[Jon D]

I posted this on the M5 forum, but there aren't very many UK members over there, so I thought I'd share my views with fellow Brits.
Well, I finally got to spend a few hours in the M5 today and had a great deal of fun around Aberdeenshire's twisty country roads.
Truly exciting, incredibly fast and very dramatic compared to my F10 535d M Sport.
However, for me there's a huge but in the aforesaid drama - yes, I had a lot of fun through the corners, enjoying the massive straight-line thrust and pin-point handling, but, to me, it just makes too much of of a song-and-dance about it. It's difficult to describe, but all the noise and firmness almost overwhelms the sense of rapidity, until you suddenly realise that you're well into licence losing territory - although it's nowhere near as fast on paper, I get more of a thrill out of flooring my 535d at 40-50mph, you get that lovely surge without all the fuss. I'm probably showing my age and lack of experience as an expert racing driver, but I'd find it difficult to live with for everyday use and I think it would uncomfortable and tiring on long drives.
It's undoubtedly a very accomplished and extremely fast car and there are obviously many to whom it will hugely appeal, but it was just a bit too raw for me. I'd certainly buy one as a second car, but I'd probably end up losing my driving licence. For regular use I'll happily keep my 535d and look to the 640d as a replacement.
A note on the many comments I've read concerning the lack of engine and exhaust noise inside the car - all I can say is that I must have superb hearing, it's more than enough for me.
Makes you wonder why some folks spend a considerable sum on upgrading the audio - I reckon it would be like listening to a top-end home hi-fi with a pneumatic drill being operated just outside your front window .

[dopper99]

I'm surprised you feel more surge out of a 535d. The M5 has more torque (and obviously more bhp) than a 535d so the M5 should have more torque-like surge than even a diesel.

Torques are 600Nm (535d) vs 680Nm (M5) according to BMWs website.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by dopper99

I'm surprised you feel more surge out of a 535d. The M5 has more torque (and obviously more bhp) than a 535d so the M5 should have more torque-like surge than even a diesel.

Torques are 600Nm (535d) vs 680Nm (M5) according to BMWs website.

If you re-read my post you should be able to note that I didn't say I felt more surge from my 535d; what I did say was, "I get more of a thrill out of flooring my 535d at 40-50mph, you get that lovely surge without all the fuss". It just gets on with the job extremely efficiently, whilst maintaining a high degree of comfort even in sport+.
Of course the M5 is hugely more powerful and it has much more torque, enabling it to massively out-perform my car, but to repeat what I said earlier, "all the noise and firmness almost overwhelms the sense of rapidity". In other words, it gets in the way of enjoying the drive, probably because it demands a far higher level of concentration, which after a while can become quite tiring. A while ago I drove a GT-R and arrived at similar conclusions; I had hoped I'd find less rawness in the M5 and in that respect I was disappointed.
All my personal opinion and, as I said, there will be many who will buy and love the car for its amazing capability, superb engineering, and manufacturing quality - it's just not for me as an everyday car.

[dxb335d]

The new M5 is a perfect every day car IMHO.
Drive like a big D but much faster.

If you think the F10 is Raw you should drive the E60 M5.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by Jon D

If you re-read my post you should be able to note that I didn't say I felt more surge from my 535d; what I did say was, "I get more of a thrill out of flooring my 535d at 40-50mph, you get that lovely surge without all the fuss". It just gets on with the job extremely efficiently, whilst maintaining a high degree of comfort even in sport+.
Of course the M5 is hugely more powerful and it has much more torque, enabling it to massively out-perform my car, but to repeat what I said earlier, "all the noise and firmness almost overwhelms the sense of rapidity". In other words, it gets in the way of enjoying the drive, probably because it demands a far higher level of concentration, which after a while can become quite tiring. A while ago I drove a GT-R and arrived at similar conclusions; I had hoped I'd find less rawness in the M5 and in that respect I was disappointed.
All my personal opinion and, as I said, there will be many who will buy and love the car for its amazing capability, superb engineering, and manufacturing quality - it's just not for me as an everyday car.

Ok, yeah. I miss-read you post - it was a bit late

Talking of the F10 535d, was watching the latest Clarkson DVD last night and he had a 535d on that - quite unusual for him, being a diesel and was the only diesel on the DVD. Pretty good considering it had all the usual Lambos, Porches, GTR's, new Maclaren etc.... He seemed to quite like the BM. But was nice the see his most fun car out of everything he tested was another beemer.