My 2005 e60 does not have the sport package. I think it handles way better than any other car I have owned, including my Acura, Mercedes, and Audi, let alone the American cars I have owned. I know it would handle better with the sport package, but it isn't bad like it is. The whole experience of driving such a refined car, not just the handling, is what I enjoy. You could take the "chrysler or other family car" and with modifications make them handle like a race car, but the overall balance would not be there.

 

with sport package u dont only get the extra driving stuff but also the spoilers and the looks for my personal opinion it makes the bmw e60 standing out of the crowd. also when selling the car again it is more easy to get rid of it.
If u can choose to get extra options why dont take them? but if u dont take the extra options well i dont know if there is much difference between an opel and a bmw then? for sure it is the price. and u have mp3 standard in an opel.

before i had a M3 and i loved to drive this car. I coudl do anything with the car i wanted to do without feeling scared in some sort of corner. now withthe touring yes it is a bigger car. but still i feel i have full control in the car. the springs are stiffer so the car is not heeling over that much in corners. If the car is more stiffer some say it is less comfortable u cant drink inthe car or type a text in ur laptop. I believe this is even withthe standard springs the case. but then ushould buya french car they are smooth.

for me the e60 is a great car with sport package to have a comfortable car as well as a sportive car. But it isall personal taste eventually. for me sport package( M package) is a must be else i dont even bother. The car looks boring then like alot of mercedes.

 

Jelski,

Not to hijack this thread, my point was simply that all variations of the e60 are, in my opinion, great cars. As far as feeling scared in corners, I don't usually put myself in that position. I usually have a pretty good sense of what the car I'm driving is capable of, whether it be my e60 or a Toyotal Corolla rental car I might end up with when I travel. I drive accordingly, do not usually scare myself in corners, and maintain full control of the car. If my e60 had the sport package, I could push harder in the corners. But, as it is, I can do just fine in the corners against most other cars, and I think my non sport e60 looks just fine doing it.

If I were to buy my car over again, yes I would get the sport package. My e60 was my first BMW. On my X5, I got the sport package and love it. My next BMW will also have the sport package. But, again, since I have a non sport e60, I don't feel deprived, I enjoy the car completely, and think it is a great looking fun car.

I hope you enjoy your version of the e60 as much.

 

but once you have sat and driven a car with the sports pack it's hard to go back.

Rick..

reply - thats true, the sports ones are real good and long drive comfort.

The exterior and springs, wheels are the easy part, its the interior, that is a lot harder to get hold of.

 

I have always purchased the MSport / Sport and love the way they drive and look. I have driven non sport loaners and never felt that they provided the driving experience the same way. I would do what you can to get the suspension and ride to replicate ther Sport, but as mentioned earlier there are several other elements that add to the experience, seats, steering wheel , wheels and tires ,lack of chrome etc .etc.

Cheers

 

"with sport package u dont only get the extra driving stuff but also the spoilers and the looks for my personal opinion it makes the bmw e60 standing out of the crowd."

Please go back and re-read the original poster's question. Then look at his location. Finally, learn the history of the packages that BMW offered back in 2004. The poster is asking about a 2004 North American E60. The only external difference is the 18" style 124 wheels and the trim around the windows being black instead of chrome, no spoilers or msport pack were part of the sports package back then. This may apply to the 2008 E60's here in North America but what the OP is asking about...

"but if u dont take the extra options well i dont know if there is much difference between an opel and a bmw then?"

Are you seriously suggesting that an opel is in the same league as a non-sports packaged BMW? We can certainly argue the value of the BMW and if it is worth the cost but the discussion should end there. There are clear differences between an opel and the BMW but as with any buying decision a person makes you must decide for yourself if the cost is worth it.

"without feeling scared in some sort of corner. now withthe touring yes it is a bigger car. but still i feel i have full control in the car. the springs are stiffer so the car is not heeling over that much in corners."

I can assure you I have never felt scared in a corner in my car, this is simply absurd. Unless you are tracking you touring car, I can promise you that a non-sports packaged car can handle anything a sports packaged car can. I always have full control of my car, that is as much a function of the driver as it is the car itself.

 

kscarrol - that's absolutely spot on. At the end of the day, all BMWs handle well, irrespective of spec. It's different degrees of good/excellent.

Couple of years ago, one of the US magazines (Motor Trend I think) tested the non-sport 545 against the sport equipped E500, the M45 and the Cadillac STS

The standout quote, and remember we're talking non-sport: "the 545i is a sublime machine with a suspension tuned to be perhaps the perfect compromise between ride and handling, an engine that speaks like Miles Davis's trumpet, and a chasis that feels more solid than the USS Ronald Reagan's keel.". Most tests feature the sport pack but here at least was some validation that even without it the E60 is still better than most of the competition.

 

Back a little to the OP's ?. - No, you cannot replicate or come close to the sport pack with aftermarket springs. Many sport packs on other cars are just tighter springs/shocks and larger antiroll bars. The sport pack is far more than that. I for one (JMHO) do not think that buying a e60 without the sport pack is worth it because you can come close to it with far more reliable and less expensive cars.

 

I bought an 04 530i in March of this year....without the sports package.

Honestly I did always question driving the car and considering it the ultimate driving machine. Compared to my 02 VW GTI...handling SUCKS! I would just lie to myself and say...hey its a bigger car what do you expect.....anyways two weeks ago my friend also bought an 04 530i...but his has the sport package. Guess what? Night and freaking BRIGHT SUNNY DAY difference.

THis is just the driving feel....as per the interior....I kinda hate my seat compared to the sport package multi function seats...but its not that much of a biggie. The handling and feel of the car though is. So..if you havent bought a car yet....make sure you get the sport package when you go pick one up.

 

Yes, handling will be very different. Sports package has the active suspension system which is why it is so superior. Virtually zero body roll means you can corner much quicker.