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I agree the M5's steering feels number and more "point and go", but with a lot of weight behind it. Additionally, I knew this going into the purchase, but also thought I would adjust. Also understand that they are pretty different vehicles, so it's nice to see a few people's thoughts and experiences from a very similar situation.
I'm really surprised to hear that people feel the SPASM is a better ride vs the M5 in comfort mode. Other threads said people were getting bounced off the seat. Is everyone's equipped with PDCC, as I've heard that can help ride quality and agility?
I can easily deal with a rough ride if the seats don't annihilate my back =D
I've owned both a Turbo and the M5 Comp. The M5 doesn't match the brutality of a Turbo. It just doesn't. I went directly from a Turbo to an M5 and was ultimately disappointed in the comparative real world experience. If you think an M5 is brutal like a TTS then you've never really driven either back to back. The Turbos are brutal in every circumstance, and at will. I've already acknowledged that from a dead stop, simple straight speed run, the M5 is faster than a Carrera. One of the reasons I'm moving on to the 992 Turbo is to recapture the feel I had with my 991.2 TT.
That said, I say the Carrera feels quicker, as a whole, because of its responsiveness. Inputs are more immediately rewarded, the way the car moves and reacts is more visceral. There is a sluggishness to the M5 in comparison. The M5 is 1000 lbs heavier and feels like it. It's a sledgehammer of a car. Outside of stop light racing, it suffers in comparison.
I already said the M5 handling was impressive. But it's not as fun as a 992. If you want to argue that, good luck.
The M5 steering sucks. I'm glad you like it.
992 ride quality is better than the M5 Comp ride quality. Again, I OWNED the car. I didn't just ride it around a track. Frankly, ride quality is of little consequence to me so it didn't bother me. But it's an issue for some people, so there you have it.
PDK > Auto. Bottom line. I'm not sure how you can argue a top tier dual clutch wouldn't complement any car with sporting pretensions. The M5 auto is an excellent automatic. But it's not PDK.
RE: interior design I have my opinion and you have yours.
iDrive is arguably better than PCM. I'm not a fan of PCM. But wireless CarPlay never worked great with iDrive. Again, saying this as someone who lived with the car.
I daily drove the M5 and liked it a great deal. In my opinion it's one of the best cars BMW makes. But there are meaningful consequences to its massive size and bulk and no amount of trickery can mask that. Its ability to hustle and move is remarkable for a 4300+ lb car, but BMW cannot defy the laws of physics.
No, have not owned an M5, but have taken two M School classes at the BMW Performance Center at Thermal. So collectively probably had about 6 total hours behind the F90 M5. I just think for what it is (a grand tourer) it is a fabulous car and better than its competitors like the E 63 AMG but to compare it to a 911 is unfair to both cars -- the 911 and the M5.
Just one last note, around the Thermal course, the M5 was actually the fastest of all the M cars.
Cheers.
Last edited by ipse dixit; Jan 8, 2021 at 01:58 PM.
I had a 19 M5 Comp, and after about 14 months was getting "bored" with it. Sounds similar to your situation. I had an F10 M5 previous, and a few tricked out subarus, so not a ton of high-end experience outside of the M5s. I sold it to downsize my monthly expense in April due to covid and got a Tesla Model 3 Performance. After about 2 months I was bored with that. I put 19k miles on my M5C in about 15 months.
I knew I wanted a "fun" car, but also something that exuded quality, uniqueness, and that was beautiful. Porsche had always been something I had seen people talk about, but I personally never owned one. I wanted something that had soul, and was very balanced.
The M5 Comp was brutally quick and the AWD can't be beat. It's comfort is superior to the 992 IMO, as is the infotainment system and overall interior, too. But, the driving experience is where it's at with the 992. The engine and power delivery has a nice smooth progression to the very top of the RPM range. The M5 did too, but after about 6k rpm it felt like it wasn't accelerating as fast. The 992 feels like it never stops, even though it's technically not as fast as the M5C. The weight of the 992 is absolutely felt and is a huge positive. I wanted something more nimble and smaller and so far love the feel of the 992 over the M5. The M5 felt light for its weight compared to the F10, but it was still a pig. The brakes on the 992 are where its at! It stops WAY better. No comparison.
I think the overall build quality is superior on the 992 than the M5, too, but there are some amenities that I think BMW does better.
If you want a more pure driving experience, but that still has a great turbo drivetrain, then I think you'll be happy. If you cannot accept anything slower than the M5 in straight line acceleration, I think you'll be disappointed.
On the track the 992 is hands down WAY better. Not even funny. The steering is so precise and the car is a lot more predictable...and, it doesn't overheat! The M5 had a serious heat problem on the track.
Both cars are great and would satisfy most any car enthusiast, but if you're getting picky and you want a more sporty car that is lighter weight that delivers more of a pure driving experience, the 992 wins IMO.
I agree the M5's steering feels number and more "point and go", but with a lot of weight behind it. Additionally, I knew this going into the purchase, but also thought I would adjust. Also understand that they are pretty different vehicles, so it's nice to see a few people's thoughts and experiences from a very similar situation.
I'm really surprised to hear that people feel the SPASM is a better ride vs the M5 in comfort mode. Other threads said people were getting bounced off the seat. Is everyone's equipped with PDCC, as I've heard that can help ride quality and agility?
I can easily deal with a rough ride if the seats don't annihilate my back =D
The outgoing M5C:
My M5 ride was totally bumpy. At the time I liked it snd felt stiff. Comparing it to the 911, the 992 is more bumpy but the ride feels firm and compliant. The m5 bumpiness felt artificial when comparing to the 992. I don’t know quite how to explain it. Steering ok m5 you can set to heavier but it’s not as precise or sharp as the 992
Just posted in another thread. Sold my M5C this week. Great car, but I feel that my use was not the best way to enjoy the car. I used it primarily to commute to work, and my commute is a mix of a twisty road and heavy traffic. The car is too heavy to enjoy its torque in the twisty road, and, in traffic, the power didn't help. Also, 99% of the time I was alone in the car, so no need to carry that much weight around across the city. I have little ones but have other family cars. I am not buying a 992, but used to commute with a 997.2 TT. Did that for 4 years with no problem, and did not get tired of it. After 2 years, I decided that the M5C was not giving me the thirdly I wanted anymore. I do not care about the electronics, changes in interior color, gestures to change radio stations, etc, so lots of unused stuff that I felt was a waste for me. I feel that if I had an Autobahn nearby, that car would have been a blast. Really well done, tasteful interior and color. And I had the ceramic breaks, which are truly superb. No complaints, and I never had a BMW before. I am glad I bought it since I always liked the M5. Time to move on.
Welp... after this thread and consideration I made the switch. Drove 18 hours round trip to get it and bring it back. No regerts at all! Thanks for everyone's input
Welp... after this thread and consideration I made the switch. Drove 18 hours round trip to get it and bring it back. No regerts at all! Thanks for everyone's input
absolutely lovely! They are very different to an M5, 911 attack car, M5 high speed pursuit wagon.
Welp... after this thread and consideration I made the switch. Drove 18 hours round trip to get it and bring it back. No regerts at all! Thanks for everyone's input
OMG, this made me laugh so hard. Of course there are no regrets, this car is awesome!
iDrive is more intuitive than PCM, but PCM is pretty easy to set up all your shortcuts and prefs. Once that's done the best experience is to use Wireless Carplay. Siri has gotten way better in my experience too. I see no reason or want to go back to iDrive or PCM now I have the car setup how I want.
iDrive is more intuitive than PCM, but PCM is pretty easy to set up all your shortcuts and prefs. Once that's done the best experience is to use Wireless Carplay. Siri has gotten way better in my experience too. I see no reason or want to go back to iDrive or PCM now I have the car setup how I want.
+1 to iDrive being more intuitive. My fiance removed the autostart button from the home screen (in addition to several other nice widgets) while playing around and now I'm having a hard time getting that exact button back and I would consider myself tech savvy.
Is there a way to make CarPlay take up the entire screen or to adjust carplay's side widgets??
