545i ('04 / '05) vs. 550i -- recommendation?
06-24-2006, 09:05 AM
#1
Members
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looking for some help from the experts. Thanks in advance for those who can help shed some light. I apologize for the lengthy post, but this will give you some background on where I came from and what my dilemma is.
First off, this is my first post on this forum. What a great source of info. I'm slowly evolving toward's the "ultimate driving machine"! I owned a '98 Corvette Coupe for a couple of years. This was my first experience w/ a performance car. From that moment I was hooked! I then upgraded to a '03 Z06. What an amazing machine - the Z06! Raw power to no end, but it was always difficult for me to harness the power on the twisties. I was always afraid of just passing the threshhold of control and ending up in a ditch :'( . I then decided that I needed a little more utility (ie, 4 doors/4 seats) and crossed over to the world of German engineering
and bought a new '05 MB C55 AMG. I have loved this car. It's exciting to drive, lots of power, and great fun that you can confidently push close to the limits on the turns. Here's my current situation.....
I've reprioritized my financial plans and have realized that since I bought the MB new, my payment is about $200 higher than I really want it to be. So, I'm in the process of selling the AMG. In the search process for a replacement vehicle, I became enammered w/ the 545i (w/ sport package of course to add the ARS). I test drove an '03 M5 and M3 and really thought the 545i w/ sport package handled as well if not better on tight twisties. I was amazed at how a big car like this could stick
...you can just hammer the gas around curve and the car rails right through it. I also was impressed (not completely overwhelmed, but impressed nonetheless) with the torque and pull off the line and in passing situations from the 545i. So I think my plan is baked, but wanted some feedback from all of you who have been through this and have the experience and knowledge to point me in the right direction.
My plan is to buy an '04 Certified Pre Owned 545i (w/ sport, nav, premium audio, and probably steptronic). My questions are:
*Do BMW dealers negotiate on pricing for Certified Pre Owned cars (ie, if they have a car advertised for $44K, can you start negotiations at $40K and come to a deal at ~$42K)?
*I only drove 1 545i (surprisingly w/ 40K miles), and as mentioned, it was very tight around the twisties and felt extremely solid and agile, no squeeking or rattles...should I expect the same for any '04 545i w/ under 40K miles? Do they get looser w/ age and develop rattles/squeeks?
*Are there other options I should strongly consider?
*What are the differences between '04 and '05?
*What are the differences between 545i and 550i (for '06) besides the improved engine?
*If I can get into an '04 545i that's certified pre-owned for around $41K - $43K, is there any impelling reason to consider moving to an '05 for more $$, or even more expensive '06 550i.....knowing that $42K gets me to the payment I'm looking for?
Again, thanks and looking forward to joining the club!!
First off, this is my first post on this forum. What a great source of info. I'm slowly evolving toward's the "ultimate driving machine"! I owned a '98 Corvette Coupe for a couple of years. This was my first experience w/ a performance car. From that moment I was hooked! I then upgraded to a '03 Z06. What an amazing machine - the Z06! Raw power to no end, but it was always difficult for me to harness the power on the twisties. I was always afraid of just passing the threshhold of control and ending up in a ditch :'( . I then decided that I needed a little more utility (ie, 4 doors/4 seats) and crossed over to the world of German engineering
and bought a new '05 MB C55 AMG. I have loved this car. It's exciting to drive, lots of power, and great fun that you can confidently push close to the limits on the turns. Here's my current situation.....I've reprioritized my financial plans and have realized that since I bought the MB new, my payment is about $200 higher than I really want it to be. So, I'm in the process of selling the AMG. In the search process for a replacement vehicle, I became enammered w/ the 545i (w/ sport package of course to add the ARS). I test drove an '03 M5 and M3 and really thought the 545i w/ sport package handled as well if not better on tight twisties. I was amazed at how a big car like this could stick
...you can just hammer the gas around curve and the car rails right through it. I also was impressed (not completely overwhelmed, but impressed nonetheless) with the torque and pull off the line and in passing situations from the 545i. So I think my plan is baked, but wanted some feedback from all of you who have been through this and have the experience and knowledge to point me in the right direction.My plan is to buy an '04 Certified Pre Owned 545i (w/ sport, nav, premium audio, and probably steptronic). My questions are:
*Do BMW dealers negotiate on pricing for Certified Pre Owned cars (ie, if they have a car advertised for $44K, can you start negotiations at $40K and come to a deal at ~$42K)?
*I only drove 1 545i (surprisingly w/ 40K miles), and as mentioned, it was very tight around the twisties and felt extremely solid and agile, no squeeking or rattles...should I expect the same for any '04 545i w/ under 40K miles? Do they get looser w/ age and develop rattles/squeeks?
*Are there other options I should strongly consider?
*What are the differences between '04 and '05?
*What are the differences between 545i and 550i (for '06) besides the improved engine?
*If I can get into an '04 545i that's certified pre-owned for around $41K - $43K, is there any impelling reason to consider moving to an '05 for more $$, or even more expensive '06 550i.....knowing that $42K gets me to the payment I'm looking for?
Again, thanks and looking forward to joining the club!!
06-24-2006, 02:48 PM
#2
Contributors
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 2,114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2005 BMW 545i, Silver Grey, Sport Package, R. Shades, Cold Pkg, Sat. Rad., Prem. Sound.
Originally Posted by under par' post='302515' date='Jun 24 2006, 12:05 PM
Looking for some help from the experts. Thanks in advance for those who can help shed some light. I apologize for the lengthy post, but this will give you some background on where I came from and what my dilemma is.
First off, this is my first post on this forum. What a great source of info. I'm slowly evolving toward's the "ultimate driving machine"! I owned a '98 Corvette Coupe for a couple of years. This was my first experience w/ a performance car. From that moment I was hooked! I then upgraded to a '03 Z06. What an amazing machine - the Z06! Raw power to no end, but it was always difficult for me to harness the power on the twisties. I was always afraid of just passing the threshhold of control and ending up in a ditch :'( . I then decided that I needed a little more utility (ie, 4 doors/4 seats) and crossed over to the world of German engineering and bought a new '05 MB C55 AMG. I have loved this car. It's exciting to drive, lots of power, and great fun that you can confidently push close to the limits on the turns. Here's my current situation.....
I've reprioritized my financial plans and have realized that since I bought the MB new, my payment is about $200 higher than I really want it to be. So, I'm in the process of selling the AMG. In the search process for a replacement vehicle, I became enammered w/ the 545i (w/ sport package of course to add the ARS). I test drove an '03 M5 and M3 and really thought the 545i w/ sport package handled as well if not better on tight twisties. I was amazed at how a big car like this could stick ...you can just hammer the gas around curve and the car rails right through it. I also was impressed (not completely overwhelmed, but impressed nonetheless) with the torque and pull off the line and in passing situations from the 545i. So I think my plan is baked, but wanted some feedback from all of you who have been through this and have the experience and knowledge to point me in the right direction.
My plan is to buy an '04 Certified Pre Owned 545i (w/ sport, nav, premium audio, and probably steptronic). My questions are:
*Do BMW dealers negotiate on pricing for Certified Pre Owned cars (ie, if they have a car advertised for $44K, can you start negotiations at $40K and come to a deal at ~$42K)?
*I only drove 1 545i (surprisingly w/ 40K miles), and as mentioned, it was very tight around the twisties and felt extremely solid and agile, no squeeking or rattles...should I expect the same for any '04 545i w/ under 40K miles? Do they get looser w/ age and develop rattles/squeeks?
*Are there other options I should strongly consider?
*What are the differences between '04 and '05?
*What are the differences between 545i and 550i (for '06) besides the improved engine?
*If I can get into an '04 545i that's certified pre-owned for around $41K - $43K, is there any impelling reason to consider moving to an '05 for more $$, or even more expensive '06 550i.....knowing that $42K gets me to the payment I'm looking for?
Again, thanks and looking forward to joining the club!!
First off, this is my first post on this forum. What a great source of info. I'm slowly evolving toward's the "ultimate driving machine"! I owned a '98 Corvette Coupe for a couple of years. This was my first experience w/ a performance car. From that moment I was hooked! I then upgraded to a '03 Z06. What an amazing machine - the Z06! Raw power to no end, but it was always difficult for me to harness the power on the twisties. I was always afraid of just passing the threshhold of control and ending up in a ditch :'( . I then decided that I needed a little more utility (ie, 4 doors/4 seats) and crossed over to the world of German engineering
and bought a new '05 MB C55 AMG. I have loved this car. It's exciting to drive, lots of power, and great fun that you can confidently push close to the limits on the turns. Here's my current situation.....I've reprioritized my financial plans and have realized that since I bought the MB new, my payment is about $200 higher than I really want it to be. So, I'm in the process of selling the AMG. In the search process for a replacement vehicle, I became enammered w/ the 545i (w/ sport package of course to add the ARS). I test drove an '03 M5 and M3 and really thought the 545i w/ sport package handled as well if not better on tight twisties. I was amazed at how a big car like this could stick
...you can just hammer the gas around curve and the car rails right through it. I also was impressed (not completely overwhelmed, but impressed nonetheless) with the torque and pull off the line and in passing situations from the 545i. So I think my plan is baked, but wanted some feedback from all of you who have been through this and have the experience and knowledge to point me in the right direction.My plan is to buy an '04 Certified Pre Owned 545i (w/ sport, nav, premium audio, and probably steptronic). My questions are:
*Do BMW dealers negotiate on pricing for Certified Pre Owned cars (ie, if they have a car advertised for $44K, can you start negotiations at $40K and come to a deal at ~$42K)?
*I only drove 1 545i (surprisingly w/ 40K miles), and as mentioned, it was very tight around the twisties and felt extremely solid and agile, no squeeking or rattles...should I expect the same for any '04 545i w/ under 40K miles? Do they get looser w/ age and develop rattles/squeeks?
*Are there other options I should strongly consider?
*What are the differences between '04 and '05?
*What are the differences between 545i and 550i (for '06) besides the improved engine?
*If I can get into an '04 545i that's certified pre-owned for around $41K - $43K, is there any impelling reason to consider moving to an '05 for more $$, or even more expensive '06 550i.....knowing that $42K gets me to the payment I'm looking for?
Again, thanks and looking forward to joining the club!!
2. Yes, expect it to be just as tight after several years. As for squeaks, the door sill squeaks even if the car is brand new, as in my case and many others. The remedy is to clean the sills every two weeks or so with some type of cleaner (Lexol leather cleaner works for me).
3. The engine in the 550i is not improved, it's just bigger (+.4L). Same design and same technology.
4. Since money is a constraint, I would resist an 04 but go for an 05. 04 is the first year and tend to have more issues in my opinion. 06 550i will be more expensive, but if you can find a good deal pre-own 550i, super.
06-24-2006, 03:53 PM
#3
Senior Members
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Arizona
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with Bimmer32 - get a 2005 if you can swing it. Most of the electronic issues were fixed, thereby saving you money long term when the warranty ends.
If you buy from a dealer, make sure you do your homework first (kbb and other sources) and I would suggest getting a CPO car if you plan to keep the car for a while.
One other idea is to maybe lease the car via swapalease.com - In 2005 (Feb-Aug?), BMW was giving some super sweet lease deals (2.4% APR) , so you can take advantage of this deal by assuming someone's lease.
Lastly, one option you may want to consider is the comfort seats
- harder to find but definitely worth it!
Happy hunting!
If you buy from a dealer, make sure you do your homework first (kbb and other sources) and I would suggest getting a CPO car if you plan to keep the car for a while.
One other idea is to maybe lease the car via swapalease.com - In 2005 (Feb-Aug?), BMW was giving some super sweet lease deals (2.4% APR) , so you can take advantage of this deal by assuming someone's lease.
Lastly, one option you may want to consider is the comfort seats
- harder to find but definitely worth it!Happy hunting!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post