- 61,000
- Sandy, UT
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- autoshopper.com
2004 bmw 5 series review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new sedans are bigger and better. The bmw 5 series has long been a big seller in the most popular, most competitive class of luxury cars. It's the benchmark for critics and auto industry engineers alike. for 2004, the 5 series is redesigned down to its aluminum wheels for the first time in eight years. Bmw's premise for the all-new 5 series seems to be more: more room, more equipment and more sophisticated technology, including bmw's controversial idrive computer interface. Unfortunately, the new 5 costs more, too, and it follows the contentious styling theme introduced on bmw's full-size 7 series. bmw's smaller 3 series may be the bigger seller, but the 5 is the company's original sports sedan and the oldest nameplate in its line-up. Since the 5 series nomenclature was introduced in 1975, bmw has completely overhauled its mid-line sedan five times. The redo for 2004 is as extensive as any the company has undertaken. Because this sedan generates a quarter of bmw's profits worldwide, the engineers in munich spared no expense in the redesign. in a sense, the most important things haven't changed. Bmw's 5 series remains a true sports sedan in any of its three variations, the 525i, 530i, and 545i. All three boast precise handling, impressive power and outstanding brakes. That tradition continues for 2004. the least expensive is the 525i, powered by bmw's smaller, 184-hp inline six cylinder engine, retailing at $39,995. Next up it the 530i, with a larger, 225-hp six and a sticker price of $44,995. The ultimate 5 is the v8-powered, 325-hp 545i, and its price jumps a full $10,000 to $54,995. Bmw justifies its increases with advanced technologies introduced in the new 5. Further, the company claims that given the 'value ratio,' or equipment for the money, prices have actually held steady. We're not sure what that means, but we know customers could buy a 2003 5 series for less than they'll pay for a 2004. that said, even the 525i comes standard with lots of luxury features. These include fully automatic climate control with active micro-filtration and separate temperature and airflow controls for each side of the cabin; an am/fm/cd player with 10 speakers and two sub-woofers; a power tilt-and-telescope leather steering wheel: keyless entry with a multi-function remote and vehicle & key memory, which sets seat and climate controls for the driver whose key opens the car; and head and fog lights with automatic control. There are three 12-volt power outlets in the cabin and one in the trunk. There's also a rechargeable flashlight in the glovebox. however, base prices for both the 525i and 530i do not include an automatic transmission 1,275) or leather upholstery (part of the $2,400 premium package). All variants come with the bmw assist package, including a one-year subscription to the service. Bmw assist provides tele-matic collision notification, an sos button, roadside assistance, locator and concierge services. the 530i accounts for nearly half of 5 series sales in the united states, and adds three items to the 525i's standard-feature list: the bigger six-cylinder engine (3. 0 liters vs. 2. 5), slightly larger brake discs and 17-inch alloy wheels (vs. 16-inchers on the 525i). the 545i's standard equipment includes still bigger brakes, a six-speed automatic transmission, leather upholstery, a power glass sunroof, a three-function garage door opener in the overhead console and more elaborate auto-dimming interior lighting. All three 5 series are available with a clutch operated manual, a conventional automatic or bmw's sequential manual gearbox 1,500). While it will shift automatically, smg is not an old-school automatic with a torque converter and a manual shift feature. It's more like a standard manual transmission with an automatic clutch. The smg's clutch operates electrically without input from the driver, who shifts up or down simply by moving the gear lever or clicking paddles on either side of the steering wheel. The test 530i also added the sport package, with active steering and active roll stabilization and 18x8-inch cast alloy wheels with 245/wr-18 run-flat tires 3,330). It had bmw's park distance control 700), which warns a driver of low-lying or poorly visible objects with an electro. walkaroundthe 2004 5 series has been so thoroughly redesigned that much of it is unfamiliar even to bmw enthusiasts. The most apparent change is its exterior styling, but we'll start with what isn't so obvious to the eye. the new 5 is 2. 6 inches longer, 1. 8 inches wider and 1. 3 inches taller than the 2003 model, and its wheelbase has increased 2. 6 inches. Nonetheless, all that aluminum keeps a lid on the car's weight. Depending on equipment, some 2004 models are up to 55 pounds lighter than their predecessors. A new aluminum driveshaft saves 13 pounds compared to the previous steel part. The hood, front fenders and frame in front of the windshield pillars are also aluminum, glued and riveted to the rest of the car to avoid the corrosion typical of aluminum-steel contact points. The 5 adopts bmw's new brand-wide design theme, launched on the flagship 7 series in 2002. At no time in recent memory has automobile styling generated such controversy. With the release of the 7, rogue members of the bmw club of america launched a web site to generate momentum to fire bmw's design chief. The new 5 is definitely cast in the 7 series mold, with a curvy front end, flat flanks with minimal embellishment and a high, flat rear deck with wraparound taillights. The critics claim that, with the flared-nostrils look in front and the chunked-off shape of the trunk lid, the 2004 5 series seems almost like two halves taken from different cars. Some have suggested the new 5 has the appearance of a well-made mainstream japanese sedan like the honda accord. While the accord is an outstanding car in its own right, that isn't the precedent one expects for an expensive european job. And either way, despite the hailstorm of comment and criticism that followed the launch of the 7 series, bmw's new look hasn't seemed to hurt its sales. those comma-shaped taillights use another of the 5's new technologies, something bmw calls adaptive brake lights. These illuminate more intensely, over a larger area, when the driver applies the brakes full-lock, or when the abs operates. The idea is to inform drivers in cars following the 5 series that it's stopping quickly. Interesting, we suppose, but it would seem to work only if the driver following the 5 knows how to interpret the varied intensity of its brake lights. interiordesign cues from bmw's flagship 7 series carry through inside the 2004 5 series as well. Double-wave could more accurately be called two-step, with two levels in the dash running the width of the cabin. This interior has drawn far less criticism than the exterior styling, and from a functional view point it's quite effective. Moreover, the soft plastics covering the new 5 series' doors and dashboard are handsome and rich to the touch. In this regard, the 2004 5 series is much nicer than both the current 3 series and the 2003 5. the 5's instrument cluster is dominated by two gauge pods, with the gas gauge wrapped inside the analog speedometer and a miles-per-gallon gauge inside the tach. For 2004, the tachometer in all 5 series models includes a variable warning led that circles the gauge. When the engine is cold, this led extends to 4200 rpm, then gradually increases the rpm limit to the redline as the oil warms up. Climate Control✔ AM/FM✔ Tachometer✔ CD Player✔ Sport Package✔ Aluminum Wheels✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Alloy Wheels
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