RE: Driven: Alpina D5 Biturbo
Discussion
I've had the opportunity to drive this for a few hours and shared very similar views to what Sutcliffe concluded in his AutoCar review vs. the M5. Its CRAZY to think that a 3.0 litre diesel can pull its weight against the best Bavarian Motor Werks have to offer, but its true.
A beautifully riding car (I've driven the M5 quite extensively too) and as an ownership prospect I think the Alpina ticks more boxes. What I did notice however, which hasn't been brought up in any of the reviews is that the car CAN be quite skittish around corners, even in the dry.. you'd expect the tyres to be more grippy than the M5 tyres, but somehow they let go much easier.. i think it MIGHT be more weight up front and more torque at the rear which was causing this.
Will make a great used car in about 3 years when its worth £30k
A beautifully riding car (I've driven the M5 quite extensively too) and as an ownership prospect I think the Alpina ticks more boxes. What I did notice however, which hasn't been brought up in any of the reviews is that the car CAN be quite skittish around corners, even in the dry.. you'd expect the tyres to be more grippy than the M5 tyres, but somehow they let go much easier.. i think it MIGHT be more weight up front and more torque at the rear which was causing this.
Will make a great used car in about 3 years when its worth £30k
AOK said:
A beautifully riding car (I've driven the M5 quite extensively too) and as an ownership prospect I think the Alpina ticks more boxes. What I did notice however, which hasn't been brought up in any of the reviews is that the car CAN be quite skittish around corners, even in the dry.. you'd expect the tyres to be more grippy than the M5 tyres, but somehow they let go much easier.. i think it MIGHT be more weight up front and more torque at the rear which was causing this.
when you say skittish are you talking about power oversteer or general lack of grip?ocsine said:
when you say skittish are you talking about power oversteer or general lack of grip?
lack of grip rahter than oversteer. It oversteers nicely once you've committed, but it snaps out much earlier than the M5 and more erratically. The M5 has better weight distribution due to a lighter N/A block and also a more sporty suspension setup.It was a few months ago but I remember the D5 just not feeling as planted as the M5 and didn't inspire quite as much confidence in the corners. But then again, it was never meant to beat the M5 in the corners.. the fact that it is even comparable is worthy reason to take your hats off to Alpina
After being a BMW 5 and 6 series fan and driver for two decades, with the occasional interruption of Porsche, Mercedes and Land Rover. I just bought an Alpina D5. Wow! What a car! Having only had the car for less than a week, I can already tell that it's the best car I have ever owned, by a country mile! The reason for the post is to express gratitude for the piston heads reviews which woke me up to the Alpina option. Cheers!
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