[krishsreedharan]

For the life of me, I cannot understand why BMW does not allow us to build our own configurations. I am working on the assumption that the average Indian buyer in this segment has the wherewithal to configure his car and pay for all his customisations.

They could perhaps offer a few standard trim packages to satisfy the first-time customers or those who are operating on a budget and also allow those who like to have their cars the way THEY like it and rather not the way the manufacturer decides, to spec out and get the car of their dreams.

My 2c.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by krishsreedharan

For the life of me, I cannot understand why BMW does not allow us to build our own configurations. I am working on the assumption that the average Indian buyer in this segment has the wherewithal to configure his car and pay for all his customisations..

We get the cars in kit form so the configurations are standardised

Complexity adds to costs and order fulfilment. To ensure economies of scale, the basic configuration might be limited to a few options and colours. The interiors will consist of different modules based on colour options. You might get the luxury to mix and match limited combinations.

Individual specs only happen at the place of manufacture (not assembly!) where the supply of different modules etc. can be controlled at a more granular level.

Taking the BMW 7 (prev gen) as an example - you could order different CKD versions based on colour and interiors and there was the option of CBU if I recollect but you would need pay a lot more.

[VRJ]

Checked out the new 5’er today. Surprised to see no other BHP’ian from tier-1 cities already posting initial impressions. No test drive was available. Will be available in the first week of September. I initially was in the market for a German SUV, however, the GLC GLE X3 X5 all have poor rear seat experience. It’s only the E-class and now the LWB 5’er that are comfortable 4-seater cars. Already checked out the E-class and shared my experience in another thread. I’ve already paid a booking advance for the E. Waiting for the new gen E to take a call. My base reference of comparison are the 520d (2021, which my father-in-law has) and the current E-class. So, the LWB 5’er:

What I like:

1. Contrary to what lots of people are saying, the new 5’er is a good looking car. It’s all about what angle you’re seeing the car from because the angle can make or break your opinion. See the below two images, I personally liked it. I feel it looks aggressive and sporty like how a BMW should be. However, see the third image and it looks meh. The rear looks good as well, apart from the overly done bumper. Feels non-German. First impression you get as soon as you see the car is the huge sloping bonnet. Looks fabulous. I love long sedans. Coming to the grille colour, I personally don’t like it, but my dad liked it. It’s subjective. The below grey shade and black have this Titanium Bronze accents.








2. The interior is just a vibe. Feels fresh and modern. The dual curved screen is crisp. The crystal light bar is very unique. The crystal controller on the centre console has the perfect tactile feedback. A feel good user experience touch point. Overall, I would say the interiors are better than the X5.





3. Love how the rear seat extends to the edge. When you’re resting your hand on the side, it gives your triceps area better support and comfort.



4. The Bowers & Wilkins audio is stunning. Heard it at full volume and it has no distortion. Lovely bass and clarity. It matches the Burmester setup from Mercedes. It’s much better than the Harmon Kardon from the 520d. Good to have a manual volume controller.

5. The rear is a comfortable place to get chauffeured in. Good cushy seats. Sitting behind myself (I'm 6'2), I had great legroom and foot room. You can slide your feet below the front seats. Good thigh support as well. Would’ve been perfect if it had sunshades and reclining seats.





6. Vegan leather. Brownie points with God.

7. Major point is that the ground clearance is definitely up. Our 520d scrapes lots of ramps and speed breakers when there are four on board. The ingress/egress is a bit hard as well. However, the new 5 seems higher and the ingress/egress is much better. It’s similar to the E-class. Not sure of the official ground clearance number.


What I'm neutral about:

1. 18” alloys. This setup has a very healthy sidewall. Perfect for our roads. The alloy design is a bit bland and doesn’t suit this segment. It doesn’t look classy. The 19” upgrade costs 3.25 lakh. We get only 1.1 lakh of buyback for the 18” alloys, which seemed very low.

2. New UI. Compared to the 520d, the new UI feels very android’ish. Too many icons and menus. There’s a lot going on. I anyways use only Apple CarPlay.

3. The boot is big and deep, however, it’s on the shorter side due to the spare wheel. So is the E-class.

4. Side bolstering in the rear seats. I’m 6’2 with broad shoulders. 10% of my shoulder falls on the bolstering part. Same issue with the E-class as well. However, I’m much taller than the average Indian male height. So, majority of the population would be alright.

5. Front seats no longer has the extendable thigh support. Our 520d has it and it's a good one to have for tall drivers.

What i don't like:

1. I don’t understand why the floor height is different from front seats to back. The front is raised, and the back is a bit down. The ingress/egress is noticeably better in the rear and the thigh support is better as well. Whereas, in the front, unless you stretch your legs, you sit very knees up. I’ve never noticed this in any other car. Is it too accommodate a battery for the i5? Then I’m guessing the entire wheelbase floor height needs to be raised. Saving grace is the front foot-well is rather deep and you can stretch your legs.

2. Plastic surrounding the speaker grills feels cheap and very non-premium to the touch.

3. Not a fan of the new speedometer design. Feels immature and childish. Audi and Porsche do it best.

4. The C-Pillar and boot meeting point feels a bit unconventional. But, I can live with it.

5. Not launching the diesel.

6. No rear seat pockets.






Addressing the Elephant in the room:

Just stupid of BMW to omit rear reclining seats and sunshades. Would that increase the price by a lakh? Everyone would be happy to pay for it. Only can then BMW can claim it’s a competition to the E-class. I remember watching an interview of someone from BMW during the launch and he said reclining seats add unnecessary extra mechanical components which might fail, we rather give better cushioned seats. The seats definitely feel very cushioned compared to the E, but once you experience the reclining seats on the E, there’s no going back.

Coming to the sunshades, the 520d has it, why doesn’t the new one have it? BMW was probably in a hurry to launch the 5’er. Well, you made a fool out of yourself, and BMW has the audacity to add a normal aftermarket sunshade to their accessory list as shown below. Just poor planning and non-German vibe.




Overall, I went in with zero expectations as a lot of BHP’ians were not a fan of this generation. I came out liking the car . The interior is a good place to be and is a proper upgrade from our 520d and the current E-class. Expect from one angle, the car looks nice and sporty (Our 520d is any day a better-looking car, but we have to move on). Based on reviews, it drives very well. The pricing is just spot on. Under cutting the current E-class is a master stroke. 5’er now costs 89L on-road in Vizag. E-class is around 94L. With current discounts, its 84L. The new E-class, as per the SA, will get a significant price hike. He’s expecting 1.05 to 1.10cr. Yikes. Eagerly waiting for the E-class launch to take a decision.

X5:
Saw rave reviews of the current X5 internationally and from domestic reviewers. So, I was eager to check it out. I felt the 5’er interiors are better than the X5. The rear seat experience is much better on the 5’er. There is just no comparison. See the below image of the legroom I have sitting behind myself. Was very letdown. Not a fit for my family. The exterior is smashing and will probably have no haters.



Cheers.

[Akash5653]

Originally Posted by VRJ

1. Contrary to what lots of people are saying, the new 5’er is a good looking car. It’s all about what angle you’re seeing the car from because the angle can make or break your opinion. See the below two images, I personally liked it. I feel it looks aggressive and sporty like how a BMW should be. However, see the third image and it looks meh. The rear looks good as well, apart from the overly done bumper. Feels non-German. First impression you get as soon as you see the car is the huge sloping bonnet. Looks fabulous. I love long sedans. Coming to the grille colour, I personally don’t like it, but my dad liked it. It’s subjective. The below grey shade and black have this Titanium Bronze accents.

Attachment 2643504

Is it only me that thinks it looks like a slavia with BMW badges in the third picture?

[84.monsoon]

Thanks for a very informative mini review. I do think the new 5-series is great value for the price at which it has been launched (72.9 lakhs ex-showroom for the full fat MSport trim).

I do not see Mercedes bring in the new E-class anywhere below 85 lakh ex-showroom, going by how they have been over-pricing recent launches. Absence of reclining rear seats and sunblinds for the rear seats in the BMW is going to make Mercedes all the more arrogant on pricing of the new E-Class LWB.

One big miss on the new 5 series versus the previous generation is the absence of adaptive damping. This is just unforgivable for a country like India, especially if someone is going for the optional 19 inch wheels with 45 profile tires. The 18 inch wheels make the car look very under-tired as it is so long and significantly taller than the previous generation (1518 mm tall versus 1497 mm for ther previous generton). The 18 inch wheels make the the car look like one of those humongous Lincoln taxi cars that used to be very popular in the US in the 80s and of the 90s in the US, with those small wheels and fat tires around them. An upgrade to 19 inch alloys is mandatory for aesthetics such a large

[RickyC]

MB has to factor in the turbo petrol iteration (530i) pumping out 250 odd BHP for the current 5er against the E200 petrol which they sell in E class that makes under 200bhp.
If the updated C 300 is being priced at a premium of 7L over C200, it actually means that they value it so much higher.
The market sentiments are not looking great going forward and if they overprice the new E, it can backfire for sure, more so considering that BMW may come with an updated version of 5er with cinema screen and giving back the glaring omissions like reclining seats/sunblinds/extended lumber support sets etc.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by RickyC

MB has to factor in the turbo petrol iteration (530i) pumping out 250 odd BHP for the current 5er against the E200 petrol which they sell in E class that makes under 200bhp.
If the updated C 300 is being priced at a premium of 7L over C200, it actually means that they value it so much higher.
The market sentiments are not looking great going forward and if they overprice the new E, it can backfire for sure, more so considering that BMW may come with an updated version of 5er with cinema screen and giving back the glaring omissions like reclining seats/sunblinds/extended lumber support sets etc.

The c class owner who drives himself will appreciate the 300 power train, the chauffer driven e class customer will appreciate the rear seat recline and sun shades. A long wheel base sedan should cater to the rear seat and Mercedes has figured out what works, lower power output means the driver isn't upto race car antics. The E class photos were leaked on the 5 series launch day itself, customers know what it'll look like and Mercedes is set to dominate this segment. The number of small town customers they have is impressive.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

One big miss on the new 5 series versus the previous generation is the absence of adaptive damping.

I haven't driven the new 5 but I got a chance to drive i5 recently in Gurgaon. Suspension of that car is at another level. More like the new 7 series. BMW has loaded that with what they call "Professional suspension" and even rear Air suspension (perhaps due to battery)
https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/maga...-fahrwerk.html

However, I found the steering a bit vague (I had Macan for a while ) Per SA, the 5 also has a very good suspension, so I will wait for an actual drive experience. The local dealership started the test drives many days back.

Suspension setup on i5

Originally Posted by RickyC

BMW may come with an updated version of 5er with cinema screen and giving back the glaring omissions like reclining seats/sunblinds/extended lumber support sets etc.

Interesting, if it's in China, I will expect them to bring it here sooner rather than later. Maybe they are waiting for the new E-Class.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

I haven't driven the new 5 but I got a chance to drive i5 recently in Gurgaon. Suspension of that car is at another level. More like the new 7 series. BMW has loaded that with what they call "Professional suspension" and even rear Air suspension (perhaps due to battery)

I have a G60 530i xDrive (regular wheel base) and I find the suspension very firm and you can feel all the bumps. Driving around potholed roads of NYC and NJ is not pleasant.

In fact I feel my 2017 Ciaz had a much smoother ride around Gurgaon

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

I have a G60 530i xDrive (regular wheel base) and I find the suspension very firm and you can feel all the bumps.

You might have a standard "M Sport Suspension". Try decoding VIN, it should list probably.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

You might have a standard "M Sport Suspension". Try decoding VIN, it should list probably.

I don't think so, that was part of the $3,000 M Sport Option back which I didn't take.

[inwester]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

I haven't driven the new 5 but I got a chance to drive i5 recently in Gurgaon. Suspension of that car is at another level. More like the new 7 series. BMW has loaded that with what they call "Professional suspension" and even rear Air suspension (perhaps due to battery)
https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/maga...-fahrwerk.html

However, I found the steering a bit vague (I had Macan for a while )

Not an i5 owner, but I recently got the BMW i4 and first thing I noticed was how comfortable the ride is, especially in the rear. Having purchased the car without test drive and since it was delivered at home, it was a very nice pleasant surprise. Not to mention, polar opposite of our earlier EV, the Tesla Model Y, which had a stiff and bumpy ride. I have the i4 AWD dual motor variant with 19" wheels and the ride is almost better than my Volvo XC90. The car is equipped with air suspension in the back and adaptive dampers in the front, just brilliant. Once the drive mode was set in comfort mode for suspension, I didn't even try the sport mode.

I also agree with your assessment on the steering, it is a big vague. No matter how much I tried fiddling with the setting it isn't as direct as I would like to be, especially with close to 400 hp on tap. Nevertheless, not as terrible as Tesla Model Y steering or even the latest Model 3.

https://www.evspecifications.com/en/model/d2ec2c2

[AnkitShroff]

With the launch of the all-new Mercedes E-class (at a lower-than-anticipated pricing thus not allowing the 5-series to be a runaway success as earlier expected), it will be interesting to see how Bhpians compare the two cars?

While I prefer self-driving cars and hence have a slight bias towards BMW (over Mercedes), I find the 5-er to be a slightly incomplete car. With LWB version, lower profile tyres etc., it is not the same driver’s car as before; as a comfort-oriented car, it lacks basic requirements (for the price segment) in the rear seat such as window blinds, ability to move the front passenger seat from the rear seat, non-reclining rear seat etc.

Would love to know which misses (for either car) is an eyebrow-raising point for you.

[amanvarma]

Hi,

I'm fairly new here as a user but I've been a reader for extremeley long time. I wanted to take your help to solve a conundrum I am in.

I currently own a GLC 300 which I purchased back in January and have loved it ever since! Me and my brother have been on the lookout of a second luxury car to add to the garage. While we toyed with the idea of Demo Version ( I know everyone's against it) of an A6 at 59L, we're now thinking of extending our budget upto 80L and see the prospects.

We tried both the new 530Li and new E200 LWB and are confused between which one to purchase. While the 530Li has a strong road presence and is cheaper by 5L, the E200 feels more luxurious inside and gives you a great vibe! Our drives are equally self driven and chauffer driven but our cars are driven quite less due to the nature of our work (in 9 months the GLC has run only 5K).

We also recieved a good sale offer on our GLC of almost 69L (considering it has 5 year warranty and PPF), so we were wondering if we should replace it with the E200 and then wait for the BMW X3 in Jan 2025 or if you recommend another great car with resale value.

Been extremely confused since the past 2 weeks and would love for your suggestions and advice on this!

[AnkitShroff]

Originally Posted by amanvarma

Hi,

We also recieved a good sale offer on our GLC of almost 69L (considering it has 5 year warranty and PPF), so we were wondering if we should replace it with the E200 and then wait for the BMW X3 in Jan 2025 or if you recommend another great car with resale value.

At the foremost, welcome to the forum! I, too, was a long time reader before I started posting last month.

I have not yet test-driven (or even checked-out) either of the cars (E200 and 530Li), so please take my views with a pinch of salt.

While I find the new E-class a more complete product compared to the new 5-series, E200 might not be the right fit given you will be driving the car 50% of the times, and E200 will feel underpowered for the dimensions and the weight. I would even go to the extent of asking you to at least check out the 330Li (especially with the current discounts; perhaps more towards the year-end) which feels more suitable for a 50:50 self-drive/ rear-seating ratio compared to the 530Li which seems (to me) like a car meant for people looking at rear seat comfort primarily which occasional self-driving.

Regarding your GLC, if you are happy with the car, why do you want to sell/ exchange it? Even financially, if you think about it, for a 9-month/5k kms experience, you are suffering a depreciation of ~15 lakhs. Unless you plan to exchange the GLC for E200 (for chauffeur-driven purpose) and later buy the X3 50 (for self-driving), exchanging a new car that you are happy with makes little sense.