2004 BMW 545i Reviews

It's simply so safe with its intelligent driver aids like dynamic stability control and its secondary safety measures such as comprehensive crash protection and airbags.Now, add 75kW of power and $43,000 to the price and you've got the BMW 545i, a V8 4398cc six-speed auto with a whopping 245kW of power.Yes, there are other differences, such as an alarm system, comfort seats, dynamic stability control, 10-speaker sound system, DVD and TV, voice-recognition system, xenon headlights and leather steering wheel.But it is that strong and willing engine that makes all the difference.Thanks to the dynamic stability control you can use all its awesome power without giving yourself or your passengers too many unexpected thrills. It is oh so quiet in the cabin, with only a gentle rumble from the V8 when under any duress.Even winding the windows down doesn't feed in any more of its dulcet tones.So you either enjoy the cabin quiet or turn up that 10-speaker sound system and rock the neighbourhood with duff-duff music.After driving several BMWs with the iDrive system, I'm getting more and more capable.iDrive uses one big all-purpose control like the mouse on a computer.You can click it down, push it forward and back, move it side to side and then dial it around clockwise and anti-clockwise.Each movement is mirrored on the screen display.After a while, it kind of clicks in your brain and it becomes much easier – not really second-nature, but certainly logical.However, you can't make more than one or two choices without having to avert your eyes from the driving task.There is nothing you can really do by feel, without looking at the screen.With separate controls, you can feel your way to the volume, tone controls and various other functions. You can't do that with iDrive.You have to watch where you are in the on-screen menu and make your selections.For example, changing the tone settings requires half a dozen clicks, dials and shoves before you even get to the settings, let alone adjusting them.Consequently, it is vital that you take the time to program in your voice commands so that you can operate the system hands-free.Dashboard-mounted TVs switch to a blank screen when you are moving and most will show the picture when you stop or are moving slowly.It's actually against the law to watch the screen when you are not parked.This TV screen only works when the parking brake is engaged.

It is by no means cheap – at $90,900 – but is the most affordable dish in the executive sedan range. Rightly or wrongly, BMW has copped much flak over its switch to a bolder, more energetic look for the Five. BMW should not be worried, though, there are far more worrying designs emerging in the prestige market.Three 5-Series models are available – the 530i with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder, the 545i with a 4.4-litre V8 and our test car with a 2.5-litre in-line six.The smooth engine isn't the most powerful around with 141kW at 6000 revs and 245Nm of torque at 3500 revs.It comes with a superb six-speed, three-mode auto with Steptronic as standard.While this is the entry model, the 525i still comes with leather seats, auto airconditioning, automatic headlights and windscreen washers, central locking, fog lamps, heat-reflecting glass, power adjustment for height and backrest for the front seats, a superb audio system, DVD navigation and 16-inch alloy wheels.However, if you want some of the clever toys, it'll cost you. The options list includes electronic parking assist ($1680), which beeps when you are close to an object; 17-inch wheels with run-flat tyres ($1550); bi-xenon headlamps with washers ($2110); heated seats ($1170); active cruise control ($4500); alarm system ($975) and adaptive headlights that swivel into corners to enable the driver to "see around the bend" at night ($860).BMW has fitted the Five with a simplified version of its controversial iDrive system...a knob mounted between the seats which acts as a computer mouse to select various functions, such as the audio and ventilation settings, which are listed on a screen on the dashboard. It's one of those things that looks like a good ideas on paper, but is frustrating to use.As you'd expect, there's an abundance of hi-tech safety features, including anti-lock brakes, multiple front and side air bags, low-pressure tyre warning system and BMW's Dynamic Drive system (active anti-roll bars which change the spring and/or damper settings to suit road conditions). The system has been borrowed from the 7-Series and helps greatly to keep the car flat and stable when cornering. It comes as an option, though, at $4950.Add Dynamic Traction and Stability Control to that and you have a car that can usually correct driver error or loss of traction by reducing wheel slip or wheel spin by individually applying the brakes.On the roadPlant the foot and it takes a while for the Bimmer to pick up its skirt and run like the wind. The fun begins when you get up in the rev range, with the six-speed automatic well cogged to make the best of the engine's peak performance.This is a car that responds well to being driven on the throttle without heavy fuel consumption.It is fair to say this is the sweetest 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine around today.BMW's speed-variable Active Steering is a technical breakthrough, providing variable assistance depending on the speed of the car. At speeds up to 120km/h it needs only 1.7 turns of the steering wheel to go from lock to lock. That makes it a breeze to park and you don't end up crossing your arms when you tackle the suburban roundabout. At higher speeds, when more wheel movement is desirable, a less direct ratio comes into play.The go-kart steering, however, can catch you out until you get used to it. It is very precise – perhaps too precise at moderate speeds and a little lifeless in feel at low speed.Push the car hard on flowing country roads and there's a reassuring amount of grip with the backup of traction and stability control systems. It sits flat with terrific poise and balance. BMW quotes a zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 8.7 seconds.The Five's cabin also has a new look, but it can leave occupants a bit cold because of the almost minimalistic dashboard. Decent and practical in-cabin storage, however, is a bit on the skimpy side.The bottom lineIt doesn't have the same punch of its more expensive 5-Series brothers, but the more affordable 525i is still a class act.