I'm thinking of turning in my 04 545i for an 07 550i, I can get a reasonable deal with sports package but no active steering. I drove the car today and I was very impressed, I thought the stardard steering was quite nice. Anybody out there gone from active steering car to non active steering? Could use some advise on this topic. I love the compfort seats and thicker steering wheel, also new car would have navigation which I do not have now,

 

I went from a 545 with active steering to a 550 without. I miss it. I had fully intended to get AS on my next E60. as it turned out the car I was interested in had the right spec except for AS - and I thought I could probably live without it. After a month or so I think I probably can, but I do miss the active steering and think that with it my 550 would have been even better. Will definitely be on my next E60!

 

I didn't have AS before and I don't have it on any of my other cars. I like it but can obviously live without it.

 

Non-AS should be fine. I go back and forth between my 545i and Z06 frequently. And, a non-AS 550i should drive nicer than my 02 Z06. I like the quick turninig when going slow, but it's certainly is not a necessity.

 

Just curious, how much damage to the pocket book was it going from a 545i to a 550i? Was performance one of the reason?

Thanks,

I could not justify an extra 35 hp for thousands - aside the mileage of course.

 

Wow If I had to chose I wouldnt know what to do. I like AS.... but if I had to pay for it as an individual options... Eeeeek. I'll prob end up doing it... but it would be less painful if it was forced upon me as in a package... Things like this where its hard for me to choose... I'll rather BMW chose it for me. I really like it.

 

Without. AS takes away the real drivers feeling.
And there are more than enough options nowadays that do so, so dont take AS.

 

Since I do not know is feel like, I dont miss it.I used to say the same about SPT PK. I did not have it but now that i have it, i dont think i want another car witout it.

 

I might have chosen active steering, but ended up seeing the 550 I wanted with everything else on the showroom floor. I really do not miss what I have never had. And not having it leaves one less thing to go wrong, and probably the "feel" is a little better without. On the other hand, I do a turn around in a fairly small space every morning and the active steering would be useful there.

 

My active steering is not working now. The car is in the shop now. Perhaps that is one reason not to get it...just something else to break. However, I have been driving it about 10 days without active steering and I miss it, although it is not an earth shaking difference. The AS has been improved in its later years. I have been on the fence with this one, but now that it is broken, I do miss it. At high speed, with it broken, it feels the same as when it was working.

If you can get a deal without it you will have a great car that is fun to drive and handles extremely well. If it were me, I would miss the AS but would probably get used to not having it and believe I could live without it. As I have mentioned in other AS threads, if buying a car today, I would have a hard time deciding.