New 545i Review
06-01-2004, 06:16 AM
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After two months of waiting I finally picked up my new 545i last Friday. I am very pleased with the vehicle. It is the most impressive handling auto I have ever driven and far better then the two test drives I took. After test driving both the 530 and 545 on separate occasions (both during downpours) I picked up the new car last Friday in another absolute, all day deluge. The service department put on the rear reflectors and my CA took me through the entire vehicle. She explained nothing new to me and I actually showed her a few procedures learned from this forum and reading the downloaded owners manual.
Upon leaving the dealership I parked in an open lot and fiddled for about one hour. Radio presets, CD loading, seat adjustment, etc, etc. Drove the car home like an old lady and parked in the garage. After dinner and putting kids to sleep I decided to go out for a quick drive to guage the Xenons, night driving, etc. The rain abated so it was the first time I had driven the car in dry weather. My "quick drive" turned into an hour of back roads, curves and some highway cruising with the sunroof open and stereo loud. The only description I could come to was that BMW's slogan is so apt it's scary...it is truly the ulimate driving machine. A few scattered, random thoughts below:
The Xenons are perfect height-wise and the "brights" are like turning night into day...truly amazing. Adaptive headlights are very functional on twisty backroads and come as advertised. The car handles so well you feel like you could double your speed and still stick to the road. Very tight handling car that the guys at the dealership told me will only get better over time. They told me not to baby the car because they're built and designed to be driven hard.
The comfort seats are my favorite option. I was displeased with the test drives in the sport seats and was told that the comfort seats would be much better. I ordered them without sitting in them and took the chance that they'd be an improvement. IMO, they're a huge step up in comfort and still lock you in (if needed) with the side bolsters.
I was told at the dealership that the biggest concern during break-in isn't necessarily the speed (stay below 80) or the RPM's (below 4500) but laying off hard breaking due to the tendency for people to warp the rotors within the first 500 miles.
The 325HP V8 has power on demand and a great sound to it. Just about 2400 RPM at 80MPH says it all. I traded in a front wheel drive Volvo S80 T6 which was 260HP and twin turbos. It's so much better being pushed with the rear wheel drive then pulled around by the nose with the front wheel drive. The volvo has significant turbo-lag which I don't miss at all.
Brake dust accumulation is significant and I'll wander through the forum to get the name of the wax for the wheels.
I Drive has been mastered over four days. There isn't anything tricky about it at all. Beautiful interior and a great sound system.
I'm sure I'll think of more but I hope this post helps the people who are waiting on their new 5's. I know reading various similar posts over the last two months actually helped with the wait. I'll refrain from posting pics since their are a number of Ti/Grey pictures already on this board.
One question for those that already have their 5's...the engine temperture measurement on the outside of the tachometer (measured by the thin white lines) where do your lines end up once the car is warm?? I show 4-5 white lines between 6500 RPM and the redline area...is that normal?
Upon leaving the dealership I parked in an open lot and fiddled for about one hour. Radio presets, CD loading, seat adjustment, etc, etc. Drove the car home like an old lady and parked in the garage. After dinner and putting kids to sleep I decided to go out for a quick drive to guage the Xenons, night driving, etc. The rain abated so it was the first time I had driven the car in dry weather. My "quick drive" turned into an hour of back roads, curves and some highway cruising with the sunroof open and stereo loud. The only description I could come to was that BMW's slogan is so apt it's scary...it is truly the ulimate driving machine. A few scattered, random thoughts below:
The Xenons are perfect height-wise and the "brights" are like turning night into day...truly amazing. Adaptive headlights are very functional on twisty backroads and come as advertised. The car handles so well you feel like you could double your speed and still stick to the road. Very tight handling car that the guys at the dealership told me will only get better over time. They told me not to baby the car because they're built and designed to be driven hard.
The comfort seats are my favorite option. I was displeased with the test drives in the sport seats and was told that the comfort seats would be much better. I ordered them without sitting in them and took the chance that they'd be an improvement. IMO, they're a huge step up in comfort and still lock you in (if needed) with the side bolsters.
I was told at the dealership that the biggest concern during break-in isn't necessarily the speed (stay below 80) or the RPM's (below 4500) but laying off hard breaking due to the tendency for people to warp the rotors within the first 500 miles.
The 325HP V8 has power on demand and a great sound to it. Just about 2400 RPM at 80MPH says it all. I traded in a front wheel drive Volvo S80 T6 which was 260HP and twin turbos. It's so much better being pushed with the rear wheel drive then pulled around by the nose with the front wheel drive. The volvo has significant turbo-lag which I don't miss at all.
Brake dust accumulation is significant and I'll wander through the forum to get the name of the wax for the wheels.
I Drive has been mastered over four days. There isn't anything tricky about it at all. Beautiful interior and a great sound system.
I'm sure I'll think of more but I hope this post helps the people who are waiting on their new 5's. I know reading various similar posts over the last two months actually helped with the wait. I'll refrain from posting pics since their are a number of Ti/Grey pictures already on this board.
One question for those that already have their 5's...the engine temperture measurement on the outside of the tachometer (measured by the thin white lines) where do your lines end up once the car is warm?? I show 4-5 white lines between 6500 RPM and the redline area...is that normal?
06-01-2004, 06:27 AM
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drink: Congratulations!! That was a great review. I'll check my tach/white lines later today and let you know. You are so right about BMW's slogan. It's the only marketing slogan that proves itself true with every opening of the driver's door! I'm very very pleased to hear that the couple of times I have 'accidentally' rev'ed her past 4500 with only 350 miles on won't hurt much.
Sam
Sam
06-01-2004, 07:52 AM
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I live on the South Shore also...right next door to the GM of BMW Gallery. I agree great weekend to break it in but we had friends in from the UK and no time to go on a nice aimless drive. I was looking forward to my commute into the city this morning but I didn't get the car above 30MPH due to traffic...as you know, more rain also. I love the automatic wipers...
06-01-2004, 08:45 AM
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congrats d20 on your ultimate driving machine and thanks for the report.
my 530i goes to 2 white bars above the red line after warm up.
i am hoping to get the phone to dial on the idrive, i enjoy speaking through the built in hands free while driving.
thanks for the pointers on engine rev/speed/rotors, my car gives me this feel of a beast waiting to be unleashed and too many times tempting. i am sure yours is even more so.
enjoy it as much as i do, and have tons of lobsters while at it. i love boston, are you far?
lovely post and keep them coming. cheers! rollee
my 530i goes to 2 white bars above the red line after warm up.
i am hoping to get the phone to dial on the idrive, i enjoy speaking through the built in hands free while driving.
thanks for the pointers on engine rev/speed/rotors, my car gives me this feel of a beast waiting to be unleashed and too many times tempting. i am sure yours is even more so.
enjoy it as much as i do, and have tons of lobsters while at it. i love boston, are you far?
lovely post and keep them coming. cheers! rollee
06-01-2004, 08:52 AM
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My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
Congrats on your car.
Just wanted to add that my 545i will always show 4 white bars once up to temperature. Keep in mind that the bars are white which is more of a warning, not an absolute red-line. The rev limiter will kick in at red-line, never at any of the white bars.
Rollee's post about 2 bars is the first I've seen that's less than 4. I wonder if 2 is normal for the 530 and 4 is normal for the 545?
Just wanted to add that my 545i will always show 4 white bars once up to temperature. Keep in mind that the bars are white which is more of a warning, not an absolute red-line. The rev limiter will kick in at red-line, never at any of the white bars.
Rollee's post about 2 bars is the first I've seen that's less than 4. I wonder if 2 is normal for the 530 and 4 is normal for the 545?
06-01-2004, 09:03 AM
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Rudy-
Thanks for the reply. If the engine was running hot or close to overheating what would the lines show and where? Is this an actual temp gauge or does it serve another purpose? I assume that if the engine was running hot you'd receive a message in the message center or the I drive.
thanks
Thanks for the reply. If the engine was running hot or close to overheating what would the lines show and where? Is this an actual temp gauge or does it serve another purpose? I assume that if the engine was running hot you'd receive a message in the message center or the I drive.
thanks
06-01-2004, 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by drinkh20' date='Jun 1 2004, 08:16 AM
(snip)
I was told at the dealership that the biggest concern during break-in isn't necessarily the speed (stay below 80) or the RPM's (below 4500) but laying off hard breaking due to the tendency for people to warp the rotors within the first 500 miles.
(snip)
Brake dust accumulation is significant and I'll wander through the forum to get the name of the wax for the wheels.
I was told at the dealership that the biggest concern during break-in isn't necessarily the speed (stay below 80) or the RPM's (below 4500) but laying off hard breaking due to the tendency for people to warp the rotors within the first 500 miles.
(snip)
Brake dust accumulation is significant and I'll wander through the forum to get the name of the wax for the wheels.
As for wheel dust, Rejex is what our peers on the forum have been talking about. I just received two bottles, ordered one, and one had the spout open and had squirted the inside of the box. I ordered from Bethel Marine for a good price, but the two screw ups make it more of an "iffie" recommendation. You might caution them to tape the spout down so it won't squirt during shipping.
Bethel-Marine
06-01-2004, 09:32 AM
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i too was wondering about the engine temperature gauge on the car but figured if there is really overheating i am sure some message will flash at me like defcon 3. big bad news.
the white bars serves as warning that you are in the hot zone, i am familiar with that from the M3 & M5s, they move according to engine temperature. i think it is an intitutive way of showing the engine's usability in relation to engine temperature. thus rendering the engine temperature gauge useless.
the white bars serves as warning that you are in the hot zone, i am familiar with that from the M3 & M5s, they move according to engine temperature. i think it is an intitutive way of showing the engine's usability in relation to engine temperature. thus rendering the engine temperature gauge useless.