E-Class stalwart considering F10.. eccentric q's/observations inside

Beautiful car, K-A!

K-A. congrats. That didnt take long at all, I guess when you see a good deal, you have to jump on it. Make sure you dont let your girl friend drive it

Congrats!

Unfortunately, with a two year lease, you will need to start car shopping ASAP.

Welcome aboard KA. As a previous W212 owner I can say that the f10 will be an eye opening experience!! And before you know it you will be driving a 650

Originally Posted by cordoor

We'll see. I don't mind being wrong (but prefer being right, hehe).

I went back and checked the E39 and E60 and both went through four model years before a facelift. I didn't check, but I'd bet their other models follow the same pattern.

If the F10 facelift comes for MY 2014, it will be the fastest facelift they've done in at least a couple of decades.

Perhaps what we see being track tested isn't a face lifted F10 but an F10 with the slightly better engine the 6 and 7 already have.

I could see them adding LED lights as an option but I wouldn't call that a face lift.

-Corey

Each of the 5 series has had a life span of 6 years -

E28 - 1982-1988
E34 - 1989-1995
E39 - 1997-2003
E60 - 2004-2010

To my knowledge, they have completed their LCI at the 3 year point (I had an 2008 E60). If you think about it, it makes sense to do a refresh at the midpoint of a product life. In the case of the F10 that came out a 2011 model year - 2011, 2012, 2013 - LCI

I too hope I am wrong, as by this time next year my car is going to look a bit dated, but just like in 2008 it will probably minor outside tweaks. Stuff like head lights, front facia, etc.

Originally Posted by K-A

Yessir, and I have YOU to thank for pointing me to it (and if the car turns out to be a lemon, then it's all your fault)!

Congrats man, really happy it worked out for you. I had a lot of issues with my 2011 but miss it compared to my W212 so I knew you'd like it. Did you end up doing the MSD's?

Originally Posted by K-A

Yessir, and I have YOU to thank for pointing me to it (and if the car turns out to be a lemon, then it's all your fault)!

It's official, I am the very proud owner (driver) of an F10 which I got from Bimmerfest owner Jon Shafer (BMW of Santa Barbra), who is AMAZING and made this by far the best car attaining experience of my life. He takes care of Bimmerfest members with great pride and passion, and is HIGHLY recommended to anyone interested in a BMW in Cali. Thanks to Kar Don linking me to it, I found the only remaining dealer (out of seemingly hundreds I searched) that had those INSANELY GOOD 24 month deals where you basically get a $64K well equipped 535i for the Lease payment of a 3-Series and very little drive off.

I will do an extensive review and post side by sides with my W212 E-Class (which I still currently have for not too much longer) as soon as I can in another thread. But know that this car absolutely BLOWS ME AWAY, absolutely everything I was looking for. I wanted to keep the luxury, and I wanted to add a youthful spirit and energy which inspired me to want to DRIVE as opposed to simply "ride", something that feels sexier in that "I am being seduced by an inanimate object right now" kind of way. This car meets those dynamic virtues as perfectly as anything could to me right now, considering the cost especially, as I've been looking and looking. What shocks me is that it seems even quieter, more luxurious (the interior is very coddling, "at your service", cozy and the seats are incredible), and yet far sportier. I absolutely adore my E and seeing it today I was having a hard time justifying even thinking of getting rid of it, especially as I think the face on my E is one of the best on any car I've seen out there, period, but if there's a car that can make me feel good with moving on from it, I think it's this 5er.

For now, here's the special "Bimmerfest Bow Tie" treatment I got from Mr. Shafer.

Congrats! Very nice. Now change that ugly signature picture

Originally Posted by The X Men

K-A. congrats. That didnt take long at all, I guess when you see a good deal, you have to jump on it. Make sure you dont let your girl friend drive it

Yes indeed! I'm serious about my deals and cars I guess! Getting it from the owner of the very Website which has had a significant effect on me even starting to really feel the "connection to BMW" made it all the better. My girl will be enjoying that great interior and drive in the passenger seat.... the PASSENGER SEAT!

Originally Posted by Emilner

Welcome aboard KA. As a previous W212 owner I can say that the f10 will be an eye opening experience!! And before you know it you will be driving a 650

Thank you sir! It's already blowing my mind, it really is. I just want to get in the car and drive, either 4 hours cross State and enjoy that cushy cabin or around twists and turns and enjoy that dynamic suspension (to me at least, I'm not coming from an E60 ). I'm glad the F10 really does that for me 'cause that's all I really wanted out of a car.

"A quintessential automotive Swiss Army Knife" is how I like to put it.

Originally Posted by dunderhi

Congrats!

Unfortunately, with a two year lease, you will need to start car shopping ASAP.

LOL. Sh**, I need to start looking!

Originally Posted by Golfster

Beautiful car, K-A!

Thank you so much, Golf!

Originally Posted by Cal

Congrats KA! As a current (but seldom post) MBworld member, I know how much posters there are going to miss you. As great as that board is with a few enthusiastic members like you, nothing beats a bimmer forum like this one. As you've stated, the vast info available here is unbelievable. How often do you see info like MF, residuals, factory incentives, etc, on other MB forums, or any other forum for that matter? I myself am a long time bimmer owner who has recently bought and leased several MBs (W211, W164, X164, R251) recently, but just got a 2013 535i this month due to the help of this knowledgeable forum.

In any case, congrats on the new car. It's looks fantasstic, although I have a feeling you would have preferred an Alpine White one. However, given the availability, the deal, and the chance to buy from Jon, this one is too hard to pass by, and the experience I'm sure is irreplaceable.

Hope you enjoy the car and look forward to seeing you more here AND on the other MB forums.

Thanks so much, Cal! I so agree. Even in my most active MBWorld days, I would say how the "Bimmerfest guys are kicking our butts". The MBWorld Forums does have some enthusiastic great guys indeed, but here it's just a whole different ball game. M-B's clientele seems a lot more clinical compared to BMW's who (obviously) have the brands products running through their veins therefore are extremely involved. To an extremist nutcase like myself, I fit right in. Good point about the MSD's, MF, residuals, etc. Never seen that anywhere else. Bimmerfest made this the BEST and EASIEST car shopping for me.... and to top it all off.... I got it FROM THE OWNER OF THE SITE! Just a great testament.

Originally Posted by Kar Don

Congrats man, really happy it worked out for you. I had a lot of issues with my 2011 but miss it compared to my W212 so I knew you'd like it. Did you end up doing the MSD's?

Thank you brother. You made a very real thing happen for a very real person! Treat yourself this NYE for that! I got the quote on it, and it was gonna save me like $50 a month or so, which is a significant amount considering how good a deal the car already was. I decided against it only because these days my second job is basically investing/trading stocks and I figured to keep as much powder in the closet that I can (basically taking the assumption that I can make more than that with that money in 2 years.... though of course that is far from definite and risk-on, but I guess I'll challenge myself).

Here's a little teaser pic:

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

Each of the 5 series has had a life span of 6 years -

E28 - 1982-1988
E34 - 1989-1995
E39 - 1997-2003
E60 - 2004-2010

To my knowledge, they have completed their LCI at the 3 year point (I had an 2008 E60). If you think about it, it makes sense to do a refresh at the midpoint of a product life. In the case of the F10 that came out a 2011 model year - 2011, 2012, 2013 - LCI

I too hope I am wrong, as by this time next year my car is going to look a bit dated, but just like in 2008 it will probably minor outside tweaks. Stuff like head lights, front facia, etc.

Each had 7 years.

For example, the first model year for E60 was 2004. So there was 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and then the LCI for 2008, 2009, 2010.

The same holds true for the E39.

Unless BMW changes their ways, I think 2014 will not be the LCI.

-Corey

Originally Posted by K-A

Here's a little teaser pic

That black looks sweet!

-Corey

Originally Posted by cordoor

Each had 7 years.

For example, the first model year for E60 was 2004. So there was 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and then the LCI for 2008, 2009, 2010.

The same holds true for the E39.

Unless BMW changes their ways, I think 2014 will not be the LCI.

-Corey

Yeah exactly. It's always 7 years (though I think the E39 might have been 8 years?), and always 4 years in original form, then the last 3 years in facelift form.

The E60 ran from 2004 to 20010, and had its facelift in 2008 (one year after the E-Class which is usually how it works).

I guess we'll find out soon. If they do facelift the F10 for 2014, it'll be a new "fast track" they employ to the 5-Series line, where they reverse the effect (3 years/4 years instead of 4 years/3 years).

Originally Posted by cordoor

Each had 7 years.

For example, the first model year for E60 was 2004. So there was 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and then the LCI for 2008, 2009, 2010.

The same holds true for the E39.

Unless BMW changes their ways, I think 2014 will not be the LCI.

-Corey

Hmmm, good point! I missed that, but everything still points to 2014. Spy shots, European magazines and journals, etc. I hope you are right, but its unlikely in this case.

We will find out soon enough, an I am ok with an I told you so... because you know I will be giving it to you... LMAO.

Originally Posted by K-A

Yeah, decided to try something different! The E is great, and the F10 is great! I was just really starting to crave something different, something with a different energy, and the F10 just creeped into my life as it was purposed to do, and finally took ahold of my brain.

I am so glad you came over to the dark side and got black. That is one thing when I get cars that is 100% non negotiable..car always has to be black. The last time I had a car that was not black was probably 1998 and it was white (the only other color I would ever even think about).

I am getting the cinnamon interior which I saw in person (100 times better then the photos on the Internet of that color).

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

We will find out soon enough, an I am ok with an I told you so... because you know I will be giving it to you... LMAO.

Fair enough :-)

My 550 order comes in Feb and I'm not canceling it at this point even if you are right. Hehe. It's hard enough waiting for these stupid things once ordered much less postponing the inevitable.

-Corey

As a quick read K-A, it looks like you're heading over to the BMW camp--good for you. I do not think you'll be disappointed.

Best of luck. From a guy that had two of those W212, I wish I never spent one cent on those products compared to BMW. I am biased yes, but when you boil down the plastic and pleather to the luxury and performance of this car, the E does not belong in the same competitive class. The 5 is closer to a 7--esp. when you're getting into the 550 IMO.

K-A - have you noticed the throttle tip-in issue on this car or no? Wondering if the issue is not there in the 2013's.

Originally Posted by DieselNY

I am so glad you came over to the dark side and got black. That is one thing when I get cars that is 100% non negotiable..car always has to be black. The last time I had a car that was not black was probably 1998 and it was white (the only other color I would ever even think about).

I am getting the cinnamon interior which I saw in person (100 times better then the photos on the Internet of that color).

I am too! Ahh, so you did get black, that link for the super low prices spoiler might come in real handy then!

I haven't notices TOO much a problem with the tip-in, but I will say I have noticed a slight delay sometimes when quickly hitting the gas, until the motor/turbo's propel the car like a rocket. Can't say if it's an issue yet or not as I'll let the car learn my driving style before I realize what's what.

Originally Posted by schnell525

As a quick read K-A, it looks like you're heading over to the BMW camp--good for you. I do not think you'll be disappointed.

Best of luck. From a guy that had two of those W212, I wish I never spent one cent on those products compared to BMW. I am biased yes, but when you boil down the plastic and pleather to the luxury and performance of this car, the E does not belong in the same competitive class. The 5 is closer to a 7--esp. when you're getting into the 550 IMO.

It looks like the dark side has taken control of me!

I do have some questions about the quirks that I'll be asking here soon (why the HELL do you have to pull the handle twice to open? Any way to get around that?, etc.).

Here's a copy-paste of a looooooooong review I did wrote to post up on various sites who were asking me for one. Funny thing is, I have even more to add now.
------------------------

Ok, so for what will be a wall of text, the most I've probably ever written anywhere period, keep in mind I'm gonna use this "review" on any board where I'm gonna post a review, and I want to cover about EVERYTHING I can between these two cars. Warning: It'll be intimidating, but you're safe to dive in.

I'll start/continue with the drive. I really haven't been this excited to *DRIVE* a car in a long time. Benzes to me are always about RIDING great, having a good environment to battle the day to day. I'd love getting into my E to experience just how smoothly and solidly it could transition me from place to place, to just "cruise" and enjoy the presence I felt the car had.

The BMW I want to really exploit the engineering of. I don't know which I'd rather do in this car, take a 4 hour drive and enjoy what I think is one of the nicest interiors in the world in insanely luxurious seats, with a state of the art Infotainment system, or go hit the "twistiez" and just have some more-adrenaline inspired fun with the car. Enjoy its beauty, or beast? In fact, tonight is NYE and my GF said we should go up the hills to have a "romantic celebration".... Shhh, don't tell her, but I jumped at the thought because I want to take this car around some turns.

Now, mind you, BMW fanatics consider the F10 a soft, cuddly couch compared to previous 5ers, but to me, coming out of an E-Class who rolls so exaggeratedly while turning it seems like the car sometimes detaches from its own wheels (which is a-ok with me as it's what M-B is all about, I just hate when they confuse themselves and make it so not only does the car sway like a boat in turns, but it's harsh over bumps when it should be the other way around).... it's a big change.

I drove my E again today, and I'll say this: When I first drove the 5, I said "The 5 is more comfy, smoother, quieter and MUCH BETTER OVER BUMPS WHILST ACTUALLY HANDLING MORE SPORTILY (i.e BMW wins in the suspension engineering dynamics dept by a longshot). After driving the E again, yes it feels a bit softer and "boatier" than it did before as I'm using to the 5's firmer approach, but I had a newfound appreciation for just how cozy it drives (over smooth roads). On good roads, the E really is a master of carefree transportation. It feels like you're being driven in the E, while in the 5 more like you actually have to drive it.... neither of those are bad things, mind you.... the E actually is engineered well enough to where it feels like IT DRIVES *YOU*, while the 5 is engineered well enough to where it makes you feel like you are much more connected to the machine.

I'm not gonna try and compare the 268 HP E to the underrated 300 HP Turbo I6 535i (it actually puts down around 280-290 HP at the wheels, therefore more like 325-340 HP at the crank, which is the HP number that is advertised). The E's motor is great at what it does.

My 5er has the "Sport Auto" option which comes with paddles and a more aggressively tuned tranny. Shifts are incredibly smooth and crisp, the paddle format is a bit different than M-B's, it's a little "smarter" in that the computer tries to figure out what you're doing or going to do (goes back into D on its own for example when it feels you're done playing with it), while M-B's you can click and hold to make those decisions. M-B's paddles give you about a year before it engages the gear you want, while the 5ers (WITH "SPORT AUTO") is far more instantaneous. The 8-Speed in the 5 is just much much faster than the 7-G in the E all around. Also, the optional paddles on the 5er are nicer and feel more high quality than the E's plastic pieces.

When I drove the E again, I had a newfound respect for it. Yes, I've wanted something more sporty, I spent my late 20's indulging in the most luxurious and cushy cars I could ask for, and the E started feeling a bit too disconnected to me, all of a sudden it felt like it didn't fit me, too mature, too geared to slow down the heart rate rather than speed it up. I'm not an idiotic driver on public roads, but even going within speed limits, a car can make you feel so differently while doing so. However, I don't think that's a BAD THING. I think it's what the E is supposed to do! That's why I bought it! Now I want to try something different. Why the 5-Series has just continued to seduce me is because it engages you as an ultimate all-arounder.... it wants to be "the best of all worlds". But for what the E wants to do, it does damn well and with no apologies.... except for over too rough of roads.

Both cars feel VERY solid, but I'm surprised to say that the 5 feels even more like a locomotive tracking, it feels VERY drum tight, no rattles at all yet over bumps (duh, it has 140 miles on it), and it MIGHT be quieter than the E, however ROAD NOISE IS MUCH BETTER ON THE 5, EVEN WITH 19" WHEELS. You notice it absorbs road impacts better and sounds from the road are far less intrusive (more undercarriage sound deadening materials I'd assume for one).

..... HOWEVER, on the other side of things, the E actually feels lighter (because it actually is), the 5 really feels heavy, it feels tight, it takes more effort to turn, etc. In fact, the steering of the 5 is something I have to get re-used to. Being a performance-inspired brand, BMW is all about a heavier steering feel. I always loved that feel.... until Mercedes spoiled me against it. The E's steering is so boosted that yes it's not a handling feel at all, but it's a great city feel. The E is so easy to maneuver, great turning radius, just feels light (and sometimes too light when you have to make a quick maneuver)

The interior is one of my favorites I've ever experienced.... and I've always said this about the car. It is very cozy, it wraps around you, kind of engulfs you, the shapes and the way your view around you is from the cockpit makes you really feel like you're sitting IN the car, in comparison. It just is mechanically and architecturally "sexier" to me. I do miss the E's dash-mounted ambient lighting though, as it sets a great mood and ambiance at night (the 5 just has them around the doors).

.... However, the does what it sets out to do: It's much airier and more open feeling inside. The seats, the pillars, etc. are thinner, maybe even flimsier appearing in some cases (the seats really), more upright. It doesn't try and dazzle you, rather just wants to give you a great functional ambiance. I really love the "joystick" in the 5er, I felt ready to go back to that. The E's gearshift is a very luxurious and functional-first accommodation, but I like the feeling of shifting the gears from the center console again.... feels cool, though I'm not dogging the E's way.... again, it IS APPROPRIATELY E. You buy an E for that, if you don't like it, then the E isn't for you.

Where M-B kills BMW in is storage and use of space. The E's trunk is VERY thoughtful and intuitive. All the compartments make sense, they give you lots of places to put different things. The 5ers is very haphazard in comparison. The "under storage" is this tiny little bin that can barely fit anything. The side compartments seem like they weren't designed with any thought.... the "net" on the left side of the trunk which is very high and tight to put detail bottles and such in the E, it too low and "wide" in the 5.... things just fall over and around.

.... Also inside, the E has a great place to put everything you can have in a car.... as if the engineers thought of every object you'd think of having in a car, and gave you a place for it. Nobody feats the functionality-thoughtfulness of M-B engineers.... funny thing is people deride M-B for that a lot because they take it as being too "old school" or whatever. The 5-Series has all these things that look like they would be storage compartments, but are just not able to house anything.... even the glove box is smaller than the E's. The E gives you two shelves, and has an A/C vent you can open inside it.... as far as I know the 5 has no A/C vent (anybody know if it does?) and no shelves, so everything is kind of just flung in there.

Technology: No contest. iDrive VS COMAND is like going to a HD Flatscreen TV after having the small TV set that was in your house when you were born, like a PS3 VS Atari, etc.. It is very "ooh/ahh", lots of features, best screen definition in the business I think, very cool looking and acting, BUT.... again, M-B's motto of simplicity makes COMAND MUCH EASIER TO USE. iDrive will be great once I figure it out, and perhaps I'll never think of COMAND again by then, but now, it is sometimes frustrating, and feels like they wanted to look "cool" at the expense of simple and logical function. COMAND is the opposite, it doesn't look all that "cool" I guess you can say, but it works well, simply and intuitively, and I comment M-B on that. I downloaded my Phone Book and did all the radio presets I wanted (you get two types of presets in the Bimmer, one in the I/C display and one in the physical dash buttons), and then all of a sudden they erased. I don't know if my system is buggy or if there's some stupidly complex process you have to go through to save the things you thought you actually saved.

Other random thoughts:

I love the anthracite headliner on the 5. It has a cool texture and looks great playing in sunlight. Also, the sunroof in the 5 is a more refined and expensive feeling unit than in the E, it has an automatic shade and sounds much smoother when opening and closing.

I love the BMW "chimes" inside, they put attention to produce different authentic-to-BMW sounds, in comparison to M-B's simple beeps (again though, M-B's formula is supposed to be that of logic, no frivolous behavior, though these days it seems M-B is at odds with themselves as they give some in that department and then they take some).

I love how in the 5er you can ACTUALLY TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. I hate how M-B doesn't give you an off option.

I love how I get a nice "Luxury-Car-esque" alarm chime back, instead of M-B's hideous cost cutting into $14K Rental Chevy territory with a harsh "honk sound". I've always said it, but those details can break or make an experience with a luxury car.

The 5 has cool LED lights that light up the door handle indentations at night, which looks stunning on my blacked out car. The E has those cool puddle lights under the rearview mirrors though which I don't think the 5 has (gotta check again), so the E looks hot on its own at night for sure, especially when you hit the alarm and see those hockey stick LED's fire up, etc.

Again, BMW fails by producing more unnecessarily complex thoughtless behavior in what should be simple controls. The 5 you have to touch the handle TWICE to unlock the doors (on Comfort Access cars like mine which are equivalent to M-B's Optional P2 Keyless Entry), and then to open it from the inside you have to pull the handle TWICE! It's RIDICULOUS! You have to pull once to unlock it manually, THEN again to open the door. Very stupid behavior. The 5 also has a different layout of the "brake hold option". You press a button and it does it at every stop. I don't know if I like it more or less than M-B's more analogue yet "I control it" way.... I think I prefer M-B's more simple approach... again, BMW likes to dazzle for the sake of dazzling sometimes.... not that I'm complaining I guess. What I love about the 5er is the Electronic E Brake, that makes M-B's 50's "foot brake" unit feel just crude.... BUT, AGAIN, M-B's is easy to use, to understand, might come in handy in a safety hazard where you need to activate it and BMW's will be MIA because the electronics will disable it while you're driving. So, again, different approaches. BMW's is more marketable, but M-B's is engineered simply to "work and work damn well".

HUD is AWESOME, I'm a total believer of it now. I have the black panel display and HUD option (digital I/C display which is all black when off, and then turns on to emulate the exact classic BMW display in very sharp graphics) which is very cool.

I also love BMW's driver settings of "Eco/Comfort/Sport/Sport+". Very fun and exciting to use. Sport setting actually tunes the tranny to shift pretty aggressively, it holds RPM's high and you feel a lot of kick from it, and it doesn't like to downshift, so it holds gears longer as if you were aggressively driving a Manual.

Sound system: Can't tell yet, but I think the 5-Series' is better. I DO KNOW that hearing phone calls via Bluetooth on the 5-Series sounds MUCH BETTER, for some reason the E's Bluetooth audio via phone calls is just far far less quality sounding.

M Sport VS AMG Package: This was one of the reasons I wanted to move from the E. MBUSA are so sans passion, they want to make the M-B lineup akin to a fleet-car lineup. They short you on options and don't like you to be creative when ordering cars. EVERY E has the damn AMG Package. There's nothing cool or special about it anymore. At least BMW, even after dropping the price of the M Sport Package this year, keep it as a "halo", I think an M Sport package gives me a very European-Performance inspired vibe, it still turns my head because it's not so common, you know an enthusiast is behind the wheel because they paid for that option to stand out. M-B needs to cater to enthusiasts like that again. The 5 has variation options like either matte black door frames and chrome window trim or gloss black door frames and shadowline window trim. Little stuff like that shows pride, promotion of variation, and is quintessential to maintaining a luxury car image that still caters to the enthusiast groups.

When I first got in a Dakota Leather car, I said "it doesn't feel that much more high quality or different than my M-B Tex". Well, yes, it does feel more high quality, soft and "better", it also smells better (so far, new car of course), but it isn't "night and day" from M-B tex, just like the W212's kind of weak leather option isn't either. Yes, they both feel more luxurious and coddling than M-B Tex, but the fact that M-B Tex is so close whilst delivering probably better durability says a lot about how good M-B TEX IS.

As for styling, I'll say that it's totally subjective and I think both cars are stunning. My first time I put them together, that brilliant front of my E was making me almost upset at getting the 5.... the next time I saw them together (which was later that day and today in the same exact setting when I went to go visit the E), I thought the 5 totally crushed the E in looks. So as you see, so far, they're battling it out like two stunningly-Sedan-warriors should. I think the closest race between these two is in the design, they really give each other a good fight. I've been looking and loving my very angular and mathematical E design for so long, my eyes have been craving a sensual, sleekened and timelessly-elegant, rounder design (that's my roots of design, my inherent being prefers round, smooth, elegant, timeless yet cunning and aggressive), and right now the 5er is feeding that to me in spades as I think it's a masterclass in that type of design, just as the E is a masterclass in somewhat complex angularity with a dynamic take on "Stateliness and conservatism meets boastful aggression".

Ever since the first time I saw an F10, I said (and even wrote on this very board in my review on one of the first F10's to hit dealer lots) that it was/is very "me". I always saw myself in that car, it's as if BMW heard everything I'd preached about regarding design, and gave me it. The E was a different story.... I hated it, then fell in love with it. Part of that love was because it was so "anti-me", it was like sleeping with the enemy, it taught me to appreciate a whole different type of design approach. The 5er is one that catered to me from the get-go.

..... Okay, I think that's long enough?

And some new pics. I got the windows tinted on the day after I got it and blacked out the reflectors to match the body color. All I have left to do is wait for this spoiler I ordered to come in, along with the touch up paint I ordered. My only "mod" after those is trying my best to keep this car clean and fresh looking. Whether it be by my own labor or by spending towards it regularly enough:

Very nice !

What tint did you get?

K-A very nice! A little sad that car didn't have the multicontour seats. But the F10 multicontour seats aren't that great compared to my X5, so not essential in my mind but most here swear by them. A few members will attest that the previous E-series BMW cars had better comfort seats (like the X5).

Also a couple other things. The COMAND is better to use in map routing, phone, and text messages. BMW looks way newer and better, but the NAV will frustrate you in its terrible routing and address/POI entry. Also you can turn off the lights on the E, the switch turns to the left even though there are no labels (the lights will turn off).

It looks like you are driving in ECO PRO and Comfort. You should really use the rocker and try driving in sport mode. The car throttle response wakes up (2011 model experience, throttle in "normal" was horrible), and it will change the steering effort as well. I think you forgot to mention the xenon lights on the BMW are far superior in brightness and consistency compared to the E xenon lights.

Get some opticoat on that paint!

Originally Posted by K-A

I do have some questions about the quirks that I'll be asking here soon (why the HELL do you have to pull the handle twice to open? Any way to get around that?, etc.).

An easy way to get around that is to turn off the auto lock and drive with doors unlock or you can find someone to code it for you. In Europe, some F10 have a auto unlock function when the car is place in park, BMW deleted that in the US models, but the software is still there, all you have to do is find someone to turn it on for you.
Its ashame you didnt get the multi-contour seats, they are some of the most comfortable seats in the industry in my opinion.
By the way, if you are looking for more storage space for your stuff, there is a small storage compartment on the lower left side of the steering wheel as well.

Originally Posted by Kar Don

K-A very nice! A little sad that car didn't have the multicontour seats. But the F10 multicontour seats aren't that great compared to my X5, so not essential in my mind but most here swear by them. A few members will attest that the previous E-series BMW cars had better comfort seats (like the X5).

Also a couple other things. The COMAND is better to use in map routing, phone, and text messages. BMW looks way newer and better, but the NAV will frustrate you in its terrible routing and address/POI entry. Also you can turn off the lights on the E, the switch turns to the left even though there are no labels (the lights will turn off).

It looks like you are driving in ECO PRO and Comfort. You should really use the rocker and try driving in sport mode. The car throttle response wakes up (2011 model experience, throttle in "normal" was horrible), and it will change the steering effort as well. I think you forgot to mention the xenon lights on the BMW are far superior in brightness and consistency compared to the E xenon lights.

Get some opticoat on that paint!

Thanks! BTW how do I send texts from the car?! LOL yeah that must have been the time I tried eco pro. I love playing around with the different settings!

So sporty/comfort/etc do more than just change the tranny settings? They change the steering as well? Do they also change the suspension settings? Thanks.

Oh and is the Opticoat the thing the dealer tries to sell you?