Quote:
Originally Posted by ///WeissBisBlau
Hey man, thanks for sharing! Truly an awesome post, and I am jealous of your adventure!
Did you find that the F90 LCI remained very comfortable, during your whole trip? Because you did a LOT of driving! Way to go, using one of these beauties for what they’re meant for!
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by smbsocal
I am curious too about the comfort as well as gas mileage you are getting.
I am looking at either a M550, M5 base or M5 Comp and would really appreciate more insight on the differences. What I find interesting is that you said that the base was harsher than the M5 Comp?
|
Great questions. I have had all three: a 2018 M550, a 2019 M5 Base and a 2021 LCI M5 Comp.
The M550 was hands down the most comfortable long term cruiser. And it only had the 455 hp engine. I think I liked the seats because they were not massaging and not ventilated. Just all cushion for my boney ass. It went on several long trips, the longest being 2,500 miles. Zero problems. Great, great car.
But I got the M5 itch - bad, when the F90 rolled in a short time later. About 2 years in to my M550 lease I couldn't stand it anymore. I test drove a 2019 M5 Base and a 2019 M5 Comp back to back. There was no comparison - I felt the Comp would not be a a good daily driver. The ride was just too jarring for the dumb roads in my city. So, Base it is. I had to fly to San Diego to get the spec I wanted and drove it home in 2 days. The seats really made me sore. Hmmmm. They were ventilated and massaging. Massaging didn't help my pain.
Over time, I felt the M5 rode a bit harsh. I was on 20" tires for the first time - Michelins. They seemed to pick up all road imperfections - like slightly higher manhole covers, expansion joints, and god forbid, the dreaded pothole. I even had a 1 inch seat cushion made - it helped a little. It went on several trips, the longest being a 3,500 mile trip to Utah. The car was a dream on the road. Endless power, great handling (big improvement over the M550) - just plain fun. Yeah, I can live with it's daily driver deficiencies.
Then last December I got a flyer from my dealer that said "Hey come on in. We can get you into a new 2021 LCI Base for the same payment." I was at 22,000 miles in 18 months. They only had 2 M5s on the lot - both Comps. I had read that the LCI Comp suspension had really been tweaked - new dampers and what have you. So I went in and test drove one. Just for fun. It was as much of a night and day difference as my 2 previous Base/Comp test drives as before. Except this time the Comp won hands down. Harshness gone. Seats better. I was able to pull off a deal for the Comp and keep my payments the same. So, I off-loaded 22,000 miles and got an $8,000 upgrade (hey, that 17 extra hp is quite noticeable, too
This Comp is by far the best car I have ever owned. It's still just a tad harsh for daily driving, but I don't care. It is just so damn much fun on the road and supremely capable in everything it does. I am on Pirellis this time around. I do plenty of spirited driving and I really can't say the Michelins performed any better. Some people want to swap out of the Pirellis right away. But, its a sunk cost if the car came with them. Use 'em up and swap 'em out for Michelins when it's time. You're probably going to need new tires at some point anyway. As for tread wear, don't have enough miles yet. I ran winter 19s initially and then put 19 summers on in the spring. I swapped back to the OEM 20s for the Rocky trip because I wanted brand new tires being that far away from home. To be honest, I really couldn't say the 19s actually rode any softer. The 20s were smooth, quiet and let me drive like a bat out of hell when I wanted to.
As for mileage, on my last 5 trips between 1,500 miles and 4,200 miles I got 25.9 and 23.7 in the M550. I got 23.4 in the M5 Base and then 23.8 and 24.7 in the LCI M5 Comp. I'll take those numbers.
Hope this helps.