M Adaptive Suspension - How much of an impact?

Originally Posted by JohnnyO

I do intend to. I was bit wishy-washy with that reply.

I would say pass if you were getting a sportline or msport because i really think the passive sport suspension is great, but since you dont have the option then the dynamic handling is a must imo

Originally Posted by JohnnyO

I do intend to. I was bit wishy-washy with that reply.

Happy as **** to have the passive Sport. I have driven an M3 for six years, I know of what I speak.

Originally Posted by bmw_or_audi

The lack of information on this and all the errors on BMW's site is frankly a disgrace. It's laughable.

But I finally found some information on this very site: CONFIRMED - F30 xDrive with Adaptive M Suspension Does NOT Lower Ride Height

But looking beyond xdrive, this news bit seems to answer answer some of my questions with this: "he Adaptive M Suspension offered for the rear wheel drive F30 includes a 10mm lower sport spring, the same spring that is offer on the sport suspension."

In other words, if you get it on a luxury line, you do get the sport springs and adaptive dampers. By implication, if you add the package to the sports line, you keep your springs and you get adaptive dampers instead of passive ones. If this is all true, it finally does make some sense to me. It also renders the idea of lines a little more inconsequential than before.

I'm little confused here and hope some one can clear this up for me.
So I'm getting 335i (no X Drive) Sport line. It comes w/ M sport suspension. Is this that different from adaptive M suspension? I see it as option for $1k more. Should regular normal drives get this? If so what others? I heard about the handling package. Do these really make big difference?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Bimmer App

I didn't order the adaptive M suspension on my M Sport - 13' 328i xDrive, and I am not worried about it. I did not buy my car to race or to experience it at high speeds. I drive like a flippin' grandpa... and I am 28... I'm not bothered by the comfort suspension. I got almost every option on my car, and I am quite happy with what is coming to me.

Originally Posted by Taeksoo

I'm little confused here and hope some one can clear this up for me.
So I'm getting 335i (no X Drive) Sport line. It comes w/ M sport suspension. Is this that different from adaptive M suspension? I see it as option for $1k more. Should regular normal drives get this? If so what others? I heard about the handling package. Do these really make big difference?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Bimmer App

Your car comes with sport suspension not 'm sport' suspension. What $1000 gets you is an active adaptive suspension that is arguably better than your sport suspension.

Just for clarification, the M Sport active suspension only has active dampers, no active sway bars, correct?

Originally Posted by SergioK

Just for clarification, the M Sport active suspension only has active dampers, no active sway bars, correct?

AFAIK that is correct.

OK, stupid question time: what does the Adaptive M Suspension on a 328xi actually do?

I've seen plenty on what it is, and what it has, and whether you should get it. But what I'd like to know is, what is the practical result of using it for the driver? What does it do for your drive, what is the advantage, and in what situations does it best manifest itself?

I'm looking at a 13 328xi base (i.e., none of the four defined lines), so I'm mulling over whether it add it. I live in the city of Chicago, where the roads are really flat, really straight and littered with stop signs and traffic lights.

Bonus question: are the settings Comfort/Sport/Sport+ tied directly to Adaptive M Suspension?

You are not asking what it does, that's been explained. You are asking for some kind of subjective evaluation of the suspension, when you should just find a dealer that has a car with it (even a used one) and find out for yourself.

In a nutshell, since you drive on city streets the primary advantage is that the active suspension will soak up bumps better than the stock suspension. However if you are buying a no-lines model and keeping it long term and aren't a sport-oriented driver then you might be better off saving your money as the adaptive suspension will cost more to service/replace components on, down the road.

Originally Posted by voip-ninja

You are not asking what it does, that's been explained. You are asking for some kind of subjective evaluation of the suspension, when you should just find a dealer that has a car with it (even a used one) and find out for yourself.

In a nutshell, since you drive on city streets the primary advantage is that the active suspension will soak up bumps better than the stock suspension. However if you are buying a no-lines model and keeping it long term and aren't a sport-oriented driver then you might be better off saving your money as the adaptive suspension will cost more to service/replace components on, down the road.

This bold part helps.

I guess am asking for is a listing out of its benefits, because I am having trouble finding a concise explanation of that. I have looked around for a while and just haven't been able to find it. I have found technical explanations of what it is ("a lowering of the chassis by ten millimetres and electronically controlled dampers result in increased agility") and, to your point, what it does ("sensors continuously measure data and control the shock absorber valves in the Adaptive M suspension according to the driving situation and road profile"), but I haven't found much on how it helps drivers (e.g., corner more sharply, accelerate more smoothly, brake more effectively, stuff like that).

You have helped a lot by talking about how it soaks up bumps on rough city streets. That helps, and thank you. If you have a link or a referral to any complete concise explanation of driver benefits, I'd appreciate that.

I also do appreciate your recommendation based on my circumstances. Thanks for that, too.

Do you not see it as being a benefit that the suspension can be switched, on the fly, from a very supple suspension that provides a comfortable ride to a very firm and sporty suspension that is very responsive? If you don't get that this is something worth $900 then I'm not sure why it should be discussed. The only time someone should pass on the adaptive-m suspension is if they don't want to outlay the cash, don't drive the car in sporty fashion (ever) or believe that the regular sport suspension can be pushed "harder" than the adaptive setup.

Originally Posted by voip-ninja

Do you not see it as being a benefit that the suspension can be switched, on the fly, from a very supple suspension that provides a comfortable ride to a very firm and sporty suspension that is very responsive? If you don't get that this is something worth $900 then I'm not sure why it should be discussed. The only time someone should pass on the adaptive-m suspension is if they don't want to outlay the cash, don't drive the car in sporty fashion (ever) or believe that the regular sport suspension can be pushed "harder" than the adaptive setup.

When you say "switch on the fly", are you talking about switching from Sport to Sport+ to Comfort? Are these settings associated only with the Adaptive M, and not available without them? That's another thing I haven't been able to determine yet.

You cannot change the suspension independently. Putting the car in comfort mode makes the suspension "comfortable". Putting the car in sport mode puts the suspension in sports mode. You can go into the adaptive settings and say that if you are in sport mode you don't want the suspension changed with the sport mode change. Why anyone would choose to do that is beyond me. If what you are looking for is independent control of the suspension independent of the driving mode, that does not currently exist in i-drive.

Originally Posted by chasfh

When you say "switch on the fly", are you talking about switching from Sport to Sport+ to Comfort? Are these settings associated only with the Adaptive M, and not available without them? That's another thing I haven't been able to determine yet.

When you get a standard Lux/Modern/Sport/No line car, the switch control for Eco/Comfort/Sport has zero effect on the car's suspension. When you have DHP, these setting can also control the car's ride handling.

Originally Posted by SamS

When you get a standard Lux/Modern/Sport/No line car, the switch control for Eco/Comfort/Sport has zero effect on the car's suspension. When you have DHP, these setting can also control the car's ride handling.

To provide a real world example of this....

I am driving home in comfort mode and I enter a long sweeper turn at a highway interchange. I see a bunch of pokey SUVs and trucks littering this sweeper and decide I'm going to play jackass for a minute and carve my way through them on this mile long curve.

I reach down and switch the car into sport mode. The suspension immediately firms up along with the steering and the throttle response. I can now be a jackass and have it be much more enjoyable as well as be "safer" as the car is now in fighter-plane mode.

Originally Posted by voip-ninja

To provide a real world example of this....

I am driving home in comfort mode and I enter a long sweeper turn at a highway interchange. I see a bunch of pokey SUVs and trucks littering this sweeper and decide I'm going to play jackass for a minute and carve my way through them on this mile long curve.

I reach down and switch the car into sport mode. The suspension immediately firms up along with the steering and the throttle response. I can now be a jackass and have it be much more enjoyable as well as be "safer" as the car is now in fighter-plane mode.

OK. Could you do this with or without an Adaptive M Suspension on the car? Or only with?

Originally Posted by SamS

When you get a standard Lux/Modern/Sport/No line car, the switch control for Eco/Comfort/Sport has zero effect on the car's suspension. When you have DHP, these setting can also control the car's ride handling.

OK, so the way this reads, the Comfort and Sport settings are available with or without an Adaptive M Suspension. It's just that when you have an Adaptive M, these settings affect the suspension, and if you don't, these settings do not affect the suspension. Do I have that right?

Originally Posted by chasfh

OK. Could you do this with or without an Adaptive M Suspension on the car? Or only with?

You can change driving modes regardless of having adaptive suspension. Clearly your suspension setup won't change as I described if you DON'T have this feature. I'm not sure how to make this more clear to you.

Originally Posted by chasfh

OK, so the way this reads, the Comfort and Sport settings are available with or without an Adaptive M Suspension. It's just that when you have an Adaptive M, these settings affect the suspension, and if you don't, these settings do not affect the suspension. Do I have that right?

You got it.

Originally Posted by chasfh

OK, so the way this reads, the Comfort and Sport settings are available with or without an Adaptive M Suspension. It's just that when you have an Adaptive M, these settings affect the suspension, and if you don't, these settings do not affect the suspension. Do I have that right?

Yes, you have it right (finally). Honestly, you would understand the driving modes by simply taking a test drive, even on a car without adaptive suspension.

Please drive the car and THEN ask a lot of specific questions about buttons and modes.

Originally Posted by SamS

You got it.

Beauty, thanks.

Originally Posted by chasfh

When you say "switch on the fly", are you talking about switching from Sport to Sport+ to Comfort? Are these settings associated only with the Adaptive M, and not available without them? That's another thing I haven't been able to determine yet.

In a car without Adaptive M Suspension, hitting the switch from Comfort to Sport changes the transmission timing and throttle response, and adjusts the steering weight.

In a car with Adaptive M Suspension, hitting the switch from Comfort to Sport does all of those things as well as physically changing the suspension with electronically controlled dampers which makes the ride firmer or softer as well.

Many debate the reason for the feature, I look at it this way: It's the "wife" button. If you get a Sport line and have a wife that finds it uncomfortable you can hit a button and soften the ride as if you'd bought a Luxury/Modern/No-line car. Similarly, if you get a Luxury line for the sake of your wife but want to morph it into a tighter ride when she's not around you can hit a button and firm up the ride as if you'd bought a Sport line car.

For $900 you don't have to decide between a Sport line and a Luxury/Modern/No-line suspension; you can have both at the same time in the same car.

BJ

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

In a car without Adaptive M Suspension, hitting the switch from Comfort to Sport changes the transmission timing and throttle response, and adjusts the steering weight.

In a car with Adaptive M Suspension, hitting the switch from Comfort to Sport does all of those things as well as physically changing the suspension with electronically controlled dampers which makes the ride firmer or softer as well.

Ah -- so, without an Adaptive M, the switching of Comfort to Sport changes just the responsiveness in handling and acceleration, but with the Adaptive M, it changes these plus the firmness of the ride? Do I have that straight?

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

Many debate the reason for the feature, I look at it this way: It's the "wife" button. If you get a Sport line and have a wife that finds it uncomfortable you can hit a button and soften the ride as if you'd bought a Luxury/Modern/No-line car. Similarly, if you get a Luxury line for the sake of your wife but want to morph it into a tighter ride when she's not around you can hit a button and firm up the ride as if you'd bought a Sport line car.

For $900 you don't have to decide between a Sport line and a Luxury/Modern/No-line suspension; you can have both at the same time in the same car.

BJ

Bingo. This I get.

Originally Posted by chasfh

Ah -- so, without an Adaptive M, the switching of Comfort to Sport changes just the responsiveness in handling and acceleration, but with the Adaptive M, it changes these plus the firmness of the ride? Do I have that straight?

The "responsiveness in handling" does not change when you change driving modes unless you have adaptive m.

Without adaptive m the suspension doesn't change no matter what mode you select, so the ride and handling don't change when you change modes.

With adaptive m you can change the suspension behavior by changing modes, which is what determines the ride and handling.

Originally Posted by sean10mm

The "responsiveness in handling" does not change when you change driving modes unless you have adaptive m.

Well the steering weight changes, just not the suspension.

Again, we're arguing semantics because he wants us to put into words descriptive prose of "how it feels" when you play with this stuff, when he should just go drive the car.