[malp33]

I am writing this in the hopes I can assist with others who either have had, are currently going through or will be going through the same affliction caused by never being 100% satisfied with their car, this is a bit of public service announcement. I have bought and sold 6 cars during the last several years in search of the perfect balance between comfort, sport, style and investment. The good news is since you receive full value for tax purposes on your trade, in many of the cases the trade outs cost very little. I will start in the beginning……with the 2018 RS5- 2 door, great car, fairly fast, looks great, ride was never really compliant and made mistake thinking I could live with a 2 door. I traded the RS5 for a 2018 Panamera 4S- this car pretty much ticked every box, only compromise for the most part was it was not east to get in and out of and the interior spec was kind of cheap feeling since it did not have the leather package or advanced driving aids, other than it was awesome, rock solid, looked great, fairly comfortable with a decent ride. Traded the Panamera (after 1 year they paid more for the trade than what I paid to begin with) for a 2018 E63s AMG- absolutely beast, looked great, sounded great, great tech, would have kept it if it just had a ride mode that was acceptable, it never was compliant even in full comfort. Traded the E63s (they paid 1k less on trade than what I paid after 7 months) for a 2020 CLS 450- great engine, looks great, best interior of any car I have ever owned, the challenge is the trunk is tiny and the ride while fine on perfect roads crashed really hard over the smallest imperfections and was not very quiet at any time, only had this car a short time, took a 2k hit when I traded it on what I think has by far the best combination of comfortable ride, quiet cabin, best tech, good looks, most for your money and solid performance of any car on the list- a 2021 G80 Prestige, so why did I trade out in 2 weeks? My wife loved the CLS and hated the thought of a Hyundai off shoot and while the performance was ok I knew I was going to want more, although everything else about that car was damn near perfect (hated the grill though) check one out if you ever get bored, they are fairly impressive. I traded the G80 for a 2021 BMW M550I (cost about 1.5k to make this trade plus the price difference in the cars of about 17k). The 550 is a great balance of the e63s- for usable non-track day needs and the Panamera. The M550 is more comfortable and compliant and much faster than the Panamera, CLS450 or RS5. The Genesis has better comfort, tech and is quieter, but the 550 is much more athletic while being totally acceptable comfort wise and is very close on tech to the Genesis. So far I am finding the 550 has the best combo of all the previous cars I have owned, and with the ability to out -perform most other non M5 and AMG variants in its class I think I landed on the winner………Hopefully my journey can shed some light for the others who have the same auto terminal illness.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by malp33

I am writing this in the hopes I can assist with others who either have had, are currently going through or will be going through the same affliction caused by never being 100% satisfied with their car, this is a bit of public service announcement. I have bought and sold 6 cars during the last several years in search of the perfect balance between comfort, sport, style and investment. The good news is since you receive full value for tax purposes on your trade, in many of the cases the trade outs cost very little. I will start in the beginning……with the 2018 RS5- 2 door, great car, fairly fast, looks great, ride was never really compliant and made mistake thinking I could live with a 2 door. I traded the RS5 for a 2018 Panamera 4S- this car pretty much ticked every box, only compromise for the most part was it was not east to get in and out of and the interior spec was kind of cheap feeling since it did not have the leather package or advanced driving aids, other than it was awesome, rock solid, looked great, fairly comfortable with a decent ride. Traded the Panamera (after 1 year they paid more for the trade than what I paid to begin with) for a 2018 E63s AMG- absolutely beast, looked great, sounded great, great tech, would have kept it if it just had a ride mode that was acceptable, it never was compliant even in full comfort. Traded the E63s (they paid 1k less on trade than what I paid after 7 months) for a 2020 CLS 450- great engine, looks great, best interior of any car I have ever owned, the challenge is the trunk is tiny and the ride while fine on perfect roads crashed really hard over the smallest imperfections and was not very quiet at any time, only had this car a short time, took a 2k hit when I traded it on what I think has by far the best combination of comfortable ride, quiet cabin, best tech, good looks, most for your money and solid performance of any car on the list- a 2021 G80 Prestige, so why did I trade out in 2 weeks? My wife loved the CLS and hated the thought of a Hyundai off shoot and while the performance was ok I knew I was going to want more, although everything else about that car was damn near perfect (hated the grill though) check one out if you ever get bored, they are fairly impressive. I traded the G80 for a 2021 BMW M550I (cost about 1.5k to make this trade plus the price difference in the cars of about 17k). The 550 is a great balance of the e63s- for usable non-track day needs and the Panamera. The M550 is more comfortable and compliant and much faster than the Panamera, CLS450 or RS5. The Genesis has better comfort, tech and is quieter, but the 550 is much more athletic while being totally acceptable comfort wise and is very close on tech to the Genesis. So far I am finding the 550 has the best combo of all the previous cars I have owned, and with the ability to out -perform most other non M5 and AMG variants in its class I think I landed on the winner………Hopefully my journey can shed some light for the others who have the same auto terminal illness.

Now keep the M550 for longer than a year

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by malp33

I am writing this in the hopes I can assist with others who either have had, are currently going through or will be going through the same affliction caused by never being 100% satisfied with their car, this is a bit of public service announcement. I have bought and sold 6 cars during the last several years in search of the perfect balance between comfort, sport, style and investment. The good news is since you receive full value for tax purposes on your trade, in many of the cases the trade outs cost very little. I will start in the beginning……with the 2018 RS5- 2 door, great car, fairly fast, looks great, ride was never really compliant and made mistake thinking I could live with a 2 door. I traded the RS5 for a 2018 Panamera 4S- this car pretty much ticked every box, only compromise for the most part was it was not east to get in and out of and the interior spec was kind of cheap feeling since it did not have the leather package or advanced driving aids, other than it was awesome, rock solid, looked great, fairly comfortable with a decent ride. Traded the Panamera (after 1 year they paid more for the trade than what I paid to begin with) for a 2018 E63s AMG- absolutely beast, looked great, sounded great, great tech, would have kept it if it just had a ride mode that was acceptable, it never was compliant even in full comfort. Traded the E63s (they paid 1k less on trade than what I paid after 7 months) for a 2020 CLS 450- great engine, looks great, best interior of any car I have ever owned, the challenge is the trunk is tiny and the ride while fine on perfect roads crashed really hard over the smallest imperfections and was not very quiet at any time, only had this car a short time, took a 2k hit when I traded it on what I think has by far the best combination of comfortable ride, quiet cabin, best tech, good looks, most for your money and solid performance of any car on the list- a 2021 G80 Prestige, so why did I trade out in 2 weeks? My wife loved the CLS and hated the thought of a Hyundai off shoot and while the performance was ok I knew I was going to want more, although everything else about that car was damn near perfect (hated the grill though) check one out if you ever get bored, they are fairly impressive. I traded the G80 for a 2021 BMW M550I (cost about 1.5k to make this trade plus the price difference in the cars of about 17k). The 550 is a great balance of the e63s- for usable non-track day needs and the Panamera. The M550 is more comfortable and compliant and much faster than the Panamera, CLS450 or RS5. The Genesis has better comfort, tech and is quieter, but the 550 is much more athletic while being totally acceptable comfort wise and is very close on tech to the Genesis. So far I am finding the 550 has the best combo of all the previous cars I have owned, and with the ability to out -perform most other non M5 and AMG variants in its class I think I landed on the winner………Hopefully my journey can shed some light for the others who have the same auto terminal illness.

Way different line up, but I've had 4 cars in three years. Bought a 2018 540 as a CPO purchase in December and unless it somehow shits the bed, it will be my only car for the next 4+ years.

Congrats on the 550, hopefully it sticks!

[Warp Ten]

I think you have sampled some really excellent cars, each special in its own way. Most people haven't the wherewithal to do so but fortunately in this crazy automotive market you've been able to do it with relatively little financial pain. And it seems you have landed on the one that will be most satisfactory in the long run. I hope you keep it for years, as I am sure you will like it. I have owned 10 BMWs over my lifetime but have sampled many more different cars as well. I bought a 2010 535xi M Sport in late 2009 and kept it for nine years. I replaced it with my 2019 540xi M Sport and expect to keep it at least as long. While not quite as powerful as a 550 it is fine with me and otherwise quite similar. It has an excellent balance between comfort, performance, utility and price. And I really believe that the iDrive, combined with the proper number of manual controls, is the very best way to manage your car's attributes. I find touch screens very distracting when driving but find the iDrive very easy to use without taking my eyes off the road. Once you get fully comfortable with it I suspect you will also; it really is very intuitive. And I sympathize with you about your wife. My wife also thinks I am an idiot about cars. So I regularly threaten to take her down to CarMax and trade her in. Although it's been going on for so long I am afraid that now
with all the miles on her, I will be relegated to Jack & Sons Used Cars across from the Naval base.... Enjoy your new ride! --Bob

[jiggyboiswagg]

I think you'll want to keep this one around. M550 is the epitome of luxury and performance. Silent and comfortable but can deliver some serious heat when you need it.

I love the new face lift, from the leaks I've seen, think they are changing the body style again with the 2023 models, not sure tho. Those pics don't look as dope as this current style. Again may not be true.

Congrats on the purchase!

[Gautam]

Welcome home, I hope! Nice review of the G80- heard lots of good things about it. You’ll likely find plenty of similarly discerning drivers here- I had a similar journey though luckily only through test drives.

The Panamera imho needs to be a heavily optioned gts to stack up to the m550, though it’s a Porsche through and through and hides it’s weight significantly better.

Similar experience with MB- very fun but also a bit too raw.

The only car I tested that gave a comparable experience to the m550 was the Audi s6- but the bmw is simultaneously faster, comfier and cheaper.

[2022M550i]

I think you ended up in the right place. I test drove everything under the sun many times over several years because I could never quite find the perfect car. From sedans, coupe's to SUV's. Everything out there had something that seriously annoyed me. Not one car had the best of all worlds...till I drove the M550i. I was looking for a fast daily driver without all the drama. Comfort was a must. The only thing that annoys me about the M550i is the steering and by no means is it a show stopper, but it seems inconsistent to me...sort of lazy. I can't get used to it. It needs to be more direct...too much play at times and I don't quite get it.

[SundaySnores]

This thread has reassured me that my 540 needs an upgrade.

[Qsilver7]

Paragraphs? I couldn’t make it through the post…trying to read it was like trying to swallow a softball.

Can I put in a request to go back and edit the original post and add paragraphs?

[malp33]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Paragraphs? I couldn’t make it through the post…trying to read it was like trying to swallow a softball.

Can I put in a request to go back and edit the original post and add paragraphs?

Sure, request away......

[ArchieV]

Love it great read. Hopefully you're settled in for the long term but I have a snaking suspicion you'll get the bug to move on soon 😉

[Tk718]

Originally Posted by 2022M550i

I think you ended up in the right place. I test drove everything under the sun many times over several years because I could never quite find the perfect car. From sedans, coupe's to SUV's. Everything out there had something that seriously annoyed me. Not one car had the best of all worlds...till I drove the M550i. I was looking for a fast daily driver without all the drama. Comfort was a must. The only thing that annoys me about the M550i is the steering and by no means is it a show stopper, but it seems inconsistent to me...sort of lazy. I can't get used to it. It needs to be more direct...too much play at times and I don't quite get it.

For me the slower steering rack (16.3:1) is also the only thing I don't like about this car. But to get the more direct steering (14.3:1) I would have to get the m5 and that's too much of a price difference. Overall everything else about this car is perfect especially where the roads aren't perfect.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by malp33

I am writing this in the hopes I can assist with others who either have had, are currently going through or will be going through the same affliction caused by never being 100% satisfied with their car, this is a bit of public service announcement. I have bought and sold 6 cars during the last several years in search of the perfect balance between comfort, sport, style and investment. The good news is since you receive full value for tax purposes on your trade, in many of the cases the trade outs cost very little. I will start in the beginning……with the 2018 RS5- 2 door, great car, fairly fast, looks great, ride was never really compliant and made mistake thinking I could live with a 2 door. I traded the RS5 for a 2018 Panamera 4S- this car pretty much ticked every box, only compromise for the most part was it was not east to get in and out of and the interior spec was kind of cheap feeling since it did not have the leather package or advanced driving aids, other than it was awesome, rock solid, looked great, fairly comfortable with a decent ride. Traded the Panamera (after 1 year they paid more for the trade than what I paid to begin with) for a 2018 E63s AMG- absolutely beast, looked great, sounded great, great tech, would have kept it if it just had a ride mode that was acceptable, it never was compliant even in full comfort. Traded the E63s (they paid 1k less on trade than what I paid after 7 months) for a 2020 CLS 450- great engine, looks great, best interior of any car I have ever owned, the challenge is the trunk is tiny and the ride while fine on perfect roads crashed really hard over the smallest imperfections and was not very quiet at any time, only had this car a short time, took a 2k hit when I traded it on what I think has by far the best combination of comfortable ride, quiet cabin, best tech, good looks, most for your money and solid performance of any car on the list- a 2021 G80 Prestige, so why did I trade out in 2 weeks? My wife loved the CLS and hated the thought of a Hyundai off shoot and while the performance was ok I knew I was going to want more, although everything else about that car was damn near perfect (hated the grill though) check one out if you ever get bored, they are fairly impressive. I traded the G80 for a 2021 BMW M550I (cost about 1.5k to make this trade plus the price difference in the cars of about 17k). The 550 is a great balance of the e63s- for usable non-track day needs and the Panamera. The M550 is more comfortable and compliant and much faster than the Panamera, CLS450 or RS5. The Genesis has better comfort, tech and is quieter, but the 550 is much more athletic while being totally acceptable comfort wise and is very close on tech to the Genesis. So far I am finding the 550 has the best combo of all the previous cars I have owned, and with the ability to out -perform most other non M5 and AMG variants in its class I think I landed on the winner………Hopefully my journey can shed some light for the others who have the same auto terminal illness.

I am glad you are liking the M550, it really is a great car and I hope it meets your needs. That said, after reading through your review, I think you simply have too many boxes to check that no car will ever meet. It's a Ying and Yang and a give and take when you are talking size and performance. Then there is the fact that all car makers have a con or two. Whether it be technology, interior finish, exterior design, trunk space, engine, etc.

You sound like a typical car guy, who is someone that gets a little bored after a bit of time and tries something else. That's me, BUT, I always stay with BMW. The one time I deviated (to a Maserati), I started thinking about dumping it after a few months. To me, I am partial to German Engineering. Benz never did it for me. Too soft and old-man ish. In terms of Porsche, besides the 911 or a juiced up Cayman/Boxster, the rest of the line-up are VW transplants, except for the Panamera which leaves a lot to be desired for the money and it's ugly IMO. Audi is close to BMW, but then there is the VW thing. BMW is BMW, no overarching VW or Chrysler ownership impacting decisions and parts when designing.

[MelbourneFinn]

Agree with a lot that has been captured here… I relocated from Australia to Spain 4 months ago, and finally appr. a month ago found what I think I was looking for, knowing I needed to make some compromises…

Has an M6 GranCoupe in Oz for nearly 3 years, from practically new. San Marino Blue with Silverstone full leather - the car was drop dead gorgeous, made all the right noises, faster that you would ever need (except getting 600 hp to ground via just 2 wheels was always a challenge off the line, but when moving there wasn't many even proper sports cars that were quicker) and I felt really privileged to have it. Yes, it was a (bad) investment, financially, luckily the crazy used car market provided some help when it came time to sell. But the problem from that perspective was equal here in Europe…

I had 3 months to consider what to buy as the Spanish bureaucracy ensured I had to settle for a few rental cars until I was allowed to buy something… I went through all emotions and changed my mind probably as many times in those 3 months as the M6 had horsepower. It was always going to be a German car, and going EV just doesn't feel like the right move quite yet. So, I was initially after a low mileage M6, preferably GranCoupe, but I don't really need 4 doors, so was prepared to consider Coupe as well, but couldn't find anything in the whole Europe that wouldn't have been an accident repair, and naturally (and conveniently) none of these sellers had any photos of the actual accident, but all of them apparently were "minor"… So that was a no-go…

I could not live with touch screens only, so the current model RS6 (and S6 when I counted my pennies) went out the window. Panamera could be for looks, but then comes the price premium… Leaves E/CLS Mercs - better steering than BMW, but that's about it… I couldn't live with their infotainment. So, the decision was made - M5, preferably pre-LCI it would be… Gone shopping… The reality hit pretty fast - find a low mileage one and either it's again an accident repair if priced reasonably, or lacks some key options like full leather, soft close doors or similar - I know myself, if some of these "vanity" options are missing, an expensive car will pretty quickly start feeling like - well, a Volkswagen…

The final piece of the puzzle was when I started comparing prices between M5s and the lesser 5-series models. Not much available locally in Spain, but when expanding the search to Germany,there's a bit more on offer… I am (still) determined to keep whatever I purchased until it will be time to move to electric, so things like colour both externally and internally were important (even more so to my wife).

Looking at available options and comparing prices, a local 2019 540i xDrive - Carbon Black with Cognac leather - was priced appr €35k lower that an M5 with similar options and mileage, so after a bit of mental arm wrestling I ended up with that. No, it's not perfect, but neither was the price tag… I can live with no leather dash, no Merino leather, no adaptive dampers (that's really it, so far) when I didn't buy a car that really should have all of those and a lot more (that's M5). To be honest, the 540 is sensational to drive, being pre-LCI the dash is not quite that digital, and it's more that quick enough. And the B58 engine really is a marvel in itself…

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by MelbourneFinn

Agree with a lot that has been captured here… I relocated from Australia to Spain 4 months ago, and finally appr. a month ago found what I think I was looking for, knowing I needed to make some compromises…

Has an M6 GranCoupe in Oz for nearly 3 years, from practically new. San Marino Blue with Silverstone full leather - the car was drop dead gorgeous, made all the right noises, faster that you would ever need (except getting 600 hp to ground via just 2 wheels was always a challenge off the line, but when moving there wasn't many even proper sports cars that were quicker) and I felt really privileged to have it. Yes, it was a (bad) investment, financially, luckily the crazy used car market provided some help when it came time to sell. But the problem from that perspective was equal here in Europe…

I had 3 months to consider what to buy as the Spanish bureaucracy ensured I had to settle for a few rental cars until I was allowed to buy something… I went through all emotions and changed my mind probably as many times in those 3 months as the M6 had horsepower. It was always going to be a German car, and going EV just doesn't feel like the right move quite yet. So, I was initially after a low mileage M6, preferably GranCoupe, but I don't really need 4 doors, so was prepared to consider Coupe as well, but couldn't find anything in the whole Europe that wouldn't have been an accident repair, and naturally (and conveniently) none of these sellers had any photos of the actual accident, but all of them apparently were "minor"… So that was a no-go…

I could not live with touch screens only, so the current model RS6 (and S6 when I counted my pennies) went out the window. Panamera could be for looks, but then comes the price premium… Leaves E/CLS Mercs - better steering than BMW, but that's about it… I couldn't live with their infotainment. So, the decision was made - M5, preferably pre-LCI it would be… Gone shopping… The reality hit pretty fast - find a low mileage one and either it's again an accident repair if priced reasonably, or lacks some key options like full leather, soft close doors or similar - I know myself, if some of these "vanity" options are missing, an expensive car will pretty quickly start feeling like - well, a Volkswagen…

The final piece of the puzzle was when I started comparing prices between M5s and the lesser 5-series models. Not much available locally in Spain, but when expanding the search to Germany,there's a bit more on offer… I am (still) determined to keep whatever I purchased until it will be time to move to electric, so things like colour both externally and internally were important (even more so to my wife).

Looking at available options and comparing prices, a local 2019 540i xDrive - Carbon Black with Cognac leather - was priced appr €35k lower that an M5 with similar options and mileage, so after a bit of mental arm wrestling I ended up with that. No, it's not perfect, but neither was the price tag… I can live with no leather dash, no Merino leather, no adaptive dampers (that's really it, so far) when I didn't buy a car that really should have all of those and a lot more (that's M5). To be honest, the 540 is sensational to drive, being pre-LCI the dash is not quite that digital, and it's more that quick enough. And the B58 engine really is a marvel in itself…

you made a great choice. The 540 will go down as one of the best of the era. The games bmw plays with options is bothersome. Altogether too much is optional, and on something with the price tag of an m5, pretty much nothing should be.

[snowbimmer]

This is gonna be long...............

Oh man, malp33, you are singing to the choir. Reading your post gives me great comfort, that I too, am not totally crazy. My journey starts earlier than yours. I did Mustang, Mustang, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Chrysler (Chrysler, for chrissakes + a couple Cherokees and an MDX for the wife in there) before I drove a friend's Audi A4 manual. It was fun. I needed AWD, since FWD and chains weren't getting me all the way home sometimes. Since we had an AWD Cherokee, I wanted a sport sedan - and I wanted to move into the German luxury category. And it had to be AWD. There weren't many around in 2006. I didn't particularly like the look of Audis and always kinda wanted a BMW. Drove a 2006 530xi. It wasn't super fast, but fast enough. Ordered a Black Sapphire with a manual and then started the first of many long and agonizing build waits. It came at Christmas 2005. Put Blizzak tires on it and went hunting for snowy hills. There were none I couldn't get up. I would stop on steep hills in my neighborhood to chat with the guys in their stuck SUVs. Then say goodbye and accelerate up the hill. I was hooked.

I hated the manual with a passion by the end of the lease. Aside from always driving in traffic, it just wouldn't get into 2nd gear gracefully. I travelled a lot to Seattle and I-5 from Seattle to Tacoma (only 30 miles) at 4PM could take an hour and a half. Zero to 10mph to 20mph to zero. Over and over and over. Clutch, clutch, clutch. Jesus.

OK, next up is a 2008 535xi BSM (again) with an automatic. More HP - a second faster to 60. It developed a vibration I couldn't get rid of. I HATE vibrations. I never really liked the E60 look. Moving on......

Ok, next up is an F10 535xi (Dark Graphite Metallic over Oyster. Saw that combination on the showroom when I went in to order Carbon Black. Ordered DGM instead.) Got more packages (love comfort access), both premium packages, better seats. And the F10 was a big improvement in the style department. There. Done. Finally.

Nope. Grew to hate Dark Graphite - too blah. Still not enough power. Dare I move up to the 550? The M5 was still out of the question. Settled on a 550xi, Space Gray over black. The wait this time killed me because I hadn't had a V8 for many, many cars. M-Sport package, Dynamic Handling, Executive Package. Under 4.5 to 60mph. Yeehaw. Loved that car. Kept it the full lease and put on almost 45,000 miles.

Ordered a G30 M550 sight unseen. The G30 seemed like a massive upgrade over the F10. It was. 0-60 under 4 secs now (even with the little pre-LCI engine). Very luxurious on the inside. Drove like a dream. Fabulous seats (Still the best I've ever had). My favorite car, ever. So what was wrong with it? It wasn't an M5. After the F90 came out the following year to rave reviews, I couldn't stand it. Had to get one. 600 effing HP. All the M "stuff." Was able to drive a Base and a Comp back to back. The Comp was rough, the Base less so, but doable. After driving 200 miles to see a Donington Grey it was all over. Scouring cars.com, I found 2 in the country with the spec I wanted. One in Florida, the other in San Diego. My dealer offered to get it for me with a $3,500 discount. The dealer in SD offered $9,000 off. There was also a $5,000 lease promotion. Done. Flew to SD and drove it home.

There. I finally achieved car nirvana. Only took 6 BMWs. Driving a luxo rocket. An unbelievable engineering marvel. The seats made may ass sore. The brakes squealed like a school bus. I felt it crashed hard over small road imperfections, just like your CLS 450. Really? I was enticed through a letter to swap into an LCI Base after 18 months for the same payment. But, they didn't have a base on the lot, just a couple comps. The LCI Comp had a major suspension upgrade and the seats were better. I was able to get that upgrade for the same payment. Who wouldn't? My 2021 LCI M5C was absolutely spectacular. Took it on long trips. Did dozens of 300 mile day trips. The brakes squealed. The ride was still a bit harsh around town, but unsurpassed on the road. Maybe the M550 really IS my sweet spot.

A friend bought the LCI M550 with the 523 hp engine. Drove it. Liked it. But, dammit, I also liked the new 8 series. I felt I would eventually be in an M8. I looked at where I'd be mileagewise at the end of my lease in 2023 (way, way over), supply chain problems, evaporating discounts and the cost of money going thru the roof. An M8 might cost more than I'm willing to pay. Ordering now would take a long time, it would probably be at MSRP and interest rates will most likely continue to rise.

A sweet Carbon Black M850 popped up at my dealer in April. It was specced out almost exactly like I would have ordered it. (It didn't have Bowers & Wilkens - I really got to enjoy that on the M5s) The M550 and M850 share a lot of the same characteristics: Luxury, sportiness, big V8, rear wheel steering (love that) and cheaper. The M bits on a full M car are worth every dollar, but you still have to pay for them. I don't like MSRP and expensive money. So, with a bit of consternation, I pulled the trigger. Got a good discount off MSRP and financed it under 3%.

The M850 is a great car. It's great in the city. It's great as a long haul cruiser. It's near great on a mountain road (still a big, heavy car). It's luxurious. It's fun to drive. They made it darn near identical to an M550. I will probably keep it quite awhile. I feel like you do with your M550 for all the exact same reasons. And, yes, we have the same auto terminal illness.

I just wish the trunk was as big as the M550...........................goddamnit - there I go again!! The damn thing is longer - but, the trunk is actually shorter. Why can't you get EVERYTHING you want in one effing car!!!

[Warp Ten]

Originally Posted by MelbourneFinn

Agree with a lot that has been captured here… I relocated from Australia to Spain 4 months ago, and finally appr. a month ago found what I think I was looking for, knowing I needed to make some compromises…

Looking at available options and comparing prices, a local 2019 540i xDrive - Carbon Black with Cognac leather - was priced appr €35k lower that an M5 with similar options and mileage, so after a bit of mental arm wrestling I ended up with that. No, it's not perfect, but neither was the price tag… I can live with no leather dash, no Merino leather, no adaptive dampers (that's really it, so far) when I didn't buy a car that really should have all of those and a lot more (that's M5). To be honest, the 540 is sensational to drive, being pre-LCI the dash is not quite that digital, and it's more that quick enough. And the B58 engine really is a marvel in itself…

You made a great choice, both in model and colors. But of course, I am somewhat biased! --Bob

[eliphil]

Originally Posted by malp33

I am writing this in the hopes I can assist with others who either have had, are currently going through or will be going through the same affliction caused by never being 100% satisfied with their car, this is a bit of public service announcement. I have bought and sold 6 cars during the last several years in search of the perfect balance between comfort, sport, style and investment. The good news is since you receive full value for tax purposes on your trade, in many of the cases the trade outs cost very little. I will start in the beginning……with the 2018 RS5- 2 door, great car, fairly fast, looks great, ride was never really compliant and made mistake thinking I could live with a 2 door. I traded the RS5 for a 2018 Panamera 4S- this car pretty much ticked every box, only compromise for the most part was it was not east to get in and out of and the interior spec was kind of cheap feeling since it did not have the leather package or advanced driving aids, other than it was awesome, rock solid, looked great, fairly comfortable with a decent ride. Traded the Panamera (after 1 year they paid more for the trade than what I paid to begin with) for a 2018 E63s AMG- absolutely beast, looked great, sounded great, great tech, would have kept it if it just had a ride mode that was acceptable, it never was compliant even in full comfort. Traded the E63s (they paid 1k less on trade than what I paid after 7 months) for a 2020 CLS 450- great engine, looks great, best interior of any car I have ever owned, the challenge is the trunk is tiny and the ride while fine on perfect roads crashed really hard over the smallest imperfections and was not very quiet at any time, only had this car a short time, took a 2k hit when I traded it on what I think has by far the best combination of comfortable ride, quiet cabin, best tech, good looks, most for your money and solid performance of any car on the list- a 2021 G80 Prestige, so why did I trade out in 2 weeks? My wife loved the CLS and hated the thought of a Hyundai off shoot and while the performance was ok I knew I was going to want more, although everything else about that car was damn near perfect (hated the grill though) check one out if you ever get bored, they are fairly impressive. I traded the G80 for a 2021 BMW M550I (cost about 1.5k to make this trade plus the price difference in the cars of about 17k). The 550 is a great balance of the e63s- for usable non-track day needs and the Panamera. The M550 is more comfortable and compliant and much faster than the Panamera, CLS450 or RS5. The Genesis has better comfort, tech and is quieter, but the 550 is much more athletic while being totally acceptable comfort wise and is very close on tech to the Genesis. So far I am finding the 550 has the best combo of all the previous cars I have owned, and with the ability to out -perform most other non M5 and AMG variants in its class I think I landed on the winner………Hopefully my journey can shed some light for the others who have the same auto terminal illness.

OK, first of all your wife likely has her own issues like many of ours do so you are no idiot sir just a fanatic like many of us including me. I came out of an RS7 2016 I had for 6 years. The fact that I had it longer then any other car speaks to how much I truly loved it. If it had not started to fall apart I would still have it. Trying to buy a car during the pandemic was an awful experience but I came out of it with an M550I Berdina Grey I found a few states over. The car was built but sitting in a port in Germany with a chip delay for the radio. I was lucky enough only to have a 4 month delay between the German Port and Maryland but it was worth the wait. I had not even been thinking about a BMW as I had never owned one but fate was on my side because this car is great. Uber comfortable, great color, plush interior, solid seats and a lot of fun in sport mode. I wish the steering was more lively but its compliant. see below

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by malp33

... the same affliction caused by never being 100% satisfied with their car

Yeah buddy, we need to start a club. I finally did a spreadsheet to keep track of all of the cars that I've been through, and the average duration is around 13 months. Unlike yourself (recent history excluded) every flip has cost me thousands, sometimes tens of thousands (the new Panamera S I had was probably the worst, financially).

I loved my G30 540i, but found that it wasn't quite as engaging as I would have preferred. I should have gotten the M550i. I still may, some day, but until then, the Alpina B7 is probably as close to Nirvana as I can get. Still, it is a BMW and does occasionally annoy me.

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Paragraphs? I couldn’t make it through the post…trying to read it was like trying to swallow a softball.

Dude, I'll take a whole bunch of properly punctuated correctly spelled sentences bunched up without a paragraph break over all these guys and gals who don't know the difference between its and it's, breaks and brakes and who don't know how to use a spel chekr.

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Dude, I'll take a whole bunch of properly punctuated correctly spelled sentences bunched up without a paragraph break over all these guys and gals who don't know the difference between its and it's, breaks and brakes and who don't know how to use a spel chekr.

You forgot there, their and they're.

[AmooManiak]

Ahhh a fellow enthusiast from Glen Ellyn. I am from there as well! Small world.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

...
Dude, I'll take a whole bunch of properly punctuated correctly spelled sentences bunched up without a paragraph break over all these guys and gals who don't know the difference between its and it's, breaks and brakes and who don't know how to use a spel chekr.

Originally Posted by snowbimmer

You forgot there, their and they're.

When to use I or me, or to, two & too, or your & you're. Or can't take the time to spell out probably (prolly). The list is almost endless.