2005 BMW 545i: First-Quarter Update

[BMWDave]

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2005 BMW 545i: First-Quarter Update
Why-Drive? BMW?s 545i provides plenty of reasons
MAC MORRISON
Published Date: 8/22/05
FIRST-QUARTER UPDATE
MILES DRIVEN: 6904
FUEL MILEAGE: 19.97 mpg
FUEL COST: $806.74
DAYS OUT OF SERVICE: None
MAINTENANCE: None
READERS: If you own one of the following, we?d like to hear from you: Volkswagen Phaeton, Dodge Magnum, Scion tC, BMW 545i, Porsche 911 Carrera S, Land Rover LR3 and Honda Ridgeline. Send comments for use in future updates to autofile@crain.com.

We are as loathe to print the word ?boring? on these pages as you are to read it. Generally, it indicates the latest car to pass through our hands?solid and utilitarian though it may be?has disappointed and left us wanting more: More personality, more feedback. It usually means we would rather drive something else.

Yet when it comes to our fleet of long-term test cars, or the car(s) sitting in your garage, boring is sometimes good. Take, for example, our titanium gray 2005 BMW 545i.

Our first three months as caretakers of Munich?s latest sport sedan passed with little drama. With the first factory-scheduled service appointment not due until the BMW covers 15,000 miles, and with no untoward problems to remedy, the car hummed along on its way to covering 6904 miles.

Boring in the best of all possible ways.

As was the case with our Porsche 911 Carrera S (AW, July 25), the first weeks with the 5 Series were the worst, owing to the 1200-mile break-in period. That gave our staff plenty of time to debate the car?s styling and, to a lesser extent, the much-maligned iDrive electronics interface.

?I?ve gotten over the new 5?s appearance,? one editor said. ?My lingering lukewarm-ness has more to do with the fact its predecessor looked about as perfect as could be, rather than there being much wrong this one.?

Others echoed that sentiment, with the majority coming to praise the sharp lines by the end of the first-quarter. ?This sucker looks sweet from the front and from the side as well,? another driver commented. ?Sure, it?s like someone put a baby table on the decklid, but hey, you can serve drinks and strained peas on it!?

As for iDrive, some still deride what they deem a ridiculously complex system. Others, like our tech-savvy web editor, note, ?If one owned this car, I would hope they would read the manual and learn how to use iDrive? It?s really not that difficult. Move on, nothing more to whine about here.? That he made these comments after driving the car on a long out-of-state road trip indicates that time and exposure to the system are crucial.

Complainers?who bemoan tasks such as programming radio stations as unnecessarily arduous, especially when executed while driving?may very well convert into believers by the year end, if not before.

No one has grumbled about the driving experience. Once the odometer rolled past 1200, our logbook filled quickly with praise for the 545?s dynamics. More than one driver wrote that thoughts about design and iDrive vanished when behind the wheel. BMW?s active steering, sublime sport suspension and positive-action six-speed manual gearbox (we thank BMW on a daily basis for still offering shift-it-yourself contentment) make the car one of the most popular with our staff.

?It?s a great vehicle that connects with its driver in an almost Zen-like way,? said one tester, while another commented, ?This sedan is so light on its feet, you don?t realize its dimensions. The engine revs so freely it doesn?t seem like a V8, and the gearbox/clutch engage shifts with sport compact-like fluidity.?

The only trouble we encountered occurred when the Bridgestone Potenza summer tires could not cope with a late-winter snowstorm, rendering the car nearly undriveable; we?ll install snow tires before winter comes ?round again. Otherwise, we?ve had no significant problems and still regard the 545 as the benchmark all other sport sedans should shoot for.

Our complaints are relatively minor. We would like a more upscale interior, preferably with heated seats as standard equipment. And while cupholders are about the last thing we worry about in a performance sedan, the ones installed by the factory have us concerned constantly about jettisoned cans and spilled beverages. The front passenger seat is also squeaking; we?ll have it inspected soon, along with the scratches we somehow managed to inflict upon the hood. Maybe someone served those drinks on the wrong end of the car.

Beyond those small quibbles, we look forward to months of fun, hard driving. Don?t expect to see ?boring? appear in our subsequent updates.

[Raza]

Germans cars do not and will not ever have minivan sized cupholders.  These people build their cars for driving, not as a portable dinner table.  

[ifcar]

Germans cars do not and will not ever have minivan sized cupholders.  These people build their cars for driving, not as a portable dinner table.

"And while cupholders are about the last thing we worry about in a performance sedan..."

As long as they don't act like it's a significant flaw, why not mention poor cupholders?

[Raza]

Germans cars do not and will not ever have minivan sized cupholders.  These people build their cars for driving, not as a portable dinner table.

"And while cupholders are about the last thing we worry about in a performance sedan..."

As long as they don't act like it's a significant flaw, why not mention poor cupholders?

There was a consumer survey done a few years back of people who looked at Mercedes Benzes and bought competitors instead, namely Lexus, and one of the major reasons for the switch was cupholder size.