Im new here - looking to buy, some E60 questions...
03-05-2008, 06:01 AM
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Hi everyone 
Im sory not to introduce myself properly in the new members thread.
I live in warsaw/poland, Im looking to buy a used 2004/2005 BMW 545i in the US.
Past few weeks I was looking to get a Mercedes E500 but I converted to the 545i.
The reason?
BMW lower car weight, better handling, HUD, adaptive steering and general more sporty feel.
Besides Im 33 years old and I dont think Im just quite old enough yet to own a MB
Theres one thing which will suck for me when I get the BMW and that is lack of the map DVD for Poland...they just didnt bother yet to make one :-/
Anyways...
I have a copule questions that I havent found answers to in the faq's;
What are the exterior/interior/technical differences (if any) between the 545i 2004 and 2005 ?
What price should I be looking for this setup and where shall I look (any hints?) :
model = 2004 BMW 545i
exterior = Carbon Black Metallic / Option Code: 416
interior = Beige Leatherette / Option Code: KBBA
rims = 19' - Style 167 (will they fit?)
I know its prolly going to be difficult to find exactly the specs/colors I want but I gotta start somewhere.
What maximmum milleage shall I look for and generaly what shall I becarefull with when buying this car ?
I'd appreciate any help from You guys,
cheers.
Im sory not to introduce myself properly in the new members thread.
I live in warsaw/poland, Im looking to buy a used 2004/2005 BMW 545i in the US.
Past few weeks I was looking to get a Mercedes E500 but I converted to the 545i.
The reason?
BMW lower car weight, better handling, HUD, adaptive steering and general more sporty feel.
Besides Im 33 years old and I dont think Im just quite old enough yet to own a MB
Theres one thing which will suck for me when I get the BMW and that is lack of the map DVD for Poland...they just didnt bother yet to make one :-/
Anyways...
I have a copule questions that I havent found answers to in the faq's;
What are the exterior/interior/technical differences (if any) between the 545i 2004 and 2005 ?
What price should I be looking for this setup and where shall I look (any hints?) :
model = 2004 BMW 545i
exterior = Carbon Black Metallic / Option Code: 416
interior = Beige Leatherette / Option Code: KBBA
rims = 19' - Style 167 (will they fit?)
I know its prolly going to be difficult to find exactly the specs/colors I want but I gotta start somewhere.
What maximmum milleage shall I look for and generaly what shall I becarefull with when buying this car ?
I'd appreciate any help from You guys,
cheers.
03-05-2008, 06:08 AM
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Welcome! Cannot offer much help but I will say that the Carbon Black was not available as a color option in the US on 545's...
The 167 wheels will fit as others here have made the switch. They will have to chime in on spacers needed (?) or any other details.
The 167 wheels will fit as others here have made the switch. They will have to chime in on spacers needed (?) or any other details.
03-05-2008, 06:18 AM
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Originally Posted by kscarrol' post='540009' date='Mar 5 2008, 05:08 PM
Welcome! Cannot offer much help but I will say that the Carbon Black was not available as a color option in the US on 545's...
The 167 wheels will fit as others here have made the switch. They will have to chime in on spacers needed (?) or any other details.
The 167 wheels will fit as others here have made the switch. They will have to chime in on spacers needed (?) or any other details.
hmm, thats good to know...that will save me looking for a color I wont find
Can someone also explain to me where does the difference in bhp comes from ?
US 545i = 325 bhp
EU 545i = 333 bhp
Are there any other differences between the US and European versions of this car ?
03-05-2008, 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted by koti' post='540014' date='Mar 5 2008, 09:18 AM
hmm, thats good to know...that will save me looking for a color I wont find
Can someone also explain to me where does the difference in bhp comes from ?
US 545i = 325 bhp
EU 545i = 333 bhp
Are there any other differences between the US and European versions of this car ?
Can someone also explain to me where does the difference in bhp comes from ?
US 545i = 325 bhp
EU 545i = 333 bhp
Are there any other differences between the US and European versions of this car ?
03-05-2008, 07:43 AM
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Originally Posted by kscarrol' post='540029' date='Mar 5 2008, 05:59 PM
The engines are the same but as I recall there are subtle differences in how HP is calculated in Europe and the US. Just as we calculated Octane ratings for gasoline differently...
03-05-2008, 08:37 AM
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welcome. 167s will fit as kscarrol stated. spacers will not be needed as the rear offsets are ET17 already. only thing is you wont be able to use the tires if you get the rims directly off of an M6. good luck and enjoy the forums.
03-05-2008, 11:37 AM
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HP is usually expressed as 'PS' (means something in German) in Europe - which is about 2% off of HP values.... close enough to be considered the same. You will find all HP figures on the UK site in PS http://www.bmw.co.uk
Look at the prices we have to pay compared to usa!
Look at the prices we have to pay compared to usa!
03-05-2008, 11:48 AM
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Originally Posted by steve_gus' post='540190' date='Mar 5 2008, 04:37 PM
HP is usually expressed as 'PS' (means something in German) in Europe - which is about 2% off of HP values.... close enough to be considered the same. You will find all HP figures on the UK site in PS http://www.bmw.co.uk
Look at the prices we have to pay compared to usa!
Look at the prices we have to pay compared to usa!
03-05-2008, 03:33 PM
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ok, I can see that there are some minor differences in opinion so let me rephrase my question :
What significant difefrences am I looking at in a 2004/2005 545i European and US versions ?
Buying from the US will involve 22% VAT / 13.6% excise / 10% customs and probably more which I dont know yet about so I need to know exactly what Im doing here.
Thanks for the help all.
What significant difefrences am I looking at in a 2004/2005 545i European and US versions ?
Buying from the US will involve 22% VAT / 13.6% excise / 10% customs and probably more which I dont know yet about so I need to know exactly what Im doing here.
Thanks for the help all.
03-05-2008, 03:48 PM
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Can't vouch for the Wiki definitions, but scroll down and they explain the difference between Mechanical HP (used in the U.S.) and Metric HP... There is a subtle difference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsepo...nt_definitions
Aside from splitting hairs over the definition of HP, the differences between US models and their European counter parts is mainly cosmetic. Europe had a wider range of options and packages available such as the M sports variant. This included the aero package now offered on the US 550 with sports package. Other differences are more subtle such as the radio equipment (professional vs Business radio in Europe). There are also some differences in stereo equipment in the US depending on whether you have a Navigation equipped car. And even that depends on whether you are talking a 2004 or a 2005. A 2004 basically needs navigation to play MP3s but as I recall that is not true for 2005 cars. But my memory could be wrong on that. As far as engines, a 545 in the US came with the same 4.4L V8 that a European car came with. Given fuel prices in the EU, they sold far fewer there than in the U.S. where our taxes on petrol are much lower, keeping fuel relatively cheap.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsepo...nt_definitions
Aside from splitting hairs over the definition of HP, the differences between US models and their European counter parts is mainly cosmetic. Europe had a wider range of options and packages available such as the M sports variant. This included the aero package now offered on the US 550 with sports package. Other differences are more subtle such as the radio equipment (professional vs Business radio in Europe). There are also some differences in stereo equipment in the US depending on whether you have a Navigation equipped car. And even that depends on whether you are talking a 2004 or a 2005. A 2004 basically needs navigation to play MP3s but as I recall that is not true for 2005 cars. But my memory could be wrong on that. As far as engines, a 545 in the US came with the same 4.4L V8 that a European car came with. Given fuel prices in the EU, they sold far fewer there than in the U.S. where our taxes on petrol are much lower, keeping fuel relatively cheap.