[JCtx]

Hey gang, was looking for an M550i, but cannot be ordered anymore, and can't find one with basically all options (except C/F, which I do not like). And ivory interior only. So salesman said what about the 850? And that's why I'm here. I'm basically looking for a 'Jekyl & Hide' car: very luxurious, quiet, and comfortable in comfort mode (when traveling), and as sporty as possible with everything in sport+ (canyon carving, or when driving alone). Although I haven't driven one yet, the M550i seemed to fit that bill the best, obviously equipped with DHP. Reviews said it still had some body roll (especially in transitions), but it still has solid handling, so I can live with that. An M5 would be too stiff and uncomfortable for my wife, and don't want to spend an additional 30 grand. So have to compromise on the handling a little, which is fine since I won't track the car. Both cars are quite comparable in amenities, but unfortunately the 850 is not offered with massaging seats, which I don't understand why. On the plus side, it offers full Merino leather, vs just Nappa on the 550.

Anyway, can somebody here with experience driving both cars tell me how the 850 handles compared to the 550? And which one is quieter inside the cabin? Will research about length and weight differences, and listen to some reviews as well. Thank you.

[Seaford]

Out of interest why dismiss the Ivory interior…. unless you just don’t like it? Hopefully not based on rumours that they are hard to look after probably spread by people that have never actually had one. The only concession I have made to practicality in my 840 with Ivory interior is replacing the floor mats with OEM black.

And i love mine, extremely refreshing after the drab black in my last bmw….

[Mancunian101]

Plus one on the ivory interior. Still looks great after 2 years. I did the black mats too.

Whilst I have no direct comparison with the 550, the 8 series seems to fit your needs perfectly. I’ve got the M8, which mixes comfortable, luxurious cruiser with riotous hooligan with the touch of a button. I’m sure the 850 will do something very similar.

[TupperBMW]

I own the M850i and have test driven the M550i

M550i being lighter will probably have the slight edge in speed and handling. Problem is, it just looks like another 5 series

The 8 series looks more special. It’s proper luxury and exclusivity, plus it’s a beast when you need it to be

[Yogujuhere]

Hey,

My sister has the M550 and I have the M850 Coupe and brother in law has the M850 Gran Coupe. I've driven all 3 multiple times.

I truly think they drive nothing alike. Other than the same power level, they don't drive the same. You should really test drive both of them.
I think the M550 drives lighter and more agile, more symmetrical with its handling. In a lot of ways I think the m550 drives better than the m850.
The m850 is heavier, feels larger, however its swankier and looks more special.
The m850 has way more street presence and cars literally move out of the way when they see me pulling up in their rear view mirror lol.

[TupperBMW]

^ That’s a good description. Particularly the Gran Coupe just looks like the big man just rolled up.

In the M550i you’re shooting for the stars, hoping for a promotion

In the M850i (Gran coupe) you’re already there.

In the M8 it’s all just Daddy’s money at this point.

( I kid, I kid)

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by Seaford

Out of interest, why dismiss the Ivory interior

Read my post again; you missed 'And ivory interior only', meaning no ivory interior is a deal-breaker for me... as well as the ivory Alcantara headliner too. Looks super cool, fresh and airy like that indeed. I wish it had black carpet and mats, like the ivory M550i, but not a big deal. And yes, I'd immediately change the mats to black. Not sure on exterior color; I'm between mineral white and skyscraper gray, the latter making more sense, or it'd be too much white, no? Wheels would be 895Ms with the cooling package, since they're the only non-RF option.

Can't wait to drive one, and yes, I agree the 850 looks more special indeed. But may I ask why the heck is it heavier than a 5" longer M550??? I assumed it was lighter. Geez. Makes no sense to me, but just wonder why. And also why was it down-rated from 17/25 to 17/24 for '23+? Does anybody know? Maybe final drive is higher now? How about rpm at 80 in 8th gear? Anyway, Austin has both M550i (just 1 with DHP) and M850i now, so hope both are still available in about 2 weeks, when I'll be back there. Also happy it can be ordered without stupid RFs, but there's only 1 such option... but a good one. Thank you for all the great input. And nothing like a coupe, where you can actually rest your entire arm on the door's armrest; it's a special feeling. I had an '18 S6 V8TT, and never felt special. My first expensive car was a '96 Lexus SC400 V8 coupe, and it felt special. And it had a whopping 250 HP. Ha ha.

Finally, does the M850 have the DHP package (including RAS) of the M550i standard? Thanks guys.

[Dr Thrillride]

Never owned a 5 series because of the zero appeal factor for myself. No offence meant to anyone that owns one. Once you get into an M850, forget splitting hairs about agility etc. yes I get it but you’ll just drive it differently. F it weren’t for wanting to track the car, I wouldn’t have upgraded from M850 to the M8 with CCB. M850 has plenty of power.

[Van_bimmer]

I own an m850 GC and test drove an m550, twice. The 5 is nice but I found it way too soft and unengaging, steering felt off, and didn’t like the dash design at all and thought I couldn’t live with that. I didn’t even consider the 8, actually. When I tested one it all changed.
The m850 is slightly firmer but not too stiff at all and bumps are very forgiving, I find it more exciting to drive, very unique car on the road, way more traditional center stack/console. It’s actually an animal on the track, in Sport+. I find it comfortable on day to day roads. Have had 4 AMG sedans in the past and I was done with the stupidly tight suspensions and so I’m sensitive to jarring rides but just felt the m550 road way to squishy for me. The 850 had the best balance and best of all a very unique looking car.

[Sinister840]

M850 all the way if you don't need to haul children. I always tell my spouse I only need a car with two doors and two seats. One sear for me and one for you. Everybody else can walk or get their own car ;-P

[yugrac]

Originally Posted by JCtx

Read my post again; you missed 'And ivory interior only', meaning no ivory interior is a deal-breaker for me... as well as the ivory Alcantara headliner too. Looks super cool, fresh and airy like that indeed. I wish it had black carpet and mats, like the ivory M550i, but not a big deal. And yes, I'd immediately change the mats to black. Not sure on exterior color; I'm between mineral white and skyscraper gray, the latter making more sense, or it'd be too much white, no?

Finally, does the M850 have the DHP package (including RAS) of the M550i standard? Thanks guys.

Here's a pic of my '22 M850 in Mineral White with Ivory interior, although it's a convertable, I thought maybe the pic could be helpful to you. Also, my '22 has the DHP package (including RAS) as standard equipment. I don't see why BMW would drop that feature off the '23. Good luck finding what you want. Exciting!

[JCtx]

Thank you for that pic; it doesn't look bad at all. And I much prefer white over a dark color, even when the dark color might look sexier. I live in hot TX, plus dark colors show scratches way more, hence preferring white. Plus it's much easier to touch up white. I'll use it to travel, and roads here are full of crap, so rock chips are inevitable. Have to research PPF coverage, but with so many complex curves, probably a lot of paint would still be vulnerable. Plus with most PPFs, if you don't clean them immediately after getting hit with bugs, they get permanently etched. When I put it on my Porsche, I regretted it. Do you recommend it on this car? Thx.

Hey gang, found this video while doing my research. There's absolutely no need for anything quicker IMO. Enjoy it:

[KONG991TT]

OP - Based on your needs, I would recommend a Porshce 911 instead. It offers a much more engaging drive, plenty of comfort and supreme performance that the 8 (and obviously the 5) can't get anywhere near. If it's within reach, go for 911.

My M850 is a convertible and it's comfortable but really heavy. The 8 is not really a performance car from my perspective, I'd make a decision based on comfort and appeal.

[JCtx]

You know, I considered it. And was actually going to order one, but Austin dealer walked back doing it as MSRP, asking for 10 grand over instead... and I'm glad they did. The El Paso dealer wants 15, and San Antonio 25 over, by the way. It's not remotely worth that IMO. Plus I'll NEVER pay over MSRP for a vehicle, period. But I can tell you that a 911 is not really what I'm looking for. It has the performance I like for sure, but I'm tired of living with a noisy and stiff performance car that is not comfortable for my wife, so she doesn't ride with me. I owned a fully loaded Cayman GTS (the 6 cyl) that was even better than a 911 in the twisties, but was stiff as hell, not comfortable, even with the best Porsche seats (18 ways), since I barely fit on them, and I'm only 160# (5'10"). There's no way a 911 is even half as comfortable as an M850, but I'll confirm when I finally drive one in maybe 2 weeks. And the Porsche 992 base I configured was barely above stripper status at $135K MSRP, with ZERO driver aids, the crap Bose, the basic leather package to avoid vinyl seats, and the necessary performance options of sport exhaust, sport chrono, and 20" wheels with the wider tires (no SPASM on the base). And this is the 911 with the softest suspension, so it doesn't handle like an S, and even less than a GTS. I bet an M4 would run circles around it in every way, with its much wider tires in front (275/285s vs 245/305s). And much more power too. And fully loaded it'd cost low 90s, including full Merino leather, HK stereo, and every driver aid imaginable. Oh, and it'd definitely be quieter. So if I wanted a purely sport ride, I'd get the M4. But want comfort/luxury first, so I'm almost positive I can perfectly live with the compromise the M850 entails... but I'll know for sure when I drive one. Have a trip to Austin in about 2 weeks, so will find out then. I'm talking about taking corners at maybe 0.9G max, so I'm almost sure an M850 can do that without much drama. We'll see

[Seaford]

Originally Posted by JCtx

Read my post again; you missed 'And ivory interior only', meaning no ivory interior is a deal-breaker for me... as well as the ivory Alcantara headliner too. Looks super cool, fresh and airy like that indeed. I wish it had black carpet and mats, like the ivory M550i, but not a big deal. And yes, I'd immediately change the mats to black. Not sure on exterior color; I'm between mineral white and skyscraper gray, the latter making more sense, or it'd be too much white, no? Wheels would be 895Ms with the cooling package, since they're the only non-RF option.

Can't wait to drive one, and yes, I agree the 850 looks more special indeed. But may I ask why the heck is it heavier than a 5" longer M550??? I assumed it was lighter. Geez. Makes no sense to me, but just wonder why. And also why was it down-rated from 17/25 to 17/24 for '23+? Does anybody know? Maybe final drive is higher now? How about rpm at 80 in 8th gear? Anyway, Austin has both M550i (just 1 with DHP) and M850i now, so hope both are still available in about 2 weeks, when I'll be back there. Also happy it can be ordered without stupid RFs, but there's only 1 such option... but a good one. Thank you for all the great input. And nothing like a coupe, where you can actually rest your entire arm on the door's armrest; it's a special feeling. I had an '18 S6 V8TT, and never felt special. My first expensive car was a '96 Lexus SC400 V8 coupe, and it felt special. And it had a whopping 250 HP. Ha ha.

Finally, does the M850 have the DHP package (including RAS) of the M550i standard? Thanks guys.

In my opinion any of the numerous shades of grey go really well with Ivory…..mine is Dravit, perfection to my mind.

[Bulent Ali]

No more 550i on the order list. Only a few left if any at dealers ( new ) . My brother was a die hard 550i man but when he saw the m850i his eyes rolled . The only thing the 550i will have is its rarity but the 8 series will be more of a rare site soon . No plans for a new model for the future . The only 5 series that will appeal to me is the m5cs ....that's now impossible to get but still it's a 5 series .
So , I ordered the M8 coupe in dravit grey with alcantara and sakhir orange seats and dash ....WOW !
Go for the 8 series and you won't regret it . More luxurious...heavy too can be a good thing and above all......its looks . Beautiful.