Model S Performance & Handling Compared to my BMW

[dmunjal]

I've been a BMW owner for years and I miss my E36 M3 the most. However, the recent turbo BMWs leave a lot to be desired. I really don't like what BMW is doing with turbos. Nothing wrong with turbos in general and they've done a very good job with them. But nothing beats a normally aspirated straight six and the sound it makes. Also, the torque curve was perfect. Turbos still feel uneven to me.

But I will say, since buying a MS, I'm never going back.

 

[Spidy]

I've been a BMW owner for years and I miss my E36 M3 the most. However, the recent turbo BMWs leave a lot to be desired. I really don't like what BMW is doing with turbos. Nothing wrong with turbos in general and they've done a very good job with them. But nothing beats a normally aspirated straight six and the sound it makes. Also, the torque curve was perfect. Turbos still feel uneven to me.

But I will say, since buying a MS, I'm never going back.

Isn't that mostly due to fuel efficiency?

 

[smac]

@SMAC, I did 25k in my S60 and then I changed it for the same reasons you were thinking about changing yours. I wasn't going to get a new car but a chance conversation with WD resulted in an offer for my S60 and a deal was done.

What did I get? an S85 in red. It was 4 week old and in stock. The offer they gave me on mine was more than fair, so I got a November 15' car on a 65 plate with a bit more range, a bit more poke and only a few hundred miles on the clock for not a great deal of money. It also has AP.

Turned out to be the perfect solution, although the S60 was a lovely thing. I think it has now been sold on to a new lucky owner I understand

Now I can drive into London from Boston, and charge at Birchanger on the way back with over 50 miles in the tank and have a Whopper. My life is complete.

I still have to pinch myself this is all real.

Congrats, sounds like you got a great deal. I'm guessing yours was the one up on the UK CPO site? Certainly UK S60's are pretty rare!

I'm torn on trading it in, I genuinely don't need the range (I've only done 11k miles in 18 months), and having driven P85+ loaners, I think only the performance (specifically handling) of the AWD cars could come close to making me give Tesla any more money right now. (I daren't test drive one)

I know I'm outside the percentiles here, as personally I find the 0-60 perfectly adequate, even in the 60. I rarely get chance to use the power outside of occasional B Road blasts (or traffic light GPs which I always win anyway). When I do take it for a spirited drive on the country roads I'll head for anything with tight curves that reward good line choice and keeping momentum, and here I've found I'm leaning far too much on the front tyres. (To give you an idea, my fronts are wearing faster than the backs, with definite visible signs of mild heat cycling :redface. At the end of the day it's a GT not a lightweight sports car and having gone in with no test drive I probably expected too much.

Actually a Roadster would probably be my ideal Tesla, but then that comes with it's own set of problems.


The biggest single thing that is motivating me is getting out of a car that is quite obviously something Tesla never really wanted to sell into the UK. (The last round of range assurance upgrades are a complete joke. If I dare set the sat nav, I spend most of the time driving round with it telling me to slow down to 50, yet even if I ignore it and drive at 80 I arrive with ample range to spare )


I'll probably stick to my guns, and make a decision in 18 months time. Though of course if a straight swap for a P85+ came up then anything is possible

 

[theslimshadyist]

But I will say, since buying a MS, I'm never going back.

Wow, that's a strong statement. I've owned 6 BMW's and hopefully I'll be saying the same thing!

 

[AudubonB]

This is a great thread, but of the 64 posts so far, aus's is the most fascinating:

...traded in a tuned 335 for the S85 for the wife...

Can't wait to hear the details of this cascade trade. Pass the popcorn, please.

 

[dmunjal]

Isn't that mostly due to fuel efficiency?

Yes, that is the reason they did it. Along with the extra forward gears, eco-modes that limit RPMs, start-stop, etc.

But all of those things are for the EPA tests. Real world MPG is largely the same as before. At least for me it was. So, why do it?

All that expense and complexity for very little gain.

EV is the better way to get efficiency.

 

[dmunjal]

Wow, that's a strong statement. I've owned 6 BMW's and hopefully I'll be saying the same thing!

My wife was ready to buy a new car recently and we bought our second MS (70D) to add to my three year old S60. No more ICE for us!

 

[Mike K]

Yes, that is the reason they did it. Along with the extra forward gears, eco-modes that limit RPMs, start-stop, etc.

But all of those things are for the EPA tests. Real world MPG is largely the same as before. At least for me it was. So, why do it?

All that expense and complexity for very little gain.

EV is the better way to get efficiency.

I can't stand the whole efficient dynamics campaign. It's an insult to anyone that actually knows cars. "Oh hey look. We limited your throttle input to half and you gained .5 miles of range over the last hour!" That whole thing can go away. Where you lose me is with the turbo motors. Yes, the naturally aspirated engines do have a certain flare to them but the turbo motors are obnoxious in their efficiency and power. As far as the unevenness goes, the turbo cars have really flat power delivery so I'm not sure where you're getting that feeling from.

I sold my M5, bought a 6 speed manual 550i to tie me over for a year and then got a 2010 535 after hearing about how the twin turbo 6 responded to modifications. With just an E85 mixture, a tune and an intake that car put down 470hp at the crank with equally obnoxious amounts of torque. It was insanely fun, faster than the M5 in pretty much every street driving metric, still mustered 30 miles per gallon, was really reliable and oh boy... I miss that car. I regret selling that car.

I loved it so much I wrote an article about it that pissed off a handful of M5 owners. :-D

10 Reasons The E60 535i Is Better Than The M5

 

[dmunjal]

I can't stand the whole efficient dynamics campaign. It's an insult to anyone that actually knows cars. "Oh hey look. We limited your throttle input to half and you gained .5 miles of range over the last hour!" That whole thing can go away. Where you lose me is with the turbo motors. Yes, the naturally aspirated engines do have a certain flare to them but the turbo motors are obnoxious in their efficiency and power. As far as the unevenness goes, the turbo cars have really flat power delivery so I'm not sure where you're getting that feeling from.

I sold my M5, bought a 6 speed manual 550i to tie me over for a year and then got a 2010 535 after hearing about how the twin turbo 6 responded to modifications. With just an E85 mixture, a tune and an intake that car put down 470hp at the crank with equally obnoxious amounts of torque. It was insanely fun, faster than the M5 in pretty much every street driving metric, still mustered 30 miles per gallon, was really reliable and oh boy... I miss that car. I regret selling that car.

I loved it so much I wrote an article about it that pissed off a handful of M5 owners. :-D

10 Reasons The E60 535i Is Better Than The M5

My comments about turbos isn't about absolute power. Yes, there is torque down low but I could always tell when the turbos kick in. Especially with automatics. Personally, I don't like that transition.