in a proper gear and the car doesn't downshift. The best feeling is at 2,500+ so until the needle gets there you may be feeling turbo-lag-ish-ness.

You can force the car to immediately downshift by pressing the gas paddle all the way down past the kick down notch (you will feel the peddle pass a sort of "click" point).

Having the shifter pushed to the left in sport mode makes the biggest difference in terms of transmission responsiveness, more so than putting the car into sport+, which effects mostly the chassis and steering to varying degrees depending on features on the car (e.g. dynamic dampers, active roll stabilization, etc).


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#7 ·
Thanks for the replies. The salesman was a jerk and didn't bother to explain anything to me. I'm selling a 95 Ferrari F355 spider to pay for this as I didn't drive the 355 as much as I wanted. It's on CatsExotics.com black/black. With this car you even think of pushing the gas pedal and it takes off. I did also test drive an E350 4matic and it really needs a bigger engine. Although both cars have 300 hp, the MB has less torque and and it comes on much later than the 535. As such, it feels like a slug accelerating from a stop. Everything else about the MB is top notch though.
 
#9 ·
I did the major service (belt service) 4 years ago at a Ferrari dealership and it cost $13,000.
A little higher than normal but not unexpected. The engine/drive train is dropped from the body to get access to the engine. There is a saying "anyone can buy a Ferrari, but few can own them".
I have total about $18K in the car in 4.5 years including new tires/battery/tender and misc. repairs, nothing major.
 
#12 ·
I've owned several turbo cars going back nearly 30 years - when turbo lag existed in all turbo cars to a noticeable degree. In my opinion, the 550 has virtually no discernible turbo lag. I think most people are feeling the effects of something else. The most common would be shift lag, or the effects of the fuel cut eliminator (google it).
 
#15 · (Edited)
My car feels pretty instantaneous in Sport/Sport +. I did however drive a 640i GC which I came on the boards asking why it felt more "laggy" upon throttle (I would hit the gas off of idle and it would literally take a couple of second to register then go, while my 535i is pretty instant). I came to find out that it was an XDrive (which also explained why I couldn't "burnout" like I can my 5er), which perhaps lags a little bit more upon initial throttle push than a RWD (throttle wise, not takeoff wise)?

As for Turbo Lag, I notice absolutely none in my car and various magazine tests have reported the N55 (I6 Turbo) motor is impressively almost defyingly-for-a-turbo motor sans any Turbo related lag whatsoever.

Oh, and did it have SAT (Sport Auto Transmission)? That I feel helps a lot in eliminating any lag that would be felt from the car.
 
#16 ·
+1. My standard 8-spd auto, especially in the left-side sport gate, downshifts instantaneously, even applying only partial throttle -- there is absolutely no delay. Especially travelling at highway speeds. The OP needs to drive the 535i again, with the trans in sport mode.
 
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