e70 vs f15 - Driving / handling impressions?

[heatmizr]

Ok, I have searched both this forum and the f15 area, and I cannot find anything in the way of comparisons of handling or driving impressions between the two.
At some point down the road an f15 may be in my future, and I swear I read or heard that the f15 didn't feel or handle as well as the e70, had gotten soft, mass-market, etc.
IS THIS TRUE? Anyone have REAL experience and can offer either supporting evidence or put my reservations to rest?
I have even scanned the web for articles that might give a clue and have found nothing useful. Maybe I just have to go do a test drive.
THANKS.

[ryansbmw]

I'd say go to a dealer and take a F15 out for a spin. Thats going to give you the most info

[jiggz]

Have you searched the F15 forum? Quite a few owners there came from the E70 and have posted comparison's over the years.

The F15 definitely falls more in line with the other F series BMW's - light/over-assisted steering, very different driving dynamics, etc. It doesn't have that heavy, tank-like feel of the E70 IMO.

Now if $ is no object... ..how about skipping the F15 generation altogether and getting into a new G05! The go into production in just a few months, a feature a total re-design w/ the new CLAR platform and tons of new tech.

http://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...12&postcount=1

[philly42]

I can only give a comparison of an e70 X5M to an n55 f15 So off the bat I wasn't impressed with performance and handling. Electronic shocks and active stabilizer bars make a huge difference and the f15 didn't have that. It was very obvious that the chassis is the same as the e70. Everything looks different but is positioned the same way in an e70. The screen and infotainment in the f15 was quite nice but I don't care much for that stuff. Plus an upgraded unit is available for the e70

[Naz24]

Originally Posted by jiggz

Have you searched the F15 forum? Quite a few owners there came from the E70 and have posted comparison's over the years.

The F15 definitely falls more in line with the other F series BMW's - light/over-assisted steering, very different driving dynamics, etc. It doesn't have that heavy, tank-like feel of the E70 IMO.

Now if $ is no object... ..how about skipping the F15 generation altogether and getting into a new G05! The go into production in just a few months, a feature a total re-design w/ the new CLAR platform and tons of new tech.

http://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...12&postcount=1

This. The car feels a lot lighter and not as planted

Originally Posted by philly42

I can only give a comparison of an e70 X5M to an n55 f15 So off the bat I wasn't impressed with performance and handling. Electronic shocks and active stabilizer bars make a huge difference and the f15 didn't have that. It was very obvious that the chassis is the same as the e70. Everything looks different but is positioned the same way in an e70. The screen and infotainment in the f15 was quite nice but I don't care much for that stuff. Plus an upgraded unit is available for the e70

this as well, the Adaptive suspension is a must on the F15, otherwise the body roll is unbearable IMO

[RichardR0404]

My e70 diesel has a very heavy steering, compare to F15 which is almost as light as my 1989 town car, which is better than my E70.. F15 has a better ride than E70, steering and throttle feels more girly than E70. Interior isnt necessary nicer than a E70 since the tablet style radio is garbage

[RichardR0404]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

f15 didn't feel or handle as well as the e70, had gotten soft, mass-market, etc.
IS THIS TRUE?

It is true, F15 is easier to drive but over assisted steering is too light for a BMW. Dont get me start talking about those useless driving mode which in a BMW should always be in Sport + anyway. The onlything thats better is the back up camera and cabin insulation. My 89 towncar is quieter than my E70 diesel

[nyceric03]

Have a e70 4.8 and a f15 50i driving/handling e70 feels much better. The f15 is more comfortable but doesnt have the driving feedback/ planted feel that the e70 has. Techwise/luxury no contest f15 though. But I enjoy the driving experience in the e70 more.

[bmwx5er]

Helped my neighbor buy a loaded F15 50i with DHP. Car was light & nimble and was great to drive.. EXCEPT the steering was very loose with very little road feedback. Between the two, I prefer my E70 50i with Adaptive drive and Dinan S2.

[Thecastle]

I own an E70 X5M, and I'm currently driving a 2018 F15 loaner car while sadly both my BMWs are in for service.

Anyway. The X5 I'm driving is an sdrive 35i. It does not have adaptive drive, etc. Let me get this out of the way, if your really worried about sportiness and driving experience look at an Alfa Romeo Gulia. You shopping the wrong car. IF you want good handling for an SUV you wont go wrong with either the F15 or E70.

My wife an I agree that adaptive drive is a must have feature to make these obese vehicles dance. They just roll too much when you push them around corners without it. It makes everyone uncomfortable and forces you to drive more slowly to prevent roll.

So, the F15 seems a little quieter, and smoother riding then my E70. It seems to have less motion when hitting minor road imperfections. I find the suspension is a little more refined and introduces less motion into the cabin and has a little stiffer initial turn in. The E70 is a little looser feeling when driving it on normal roads (part of the extra jiggle of the E70 I'm sure is due to more unsprung weight from the upper heavy wheels and tires). also the tires are not the same which makes a big difference.

Pushing the F15, the brakes work well and are progressive, body roll is typical of a heavy suv, and well its really not a sports car. The 35i is not a willing dance partner, it feels not under powered but just slow when you push it. Around town its fine, but when flooring it there is more noise than real acceleration. The F15 steering is numb, but confidence inspiring becasue you never feel like the car is at its limits until you realize oh yeah I'm plowing! So I wouldn't call the feedback strong on the F15, the E70 (M) has much more feedback. The steering is alive and tells you in the E70 what the tires are or about to do.

The E70 X5M is in a different realm, when it comes to sporty driving than a base F15. Coming from an M you forget how underpowered feeling most SUV / pickups are..

F15 Fuel economy is slightly better then the X5M. I average in mixed driving about 15 mpg in the M the non 4 wheel driver S35 is averaging me about 17. Not huge considering the 8 speed auto and lack of 4 wheel drive as major advantages. But hey exactly no one buys an SUV to save gas, and I don't mind the minor fuel economy penalty for 4 wheel drive and 555hp. I drive my diesel car when fuel economy is a concern.

Anyway, The differences aren't huge. Id sum it to say the F15 is a little more refined and removes some of the slop of the E70 setup, in exchange for less feedback and excitement. I personally would not buy a F15 with larger than 20" rims and without adapative drive.

[philly42]

Originally Posted by Thecastle

....

I agree. My X5M is in for service and I got the same loaner car. I'm a "track guy" and have a curvy stretch of road where I test and tune my Z3M track toy. The way the X5M handled those curves had me consider taking it to an autocross....and it was a blast doing so.
Anyway I just took the f18 on the same curvy road and I'm glad to be experienced enough to know when-and-how to lift off the throttle at the limit. I couldn't get close to the speeds in an X5M. It's now very apparent to me how much edc helps the handling of an SUV. At the end of the day these are SUVs and not sport car. Also the proper comparison would be an e70 X5 35 to an f18 X5 35.

[heatmizr]

Well you guys just gave me more information than I could have hoped for. Thanks!
So it is true.... I guess it's to be expected. I do just need to go drive one for myself, in order to gauge if I should to keep the f15 on my short list of potential next vehicles.
(And yes, then there is the G05...)

In going to a newer generation, I've been thinking that I could get away with dropping down to the turbo 6. YES I would miss the abundance of torque. But, I did some digging and the f15 is ~200lbs lighter than me e70... Then you change to S-Drive instead of AWD, good for another 110 lbs, and the 6 must be considerably lighter than the V8 in the first place. The 35i S-Drive I spec'd out weighed around 500 lbs less than my e70 50i. Does this sound close to everyone else's best estimate?
I suppose a tune could bump the torque enough to get it close enough at that point.

I've actually seen a really beautiful CPO f15 35i S-Drive M-Sport for sale at our dealer. I should have at least driven it just to see how all those differences would add up...

Many thanks.