550i sport vs 550i

Besides the wheels and transmission what are the differences? And what is the major difference on the transmissions? The sport tranny shifts so much faster. With who-needs-a-dual-clutch since of urgency. Why and which one is smarter to buy? Looking at getting one or the other.

Originally Posted by nwilson44

Besides the wheels and transmission what are the differences? And what is the major difference on the transmissions? The sport tranny shifts so much faster. With who-needs-a-dual-clutch since of urgency. Why and which one is smarter to buy? Looking at getting one or the other.

It's also lowered 15mm with firmer springs and different shocks

And the active roll.

I'm glad at least on my 2012 that I went with the sport packate (vs Msport--i think that would have been bad for snow driving). The adaptive suspension makes a big difference if your roads suck. I truly think the 550 needs 18" wheels--I'm getting around ok on my snows Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D Run-flat245/45R18 100V. I don't think I'd want the car without adaptive suspension. It could be almost too soft--this car has 400hp,~458 lb. ft. of torque. Without mods, the car moves out.

The 550 is ready to go all the time. A light throttle moves it right along with traffic--you might be next to someone that's trying to really haul-it to cut you off. It's nice to know that this car can go--at any time. The larger brakes on the 550 are worth it. I thought my 2011 535xi was under-braked compared to the 500 which seems to be just right.

The 535 is a fine car. You WILL get better gas MPG on the 535. The 550 does drink more. I've found around town about 15 mpg, and highway near 25 or so. Not too bad. I think the 5 series is a great line-up, but I think the 550 is a fine car. For daily driving, it's far better than my Porsche 09 997.2 911.

The seats are comfortable. The layout of the dash is just about perfect. It's comfortable. And in 550 version, it does not need to play timid--someone else needs to have some serious engine power to play games. I've had a few BMW's and MB's lately, and my 550xi is the best out of all of them. I almost went with a new S-Class, but given Benz's quality issues I went with the 5 and after 6 months (and I don't keep cars long) this car is impressive.

Here is the description from the sales literature on what is in both Sports packages (2010 E60).

The Sports transmission does shift quick, i'm comparing to my prior '07 550i with the sports package and the SMG transmission, but does not shift as 'sporty' as the SMG did. IMO, I'd get the one that fits the look of the car that you want, a more aggressive look or not, and the type drive you can handle (e.g. The amount of harshness in the suspension).

Prior is M-Sport. Here is the Sport package:

I have owned two: a 2007 Sport and a 2008 7MP/ZSP, both with 6-spd manuals. While I liked the active suspension on both cars, the 2008 also had active steering which I never got used to, and comfort access, which I can do without.

I am actually now considering 2010 models, non-Sport, stick shift, with an idea of perhaps just buying the shadowline window trim as a DIY driveway project. The simpler body, advanced HD nav, and 18" tires may be OK for my needs. Of course, I would have to drive one back-to-back with an M-Sport car... Just an idea as I also believe that BMW's with Sport package deliver better handling without giving up too much in ride comfort. So, if push came to shove, I would be in yet another M-Sport car!

Okay so based on what I'm hearing, get the M package? And what are the hardware and software changed in the automatics between the base 550i and the 550i sport? Is it the same basic box?

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A real 550 Sport only comes with a 6 MT.

Olay so I'm confusing the sport package with the sport automatic transmission? I was trying to see the difference between the two automatic boxes. If it was going to be just my car, you could rest assured it'd be a 6-speed manual, but since its not the best I can do is a sport auto.

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Yes, the sports transmission is an option with the sport packages. You can get the sport package without the sport transmission, but you cannot have the sport transmission without having the sport package (at least it was this way with MY 2010).

Originally Posted by schnell525

I'm glad at least on my 2012 that I went with the sport packate (vs Msport--i think that would have been bad for snow driving). The adaptive suspension makes a big difference if your roads suck. I truly think the 550 needs 18" wheels--I'm getting around ok on my snows Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D Run-flat245/45R18 100V. I don't think I'd want the car without adaptive suspension. It could be almost too soft--this car has 400hp,~458 lb. ft. of torque. Without mods, the car moves out.

The 550 is ready to go all the time. A light throttle moves it right along with traffic--you might be next to someone that's trying to really haul-it to cut you off. It's nice to know that this car can go--at any time. The larger brakes on the 550 are worth it. I thought my 2011 535xi was under-braked compared to the 500 which seems to be just right.

The 535 is a fine car. You WILL get better gas MPG on the 535. The 550 does drink more. I've found around town about 15 mpg, and highway near 25 or so. Not too bad. I think the 5 series is a great line-up, but I think the 550 is a fine car. For daily driving, it's far better than my Porsche 09 997.2 911.

The seats are comfortable. The layout of the dash is just about perfect. It's comfortable. And in 550 version, it does not need to play timid--someone else needs to have some serious engine power to play games. I've had a few BMW's and MB's lately, and my 550xi is the best out of all of them. I almost went with a new S-Class, but given Benz's quality issues I went with the 5 and after 6 months (and I don't keep cars long) this car is impressive.

All great stuff, but you are an F10 550 in the E60 forum. Different car, different engine. Might confuse some readers.