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As always,
I am...
the ATOMICPunk!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Best Regards,
Shipo
http://www.hedgpeth.com/mpegs/Making_of_an_E46.wmv
#703 and #705 by rickrover in this thread:
BMW X3 vs Subaru Forester/XT vs Infiniti FX 35
compare? I am very pleased with the Primacy's, contrary to what I read in Tire Rack they don't tramline , the ride is excellent, they are not at all "noisy", all in all I think they are an excellent tire. What is your take on this? What other, if any, tires did you consider? Thanks in advance.
Like you I have not had any problem with my tires. Yes, they are getting a little noisy, but not too bad. No, I haven't noticed any tramlining or any other bad habits for that matter. Regarding a replacement set, hmmmm, I'm not at all sure. Fortunately the decision will only come if I keep the car past the lease end in March 2005. FWIW, given the state of my wallet and the new E60, I am currently planning on buying my 530i next year. If I don't it's because I decided to pop for a 645Ci. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
knock on these tires is that they wear or cup very quickly. I only have 17 K miles but I know of at least one poster here that has already gotten 28K mi. and will probably get 35K before replacement. I know of at least one person who got 38K mi before replacing. That is not too shabby,eh? I also like the 645ci but it's a little out of my financial reach. Good luck. Great posts.
Thanks.
Anyone gotten an upgrade? Do you know what the release number is?
Thanks --
A time or two I have taken a couple of the crests fast enough to have at least one of the tires lift off of the pavement and then chirp and they reconnect. I've shared all of this as a possible suggestion as to why my tires have not cupped or worn unevenly in the inside. They have however worn much faster than the folks getting 28K plus miles.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Suggestion to anyone on lease: at about 15K miles, swap them front to back. Have the dealer do it so they're torqued right. That way you'll turn it in without the charge.
Cheers--
Bentleyfam25: I've got that CD track 1 problem too and have not yet received the upgrade. Was scheduled to bring my ride in to the dealer this week, but called beforehand to see if they had the upgrade yet and was informed they did not. Was going to get the radio amplifier replaced then, as well, but opted to wait and get it all done at once.
Yesterday, I noticed a new glitch. My steering wheel column has stopped raising up out of the way when I take the key out and exit the car. Have you been blessed with that little wonder, yet?
AP
Can't answer on the wheel. I like to see the gauges, and the thick (heated) wheel blocks them except in the uppermost position. I leave it up there unless I'm on a long drive, and so haven't experienced the wheel repositioning. I tend to place the seat position high anyway, so I find that wheel postion comfortable.
Perhaps others have dealt with it--
Regards--
I also drove the M3 with SMG. I did not find the SMG as objectionable as some. I had heard that shifting in or out of auto mode was like getting rear-ended. That was definitely not my experience, though it was certainly rougher than a true automatic. I never fully mastered the manual mode. Unlike my 2000 steptronic, you push it up to downshift. I kept wanting to do the opposite. It also redlines at different rpms in different gears. I did not feel the car had that much kick (no comparison to the M5). Whether that was due to the car design, the particular car I drove, or the fact I had not gotten used to the SMG, I could not say for sure. I think some of the low 0-60 times could be due to the paddle shifting on the steering wheel which would save a lot of time in shifting. In other words, the car needs less zip to get to 60 in a given time with paddle shifting than a car without paddle shifting.
My vote is of course the M5. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
I have just purchased a slightly used 1998 540i with 36,000 miles on the odo. The car is equipped with the standard suspension with 16" wheels (Conti all season tires), and automatic transmission.
The car will be used 90% of the time on public roads (in the Pittsburgh area that means bad roads with plenty of potholes and frost heaves).
I do plenty of track days in a Caterham Super 7 but I will occasionally be taking the 540 to lapping days, mostly at BeaveRun, and possibly Mid Ohio and Watkins Glen.
I'm considering upgrading to 17" wheels and dedicated performance tires and I also plan on doing the Dinan engine and transmission software download.
I probably will not do anything right away with the suspension because I want to preserve a reasonable street experience.
What can I expect from the stock brakes? Should I plan on a pad upgrade and if so, does anyone have any recommendations.
Is there anything else that I should consider?
Thanks,
Bart
As far as wheels go, you may want to stick with the 16" and just upgrade the rubber. Increasing the wheels to 17" (for track use) will actually add unwanted unsprung weight to your 540iA.
Good luck and congrats on your car!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
The CTS V is sooo refined, It makes M5 look ordinary
The Caterham Super 7 is my serious track day car and it will be used on the track 25+ days per year.
Owning a car like the Super 7 has made me very conscious of both unsprung weight and rotational mass.
I will check with TireRack before buying the 17" wheel/tire combo for my 540 to make sure that I am not adding significant unsprung weight and rotational mass vs the stock 16" wheels and Conti Tires.
Are there any other points that anyone feels that I should consider?
Thanks.
And I liked the Active Steering. It does take getting used to (I bumped into a curb coming back into the dealership at low speed) but I was impressed. Seems like this would be an especially useful feature (along with PDC) for maneuvering around a crowded parking garage or similar situation.
Salesman says he owns a 540 with SP and doesn't switch to winter tires and has no trouble but I expect he'd have said anything he thought I wanted to hear. For example, he waxed eloquent over the heads up display but when I pressed him he couldn't really explain what was so good about it (at least apart from the fact it would move $1000 from my pocket to the dealer's).
He did acknowledge that the $1800 audio upgrade is not a very good deal unless you are really really into music.
Now I just got to make up my mind
The CTS V is sooo refined, It makes M5 look ordinary"
... About as rediculous a statement as has been made here in some time! Care to expand on the "ordinary" nature of the M5 for everyone?
But GM needs an awful lots of engine displacement (a huge 5.7L engine) to even begin to compete with the smaller engines in the M3 and M5. Just compare HP per L.
The CTS-V is a ton of nice car for the money. BUT it is NO M3 or M5 beater. Still rough around the edges. Performance not quite up to what GM thought it would be. Yet, a great first attempt. Will be nice to see if GM spends the development time, effort, and money like BMW has with its M line. Can't wait to see an 2010 CTS-V vs M5. Thinking the M5 has been around for about 20 years. The CTS-V has hardly been around for 2 months.
1. You need to check to odometer if it matches with DMV doc printed out by Finance dude.
2. Check for scratch paint. Make sure you pick up your car during daylight so that you can see ANY scratch and dent.
3. Work on every single feature to see if there is any unexpected behavior.
4. Make sure saleman go over the features.
5. Go over "QUALITY CERTIFICATION I (2004 5 Series, 7 Series" doc filled out by dealer's technician. This is an important checklist.
6. Wish you have fun with your 525
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Hope this helps...JL
-Billbrox
From Smart Motorist:
Performance - Performance has become an important safety feature for modern drivers. A responsive gas pedal allows you another option (brake or accelerate) when an accident unfolds before you. Good performance allows you to pass slow-moving vehicles on country roads, and to merge into fast-moving feeder lanes on expressways. Fast thinking and a responsive throttle can help you to avoid an accident that a slower vehicle couldn't.
When evaluating a vehicle, take a close look at the engine size (expressed in liters), the number of cylinders (4, 6, or 8), and the engine's power output (expressed in horsepower). By comparing the horsepower of two different vehicles with the same drive train and overall weight, you can determine which vehicle is faster, or has the better performance. A lighter car will be faster than a heavier one if the horsepower is the same. An engine's strength (expressed as torque) is determined by two factors, the number of cylinders and its horsepower. A six-cylinder engine with 140 horsepower will have more torque than a four-cylinder engine with the same horsepower rating.
Double overhead cam (DOHC)-equipped engines offer many advantages over single overhead cam (SOHC) engines. Because DOHC engines have twice as many intake and exhaust valves as a SOHC motor, they run cooler and more smoothly, quietly, and efficiently. To ensure against costly DOHC engine repairs, make sure you change your engine's timing belt every 60,000 miles.
Performance-minded shoppers may be looking for turbocharged or supercharged vehicles. These have performance-enhancing devices that re-utilize the engine's exhaust flow (turbocharger) or excess torque (supercharger) to increase the horsepower.
http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/november98/torque.shtml
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/techcenter/articles/43844/articl- - e.html
http://www.automotivehelper.com/topic109796.htm
http://www.off-road.com/hummer/tech/power.html
http://homepage.mac.com/dgiessel/engine/hpvstq.html
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/868/
http://dynoperformance.com/article_details.php?ID=3
http://www.dynacam.com/Product/Torque_vs__Horsepower/torque_vs__h- - orsepower.html
http://www.revsearch.com/dynamometer/torque_vs_horsepower.html
http://vettenet.org/torquehp.html
http://www.allpar.com/eek/hp-vs-torque.html
I like to drive a nice car, with performance features, but I spend 99% of my time on city streets or highways, don't fancy a "sports car" type feel, but don't want (yet) the refrigerator effect of Lexus 430. I am inclined to NOT do the Sports Package (after initially believing I wanted it), because it does not seem to fit my driving needs very well -- would "perform," but would be "rougher" over city streets, etc. (like my wife's FX35 -- it is fun, but very bouncy).
Would appreciate any thoughts about whether I am overlooking or misanalyzing something. While it's not the $3300, I don't think I'd be getting my money's worth, when some of the non-Sport Package things seem to fit better for me.
Thanks, anyone.
Muddog
Best Regards,
Shipo
For the record, I've got an '02 530, had a '91 525 before that, and my wife had an '92 325, all without SP, and all handled great (and rode firmly).
Now here in the Midwest, our roads are winter-ravaged, so the firmer SP ride, from stiffer suspension and low profile tires, just detracts from ride comfort, in my opinion (and invites dented rims). But the standard BMW suspension is not exactly a luxo-barge, and I think is a very good compromise between sport and luxury.
If you plan to do any driving in inclemate conditions, there is little argument that the SP tires are completely unsuitable, thus mandating complete extra set of tires/wheels, and bi-annual swaps as long as you own the car. Just too inconvenient for me, but others didn't seem to mind.
Aside from extra cost (which I don't think does much to enhance resale), and mixed reviews on Active Steering (which you'll get whether you like it or not with the SP), I don't think you could get a heated steering wheel with the SP (at least in '02), and that heated wheel is money well-spent around here. And while Active Roll Stabilization may be a worthwhile feature, I don't think it's essential, and it's not a stand-alone option (but at least it can be defeated, unlike Active Steering.) Also, I'm ignoring reliability/maintenance issues, but after all the Active Steering is brand new techology.
My post number #8418 talked about this, many disagreed, but some agreed--and I couldn't help but wonder if some who espoused the SP were in warmer/drier climes, so the wheel swap and harsher ride were not such issues.
I dare say you may hear from Riez, but I don't think he's had to deal with bi-annual wheel swaps or chewed-up roads--but we'll see (no gas intended Riez!)
Probably a dumb question -- can you get the Sport Package without the larger wheels/low profile tires, and get the active steering but reduce the "sporty roughness"? [I realize that the "real" drivers out there think that's a dumb idea anyway, but I like smoother.]
I'm in San Antonio, so the winter wheel/tire swap is not an issue; but, like most cities, the roads are ALWAYS behind where they should be, maintenance-wise, so the extra cushion that comes from the smaller, higher profile just seems to fit me better (and I swear the rims on my MB are out of round because of potholes, etc.). But I will try both on 530's (can't really test drive the few 545s that come through, although I did drive one that a guy didn't pick up -- awesome), to see the difference.
Anyone else who has thoughts, I welcome all perspectives. And appreciate folks' taking the time.
Muddog
First, if you read all eight billion and some odd posts, you'll find several lamentations on the missing sport pack. You'll also see that most of these cases are folks whose budget didn't allow them to "check all the boxes". Later, they said something like, "I would give up the 3.0 w/o SP for a 2.5 w/ SP" and such. I don't recall any posters that had the wherewithall to do it up front, chose not to, and then regretted it.
Second, the BMW 5 is a great drive without the sport pack. If you drive a 5 with sport pack and say, "Wow, I HAVE to have this", then by all means order it. But, if that's not your reaction, then you can and should live without it.
Third, get the car YOU want. No need playin' the mines better/bigger/faster/redder/meaner/badder than yours game. Get what you want, then forget about it.
Enjoy the ride,
Happy Jack
Now personally, I'd go where I think you might be headed, a 545 w/o SP, just a few select options to keep the MSRP as far south of $60k as possible--but that's the "value" shopper in me!
Thanks.
J
ksso
Hope this helps....JL
The posting of the new article reminded me that I had taken issue with some of the factoids from the previous article titled, "BMW 5 Series - The Best Car in the World?" According to my E-Mail to the powers that be at Edmunds dated 22-Jan-2004, the original version of the article said, "Then in 1968 BMW introduced the large "E21" (its designation inside BMW) sedan powered by a new range of inline six-cylinder engines and sold as the 2500 when equipped with a 2.5-liter version of the six and the 2800 with a 2.8-liter displacement."
In my E-Mail I wrote, "It is my understanding that the E21 BMW model designation was assigned to the 3-Series range of cars between 1975 and 1983. As for the old 2500 and 2800/Bavaria (referenced in the article), I thought that they were designated E3."
On 26-Jan-2004 I received the following reply:
"Dale,
You've got a sharp eye. Indeed the "E21" designation was for the 3 Series, not the 5 Series. We will make the correction.
Thanks.
John DiPietro
Road Test Editor
Edmunds.com"
Sure enough, upon checking the article I see that they have substantially re-written the paragraph regarding the 5-Series ancestors. Unfortunately I don't think it reads as well as the original layout (minus the incorrect factoids of course). I guess that's why they get the big bucks. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
"Because DOHC engines have twice as many intake and exhaust valves as a SOHC motor, they run cooler and more smoothly, quietly, and efficiently."
That may be a typo from you, I suppose. DOHC has very little to do with number of valves comparing to SOHC. DOHC has twin cams to control valves, one for intake valves, the other for exhaust valves. SOHC use a single cam to control all valves. Due to separate control of valves, DOHC engines are able to obtain better performance by tuning valve timing more optimally than SOHC counterparts. For example, many I-4 engines have 16V no matter that are SOHC or DOHC. However, it is likely to have less valves on SOHC engines than on DOHC, which makes sense from cost point of view.
I hope no one got confused from reading #8476. Just FYI.
Believe joatmon is absolutely right. Can't remember anyone bemoaning having the Sport Pkg but have read a lot of posts from buyers who regret not having it. And posts from 2nd or 3rd BMW buyers who didn't have the Sport Pkg on their first car but do have it on their subsequent car(s).
At least for the E38, E39, and E46 the Sport Pkg is a must! Only time will tell about the E60 and E65, but if history repeats, the buyer who loves to drive will get the Sport Pkg.
I live in the snowy/icy midwest and loved my 540i6! No problems with ride or wheels.