Because of its wide body, the 540i has a roomy cabin that can accommodate four adults in comfort. Although we wish the interior design had more flare than the more affordable 3- and 2-series versions, we do enjoy the high-quality materials and precision craftsmanship. The 20-way adjustable seats offer a ton of options for finding the ideal driving posture, but the $1000 massage function was missing from the thrones in our tester.
LOWS: Interior design is a little monotonous, massage function is optional, and the device still lacks the agility of earlier generations.
Nevertheless, the 540i makes a wonderful executive car because to its quiet driving style, opulent exterior, and first-class interior, especially on days when a peaceful drive home is truly all that matters. To that purpose, the numerous driver-assistance functions on the BMW can reduce the tension caused by traffic jams. The $1700 Driving Assistant Plus package is worthwhile since it features adaptive cruise control with a feature that helps the 540i navigate bumper-to-bumper traffic congestion. It’s telling that we would suggest a method that would further detach you from driving.
Before, each 5-series, regardless of the engine or suspension configuration, was automatically a sports sedan. However, that era came to an end roughly ten years ago with the introduction of the Bangle-designed fifth-generation 5-series. The mid-size four-door from BMW is no longer intrinsically aggressive, so maybe it’s time to accept this and embrace the 5-series for what it is today: a regal cruiser with subtle power. The M5 is still available if you want for a 5-series that lives up to the promise of a BMW sports car.
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The majority of the industry’s top competitors for the 2021 BMW 5 Series are widely known. The hard-edged Audi A6 is a good option for people seeking more technology and a distinctive style while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class leans a little more heavily toward the luxury side. The 2021 Genesis G80 is a newcomer to the scene, though. With fully loaded models selling for around $69,000, this Korean sedan utterly destroys the Bimmer in terms of luxury and pricing (nice). Sure, it doesn’t have the prestige of a Roundel on the hood, but don’t toss out the baby with the bathwater just because it isn’t of Teutonic descent.
The BMW 540i xDrive from 2021 is more than simply a fancy automobile. Yes, that is what it is, and when it comes to luxury, it excels, but it is more than just a one-dimensional description. This straight-six sedan can be made sportier with a few button presses, which provides for a very enjoyable experience if there are some curves between Points A and B.
article substance
The 540i’s speed will be of interest to people. It climbs the totem pole just one rung, yet it takes just 4.7 seconds to walk to 100 km/h. And you can do that with ease on any surface, at any moment, due to AWD. Even though I don’t advocate it, you could perform that exercise while your eyes are closed. Even the entry-level four-cylinder 530i accelerates to 100 km/h in only six seconds. The semi-M 550 will do that distance in 3.8 and the fastest M5 model in 3.0. Any 5-series is quick, is what I’m saying. They’re all. However, not all of them are cozy.
On magazine covers, the M vehicles look fantastic. When they perform smokey drifts in vehicle review films, they sound incredible. However, the trip home in one of such vehicles is frequently not outstanding. In town, or really anywhere, you can’t use all 600 horsepower unless you have an extremely liberal risk/reward mindset. No, in the city you only have the excruciating ride and the unpleasant reminder that you are only utilising 5% of the potential of that car.
Transport and Handling
I prepared my back for a difficult two weeks in the M Sport version of the 540i after remembering the ride quality of the BMW 330i M Sport. The 2021 540i M Sport is a lot more subdued version of the sporty package than I found on the 3 Series, so thankfully my worries were overdone. In fact, it would be difficult to determine if the car I was driving had any sort of unique suspension at all.
All of my observations on the 540i’s ride and handling must be qualified by the fact that my test vehicle had winter tires on it. This kind of rubber can make a car’s handling less precise, its ride soft, and its steering feel numb. (I don’t fault BMW for the way the car is set up; during the week I had the car loan, the temperature never rose above 30 degrees; the following week, it was over 60 degrees. For you, that is Chicago.)
My test vehicle also had a $3,200 Dynamic Handling Package, which included active roll stabilization and dynamic damper adjustment, lowering the 540’s ride height by 0.4 inches. The car already had optional variable sport steering, so this kit didn’t really give it much edge or sharpness. When switching between the customizable driving modes, I didn’t notice much of a difference in body roll or steering feel; even with this technology geared toward performance, the 540i’s handling and numb steering made it difficult to enjoy driving it. Although the performance-oriented Pirelli Sottozero 3 winter tires may have muddled the driving experience, let me reiterate that they were winter tires.
I could spike the gas pedal from a stop or throw the car around an upward corner, and it would handle it like it was on a dry road because the all-wheel-drive system offered plenty of traction even on slick roads.
Although the winter tires were noisy, one benefit of the 540i M Sport’s placid temperament was its smooth ride quality. The overall calmness of the BMW is comparable to the majority of its competitors in the class, with the exception of the Mercedes-AMG E53, but that vehicle competes more directly with the BMW M550i’s twin-turbo V-8 engine. In the class below the 540, compact luxury sports sedans are more resilient handlers.
The BMW 540i is quick.
The engine has lots of get-up-and-go and can easily travel up to its 155 mph speed limiter thanks to its 335 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque (from just 1,500 rpm). After all, this vehicle was designed to be an Autobahn cruiser.
A BMW 540i is from what series?
It’s Similar to a Smaller 7-Series, the 2021 BMW 540i. Despite being a nearly flawless daily driver, the modern 5-Series isn’t exactly a performance sedan. The latest 5-Series is gorgeous. This is really a facelift for the G30 generation 5er, which has been available since 2016, despite being a very popular one.
Is the 540i trustworthy?
The E39 body is referred to as the final mechanical 5 series. Due to the absence of vanos in this model, as well as the fact that related components like the timing chain and oil separator are more reliable than later version V8 engines, the 1998 540i engine (code number M62B44) is very straightforward to maintain (M62TUB44). Additionally, the cylinder coating has been improved from the previous V8 (M60), making this engine practically indestructible. Since my has a six-speed manual transmission, there is no chance that the transmission is the issue. However, because of the age of the automobile, many minor plastic and rubber parts had to be changed, and the quality of plastic parts in more recent cars has improved.
When was the BMW 540i released?
The 528i and 540i were the only E39 models offered in North America from 1997 to 1998. The station wagon variants of the 528i and 540i, which were billed as “sports wagons,” were also released in 1999, along with the M5. The 528i was dropped for the 2001 model year and was replaced by the 530i and 525i (525i Touring in estate/wagon style) (with no wagon variant in the US).
Unlike other regions where the 540i’s power output remained at 210 kW, the American market saw a rise to 216 kW (290 hp) in 2001. (282 hp). The installation of a mobile phone into the center console was a dealer option; all North American vehicles came pre-wired for mobile phones from the manufacture. Roof rails for attaching a roof rack were incorporated as standard equipment on the station wagon versions, which were marketed as “Sports Wagons.”
With only 1,190 vehicles made with a manual transmission, BMW launched the 540i M-Sport package as a limited production model in the United States in 2003. 18-inch wheels and a number of aesthetic improvements were upgrades.
19,294 automobiles were sold in the United States between May 1999 and May 2000. The subsequent year saw 15,233 automobiles sold between May 2000 and May 2001.
The BMW 5 Series is dependable.
The BMW 5 Series: is it dependable? The anticipated reliability rating for the 2021 BMW 5 Series is 77 out of 100. J.D. Power predicts that reliability scores will range from 91 to 100, with 91 to 100 being the best, 81 to 90 being great, 70 to 80 being medium, and 0-69 being fair and below average.
What is the BMW 540i M Sport’s top speed?
The 540i follows, and it is driven by a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo, six-cylinder engine that produces 331 pound-feet of torque between 1,500 and 5,200 rpm and 335 horsepower between 5,500 and 6,500 rpm. Using the same eight-speed automatic transmission, power is sent to the rear wheels. The 540i’s 0-60 mph sprint takes 4.9 seconds, and it has a baseline peak speed of 130 mph that can be increased to 155 mph.
The 540i xDrive, an all-wheel-drive version of the 540i that BMW also sells, has the same technical specifications as the 540i but a far faster 0-60 mph sprint. It accelerates to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster.
The 48-Volt starter-generator technology that BMW has added to its six-cylinder vehicles not only helps to improve performance but also makes it somewhat more efficient. The 12V electrical system that operates the lights, windows, ventilation, music system, seat heating, and steering wheel receives its recuperated energy from the 48-Volt battery as well.
What kind of engine is in a 540i?
A 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder, single-turbocharged engine with 335 horsepower and 332 pounds-feet of torque powers the 540i. According to BMW, the engine can accelerate the 540i xDrive with all-wheel drive from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, compared to 4.9 seconds with rear-wheel drive.
Although the six-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission make a quiet, elegant pair, the overall driving experience is more like that of a luxury cruiser than a performance sedan. There aren’t many sounds in the interior save an electronic engine enhancement; there’s no air intake whooshing or the exhaust crackling. Because of how quiet and collected it is, a car like the 540i can be driven at dubious speeds while making the driver feel like they aren’t doing more than 40 mph.
Performance and fuel efficiency are somewhat improved by the new mild-hybrid system that comes standard in the 540i. The technology is made up of a 48-volt starter-generator motor and a second battery that stores energy to operate the heated seats, steering, power windows, lighting, and audio system. That stored energy can add an additional 11 horsepower to the drive system when it is fed back through the starter-generator motor, according to BMW, which improves acceleration off the line and results in shorter bursts of speed. (The E-Class and A6 from Mercedes and Audi, respectively, both have comparable electrified systems.)
11 HP will you notice? Most likely not, as the system as a whole is undetectable and only improves the car’s 0-60 time by a tenth of a second. The AWD 540i’s combined fuel efficiency for 2021 is 1 mpg higher, coming in at 26 mpg. Both the highway and city ratings have increased by 2 mpg to 31 mpg.
Which BMW 5 Series is the most trustworthy?
year for the BMW Series 5 The sixth generation of BMW’s Series 5, which was sold from 2010 to 2016, is our choice for “best.” Sixth generation models included the 528i and 535i. Both offer fantastic overall value for the money and are excellent choices if you’re looking for a pre-owned BMW.