Discussion
I did start looking at the XF 5.0 and XFRs, Jaguar are offering a two year warranty on used cars at present, FYI, although BMW AUC will provide the same if you negotiate it. I drove the F10 528i and XF 3.0D back to back a couple of years ago and really preferred the F10, although the Jaguar was good.
The 550i is very good, more refined and a little quicker than the older 550i but a lot quieter. Too quiet, in fact, and that will have to be looked into. That's really my only complaint. Performance is not lacking, it is a very quick car although it will also trundle along at 70-80 and return 30MPG. I'd have to keep the E60 under 70 to return anything above 28. Now we are only talking a few MPG here and there but in percentage terms I reckon it's 10-15% better from what I have seen so far in the couple of hundred miles experience I have of it.
I had a W211 E500 5.5 recently and that was a very refined and rapid car which is in some ways better than the E60 550i (and in other ways, not as good). Alas, it is also unfortunately rare. If you can find one, or the CLS 500 5.5, they are also worth looking at IMHO.
On the subject of Mercedes, there is a new shape CLS500 out there at present, 4.7 turbo. These are supposed to drive really well and are in the lower tax band, but I didn't get very far in discussions with Mercedes on the car (it was quite a bit more expensive, not a particularly well optioned car, and had quite a few more miles on it than the 550i I ended up buying).
The 550i is very good, more refined and a little quicker than the older 550i but a lot quieter. Too quiet, in fact, and that will have to be looked into. That's really my only complaint. Performance is not lacking, it is a very quick car although it will also trundle along at 70-80 and return 30MPG. I'd have to keep the E60 under 70 to return anything above 28. Now we are only talking a few MPG here and there but in percentage terms I reckon it's 10-15% better from what I have seen so far in the couple of hundred miles experience I have of it.
I had a W211 E500 5.5 recently and that was a very refined and rapid car which is in some ways better than the E60 550i (and in other ways, not as good). Alas, it is also unfortunately rare. If you can find one, or the CLS 500 5.5, they are also worth looking at IMHO.
On the subject of Mercedes, there is a new shape CLS500 out there at present, 4.7 turbo. These are supposed to drive really well and are in the lower tax band, but I didn't get very far in discussions with Mercedes on the car (it was quite a bit more expensive, not a particularly well optioned car, and had quite a few more miles on it than the 550i I ended up buying).
Edited by texasjohn on Sunday 19th April 21:17
philmots said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I am a really big fan of models that hardly anyone is interested in buying nowadays so the 550i really fits the bill for me because most go diesel, I have never seen a current 550i or 650i out on the road and if I was the owner of those cars I would revel in the rareness of them.
Great choice OP.
If I could write what I thought, I'd write something like this.Great choice OP.
I wanted to like the F30, but I test drove a 335i and it was quite noisy and unrefined, even with VDC (car had 19s). It was a no-go for me due to the tyre roar.
I then drove an F10 530d with springs, also on 19s. The car was so much quieter and comfortable that I knew a couple of hundred yards into the test drive that the F10 was for me (but also that the diesel probably wasn't, I just didn't like the thrum of the engine although was willing to put up with it for a car with a good spec). My criteria was comfort seats, pro loudspeaker and pro navigation and anything else like a sunroof would be nice to have.
I very nearly bought a 63 plate 535d in Moonstone but this 550i appeared on the AUC website and with such low mileage, and in my favourite F10 colour and wheels, I was immediately taken by it. In addition to my must-have items the car is fitted with park assist and surround view which is really useful and a sunroof which we have benefitted from in the nice weather. It has a couple of other options too.
I recently got an 18 month contract working 16 miles from home, so due to a combination of the commute and the fact I claim all my mileage, the 550i is a non-issue for me. The 6 cylinder diesel will barely warm up in that distance and be giving 20s/30s until it does. I know from running a E500 5.5 returning 25MPG over a similar commute that it equates to a tank per week for me including weekend jaunts to the seaside. I think the tank on the 550i might be a little smaller, not sure.
I could really have done with the F11 but the dogs rarely go in the car and on the occasions that they do will just sit in the footwells (my children are very small and are in seats so feet don't interfere).
S800VXR said:
Great car OP. Just picked up my 650i m sport and love it. WRT diesels, they have their place in trucks and utility vehicles IMHO, yes they can go quite quick but you always have the tractor sound!
Thanks. Do you recall a black debadged W211 E Class on the A31 a couple of months ago, travelling west? I had a little dabble with a black VXR8 like yours, I think it had a smallish numberplate?Anyway how is the 650i? Is it a new one? Do you find it is almost silent?
hornetrider said:
oop north said:
I'm trying to ignore the existence of the 550i completely - cannot help but think I would love having one but might regret all the visits to the petrol station - good job there aren't any F11 550i's (at least not that i have ever seen) or my resolve would be severely tested - as the mpg on the Subaru 3.0 Outback isn't making me bankrupt, though my annual mileage might be going up in the next few months (about 15k pa at the moment)
I have an E61 550i so the naturally aspirated 4.8, not the 4.4 turbo in the F11. However if it helps, from the research I briefly did when considering the 3.0 Subaru Legacy/Outback, was that the mpg on the V8 BMW is similar or better than that of the Subaru....happy shopping!
My F10 still needs to loosen up a bit I think, but the average came down from an indicated 31 on the trip home and seems to have settled at 24.6 (running around town, no long trips).
I really need to sort the exhaust out though. It really is far too quiet. See this for example of stock (vs Eisenmann), at about 1m02s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GYctlIbpiU
smashy said:
texasjohn dont know how old your car is but A C Schnitzers exhaust can be fitted by BMW dealers and checking youtube that sounds wonderful and no I wouldnt crawl over it to get to my Derv ok 
only if I was doing my 30k a year then id have to.
I have put an F10 M5 exhaust on the car now. Wasn't quite a bolt on fit to the downpipes and some of the hangars are different. I have had the stock 550i quad-shaped tailpipe retained. only if I was doing my 30k a year then id have to.Edited by smashy on Thursday 23 April 22:03
It's a bit too much to be quite honest! I am quite surprised really as of course the same exhaust is MUCH quieter when on the M5. Of course, it is 'tuned' for that particular car and not the 550i, although they share the same basic configuration, i.e. 4.4 twin turbo V8.
See links, just a touch louder than I wanted!!!!!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3yZnZNoZeHoRVd4V...
Cold start (hurrying to get away from house before neighbours complain)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3yZnZNoZeHoZm1TT...
Going to see about having the backboxes packed. They are like this as standard:
Grateful for any suggestions as stock was far too quiet, so don't really want to go all the way back to that.
Edited by texasjohn on Saturday 16th May 20:29
From what I have read, the 35i responds less extremely (in a good way) to change, and the M5 tailpipes work well on the car.
On the 550i, as I have found out, the full system from downpipes back turns a silent car into a monster.
I think where I went wrong is having the full M5 system. Had I retained the 550i centre resonator and just had the M5 backboxes, I think it would have been perfect.
Worst case, I put the 550i centre back in if the flaps dont make enough difference.
I'm ok with it being a little loud at WOT, but it is also very loud and boomy in normal 'round town' type of driving at present, and drones on the overrun.
On the 550i, as I have found out, the full system from downpipes back turns a silent car into a monster.
I think where I went wrong is having the full M5 system. Had I retained the 550i centre resonator and just had the M5 backboxes, I think it would have been perfect.
Worst case, I put the 550i centre back in if the flaps dont make enough difference.
I'm ok with it being a little loud at WOT, but it is also very loud and boomy in normal 'round town' type of driving at present, and drones on the overrun.
Edited by texasjohn on Saturday 16th May 20:54
So, a full post on the little project...
I had the F10 M5 exhaust installed on a 550i (RWD) in the UK. The car is completely whisper silent on the stock exhaust, unlike the E60 which had a nice backtrack of V8 noise (although the E60 was still pretty quiet, you had to listen hard for it).
550i is 2010, and the M5 exhaust system came off of a 2015 car.
All in all it was about 8 hours labour. It is not really a direct bolt on, but probably overall cheaper than an aftermarket full exhaust.
The PNs you need are:
18207845461/3 x 1 of each
18207585358 x 4
18207578229/30 x 1 of each
18207832991 x 2
51618048827 x 1
Where the front of the exhaust system meets the downpipes it is not a true bolt-on. The flanges are a little different:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3yZnZNoZeHoaUpJc...
The workshop I used ran the 550i system back from the downpipes about 24" to the 'bulge' in the pipes (not sure if these contain secondary cats or an absorption muffler) and thereafter it is the M5 system.
Some hangers needed to be relocated and the cross member bracket needs to be replaced to accommodate the x pipe (which replaces the centre resonator you have on the 550i).
I had the 550i tips refitted as I wanted to retain the 550i SE looks. Thus I had custom fabrication of the tailpipes between the backbox (muffler in US) and tips, using some 57mm bosal exhaust tube. First of all I went without the exhaust flaps but it was too loud and droned, particularly under load like uphill on the motorway at 70mph.
See link for the audio of the system without flaps:
Start:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3yZnZNoZeHoZm1T...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3yZnZNoZeHoVEh6M...
I have now had the M5 flaps fitted in the outboard tailpipes and it is much more acceptable. I also had a hanger fitted on the inboard tailpipe, part of which is a large rubber damper to reduce resonance. This hanger/damper wasn't fitted last week as the shop ran out of time.
It is fairly loud on a cold start and also when you 'get on it' over 2500rpm, you can literally tell when the flaps are opening. The power also comes on a little harder as the flaps open (as you might expect).
It isn't whisper quiet below 2500rpm and is probably just about as loud as most 40 year olds would want, certainly near the limit for me. But it has a nice burble and doesn't scare small animals and children. It is louder than a stock E60 550i.
See links for video of low revs with flaps closed:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3yZnZNoZeHodk83...
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3yZnZNoZeHocEQ3...
I am not sure why (probably due to something upstream of the exhaust system, ie manifolds) but the 550i is louder and more 'bassy' with the M5 exhaust than the M5 is. AFAIK, the cc and firing order is the same.
I had the F10 M5 exhaust installed on a 550i (RWD) in the UK. The car is completely whisper silent on the stock exhaust, unlike the E60 which had a nice backtrack of V8 noise (although the E60 was still pretty quiet, you had to listen hard for it).
550i is 2010, and the M5 exhaust system came off of a 2015 car.
All in all it was about 8 hours labour. It is not really a direct bolt on, but probably overall cheaper than an aftermarket full exhaust.
The PNs you need are:
18207845461/3 x 1 of each
18207585358 x 4
18207578229/30 x 1 of each
18207832991 x 2
51618048827 x 1
Where the front of the exhaust system meets the downpipes it is not a true bolt-on. The flanges are a little different:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3yZnZNoZeHoaUpJc...
The workshop I used ran the 550i system back from the downpipes about 24" to the 'bulge' in the pipes (not sure if these contain secondary cats or an absorption muffler) and thereafter it is the M5 system.
Some hangers needed to be relocated and the cross member bracket needs to be replaced to accommodate the x pipe (which replaces the centre resonator you have on the 550i).
I had the 550i tips refitted as I wanted to retain the 550i SE looks. Thus I had custom fabrication of the tailpipes between the backbox (muffler in US) and tips, using some 57mm bosal exhaust tube. First of all I went without the exhaust flaps but it was too loud and droned, particularly under load like uphill on the motorway at 70mph.
See link for the audio of the system without flaps:
Start:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3yZnZNoZeHoZm1T...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3yZnZNoZeHoVEh6M...
I have now had the M5 flaps fitted in the outboard tailpipes and it is much more acceptable. I also had a hanger fitted on the inboard tailpipe, part of which is a large rubber damper to reduce resonance. This hanger/damper wasn't fitted last week as the shop ran out of time.
It is fairly loud on a cold start and also when you 'get on it' over 2500rpm, you can literally tell when the flaps are opening. The power also comes on a little harder as the flaps open (as you might expect).
It isn't whisper quiet below 2500rpm and is probably just about as loud as most 40 year olds would want, certainly near the limit for me. But it has a nice burble and doesn't scare small animals and children. It is louder than a stock E60 550i.
See links for video of low revs with flaps closed:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3yZnZNoZeHodk83...
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3yZnZNoZeHocEQ3...
I am not sure why (probably due to something upstream of the exhaust system, ie manifolds) but the 550i is louder and more 'bassy' with the M5 exhaust than the M5 is. AFAIK, the cc and firing order is the same.
Edited by texasjohn on Sunday 24th May 09:50
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