A bit underwhelmed by my newly acquired M4 compared to my old GLA45 and 335i

[ryou]

previous history : FTO, 147, GTI mk5, Scirocco, Wrx V6, e92 335i, AMG GLA45

I had my e92 for 5 years and over 130k km, it was hands down my one true love, never had i loved a car as much as my e92

when it came time to replace it, i couldnt afford a F8x as it had just launched and was over 180k usd. So i bought a GLA45, it was a beast, lightning fast gear changes, loud exhaust roar at every gear...the Merc AWD system was awesome, and really confidence inspiring...if i felt the car was losing traction, i just had to give it MOOAARR POWWEER...and it would hunker down and grip even harder.

But i didnt 'love' it like i loved my e92, i missed the smooth power delivery of the bmws I6, felt the GLA45 was abit raw (like a more expensive Golf GTI).

So i saved and scrimped, 2 years later, managed to get myself a 2015 SSII M4.

Its been a month, almost 3000km on it, tru all my fav roads...and im abit...disappointed.

- The DCT is jerky around town, its super smooth from 2 -> 7, but going from 3->2, 2->1, 1->2 etc around speed bumps, slow traffic, it seems to get confused alot. If i take over and use the paddles, its fine, but im lazy and prefer to leave the shifting to the car.

The auto trans in my e92 obviously cant match the DCT in smoothness and speed of shifts, but "it just worked", i never had any issues with it pootling around town.

- it doesnt feel fast. revs rise smoothly and with no drama, within 2 secs you are hitting illegal speeds...but there is no seat of pants (HOLY BATMAN WTF) The AMG would bang tru all its gears, huge pops and burbles. in my mind, i wanted to ditch the frantic 2.0l engine, large turbo of the AMG for the more refined 3.0l and twin turbos of the M4....but when i got it....i now kinda miss the AMG

- leather quality. My e92 was 8 years old when i sold it, the red leather looked like it just came from showroom. my F82 is not even 13k km, the side bolsters are already wearing, the threads are starting to show wear.

sorry for the long rant...just wanted to get it off my chest, more than a decade i wanted a ///M, now that i finally got one...it just doesnt seem to hit the spot. My wife says its because the e92 was my first high powered 'nice' car, and no car will ever come close to it again.

Am i missing something? or it just so happens that the AMGs are more suited for my town and driving conditions, the ability to cut and thrust (dog fight) in traffic, vs the more refined, autobahn cruiser the M4 is.

Update:

Thanks to aboulfad i got my cars firmware updated from F020-14-11-505 to F0202-17-03-505, it was almost 2.5 years out of date.

and there is a huge difference. The biggest difference is no more herky jerky in D2 and D3 going from 2->3, it now holds the revs if the ECU is confused, or it will hesitate just a tiny bit, before deciding to shift up.

I can now safely drive it in down on D2/D3, before this, i had to use D1, cos it was dangerous if the car decided to jerk and not deliver power when i need it.

in default mode(start up) everything is alot smoother now, it feels like a auto transmission, no sound, nothing from the DCT when it shifts.

I also am loving the new coloured HUD..looks way better/vibrant.

Cant wait to see if the car gets the 5-10% FC improvements that other ppl have reported after the reflash. Really grateful to aboufad who gave me the links and info needed..instead of calling me a troll and casting aspersions on my driving skills lol..he listened, he gave advice, and I managed to solve my issue

[dkhm3]

There is no reason to be in 1st gear when the car is moving, are you in D1?

i suggest you also go to mbworld and read up on issues with the c63s: interior quality, rough auto shifts, etc.

here's 4 links for you:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...e-rubbish.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...ming-stop.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...ion-issue.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...0-minutes.html

[Arcades]

I generally don't respond to posts like this because honestly you can never really satisfy someone if they don't like a car. Especially when your comparisons are weird. Comparing a DD driver and a AMG hatchback(?) to a car like this is not something you should ever do.

The M-DCT is known to be picky with the way you drive. If you don't modulate the throttle properly on low gears it will hesitate and jerk. It has been said more than once on this forums you have to get used to driving the F80 a certain way or it will pout. M-DCT also behaves and acts like a real manual and you should treat it as such, not try to pretend it is a Automatic like the PDK in the Macan S.

All of the people that has done dynos on the F8x S55 has proven the car delivers power fast, so fast that you generally miss it. All of your posts so far and cars you have owned (including the AMG) says to me at the very least you like DD oriented cars. Also the E92 leather isn't Merino leather, real leather like the ones in the F80/F82 have the habit of wearing out quicker because it is built that way. Just look at the threads around here about some people complaining about it. E92 leather (unless I'm mistaken) is not Merino leather, it should be Dakota leather. The same leather that comes standard to F3x cars, unless you specced the leather to Nappa leather.

If you are underwhelmed by this current gen M, and your past history of cars it just means this type of car isn't for you. "Ranting" isn't going to solve your grief if you just don't like the car.

P.S. Also. Benz cars are built for a generally different crowd even the AMGs. C63S are great cars but they are also built for comfort.

[ryou]

Originally Posted by dkhm3

There is no reason to be in 1st gear when the car is moving, are you in D1?

i suggest you also go to mbworld and read up on issues with the c63s: interior quality, rough auto shifts, etc.

here's 4 links for you:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...e-rubbish.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...ming-stop.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...ion-issue.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...0-minutes.html

there are alot of tolls in my area, we slow down to 1 at the toll, high speed bumps as well, which cant be rolled tru, have to slow all the way to almost standstill.

i think maybe i didnt get my point across, im not saying the merc is a better car, i didnt like the AMG, thats why I sold it to get the M4. didnt like the Merc interior, didnt like its version of Idrive ... i never even seen a c63s in my life before, so not quite sure why reading threads on it would do me any good?

[RickFLM4]

The DCT takes some experience to gain an understanding of how to control with throttle. Otherwise, not sure how to reconcile your other points for you. If you don't like it you don't like it. Definitely a different car than either the e92 335 or Benz and I suspect you may be associating the "fast feel" with sound rather than actual speed after reading your post and references to pops and burbles. I hope it works out better for you after some more time with the M.

[ryou]

Originally Posted by Arcades

Comparing a DD driver and a AMG hatchback(?) to a car like this is not something you should ever do.

why not? the GLA45 brand new is 90k here, vs a M4 at 180k. They are both DD in my mind....the M4 just happends to be double the price due to tax etc

[JoeyBananas]

Originally Posted by Arcades

All of the people that has done dynos on the F8x S55 has proven the car delivers power fast, so fast that you generally miss it.

.

Is this why the Car sometimes feels fast to me and other times not?, lol Serious question. Seems like once you get going it doesnt really Feel fast but down low it does.

im assuming its just the power curve?

[ryou]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

The DCT takes some experience to gain an understanding of how to control with throttle. Otherwise, not sure how to reconcile your other points for you. If you don't like it you don't like it. Definitely a different car than either the e92 335 or Benz and I suspect you may be associating the "fast feel" with sound rather than actual speed after reading your post and references to pops and burbles. I hope it works out better for you after some more time with the M.

yes, the DCT is def a gearbox with character, i find i have to be firm with my throttle input, no whishy washy, not sure where i want to go inputs.

dont get me wrong, i think its horrendously fast, and way more powerful than i can comfortably use...maybe i had too high expectations.

[mkoesel]

"I totally new right away that by 'Wrx V6' you meant this: http://classicregister.com/content/h...-sti-version-6 and not a WRX with a V6 engiine swapped into it."

...said absolutely no one who read this thread.

But I'm just messing with you OP. With the M3/M4 you have to be measured and smooth with the throttle or the nannies will intervene too much and make the car feel slower than it is. Once you get the hang of it, you'll love it.

[ryou]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

"I totally new right away that by 'Wrx V6' you meant this: http://classicregister.com/content/h...-sti-version-6 and not a WRX with a V6 engiine swapped into it."

Said absolutely no one who read this thread.

But I'm just messing with you OP. With the M3/M4 you have to be measured and smooth with the throttle or the nannies will intervene too much and make the car feel slower than it is. Once you get the hang of it, you'll love it.

lol...well...i am 1/2 a world away, and we have totally diffrent terms/names for car related stuff. (im from the part of world where we cant understand why americans like to call car models 1 year ahead)

Yes, im still getting used to it...im amazed at default start settings, my mom or wife can drive it and it feels like a powerful 3 series...but the moment i hit my M1 settings...it totally changes character

[Arcades]

Originally Posted by JoeyBananas

Is this why the Car sometimes feels fast to me and other times not?, lol Serious question. Seems like once you get going it doesnt really Feel fast but down low it does.

im assuming its just the power curve?

It has something to do with Torque curve I think. The S55 torque comes on very fast and once you hit that speed you don't feel you are going fast but you generally are way past the speed limit at that point.

And the GLA45 is essentially a very very good Golf R. At least in my eyes that is how I see it. AMG cars has the theatrics but I would not associate that with going fast. I have no problems with Benz cars but I don't prefer them due to their interior and that annoying iPad screen that stares you in the face.

[Acturater]

Hell, if I paid $180k USD for my M3 I'd expect nothing short of perfect. It makes me realize how we really are spoiled stateside.

OP, I've been behind the wheel of my buddy's E9X M3. The E9X is awesome for sure and a ton of fun. The power delivery is just so linear, and you can keep the RPMs high without breaking the law and the throttle response is so instant.

Here's what I really like about the F80: the chassis and the power at low RPMs. I think if you had the chance to experience these two, the F8X will win you over. It probably won't happen that often puttin around town. If you can find an open stretch of road with some nice turns to carve, you'll find it just so rewarding. Also the power delivery takes some getting used to for sure, but you can also stay in 3rd gear over 100mph (160kph?). Not sure if you've had the chance to experiment with it, but man oh man, that sensation when you nail it from 60-100mph or so, for me it's like you're on a rollercoaster. The E9X didn't have that sense of acceleration for me.

Anyway, if you've read this far then I hope this helps and I really hope your M3 meets (and beats!) your expectations over time.

[ryou]

Originally Posted by Arcades

It has something to do with Torque curve I think. The S55 torque comes on very fast and once you hit that speed you don't feel you are going fast but you generally are way past the speed limit at that point.

And the GLA45 is essentially a very very good Golf R. At least in my eyes that is how I see it. AMG cars has the theatrics but I would not associate that with going fast. I have no problems with Benz cars but I don't prefer them due to their interior and that annoying iPad screen that stares you in the face.

i agree with you 100%. the GLA45 is essentially a premium Golf R. The M4 doesnt feel fast, but you glance down at the speedo and you are going alot faster than you thought you were going.

the benz ipad creaked like hell as well. BMW interior hands down wins.

[ryou]

Originally Posted by Acturater

Hell, if I paid $180k USD for my M3 I'd expect nothing short of perfect. It makes me realize how we really are spoiled stateside.

OP, I've been behind the wheel of my buddy's E9X M3. The E9X is awesome for sure and a ton of fun. The power delivery is just so linear, and you can keep the RPMs high without breaking the law and the throttle response is so instant.

Here's what I really like about the F80: the chassis and the power at low RPMs. I think if you had the chance to experience these two, the F8X will win you over. It probably won't happen that often puttin around town. If you can find an open stretch of road with some nice turns to carve, you'll find it just so rewarding. Also the power delivery takes some getting used to for sure, but you can also stay in 3rd gear over 100mph (160kph?). Not sure if you've had the chance to experiment with it, but man oh man, that sensation when you nail it from 60-100mph or so, for me it's like you're on a rollercoaster. The E9X didn't have that sense of acceleration for me.

Anyway, if you've read this far then I hope this helps and I really hope your M3 meets (and beats!) your expectations over time.

one thing that blows my mind about the m4, is when you are tailing a roadhogger at 150kph++....he finally moves aside...and with just light throttle input, you can blast pass and reach 200 in seconds.

Every other car i had, would need to have the pedal mashed down flat to kick down and go at that speed.

[M3 Pilot]

Hello from Singapore.

I've owned 2 E92 M3s for 6 years. 2 years in Perth and 4 years in Singapore, Competition Pack. I currently own a F80 M3 Competition Pack.

I have a very contrasting experience. I felt the DCT on the E92 was less refine. At times it didn't know which gear to be at or when I floor it to overtake in D2/3, it took quite long to drop gear. There are times when I'm slowing down to make a left turn at junction there is an absurd throttle blip which freaks out pedestrians.

I notice the DCT on the F80 was quite an improvement. More refine, less audible clunk. The dreaded 3rd to 2nd gear jerkiness when coming to a traffic light stop is still there but not as bad.

The leather is a bit disappointing on the F80. I have only done 1400km and there's already visible stretch marks.

I would've thought you would prefer the M4 as the NSH gives you the opportunity to stretch its legs.

[ryou]

Originally Posted by M3 Pilot

Hello from Singapore.

I've owned 2 E92 M3s for 6 years. 2 years in Perth and 4 years in Singapore, Competition Pack. I currently own a F80 M3 Competition Pack.

I have a very contrasting experience. I felt the DCT on the E92 was less refine. At times it didn't know which gear to be at or when I floor it to overtake in D2/3, it took quite long to drop gear. There are times when I'm slowing down to make a left turn at junction there is an absurd throttle blip which freaks out pedestrians.

I notice the DCT on the F80 was quite an improvement. More refine, less audible clunk. The dreaded 3rd to 2nd gear jerkiness when coming to a traffic light stop is still there but not as bad.

The leather is a bit disappointing on the F80. I have only done 1400km and there's already visible stretch marks.

I would've thought you would prefer the M4 as the NSH gives you the opportunity to stretch its legs.

ahh...but i didnt have a e92 DCT, it was a the 6 speed automatic on my 335i.

M4 is godlike on the NSH...but sadly, i dont drive on it much. My fav piece of road for fast driving is actually Karak Highway, and i felt that the extra power/torque of the M4 couldn't really be fully utilised in such a tight twisty road.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

shoulda got a 6mt

[dlk001]

Your F82 M4 must be sick. The way you are describing it sounds like its slower than my 250kg heavier F83 M4. Even with passengers at the back, my F83 accelerates fast, kicks you on the back.

When I want a relaxed drive around town or heavy stop/go traffic, I generally drive with Engine Response = Efficient, Gear Level = 1.

[ryou]

Originally Posted by dlk001

Your F82 M4 must be sick. The way you are describing it sounds like its slower than my 250kg heavier F83 M4. Even with passengers at the back, my F83 accelerates fast, kicks you on the back.

When I want a relaxed drive around town or heavy stop/go traffic, I generally drive with Engine Response = Efficient, Gear Level = 1.

im assuming you went from a 325 to a M4? thats a huge jump in power output and you will def feel the difference. My GLA45 had close to 370bhp, and my 335i was above 320bhp....so my comparisons/experience would be different from yours. My car is def not sick...BMW Approved used car, just serviced and bought same time as a frens 2016 CP M4, it pulls just as hard as his

[Lister]

Originally Posted by ryou

previous history : FTO, 147, GTI mk5, Scirocco, Wrx V6, e92 335i, AMG GLA45

I had my e92 for 5 years and over 130k km, it was hands down my one true love, never had i loved a car as much as my e92

when it came time to replace it, i couldnt afford a F8x as it had just launched and was over 180k usd. So i bought a GLA45, it was a beast, lightning fast gear changes, loud exhaust roar at every gear...the Merc AWD system was awesome, and really confidence inspiring...if i felt the car was losing traction, i just had to give it MOOAARR POWWEER...and it would hunker down and grip even harder.

But i didnt 'love' it like i loved my e92, i missed the smooth power delivery of the bmws I6, felt the GLA45 was abit raw (like a more expensive Golf GTI).

So i saved and scrimped, 2 years later, managed to get myself a 2015 SSII M4.

Its been a month, almost 3000km on it, tru all my fav roads...and im abit...disappointed.

- The DCT is jerky around town, its super smooth from 2 -> 7, but going from 3->2, 2->1, 1->2 etc around speed bumps, slow traffic, it seems to get confused alot. If i take over and use the paddles, its fine, but im lazy and prefer to leave the shifting to the car.

The auto trans in my e92 obviously cant match the DCT in smoothness and speed of shifts, but "it just worked", i never had any issues with it pootling around town.

- it doesnt feel fast. revs rise smoothly and with no drama, within 2 secs you are hitting illegal speeds...but there is no seat of pants (HOLY BATMAN WTF) The AMG would bang tru all its gears, huge pops and burbles. in my mind, i wanted to ditch the frantic 2.0l engine, large turbo of the AMG for the more refined 3.0l and twin turbos of the M4....but when i got it....i now kinda miss the AMG

- leather quality. My e92 was 8 years old when i sold it, the red leather looked like it just came from showroom. my F82 is not even 13k km, the side bolsters are already wearing, the threads are starting to show wear.

sorry for the long rant...just wanted to get it off my chest, more than a decade i wanted a ///M, now that i finally got one...it just doesnt seem to hit the spot. My wife says its because the e92 was my first high powered 'nice' car, and no car will ever come close to it again.

Am i missing something? or it just so happens that the AMGs are more suited for my town and driving conditions, the ability to cut and thrust (dog fight) in traffic, vs the more refined, autobahn cruiser the M4 is.

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Some thoughts for what they are worth to you.

- downshifting the lower gears of the DCT... consider letting it do it for you initially and then work out the sweet spots. Once you get the hang of it, you'll love it. Re jerkiness as you speed up from low speeds, I suffered that as well until I started driving with more upward throttle application - fire through gears and it will be sweet. Again, it's a learned skill. I read a few days ago someone from BMW talk about DCT's being retired and was quite down - it's a thing of beauty once you get the hang of it.

- re sound. Agreed. Get a MPE, Akra or other and your issues will go away

Hopefully you'll enjoy. As a former 335i e92 owner I miss that car, but my f80 is way better.

[CanAutM3]

M4 autobahn cruiser ?

I guess you are totally missing what the M4 is about and it clearly is not a car for you. Just get something else.

[aboulfad]

To the OP, the M4 is an amazing car, to help you deal with some of your concerns, since your M is 2015, it is possible it has an early Istep (software package). Later software updates seem to have made the throttle and DCT much more civil especially with the concerns you reported. Even so, you can flash the GTS DCT software on yours and even make it more "robust".

I agree, the leather quality isn't top notch, try to condition/clean it every quarter. The interior quality and reports are varying on the M, but I agree quality control isn't what we expect from such a car, but then again it's the same or worse with any other manufacturer...

Finally, this platform is so capable, that with few tunes/piggybacks you can forget about your E92 or other makes also what settings do you use? You know you have a lot to configure there that drastically alter the M's character, from a docile baby, to a wild beast

I was like you in the first few months of ownership, complaining and bitching about every small negative thing, but once I took it to the track, I started appreciating the true uniqueness of this car