M4 accidentally ordered without adaptive suspension

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by tooch

I was curious, what happens to the adaptive set up if you switch to a coil over system? I knew from the beginning I wasn't gonna keep it at stock height for long.

You lose that functionality. If you plan to do anything more than lowering springs, save your money and go passive.

[serieD]

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

You obviously don't understand the adaptive suspension. It's just sophisticated damper valving tied to sensors. Yes, it does allow a softer setting for the shocks, but also a firmer one. In no way does it dull the car down.

I don't see the point. If there are pot holes, miss them. If the terrain is poor, drive cautiously. You absolutely need to have sensors to adjust the ride for you? lol, we must be in two different M3/4 demographics because I don't, nor would I ever want to make the ride soft.

It's not the cars responsibility to soften the blow of the road, it's the drivers.

Stick by with what I said that this car shouldn't even have the option.

If you need a stiffer set up, save your money and get the full Ohlins coil set up, which is fully adjustable and gives a proper ride for what, at least, enthusiasts want from the M4.


But then again, if comfort is what you're really striving for, maybe it's time to come to terms that you're not really in the M4 bracket anymore, but maybe an M5 or M6 GC. =)

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by chalstrad110

I don't see the point. If there are pot holes, miss them. If the terrain is poor, drive cautiously. You absolutely need to have sensors to adjust the ride for you? lol, we must be in two different M3/4 demographics because I don't, nor would I ever want to make the ride soft.

It's not the cars responsibility to soften the blow of the road, it's the drivers.

Stick by with what I said that this car shouldn't even have the option.

If you need a stiffer set up, save your money and get the full Ohlins coil set up, which is fully adjustable and gives a proper ride for what, at least, enthusiasts want from the M4.


But then again, if comfort is what you're really striving for, maybe it's time to come to terms that you're not really in the M4 bracket anymore, but maybe an M5 or M6 GC. =)

I never used Comfort mode on my EDC-equipped ///M cars. It was just too soft and there was just too much body roll for my tastes. With that said, I do realize that others have different sensitivity levels.

[Viking123]

Originally Posted by chalstrad110

I don't see the point. If there are pot holes, miss them. If the terrain is poor, drive cautiously. You absolutely need to have sensors to adjust the ride for you? lol, we must be in two different M3/4 demographics because I don't, nor would I ever want to make the ride soft.

It's not the cars responsibility to soften the blow of the road, it's the drivers.

Stick by with what I said that this car shouldn't even have the option.

If you need a stiffer set up, save your money and get the full Ohlins coil set up, which is fully adjustable and gives a proper ride for what, at least, enthusiasts want from the M4.


But then again, if comfort is what you're really striving for, maybe it's time to come to terms that you're not really in the M4 bracket anymore, but maybe an M5 or M6 GC. =)

I really wanted adaptive suspension... After 600 miles I've come to the conclusion that I probably won't ever use comfort. Like you said, if the road is rough I'm going to slow down regardless. If I were to reorder I'd do without adaptive (I'd also do without enhanced USB, totally useless). OP, if I were you I'd keep it.

[stressdoc]

Some of you guys just continue not to get it. Adaptive is not so much about comfort as it is about the enhanced performance of micro-adjusting dampers.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Some of you guys just continue not to get it. Adaptive is not so much about comfort as it is about the enhanced performance of micro-adjusting dampers.

Some of us get it, but how imperative/crucial is a "micro adjusting damper" to the performance of a street driven car? I can't see EDC/M-Adaptive having any significant impact (...and having had EDC in all three of my E9X's, I can't say that it necessarily improved my driving experience in any meaningful way; yes, I spec'd M-Adaptive on my M4, but simply because of the button ). I understand the science behind the tech, but what people 'feel' is the comfort level between the settings, and it is for that reason that comfort is cited so often.

[Lorde]

There has to be an Atlantic Blue joke in here somewhere...

[stressdoc]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Some of us get it, but how imperative/crucial is a "micro adjusting damper" to the performance of a street driven car? I can't see EDC/M-Adaptive having any significant impact. What people 'feel' is the comfort level, and it is for that reason that comfort is cited so often.

Absolutely for city folks. I spend a lot of time on roads with variable surfaces; twisty two-laners, even some gravel. Adaptive is superb in that environment.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Absolutely for city folks. I spend a lot of time on roads with variable surfaces; twisty two-laners, even some gravel. Adaptive is superb in that environment.

Therein lies the variances in our own personal sensitivities. I think the EDC equipped ///M's were too soft 'for me' regardless of the mode. Others feel/felt differently.

[stressdoc]

I'm guessing Sport+ for most of my DD hell raising, but comfort for interstate cruising. Sport+ should be stiffer than passive.

Do we know if the spring rates are the same on both?

[stressdoc]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Therein lies the variances in our own personal sensitivities. I think the EDC equipped ///M's were too soft 'for me' regardless of the mode. Others feel/felt differently.

Yes, yes! Like most options, it is about what fits your personal needs. There is no 'better vs. worse' for Adaptive, DCT, 19", etc.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

I'm guessing Sport+ for most of my DD hell raising, but comfort for interstate cruising. Sport+ should be stiffer than passive.

Do we know if the spring rates are the same on both?

I don't think we know yet, but I'd love to know as well. Maybe EAS can do a passive spring vs adaptive spring comparison at some point.

[Viking123]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Some of you guys just continue not to get it. Adaptive is not so much about comfort as it is about the enhanced performance of micro-adjusting dampers.

Color me a skeptical... Sounds a bit like marketing hype . Micro adjustments? Really?

[Vintage]

Originally Posted by IMrMark

Get the dealer to cut you an extra deal for the mistake and enjoy the car!

AGREED!!!

[BhamDavid]

Originally Posted by Viking123

Color me a skeptical... Sounds a bit like marketing hype . Micro adjustments? Really?

You guys need to watch this:

[paddy335]

I would absolutely not be able to accept that kind of compromise to what I ordered. It would grind my gears for my whole ownership period with that car. Especially when you go to sell it and realise that adaptive suspension is a "must have" for resale.

Hassle to wait longer and rearrange your ED but you'll forget about that hassle easier than living with the car that isn't quite what you asked for.

[BhamDavid]

I'm amazed by the fact that so many of you tout how modern and more efficient that the DCT transmission is than the manual trans and then go on about how the passive suspension is better than the adaptive. The adaptive is so much more than being able to dial in more comfort. Watch all of the video I posted above and be educated.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by Racer20

Exactly. The adaptive suspension is not about softer ride quality. It's about less body roll, tighter body control, and flatter ride while not compromising ride quality.

That said, I'm sure the passive suspension is quite good.

Sir, please do some research.

Adaptive suspension is a way to control body motion that happen with a soft suspension and would not happen with a firm suspension.

For example it can reduce brake dive by firming the shock during breaking. If you had a stiff, spring and suspension you wouldn't get as much brake dive. Then when not braking it can continue fluid soft motion on the road. That is very nice but the first step in building an EDC suspension is putting softer springs. Think about it, If you had hard springs you couldn't have soft ride no matter what your shocks do. It is a noble pursuit for comfort but that is its purpose. It is not for pure performance, it is a way of getting performance with a softer suspension. It is also different than other adjustable suspension that go from soft to stiff and stay fixed. I don't actually have much issue with those but where it gets dicey is that the computer is making decisions on how to respond thousands a times per second and that can make the suspension feel strange and hard to learn. so to reiterate so there is no confusion, the EDC is there to offer comfort to a car that is supposed to be a high performance car.

[DanoneBMW]

Good luck with your order.

[dawgdog]

I drove the car with the passive suspension and loved it. I never felt very good about the adaptive suspension in my e92 M3. If you ever put on a no compromise suspension it is costly to deactivate the electronics so that is another negative to adaptive suspension. This I know from experience. In my RS I have two suspension modes and there is a slight difference of comfort but not much. Usually just leave it on the more aggressive setting. Either way is fine but I chose to go passive on my M3.

[BhamDavid]

Originally Posted by nachob

Sir, please do some research.

Adaptive suspension is a way to control body motion that happen with a soft suspension and would not happen with a firm suspension.

For example it can reduce brake dive by firming the shock during breaking. If you had a stiff, spring and suspension you wouldn't get as much brake dive. Then when not braking it can continue fluid soft motion on the road. That is very nice but the first step in building an EDC suspension is putting softer springs. Think about it, If you had hard springs you couldn't have soft ride no matter what your shocks do. It is a noble pursuit for comfort but that is its purpose. It is not for pure performance, it is a way of getting performance with a softer suspension. It is also different than other adjustable suspension that go from soft to stiff and stay fixed. I don't actually have much issue with those but where it gets dicey is that the computer is making decisions on how to respond thousands a times per second and that can make the suspension feel strange and hard to learn. so to reiterate so there is no confusion, the EDC is there to offer comfort to a car that is supposed to be a high performance car.

Wrong... Watch the video. The system has sensors that look at every aspect of the cars attitude and adjust the shocks accordingly. It can look at increasing yaw rate and make adjustments to compensate and so many more things. It is absolutely NOT about delivering the softest ride possible.

And it will always deliver the same response for the same conditions so your argument about it being difficult to learn is just not true either.

To those that compare the current state of the M adaptive suspension system to other systems that you have experienced do a great disservice to BMW engineers.

[Sir Loin]

Originally Posted by nachob

Sir, please do some research.

Adaptive suspension is a way to control body motion that happen with a soft suspension and would not happen with a firm suspension.

For example it can reduce brake dive by firming the shock during breaking. If you had a stiff, spring and suspension you wouldn't get as much brake dive. Then when not braking it can continue fluid soft motion on the road. That is very nice but the first step in building an EDC suspension is putting softer springs. Think about it, If you had hard springs you couldn't have soft ride no matter what your shocks do. It is a noble pursuit for comfort but that is its purpose. It is not for pure performance, it is a way of getting performance with a softer suspension. It is also different than other adjustable suspension that go from soft to stiff and stay fixed. I don't actually have much issue with those but where it gets dicey is that the computer is making decisions on how to respond thousands a times per second and that can make the suspension feel strange and hard to learn. so to reiterate so there is no confusion, the EDC is there to offer comfort to a car that is supposed to be a high performance car.

LOL! This is funny, someone is telling Racer20 to go do some research on suspension. nachob, you don't know what Racer20 does for his day job, do you? Go look up Racer20's posts then come back to educate how he should design and test suspensions at work.