Snows go on tomorrow (along with wheel balance and alignment), hopefully it will improve dramatically.

Great reviews. You certainly have quite the BMW resume. Do you miss the e39 M5? I've driven one once, and my recollection is that it doesn't have the greatest steering feel either. How does it compare to your current stable?

I've had 2 BMW automatics (wife's requirement like you). I thought the 6 speed in the 335 was great. It was fast, smooth and didn't have any bad habits that I could discern. Strangely, the much-praised 8 speeder in my F10 is a bit of disappointment for some of the same reasons you mentioned. In sport mode, it shifts unnecessarily harshly and there is a bit of a jerky sensation when rolling to a stop (it insists on always downshifitng to 1st unlike my e92). I never noticed any hestiation in manual shifting w/ the paddles in either. And as with your e61, it also locks out top gear in sport mode. Given how tall 8th gear is though, its not really a big loss.

Haven't driven an F30 recently, but my steering impressions were similar to yours. For some reason the steering in my F10 feels more natural (though of course still not up to par with the older hydraulic units). I think they got so many bad reviews that they finally did something about it during the LCI.

I've only tried the pre 09 idrive twice and it was pretty bad. Bad enough to not want to buy a used BMW with that system. Amazing what a huge leap they've made to the point where its now the best on the market. (They all suck in different ways, but the current idrive sucks the least).

BMW tends to learn/unlearn/re-learn the same lessons with each model I think. So the classic advice of buying the latest year possible for a particular chassis code is very appropriate. I woudn't be surprised if the LCI version of the F30 has much improved steering for example.

The e39 was a locomotive. It was super comfortable and super fast. It felt smaller than it was, but wasn't particularly nimble. One thing it did feel was very special. I always felt good driving it.

The 335 was quicker off the line (the e39 had horribly intrusive traction control) and more nimble, but felt very pedestrian in comparison. The e39's strength was getting places VERY fast and very comfortably. Highway merging/lane changing acceleration was awesome. The 335 was a competent car, better in all weather, but never really lit my fire.

The TC gets turned off as part of my start up routine. Sport button On and traction control Off.

once moving, and pointed in the right direction, i don't find the E61 slow.

for example, on I-684 blowing out of Manhattan and through Danbury moving with traffic at 90mph, there are not many cars that would be more comfortable plodding along at that speed, getting decent fuel economy and semi-quietly.

The e61 feels a lot like my e39 540iT, plenty quick both off the line and at highway speeds.

Its funny you mention 90mph... That just so happens to be the speed where the wheel vibration smooths out, making cruising more pleasant.

btw, recently had last of CPO coverage and they flushed the brake fluid and also replaced a gasket/oil line from the oil filter.

my car's issues were with beaten up tie rods (which CPO doesn't cover). had that done out of pocket, but the rest of the work they did under CPO was in the thousands easily.

my car had already gotten a new water pump and HPFPs by owner before me.

i also paid to have tranny fluid flushed and replaced (out of pocket) and i guess i'm just waiting for the turbos to fail (if they do).

Aren't the turbos under an extended warranty? Or is that just the wastegates?

to clarify, they seem mechanically sound, and that they will fail outside of CPO coverage.

:dunno:

at least i know what it'll cost, if/when it happens.

I don't mean CPO--I thought the turbos had their own extended warranty as the result of some sort of SIB at some point. But I don't really recall...