big_ipaq

I am not sure "planted" is the right feeling you should have.

Active Steering:
- lock to lock, only something over 2 turns. Otherwise it's almost 3. Very noticeable when parking.
- at speeds up to 50 km/h, steering is very direct. Any wheel movement will steer the car very fast. It is not normally possible to turn so fast with a car with no Active Steering.
- Icon on the display when you insert the key
- You basically don't neet to move hands on the wheel at almost no curve on normal speed and roads. You cannot miss this. I can make a 90 degree city turn with both hands at 9 and 3 position. You cannot do this without Active Steering.
- Any dealer can confirm AS or no AS
- You can phone a dealer with you VIN and ask for options list

Dynamic Drive
- underneath the car you can see hydraulic lines coming into the stabilization bar device
- when going straight at 50 km/h, if you turn very fast the wheel from left to right, a normal car will roll sideways quite a lot. With Dynamic Drive, it's like in a video game. Almost no noticeable roll.
- Icon on the display when you insert the key (I think there's one, need to confirm next time I'll start mine)
- Any dealer can confirm AS or no AS
- You can phone a dealer with you VIN and ask for options list

BrianC

Its possible that I'm totally mad (it is Friday after all) but the handling seems very similar to what I'm experiencing with my E61. It could be that coming from a large people carrier I'm just not used to any sort of handling as the people carrier could be best described as boat like on the road. I'll try out the turns lock to lock tonight. Also what do the icons on the display look like?

kennecarls

I'm glad you all are enjoying my post. Sorry I don't know as much as you think I should, but from some of your inputs and questions I think some of you are not so knowlegable yourselves. Since the dealer only installed the Sport Package wheels and tires on my car and sold it as if it had the Sport Package, does anyone know if it's OK to use the 18" wheels and high speed runflat tires and continue to use the stock suspension. In other words, would the combination of the sport wheels and tires with the stock(non sport) suspension be a mismatch?

kscarrol

Not a problem, the wheels and run flats will work with the non-SP car...

kennecarls

Thanks. Any other opinions/ideas on this?

big_ipaq

+1. In Europe you can buy non sport suspension but sport wheels. In fact you can buy any combination. In my country I don't have any packages (well I do, but only as promotions) so we spec the cars option by option.

slickrick

I've followed the posts and I don't want to confuse you. But here is my take on this. At this point our friends from Europe have different options and packages in their cars than us in the US. If you bought the 545I with a sports pack it should have the sports seat, steering wheel, suspension and so on. If he put on the sport wheels and sold it as a sport model and you where misled then you have a case. If they mentioned that it had sport wheels and you miss took that for the sport package it's your lost.

But if they misled you then should go back and speak to the sales manager and keep your cool. If he is no help then ask to speak to the GM and state your case. Straight to the point and bring in the proof. Tell them you bought this car under the pretense, based on their ad, that it was a sports package model. When speaking always refer back to their mistake and their misleading ad.

Good luck and let us know what the outcome. Don't wait to long to do this.

noonehome

To determine if you have Active steering/Sport Package(on a 2004 in the USA) look for this module on the passenger side under the hood just behind the radiator core...

jim7498

I didn't know they offered the 2004 545 with an m-tech kit as part of the sport package. I thought it was ala carte.
I see that it is offered on the 2008 550i's.

Member545

Not in the U.S., I am getting tired of typing that. I have one, I should know.