I just picked it up today and drove it from Munich to Stuttgart. Doing the BMW recommended break in for the first 1,400 miles not to exceed 100 mph or 4,500 rpm’s. However they did recommend sporty driving up to those thresholds. Not much time in the seat but enough for some initial first impressions.
BMW Welt stated that this was the first M Sport they have seen. It may very will be the first US spec M Sport in Europe. Not that it means anything but just an observation.
Interior Color
Ordered coral red sight unseen using only the color chart available on the configuration website. Also saw various hues of coral red from various internet picture postings. Glad to say that I was very pleased with the actual hue upon delivery. It’s not a bloody red color but more of a dark textured coral red. I prefer the color contract between the red and black interior as opposed to the interior being black washed or washed out in all neutral colors. Also the color combination between MG and coral red appears to blend nicely.
Variable Steering
Heard both positive and negative comments about variable steering over the years, but I gotta say that I took to variable steering like a duck to water. It just felt natural and made taking swooping curves like circular entry and exit ramps that much easier. Somewhat like riding a motorcycle, I would look where I’m going and with just a little adjustment the car would fall right into the curve. Nicely done.
Adaptive Suspension
My last BMW was a 2006 330i with the RFT’s. The RFT technology was relatively new on the scene and still somewhat in the developmental stages for the times. As I recall, the 2006 ride and handling was a bit rough and unforgiving. The only time it had that smooth as glass feel was on a fresh patch of black asphalt that was recently completed. I was pleasantly surprised with the summer RFT on the 2013 beemer. The ride and handling was much smoother and had a decent amount of that gliding on ice effect. Not sure if it’s advancement on RFT technology or the adaptive suspension or maybe some combination of both. I have already decided to go with regular tubeless tires this winter.
Wheels
Struggled with deciding on 19” or 18” wheels. The 19” wheels fit the wheel wells nicely and look aesthetically appealing relative to the 18”. However I opted for the 18” wheels as the ride and handling characteristics was higher on my priority list over aesthetic appeal. I may convert the stock wheels into winter tires and look for a lighter (weight wise) wheel for summer tires next season.
Driving Modes
Only used comfort and eco-mode during the drive back. It’s readily apparent that the comfort mode and higher has better throttle response. So in the bottle necked construction sites where the traffic is reduced to a crawl, the eco-mode works best. There’s no reason to waste gas with an active throttle response when it’s stop and crawl traffic. I could see using eco-mode when living and driving through Chicago’s congested traffic that is reduced to crawl speed in many instances.
ASS
Recall reading a couple treads where the engine start felt somewhat abrupt and with a shudder. BMW may have addressed this issue on the MY 2013 as the engine restart felt rather tame. It felt much more tamer then the 335i that I recall test-driving a couple months ago. In construction zone crawl traffic, I turned ASS off but turned it back on in city traffic where I would come to a stop at red lights. The flexibility of turning it off and on as needed worked rather well.
Horsepower
Don’t have enough mileage or time to make a meaningful contribution at this time. However I did vary my speed on the autobahn and at times accelerated with moderate sportiness within the break-in limitations. Gotta say that even with moderate acceleration, the handling was perky and the low to mid range power came on strong. My other car in the states is a Porsche Cayman. The Cayman is all about handling and weight distribution. I have a feeling that I will be more then impressed with the beemer once we get the juices flowing.
Handling
The balance and combination of power and handling makes the BMW a BMW. Lithe, agile, tactile, and precise, it’s like a muscular panther in its prime patiently prowling, hunting, pouncing, and attacking for the kill with precision deadly accuracy when needed. What more can I say. It handles great. This of course is a qualified response as I’ve only had it for one day (actually less but more on that in another post). I will need more time with it in the Black Forest. The combination of xDrive, summer tires, and adaptive suspension seem to contribute to it’s overall handling capability. More to come.
The sport seats are to die for. I have a slender athletic build and it holds me very nicely with good support. Also the Dakota Leather breathes better than ette. I did not have the dewy clammy feeling on my seat bottom like the ette. Would recommend leather for anyone on the fence.
Other then one bad experience I had today which I will go into in another post, I have nothing bad to say about the car so far. I’m still in my honeymoon phase and just trying to get better acquainted with the car at this time. It will be more telling after I’ve spent some time with it in the Black Forest or better yet Stelvio Pass in Switzerland.
Added Options
133Z xDrive
B39 Mineral Gray
LCL5 Coral Red w/Black Highlights
2TB Sport Auto Transmission
ZMM M Sport Line
ZPT Summer Performance Tires
ZTP Technology Package
494 Heated Front Seats
ZDH Dynamic Handling (Variable Steering & Adaptive Suspension)
2PE 400M 18” Alloy Wheels with mixed tires (18x8 front, 18x8.5 rear)
417 Rear Window Shades
320 Delete Badge
