X35i ride quality

[14bmws]

After having had my vehical for going on 3 weeks now, I am less than thrilled with the ride/handling that i am experiencing.

I notice as the car rides down the parkway at say 70 it is very hard to keep it going in a straight line.... it seems to wander. Also, I notice that any bumps (our roads suck here in CT) i hit make the truck bounce and shutter, and the steering seems vague at best.

I have the sport and paid the 3500 bucks for the extra adaptive drive so my ride should be very controlled. I have the 20's on right now and am wondering if the large tire wheel set up alond with the run flats are the culprit. I am very anxious to get my smaller 19's on and see if the handling improves, and if that does happen, i would be inclined to get a good set of non runflat tires for those rims.

Also, the throttle tip in makes it IMPOSSIBLE to get a smooth start in this vehical which I am finding extremely annoying. Has anyone else noticed this?

I'm trying to figure out if it is me or the vehical. I am coming out of an M3 and I dont expect an X5 to handle and steer live the M car, but can honestly say the diesel Toureg I test drove was a better driving vehical than what I am experienceing with my 72K X5 right now.

I really hope i can get this sorted out because I really want to enjoy this vehical.

[shodanusmc]

20" RFT's are like riding on bricks. Go to a smaller wheel and regular tires. Did you drive the same type of X5 prior to buying yours? I hate the ride of RFT's, especially on 20".

[14bmws]

I drove the 19's. Dealer talked me into the 20's because he gave me a set of 19's for winter use. So you feel the 19s with regular tires will be a big improvement? Honestly, I can't believe how this thing wanders.

[shodanusmc]

Originally Posted by 14bmws

I drove the 19's. Dealer talked me into the 20's because he gave me a set of 19's for winter use. So you feel the 19s with regular tires will be a big improvement? Honestly, I can't believe how this thing wanders.

You should not be wandering at all. Have the dealer check out the front end, alignment, etc. Take the Service advisor for a ride with you and then let him drivie it to experience what you are feeling.

Yes, you will experience a huge improvement with smaller wheels and non RFT's. Best of luck.

[chocobo1104]

As for ride quality, initial ride stiffness of brand new run-flats are very hard to get used to. I was in same situation as my brand new x6 with 20inch wheels were VERY uncomfortable even with adaptive drive. However, after 10,000km (is that like 4500 miles?) The tires started to become much better to live with in everyday driving. As for whole structure of the car shuttering when going over potholes, that does not change. But you will start to notice the change in ride stiffness over time. Hang in there!

[skalberti]

Originally Posted by 14bmws

After having had my vehical for going on 3 weeks now, I am less than thrilled with the ride/handling that i am experiencing.

I notice as the car rides down the parkway at say 70 it is very hard to keep it going in a straight line.... it seems to wander. Also, I notice that any bumps (our roads suck here in CT) i hit make the truck bounce and shutter, and the steering seems vague at best.

I have the sport and paid the 3500 bucks for the extra adaptive drive so my ride should be very controlled. I have the 20's on right now and am wondering if the large tire wheel set up alond with the run flats are the culprit. I am very anxious to get my smaller 19's on and see if the handling improves, and if that does happen, i would be inclined to get a good set of non runflat tires for those rims.

Also, the throttle tip in makes it IMPOSSIBLE to get a smooth start in this vehical which I am finding extremely annoying. Has anyone else noticed this?

I'm trying to figure out if it is me or the vehical. I am coming out of an M3 and I dont expect an X5 to handle and steer live the M car, but can honestly say the diesel Toureg I test drove was a better driving vehical than what I am experienceing with my 72K X5 right now.

I really hope i can get this sorted out because I really want to enjoy this vehical.

I have an M sport with the sports suspension, no adaptive drive though. I took the RFT off and went with the toyo proxes XL tires. I ordered the spare tire on mine and sold the bridgestone RFT to the parts dept when it arrived to the dealership. Super quiet on the interstate and a good contolled ride. Handles almost as good as my 335i but not near as harsh over the bumps.