Malc,
My dealer is a pretty good guy. He has put up with all my queries about the car and other things.

 

agree with the pro nav and logic 7 points. another option i had difficulty with was comfort seats at c?500 more than the standard items - are thet really that much more comfortable. I drew the line at bi-zenons, but wish I hadn't!

jonboy

PS - there are way too many options, i'm at c?10,000 on top of retail price

 

My toughest, I am still deciding, are the following:

Silver Gray vs. Titanium Gray,

Manual vs. SMG

and ACC.

 

The only options I DIDN'T get on my yet-to-delieverd 545i are the comfort seats and the rear window shades - I think I wish (based on reading threads on here and seeing pics on here) I had ordered the comfort seats - but when the MSRP reached $67,595 - I thought I'd better stop. The main reason I stopped at 67K is I saw a 2003 745il which had all of the options I had ordered (plus ventilated seats) and was selling for $64,000 - but it didn't have the interior colors I wanted.

 

CRRobert.
If you like having manual you will probably enjoy SMG. IF you are married that should help in your decision as well. That way you also get the automatic option as well. If not married, it may help with congested city traffic.
My dealer also told me that his sells of SMG have increased as more people are seeing cars with it.

 

The choice between Steptronic and SMG was the hardest one I had to make. I spent several weeks reading forums, magazine articles, talking to dealers, etc., and finally decided on Steptronic.

I also had to consider the wife factor. There were also some negative comments about the maturity of the technology (especially in the 5) although from what I read here most people who have gotten the SMG are happy with after getting used to the difference in driving and shifting dynamics.

Actually, I decided on SMG for my next car. I figure that in a few years, we'll see SMG II or III on the 5 like we did on the 3 (M class).

 

Here's my rule of thumb for those of you on the fence about transmissions:

The SMG is an alternative to a manual, not an automatic.

If the choice is between a Steptronic and SMG, the Steptronic is the likely choice.

If the choice is between an SMG and a traditional manual, well now that's the tricky decision.

I drove two manual E39's for a total of six years and now I chose the SMG. No regrets at all! Remember, the learning curve on an SMG is well over a month. Don't judge things based on a little test drive.

 

Rudy,

Excellent point! One thing I forgot to add in making a decision is that after driving manual transmisison cars for 20 years, I really fell in love with the silky smooth STEP transmission the 5 series offered.

I test drove the manual and the STEP (could not find a demo unit anywhere in Germany that was equiped with SMG) and, as smooth and fulfilling as the six-speed manual was, the STEP just "felt" right.

What I really would like is a button on the dash that would give me any of the three tranny's I wanted/needed ... but I suppose that's too much to ask for even from the ultimate driving machine.

 

Kigerka, Rudy,

I have a manual in my 3/4 ton Diesel truck and like it, so I can only imagine that I would LOVE the BMW manual, but with the truck, I can put it in "granny" gear during heavy traffic. The traffic would probably lead me to the SMG.

I have been reading that some people did not even test the SMG, because they knew that they needed time to adapt, but got it and loved it. So we will see. I am in the "Tricky Question" department.

I currently do not have to worry about a MRS, but one never knows, and might be good insurance to get the SMG. But how is she going to get drive it if I am at the wheel all the time?

 

I'm one of the ones who ordered an SMG before driving one. (I ordered in November 2003 for March build (and April 2004 delivery) -- obviously no SMG cars were available for a test back then. I actually think JDN and I got a couple of the first one's sent over here.

Before making my decision, I drive a friend's SMG M3 for only about a half-hour or so. I loved it -- even though it felt truly bizarre.

After my friend owned the M3 for a few years, I asked him if he would order one again and he said "absolutely". Since his opinions are usually similar to mine when it comes down to these things, I trusted him and went ahead and ordered the SMG 545.

My friends advice was correct -- even with the differences between the M3 SMG and the E60 SMG -- I'm very happy with my choice. The upshifts are great but to me, it's all about the downshifts. Imagine a perfect heel-toe downshift EVERY time!!

I'm almost at 3000 miles and I'm still learning but it's becoming more second nature each day. I'm really having a blast.

As far as the wife, she hadn't driven any of my E39's (and she knows how to drive a stick) and now, even after I beg her to give the new car a try, she's still afraid of it (or maybe afraid of me if she does something to the car ). If she ever needs to drive it, there's always automatic mode to help her feel more comfortable.