[Hoooper]

I'm still convinced that botus had a rebadged pinto and he just didn't realize

[TorqueAddict]

Originally Posted by Hoooper

I'm still convinced that botus had a rebadged pinto and he just didn't realize

[digitaldav]

Agreed with not being able to read speedo after setting steering wheel in proper location. Add 1 more, unable to rest arm on top of door panel because of the curved design.

Originally Posted by BOTUS

I got rid of the car, worst vehicle I ever owned. good for overtaking horrid for everything else.

handling awful
ride comfort terrible
steering a joke
gearbox had joke ratios
engine nasty
radio nastier
throttle response/gearbox meant you couldn't actually drive it properly hard as you couldn't get the back of the car to do what you wanted, when you wanted
and you can't read the speedo at all if you put the wheel in the right place

the first car I ever had where the drivers door isn't actually big enough for an adult to get in and out of the car....

[BOTUS]

Originally Posted by digitaldav

Add 1 more, unable to rest arm on top of door panel because of the curved design.

no way can you put arm on top of the door (like many modern cars... blame side crash testing) but arm rests are perfectly located

mine was a very loved, MINT low mileage car...

If you drive slow on perfect roads yes you can pretend it handles. If you drive hard on roads in UK its dangerous (other cars manage same conditions perfectly well). The throttle response is not good enough, it has far to much grip at the rear plus an electronic nanny that gets in the way. Meaning you struggle to push the rear in a subtle controlled manner to balance it all and make good progress. It just pushes the front or you are half way out of the bend before the power comes in (mostly the latter).

what we all need is a loaded 530d in current shape with 8 speed auto and variable dampers (its just some of you haven't realised yet).

[Pierre Louis]

I for one have had no problem with the throttle under any conditions. Car is very predictable in corners as well. But I understand how someone used to a different balance (not 50/50) as I've had a 944 that did and it had similar handling.

The steering geometry is a little odd with the sports package: as if at a stoplight, it wants to "turn" to the side when the pavement is uneven. Otherwise the steering is a bit heavy and linear, while many cars have a different feel. Its a bit closer to manual steering than any other power steering I've had. Again, had 3 manual steering cars in my past, so its OK w/me.

Don't know about rural English country roads, but maybe this is not the car for them given its beastly performance. I've driven cars that felt unsafe (an older Buick in the California mountains) so I can only imagine how unsafe I would feel if the car didn't fit my needs/feel. My old 318is e30 was great on bad country roads with much more suspension travel and a less powerful engine with better steering and visibility. My Carrera 3.2 with sport suspension tuned for Lime Rock wasn't nearly as good, but it could take on any smooth road as can my 335d.

Cheers

PL

[Si-M240i]

Hey BOTUS, where in the UK are you ?

[BOTUS]

home counties, (where nearly all the tax in the country is paid but NONE spent maintaining the roads)

yes braking at slow speed with one front wheel on a low manhole cover or a mild dip and the thing tries to do a U turn more effectively than if you'd handbraked it... I got the front and rear geometry done, was slightly out (he even put weights in footwell and boot to get mid laden position). With Brand new bridgestone rears, very good bridgestone fronts .... car was exactly the same afterwards

no joke... a guy and work was telling me a story how in the rain (with run flats) in his 525 he physically stopped in the rain to check the wheels weren't falling of the car, it was so dangerous... reminded me I had exact same thing once when I drove through Cheltenham town centre in the rain, (wide open one way system with worn smooth tarmac and odd camber) I was 100% sure a had completely flat front tyre. I stopped to check as it shouldn't have been on a public road as I was struggling to keep it steering in a straight line... Only to find nothing wrong whatsoever !!!

[Si-M240i]

Originally Posted by BOTUS

home counties, (where nearly all the tax in the country is paid but NONE spent maintaining the roads)

yes braking at slow speed with one front wheel on a low manhole cover or a mild dip and the thing tries to do a U turn more effectively than if you'd handbraked it... I got the front and rear geometry done, was slightly out (he even put weights in footwell and boot to get mid laden position). With Brand new bridgestone rears, very good bridgestone fronts .... car was exactly the same afterwards

no joke... a guy and work was telling me a story how in the rain (with run flats) in his 525 he physically stopped in the rain to check the wheels weren't falling of the car, it was so dangerous... reminded me I had exact same thing once when I drove through Cheltenham town centre in the rain, (wide open one way system with worn smooth tarmac and odd camber) I was 100% sure a had completely flat front tyre. I stopped to check as it shouldn't have been on a public road as I was struggling to keep it steering in a straight line... Only to find nothing wrong whatsoever !!!

Exactly why I have ditched the runflats. the car felt "beyond it's safe limits" when pushing it. Now I run Michellin Pilot Super Sports and they are a world apart, especially with the lightweight 19" apex wheels I have

I'm in Hampshire

[kiel_dafo_kenyg_as]

BOTUS, something seems to be wrong with your car and it's DSC .
With my E92 I can drive 100km/h hands off along water filled lane grooves. Aquaplaning? No! What is that? The DSC is controlling the car like an autopilot. I have Bridgestone Potenza on 19" rims. No problems at all. And my active steering couldn't perform better.
You may think I even don't know better but I'm having my drivers licence for 35 years now and I drove about 3 Million kilometers since

[BOTUS]

in my post I mention someone else with a 525, who thought his car a death trap in the rain, his experience that we discussed in depth, was identical to how mine behaved. He recently swapped for normal (safe) tyres and he still can't believe how much safer and nicer his car is to drive. The wayward 3 foot wandering in the rain has gone, the arm wrestling / fighting to stay in a straight line then jumping off the road just for the hell of it has gone. I'm guessing in USA the concrete ribbed lines behave quite differently to randomly cambered, pothole and diesel impregnated asphalt we get.

There's clear evidence in UK the roads and runfalt don't like each other. All Msport bodykit/suspension cars with 19" wheels fail on UK roads.

The guy with the 320d coupe, when he found a car that met the spec he wanted, first thing he did was feel the inside of the wheel rims. Then told the owner well those two have be repaired (welded up). The owner claimed he never knew it... Then on his (5 mile) way home from buying it, hit a pothole with one of the other wheels that had been Ok, it cracked/punctured leaving him stranded. He then fitted normal tyres all round and for 2 years has had no problems.

When I drove his (msport 19" rim car with normal tyres) you could feel a level of ride comfort and compliance that is not there to any degree on a 17" SE suspension car with Bridgestone Potenza runfalts!!!

[Si-M240i]

I hate RFT's too best mod I ever did was ditching them

[BOTUS]

I drove the 530 hybrid yesterday. 3ltr petrol with electric back up.... 306bhp.

Good driving position
Can clearly see the full dials (speedo etc.)
Lots of room to get in and out of the door
Drove nice, very chuckable and nimble on its feet
Feels small on the road
It had the adjustable dampers.... set in comfort plus with 18" wheels (and std runflats) it clearly sits just too stiff (say 10%). Never tried the other settings as they would be utterly pointless.
Boot space is missing 1 foot of depth (front to back)

Only issues is the wobbly on off snatching as the hybrid cuts in and out.. not as bad as the original comment of this post (re engine braking on 335d). On the throttle with electric and engine coming in and out, its very good almost imperceptible... but slowing down its pretty basic and if possible I'd stop that bit happening. A bit like stop start tech (pointless and just irritating) but happens at any speed from 30mph down.

Not that quiet and not that quick, yes if you wait for the revs to wind round to the red line and wait a bit more... it moves but not instant urge by any means.

[BOTUS]

oh yes, re runflats that 530 at one point just took over mid bend. Very odd, car was driving beautifully came to one long sweeper and the car suddenly felt very different mid bend. A bit like hooking up a dirt bike in a berm on full chat. I could take my hands of the wheel and it carried on round the corner all on its own.

Runflats, why do they make them?