545 Sport Package

I am contemplating the purchase of a 545, but I am unsure if I should get the Sports Package even though I would like to get it. My concern is the larger rims and the low profile tires. I live on the east coast, therefore, will I definitely need to change the tires for the winter? Also, how prone are the rims to bending because of the low profile tires? Does anybody have any experience with the Sport Package? Thanks.

Reply to
Marty C
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With sport package on my '99 328i, wheel size went from 16" to 17". The Washington DC area potholes are legendary and have done some damage to 3 of my 4 wheels. And, yes, winter tires are an absolute necessity for any snow or ice - but you might also wish to use them in place of the standard "all season" tires on the non-sport model during the winter months.

Tom

Reply to
Tom Korth

Here are the two reasons after testing both the Sport and the standard 545, I did not get the Sport Package

1) By default you have to get Active Steering, I love the car but really dislike AS. Therefore I passed on Sport package 2) Run-flats. My BMW 's have always had a very compliant yet dynamic ride. The run-flats ruin that. And, while I don't know this next part personally, people I have spoken with who have them say they are awful in winter conditions.

I have heard that BMW did some more tuning to the suspension to mitigate the ride reaction from the run-flats, but I'm not certain what they could do to improve the tires in winter conditions.

Reply to
Daniel Arrepas

I have an '03 540 with the sport package. I have hit a few potholes but, so far, no damage to the rims. I've also driven in some snow; it's not awful but winter tires would certainly help. My biggest complaint about the low profile tires is their performance on uneven roads. On asphalt roads where the traffic has caused a cupping or identation in the surface, the tires tend to want to do their own thing inside those indentations. The low profile tires have stiffer sidewalls and don't conform much to the imperfections of the road. I often feel like I'm fighting the car on those roads -- and there are a lot of them where I live. If I had it to do over, I probably would have passed on the sport package for that reason.

Reply to
Dave S

I have an 04 545 with the sport package - it definitely has pros and cons. I really like the active steering, so that was a plus for me. The more aggressive tires certainly help with the handling but I'll echo the statements of others that they are horrible in snow and do tend to make the car "search" for straightline on carved up roads. You also end up with a larger tire in the back than the front, which is good for performance but prevents rotation, thereby reducing tire life as well.

I like the cars looks much better with the sport package, it lowers the car a bit and the rims are much better looking than the standard ones. The one thing that is a must have on the car though is the active suspension. Every person that rides in this car the fist time is blown away by how flat it stays through curves at high speed, almost 0 body roll no matter how much you're thrashing it around. If my memory serves this is not standard on the

545 but is part of the sport package, if that's true there is no way you should buy one without it IMO.

Good luck with your decision, we love the car even though we've had a few issues (some the fault of BMW and some the fault of others). The idea of filling it with premium gas at the ever escalating gas prices is less than pleasant though :-(

bobukcat

Reply to
bobukcat

Learning where your car's edge is at comes down to a few things, and most of them are tactile. You feel when the car is at the edge of adhesion because of the sensations it returns thru the steering, the seat and the body roll. It doesn't have to be extreme, but unless you are a pro driver it does have to be there for most of us.....particularly on street tires and really especially in hard-edged run-flats.

Couple the loss of roll with run-flats which let go without warning, and all you really get is car that the driver nannies break into more often than they do a car which is being driven with better understanding. These "0 roll" systems are great for people who are at the top 4 to 5% of drivers, but otherwise result in cars being driven beyond the driver's capabilities, only to have the nannies step in and save the occupants.

The steering, chassis and suspension of the standard car are almost perfect (and better what the E39 provided). There are very few drivers who need more than that.

Reply to
Daniel Arrepas

I'm not convinced. The different camber angles etc at either end of the car produces slightly different wear patterns. So unless the tyres were rotated very frquently, you'd have less than optimal grip until they 'scrubbed' in.

FWIW my E39 wears out all four tyres near enough at the same time anyway.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Bobukcat,

I don't know where the idea that having a bigger (wider) tire in the back is better for performance came from. It's not necessarily true. It makes the car under steer (more than it already does) which is decidedly *not* good for performance. You will get more thrust from the drive wheels which would be better in a drag race.

As far as tire rotation goes, the only advantage to rotating (Front to Rear) is in getting all 4 of the tires to wear out at the same time so they can be replaced as a set. Rotation will not reduce tire wear rate, and in fact may actually accelerate it as the wear will be faster after first swapping ends until they "scrub in". as Dave said.

However, most BMWs, especially those with wider profile tires, will wear the rear tires out about twice as fast as the fronts. The frugal owner will choose to just let this happen and replace the 2 rear tires twice as often as the fronts with as close a match as they can.

-Fred W

Reply to
Malt_Hound

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