I get ticked off everytime I get in the 528

Yea, don't flame me too bad but I HATE this @#$@($_ transmission (2011 528). We paid how much for this car and it drives like a damn bumper car? Jerk, over accelerate, lurch, upshift, downshift all just to meet some #$#)(***@$%& Obama EPA mpg numbers.

We could afford to buy the car we ought to be able to afford to put a few more gallons of gas in it every week. Screw the mileage ratings, make it drive right. I am tired off getting tee'd off every time I drive this "wonderful" vehicle. We had 4 BMW's just sold one a week ago and have 3 left so don't start jumping on me about not being a Bimmerhead, I was but don't know for how long.

Thanks for listening, I feel better.

You really should consider trading it in for a 2012 535 Sport or M Sport. The shifting is as smooth as silk with the Sport + Mode.

Alas, there's no end to the mischief caused by Obama.

I'm happy to say my 535xi doesn't act the way you describe.

Originally Posted by F10ster

Yea, don't flame me too bad but I HATE this @#$@($_ transmission (2011 528). We paid how much for this car and it drives like a damn bumper car? Jerk, over accelerate, lurch, upshift, downshift all just to meet some #$#)(***@$%& Obama EPA mpg numbers.

We could afford to buy the car we ought to be able to afford to put a few more gallons of gas in it every week. Screw the mileage ratings, make it drive right. I am tired off getting tee'd off every time I drive this "wonderful" vehicle. We had 4 BMW's just sold one a week ago and have 3 left so don't start jumping on me about not being a Bimmerhead, I was but don't know for how long.

Thanks for listening, I feel better.

Not for nothing, but a 2011 model year car, in production in 2010, the year after Obama took office, probably does not have Obama EPA rules in it. The lead time for writing and publishing the rules, and designing and manufacturing a car for those rules, is probably more than the time that elapsed since Obama took office on January 20, 2009.

Get rid of it if you don't like it! My 2012 528xi shifts/drives fine. I find this car better in almost every aspect compared to the 2009 E60 528xi I traded in. It doesn't accellerate quite as fast as the 2008 535i I had, but only at the extremes where I seldom have the opportunity to drive.

Originally Posted by At Law

You really should consider trading it in for a 2012 535 Sport or M Sport. The shifting is as smooth as silk with the Sport + Mode.

Agreed! None of those issues here...

Originally Posted by F10ster

Yea, don't flame me too bad but I HATE this @#$@($_ transmission (2011 528). We paid how much for this car and it drives like a damn bumper car? Jerk, over accelerate, lurch, upshift, downshift all just to meet some #$#)(***@$%& Obama EPA mpg numbers.

We could afford to buy the car we ought to be able to afford to put a few more gallons of gas in it every week. Screw the mileage ratings, make it drive right. I am tired off getting tee'd off every time I drive this "wonderful" vehicle. We had 4 BMW's just sold one a week ago and have 3 left so don't start jumping on me about not being a Bimmerhead, I was but don't know for how long.

Thanks for listening, I feel better.

Take your car to the dealer and get it fixed.

Three words: GLOBAL SOFTWARE UPDATE.

I've never driven a 528i, but my '11 535i (August 2010 build, no software updates) has one of the smoothest shifting auto transmissions I've ever experienced in 40 years of driving. I'm betting something is wrong with yours. I would take your dealer on a ride with you and confirm, and drive another 528i. Regular D mode will shift smoother than DS mode. Mine runs up the gears like silk and downshifts without delay.

Originally Posted by Me530

Three words: GLOBAL SOFTWARE UPDATE.

I did the software update and noticed a significant difference. At the end of the day it's still a 528. The 535's and up are just more powerful cars. You get what you choose to pay for, or you get what your priorities are. My priorities were better than average MPG's, a sexy car (so my wife says) and other bells and whistles that were more important to me than horsepower.

Trade it in for a manual.

You guys are completely unrealistic! "Trade it in for a manual, trade it in for another model". We all know how much money a person would lose by trading cars so soon.

The truth is that BMW refuses to acknowledge that there is a big issue with the shifting parameters in the F10 (they are much more apparent in the 28 and 35) and the impression is that of throttle lag. This is actually happening across the board with the 8HP transmission and it is very frustrating. They did come out with the Global Software Update recently, and though it helped things initially, the crappy lag comes back. Just look at our "Global Software Update" thread and you'll see what folks are saying. Starts out great, crappy transmission jerkiness comes back. Some have tried resetting the throttle adaptive control to some success, but I don't see major improvements. If you do want to try that do the following:

1) foot off the brake, hit "start" once
2) press and hold the accelerator pedal for 30 seconds
3) while still holding the accelerator pedal, turn the car off
4) once car turns off, release pedal
5) start the car and drive smoothly ... it will "re-learn"

Folks do this continuously (i do it every 2 weeks) and it helps a bit. In the long term, though, this is ridiculous. I will no doubt get rid of my 10th BMW and probably will leave the brand for good.

Does anyone test drive and or research cars before they buy them????

Originally Posted by Emilner

Does anyone test drive and or research cars before they buy them????

One would think.


Maybe I am just old school. Well, I am old.......

Originally Posted by Emilner

Does anyone test drive and or research cars before they buy them????

And one would be able to determine all this and capture all these impressions in a 15 minute test drive? Come on, be realistic.

Originally Posted by grilodan

And one would be able to determine all this and capture all these impressions in a 15 minute test drive? Come on, be realistic.

This is true. I hope I can test drive my next car by renting the car.

When I used to sell toyotas, we'd let potential buyers take home the high end units like the landcruisers only if they asked or at the last second, if we couldn't reach an agreement. But that was 13 years ago. It almost always closed the deal.

Some dealers let you take it home for the night ... they call it "the wife test" apparently. If you can convince the wife, it's sold. I'm not sure if there are of lot of dealers still doing that or not.

Originally Posted by grilodan

And one would be able to determine all this and capture all these impressions in a 15 minute test drive? Come on, be realistic.

What about multiple times test driving the car? It's not like you're obligated to buy it that day of the first test drive....

Just my $0.02, from my experience....

Originally Posted by jagu

Trade it in for a manual.

I looooooove my manual 535. I don't have anyone to blame for my bumpy sifting/ride quality though.

Originally Posted by grilodan

Some dealers let you take it home for the night ... they call it "the wife test" apparently. If you can convince the wife, it's sold. I'm not sure if there are of lot of dealers still doing that or not.

When I was a kid my dad would do this but tell my mom it was already purchased and then go back and buy it in the morning if she didn't flip her lid. Worked everytime, except the time he brought home a Harley.

Originally Posted by grilodan

You guys are completely unrealistic! "Trade it in for a manual, trade it in for another model". We all know how much money a person would lose by trading cars so soon.

The truth is that BMW refuses to acknowledge that there is a big issue with the shifting parameters in the F10 (they are much more apparent in the 28 and 35) and the impression is that of throttle lag. This is actually happening across the board with the 8HP transmission and it is very frustrating. They did come out with the Global Software Update recently, and though it helped things initially, the crappy lag comes back. Just look at our "Global Software Update" thread and you'll see what folks are saying. Starts out great, crappy transmission jerkiness comes back. Some have tried resetting the throttle adaptive control to some success, but I don't see major improvements. If you do want to try that do the following:

1) foot off the brake, hit "start" once
2) press and hold the accelerator pedal for 30 seconds
3) while still holding the accelerator pedal, turn the car off
4) once car turns off, release pedal
5) start the car and drive smoothly ... it will "re-learn"

Folks do this continuously (i do it every 2 weeks) and it helps a bit. In the long term, though, this is ridiculous. I will no doubt get rid of my 10th BMW and probably will leave the brand for good.

Thank you- this is my point. Some can stick their heads in the sand and try and convince themselves there is not a problem but there is a problem and it isn't just in the 528. Thanks for the reset procedure.

For my area, driving a 550...ANY 550, is near impossible. They fly off the lot at my local dealer within a day or two of coming in (he gets 1 a month or so). He also only orders the X drive model (as do most dealers in my area). I can make a reasonable guess off the test drive I had with the 550xi and the 535 xi that I did, but if you buy rwd in my area, it's sight unseen...

Originally Posted by F10ster

Thank you- this is my point. Some can stick their heads in the sand and try and convince themselves there is not a problem but there is a problem and it isn't just in the 528. Thanks for the reset procedure.

No sand in my hair. My 535xi works fine. The smoothness of the transmission was one of the things that sold me on my test drive. Lucky me, I guess.

Originally Posted by F10ster

Yea, don't flame me too bad but I HATE this @#$@($_ transmission (2011 528). We paid how much for this car and it drives like a damn bumper car? Jerk, over accelerate, lurch, upshift, downshift all just to meet some #$#)(***@$%& Obama EPA mpg numbers.

We could afford to buy the car we ought to be able to afford to put a few more gallons of gas in it every week. Screw the mileage ratings, make it drive right. I am tired off getting tee'd off every time I drive this "wonderful" vehicle. We had 4 BMW's just sold one a week ago and have 3 left so don't start jumping on me about not being a Bimmerhead, I was but don't know for how long.

Thanks for listening, I feel better.

Many people looking for a car like yours in the pre-owned circuit. List it for sale and look for something else. No ones forcing you to keep it.

Originally Posted by jimpal

No sand in my hair. My 535xi works fine. The smoothness of the transmission was one of the things that sold me on my test drive. Lucky me, I guess.

You're not lucky, that's how a normal one works. When I first test drove a F10 535i, prior to buying one, I had come from two 6MT 3-series. As I pulled out of the dealer's lot, I was in awe of the smoothness and responsivess of the automatic transmission (and not the sport trans.). It continues to be one of the most responsive automobiles I've ever driven, and I've been driving since 1970, including all types of cars. No sand here.