Lomag

Well many folks wondered if active steering was part of the sport package for the future. Well, it is NOT included in the 525 and 530 sport package however IT IS part of the sport package for the 545. Confirmed by the MY2006 price list, U.S atleast.

heezy545i

Whether you like AS or not, the lack of choice is not a good thing.

jochet

Why?

kscarrol

Why? Because there are owners like me who do not care for the feel of AS. When I ordered my car back in Dec 2003, you could only get the Sports Package with AS, so I ordered my car without. There was much I really liked about the SP, including the Active Roll Stabalization, the Shadow Line trim, the rims etc, but the AS really turned me off. BMW could have sold me all those other options if I could have done it without AS. Don't get me wrong, I love my car! Just would have like to had many of the other elements of the SP without the AS. Just my 0.02.

Hormazd

Why? Because there are owners like me who do not care for the feel of AS. When I ordered my car back in Dec 2003, you could only get the Sports Package with AS, so I ordered my car without. There was much I really liked about the SP, including the Active Roll Stabalization, the Shadow Line trim, the rims etc, but the AS really turned me off. BMW could have sold me all those other options if I could have done it without AS. Don't get me wrong, I love my car! Just would have like to had many of the other elements of the SP without the AS. Just my 0.02.
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Ks,
Next time you are at your dealer drive a SP again. The AS is completely different after the CIP 13 adjustment. I think you will like it

subterFUSE

I just don't understand what's not to like about Active Steering.

I never really noticed the AS until I drove a car without it.... and then I couldn't stand not having it. It took so much more wheel movement to make a turn. With AS I never take my hands off of the wheel.... I just keep them at 9 & 3 o'clock.... the way they teach race drivers.

EBMCS03

Ya. I didnt notice how much more effort it took to steer a non AS car. I drove the Infiniti M45 and there was too much wheel movement... more than to my liking and there was definetly no extra road feel either... So ya AS gets my vote... I'm afraid to try a 545 w/out AS... as I might prefer non-AS.

Hormazd

I'll tell you what it is. We have members that drove early 2004 models where they had too much ratio dialed in. It takes some getting used to. I have always liked the AS even with the old ratio. 3 days after deliver in Munich I curbed the car in Florence thanks to the AS. I soon got used to it and it made maneuvering the car in tight Italian French and Spanish streets and parking lots very easy. AS is not that noticeable with the post CIP 13 software adjustment. I think its got a bad rap because of the early ratio. I also think that twitchiness in wind etc is being blamed on AS when in fact it could very well be the tires.

Guest

Although you would have wanted to pay more to get everything in the Sports Package without including or paying for Active Steering, I am very glad that BMW elected not to penalize the rest of us by forcing us to pay more for Active Steering as a separate line item (like they are doing now). I for one will not complain when it is obvious that I am getting additional value in the Sports Package that I do not have to pay for on a line-item basis.

At least in the US, BMW and other manufacturers are forced by market conditions to offer packages of options (instead of all options offered on a line item a la carte basis, as it is in some countries) for a reduced, fixed cost to deliver value to the buyers (e.g., some manufacturers take this to the extreme, such as Acura who pretty much include almost every option in the base version of the car).

Most buyers want everything in the package, so that's what the manufacturer sells (and those that don't want everything in the package will have to compromise and buy it or settle for a lesser version of the car). Market forces essentially determine the packages and included options and, unfortunately, a few buyers who don't want everything cannot exert the same market force as a large multiplicity of drivers who do....

Blackonblackonblack

Ya. I didnt notice how much more effort it took to steer a non AS car. I drove the Infiniti M45 and there was too much wheel movement... more than to my liking and there was definetly no extra road feel either... So ya AS gets my vote... I'm afraid to try a 545 w/out AS... as I might prefer non-AS.
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Yo,

I certainly noticed the lack of AS when I switched with you and drove your Mini! But thanks, it was a fun car to drive nevertheless!