First impression M3 test drive

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by Bob Santorini

You need a longer test drive.
I took one out for 45mins in the wet and had reservations..
Then the local dealer gave me their demo car for 24hrs and I ordered one straight afterwards...

Bob

WOW, I can't believe your dealers allow that.
In the US, you get a 30-45 minute vignette.

[M3 n X5M]

Originally Posted by georgere

OP, the harsh ride you mention is from 19 inch wheels. I test drove a car with 18 inch wheels and standard suspension and found the car to be comfortable enough and responsive too. Then I test drove one with 19 and adaptive suspension. The suspension did not help much. What I did not like the most about 19 inch wheels was the steering feel. It felt like I was pulling a boat not an m3. With standard wheels the car was very alive and nimble. So now I m deciding between 18 and 19. I like the looks of 19 though.

I cannot agree with this experience in any car. Maybe wheel size affects how the pavement undulations or imperfections are transmitted to the cabin and wheel. That being, a lower profile tire (e.g.19") is rougher than a higher profile tire (vs. 18" wheels).

Wheel size does not change the feel of the steering. It would make sense to draw this conclusion if you changed the wheels on the car.

However, I found in my M cars that just a slight change in toe-in will dramatically change the feel, from light to heavy, or vice versa.

The latter is the most critical aspect of wheel alignment to the feel of the car. Increase toe in and this will lighten the wheel considerably. Decrease it, and expect a heavier wheel. Get it to the spec of the car, with the wheel offsets recommended and no spacers etc, and the car will have maximum grip, toe-in and feel throughout the entire range of wheel rotation. Not to mention air pressure being a big issue.

Lastly, in an electronically assisted steering system, expect the setting to play a big role.

In our E9X M3s... the suspension settings directly change steering stiffness. And yes, the stiffer the suspension the more responsive the steering feels in said platform.

I do not believe wheel size changes the steering feel as much as toe-in variations from car to car you tested, and also the steering settings you may have used.

I would not select 18" or 19" to address steering feel. That is adjusted elsewhere.

[Racer20]

Originally Posted by M3 n X5M

I cannot agree with this experience in any car. Maybe wheel size affects how the pavement undulations or imperfections are transmitted to the cabin and wheel. That being, a lower profile tire (e.g.19") is rougher than a higher profile tire (vs. 18" wheels).

Wheel size does not change the feel of the steering. It would make sense to draw this conclusion if you changed the wheels on the car.

However, I found in my M cars that just a slight change in toe-in will dramatically change the feel, from light to heavy, or vice versa.

The latter is the most critical aspect of wheel alignment to the feel of the car. Increase toe in and this will lighten the wheel considerably. Decrease it, and expect a heavier wheel. Get it to the spec of the car, with the wheel offsets recommended and no spacers etc, and the car will have maximum grip, toe-in and feel throughout the entire range of wheel rotation. Not to mention air pressure being a big issue.

Lastly, in an electronically assisted steering system, expect the setting to play a big role.

In our E9X M3s... the suspension settings directly change steering stiffness. And yes, the stiffer the suspension the more responsive the steering feels in said platform.

I do not believe wheel size changes the steering feel as much as toe-in variations from car to car you tested, and also the steering settings you may have used.

I would not select 18" or 19" to address steering feel. That is adjusted elsewhere.

You are mostly right, but different wheel size means different tires (even though they are the "same," they really aren't).

18" vs 19" tires will most certainly change steering feel and response.

But yes, toe is a huge factor as well, and factory alignments are not always perfect.

[NavyBeeker]

So thanks everyone for the feedback. I did get out yesterday for a second test drive (20-min solo) at the dealer. Config of tester car: MW / Ext. Blk Lthr, 19" wheels, CF roof, adaptive suspension, M-DCT, HK stereo.

I was excited to be solo as I could talk to myself and focus on key areas for which I lacked personal experience / perception. My essential results are:

Adaptive Susp + 19" Wheels: Fine for me as a DD in comfort mode, even with rough pavement. On nicer roads I'm sure I'll enjoy sport setting too, but plan to get 18" wheels which should only make the ride a touch more supple (when I want that). Don't need the ceramic brakes anyway. The overall takeaway here is it feels SOLID, confidence-inspiring, but driveable everyday.

Steering: Played with the effort settings a bit, only noticed a slight difference personally, and had to focus on noticing the deltas. In normal driving I probably couldn't tell you which setting it was on. At least from a 20-min test drive. The steering quality and precision while driving is unmatched in anything I've ever driven before.

Seat comfort / position: As my future DD this is important, and in my late 40s with occasional achy lower back even more so. For me I was fine with it, but experimenting to find the optimum combination of seat / steering wheel settings will probably take a little time. Side note: Comparing stats of interior room dimensions of F80 to E60, there is more front leg room and front head room in F80. I definitely perceived this also during the test drive.

M-DCT and Throttle settings: Absolutely changes the character of the car, will be fun to explore and get to know the various combinations over time. Didn't get any real highway time during the test but did get some WOT accels 20-70mph briefly and came away impressed indeed!

HUD: Adjusted vertical height, played with M-specific HUD display also. Liked it all. Noticed for me that if my sitting height is high (as I typically like it), and the HUD vertical height is high (to keep it closer to my line of sight down the road), the top of the HUD indications can get cut off a bit (plus the brightness dims slightly towards the upper end of HUD adjustment). Not major problems, certainly 1st world issues to be sure.

HK Stereo: Liked it quite a bit, got to listen to familiar radio stations and crank the volume moderately. Sounded crisp and clear (FM HD-radio stations), decent bass but not "disturb the other lane" loud. Most of the time I will enjoy hearing the sounds of the S55 engine doing its thang, too. Way more character than my refined V8 NA I'm driving now.

[ChrisJay]

Took one test drive in the M4 before ordering mine. I really didn't play with many of the toys because I like to have something to discover when I actually get the car plus, the tester wasn't fully optioned out. Mainly my wife and I wanted to test out the seats which admittedly could have been a little more comfortable, although I did not spend a lot of time adjusting. Being 44 and spending a lot of time in planes and cars driving all over the country, my sciatic often makes my hip and leg a big problem (one of the reasons I opted for the DCT and not 6MT). Getting older is hell...
I took it briefly on the highway but the dealer had asked me to keep it under 5000 RPM (and I liked him) so I didn't open it up....much. I was amazed at how quickly it went from 45 to 95 without any effort whatsoever or mashing the throttle down much at all, also without feeling like we were accelerating so rapidly. Had I not glanced at the HUD I would have probably been over 100MPH in another second. The car is clearly very fast but doesn't necessarily "feel" fast, just very capable and controlled. If you have drove a lot of cars, you will understand exactly what I mean as there is a huge difference in going 100MPH in a car that can easily handle it and going 100MPH in a car that is stated to handle it but is really is on the edge.
I wasn't a huge fan of the suspension (passive with 19"s) on the town roads but in fairness they were pretty trashed and one of the main roads we drove on was under construction. I think softening it just a touch using adaptive will be just fine as a DD. On the highway though it was very smooth. The highway isn't superb there but I felt very little negatives while driving on it.

WOW, I can't believe your dealers allow that.
In the US, you get a 30-45 minute vignette.

I have found that many of the dealers I have used in the US often have offered 24 hour drives. That being said, I have noticed they like to know you are very serious and interested in that specific car, not ordering a different one. Also, I am out in Indiana and not in a big city, so dealers out here may be different.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by NavyBeeker

Thanks for reminding me of that continuous automatic adjustment -- Definitely another PLUS for why I'll choose the adaptive if/when I pull the trigger. Have heard almost universal praise for those who have driven with it - especially as a DD.

I also like the idea of the three settings:
- Comfort for those special evening outings to smooth the ride while still getting the "look at me" attention at a nice restaurant...
- Sport for my casual / when the mood hits me aggressive performance around town or on highway
- Sport + for some track work / performance driving tutoring (I'll be a student)

I am stuck on selecting this as an option or not.

Coming from an Audi TTRS that had the Mag. ride suspension (which is a very advanced system and has the body/chassis control of a coilover system, just without the adjustability), I am not sure how good or bad the active damping is on the M cars.

I current have an S4 with adaptive suspension, but it is nowhere in the league of the magnetic shocks that the TTRS uses.

[NavyBeeker]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

I am stuck on selecting this as an option or not.

Coming from an Audi TTRS that had the Mag. ride suspension (which is a very advanced system and has the body/chassis control of a coilover system, just without the adjustability), I am not sure how good or bad the active damping is on the M cars.

I current have an S4 with adaptive suspension, but it is nowhere in the league of the magnetic shocks that the TTRS uses.

Sounds like you need to go schedule a test drive!

[Gizmo 335i]

NavyBeeker,

How was the road noise compared to your 550i?

[NavyBeeker]

Originally Posted by Gizmo 335i

NavyBeeker,

How was the road noise compared to your 550i?

Great question... now I'm searching my memory banks since I wasn't super focused on that aspect during the test drive...

I'm assuming the test car had the amplified engine noise coming through the speakers, although I wasn't 100% sure... and I didn't have it up to highway speeds for more than 15-20 seconds at a time due to traffic... roads I drove on were a mix of busy Dallas streets and a couple of access roads where I did some pulls to about 60-70 mph very briefly.

Of note: My 550i now wears 19" Michelin Pilot Super Sports (not the OEM Contis that it came with).... so the tires are virtually the same as the test M3 I drove (with 19" wheels also).

I'll compare them by saying that the road noise was perhaps slightly louder in the F80 M3, but by no means enough to bother me. My 550i is, in my opinion, very quiet at highway speeds, and the smooth V8 doesn't need to work too hard there when cruising.

I'd have to spend a little more time with an F80 M3 at highway speeds on an interstate to really compare the road noise properly.... I don't think the road noise would be bothersome even on a long road trip, but your mileage may vary.

Others with more time can perhaps weigh in?

[Gizmo 335i]

Thanks

[mad chemist]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

I am stuck on selecting this as an option or not.

Coming from an Audi TTRS that had the Mag. ride suspension (which is a very advanced system and has the body/chassis control of a coilover system, just without the adjustability), I am not sure how good or bad the active damping is on the M cars.

I current have an S4 with adaptive suspension, but it is nowhere in the league of the magnetic shocks that the TTRS uses.

TRZ06,

You need this option IMHO

My last car was a TTRS with Mag. ride, which was great, but I think the mag dampers on my M4 are a step on from the RS ones. They also help the car to corner much flatter than the non Mag. ride cars.

Mad.