Is BMW really fun driving ?
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Rookie
Joined: Jul 2017
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From: CA
Is BMW really fun driving ?
Is Driving BMW that fun ? I own 2014 GS and never drove any BMW.
In the thread "First time Lexus owner - Certified 2017 GS350", User: HontoKuro said that "It's No BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling".
Following is cut paste from that thread
"As an current owner and former owner of several BMW's myself, I feel your pain. Welcome to the Japanese side and you will be enjoying your GS very much, It's no BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling but fun enough. I will take the reliability over the PIA BMW any at this point in my life. Ironically enough after all the headaches and endless money pit my V8 TT 550i became and after another 4th visit to my indy mechanic shop (exclusively BMW shop/owner of 30+ years) told me the best I can do to my BMW is to get rid of it. 3 days later I did and bought the GS and when he called me back a few days later to ask how my BMW was going after the last service visit I was just in there for, I told him the story and his response was "The best decision you ever made, smart man".
In the thread "First time Lexus owner - Certified 2017 GS350", User: HontoKuro said that "It's No BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling".
Following is cut paste from that thread
"As an current owner and former owner of several BMW's myself, I feel your pain. Welcome to the Japanese side and you will be enjoying your GS very much, It's no BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling but fun enough. I will take the reliability over the PIA BMW any at this point in my life. Ironically enough after all the headaches and endless money pit my V8 TT 550i became and after another 4th visit to my indy mechanic shop (exclusively BMW shop/owner of 30+ years) told me the best I can do to my BMW is to get rid of it. 3 days later I did and bought the GS and when he called me back a few days later to ask how my BMW was going after the last service visit I was just in there for, I told him the story and his response was "The best decision you ever made, smart man".
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,260
Likes: 1,884
From: WA
I find it depends on year, model, and even trim/packages. Back when I was looking for mine, I looked at the 535i and did not find it to be better than the GS. Here's what Motor Trend said when they compared the two. This is outdated now, but a good comparison of the time.
Of the 535i (2nd place):
Of the GS350 F Sport (1st place):
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/audi...luxury-sedans/
Of the 535i (2nd place):
It's no secret that we haven't exactly turned cartwheels over this latest generation of 5 Series. Two years ago, when the so-called F10 debuted, it didn't even make it to Round 2 of our Car of the Year competition. And that was a year after the last iteration of the previous-gen E60 won an eight-car comparison test. Talk about following in the footsteps of greatness -- and stumbling.
Though not as quick as the Audi and just a tick behind the Lexus to 60, the BMW was nonetheless one brisk Bavarian, registering a 0-60 run of 5.5 seconds and a quarter-mile jaunt of 14.0 flat at 99.3 mph. And in addition to putting down a curt 106-foot 60-0 stopping distance, the 535i circled the skidpad with 0.89 g of intensity and weaved through the figure eight in a respectable 25.9 seconds at 0.69 g. The BMW is a rewarding car, in that you get a sense for its easy-to-explore limits, but it's also a frustrating car, because its feels so different from its beloved predecessor. Martinez: "Immediately after turn-in, there comes a behavior that's very non-BMW: Plowing." But endure that initial understeer and the 535i satisfies. Lieberman: "Understeer shows up, but generally because you're pushing hard. A more gentle hand is rewarded with a high level of smoothness and a chassis that eats up transitions and corners."
Remember that E60 535i I mentioned, the one we adored and awarded first place in a February 2010 comparison test? Well, this new Lexus GS 350 F Sport reminds us of that car. A lot. Nimble, balanced, precise, and quick, the GS is a (retired) BMW cloaked in Lexus steel. At 3834 pounds, the GS is the lightest of the four and it feels it -- turn-in is sharp and accurate, and weight transfer, whether lateral or longitudinal, is neutral and composed. The Lexus proved the most entertaining, rewarding, and confidence-inspiring up, down, and along our demanding Malibu road loop. Ultimate driving machine? Oh, yeah.
Lieberman: "Great steering. Balanced, communicative, properly weighted. Just a joy to drive. Neutral without being leaden. Very Mazda-like, in fact. And I say all this having driven the car in Sport instead of Sport Plus." Evans: "This is a Lexus? Really impressed with the handling and confidence in the car. Holds the road much better than expected. Can really fling it at the corners." Martinez: "The Sport Plus algorithm allows for a proper testing of its grip thresholds, and on the loop's tight technical zigzags, it was just right. Only once did any traction control light flash, and, unlike the Infiniti, shifts were clean, fast, and when you wanted them. Also unlike the Infiniti: The Lexus felt way smaller than it was. Like, really smaller."
Lieberman: "Great steering. Balanced, communicative, properly weighted. Just a joy to drive. Neutral without being leaden. Very Mazda-like, in fact. And I say all this having driven the car in Sport instead of Sport Plus." Evans: "This is a Lexus? Really impressed with the handling and confidence in the car. Holds the road much better than expected. Can really fling it at the corners." Martinez: "The Sport Plus algorithm allows for a proper testing of its grip thresholds, and on the loop's tight technical zigzags, it was just right. Only once did any traction control light flash, and, unlike the Infiniti, shifts were clean, fast, and when you wanted them. Also unlike the Infiniti: The Lexus felt way smaller than it was. Like, really smaller."
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,734
Likes: 383
From: Philadelphia
BMWs tend to have more responsive throttles, stiffer suspensions, and more cabin engine sound (either real or synthetic).
That's why many GS owners change suspension components, intake, and exhaust to improve those aspects.
It's an easy choice for economic buyers: sacrifice a little performance for a whopping ton of reliability.
That's why many GS owners change suspension components, intake, and exhaust to improve those aspects.
It's an easy choice for economic buyers: sacrifice a little performance for a whopping ton of reliability.
Lead Lap
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 589
Likes: 123
From: CA
I've owned the a 3, 5, and two 7-series in the 2000s and the driving experience on each of them (including the huge 7-series "long wheel base") was incredible. The maintenance/reliability on the other end, was jaw-dropping. Granted I never got stranded in a BMW because of a mechanical breakdown, I've had tons of electrical gremlins and malfunctions.....In all honesty, I was a bit worried taking one of those cars out of town.
I haven't driven any BMWs lately, but I've been told that they've really "detuned" their cars from being a "driver's car" to more of a traditional luxury car.
I haven't driven any BMWs lately, but I've been told that they've really "detuned" their cars from being a "driver's car" to more of a traditional luxury car.
Pole Position
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 253
Likes: 97
From: CA
I have a 2013 GS and drove a 2013 535i for a week when I went on vacation. The only thing the 5 series had over my GS was the throttle response. The handling wasn't that great imo. My GS can hug curves easily. The 5 series didn't feel as smooth. BMW has nothing going on in it's interior. The seats are stiff and are terrible for long trips.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 894
Likes: 255
From: califronia
Yes the M Sport models are more than fun, here is what makes them special.
Before everyone chimes in with the Reliability stuff and knocking BMW some thoughts for those that want to be realistic in evaluating.
for full disclosure my wife has the bmw and i have had four Lexus vehicles and appreciate Lexus.
Tried to fall in love with the GS 4 times with extended loaners and couldn't deal with interior, nav and interface, gas mileage was major deal breaker. below is real world what makes BMW great excluding reliability.
IDrive far superior to all including Mercedes. from a 1-10 its a 9.5 and the new 7.0 and touch screen is even better, absolutely phenomenal after getting used to it.
Gas Mileage for a 4 turbo for a 4000 pound car and 0-60 in 6.0 27 combined after 100k miles
seat comfort for standard seats on f10 model amazing and bmw seats always great. the multi contour ones are fantastic. edge bmw over lexus with lexus close behind.
inline 6 and 4 turbo design efficiency , power band , and virtually no turbo lag. unreal and blows the 2.0 turbo away from lexus on all levels. i raced my friends gs350 other day and about tied. he gets 17 mpg combined after 20000 miles i get 27
nav screen look and feel still love it after 4 years. the lexus blue and look and feel is absolutely a joke
looks of wifes f10 subjective but think its beautiful and timeless. the GS i won't comment ill let you make your own rating.
transmission and motor sync and working in harmony. Lexus is very good with this but with the 8speed in gs not the 6 speed in awd the bmw is perfection with tuning of working in harmony the lexus is a close second behidn
could go on for days but that's real world
should mention dealer network is better with Lexus and i am buying a Lexus 300 h or es350 next due to the amount of mileage i drive and 44 mpg sounds like it fits the bill.
Before everyone chimes in with the Reliability stuff and knocking BMW some thoughts for those that want to be realistic in evaluating.
for full disclosure my wife has the bmw and i have had four Lexus vehicles and appreciate Lexus.
Tried to fall in love with the GS 4 times with extended loaners and couldn't deal with interior, nav and interface, gas mileage was major deal breaker. below is real world what makes BMW great excluding reliability.
IDrive far superior to all including Mercedes. from a 1-10 its a 9.5 and the new 7.0 and touch screen is even better, absolutely phenomenal after getting used to it.
Gas Mileage for a 4 turbo for a 4000 pound car and 0-60 in 6.0 27 combined after 100k miles
seat comfort for standard seats on f10 model amazing and bmw seats always great. the multi contour ones are fantastic. edge bmw over lexus with lexus close behind.
inline 6 and 4 turbo design efficiency , power band , and virtually no turbo lag. unreal and blows the 2.0 turbo away from lexus on all levels. i raced my friends gs350 other day and about tied. he gets 17 mpg combined after 20000 miles i get 27
nav screen look and feel still love it after 4 years. the lexus blue and look and feel is absolutely a joke
looks of wifes f10 subjective but think its beautiful and timeless. the GS i won't comment ill let you make your own rating.
transmission and motor sync and working in harmony. Lexus is very good with this but with the 8speed in gs not the 6 speed in awd the bmw is perfection with tuning of working in harmony the lexus is a close second behidn
could go on for days but that's real world
should mention dealer network is better with Lexus and i am buying a Lexus 300 h or es350 next due to the amount of mileage i drive and 44 mpg sounds like it fits the bill.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 894
Likes: 255
From: califronia
forgot to mention I happen to love the handling / ride balance of the german cars especially the f10 and g30 5 series
the ride quality is better than the GS 350
the GS 350 hands down is a much more fun and spirited car to toss around turns, and drive fast
some of the newer M sports and M5 are better obviously but your typically 535 or new 530 or 540
strikes a more composed better ride with good handling and maneuverability
not like a GS for ***** to the wall fun
the ride quality is better than the GS 350
the GS 350 hands down is a much more fun and spirited car to toss around turns, and drive fast
some of the newer M sports and M5 are better obviously but your typically 535 or new 530 or 540
strikes a more composed better ride with good handling and maneuverability
not like a GS for ***** to the wall fun
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Is Driving BMW that fun ? I own 2014 GS and never drove any BMW.
In the thread "First time Lexus owner - Certified 2017 GS350", User: HontoKuro said that "It's No BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling".
Following is cut paste from that thread
"As an current owner and former owner of several BMW's myself, I feel your pain. Welcome to the Japanese side and you will be enjoying your GS very much, It's no BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling but fun enough. I will take the reliability over the PIA BMW any at this point in my life. Ironically enough after all the headaches and endless money pit my V8 TT 550i became and after another 4th visit to my indy mechanic shop (exclusively BMW shop/owner of 30+ years) told me the best I can do to my BMW is to get rid of it. 3 days later I did and bought the GS and when he called me back a few days later to ask how my BMW was going after the last service visit I was just in there for, I told him the story and his response was "The best decision you ever made, smart man".
In the thread "First time Lexus owner - Certified 2017 GS350", User: HontoKuro said that "It's No BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling".
Following is cut paste from that thread
"As an current owner and former owner of several BMW's myself, I feel your pain. Welcome to the Japanese side and you will be enjoying your GS very much, It's no BMW in terms of its driving dynamics and handling but fun enough. I will take the reliability over the PIA BMW any at this point in my life. Ironically enough after all the headaches and endless money pit my V8 TT 550i became and after another 4th visit to my indy mechanic shop (exclusively BMW shop/owner of 30+ years) told me the best I can do to my BMW is to get rid of it. 3 days later I did and bought the GS and when he called me back a few days later to ask how my BMW was going after the last service visit I was just in there for, I told him the story and his response was "The best decision you ever made, smart man".
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 894
Likes: 255
From: califronia
that's the challenge
a lot of what i mentioned is like fine wine that gets better with time
all the stuff wrapped up is why i enjoy my wifes 5 series more and more
the test drive for the thrill or ***** out driving not the car, but compare the complete experience if you have $ and a good dealership relationship especially with cpo till 100k
its in a different class than the GS especially the new 540
a lot of what i mentioned is like fine wine that gets better with time
all the stuff wrapped up is why i enjoy my wifes 5 series more and more
the test drive for the thrill or ***** out driving not the car, but compare the complete experience if you have $ and a good dealership relationship especially with cpo till 100k
its in a different class than the GS especially the new 540
Pit Crew
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 111
Likes: 14
From: California
forgot to mention I happen to love the handling / ride balance of the german cars especially the f10 and g30 5 series
the ride quality is better than the GS 350
the GS 350 hands down is a much more fun and spirited car to toss around turns, and drive fast
some of the newer M sports and M5 are better obviously but your typically 535 or new 530 or 540
strikes a more composed better ride with good handling and maneuverability
not like a GS for ***** to the wall fun
the ride quality is better than the GS 350
the GS 350 hands down is a much more fun and spirited car to toss around turns, and drive fast
some of the newer M sports and M5 are better obviously but your typically 535 or new 530 or 540
strikes a more composed better ride with good handling and maneuverability
not like a GS for ***** to the wall fun
Driver
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 80
Likes: 26
From: MO
When my wife told me I couldn’t put another dollar into my Lincoln LS when the check engine light went on, I immediately went to my local BMW dealer to buy a 2014 535.
When I gasped at the sticker, they had me take the 4 cylinder for a test drive; To get the car to move I had to put the pedal down 3 quarters or more, the sound was unbecoming for a vehicle at that price; Then test drove the 535 and it seemed to me that to get those turbo motors to go you have to mash the accelerator, I didn’t want to drive a car like I was mad at it and the cars felt big and sloppy on the road.
Lexus was last on my list; and it took a while for me to get use to the front end, but ended up with GS350 with luxury package because of all the cars I test drove, the GS for me was the most fun to drive and the best interior. And to me no other 6 sounds better to me than the GS at full throttle other than a Porsche 911 Carrera S.
When I gasped at the sticker, they had me take the 4 cylinder for a test drive; To get the car to move I had to put the pedal down 3 quarters or more, the sound was unbecoming for a vehicle at that price; Then test drove the 535 and it seemed to me that to get those turbo motors to go you have to mash the accelerator, I didn’t want to drive a car like I was mad at it and the cars felt big and sloppy on the road.
Lexus was last on my list; and it took a while for me to get use to the front end, but ended up with GS350 with luxury package because of all the cars I test drove, the GS for me was the most fun to drive and the best interior. And to me no other 6 sounds better to me than the GS at full throttle other than a Porsche 911 Carrera S.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 792
Likes: 113
From: NC
Thats how BMW makes their money. Most BMWs on the road are base, small engine models and people buy them cause they want the image not performance. I laughed the other day when i was behind one and noticed one of the "double" exhaust tips was actually fake.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,159
Likes: 452
From: CA
I had a 2000 E46 328Ci. Loved that car! The suspension was firm and handling was great. Contrary to what others have said about BMWs not being reliable, mine never gave me any major issues. It did have a couple weird electrical gremlins after I took delivery (door lock and sunroof didn't work) that the dealer took care of. Other than that, the E46 gave me 82K trouble-free miles. I sold it 6 years later for $18K, so it had pretty good resale value too.
I've owned many Japanese cars over the years after the BMW, but my 2015 GS suspension reminds me the most about my BMW. Nice and firm and very reassuring taking it in the corners. Not firm as the BMW, but very close.
Someday I will be back into a BMW, maybe a used F80 M3 or F10 M5, but for now I'm enjoying the GS.
I've owned many Japanese cars over the years after the BMW, but my 2015 GS suspension reminds me the most about my BMW. Nice and firm and very reassuring taking it in the corners. Not firm as the BMW, but very close.
Someday I will be back into a BMW, maybe a used F80 M3 or F10 M5, but for now I'm enjoying the GS.
Pit Crew
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 185
Likes: 18
From: California
Former E39 540i Sport owner here. That car drove like everyone else was in slow motion. The GS is much more reliable and tries to come close to the 540i but it's not quite there. As I got older and had a kid, I could not figure out the logistics of how to take the BMW into the shop for repairs, and then take my kid to daycare, and then go to work. Or vice versa? Logistics too complicated.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 608
Likes: 89
From: Ohio
I use to own a BMW E63 aka 650i which is essentially the coupé 5 series. I drove it as my*weekend garage queen for five years.*It was very fun to drive and fast and throughout its ownership experience it curb appeal and sporty looks outweighed it’s repair issues. Grant it I did sell it at 68k miles because the BMW dealer told me the 4.8l V8 would essentially leak oil from every seal and gasket right around 100k mark. So I sold it off to someone else for it to be their*problem. Other than that big scare, the car ran fine, it*never left me stranded once. The iDrive*screen would go black after hitting a pot hole and pop back on when I hit another pot hole. Cost me*$1k*to replace it with a new screen.
I bought this 4GS I have now with over 140k on the odometer and don’t regret it. It’s been extremely reliable and fun to drive for a daily driver automobile for the 2 years I’ve owned it. I test drove ‘13 Audi*A6 3.0T sport, but opted out because the example I was looking to buy was already showing major electrical issues during the PPI. Didn’t even consider thr F10 535i due to its lackluster reviews from MotorTrend & Car and Driver.
If the 5GS turns out to be a some weird*EV posterchild*or Lexus doesn’t make it a*4 door coupé styling exercise*I may just return to the upcoming BMW 840i Gran Coupé xdrive*as my new daily driver when this 4GS gets too old.*
I bought this 4GS I have now with over 140k on the odometer and don’t regret it. It’s been extremely reliable and fun to drive for a daily driver automobile for the 2 years I’ve owned it. I test drove ‘13 Audi*A6 3.0T sport, but opted out because the example I was looking to buy was already showing major electrical issues during the PPI. Didn’t even consider thr F10 535i due to its lackluster reviews from MotorTrend & Car and Driver.
If the 5GS turns out to be a some weird*EV posterchild*or Lexus doesn’t make it a*4 door coupé styling exercise*I may just return to the upcoming BMW 840i Gran Coupé xdrive*as my new daily driver when this 4GS gets too old.*