SHOWDOWN: 2011 BMW 550i vs. 2011 Infiniti M56

So they said Infiniti is more sporty and BMW the better all-rounder.
Well if they were looking for better all-rounder and think M56's sport package is too sporty than why not compare the standard M56 with BMW 550i.

Liked some of the comments of IL reader:

"Why does the Infiniti get a 6.3 (compared to the BMW's 7.3) for 'steering performance' in the numerical rankings despite the review clearly staying it has superior feel?"

"Take out the "Interior Control Tactile Feel" and the "Cupholders" rankings and the M56 gets a slight nod.
Also can someone explain the meaning behind "Secondary Control Layout"?"

Anyways i like M56 more and if buy one will definitely choose the sport package and that great looking aero kit.

JUGNU

just drive them both and see for yourself. there's on real contest. that's why i got the 2011 5. still rules the class. and the highly unusual marriage of both premium prices AND highest volume states that loud and clear.

Yes, there's on real contest. Electric steering in the new 5 is as lifeless as those of Corolla or Jetta, which is what Insideline is saying here.

You sounds like never driving a BMW w/ the RIGHT hydraulic steering.

the new electric power steering (which can be updated with new software...hope bmw changes that soon) provides less feedback than previously. however, the car handles incredibly well. and it's a bit ridiculous to compare it to a corolla. it's less good than the last 5, but still far better handling than competitors like the lexus gs and mercedes e-class.

LOL..... The steering weight doesn't build up w/ slip angle, and you never know how the wheels are oriented.... How different is that from those on Corolla, GS, or E?

din: do you own a 2011 5? i've already driven mine 4000 miles and i am very confident in how it handles. would i like it to feel less like a 7 and more like a 3, yes. however, please don't make ridiculous comparisons. how would you rank the cars in the class?

I own both G and 3, so I know what a proper steering should be. This new 5 drives like last Z4, which reminds me of the Nissan Versa rental - I simply don't know where the hell wheels are at, and pretty much have to judge based on visual and body inclination only.

Don't mix up steering and handling. The latter has a lot to do w/ suspension set up, rigidity, all that, which I agree BMW as usual has the edge. However 'steering' is the topic here.

Even the M56S beats the 5 series in handling according to Edmunds. So much for the ultimate driving machine's handling (or lack thereof) prowess.

I've been in the new Infiniti M and I just can't see what is so special about the interior. Sure, it's a high quality interior but people are claiming that it's the "best in class" etc. when really material wise it looks to be no better than all other cars in this class.

Interior design is subjective, butt he swoopy lines of the Infiniti cabin don't really appeal to me.

The E-Class interior design is heavily influenced from the W124 E-Class. My parents just bought an E350 CGI and the interior is completely fine. High quality, great workmanship and the style is typical Mercedes: functional, yet conservative.

lol. have you even been in the cars you write about? (let alone own on) the 5 has the incredibly tasteful and luxe 7 series interior. the seats are possibly the best on the market, the design is clean and elegant. and here's something you wouldn't understand: understated.

the infiniti looks far too shiny and tarted up. and what's with the tons of buttons and knobs.

"Even the tachometer has style!"

Styling is subjective, but the tachometer of the Infiniti M and the Lexus GS look just tacky and "boy racerish" to me.

There's just something about the body of the infiniti that I don't like. I don't know if it's that the front is too bulbous and large or the back looks so much like a nissan and doesn't match the front. I wanted to like the infiniti but so far I'm still a bigger fan of the 5 Series

I am the opposite. I like that the infiniti steps out of the road to bland (unlike its european counterparts) and offers something different in the styling department. There are enough boring options to look at. Kudos to them for producing something different in that segment.

The new 5 series looks like a supersized current 3 series. I'm not impressed.

supersized 3? huh? as the entire automotive press has stated, it's basically a 7/8 7-series. and it's on a shortened 7 chassis too.

I would never buy an Infiniti over a BMW. The quality is not there. You can put a powerful motor in any POS it's still a POS.........

Apparently the POS still ranks above Bring My Wallet in the latest initial quality survey:

http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/JDPAContent/CorpComm/News/content/Releases/pdf/2010099-uiq2.pdf

Infiniti still doesn't have the money to develop work class cars. They are ok for people who don't know any better. Sounds like you guys.........

90 days doesn't mean Quality. I mean quality of materials, not 90 days of ownership. Infiniti uses cheaper plastic leather metal all those little important things....nuts bolts etc. tier two product at best......

You don't like 90 day quality. Ok, I'll give you 3 year quality:

http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/JDPAContent/CorpComm/News/content/Releases/pdf/2010034-vds2.pdf

Good review, though in the end I prefer the sportier more aggressive M56!

I've driven both of these cars with sports package more than once, still waiting on the new A6 before I buy something but my two cents:

The M56 seems to handle slightly better than the 550, not a huge margin and neither car will leave the other behind in the curves.

They seemed equally fast to me honestly the 550 felt faster on the top end from about 80mph and up. The M felt stronger off the line not that I flogged either car on my test drives.

The M's interior feels more modern, but i'm not a huge fan of all the buttons. The 550 interior is very nice just seems a tad dated, not all that different than the 745 I previously leased.

Now for the steering, I don't know what BMW is doing but the 550 steering just doesn't feel like a BMW. I don't believe in the so called "magic" feel that many talk about but all bimmers i've ever driven have a firm yet communicative feedback when you drive them. I don't call it magic just proper tuning, it's kind of there in the 550 but I don't like it very much. The M steers just like every other Infiniti i've driven, it's good but I would call the steering a tad bit nervous, I can't think of a better way to describe it.

If I had to choose between the 2 I would lean slightly towards the 550 because I want a 6 speed manual. The M is a great car and a great drive, Infiniti is closer to BMW than they've ever been, and they even do a few things better.

At the end of the day...

Audi A6: great car
BMW 5er: great car
Lexus GS: great car
Infiniti M: great car
Jaguar XF: great car
Mercedes E class: great car

They're all great. There's no such thing as one being better than the other overall. One car might excel at something better than the others. The Infiniti M might be the sportiest in this class, the E class the safest, the Jaguar XF the most unique etc.

Personally, I'm sick of all this bickering about which car is better than the other because of ________.

so everything is just great. that's great. so we live in a gray world of interchangeable everything. makes sense.

Shilouette of M56 reminds me of a Buick Lesabre. Probably looks better in black. BMW 550 will age alot nicer.

Willis - you sum it up best. I still don't know why people get so worked up trying making the case for their favorite being "the best". It seems so childish at times and downright immature once at a point of attacking other people.

Amen!

This is a ridiculous comparison. They praise the Infiniti and it's much sportier but, at the end they chose the BMW because it was more bearable due to everyday driving..?? In any previous comparisons with any BMW, the BMW also won because it was sportier and more communicative. Am I missing something?

Agree with SSP350

Last 5 series won many comparison tests but many would agree with me that it wasn't the best all-rounder. It was best in performance and handling department but wasn't the best all-rounder as A6, GS, XF offered better interiors, luxury, comfort, design..etc.

But it still won most of the comparison tests and the reason was 'It is the sportiest. It is the best handling car'
So why now not giving the win to new Infiniti M because it is clearly the sportiest and quickest car in it's class.

JUGNU

seriously people, this all boils down to dollars. if you have the money to spend (or care enough about cars to spend the money), why would you buy the infiniti over the 5? even infiniti knows this--hence their attractive pricing. if they priced their cars the same as bmw, they wouldn't sell. end of topic.