[Ronin76]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

As this will not only be my first M car but my first BMW ever, I excited to take advantage of the M1 and M2 buttons and wanted to see what everyone suggest for M1 and M2.

Thanks!!

[DrewNewM2]

I put M2 on max everything and M1 just comfort on Chasis
I drive in M2 always. Wish I could just have it default to M2
Setting.

Not my daily and when I drive it, I want max sportiness lol

[JABCAT]

You're going to get 100 different answers.
Personally, my M1 is set to Sport everything & transmission in D2. My M2 is Sport plus for engine & chassis, Sport everything else, transmission in D3, traction control on 3 maybe. My wife's '22 X3MC has a Sport Plus steering option which we don't get :

I've found the S settings for the transmission are more annoying than they need to be (holding gears too long, car bucking when letting off the gas, etc) for my daily driving, so I don't use them. ymmv

Play around with them and set them however you prefer

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by DrewNewM2

I put M2 on max everything and M1 just comfort on Chasis
I drive in M2 always. Wish I could just have it default to M2
Setting.

Not my daily and when I drive it, I want max sportiness lol

Yeah, this is what I was thinking as well. M2 would be max everything and M1 would be max but suspension/chasis (assuming that is the same thing) to be in comfort.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by Ronin76

Yeah, this is what I was thinking as well. M2 would be max everything and M1 would be max but suspension/chasis (assuming that is the same thing) to be in comfort.

With the roads in my areas, "comfort" chassis setting is noticeably bouncy. I default to sport before I pull out of the garage. On smooth roads it might be ok.

As your first M car, I'd also strongly caution against "max everything" before you learn how the car behaves/handles/performs. Very easy to end up in a ditch/guard rail in these.

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

With the roads in my areas, "comfort" chassis setting is noticeably bouncy. I default to sport before I pull out of the garage. On smooth roads it might be ok.

This is a good point. Most of my driving (to work) is highway and our highways are pretty good. Local roads though are hit or miss.

[matty_f]

I keep throttle, brake and steering settings the same. That way they are consistent in my brain. Find a setting you like and leave it.

M1 is comfort with MDM
M2 is DSC off level 3

I usually leave the transmission in the middle setting. 3 shifts too hard and has upset the car in a turn by shifting too hard mid corner.

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by matty_f

I keep throttle, brake and steering settings the same. That way they are consistent in my brain. Find a setting you like and leave it.

M1 is comfort with MDM
M2 is DSC off level 3

These are going to be stupid questions but I will ask anyway...

What is the difference between MDM and DSC?

What do you mean by "off" and level 3?

[Carefree]

Originally Posted by Ronin76

These are going to be stupid questions but I will ask anyway...

What is the difference between MDM and DSC?

What do you mean by "off" and level 3?

The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by Carefree

The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.

Thank you sir

[matty_f]

Originally Posted by Ronin76

These are going to be stupid questions but I will ask anyway...

What is the difference between MDM and DSC?

What do you mean by "off" and level 3?

MDM is M Dynamic Mode, it lets the rest end slide around up to a point then it steps in a will correct.

DSC is Dynamic Stability Control, don’t turn this off until you get comfortable with the back end stepping out in MDM. It has different level that it will intervene. I believe it only cuts power and will not apply braking to straighten the car out. 3 is very loose and can get you in trouble, so start higher like 7 or 8, then drop it down.

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by Carefree

The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.

I’m always up for a challenge…

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by NewToM

I’m always up for a challenge…

Hahahha

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by matty_f

MDM is M Dynamic Mode, it lets the rest end slide around up to a point then it steps in a will correct.

DSC is Dynamic Stability Control, don’t turn this off until you get comfortable with the back end stepping out in MDM. It has different level that it will intervene. I believe it only cuts power and will not apply braking to straighten the car out. 3 is very loose and can get you in trouble, so start higher like 7 or 8, then drop it down.

Thank you for clarifying, I appreciate it.

[SpaceGhost]

Originally Posted by Ronin76

These are going to be stupid questions but I will ask anyway...

What is the difference between MDM and DSC?

What do you mean by "off" and level 3?

This may help explain in more detail.

https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/maga...n-control.html

[nerdthewise]

1500 miles on my ‘25 and I’ve played around with a few options (love having two buttons!) and look forward to adding the canDO+ so I can tie the sport display to pushing the m buttons, but so far I landed on both being sequential modes. I’ve always driven manuals, but I drove a 6MT m2 and it just didn’t feel right. Figure it’s easy enough to nudge it back into automatic, but if I am going on the attack at all I want it to stay in the gear I left it in. I live in greater Seattle as well, and only just put all seasons on. So far I’ve gotten one full dry day I imagine as my comfort with the limits of the car develops I will ease the traction modes down a bit. Here’s my settings:

M1:
Engine: Sport/Sport+ (throttle map for one, sound for the other)
Transmission: S3, S2 in the rain
Chassis: Sport (handles our shit streets best)
Steering: Sport (heavier the better imho)
Brake: I honestly can’t tell the difference
ALL NANNYS ON (this might shift to MDM as my comfort devolops, but on summers in the Nov rain MDM is very tail happy)

M2:
Engine: Sport/Sport+
Transmission: S3, S2 in the rain
Chassis: Sport (handles our shit streets best)
Steering: Sport
Brake: I honestly can’t tell the difference
MDM mode, maybe as low as 6-7 on traction in good conditions

Before I took it in for all seasons I turn traction down to 4 and had a gentle go a at getting the tail to step out. I did spin once, it’s important to be aware that to turn down traction control you have to FULLY DISABLE stability control (meaning it will not stop you spinning if you are a goon). Really trying to avoid becoming a cautionary tale, but this car just wants to go fast.

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by nerdthewise

1500 miles on my ‘25 and I’ve played around with a few options (love having two buttons!) and look forward to adding the canDO+ so I can tie the sport display to pushing the m buttons, but so far I landed on both being sequential modes. I’ve always driven manuals, but I drove a 6MT m2 and it just didn’t feel right. Figure it’s easy enough to nudge it back into automatic, but if I am going on the attack at all I want it to stay in the gear I left it in. I live in greater Seattle as well, and only just put all seasons on. So far I’ve gotten one full dry day I imagine as my comfort with the limits of the car develops I will ease the traction modes down a bit. Here’s my settings:

M1:
Engine: Sport/Sport+ (throttle map for one, sound for the other)
Transmission: S3, S2 in the rain
Chassis: Sport (handles our shit streets best)
Steering: Sport (heavier the better imho)
Brake: I honestly can’t tell the difference
ALL NANNYS ON (this might shift to MDM as my comfort devolops, but on summers in the Nov rain MDM is very tail happy)

M2:
Engine: Sport/Sport+
Transmission: S3, S2 in the rain
Chassis: Sport (handles our shit streets best)
Steering: Sport
Brake: I honestly can’t tell the difference
MDM mode, maybe as low as 6-7 on traction in good conditions

Before I took it in for all seasons I turn traction down to 4 and had a gentle go a at getting the tail to step out. I did spin once, it’s important to be aware that to turn down traction control you have to FULLY DISABLE stability control (meaning it will not stop you spinning if you are a goon). Really trying to avoid [...]

Just confirming that MDM mode is the only difference for you?

[nerdthewise]

As someone else mentioned, I like to have my foot programmed in a steady state (one throttle map throughout). Depending on conditions I might back of of sport chassis at times or shift m1 to a more ‘wife friendly’ ride characteristic.

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by nerdthewise

As someone else mentioned, I like to have my foot programmed in a steady state (one throttle map throughout). Depending on conditions I might back of of sport chassis at times or shift m1 to a more ‘wife friendly’ ride characteristic.

Ha…yeah, I was thinking about having a “wife friendly” setting as well.

[RobM2]

2024 6MT M2:

M1 is sport/sport plus for everything

M2 is sport/sport plus for everything + MDM

[curtdragon]

Originally Posted by DrewNewM2

I put M2 on max everything and M1 just comfort on Chasis
I drive in M2 always. Wish I could just have it default to M2
Setting.

Not my daily and when I drive it, I want max sportiness lol

What does it default to?
Neither?

[Good 4 2 reasons]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

With the roads in my areas, "comfort" chassis setting is noticeably bouncy. I default to sport before I pull out of the garage. On smooth roads it might be ok.

As your first M car, I'd also strongly caution against "max everything" before you learn how the car behaves/handles/performs. Very easy to end up in a ditch/guard rail in these.

Only "oh shit" situation I've had was after an iDrive update.

My M1 and M2 buttons defaulted to factory settings after the update, which deactivated the auto-rev match.

So I am out driving and the first time I go to downshift, not knowing the car isn't going to blip the throttle, I immediately let the clutch out and the car locks the rears and the rear end started to step out. It sorted itself out quickly but I was not prepared for that behavior.

Lesson learned, be careful about iDrive updates changing your M1 and M2 settings.