I am heading to the dealer, hopefully this afternoon, to order a 545i now that i've settled the price and lease. (Pricing and Lease terms are swingin' deals right now by the way-- it cheaper to lease an '05 545 than an '06 530.)

My question is about the sport package- I'm concerned that the rear wheels are different size from the front. I like the performance benefits of the larger rear wheels, but I understand that the tires typically wear out faster with the sport package and if you can't rotate due to the different F/B sizes, it exacerbates the problem.

I'm wondering if there is a precendent for ordering 18 x 8.0 with 245/40R-18s for both the front and back. I have no idea if the factory or dealer would do this. Potentially this could screw up the rear handling/suspension if it is really tuned for the larger wheel/tire.

Either way, I'm getting the sport package-- it seems like a must have.

Any ideas?

 

You'll have to get 2 new rims and 2 new tires and be stuck with the old ones. If you're worried about the tires wearing out and cost.. it's going to cost more now to get the matching rims and tires than replacing the rear tires in the future.

 

Plus if you can afford to buy the car, 2 new tires are not going to hurt you. You pay for the feel and drive of the car. Assymetrics just handle and look better...

 

In addition to all of the above, the car was designed for staggered tires. Anything but does not look good.

I understand your concern. For my next set of tires, I am considering a non-asymetric tire that I could remount from side-to-side. However, on mine right now I don't seem to notice too much of a difference from the inside to the outside of the tire.

 

I understand the logic, but I do not have time to deal with car maintenance. Having to get tires sooner is not something I relish, hence the question.

 

The wear of the tires has alot to do with what kind of a driver you are. If you are an easy driver then worring about different sizes is pointless. Just get what comes on the car

Plus, if you ever try to sell the car later and it's not staggard you might have an issue...

just my 2c

 

OK, done deal. Order is in-- sport package with no changes. This is the best car I've ever ordered by a long shot. I'm totaly excited (with a touch of guilt that I'm spending this much money on a car.) We started looking at cars with a back seat big enough for three kids. The GS was too small, my wife didn't like the RL, I didn't like the Infinity, we hated our last Mercedes SUV so we didn't even look at one.... that leads us to the 530i, which we thought was a little gutless... then we saw the attractive lease rates on the '05 545s... and next thing I know I'm getting this $60K car with a 325 HP V-8? Am I nuts?

 

No, you're nuts when you start to consider supercharging your 325 HP V-8 to 450 HP and buying out the lease.

 

Yes, then I would definately be nuts, but then again, HP is an addictive thing. We bought an Acura TL for commuting and that is what drove me beyond the 530i-- it wasn't as fast as my TL, so we can't take a step backwards can we? I'll bet in a couple years 450HP will sound reasonable.

 

No, you are wise man. With the car leasing for less than a 06 530 and as much as an 06 330, you cannot go wrong. Have fun.