[Alex57r]

Got the car just in time for a test in the snow storm. Drives well. Suspension is definitely on the soft side but steering is tight enough to be precise. No problems with potholes and X-drive is great in the snow. Breaks are not as strong as the ones my Infiniti had, so for those ordering the car, maybe M-sport breaks are worth it.

Will have to wait until the roads are clearly to really drive the car, but overall I am happy with how it handles NY roads. Never had a car that had seen so much of the world already and is going to see much more (North America) if I can help it

P.S. The only issues I had so far is (1) The rear spoiler froze and would not open --> funnty warning message about car being unstable over 80mph and (2) one of the parking sonar sensors must be frozen too and is constantly beeping when I park. Both minor

[Germancarnut]

Originally Posted by Alex57r

Got the car just in time for a test in the snow storm. Drives well. Suspension is definitely on the soft side but steering is tight enough to be precise. No problems with potholes and X-drive is great in the snow. Breaks are not as strong as the ones my Infiniti had, so for those ordering the car, maybe M-sport breaks are worth it.

Will have to wait until the roads are clearly to really drive the car, but overall I am happy with how it handles NY roads. Never had a car that had seen so much of the world already and is going to see much more (North America) if I can help it

P.S. The only issues I had so far is (1) The rear spoiler froze and would not open --> funnty warning message about car being unstable over 80mph and (2) one of the parking sonar sensors must be frozen too and is constantly beeping when I park. Both minor

Congrats for getting the car!

The issue with the frozen spoiler has been discussed in German forums. I guess the safest would be to keep it manually out when parking outside at these temperatures.

I hope that the sensor issue is due to the ice too (likely), and that you don't have a real sensor malfunction (that we had to deal with in our GT).

[Alex57r]

Originally Posted by Germancarnut

Congrats for getting the car!

The issue with the frozen spoiler has been discussed in German forums. I guess the safest would be to keep it manually out when parking outside at these temperatures.

I hope that the sensor issue is due to the ice too (likely), and that you don't have a real sensor malfunction (that we had to deal with in our GT).

Thanks. You are most likely right on both. I will deal with both issues after both I and the car thaw a little bit.

In my 20+ years of driving, is definitely a first... LOL

[Richbot]

This just makes me want to deactivate the spoiler for less understeer in high speed corners

[Alex57r]

Oh c'mon, that thing looks cool, but its gotta be a gimmick

[Richbot]

Originally Posted by Alex57r

Oh c'mon, that thing looks cool, but its gotta be a gimmick

Not a gimmick. GT's basic shape's aero balance is all out of whack, same basic front lift as a sedan with much worse rear lift due to the airfoil shaped tapered rear hatch and dirtier underside due to taller ride height. Spoiler helps even things out. BMW would not have gone to all that expense for such a plebeian vehicle if it wasn't important

See also the turbo first gen beetle, and Audi TTs which had to be retrofitted when people started losing it on the autobahn

[Alex57r]

Originally Posted by Richbot

Not a gimmick. GT's basic shape's aero balance is all out of whack, same basic front lift as a sedan with much worse rear lift due to the airfoil shaped tapered rear hatch and dirtier underside due to taller ride height. Spoiler helps even things out. BMW would not have gone to all that expense for such a plebeian vehicle if it wasn't important

See also the turbo first gen beetle, and Audi TTs which had to be retrofitted when people started losing it on the autobahn

Ha ha, that's pretty cool. The shape does kind of look like a wing.

It actually drove ok today without the wing, but then again it was working fine when I was on the autobahn in November.

[Alex57r]

Both the spoiler and the sonar sensor thawed and are just fine. Having driven a little more on the slightly clearer streets, I must say the transmission is just great! ATs have come a long way from the slushboxes of the old days. Fun car to drive on city streets. Both engaging and comfortable. I am adjusting to not having comfort access or the equivalent, like I used to on all my recent cars, which is fine, but what I do miss is the lumbar support.