2-year 35,000-kilometer G38 in-depth evaluation report-can withstand the test of time_Use car, Use car

2-year 35,000-kilometer G38 in-depth evaluation report-can withstand the test of time

August 15, 2024

Catalogue

First, choose a car
1. Use scene analysis:
two。 About everyone’s obsessive-compulsive disorder.
3. Exclusion of alternative models
4. The final choice– G38 530Li leading M set with entertainment
Second, about appearance
III. About the interior decoration
IV. On motivation
Fifth, the feeling of using
1. Driving texture
two。 Ride texture
3. Some details:
4. Some surprises:
5. Some minor flaws:
III. Summary of evaluation

It has been exactly two years since I picked up the car on April 28th, 2018, running 35000 kilometers. A 60-kilometer daily commute used as a commute. It can be said that I have a profound experience of G38 in many aspects. In the two years of use, I am most satisfied with two aspects. On the one hand, it is external aesthetic. With the passage of time, I don’t think its design is out of date. On the contrary, I like it more and more. On the other hand, in terms of internal use, its comprehensiveness is well satisfied in the face of my diversified use needs, and provides sufficient driving fun.

Let’s start with a handsome photo of the track day.

First, choose a car

First determine their own needs, and then constantly narrow the scope, weighing between perceptual and rational, choose within the budget range, I believe that everyone’s car selection process is not much different. Here are some of my personal ways of thinking and experience, hoping to give you some inspiration and useful information.

1. Use scene analysis:

Let’s briefly talk about my car scene: I usually drive by myself, and there is a need for family and friends to ride on weekends. At the same time, because of the playing band, frequent rehearsals and performances, there are still some requirements for the loading capacity of the vehicle (limit state 5 people, 2 guitars, 1 bass, a pack of slices and sporadic equipment, measured completely ok). I know a lot of people will say that the short axis is the essence and so on, but don’t forget that when the space is not used, it is really suffocating, especially for my use scene, Li is more suitable. And as a special version of the motherland, enjoying the treatment of a Li can be regarded as balancing a small regret that is not made in Germany (530i can be bought all over the world, 530Li is the only one). Of course, there are price factors and later maintenance factors and other comprehensive factors, in short, about the use of the scene everyone’s needs are really different, before buying a car to determine their own needs is the first step.

two。 About everyone’s obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In fact, when everyone buys a car, there will be some so-called “obsessive-compulsive disorder” factors, and these factors are often some details. For example, some people will care very much about the weight of the car door and the texture of the handle; some people will care about the clarity of the reversing image; some people will care about the flow and beauty of the man-machine interface, and so on. For me, the interior roof of the car must be dark and became a hard condition. For car manufacturers, many details really affect the judgment of consumers all the time. Especially some places that can be seen and touched. Just imagine, when we went to the 4s store and saw it and got into the car, did we start to judge it? This “first impression” usually occurs before the test ride and test drive.

Blow the door knob of the 5 series, it can be said that this is the place you must touch every time you drive, and it feels delicate and comfortable!

3. Exclusion of alternative models

There were several alternative products at that time:

[Audi S3] originally wanted to be younger, but the space is really too small, rational and emotional confrontation or rational win. It seemed that S4 was not yet on the market at that time. So I was very excited, but I ruled it out early.

[Lincoln Continent] the mainland, which you can see more on the street now, did cause some interference with the choice at that time, mainly because of the large space, the interior is very textured, and there is a good balance between modern and retro. At the same time, all kinds of details are in place, door handles and taillights are added items. It’s just that it’s a little too greasy for me to drive such a car, and I didn’t get past it in the end. But the mainland is indeed a very good choice at this level.

[Mercedes-Benz E] the direct competition is definitely going to be compared, but in fact, on the one hand, the texture of driving is not as good as that of BMW, on the other hand, the overall “extravagant” interior is too easy to get bored. This style of interior decoration will really make people look very good at first glance, but the more carefully you taste it, the more you will feel greasy, coupled with the roughness of the working materials, at least in my case. My principle is that I am not afraid of simplicity. I am afraid that I can not stand the test of time and the details are not in place.

[Audi A6 Avant] previously mentioned my pursuit of space, then Avant must also be under consideration. I have to say that I really like the appearance and interior design of the previous generation of Audi (I do not like the current design with a strong sense of technology, because I will expand below), but it is difficult to control the budget with the option of price increase, which is almost like Porsche. The feelings of earthen pots still need money to pay the bill, so give it up.

[Volvo S90] there are still some feelings for Volvo, which is famous for its safety in northern Europe, very S40 and XC90 when I was a child. But when you feel the real car in the same depth, the details and the texture of the interior, and the degree of resistance are almost hot. However, the S90 is really long, and the space in the back row is so big that there is a feeling that it is too big, so it may still be considered for the European and American markets.

[BMW 3-Series] it was the end of the F-Series at that time, and the 3-Series offered a great discount, but after comparing the 3-Series with the 5-Series, it was decided to buy the new rather than the old. In addition to the space interior, mainly in the driving texture difference is very obvious, after all, is not a level of products, of course, the new third series I feel really narrowed the gap between the 5 series. At that time, I was attracted by the 3GT because of the back slipping and the rimless door, but now the 3GT is no longer in production, so it doesn’t expand too much.

4. The final choice– G38 530Li leading M set with entertainment

Since so many options have been ruled out above, this choice is considered deliberate. You can always find many reasons to buy, but as long as there is one reason you don’t want to buy, you are likely to pass it by. Fortunately, I did not find this unacceptable reason on 530Li, although there are some configuration regrets, but it turns out that in two years of use, all aspects of 530Li meet my expectations. Apart from my personal obsessive-compulsive disorder and many subjective preferences, its performance can be regarded as the benchmark of a C-class car, and even in my mind, I believe that this generation of 5-series will become another classic. As to whether it can become a symbol of an era, let time test it.

In fact, I had the answer at first sight of this picture.

Second, about appearance

As the leading work of BMW’s new design language, the G38 really caught my eyes at that time. Compared with the previous generation of 5 series and other brands, the attribute of sports is more prominent, but also maintains a balance in many aspects, such as space, luxury and so on. What attracted me at that time was the 19-inch wheels, the muscular feel of the lines at the tail and the right tension on the front face of the car (I even thought some angles were better than the M5). The appearance chose the mineral white, the texture in the sun is more obvious than the dark color, but also more resistant to dirt. In addition, the Li seems to me to be more coordinated than I, and the longer body seems to better show the aura of medium and large cars, of course, this is very subjective.

I think the front face is just right, and there is a kind of athletic tension beauty in the weight.

The lines at the back of the side are full of muscle. Some people don’t like the black rear bars very much, but I think they are very coordinated.

The taillights are also very nice and sharp.

III. About the interior decoration

I want to provide you with a new perspective to understand the interior. There are a lot of people think that the interior of BMW is not good, there is no surprise. But in addition to the official idea of avoiding too much distraction from drivers, this way of lowering consumers’ psychological expectations has indeed won consumers’ love for the product for a long time. For example, because the Mercedes-Benz E-Class interior is so amazing at first, you are in a constant transition from love to boredom in the process of using it. But BMW’s interior doesn’t surprise you in the first place. on the contrary, there won’t be such a gap in the process of using it, and you may even like it because you accept this setting. You can taste my logic.

When it comes to the interior decoration of the 5 series, of course, I would like to make it clear that the gap between the interior of the previous generation 3 series and this generation 5 series is cliff style, but the current 3 series interior decoration is much better, but the 3 series and 5 series are still a watershed in interior decoration. For me, the interior of the 5 series can be said to be just right, it seems to be less different from my own higher-end products, and it is also very attractive compared with other brands. And it is true that BMW’s interior design is more “advanced”. This is discussed from the perspective of design, not based on the preferences of consumers. After all, each brand has its own differentiated brand positioning and its own target audience. We should not come up to judge the interior of BMW is not good, try to understand what you think is not good, there may be new insights. The front has gone too far, so to sum up, the interior of BMW is not poor in design, but in texture and new ideas. The texture is also improving now, and the new ideas will fade over time. Because the interior strip basically does not provide a choice in the country, so the choice is the seat color, volcanic red interior with ore white metal paint, resistant to see.

Echoing the inside and outside of the welcome lamp is a bright spot of interior design.

The chicken leg has a good sense of control, but in fact, you don’t hold it very long when you drive. I feel that the overall design of this part is good, the storage space is sufficient, and the operation is convenient. The only problem is that the wood grain always has the illusion that it has been spilled with water and not wiped clean.

IV. On motivation

As the saying goes, what is bought is not sold, and the power is enhanced with the configuration, so in other words, only the high configuration with low power, the low configuration with high power and the high configuration with high power are the most suitable. Of course, according to the budget and my own focus, I chose the low configuration with high power. On the one hand, I feel that the 5 Series is still a big car power after all, and on the other hand, I am not interested in some so-called functions at all, so I chose the 530 lead. In addition to day-to-day driving, we also got off the track several times, and we will talk about power below.

Fifth, the feeling of using

1. Driving texture

I have seen too many words about where the BMW controls where to play, and I think this sentence is too vague and irresponsible. Based on my usage, I may have to make some different voices here. With a daily commute of about 60 kilometers on the roads in Beijing, BMW’s control and feedback on the details of the road will make me feel a little tired. In addition, the length of the car is more than 5 meters and the psychological pressure under the fearful road conditions in Beijing. It is really impossible to say that driving is an easy thing. In fact, the so-called manipulation and comfort itself is the opposite. Even though the 5 Series is trying to find a balance between the two, we talk about manipulation based on the driver, talk about the ride is based on passengers, but for a long time driving, I am both a driver and a passenger, then in this case, my needs will be more inclined to passengers. The comfort of a large Japanese sofa and the ease of turning a finger may be more suitable for long-distance driving. Therefore, good control does not mean easy driving. Of course, when the road conditions are good, I occasionally drive violently within the scope of the law, and this is the essence of BMW driving texture. In the same way, you need to put your energy and attention into controlling the car. In addition, I also used the 530Li to get off the Golden Port and the Reese track, to be honest, there is no need to worry about driving in the city. The limit state of the car is much farther than you think. Of course, the communication between people and cars of BMW is absolutely impeccable, in addition to the approval of too many people, you can also experience it through test driving.

two。 Ride texture

I don’t know if it’s an illusion every time I sit in the copilot, but I always think that the copilot’s handling of road bumps is better than the driver’s. It’s more comfortable and relaxing to sit on. Of course, this may also be due to the psychological effect of not driving, but the overall texture of the ride is very good. Especially the angle and support of the rear seats, I also made a deep comparison of some other competing products and found that the rear seats of BMW are balanced, neither ostentatious nor cheap, which is a good explanation of the balance between the operation and riding of this generation of 5-series.

3. Some details:

Harman Catton speaker: it is still much better than the ordinary sound quality, as to whether this 1w yuan is worth it or not, you have to decide for yourself. If you are really tired of the interior decoration, you can brush a hidden atmosphere lamp for a Baohua glowing cover, which can also be regarded as some condiments after boredom.

Hub: I think this 19-inch wheel looks much better than the current one, a bit like an M2C model and a bit like a Porsche model, which can be regarded as one of the differences between the old model and the new model.

Spoon headlamp: it is really good-looking and easy to use, be sure to choose the one with spoon lamp, otherwise the appearance is really different. In addition, it is also the nemesis of long-distance dogs.

Black decorative bar: this later changed from bright black to chrome plating. I think the sense of luxury has indeed increased a little, but the relative sense of movement is a little weaker. Personally, I think the chrome-plated one looks better with black.

This official picture is also handsome.

4. Some surprises:

Fuel consumption: 9.2 fuel per hundred kilometers can be counted as expected, basically 80% comfort mode, 20% sports mode, no energy-saving mode, I estimate that if you are always running long distances, energy-saving mode can make fuel consumption even lower.

CD player: for a driver who still listens to physical CD, I personally like this configuration, and it’s good to have some traditions.

5. Some minor flaws:

LCD dashboard:
That’s why I said earlier that I was very resistant to some things of digital technology. LCD is good, of course, whether it is convenient, of course it is convenient, but do you know when it will make you feel a little uncomfortable? That is the stutter of the pointer when the system stutters sometimes. In this probably less than 0.5 seconds, you find that your pointer is fake, this feeling will really make me feel lost, what if our life is a huge virtual game? What if the speed of the pointer is not the real speed? So, I really miss the original mechanical dashboard. The important thing is to yearn for that kind of reality.

Abnormal noise:
This is really to focus on complaining, the lath will ring after the sun, the air conditioner will ring, some bumpy roads will ring. Although it is not a big problem, but the occasional one will not only startle, but also very affect the overall texture. It is believed that many obsessive-compulsive cyclists have solved this problem in various DIY ways. Those who are interested can visit various forums.

Air conditioning:
The cooling effect is indeed just so-so, it is necessary to increase the air volume, but when the air volume is large, the noise will be correspondingly large.

III. Summary of evaluation

The wisdom that what is right is the best is true in many places in life. Although you can’t have both fish and bear’s paw, at least 530Li is the choice I don’t regret. As the title says, it can stand the time and the test. If we could turn the clock back, I believe we would still make the same choice.