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      07-09-2016, 08:15 AM   #1
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F30 ride vs F10

So I am current owner of a 2014 F30 328i luxury line standard suspension model that came from a 2013 F10 535i M-Sport with the M-Sports suspension model.

At first I was worried that going from that 535i to the 328i that I would miss the 5's ride. But after owning my 3 for over a year and a half, I can say I do not miss the 5.

Granted I know the 3 doesn't have the sports suspension setup my 5 did, but it feels like the 3 has a much better balance of ride and handling than the 5 does.

Not only does the 3 have a more luxurious and supple ride quality, but it also feels more nimble and Agile.

I don't really see the point of getting a 5 over the 3 as interior room doesn't seem that much greater.

I hope the next generation G30 5 is a vast improvement in the ride/handling department over the F30, if not I'll find it hard to want to upgrade back into a 5-series once my lease is up in another year.
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      07-09-2016, 08:58 AM   #2
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I also came from a M Sport 535 with the adaptive dampers now to a 340i M sport with the track pack. While I love the 340, the 5 was superior in ride comfort and was way better over broken pavement. Both cars are on 19s. The 3 drives like a much smaller car and is a lot of fun but the 5 definitely has its place and is a much more refined car than a 3 series. So therefore, I will have to completely disagree with you.
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      07-09-2016, 09:39 AM   #3
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There a lot of variables between the two cars in the OPs comparison. A different mix and the opinion could be very different.

Ride and particularly the handling will be influenced by differences in front axle weight. A 4-cylinder in the 3-series has quite bit part in giving a different, more nimble and agile feel, even compared to a 6-cyclinder in the same setup.

Personally I don't find the 3-series gives the same quality of ride (or refinement) as a 5-series, but how they are specified has a big part to play in that opinion.
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      07-09-2016, 12:16 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamRWS6
I also came from a M Sport 535 with the adaptive dampers now to a 340i M sport with the track pack. While I love the 340, the 5 was superior in ride comfort and was way better over broken pavement. Both cars are on 19s. The 3 drives like a much smaller car and is a lot of fun but the 5 definitely has its place and is a much more refined car than a 3 series. So therefore, I will have to completely disagree with you.
Yes as I previously explained. My 3 has the standard soft suspension setup while my 535i had the stiffer non adaptive M-Sports suspension. Now had I had a 5 with the adaptive suspension my opinion would probably be different. Duh LOL
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      07-09-2016, 01:25 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
So I am current owner of a 2014 F30 328i luxury line standard suspension model that came from a 2013 F10 535i M-Sport with the M-Sports suspension model.

At first I was worried that going from that 535i to the 328i that I would miss the 5's ride. But after owning my 3 for over a year and a half, I can say I do not miss the 5.

Granted I know the 3 doesn't have the sports suspension setup my 5 did, but it feels like the 3 has a much better balance of ride and handling than the 5 does.

Not only does the 3 have a more luxurious and supple ride quality, but it also feels more nimble and Agile.

I don't really see the point of getting a 5 over the 3 as interior room doesn't seem that much greater.

I hope the next generation G30 5 is a vast improvement in the ride/handling department over the F30, if not I'll find it hard to want to upgrade back into a 5-series once my lease is up in another year.
I see this as one more example that the death of BMW suspensions has been greatly exaggerated. I've had a non-sport E46 328i, a ZHP/Performance pkg E46 330i, and currently a sport pkg E90 330i and I just don't find the F3x suspensions to be anywhere near as "terrible" as they have been accused of.

Now, the original F10 5ers did not offer a sport suspension and that car was a whole different animal from the E60 5er.....which is exactly what BMW intended, because they wanted to attract more Merc E Class buyers and they did that very successfully. In those early days of the F10 one had to have the adaptive dampers to get anywhere close to E60 handling. The introduction of the M Sport suspension made a big difference in the F10, but it didn't take it back to the E60 days.
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      07-09-2016, 01:36 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
Yes as I previously explained. My 3 has the standard soft suspension setup while my 535i had the stiffer non adaptive M-Sports suspension. Now had I had a 5 with the adaptive suspension my opinion would probably be different. Duh LOL
The difference between your experience and Mr. Disagree could be the tires too. Certainly the adaptive vs non adaptive make a difference, but tires are a huge part of ride comfort; not only make and model, but size. I, for example, choose 18" square setup vs 19 or 20 staggered for that reason. I'd pick a great ride over looking cool at this point in my life any day.

When I test drove the 5er and then the F30, I choose the F30 for the same reasons you did. I drove a 5er for 25 straight years so I to was concerned that I would be making a mistake downsizing. 3 years into my F30 and loving it every day with no regrets. Don't get me wrong, the 5er is a great car. I drove one at the BMW Ultimate Experience and was stun how good it was. I just like the F30 better.
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      07-09-2016, 02:09 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sygazelle
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
Yes as I previously explained. My 3 has the standard soft suspension setup while my 535i had the stiffer non adaptive M-Sports suspension. Now had I had a 5 with the adaptive suspension my opinion would probably be different. Duh LOL
The difference between your experience and Mr. Disagree could be the tires too. Certainly the adaptive vs non adaptive make a difference, but tires are a huge part of ride comfort; not only make and model, but size. I, for example, choose 18" square setup vs 19 or 20 staggered for that reason. I'd pick a great ride over looking cool at this point in my life any day.

When I test drove the 5er and then the F30, I choose the F30 for the same reasons you did. I drove a 5er for 25 straight years so I to was concerned that I would be making a mistake downsizing. 3 years into my F30 and loving it every day with no regrets. Don't get me wrong, the 5er is a great car. I drove one at the BMW Ultimate Experience and was stun how good it was. I just like the F30 better.
I agree. I replaced on both my F10 and F30 the runflats with Michelin Pilot Super Sports like the ones offered on the M3.

To me the F30 makes a better 5-series (ala E39) than the F10 does. The 328i with the standard suspension and the 18" luxury line style rims with non run flats has a much better ride/Handling/agile balance than my F10 535i ever did with the M-Sports suspension. My F30 glides and absorbs bumps way better than my F10 535i did. The 535i was too hard/harsh over road imperfections where as my F30 never has had that issue.
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      07-09-2016, 03:09 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
I agree. I replaced on both my F10 and F30 the runflats with Michelin Pilot Super Sports like the ones offered on the M3.

To me the F30 makes a better 5-series (ala E39) than the F10 does. The 328i with the standard suspension and the 18" luxury line style rims with non run flats has a much better ride/Handling/agile balance than my F10 535i ever did with the M-Sports suspension. My F30 glides and absorbs bumps way better than my F10 535i did. The 535i was too hard/harsh over road imperfections where as my F30 never has had that issue.
I can see why you have commented the way you have. To be fair, its a bit of an apples and pears comparison of the different setups.

I went from an E39 wagon to an E91, didn't completely gel with the 3-series, particularly the ride and refinement, so back to the Five with my F11. But do appreciate the F3x models have moved the 3-series game on for ride and refinement, although as we know many enthusiast users don't like that direction by BMW at all.

Size is the issue with each new generation, all the nonsense of "best space in class" etc., does us no real favors.

I used to jest with my father on how 'big' his E23 7-series were. I now drive a 5-series with more bulk than his Sevens.
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      07-09-2016, 03:33 PM   #9
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F10 535 w/Dynamic Handling -> 340i Track Handling. The 340i is comfortable when I want it to be, nimble and fast. The 535i was cushier, although sport mode buttoned it down a bit, and felt boat-like. No comparison.
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      07-09-2016, 04:56 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
So I am current owner of a 2014 F30 328i luxury line standard suspension model that came from a 2013 F10 535i M-Sport with the M-Sports suspension model.

At first I was worried that going from that 535i to the 328i that I would miss the 5's ride. But after owning my 3 for over a year and a half, I can say I do not miss the 5.

Granted I know the 3 doesn't have the sports suspension setup my 5 did, but it feels like the 3 has a much better balance of ride and handling than the 5 does.

Not only does the 3 have a more luxurious and supple ride quality, but it also feels more nimble and Agile.

I don't really see the point of getting a 5 over the 3 as interior room doesn't seem that much greater.

I hope the next generation G30 5 is a vast improvement in the ride/handling department over the F30, if not I'll find it hard to want to upgrade back into a 5-series once my lease is up in another year.
My experience is as follows...
2015 535i w/ Goodyear OEM 19 RFTs and regular suspension vs 2015 335iw/ Msport non adaptive suspension. I found the 535 to have a much more refined ride quality. This was moist evident, via the lack of perceived body motion over bumps/dips/rough surfaces. The ride was stable, and felt flat with a total absence of bounce and pitching. The front and rear suspension on the 535i seem well coordinated, giving the sensation of the whole car absorbing impacts and irregularities on the road. In my eyes, the shock/spring combo feels much more expensive in the 535i. To boot, the last 535i I drove had a nice weighty steering feel, even in comfort mode. Mind you, not E60 or E90 nice, but nice still. Better than the F3x.

I haven't been able to sample a DHP equipped BMW yet. I have logged many miles in the recent 320i, 328i, 335i and 228i M sport. Some of these have been Xdrive s, some Sport packs, some base suspension. No matter the configuration, the F3x cars have a distinct feeling of the front/rear/side/side of the car moving slightly out of synch with one another. The shock spring calibrations feel anything but premium to me. In fact, I get a distinctly econocar sensation from all of the body motions. These F3x bounce, jiggle, porpoise on even slightly marred surfaces that feels far removed from how I expect the Ultimate Driving Machine to behave. In fairness, this excess motion seems to have little impact on outright handling, as the cars still manage to stick to the road and corner with alicrity. Still, all of the body wobble/bounce/porpoising/movement over less than stellar roads truly ruin the F3x experience for me. Additionally, the sound the tires/suspension make as they work over bumps is decidedly down market to me as well. That being said, the most agressive F3x suspension I have sampled is the MSport Suspension on the 335i and 228. No DHP. Both cars felt as if they could be using the same spring/shock calibration. In these cars, body motion and control was acceptable over broken roads and dips. Just OK. Not good. Not excellent. Certainly, not stellar. In the back of my mind, I'm hoping that DHP AND sport suspension together will combine to produce body control more in line with what I expect. We'll see, when I test one so equipped. Another issue, steering weight seems to vary somewhat between all of the (even seemingly similar) F3x's. The 2015 335i MSport I drove had the best steering, feeling weighty, precise, and natural (if somewhat low on feel). That car wore all season Brigestone RFTs. This last 2016 228i MSport on Summer Bridgestones had somewhat less precise and weighty steering AND had a slightly vague on center feel.

For what its worth, I think that BMW specifically and intentionally tunes the 3 series suspension to be "busier" than that of the 5 series. The 5 has most often felt more composed as ride is concerned. I will say the actual smoothness difference between the 5 and 3 is rather slim. They actually seem to have rather similar levels of isolation from the road now iin the F generations. To me, the biggest difference is that the 5 series ride exceeds in suspension composure and body control. The 3 series shines via its sharpness and nimbleness.

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      07-09-2016, 09:13 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thakid22
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
So I am current owner of a 2014 F30 328i luxury line standard suspension model that came from a 2013 F10 535i M-Sport with the M-Sports suspension model.

At first I was worried that going from that 535i to the 328i that I would miss the 5's ride. But after owning my 3 for over a year and a half, I can say I do not miss the 5.

Granted I know the 3 doesn't have the sports suspension setup my 5 did, but it feels like the 3 has a much better balance of ride and handling than the 5 does.

Not only does the 3 have a more luxurious and supple ride quality, but it also feels more nimble and Agile.

I don't really see the point of getting a 5 over the 3 as interior room doesn't seem that much greater.

I hope the next generation G30 5 is a vast improvement in the ride/handling department over the F30, if not I'll find it hard to want to upgrade back into a 5-series once my lease is up in another year.
My experience is as follows...
2015 535i w/ Goodyear OEM 19 RFTs and regular suspension vs 2015 335iw/ Msport non adaptive suspension. I found the 535 to have a much more refined ride quality. This was moist evident, via the lack of perceived body motion over bumps/dips/rough surfaces. The ride was stable, and felt flat with a total absence of bounce and pitching. The front and rear suspension on the 535i seem well coordinated, giving the sensation of the whole car absorbing impacts and irregularities on the road. In my eyes, the shock/spring combo feels much more expensive in the 535i. To boot, the last 535i I drove had a nice weighty steering feel, even in comfort mode. Mind you, not E60 or E90 nice, but nice still. Better than the F3x.

I haven't been able to sample a DHP equipped BMW yet. I have logged many miles in the recent 320i, 328i, 335i and 228i M sport. Some of these have been Xdrive s, some Sport packs, some base suspension. No matter the configuration, the F3x cars have a distinct feeling of the front/rear/side/side of the car moving slightly out of synch with one another. The shock spring calibrations feel anything but premium to me. In fact, I get a distinctly econocar sensation from all of the body motions. These F3x bounce, jiggle, porpoise on even slightly marred surfaces that feels far removed from how I expect the Ultimate Driving Machine to behave. In fairness, this excess motion seems to have little impact on outright handling, as the cars still manage to stick to the road and corner with alicrity. Still, all of the body wobble/bounce/porpoising/movement over less than stellar roads truly ruin the F3x experience for me. Additionally, the sound the tires/suspension make as they work over bumps is decidedly down market to me as well. That being said, the most agressive F3x suspension I have sampled is the MSport Suspension on the 335i and 228. No DHP. Both cars felt as if they could be using the same spring/shock calibration. In these cars, body motion and control was acceptable over broken roads and dips. Just OK. Not good. Not excellent. Certainly, not stellar. In the back of my mind, I'm hoping that DHP AND sport suspension together will combine to produce body control more in line with what I expect. We'll see, when I test one so equipped. Another issue, steering weight seems to vary somewhat between all of the (even seemingly similar) F3x's. The 2015 335i MSport I drove had the best steering, feeling weighty, precise, and natural (if somewhat low on feel). That car wore all season Brigestone RFTs. This last 2016 228i MSport on Summer Bridgestones had somewhat less precise and weighty steering AND had a slightly vague on center feel.

For what its worth, I think that BMW specifically and intentionally tunes the 3 series suspension to be "busier" than that of the 5 series. The 5 has most often felt more composed as ride is concerned. I will say the actual smoothness difference between the 5 and 3 is rather slim. They actually seem to have rather similar levels of isolation from the road now iin the F generations. To me, the biggest difference is that the 5 series ride exceeds in suspension composure and body control. The 3 series shines via its sharpness and nimbleness.
Hmmm very interesting explanation.

When I had my 535i M-Sport with none adaptive M-Sport Suspension I always felt as if the car didn't absorb bumps very well even with non runflat tires. Too me the 5 didn't have enough compliance in the suspension as if it was over damped and just reacted too quick and not making the car ride luxurious at all. Going over brick roads just had too much firmness and not supple enough.

When I purchased my 328i I actual enjoyed the softer more supple suspension that absorbed all types of bumps with a more wafting sensation. Just always feel more relaxed when I see a manhole cover or broken pavement in my 3 than I did with my 5.
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      07-10-2016, 08:13 AM   #12
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We must be driving completely different calibrations of these cars. My 535 was like a vault going down the highway; isolation and ride quality was top notch. I currently own two F30s (one 335 and one 340) and they cannot compare in ride quality or isolation. Given this I love the F30 for what it is but it isn't in the same league when we start talking about comfort, refinement, or quality. I had Pilot Super Sports on the 5 and it was a terrific handler for a car its size; no match for the nimbleness of a 3. That is where the 3 shines. Either way enjoy your cars; I can tell you for sure a 5 will be in my future at some point again but for now enjoying the little rocket I have.
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      07-10-2016, 08:36 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
Hmmm very interesting explanation.

When I had my 535i M-Sport with none adaptive M-Sport Suspension I always felt as if the car didn't absorb bumps very well even with non runflat tires. Too me the 5 didn't have enough compliance in the suspension as if it was over damped and just reacted too quick and not making the car ride luxurious at all. Going over brick roads just had too much firmness and not supple enough.

When I purchased my 328i I actual enjoyed the softer more supple suspension that absorbed all types of bumps with a more wafting sensation. Just always feel more relaxed when I see a manhole cover or broken pavement in my 3 than I did with my 5.
What would the opinion be if both cars in the comparison had the M-sport suspension? I suggest both have similar damping characteristics, if anything the 5-series would be the more mature, even more compliant than a 3-series.

The standard 3-series suspension is quite soft, compression damping is much less than the M-sport damping.

In my experience standard 5-series suspension is also tuned with softer compression damping.

Is your opinion more an SE vs. M-sport suspension comparison? Say it was the other way around, 3-series M-sport vs. standard 5-series...

I personally wouldn't want the passive M-sport suspension in my 5-series, the reason why I wanted adaptive, best of all worlds according to conditions. BTW, would be the same in a 3-series, I'd opt for adaptive, as the standard suspension is a bit too soft for press on driving, IMO.
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      07-10-2016, 09:09 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine535Msport View Post
I agree. I replaced on both my F10 and F30 the runflats with Michelin Pilot Super Sports like the ones offered on the M3.

To me the F30 makes a better 5-series (ala E39) than the F10 does. The 328i with the standard suspension and the 18" luxury line style rims with non run flats has a much better ride/Handling/agile balance than my F10 535i ever did with the M-Sports suspension. My F30 glides and absorbs bumps way better than my F10 535i did. The 535i was too hard/harsh over road imperfections where as my F30 never has had that issue.
Mine is F30 base suspension and Driveguard RFT. Coming from a E39 the F30 is a worthy successor both in ride/handling/balance. The OEM RFT(e.g. Pirelli P7) was pretty harsh, in contrast the Driveguard matches the base suspension pretty well and provides comfort yet competent ride.
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