4-series - thoughts on Adaptive Suspension?
Discussion
I am on the verge of placing an order for a 440i GC as a replacement for my current M135i and am undecided as to whether or not to bother ticking the adaptive suspension option. I chose to add adaptive to the M135i when I ordered that and broadly it has done what it says on the tin but it runs out of ideas on a bumpy road no matter what mode it's in and I have since heard it said a number of times that it's not really worth £515 over the standard set-up. Certainly the tuners don't seem to rate it.
The 440i I test-drove didn't have adaptive and was on 19" runflats, and while it was instantly clear that it had a firmer ride than my M135i in comfort (also 4 years old and on non-RFTs), it was not necessarily problematically so.
Anyone got any thoughts or advice?
The 440i I test-drove didn't have adaptive and was on 19" runflats, and while it was instantly clear that it had a firmer ride than my M135i in comfort (also 4 years old and on non-RFTs), it was not necessarily problematically so.
Anyone got any thoughts or advice?
I had exactly the same dilemma as you when I replaced my 135i (with adaptive) with a 340i. I didn't bother this time - the price I thought was too much (~£600?)
My 340i is riding on 19" with RFT and the ride is OK - comparable with the 135i in normal maybe a little better maybe as it's on new tyres. I think you can delete the M-Sport suspension, and given my time again I'd probably do that; it's a bit harsh on some surfaces (e.g. the A12 north of Chelmsford)
We've also got an F56 Cooper S with adaptive fitted - it was only a £300 option on this. However, all it seems to do is firm things up in the Sport mode to the point you wouldn't want to use it for any length of time IMHO.
Last point - for better or worse I like the limited flexibility that RFTs provide to at least get somewhere if you get a puncture. If there's a ride compromise as a result that's something I'll put up with. Lots of people seem to be of the view that taking off RFTs transforms ride / handling.
My 340i is riding on 19" with RFT and the ride is OK - comparable with the 135i in normal maybe a little better maybe as it's on new tyres. I think you can delete the M-Sport suspension, and given my time again I'd probably do that; it's a bit harsh on some surfaces (e.g. the A12 north of Chelmsford)
We've also got an F56 Cooper S with adaptive fitted - it was only a £300 option on this. However, all it seems to do is firm things up in the Sport mode to the point you wouldn't want to use it for any length of time IMHO.
Last point - for better or worse I like the limited flexibility that RFTs provide to at least get somewhere if you get a puncture. If there's a ride compromise as a result that's something I'll put up with. Lots of people seem to be of the view that taking off RFTs transforms ride / handling.
I have a 435i M Sport coupe with sport auto and adaptive suspension. Previously I had an E92 335i SE manual with M sport suspension. Personally I find the comfort setting rather soft and the steering lacks feel. The only way to get it to feel more like my old 335i is to whack it into Sport+ . So the adaptive suspension does make a big difference in that sense but I have no idea what the non-adaptive version is like. If it is like Comfort then I would get the adaptive version. Interestingly I have found that sport+ mode makes the car more stable in crosswinds. Comfort is fine for wafting around motorways.
My biggest beef is with the auto box which I think is poor. Mind of its own, jerky changes and yet another piece of tech that gets between the driver and the road. Wish I had stuck with a manual.
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My biggest beef is with the auto box which I think is poor. Mind of its own, jerky changes and yet another piece of tech that gets between the driver and the road. Wish I had stuck with a manual.
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I have a 435i M Sport coupe with sport auto and adaptive suspension. Previously I had an E92 335i SE manual with M sport suspension. Personally I find the comfort setting rather soft and the steering lacks feel. The only way to get it to feel more like my old 335i is to whack it into Sport+ . So the adaptive suspension does make a big difference in that sense but I have no idea what the non-adaptive version is like. If it is like Comfort then I would get the adaptive version. Interestingly I have found that sport+ mode makes the car more stable in crosswinds. Comfort is fine for wafting around motorways.
My biggest beef is with the auto box which I think is poor. Mind of its own, jerky changes and yet another piece of tech that gets between the driver and the road. Wish I had stuck with a manual.
.
My biggest beef is with the auto box which I think is poor. Mind of its own, jerky changes and yet another piece of tech that gets between the driver and the road. Wish I had stuck with a manual.
.
Adaptive suspension would be number 1 on my list of options if I was speccing again. I added it to my ideal spec quite late in the day, after a test in a 440i F33, and I am very glad that I did.
Two cars for the price of one in my view (relatively limo and relatively sporty, it's not an M-car after all). And both of them continuously adapt to what is unfolding on the road.
Two cars for the price of one in my view (relatively limo and relatively sporty, it's not an M-car after all). And both of them continuously adapt to what is unfolding on the road.
Equilibrium25 said:
Adaptive suspension would be number 1 on my list of options if I was speccing again. I added it to my ideal spec quite late in the day, after a test in a 440i F33, and I am very glad that I did.
Two cars for the price of one in my view (relatively limo and relatively sporty, it's not an M-car after all). And both of them continuously adapt to what is unfolding on the road.
There was a school of thought on here that only the vastly more expensive 5 series Adaptive suspension actually CONTINUOSLY adapted but after looking into it that is NOT the case and your right on that ,a lot of kit for not a lot of money to be fair Two cars for the price of one in my view (relatively limo and relatively sporty, it's not an M-car after all). And both of them continuously adapt to what is unfolding on the road.
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