View Full Version : Two days with a 540iT
Josh (PA)
06-15-2005, 02:17 PM
I spent the weekend with our soon to be 540 wagon. I borrowed it from the current owner so my mechanic could do a pre-sale inspection on Monday. Everything checked out, the only problem was a dead Aux fan (thank you 2001 seimens fans, still finding a way to haunt me). If the current owner can't get it fixed through the recall (since it's an automatic), he'll pay to have it fixed (estimated at $600). We finalized a very nice deal. He's trading it in to his BMW dealer when his X5 comes in, and I'll immediately buy it from the dealer. He gets a good price for the car ($2k over normal trade in), plus saves ~$1400 on sales tax of his X5. I get a great price for the car ($2k below edmunds tmv) and the dealer makes $500 on the transaction for doing paper work. Everybody except NJ State Gov make out really well in the deal.
Outside of the automatic transmission, I very much enjoyed everything about the car. The recirc ball steering may not be as communicative as my M3, but it's still less numb than anything I've driven from Audi and it's nicely weighted. The weight seemed very close to my e46 328i.
The sport seats are interesting. I actually find their shape to be a little more narrow than the M3. It might just be me, but they seem to be more curved (think profile of a funnel shaped) and my back pinched in more than in either of my 3s. They were also more padded though, which made them a little more comfortable overall.
The car is just amazing at eating through highway miles. It seems most comfortable cruising along at 90 - 95mph, so you need to really keep your eye on your speed. The sport package ride is excellent; comfortable but well sprung with great rebound control. Bumps get absorbed without being jarring, but there is little feel of floatiness.
On tighter back roads the car is extremely capable, but doesn't ask to be pushed like 3series does. The automatic is probably the biggest drawback here, usually not in the gear I want it to be in, or kicking down at the wrong time, etc. If I were to come into some spending money, I would swap in the M5 6sp & LSD and be very happy.
The thing that blows me away is the power/low end torque of the v8. It's so much fun putting your foot into that car anywhere in the rev band and having it take off. You get a lot of funny looks from unsuspecting "sports car" drivers when you walk away from them in a white station wagon. Of course it comes at the price of my averaging 14-15 mpg around town and 20.6 on my highway drive back to NJ. I spent $45 filling the tank before driving it back (the guy lives 107 miles away), and another $14 when I got back to his town.
The interior space should work out great. Our two dogs fit nicely behind the back seats and the dog net should keep them from bugging the twins to be. One great feature is the dog net can also mount under the front edge of the back seat cushions so you can use it to block off the whole area with the rear seats folded. I parked it back to back with my parent's x3 and the 5 looked to have almost twice as much trunk volume.
It does a very nice job of minimizing the pain of needing a family hauling land yacht. I'm looking forward to getting it full time now. :banana:
Cool. I test drove a LOADED 525iT slushie a few months back. The engine did a decent job, but you could sure use more power. The tranny didn't help much, considering how often it how to downshift to get decent performance out of the wagon. But the ride (SP) was close to perfect for a family car. Responsive, yet comfortable.
The 540iT must be awesome. The fuel economy still scares me though.
lip277
06-15-2005, 06:24 PM
You've described how I feel about my modified 740i as well.
Great car. The only thing that gives me away is the exhaust note out the back - When I drive in town, I often see heads turn as I pass by (when they hear the exhaust).
But - While the 7 or 5 is not an M3, the twisties aren't anything to complain about either.
FWIW - I have the 5HP30 trans in my '95. The PO had the valve body replaced to fix some 'known' ussues. It shifts very nice and doesn't seem to be out of position (wrong gear) too often for me. I typically drive in S4 mode (Sport 4) except when I get to speed on the highway when I slip it into "D".
Again - A very nice choice.
Have fun with the 'new' car.
lemming
06-15-2005, 08:40 PM
v8 power is corrupting.
fuel economy isn't all that bad....with a manual transmission.
my buddy at the local lexus dealer is selling an 02 540i 6spd for $32k --whoever buys that car is a genius.
the e39 is the last BMW interior that i was in that felt like incredible high quality in almost every aspect. with the e36 and e46, some of the plastics were still subpar and this is even more true on the new x3, x5, new 5 and new 7 (and the new 6). it's definitely true in the z4 and i don't see how it couldn't be true in the e90.
i can understand why it happened, but at the same time, it makes audi interiors look better and better from an industry standpoint.
Josh (PA)
06-15-2005, 09:01 PM
I can see the V8 power being corrupting. The car is an '01 so it has the 5sp step transmission. Step seems like more of a gimmick to me than anything that actually adds to the driving experience. I have trouble remembering which way is upshift and which way is down. Intuition tells me if I'm approaching a curve at 3rd gear speed and want to downshift to 2nd I pull back, whereas when I'm in 4th going to 3rd I push forward, etc.
Besides the fit and finish, another thing I like about the interior is how seemingly "customizable" it is. By that I mean a lot of features can be programmed to operate the way you like them to, whether it's the computer cycling, turning off certain secondary displays, the seat, mirrors AND steering wheel being part of the key memory, etc.
After spending time with the e39, it is pretty easy to see why a lot of people consider it BMW's pinnacle (or at least pinnacle compromise vehicle).
lemming
06-15-2005, 09:12 PM
completely agree.
the e39 (and the e38, to a lesser extent) is, in my opinion, the best made car that BMW has made in recent memory. the interior quality, which means build, gap tolerances, and material, is so high that it is ridiculous. stuff that can only be matched by lexus nowadays.
and the rest of the car is so solid. expensive to maintain and to fix, but well worth it, in my opinion.
my buddy at the local lexus dealer is selling an 02 540i 6spd for $32k --whoever buys that car is a genius.
Info please.
my buddy at the local lexus dealer is selling an 02 540i 6spd for $32k --whoever buys that car is a genius.
Info please.
Yes.
Josh (PA)
06-15-2005, 09:26 PM
FYI for those thinking of an E39, there is a buyer's guide article in the most recent issue of Bimmer magazine. I picked it up, not a lot of earth shattering information, but worth a read if you're in the market. Basically said the 530 is the best balanced, best handling and best gas mileage of all e39s, and with sport package will out-nimble an m5. The 540 adds grunt at the expense of handling, weight and maintenance costs, the 525 is underpowered and the 528 was nice, but getting old. :rolleyes:
Major things to look at are the radiator (as in every BMW), water pumps on old ones, routine 30k mile manual and auto fluid changes (they say a number of auto trans fail at 80 to 120k miles?, weak ball joints, electronic gremlins and the fact that they burn through tires. Only other thing I found to look at are sludge build up on some v8s, and the self leveling air suspension on v8 wagons.
FYI for those thinking of an E39, there is a buyer's guide article in the most recent issue of Bimmer magazine. I picked it up, not a lot of earth shattering information, but worth a read if you're in the market. Basically said the 530 is the best balanced, best handling and best gas mileage of all e39s, and with sport package will out-nimble an m5. The 540 adds grunt at the expense of handling, weight and maintenance costs, the 525 is underpowered and the 528 was nice, but getting old. :rolleyes:
Major things to look at are the radiator (as in every BMW), water pumps on old ones, routine 30k mile manual and auto fluid changes (they say a number of auto trans fail at 80 to 120k miles?, weak ball joints, electronic gremlins and the fact that they burn through tires. Only other thing I found to look at are sludge build up on some v8s, and the self leveling air suspension on v8 wagons.
Well, speaking strictly for myself, I would never get a 525 or 530 because of the M54 engine (and related DBW throttle). If I HATED my former 330i for it's engine/throttle response, why would a 530i be any better?
I'd get a 2000 528i/iT before I got a 2001+ 530i.
lemming
06-15-2005, 09:42 PM
i can call him tomorrow --he just told me about it today --if you're serious, i can setup the test drive for you.
don't know how long that car could last at that price, i forgot to ask about the mileage.
i can call him tomorrow --he just told me about it today --if you're serious, i can setup the test drive for you.
don't know how long that car could last at that price, i forgot to ask about the mileage.
I'm interested as well. However, only if it has nav.
Yes, Zach is dumb.
lemming
06-15-2005, 09:55 PM
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
It's not so good of a deal. I don't want it.
Tom?
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
Wow, that's perfect.
Too bad it's too expensive.
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
Wow, that's perfect.
Too bad it's too expensive.
Take away the pimpin' seats and I might agree.
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
Wow, that's perfect.
Too bad it's too expensive.
Take away the pimpin' seats and I might agree.
If that's your only complaint...
I'd hit it. :)
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
Wow, that's perfect.
Too bad it's too expensive.
Take away the pimpin' seats and I might agree.
If that's your only complaint...
I'd hit it. :)
Oh, and there's no way I'm paying that much for a car, possibly ever.
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
Wow, that's perfect.
Too bad it's too expensive.
Take away the pimpin' seats and I might agree.
If that's your only complaint...
I'd hit it. :)
Oh, and there's no way I'm paying that much for a car, possibly ever.
Whatever. You're in your early 30s. You'll pay much more at some point. This dealership has a reputation for being a bit pricey.
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
Wow, that's perfect.
Too bad it's too expensive.
Take away the pimpin' seats and I might agree.
If that's your only complaint...
I'd hit it. :)
Oh, and there's no way I'm paying that much for a car, possibly ever.
Whatever. You're in your early 30s. You'll pay much more at some point. This dealership has a reputation for being a bit pricey.
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
Ohh thats NICE and I like the pimpen seats. :twisted:
ugh.
looked the car up.
it's a goddamned 2001.
it's priced at 34k with 49k miles and no NAV. not so sweet a deal. is that close to the going rate for these cars? it's black.
Actually, that sounds high.
I have no interest in BMW NAV and I like black.
M5 anyone? http://www.onlybmws.com/MultiPics/060511/060511.php
I would have bought that car.
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