[348SStb]

So this is really weird. What the heck is going on here?

I was looking around at new 2023 refresh cars — M40i — and I’m noticing that car after car in actual photos of 2023 cars on the ground does NOT have the Adaptive button just below Eco Pro. Instead, there’s a blank button.

The BMWUSA Configurator seems to corroborate this change. Click “trim” and you’ll see there’s a blank button under Eco Pro.

Please note - even in 30sDrive 30i guise with the optional Adaptive M Suspension selected, the same holds true.

Anyone know what is going on here? There is no mention of this anywhere in any of BMW’s press materials or web site information.

Just do an Internet search for 2023 Z4s and you’ll see. You can use AutoTrader, Cars.com, CarGurus, Google, etc.

I’ve attached some photos of real 2023 M40i cars which have the Adaptive M Suspension fitted as standard. Here are the VINS to these cars:

WBAHF9C01PWY04605
WBAHF9C09PWY02942
WBAHF9C01PWY04328
WBAHF9C00PWY04322

[Top Gon]

I also noticed it’s missing from my ‘23. I read in the 3 series forum that BMW took it out because no one was really using it. I can agree with that. I never used it in my m340i. The suspension will still be “soft” in comfort and “stiff” in sport mode though

[gkgeiger]

Bmwgirl brought that to my attention a month ago. I don’t think she discussed it here though.

[Westside Guy]

When I first purchased my 2022 I didn't even realize what the adaptive mode was for and normally left my Z4 in comfort mode for driving around on the local roads, especially during the first 1200 miles of the break-in period.

One day I called and questioned my sales advisor about it and he told me to try it as it gives you the best of all of the driving modes and will usually increase the mileage you are getting on your car which has increased 4-5 mpg since I started using it.

Page 136 of my manual describes Adaptive Mode as follows:
Comfort-oriented driving mode, whose tuning is automatically modified to the driving situation and driving style . If the navigation system is active, upcoming road sections are considered.

There has been several discussions about the people that like it and the benefit of using the adaptive mode, this is just one thread where it is mentioned.

https://g29.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...=adaptive+mode

If it has been eliminated from the 2023's I am lucky that I own a 2022 as it is a nice feature to have. In my opinion, more people would be using it if the function of the adaptive mode was properly explained to new buyers when they picked up their cars at the dealer.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by BMWGirlFL

She thinks it can be selected with voice "enable (activate?) adaptive mode" and/or the comfort button (possibly more than 1 press). Waiting for someone with a new car to confirm.

At least when you have a button that is properly labeled you are aware that it exists, why hide it like this?

[COKen]

My 2023 X5 doesn't have the Adaptive Button either, but the Owner's Manual, downloaded by VIN number, shows an Adaptive Button. Pressing the Comfort Button more than once doesn't do anything and I was unable to get any version of the voice control to activate Adaptive mode, but I don't use voice control so I may have been doing something wrong. Looks to me like Adaptive driving mode may have been dropped by BMW.

[Bigmouth Studio]

Adaptive mode is my default mode of driving and I am very happy with this, I don't need to change the mode and the Z4 do it automatically.

[gkgeiger]

I just checked my owners manual and Adaptive is listed. It says to activate Adaptive Mode press the button. 🤔

[COKen]

Originally Posted by BMWGirlFL

Voice works in my Z4. Does your X5 offer comfort plus by button, voice or driving experience control menu?

It does not. If I press the Comfort button any number of times it just stays on Comfort. My 2022 Z4 Comfort button works the same way, but it does have the Adaptive button.

[Pprior]

maybe click your heels 3 times before you push it?

[348SStb]

Originally Posted by gkgeiger

I just checked my owners manual and Adaptive is listed. It says to activate Adaptive Mode press the button. 🤔

Exactly!

Here’s an update. (It’s not terribly informative.)

After my original post I called BMW USA Genius.

The agent on the phone at first gave me the generic answer that “it has it according to the Owner’s Manual and pictures in the Owner’s Manual.” She was skeptical of my issue.

I invited her to type a sample VIN into a search to populate the actual car on the ground with actual photos at a BMW Dealer. After she saw the photos, she said, “Hmmm. The Owner’s Manual says to push the adaptive button in order to activate Adaptive Mode, but there’s no button. Hard to do that when there’s no button for it. I will move this up the ladder and see what we can find out for you.”

I asked her to search a second VIN just as a backup, and she saw the same on another car.

So I’m awaiting a response from BMW USA (crossing my fingers).

[ebirotedu]

Personally, I didn’t use adaptive mode at all until BMWGirl mentioned it was her default. So, I thought I’d try it after I’d spent a few weeks exclusively using comfort & sport/sport+ modes. Turns out it’s a good setting for exiting & returning to my neighborhood, and without the excessive softness of the startup default comfort mode.

Besides tightening up the steering, suspension and powertrain on demand, the mileage is (unsurprisingly) significantly better than when left exclusively in sport or sport+ mode - I typically see 24MPG on 150-200 mile round trips on surface roads (no expressway/interstate) where maybe 40-50 of those miles are in sport+ mode and the rest are in adaptive mode.

If it’s gone from the 2023 models, that’s a disappointing. Though, if I hadn’t gotten my 2022 last spring, I’d likely have waited for a manual and lack of this mode would be less important as long as I’d probably leave the suspension & steering in sport mode all the time.

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

When I first purchased my 2022 I didn't even realize what the adaptive mode was for and normally left my Z4 in comfort mode for driving around on the local roads, especially during the first 1200 miles of the break-in period.

One day I called and questioned my sales advisor about it and he told me to try it as it gives you the best of all of the driving modes and will usually increase the mileage you are getting on your car which has increased 4-5 mpg since I started using it.

Page 136 of my manual describes Adaptive Mode as follows:
Comfort-oriented driving mode, whose tuning is automatically modified to the driving situation and driving style . If the navigation system is active, upcoming road sections are considered.

There has been several discussions about the people that like it and the benefit of using the adaptive mode, this is just one thread where it is mentioned.

https://g29.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...=adaptive+mode

If it has been eliminated from the 2023's I am lucky that I own a 2022 as it is a nice feature to have. In my opinion, more people would be using it if the function of the adaptive mode was properly explained to new buyers when they picked up their cars at the dealer.

[SpeedyATL]

Originally Posted by 348SStb

So I’m awaiting a response from BMW USA (crossing my fingers).

^^^ Good luck with that. I have lost all confidence in BMW to give a damn what the end user thinks. Remember, we are not their customers, the dealer is.

And for the record, I'm a 30 year BMWCCA member....

[RigaTony1982]

So just to confirm, the car still has adaptive suspension, just not the adaptive button/mode? Meaning if I am in Comfort/Eco Pro the suspension will be softer than when in Sport/Sport Plus?

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Have always used it. My default start mode is "Individual Sport+". Any long trips I override it with the Adaptive button.

Knocking down 31/32MPG @ 85MPH average door to door speed.

[348SStb]

Originally Posted by RigaTony1982

So just to confirm, the car still has adaptive suspension, just not the adaptive button/mode? Meaning if I am in Comfort/Eco Pro the suspension will be softer than when in Sport/Sport Plus?

It has the Adaptive Suspension, yes. So the suspension will be adaptive within each suspension mode.

What it doesn’t have: not only does it not have the Adaptive button, we *think* there is no Adaptive “Mode.” Meaning the car optimized the various parameters continuously to suit driving conditions it observes while in Dynamic Mode.

[348SStb]

So we don’t know yet whether the button simply was eliminated and the functionality of “Adaptive” still lives on but just be actuated from the iDrivr system.

Assuming Adaptive is gone altogether… just a guess here.

On struggling models like Z4, eliminating Adaptive allows BMW to reduce the price of a Z4 with Adaptive M Suspension, which they achieved for 2023. A 2023 car with Adpative M Suspension is significantly less than a 2022 car.

Adaptive mode requires various chips. The navigation system talks to the Adaptive controller if a destination is set; Active Cruise Control (if equipped) and possibly even just the standard Dynamic Cruise Control talks to the Adaptive controller; and so do various other metrics such as steering angle, throttle potentiometer, etc.

We are in a chip shortage (so we are told), and if BMW figures we won’t miss adaptive mode, they can lower the price. On cars that aren’t struggling, BMW figures it will alleviate some chip constraints and simply pocket the extra cash by eliminating the feature but charging the same (or more) for a given model.

Just guessing here, but I’d bet that’s what’s going on here.

[RigaTony1982]

Originally Posted by 348SStb

It has the Adaptive Suspension, yes. So the suspension will be adaptive within each suspension mode.

What it doesn’t have: not only does it not have the Adaptive button, we *think* there is no Adaptive “Mode.” Meaning the car optimized the various parameters continuously to suit driving conditions it observes while in Dynamic Mode.

Got it, thanks a bunch. Kind of annoying, but I am glad it does at least still have the adaptive suspension. Was an option I did not have on my previous M340i, and the ride could be a little rough sometimes over the lovely Chicago roads.

I do wish they'd cut out some of this cost-cutting crap. They've just recently raised prices, and in some models they've been raised twice in the past few months. It's dumb stuff too. On the 3 series forums, one of the things that was noticed was the climate control wheels that allow you to close/open the vent. On my 2021, they all were backlit. On the 2023, only the two center ones are backlit, while the others are not. They also had cut out some of the ambient lighting in the door pockets.

Like what can this button cost them to put in? A few cents?

[RigaTony1982]

Originally Posted by 348SStb

So we don’t know yet whether the button simply was eliminated and the functionality of “Adaptive” still lives on but just be actuated from the iDrivr system.

Assuming Adaptive is gone altogether… just a guess here.

On struggling models like Z4, eliminating Adaptive allows BMW to reduce the price of a Z4 with Adaptive M Suspension, which they achieved for 2023. A 2023 car with Adpative M Suspension is significantly less than a 2022 car.

Adaptive mode requires various chips. The navigation system talks to the Adaptive controller if a destination is set; Active Cruise Control (if equipped) and possibly even just the standard Dynamic Cruise Control talks to the Adaptive controller; and so do various other metrics such as steering angle, throttle potentiometer, etc.

We are in a chip shortage (so we are told), and if BMW figures we won’t miss adaptive mode, they can lower the price. On cars that aren’t struggling, BMW figures it will alleviate some chip constraints and simply pocket the extra cash by eliminating the feature but charging the same (or more) for a given model.

Just guessing here, but I’d bet that’s what’s going on here.

Base price on M40 has not decreased in 2023, so not sure where you see it as significantly less. In fact, base MSRP was raised. Two things went down in price (Active Cruise and the Vernasca leather), which are both optional.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Originally Posted by 348SStb

It has the Adaptive Suspension, yes. So the suspension will be adaptive within each suspension mode.

What it doesn’t have: not only does it not have the Adaptive button, we *think* there is no Adaptive “Mode.” Meaning the car optimized the various parameters continuously to suit driving conditions it observes while in Dynamic Mode.

Its possible that they killed the choice & its always on in Comfort. Would have been helpful for them to put the info out as a 2023 Feature.

[RigaTony1982]

Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory

Its possible that they killed the choice & its always on in Comfort. Would have been helpful for them to put the info out as a 2023 Feature.

The standard features still has “Adaptive M Suspension with electronically controlled dampers” listed for the M40i at least, so I’m assuming it still has the two separate modes.

[Bayernzeit]

Wow. Shame it’s gone. I love it. Anyone else in Germany? It’s my go-to mode for the Autobahn; let’s the car manage what you want at high speed on unrestricted portions vs. restricted portions and traffic. Did the EU spec LCI also remove the option? Haven’t seen one IRL yet, but will peek in a window when I do.