[ChiTownM]

Originally Posted by Russ103

How are you possibly getting 16mpg while towing? I average 12mpg in the M50i without towing or hauling a single passenger around.

18 MPG with skis on the roof and 22 on long highway runs. I never ever achieved 12 MPG unless I just get stuck in traffic and so on, also M50i.

[positiveions]

Congrats on the car and upgrades.

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by positiveions

Congrats on the car and upgrades.

Thank you. I'm loving it.

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by ChiTownM

18 MPG with skis on the roof and 22 on long highway runs. I never ever achieved 12 MPG unless I just get stuck in traffic and so on, also M50i.

I dunno. Ask the car. I reset the MPG at fort Bragg and drove it straight up I95 to Maryland. That was the average MPG reported by the computer at constant highway speeds.

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by Axxlrod

How's the braking?

Braking with a Prodigy wireless controller is awesome!

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by floating.spirit

You know, they sell painters tape in 6inch widths...maybe use that when u get your Porsche...

Nice ride sir!

Yes, had I done my homework beforehand, that definitely would have been the preferred solution. Took an hour to mask that hood despite my little helper.

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by onfireX5

When you get a chance, comment on the Driving Dynamics between the X3MC and the X5MC. I had an F85 and loved it. Perfect size. Handling was a bit loose, but great for it's size. Wife's X3MC is like a Sports Car. Firm ride, but drives smaller than it's physical size. I still keep thinking about a new X5MC though....same engine that my F95 had....some positives....

If you are familiar with the F85, which I am (sigh) not, and your wife has the F97, you've pretty much got the basic differences down already from the sound of it. I certainly felt more plugged in to the F97 physically with the slightly smaller cabin and lighter frame overall. Granted, at a somewhat athletic 200 pound 5'9" build, the seats were a bit narrow above and below. It felt nimble for a SUV, if that's even possible. Throw in a stage two tune running an ethanol blend, and it was pure adrenalin. Whenever the dealer flashed it back to stock, it was a painful reminder of how much untapped potential that inline six had.

Now, the F95 is more spatious inside with seats that fit me like a glove, but you certainly feel that extra thousand pounds in the chassis. I can't tune the F95 yet, so stock they seem to be about equally quick much to BMW's marketing chagrin. I'll need a full tune again to do a proper apples to apples comparison. Regardless, I wouldn't go back given my towing requirements and the additional luxury afforded by the X5. Massaging seat, B&W sound, additional interior LEDs, much better autonomous driving in stop and go traffic, V8 sound and torque, and towing capacity... To name a few. Overall, it is a great upgrade that just needs a tune.....

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Such a clean ride.

Thank you. More clean, less hoopty..... That is the goal!

[Russ103]

Originally Posted by ChiTownM

18 MPG with skis on the roof and 22 on long highway runs. I never ever achieved 12 MPG unless I just get stuck in traffic and so on, also M50i.

Are you going for mpg or fun? I like to drive it like I stole it sometimes so that explains my 12mpg

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by Russ103

Are you going for mpg or fun? I like to drive it like I stole it sometimes so that explains my 12mpg

When towing down the interstate, I'm going for safety, consistency, and MPG. When unhitched around town, I'm definitely getting 12 MPG and grinning between every stoplight. FTR, I get 18 MPG avg on the interstate unencumbered with the engine in comfort when I'm not feeling onry.

[leon360x]

What a beauty, love this color so much, I thought phytonic blue is pretty, but this color is unparalleled. The rear suspension looks squeezed pretty hard, is that because of the trailer or MSS?

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by leon360x

What a beauty, love this color so much, I thought phytonic blue is pretty, but this color is unparalleled. The rear suspension looks squeezed pretty hard, is that because of the trailer or MSS?

Thank you, and to answer your question, both. It's a combination of the MSS and the trailer. Factory springs resisted the trailer weight much better even before I introduced the WDH. Towing is important to me, so I may have to revert back to factory springs. I'm weighing my options.

[EL Jeffe 5]

Congrats 👍🏻

[Alan l.]

Originally Posted by MrItaly

Thank you, and to answer your question, both. It's a combination of the MSS and the trailer. Factory springs resisted the trailer weight much better even before I introduced the WDH. Towing is important to me, so I may have to revert back to factory springs. I'm weighing my options.

Maybe you can run the MSS up front and leave the rear stock springs in place. Not ideal but i would not be comfortable with that much squat which is probably riding on bump stops. Honestly the stock rear height wasn't THAT bad. it was the front that looked like it was still on shipping blocks.

[xcusem3]

Originally Posted by MrItaly

Luckily, well kinda, I learned that lesson on a G05 M40i that was stolen and totaled after a year. Highway tore up that hood in no time in Italy. When I upgraded to the F97, she took an immediate detour to the only PPF installer in town for immediate protection. This time around, I wanted to do a PDC hundreds of miles away from home. My salesman reccomeded painters tape for the return trip. I drive six miles from the factory to the store to get it and still got one big chip on the edge of the lower right frontal plastic air vent. Covered her in tape and made the trip home without further incident. Repurchased that vent from bmw prior to the PPF, so it's all good again. Here's a photo of the trip back up. You can't imagine the stares. 6 miles out of the factory, I got thumbs up from enthusiasts that appreciated the brand new M comp in Tanzanite. After this tape, I got even more looks as in WTF? Yeah, I picked up a travel trailer too from Atlanta while down that way. But that'll be a seperate photo shoot as the ultimate towing machine part 2.

This has to be one of the stupidest things I've seen in a long time, like seriously wtf...? You buy an SUV to tow, but you tape off half the vehicle because you don't want paint chips haha?!? Then you want a "sports" car but use it for towing?? I'm so confused...

Why not use your logic and buy a pickup truck and an M2 for less money than this thing and not have to worry about anything on either vehicle??

[Alan l.]

^^ who says its ok to have rock chips on a pick up truck and M2? That logic is flawed.

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Maybe you can run the MSS up front and leave the rear stock springs in place. Not ideal but i would not be comfortable with that much squat which is probably riding on bump stops. Honestly the stock rear height wasn't THAT bad. it was the front that looked like it was still on shipping blocks.

Not sure if it would be wise to mix factory and mss suspension. With Ben's advice, we specifically didn't lower it max anticipating some squat. I've never hit the bump stops while towing, and it's quite smooth. I really don't want to revert back to stock ride height, but these MSS springs may just not be compatible with towing anything more than light duty. Come to think of it, I've never seen any posts here in the forums of anyone towing anything of significant weight on MSS springs.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by MrItaly

Been accused of that before. Proudly guilty as charged!

Well done anyway. But when I first glanced at your picture with the yellow tape, I figured you were the victim of a paint revenge from a jilted lover. hi hi...

[NYC_340i]

Putting pickup trucks to shame with the towing ability. The X5MC really is the ultimate "do everything" machine.

Love it!

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Well done anyway. But when I first glanced at your picture with the yellow tape, I figured you were the victim of a paint revenge from a jilted lover. hi hi...

That's funny. Very stable marriage with no revenge streaks here. And the ex wife is back in Italy, so no worries there. She was, unfortunately, more a keyer than a taper anyway... This car is safe,and so is the paint now as I was able to deliver her a thousand miles to the PPF installer without damage from the interstate.

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by NYC_340i

Putting pickup trucks to shame with the towing ability. The X5MC really is the ultimate "do everything" machine.

Love it!

Thank you. That was my thought exactly. Not to mention the MPG is better than theirs when towing. My next door neighbor has a doge ram Rebel. You don't want to know the MPG he gets when towing a light cargo trailer. It's appalling. We plan on touring the entire US over the next three years with this setup, so despite it being an M, interstate towing MPG does matter to me. I have yet to find a truck that will tow this camper more effeciently. Some might criticize this "compromise" as less than intelligent (I'm being cordial here), but if you only have a single car garage and make a significant investment in your primary vehicle , then you need an all round vehicle that will check all YOUR personal needs. People with extraordinary funds or garage space can't comprehend this concept. Saw the same exact thing in the F97 forum back when I was there. Is it the right solution for everyone? One size fits all? Hell, no. But it damn near perfectly fits my needs in a single chassis solution. If I had a four car garage and more trailing zeros in my accounts, then sure, bring on the dedicated speciality vehicles with seperate insurance and maintenance. That ain't me. The wife drives an X1, and I recently upgraded to the X5M after a lucrative, unfortunate accident in my F97. Maybe I'm the odd man out in this demographic. All I can say is this combo works for my family. To each their own.

[Alan l.]

I agree 100%

I am in the same boat where i don't have multiple parking spots living in NY so having several cars in the fleet isn't workable. The X5M is the best do it all vehicle out today no matter what price point. Heck it even looks better than most M cars aside from the M8 imo lol.