Sports/adaptive drive on x5 35d

Is there a difference between the 2007 and 2009/10 adaptive drive?

While I appreciate the video post, was that as boringly painful for anyone else?

Cool video...but I guess I'm still a little unsure if that answers my question.

From the video, I gather that adaptive drive is never "off" but it is of minimal influence under normal, straight, driving conditions. It is at its stiffest when in sports mode and provides maximal influence in aggressive driving conditions, like evasive maneuvers.

I guess it's still relative and subjective as to ride "softness" from bumps and the like in normal driving conditions, with my opinion that they are more muted in an X5 without adaptive drive. But I do miss the adaptive drive when I'm rounding a sharp corner. I notice more understeer without it, and I REALLY notice the understeer when I am loaded with rear passengers.

Why did BMW offer the adaptive drive as a stand alone-option in the X5? Before it was included in the sports package..any theories or definitive answers?

Originally Posted by NewGTGuy

It's an option when you select the Sport Activity Package on bmwusa.com here.

Click the Packages tab and look below the Sport Activity Package. There you will find Sport Suspension delete.

So, if I turn off Adaptive Drive, the suspension is soft and I won't feel every bump on the road?

If that's the case, I might have to get it.

Thanks gang!

Previously, the "Sport Package" included the Adaptive Drive... this was in 2009.

WHen they reconfigured the package to call it a "Sport Activity Package" it had a "Adaptive Drive Delete" as a standard feature on the on-line ordering form.

This highlighted the fact that the Sport package no longer included adaptive and it must be separately ordered.

I do not have any idea why they have renamed the "adaptive Drive Delete" to "sport suspension delete"... I suspect they don't either.

To my knowledge there are only TWO suspension options on the 2010X5 35D:

Stock
Adaptive


But given BMWs lack of clarity on this, I really cannot be sure....




A

Originally Posted by ard

To my knowledge there are only TWO suspension options on the 2010X5 35D:

Stock
Adaptive

But given BMWs lack of clarity on this, I really cannot be sure....

I'm guessing it was always this way - that the Adaptive Drive really was the sport suspension - because you can't select it without Adaptive Drive being on (for 2010).

I think it is a marketing ploy because here is the rub...The Sport Activity Package - which every dealer seems to be ordering for their 2010s, is really just Sport Seats (yuck*), 19" wheels (nice), Anthracite headliner (yuck**), and shadowline trim (nice) - but at a cost of $2,200 and to be honest, for that money, I'd rather have the ventilated seat package, which all dealers seem to be NOT ordering.

*the edge of the sport seat looks like a lot of fun to slide across on a daily basis. Maybe no big deal for you younger folks, but for those 40+, ugh.... So glad I never got that option in my 550!
** count me as NOT a fan of the anthracite headliner, darkens the entire car on the inside. Somewhat depressing (and yes, I have it now on my M5 - much prefer the light gray I had before). I know this is a popular feature, but I personally could do without it.

The Sports Activity Package also includes the Sports Leather Steering Wheel. I'm not crazy about the black headliner but it not a big deal to me. For $2200 its not a bad deal for larger wheels(I think better looking) and tires plus the Steering Wheel which I also like better.

Does anyone have any more info on the Adaptive Drive/Normal discussion. The question that I still don't see answered is: Is there a significant difference in the harshness level between a 35D with Adaptive Drive in Normal mode and a 35D without Adaptive Drive?

Originally Posted by waxking1

Does anyone have any more info on the Adaptive Drive/Normal discussion. The question that I still don't see answered is: Is there a significant difference in the harshness level between a 35D with Adaptive Drive in Normal mode and a 35D without Adaptive Drive?

Well that's the million dollar question! As far as I can remember, I am one of the few to have had experience in all three different suspension settings. I had the 2007 X5 4.8 with adaptive drive and a 2010 X5 35d NOW without adaptive drive, same 19" tires. I rate the ride harshness/stiffness as least to most harsh: without adaptive drive - normal mode adaptive drive - sport mode with adaptive drive.

Body roll follows the same, with the stiffer adaptive drive helping considerably with body roll.

Can anyone else step up to the plate and HONESTLY comment, someone with experience with all three suspension settings. And if you do comment, could you also please state if the tire sizes were the same?

IMHO BMWs advantages are its exterior beauty and its dynamics under which I mean its acceleration and how friendy it keeps the road for a driver on curnerings.

So I don't think it is good idea to buy X5 without adaptive drive, becaue without it u lose main point - dynamics (manoeuvrability). If u go for softness then u should go for a Mercedes-Benz or even softer - Lexus. Lexus is so SOFT that it rolls as a sheep in an ocean, u feel nothing on a bumpy roads BUT instead u get - rollings and shakings . IMHO dynamics and softness are contradictory properties.

IMHO.

Originally Posted by AM123

IMHO BMWs advantages are its exterior beauty and its dynamics under which I mean its acceleration and how friendy it keeps the road for a driver on curnerings.

So I don't think it is good idea to buy X5 without adaptive drive, becaue without it u lose main point - dynamics (manoeuvrability). If u go for softness then u should go for a Mercedes-Benz or even softer - Lexus. Lexus is so SOFT that it rolls as a sheep in an ocean, u feel nothing on a bumpy roads BUT instead u get - rollings and shakings . IMHO dynamics and softness are contradictory properties.

IMHO.

AMEN to that!

AM123,
I already have gone for Mercedes in a GL450. My lease expires first part of March and I just ordered an X5 35d without adaptive drive. This is actually my wife's vehicle and if it is too harsh I know I'm going to hear about it. I'm sure I will already be in trouble over the cup holders.

I drive an E55 which is very soft compared to an M5 but I still love the car. I also drive my wife's GL when I need a larger vehicle I'm getting older and appreciate a somewhat compliant ride but I still like decent handling. I haven't driven an X5 of any kind with AD. The X5 I test drove didn't have AD or many options but I was able to get a good idea of it's driving characteristics.

Really good handling usually has a harsh ride. The adaptive drive in theory should give the best of both worlds and sounds like a great option. Since I can't drive a new X5 with AD I have to rely on the opinions of others who have. Problem here is that I don't think anyone has driven a 2010 X5 with and without AD and posted about their experience here.

My wife does mostly city driving(not a lot of curves) and I'm sure likes a soft ride. So I probably won't change my order to include AD unless someone here has some new info I am not aware of.

Originally Posted by AM123

IMHO BMWs advantages are its exterior beauty and its dynamics under which I mean its acceleration and how friendy it keeps the road for a driver on curnerings.

So I don't think it is good idea to buy X5 without adaptive drive, becaue without it u lose main point - dynamics (manoeuvrability). If u go for softness then u should go for a Mercedes-Benz or even softer - Lexus. Lexus is so SOFT that it rolls as a sheep in an ocean, u feel nothing on a bumpy roads BUT instead u get - rollings and shakings . IMHO dynamics and softness are contradictory properties.

IMHO.

What? Ever.

No one has said that the BMW without adaptive drive is a marshmallow. It's not that soft, and no review has ever said that the BMW suspension was anything but taut. Your description would have us believe that the BMW without adaptive drive is as soft as a Lexus and loses all of its dynamic drive properties?

The BMW without adaptive drive is still very dynamic and maneuverable. With adaptive drive, even more so. But not everyone needs that dynamic a drive. Maybe that's why it's an option?

If I follow your line of reasoning, the X5 should only be had in the M version, with the best motor and the tightest suspension. Sure...if you can afford it and if you want that kind of ride.

The question people have is "is adaptive drive in normal mode equivalent to an X5 without adaptive drive"? We all know that adaptive drive in sport mode is the stiffest suspension offered in the X5 short of the X5M.

Anyone with real drive time in all three suspensions care to comment?

And 20" wheels are NOT available with the 35D, only 19" wheels!

vaquero,

I can't answer your question exactly because I didn't test all possibilities.

But my question to u is the following. Tires are of very big importance for the softness or harshness, at least for the feeling of that. U told that both X5s were with 19" rims. But were tires of the same dimensions = wideness, and most important - their thickness: for eaxample 275/45 is thicker than 315/35 while the second is wider.

Originally Posted by X5_ATLAST

2010 probably does not have sport mode button because there is no sport suspension. Since as per Craig, if bumps are not bad in sport mode, it would be even smooth in normal mode, which is the case with sport package too.

FYI Our 2010 does have the sports mode button located near the shift.

We love adaptive drive. Drove one without and opted to get it. We think the drive is better than our 2004 and 2007 X5's sans adaptive drive.

I got mine with the M package, so they already tuned the suspension. Plus the M package comes with adaptive drive which is outstanding in my book. No diesel for me.