e61 545i / 550i - any good?
Discussion
Its got a great history. Dealer car that a chap called Roger Dale bought at 4 months old. He's a retired stockbroker that bought an old monastery up in Northumberland and used the 545i as his road car and a defender 90 to play farmer in his retirement. When the defender chassis rotted he changed it for a new discovery and found it could do the road car job almost as well as the BMW, hence the sale. Car had only done 36,000 miles when I purchased it off him in August 2011 (for £9,000).
It had a full supplying dealer service history and - although it showed clear signs of having not been kept in a garage (moss on the window seals, slightly flat paint). I was soon able to buff it back to its original glory.
I handed over an inch thick file of all the paperwork and receipts as well as all 3 keys. You'd do well to find one with more provenance!
Felt like a real luxury cruiser - very soft and comfortable, the engine more of a luxury (very quiet and smooth with 'reassuring reserves of power' that the car gave the impression was 'all very unnecessary to use'!)
Coming from a 320cdi you'll probably think its not that quick - like all petrol engines you really have to rev it. It starts to feel fast in 3rd gear at about 70-80 on a B-road. Then it really does start to feel quick - with lovely throttle adjustability - but by that stage it starts to feel decidedly floaty and challenging!
Due to the lack of mileage and outside storage, I ended up spending quite a bit of maintenance (all new brakes pads, discs, lines and hoses) but then the it breezed through its MOT and the last service (a simple oil service) had no advisories.
I liked the car - I really did. But it was due a major service (incl. spark plugs), the alloys needed a refurb (looks like they still do!), the front offside hub had developed play and the parking sensors went faulty (kept beeping on as if something was straight in the way) so I probably needed to drop £500-1000 on it.
And I just thought that, even with the money spent, it would still be a 9 year old car with a constantly speaking sunroof (drove me nuts!), worn bushes (I've got a very typical B road commute to work and it really did feel like it had lost structural integrity) and I wanted something new.
The 550i GT does feel very modern by comparison, but its also huge (the 545i never felt too big but had all the space you could need) the mpg is worse (the 545i genuinely averaged 26mpg in my hands - but then I always nursed it on the motorway where it would do 29mpg at a steady 70mpg and 22mpg on my short schlep to work). The 550i GT (4.4 twin turbo) is doing 27mpg at a steady 70mph cruise and 19mpg on my commute) and I do miss the 'simplicity' of the E61 (it's a relatively simple, mechanical feeling car with a big motor and manual gearbox, the F07 feels overly complicated and potentially troublesome as a result). That said, wow is the F07's performance on another level and the adjustable suspension really works.
Personally I much prefer the much improved cabin of the LCI E61 (had a late 535d touring before the 545i but didn't like diesel) but I would recommend the 545i. It's a relaxed cruiser that fits your lifestyle but can be great fun if you fancy a thrape. I wouldn't want an auto (although conversely the F07 really suits the excellent 8 speed auto) and I'd probably have done something to firm up the suspension had I kept the 545i.
The dealer will presumably have spent some money sorting the issues - and a BMW 12 month warranty on a car of this vintage is probably worth a grand? - so it's obviously worth more than I p/ex'd it for (and I've no issues as the cost to change was right for me) but it still feels £2.5k too rich for me? I think the manual gearbox is perhaps the most sellable feature of the car (I.e. it's worth more to the right person but finding the right person would take longer) but I got no end of grief from the dealer about it ("llovely car but that manual gearbox kills it, I couldn't touch it and would have to auction it etc.!").
There's loads of life left in the car and I think the styling (both inside and out) is ageing really well. Not important to me, but everyone seemed to presume it was a £25k motor (I have a private plate - hence no plates on the car in the pictures). Getting a big motor with a manual box in an estate car is an ever increasing rarity and it defined the car. I'd recommend one and it had lots of character but don't expect it to be chuck able like a hot hatch! Despite weighing 300kg more (eek!) the F07 feels better tied down to the road...
If it was me, I'd hold out for an LCI 550i manual in Sport rather than SE trim - but you could be holding out a long time for one of those!
Hope that helps.
It had a full supplying dealer service history and - although it showed clear signs of having not been kept in a garage (moss on the window seals, slightly flat paint). I was soon able to buff it back to its original glory.
I handed over an inch thick file of all the paperwork and receipts as well as all 3 keys. You'd do well to find one with more provenance!
Felt like a real luxury cruiser - very soft and comfortable, the engine more of a luxury (very quiet and smooth with 'reassuring reserves of power' that the car gave the impression was 'all very unnecessary to use'!)
Coming from a 320cdi you'll probably think its not that quick - like all petrol engines you really have to rev it. It starts to feel fast in 3rd gear at about 70-80 on a B-road. Then it really does start to feel quick - with lovely throttle adjustability - but by that stage it starts to feel decidedly floaty and challenging!
Due to the lack of mileage and outside storage, I ended up spending quite a bit of maintenance (all new brakes pads, discs, lines and hoses) but then the it breezed through its MOT and the last service (a simple oil service) had no advisories.
I liked the car - I really did. But it was due a major service (incl. spark plugs), the alloys needed a refurb (looks like they still do!), the front offside hub had developed play and the parking sensors went faulty (kept beeping on as if something was straight in the way) so I probably needed to drop £500-1000 on it.
And I just thought that, even with the money spent, it would still be a 9 year old car with a constantly speaking sunroof (drove me nuts!), worn bushes (I've got a very typical B road commute to work and it really did feel like it had lost structural integrity) and I wanted something new.
The 550i GT does feel very modern by comparison, but its also huge (the 545i never felt too big but had all the space you could need) the mpg is worse (the 545i genuinely averaged 26mpg in my hands - but then I always nursed it on the motorway where it would do 29mpg at a steady 70mpg and 22mpg on my short schlep to work). The 550i GT (4.4 twin turbo) is doing 27mpg at a steady 70mph cruise and 19mpg on my commute) and I do miss the 'simplicity' of the E61 (it's a relatively simple, mechanical feeling car with a big motor and manual gearbox, the F07 feels overly complicated and potentially troublesome as a result). That said, wow is the F07's performance on another level and the adjustable suspension really works.
Personally I much prefer the much improved cabin of the LCI E61 (had a late 535d touring before the 545i but didn't like diesel) but I would recommend the 545i. It's a relaxed cruiser that fits your lifestyle but can be great fun if you fancy a thrape. I wouldn't want an auto (although conversely the F07 really suits the excellent 8 speed auto) and I'd probably have done something to firm up the suspension had I kept the 545i.
The dealer will presumably have spent some money sorting the issues - and a BMW 12 month warranty on a car of this vintage is probably worth a grand? - so it's obviously worth more than I p/ex'd it for (and I've no issues as the cost to change was right for me) but it still feels £2.5k too rich for me? I think the manual gearbox is perhaps the most sellable feature of the car (I.e. it's worth more to the right person but finding the right person would take longer) but I got no end of grief from the dealer about it ("llovely car but that manual gearbox kills it, I couldn't touch it and would have to auction it etc.!").
There's loads of life left in the car and I think the styling (both inside and out) is ageing really well. Not important to me, but everyone seemed to presume it was a £25k motor (I have a private plate - hence no plates on the car in the pictures). Getting a big motor with a manual box in an estate car is an ever increasing rarity and it defined the car. I'd recommend one and it had lots of character but don't expect it to be chuck able like a hot hatch! Despite weighing 300kg more (eek!) the F07 feels better tied down to the road...
If it was me, I'd hold out for an LCI 550i manual in Sport rather than SE trim - but you could be holding out a long time for one of those!
Hope that helps.
Edited by Bencolem on Sunday 24th March 09:26
Edited by Bencolem on Sunday 24th March 09:27
Thank you very much for that comprehensive write up.
I had the same thought about a 550i M Sport but the last 2 Spanish versions were snapped up by fellow PHers before I could get to them!
Will have a chat with the dealer and go from there.
Had a crack in a base spec 645ci the other day - great engine, would benefit from a sporty exhaust, but the car had no spec so did not feel special enough. One with all the gear may have been a different story.
My wife drives the ST220 estate family mobile so used to having to 'stretch' the big petrol to deliver the performance - something we all enjoy
I had the same thought about a 550i M Sport but the last 2 Spanish versions were snapped up by fellow PHers before I could get to them!
Will have a chat with the dealer and go from there.
Had a crack in a base spec 645ci the other day - great engine, would benefit from a sporty exhaust, but the car had no spec so did not feel special enough. One with all the gear may have been a different story.
My wife drives the ST220 estate family mobile so used to having to 'stretch' the big petrol to deliver the performance - something we all enjoy
Talking of base spec - forget to mention the seats. The 535d before it and the 550i GT that followed it both had comfort, heated seats. The 545i had standard seats and it was a genuine problem for me - I like a seat to hug me and these felt very flat and unsupportive with no side bolsterage and no under thigh support. The roof, pro nav and adaptive headlights were the only options on the car so its actually a quite a low spec car. I had to fit a parrot for hands free and never rated it. Steering wheel was too big as well!
Bencolem said:
If it was me, I'd hold out for an LCI 550i manual in Sport rather than SE trim - but you could be holding out a long time for one of those!
..watch this space, I've pretty much decided to sell mine! I'm getting it serviced the week after next, then I'll probably put it on the classifieds.It will be a sad day, they are a lovely car. Unfortunatly, it no longer fits my driving needs with the amount of work miles I'm doing at the moment.
CrazyHorse said:
..watch this space, I've pretty much decided to sell mine! I'm getting it serviced the week after next, then I'll probably put it on the classifieds.
It will be a sad day, they are a lovely car. Unfortunatly, it no longer fits my driving needs with the amount of work miles I'm doing at the moment.
CrazyHorse, I've PM'd you. If you've not already sold the 550i give me a PM back. It will be a sad day, they are a lovely car. Unfortunatly, it no longer fits my driving needs with the amount of work miles I'm doing at the moment.
So 350 miles and 12 hours in the saddle later, I am averaging about 21mpg @ 28mph which I am delighted by to be honest. I am also delighted by the engine - huge slabs of endless bottom end torque with horses at the top end to match. Lovely! I mean, really lovely. Driving through West Sussex this Easter weekend was a real pleasure. Not that I see the top end very often, I get a bit nervous after 3000rpm... Perhaps my only grumble is the SE suspension which is not quite as much to my liking as the sport suspension on my old 3 series. Is it as simple as buying a set of these and having them fitted?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eibach-ProKit-Lowering-S...
Or does anyone have any other ideas?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eibach-ProKit-Lowering-S...
Or does anyone have any other ideas?
I've finally made the decision to sell by beautiful 550i manual touring... so thought I'd resurrect this thread for the sole reason of blatantly advertising my car in a thread talking about how good they are!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Edited by CrazyHorse on Tuesday 9th July 22:26
CrazyHorse said:
I've finally made the decision to sell by beautiful 550i manual touring... so thought I'd resurrect this thread for the sole reason of blatantly advertising my car in a thread talking about how good they are!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Absolutely love that.http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Edited by CrazyHorse on Wednesday 15th May 22:53
Shame that a) I don't have more than £10k to play with;
and b) I actually want an auto
.I missed this thread til now - I really should visit the BMW section more often.
I've an E60 550i M Sport Manual, in blue with beige interior (comforts seats), and dark poplar wood.
I've had it a year now, and love it.
Regarding the Eisenmann exhaust - I bought a lightly used one for a bargain price only a few weeks after buying the car and have posted about it here as I still need to get it fitted:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Scz4, I guess it was you who had the one fitted to the lovely E61 which is now for sale from CrazyHorse? If you don't mind me asking, who did you use to get it fitted? Also interested in feedback from either of you as to how it sounds. The one I picked up is an Eisenmann Race one (without the flap inside).
I've an E60 550i M Sport Manual, in blue with beige interior (comforts seats), and dark poplar wood.
I've had it a year now, and love it.
Regarding the Eisenmann exhaust - I bought a lightly used one for a bargain price only a few weeks after buying the car and have posted about it here as I still need to get it fitted:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
scz4 said:
CrazyHorse said:
Thanks for the offer again, but if I do change it will probably be to 2 cars - a work horse and a sports car. I'll bear it in mind though.
Plus I have first refusal on my old car! scz4 may correct me, but I think its the Eisenmann "sport", so is probably a bit more subtle than the race version. It sounds fantastic when you want it to i.e. on startup and moderate to hard acceleration, but you don't notice it of you're just tootling around or on the motorway.
I think it was fitted by an exhaust specialist local to scz4 in Aberdeen. If he doesn't post before I'll check the receipt tonight.
I think it was fitted by an exhaust specialist local to scz4 in Aberdeen. If he doesn't post before I'll check the receipt tonight.
CrazyHorse said:
scz4 may correct me, but I think its the Eisenmann "sport", so is probably a bit more subtle than the race version. It sounds fantastic when you want it to i.e. on startup and moderate to hard acceleration, but you don't notice it of you're just tootling around or on the motorway.
I think it was fitted by an exhaust specialist local to scz4 in Aberdeen. If he doesn't post before I'll check the receipt tonight.
Cheers mate. I've also sent scz4 a PM about it, and found his Reader's cars thread from ages ago- indeed it does seem to be the Sport version. I'm visiting an exhaust company tomorrow to hopefully get it sorted. Your ad showing the tips poking out has inspired me as it's a shame for it to be sitting on the shelf. I think it was fitted by an exhaust specialist local to scz4 in Aberdeen. If he doesn't post before I'll check the receipt tonight.
From the limited amount of information I've read, the Race version hopefully won't be too lairy. The guy I bought it off said it was still too quiet for him initially and so he had one of the other resonators taken off the front/mid section of the OEM system on his car.
CrazyHorse said:
I've finally made the decision to sell by beautiful 550i manual touring... so thought I'd resurrect this thread for the sole reason of blatantly advertising my car in a thread talking about how good they are!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
If I actually needed another relatively quick estate, this would be it! Such a shame I really don't, I always have fancied a manual 550i http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
jones325i said:
Cheers mate. I've also sent scz4 a PM about it, and found his Reader's cars thread from ages ago- indeed it does seem to be the Sport version. I'm visiting an exhaust company tomorrow to hopefully get it sorted. Your ad showing the tips poking out has inspired me as it's a shame for it to be sitting on the shelf.
From the limited amount of information I've read, the Race version hopefully won't be too lairy. The guy I bought it off said it was still too quiet for him initially and so he had one of the other resonators taken off the front/mid section of the OEM system on his car.
Hi guys. From the limited amount of information I've read, the Race version hopefully won't be too lairy. The guy I bought it off said it was still too quiet for him initially and so he had one of the other resonators taken off the front/mid section of the OEM system on his car.
Yeap it was the sport version. As crazyhorse say, spot on for a subtle family estate car. I'm sure after another year I'd want to raise the volume a little from inside the cabin, but outside it was absolutely perfect. Let us know how you get on with the race, I wasn't quite that brave!
The fitters had to fabricate a bit of pipe to make it fit, wasn't just a cut and sleeve fitment. I'm not sure why that is, the box said 550i, my CA Automotive invoice said 550i, but the Eisenman paperwork said 545i, so I wonder what I actually got. Hopefully yours is easy!
Ian, much interest in the 550i? Such a cracking car, I really miss it! Want to trade it against my F11 525d?
Cheers for the info.
That's interesting about the fitting - did they have to modify your bumper at all? Roy at CA auto told me they do something to it but it doesn't require any repainting afterwards so I guess its something on the inner surface.
Also did yours have a manufacturer's plate on it? The one I have does, and it says 'BMW E60 550i' on it so fingers crossed it fits well.
I will indeed update on how it goes.
That's interesting about the fitting - did they have to modify your bumper at all? Roy at CA auto told me they do something to it but it doesn't require any repainting afterwards so I guess its something on the inner surface.
Also did yours have a manufacturer's plate on it? The one I have does, and it says 'BMW E60 550i' on it so fingers crossed it fits well.
I will indeed update on how it goes.
scz4 said:
Ian, much interest in the 550i? Such a cracking car, I really miss it! Want to trade it against my F11 525d?
A guy off here seemed very interested a few weeks ago before I officially put it up for sale but he needed to sell his car... then must have either lost interest or not sold his car because I've not heard from him. Since putting it up for sale officially on Wednesday, I've had a few emails of tentative interest asking for more details and a lot of love on the forums (here and bmw forums), but nobody to see it yet. It's the sort of car which a lot of people would like to have but not that many can justify actually owning, but it's a lovely car in great condition, with a fantastic engine... temptation will overcome a pistonhead at some point. I'm in not great rush to sell to be honest.
I need to turn this into 2 cars; a sports car and motorway workhorse, so not sure your F11 525d fits either of those requirements, unless you'll take <£10k for it!
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