[matowi]

FWIW, I might have already mentioned this in some other thread - to me, the Adaptive M Pro suspension (tested on M50i) felt more comfortable than air suspension on my G11 7-series I had earlier (and sold to purchase the M60i I'm now eagerly awaiting)

For full reference, the X5 M50i I drove was on 22" wheels, my 7-series wore 21"

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by matowi

FWIW, I might have already mentioned this in some other thread - to me, the Adaptive M Pro suspension (tested on M50i) felt more comfortable than air suspension on my G11 7-series I had earlier (and sold to purchase the M60i I'm now eagerly awaiting)

For full reference, the X5 M50i I drove was on 22" wheels, my 7-series wore 21"

What did you notice specifically that made it feel more comfortable?

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by skiboy

The description of the Pro system per the web site is “Offers greater agility and precise response by lowering the chassis and electronically adjusting the dampers from sportingly tight to relaxed and comfortable. This feature adds Active Roll Stabilization to further improve suspension geometry and allow for less "lean" around bends. At lower speeds, you'll experience a sharper turning radius, making parking and cornering easier. At higher speeds, increased vehicle stability will make lane changes more comfortable.” Which is exactly what I’m looking for.

Is this the same Adaptive Suspension as what’s in the 40i M sport designation?

No, totally different.

[Jen4BMW]

Great discussion on Adaptive M vs 2 axle air!

It’s been a crazy week since I originally posted. Almost bought a 2025 Macan S but couldn’t quite justify the Porsche tax in the end.

Since I am the OP I’ll take the liberty of straying just slightly off topic but try to weave in “suspension” comments and opinions so I don’t stray too far off the topic I posted on.

I test drove a 2025 X5 50e, a 2024 Porsche Macan S without AS and a 2025 Macan S with AS.

I’ll admit it straight away the Macan S grabbed my heart hard. I loved it! The size is perfect as is the driving position. Handling and ride comfort is next level. It really blows the M40i with adaptive away. It’s not even close. The Macan reinforced my opinion that the M40i adaptive suspension is overly harsh for no gain in handling performance. And oh yeah Porsche nailed the Macan design. They look as sexy as they drive.

However, the B58 engine in the M40i spoiled my overall rating of the Macan. The Macan S engine feels weaker than a 4 cyl. X3 30i under normal “comfort mode” driving. The throttle response is abysmal. Absolutely inexcusable for a $95K 375hp vehicle. This is why everyone buys peddle commanders but at $95K it just seems crazy you need an after market device to mask poor throttle response.

Also, no huge surprise, I found myself clutching my wallet with a death grip at Porsche. It takes $95K to build a comparable 2025 Macan S vs a well equipped M40i with premium/leather. It’s no longer just $20K more, it’s really closer to $30K higher priced.

**Conclusion: the X3 M40i is a way-way-way better value and it’s not even close still to this day!

As for the 2025 X5 50e I was NOT overly impressive. It feels like huge floaty boat compared to a X3 M40i, in every suspension setting. I ruled it out within 10 minutes despite being really surprised with the amazing power train. It’s shockingly quick and entertaining for such a large heavy vehicle. I can see why it’s been a popular choice, except for the handling part.

$95K for a Macan is silly everything considered and given I don’t need a new boat, I suspect my X3 M40i replacement will be a slightly smaller 2025 X4 M40i with 2 axle air or I’ll be buying my M40i in September when my lease is up.

The M40i is still so hard to beat

[matowi]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

What did you notice specifically that made it feel more comfortable?

Oh, that’s a tough one, since you ask about personal impressions. Let me try this for an analogy: I find steel sprung cars to be more “connected” and “fluid”, in that sense they give me as a driver a bit more “substance”. In my personal perception they’re more “meaty” and “natural”. I mean, I can fully rely on how the car feels and compare to how it “should feel” based on my expectation built through years of using different cars in different conditions

Air spring cars feel a bit “artificial” in comparison - in that sense that they either overcompensate with soaking up the surface imperfections, or they stay too hard for what your “steel” mind tells you

When I say the X5 felt more comfortable, I mean that it seemed to be less jittery, more flexible, and “deeper” (likely due to allowing longer wheel travel up and down vs the 7)

I tested the cars with my friend (my 7, his X5 M50i) over perfect tarmac, potholes, and cobblestone. I felt the X5’s suspension better suited for my tastes and expectations than my 7 in al three scenarios. Frankly, on my way back home I was disappointed with how my own car felt (the suspension seemed “shallow” and “jerky”)

[Rob_G77]

Originally Posted by cwbrow2

I am also on 22" 742m wheels which don't help the ride quality. I have no regrets and neither does my back.

I think the 22 inch rims are great! I can't wait to get them back on my X5 40i (LCI) in another week or so. They just make the vehicle just feel more stable and I think any ride quality sacrifice is minimal.

Rob

[BeEmVee]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

The 911 similarly is not as magical as the press would have you believe. Again, they're tight inside, and they're unique in their driving experience. But they're not flawless magical vehicles that do everything perfectly. They're halo cars that people will excuse the misgivings of because it's their dream car, or it's their current way to show they'll spend more money than you.

Coming from a 911, I couldn’t agree more. But shhh it’s the worst kept secret. You’re supposed say how perfect it is in every way and anyone who disagrees is crazy!

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by BeEmVee

Coming from a 911, I couldn’t agree more. But shhh it’s the worst kept secret. You’re supposed say how perfect it is in every way and anyone who disagrees is crazy!

Porsches are very nice. There’s no denying that. However, when it comes to street driving only, they probably are not 50k-100k nicer than a comparable bmw (true of any super car really).
This is a slippery slope because the same argument can be made btw bmw and lower cost cars.

There is a balance btw cost and utility that needs to be struck. At some pt a car gets too expensive for its purpose and you say to yourself WTF am I doing this for. Everyone has a different threshold depending on financial and car interest / purpose of vehicle. For example if someone gave me a Porsche Cayenne turbo for 1300/mo I’d be all over it most likely instead of an m50. But at 2500/mo I’d call myself an idiot and be pissing money away when the m50 exists

[2022X6]

Absolutely love the Handling & Ride
In my X6 40i with 22’s & Air suspension,
Ordered same setup - build date this Friday

[bubbajk]

I wanted to share my thoughts on this as I reached out to probably a dozen forum members for their opinions on this suspension question and got back a dozen different answers. So I spent a couple weeks hunting down all the variations to have an in-seat comparison:

X5 40i with msport suspension - felt grounded, little bit of body roll in tight curves, especially at speed, very little wiggle at low speeds (<40) felt "light" to me and nimble.

X5 50e with air suspension - comfort was very floaty, even driving 50 mph on a straight relatively flat road there is some bob up and down and side to side, felt tighter in sport mode, but still lots of correction feel going around turns. My kids get car sick and they would not be able to ride in the backseat of this vehicle for any long drives given the floating. This was present at all available drive heights on the suspension as well. I will admit that I have driven air suspensions before and I am not the biggest fan.

X5 m60i with base m sport suspension – this felt like a completely different vehicle, heavier, more planted, connected to the road, low speed turning felt more nimble with the 4 wheel turning, spirited driving in sport mode had minimal body roll, but if you’re looking for it you can feel it, not bouncy at all over rough roads, comfort mode was dialed back a bit, but still that sense of a “heavier” connection to the road

X5 m60i with adaptive m professional suspension – heavy, tight suspension feel, with almost no body roll, felt like it corned like a sedan, able to dive sharply into a turn at speed and not feel like there was any significant side to side movement. Truly connected to the road feeling. Still incredibly comfortable, not stiff and unpliable, just all around great feel.

Obviously this is still all a personal opinion, but hopefully this is helpful to someone.

[LuckyBrand]

Originally Posted by bubbajk

I wanted to share my thoughts on this as I reached out to probably a dozen forum members for their opinions on this suspension question and got back a dozen different answers. So I spent a couple weeks hunting down all the variations to have an in-seat comparison:

X5 40i with msport suspension - felt grounded, little bit of body roll in tight curves, especially at speed, very little wiggle at low speeds (<40) felt "light" to me and nimble.

X5 50e with air suspension - comfort was very floaty, even driving 50 mph on a straight relatively flat road there is some bob up and down and side to side, felt tighter in sport mode, but still lots of correction feel going around turns. My kids get car sick and they would not be able to ride in the backseat of this vehicle for any long drives given the floating. This was present at all available drive heights on the suspension as well. I will admit that I have driven air suspensions before and I am not the biggest fan.

X5 m60i with base m sport suspension – this felt like a completely different vehicle, heavier, more planted, connected to the road, low speed turning felt more nimble with the 4 wheel turning, spirited driving in sport mode had minimal body roll, but if you’re looking for it you can feel it, not bouncy at all over rough roads, comfort mode was dialed back a bit, but still that sense of a “heavier” connection to the road

X5 m60i with adaptive m professional suspension – heavy, tight suspension feel, with almost no body roll, felt like it corned like a sedan, able to dive sharply into a turn at speed and not [...]

That is a well written review of all the choices and breaks it down in simple terms. Thanks for the review as it will help persons. It can be very difficult to find and test all the different configurations.

[JoeAyalaM]

Originally Posted by bubbajk

I wanted to share my thoughts on this as I reached out to probably a dozen forum members for their opinions on this suspension question and got back a dozen different answers. So I spent a couple weeks hunting down all the variations to have an in-seat comparison:

X5 40i with msport suspension - felt grounded, little bit of body roll in tight curves, especially at speed, very little wiggle at low speeds (<40) felt "light" to me and nimble.

X5 50e with air suspension - comfort was very floaty, even driving 50 mph on a straight relatively flat road there is some bob up and down and side to side, felt tighter in sport mode, but still lots of correction feel going around turns. My kids get car sick and they would not be able to ride in the backseat of this vehicle for any long drives given the floating. This was present at all available drive heights on the suspension as well. I will admit that I have driven air suspensions before and I am not the biggest fan.

X5 m60i with base m sport suspension – this felt like a completely different vehicle, heavier, more planted, connected to the road, low speed turning felt more nimble with the 4 wheel turning, spirited driving in sport mode had minimal body roll, but if you’re looking for it you can feel it, not bouncy at all over rough roads, comfort mode was dialed back a bit, but still that sense of a “heavier” connection to the road

X5 m60i with adaptive m professional suspension – heavy, tight suspension feel, with almost no body roll, felt like it corned like a sedan, able to dive sharply into a turn at speed and not [...]

Nice write up, thank you. But did you compare them with the same tire setup? Or do you know what tires each X5 was running?

All BMW X5 suspensions are very good but DIFFERENT WHEEL AND TIRE COMBOS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE in feel and handling. It could be even more difference between 20" non RFs and 22" RFs, than between Air and M Professional suspensions using the same tires.

[bubbajk]

Originally Posted by JoeAyalaM

Nice write up, thank you. But did you compare them with the same tire setup? Or do you know what tires each X5 was running?

All BMW X5 suspensions are very good but DIFFERENT WHEEL AND TIRE COMBOS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE in feel and handling. It could be even more difference between 20" non RFs and 22" RFs, than between Air and M Professional suspensions using the same tires.

Even finding the cars was a challenge. Trying to get them all on the same wheels was going to be impossible. Best I could do in the situation.

The 40i m sport was on 20 inch all seasons.

The 50e was on 21 inch - WHEELS: 21 X 9.5 FR & 21 X 10.5 RR BI-COLOR Style 744, Y-spoke, Tires: 275/40R21 Fr & 315/35R21 Rr Performance

The M60 base suspension was on 20 inch all season run flat.

The M60 pro suspension was 22 inch non run flat.

[aaaaaaaaaz]

Originally Posted by Jen4BMW

Great discussion on Adaptive M vs 2 axle air!

It’s been a crazy week since I originally posted. Almost bought a 2025 Macan S but couldn’t quite justify the Porsche tax in the end.

Since I am the OP I’ll take the liberty of straying just slightly off topic but try to weave in “suspension” comments and opinions so I don’t stray too far off the topic I posted on.

I test drove a 2025 X5 50e, a 2024 Porsche Macan S without AS and a 2025 Macan S with AS.

I’ll admit it straight away the Macan S grabbed my heart hard. I loved it! The size is perfect as is the driving position. Handling and ride comfort is next level. It really blows the M40i with adaptive away. It’s not even close. The Macan reinforced my opinion that the M40i adaptive suspension is overly harsh for no gain in handling performance. And oh yeah Porsche nailed the Macan design. They look as sexy as they drive.

However, the B58 engine in the M40i spoiled my overall rating of the Macan. The Macan S engine feels weaker than a 4 cyl. X3 30i under normal “comfort mode” driving. The throttle response is abysmal. Absolutely inexcusable for a $95K 375hp vehicle. This is why everyone buys peddle commanders but at $95K it just seems crazy you need an after market device to mask poor throttle response.

Also, no huge surprise, I found myself clutching my wallet with a death grip at Porsche. It takes $95K to build a comparable 2025 Macan S vs a well equipped M40i with premium/leather. It’s no longer just $20K more, it’s really closer to $30K higher priced.

**Conclusion: the X3 M40i is a way-way-way better value and it’s not even close still to this day!

As for the 2025 X5 50e I was NOT overly impressive. It feels like huge floaty boat compared to a X3 M40i, in every suspension setting. I ruled it out within 10 minutes despite being really surprised with the amazing power train. It’s shockingly quick and entertaining for such a large heavy vehicle. I can see why it’s been a popular choice, except for the handling part.

$95K for a Macan is silly everything considered and given I don’t need a new boat, I suspect my X3 M40i replacement will be a slightly smaller 2025 X4 M40i with 2 axle air or I’ll be buying my M40i in September when my lease is up.

The M40i is still so hard to beat

Had X3 m40i during covid before moving to X5 50e.

You probably want a Macan GTS lol, agree 100% m40i (pre-LCI) suspension is overly harsh but still unsettling in extreme turns; I heard LCI tuned it a little bit less harsh. Also drove friend's Macan S, loved the chassis but not impressed by the engine.

50e is a much different kind of vehicle; as covid end traffic is a lot worse, it is a much better day to day drive to me, but it is for sure less nimble and fun, especially in the engine sound dept.

New generation X3 is releasing soon, maybe you can wait to see. I hope the fix the suspension for the new M50i.