wolverine

The 545 is a phenomenal car. I?ve test driven just about everything in its class (not the E55 or M5), and if you love to drive there is nothing that even comes close. After 7,000 miles, here are my thoughts. As a qualifier, I?m comparing this to other cars in its class, not the E55 or M5.

There are very few things I don?t like about the car. There were a few things initially, but I either fixed them with modifications, or just got to accept them over time as part of the ?integrated design?. One thing that BMW excels at is making all the parts of the car fit together as a whole.

I?ll first cover the things I fixed or modified. First, I ditched the runflats for new tires on 19? wheels. I really didn?t have a major problem with the ride/handling of the runflats, but I had heard enough complaints, especially after 5-10,000 miles that I made the decision to go with better tires. Also, I was going to need a set of wheels for winter tires anyway. Yes, I spent some money, but the cost was well worth it. The car rides and handles even better now ? the difference is noticeable.

Second I spruced up the interior with the wood shift and brake handle, and the wood rear panel in the console. I got the comfort seats and fold-down rears as options and I purchased a set of black floormats. I really like the interior look now. The comfort seats are the best I?ve ever sat in. I really like the flowing lines of the interior, and the dark poplar wood.

I fixed the cupholders. They really sucked to begin with. Being an engineer, I removed them and modified the spring force and the bottom support so they easily hold a can of coke or a 16 oz. bottle, or a large Starbucks or paper cup without any trouble.

I did have a major problem with the clutch pedal take-up. First I removed the idiotic Clutch Delay Valve (CCV) for a total cost of $150 including labor. I eliminated the large ?dead zone? at the end of the clutch pedal travel, by hot-gluing a piece of wood under the clutch pedal. Now the clutch take-up is perfect (for me). I had installed a UUC short-shift kit, but I removed it because it was transmitting way too much noise into the cabin. I?ve grown to really enjoy the stock shifter, and don?t miss the shorter shifts too much.

Now for the good stuff. The engine is so good it makes you forget everything you don?t like about the car. The throttle response is the quickest I?ve ever experienced, and even at highway speeds the car accelerates like a slingshot. Quiet, smooth, plenty of torque whenever you need it ? just puts a grin on my face everyday. A friend of mine has an Audi RS6. After he drove my 545i 6sp he asked, ?What?s it got, 400 horsepower??

The active steering (AS) spoils you. It takes a bit of getting used to, but after using it for a while, the steering in every other car feels heavy and sluggish. You do lose some on-center feel, and for real ?racing? you would want conventional fixed ratio steering, but for everyday driving it excels. Combined with the Dynamic Stability Control, the car corners like a go-cart. The DSC lets you throw the car through the turns without body roll ? really amazing. I love ?kicking the back end out? through turns, especially in the rain. The handling is just a blast ?with the combination of AS and DSC it feels like a much smaller, lighter car.

I really like the interior and exterior of the car with its smooth, sweeping curves. There is absolutely nothing else like it on the road. IMO everything else looks dated cluttered compared to the E60. I recently sat in the new Audi A6, and certainly the quality of the materials was better than the E60. The Audi does a stupendous job of picking the right combination of materials and colors ? something BMW needs to get better at. However I liked the design and shape of the 545 interior better. The Idrive really does allow for a much simpler, less cluttered interior. I think the black exterior, especially with some aftermarket wheels and tinting, looks fantastic.

The Idrive is fine. I?m not a raving disciple, but I?ve learned how to use it quite well, and I prefer it to the jumble of buttons I saw on the Audi. As we are seeing, all car manufacturers are adopting a similar technology, many better than BMW. For me, it is something I use naturally now, but I can understand how a new user could get frustrated.

The Logic7 sound system with Sirius, comfort seats and heated steering wheel are things I enjoy every time I sit in the car. The Logic7 is the best OEM system I?ve ever heard in a car. The hands-free phone with voice recognition works perfectly, except parties I call are getting an echo. The dealer provided me with a BMW bulletin that identifies a TCU problem and estimates a fix will be available within two months.

Both dealers I have dealt with have been very accommodating with loaners, and the work has been top-notch. Other than the phone echo, I have had no problems whatsoever after over 6,000 miles. It is without a doubt the best car I could have purchased.

John W

Great comments.

Another thing I'm liking more and more is the climate conrol system. The E39's system was hard to get to cool down the car without really blowing hard on you. The E60 system does a better job of airflow distribution, and cools the car without blowing in your face. I know, point the vents, but the E39 was really tough to get set up right, in my opinion. This car's system is much better.

I think the A6's styling is looking a bit dated. They do a great job on interiors, without a doubt, but the A6 is looking a lot more like the E39 than the E60 - needs updating. I like the E60's interior a lot, especially, as you said, the lack of dash clutter and buttons.

andy545

Recently posted a small update on my 545i as well...appreciate your input as well.
It's a awesome car, no doubt about it!!

regarding the phone echo, I experienced it as soon as I got the car.
Solution for me was to reduce the volume while the other party was on the phone,
hang up - then called them again.

Since then, zero echo...

Andy

Rudy

wolverine, nice summary. I agree that the car just gets better and better as you "become one" with it.

I'm curious about your cupholder modifications. Can you post some pics or additional details on what you did?

Thanks!

Jimbo

You might want to add some convex mirrors to your outside mirrors for those quick lane changes.

btw, which tint did you use? Cost? Warranty?

Nice review. Good info.

alohalc

wolverine, very good write up ! i'm same as rudy and curious what you did to your cupholders .

wolverine

wolverine, very good write up ! i'm same as rudy and curious what you did to your cupholders .
[/quote]

I will post some pic's in a few days. What I did is not for the faint-of heart. I removed and dissasembled the entire cupholder assembly. I removed the 'strong' spring that supports the larger 'leaf' in the cupholder opening. This decreases the force needed to open the larger 'leaf' to accomodate a larger cup. I also used a dremel tool to remove material from the plastic stop inside the mechanism. By taking some material off the stop, you allow the arm that supports the bottom piece of the cupholder to deploy completely to a vertical position. The bottom piece still remains horizontal.

The combination of these two modifications really works beautifully. You can put anything from an empty can of Red Bull or Coke to a 16 oz plastic bottle or large paper cup (or thermos) into the cupholder easily and it is supported well. The problem I was having was if the container wasn't heavy enough the larger 'leaf' wouldn't move and the bottom of the container sat against the arm of the support, not the bottom. Now, the cupholders look and deploy exactly the same as before, but everything sits flat on the bottom support, not 'cocked' against the arm.

Hormazd

wolverine, very good write up ! i'm same as rudy and curious what you did to your cupholders .
[/quote]

I will post some pic's in a few days. What I did is not for the faint-of heart. I removed and dissasembled the entire cupholder assembly. I removed the 'strong' spring that supports the larger 'leaf' in the cupholder opening. This decreases the force needed to open the larger 'leaf' to accomodate a larger cup. I also used a dremel tool to remove material from the plastic stop inside the mechanism. By taking some material off the stop, you allow the arm that supports the bottom piece of the cupholder to deploy completely to a vertical position. The bottom piece still remains horizontal.

The combination of these two modifications really works beautifully. You can put anything from an empty can of Red Bull or Coke to a 16 oz plastic bottle or large paper cup (or thermos) into the cupholder easily and it is supported well. The problem I was having was if the container wasn't heavy enough the larger 'leaf' wouldn't move and the bottom of the container sat against the arm of the support, not the bottom. Now, the cupholders look and deploy exactly the same as before, but everything sits flat on the bottom support, not 'cocked' against the arm.
[/quote]

Damn! Faint of heart is right. Iceman should send this to BMW

alohalc

wolverine, very good write up ! i'm same as rudy and curious what you did to your cupholders .
[/quote]

I will post some pic's in a few days. What I did is not for the faint-of heart. I removed and dissasembled the entire cupholder assembly. I removed the 'strong' spring that supports the larger 'leaf' in the cupholder opening. This decreases the force needed to open the larger 'leaf' to accomodate a larger cup. I also used a dremel tool to remove material from the plastic stop inside the mechanism. By taking some material off the stop, you allow the arm that supports the bottom piece of the cupholder to deploy completely to a vertical position. The bottom piece still remains horizontal.

The combination of these two modifications really works beautifully. You can put anything from an empty can of Red Bull or Coke to a 16 oz plastic bottle or large paper cup (or thermos) into the cupholder easily and it is supported well. The problem I was having was if the container wasn't heavy enough the larger 'leaf' wouldn't move and the bottom of the container sat against the arm of the support, not the bottom. Now, the cupholders look and deploy exactly the same as before, but everything sits flat on the bottom support, not 'cocked' against the arm.
[/quote]
gosh, i'm having a headache by reading only the instruction .

hinckley

Wolverine:

Great write-up, just one question though . . .

Timing is everything and I just happen to be having the short-throw shifter installed tomorrow. Can you give me any detail as to why or how noice gets into the car because of it? Are there any solutions that you can think of? Thanks.