BMW 545i Sedan Manual
We should have known that it would happen eventually. Last year, the vaunted BMW 5-series didn’t win a comparison test and finally fell off of our 10Best list. That the 5-series we’d grown so familiar with was still winning our enthusiast hearts after more than five years (what seems an eternity in the modern car biz), speaks volumes of praise. But, the 2003 5-series finally took the fall, taking second place to the newly designed Mercedes-Benz E-class.
Though it might have been time for a change, we were nonetheless nervous about the fate of one of our favorite luxury-sports sedans. After all, we’d heard that the all-new 2004 model would get the unnecessarily complicated iDrive information and entertainment system from the 7-series. Just as distressing, we knew that the new car would have the ominous-sounding “active front steering,” bigger dimensions, and styling that would mimic the sometimes awkward-looking 7-series.
Well, all of these things came true in the form of the 2004 5-series, and - you know what? - we still like the thing. We’re still going to have to get used to the curious slab-sided styling, but the increased dimensions (1.3 inches of height, 1.8-inches of width, and 2.3 inches of wheelbase) provide for more rear-seat room - something the outgoing car badly needed. And, through the generous use of aluminum, the 2004 5-series is actually lighter than the outgoing car, despite its increased girth. And, the iDrive knob, which is camped out on the center console (behind the shifter), operates fewer functions than in the 7-series and is, therefore, marginally easier to figure out.
It turns out the active steering is available only on Sport-package-equipped models and actually works well. At low speeds the steering ratio is a quick 10:1 to impart a feeling of nimbleness, whereas at high speeds a much slower 18:1 ratio is used to make the car feel less nervous. The transitions from quick to slow are nearly imperceptible. All of the engine choices have appeared before. The base motor is the 2.5-liter inline six in the 525i. The upgrade, in the 530i model, is the familiar 3.0-liter six. New for 2004 is the availability of the 7-series’ 325-hp 4.4-liter V-8 in place of the 290-hp unit of last year. All are available with a choice of three six-speed transmissions: stick, sequential manual, and conventional automatic. We’ll have to wait at least another year for the next M5, rumored to be powered by a 500-horsepower V-10.
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