BimmerFan52

That was an adjunct to the main argument which was if you are not driving a manual you might as well trade it in - manual is the only way to go.

Removing the sport suspension is a different argument. I have never seen a 545i without the sports suspension option, but they may exist. I agree that the split sway bar torsional valve of the ARS system absolutely transforms the car's suspension to awesome.

Still scratching my head as to how the automatic "dumbs down the car". What key components did they modify or leave off the car when they installed the automatic transmission?

Now, if the suggestion is being hinted at, and I don't think it is, that a person who has not learned to drive a manual transmission is inherently dumb, that argument makes as much sense as saying a person who has not learned to change their own water pump is inherently dumb.

Probably in the hands of a professional race car driver on a track the manual could be driven expertly to pull away from the automatic by taking full advantage of the engine power band. But, who amongst us truly has those professional skills, and on the street who wants to risk other people, ourselves or our car driving to the absolute limit the car is capable of? I would venture to say that even the most spirited driving that some of us occasionally indulge in is well short of the actual limits of the car, manual or automatic.

BMW has tapped into the manual transmission equipped sedan market for years when few other auto makers have followed. I feel the only reason they had success was the fact that the car handles, and brakes like a sports car. My brother owned a 1983 528i (E24) with a manual transmission which I drove often and it was a fun car.

Again, I would never argue that the joy of feeling "involved" in motoring by stirring the gears is not a strong factor for some people. To each his own. By all means, break out the goggles, leather skull cap and scarf if you feel the need !

But the automatic a "dumbed down" car? Hardly.

545 Guy

I love my 545 05 but... It keeps making me cry.....repair/ maintenance bills!
Love hate relationship.

BimmerFan52

Really tough if you can't diagnosis and do your own repairs.
And even if you can, the cost of parts and maintenance supplies (especially outside of the US) are high.

Yeah, if it wasn't for all of the love we feel when on a winding road a Lexus, Infiniti, Acura would really make a lot more financial sense.

DavidF

I purchased my '04 545i with 91k miles on the clock. Now it has 118k miles. I have had to do the following work on the engine:

Replace alternator.
Replace alternator bracket seal (leaking when purchased car).
Replace water pump and thermostat.
Reseal vacuum pump.
Replace one coolant hose.

What it currently needs:
Secondary air ports cleaned.
Valve stem seals.

svre46

I agree. If you can wrench yourself it is not too bad. I tried to buy one with as many common issues addressed as I could. Still put in a tad over 600 bucks and 8hrs of my time into it the first 3 weeks of ownership. This was on a properly maintained car but needed a few things. Worst one was Secondary Air Low Flow Bank 2. After taking the intake manifold off and cleaning out the passages with carb cleaner and a lot of 100psi compressed air bursts the car is happy. I have an airbag fault (not mat sensor) to still troubleshoot but that does not bother me too much.

jm545i

My 2005 545i now has about 71k on it. No serious problems, performs like a champ.

Problems at this point include a couple of minor leaks my tech is keeping an eye on but not yet worth fixing, and I've done some preventative cooling system maintenance (replacing the expansion tank in particular.) Any car out of warranty can be a head/heartache but even if the "dreaded transfer pipe" goes, to fix it is a fraction of the drive-off-the-lot cost of depreciation on a new car. Note that I follow strict fluid change and other maintenance intervals. The car is only driven on the weekends for the most part, and doesn't see particularly severe service, which certainly helps. My advice is to drive it, have someone check it, fix problems as they come up so that you stay ahead of things and don't feel as though the car is falling apart on you, but most importantly don't worry and enjoy it!

ASpec818

Just wondering why the expansion tank is an important preventative maintenance item? I'm at 69k and the tank isn't leaking yet, but the floater measuring stick may be starting to not function properly.

What other vital preventative items are there that I need to address? So far, had to replace a leaking breather hose for the cooling system.

BimmerFan52

Several cooling system components made of rubber or plastic tend to deteriorate with heat and age - expansion tank, hoses, belts and vent tube to be specific.
Thrown into the mix is a very poor history of reliability for water pumps and thermostats.

As overheating is very hard on the all-aluminum engine (gasket integrity) you want to do anything you can to avoid it.

It is much cheaper in the long run to avoid overheating, gasket repairs and potential towing charges by proactively replacing these components after 75K miles or about 7-8 years of age.

paran

I think the auto vs manual debate centers on driver involvement and those who seek it or try to avoid it.

The 545i is an option that begs to be handled by the driver. That V8 wants the driver heavily involved; it's designed for that. Roughly 80% of all new cars sold in Germany have manual transmissions.

In 2004/2005 only 20% of all new BMW's had automatic transmissions while 50+% of Mercedes had automatics. Therein the phrase: "The Ultimate Driving Machine" as they are expected to be controlled by the driver, and unlike Mercedes, which are designed to simply be occupied by a driver.

So the Automatic BMW is truly an American optioned car. VW., Fiat, Peugeot, etc are all under 10% of new vehicles with automatic transmissions.

Excession

5-5 & 5-6 shows the reason why euros need/prefer manuals. 5-6 shows on average they sell the equivalent of a large 4cyl and 5-6 shows that due to displacement taxation most are sub 2 liter engines.

In the U.S. luxury cars are supposed to be automatic.