550i first drive

well, i must say its rather odd that the first time ive ever really driven a 550i comes 2 weeks before im flying to munich to get one..

but heres my thing, overall, love the car, just gotta get used to the fact that the damn dash is so high. im not a tall guy (5'8") and the seat wouldnt go high enough for me to even see the HUD when relaxed. the steering wheel doesnt come down far enough and the seat doesnt go high enough haha.

the logic7 was AWESOME.

auto tranny SUCKS (glad i got a stick)

im just ranting, but i guess the thing was designed for those that are 6' tall.

or maybe im just used to smaller cars..e46..sc400..



Abe

The auto sucks??

If I had to pick one strong feature of the car over and above the power it would be the auto trans. Smooth and responsive come to mind. VERY well matched to the engine.

Now a tranny that downright sucked was the tiptronic in the Porsche 911. I got a loaner while my 6sp. was being serviced and promptly returned it for an Enterprise rent a car.

Another Tiptronic that has had MAJOR issues was Audi. They have a lawsuit pending over a "Tip lag" issue that is damn near killing people.

Getting off subject here.....The 550 auto is sweet but you can certainly state your opinion as well.

maybe its because it only had 400 miles on it, but by "sucks" i mean that it just didnt feel liike a $60k car. when around 5mph, it has this "kick" that i felt whnever touching the gas. and then when shifting sometimes, it felt as though it was hunting. the only thing it did right was when i mashed the pedal, it performed beautifully. but im talking about every 5% throttle situations, it just did not feel right at all.

do the 550 trannys have a learning curve like the ECT-i on the lexus?

Abe

I agree the auto sucks in D unless you really are lumbering around town . . .It's much better in DS. The manual shifting is okay, still an automatic but it's fun to have some control.

Overall, I think the Mercedes trannys are much smoother and are telepathic in selecting the right gear at the right time.

On this one . . . I have to give it to MB.

hey guys..

i thought the 550i has comfort stop? i was reading on the website that as you come to a stop, it takes the pressure of the brake a little to ease the stopping. i normally dont have a problem w/ this but thought it was an interesting system. on my test drive however, i just laid on the pedal at the same rate and it came to the jerky stop as expected. how does comfort stop work then?

Abe

With regards to the dash being too high and the seat too low, did the car that you drove have the comfort seats? What we found out during the test drive is that the comfort seats can be adjusted to a higher position than the sport seats. At least that's what my significant other told me because she was sitting in a 530i without the comfort seats and she had a hard time seeing over the dash, but that apparently wasn't a problem when she test drove the 550i with comfort seats.

anyone have a pic of the comfort seats vs sport seats?

Abe

I'm your same height and had no problems in my 545i (comfort seats) with HUD. Have an even shorter buddy...no problems as well. I think you'll adjust and get used to it...just like any new car.

Originally Posted by revlis240

do the 550 trannys have a learning curve like the ECT-i on the lexus?

Abe

Yes, very much so.

I am curious...how is it that you purchased a 550i and didnt take a test drive. What would you have done if you finally got in the car and the dash was over your head. Isn't test driving a car sort of a "must" before spending from 57 to 70 k on an automobile. I think i drove 5 550's before i ordered mine. Had to determine whether I liked the active steering, the logic 7 and the various trannys. Sort of like marrying a blind date before the date, what you did there. Hope you enjoy your car when you get it.

oddly enough the first time i drove a 240sx was the day i bought it

the first time i drove a 330Ci was the night i bought it

the first SC i ever went insid was the one i bought

and so the story continues..

i look more at stats/figures/etc etc etc before buying.

its a 2 year lease, and i personally think the 5's interior is ugly, the body is decent, BUT its the *only* car out there that i could get in a 6mt other than the M35 which is a pos in comparison.

so i spent 70k not because i think the 5 is the greatest thing in the world, but because of a lack of options and the 5 just fitting the best. i drove a 530 for a few minutes and it was decent enough. im surrounded by cars ALL day so theyve lost their appeal to me.

Abe

Originally Posted by revlis240

im surrounded by cars ALL day so theyve lost their appeal to me.

Abe

Hmm, I wonder if Playboy photographers eventually turn gay?

Originally Posted by Ågent99

Hmm, I wonder if Playboy photographers eventually turn gay?

No, they just get laid all the time...

Originally Posted by sdriver

No, they just get laid all the time...

What if it's a female photog?