BMW 540 touring 97-04 model
Discussion
Bloody marvelous car. Loads of room, go like stink, very comfy and average of 25 mpg.
Get one with all the extras as they can be expensive to add once you've bought. Things like Mk4 SatNav, 16:9 screen, 3 spoke M steering wheel. If you can get one that is Blue Tooth prepared then you won't have to put up with the piece of crap V50 mobile. It's fine in the car but not out of it.
Mines a 2000W which now has 104k on it and it drives so well and is very quick.
Get one with all the extras as they can be expensive to add once you've bought. Things like Mk4 SatNav, 16:9 screen, 3 spoke M steering wheel. If you can get one that is Blue Tooth prepared then you won't have to put up with the piece of crap V50 mobile. It's fine in the car but not out of it.
Mines a 2000W which now has 104k on it and it drives so well and is very quick.
y2blade said:
are the auto box's any good?
Perfectly matched in my opinion. You have regular slush box, sport mode slush box and tiptronic via the auto stick (no flappy paddles). Changes are seemless and the big old V8 is about right to use an auto.This recirculating ball steering thing always interests me. Unless you're his Stiginess and on a track would a normal driver really notice the difference. Hard competitive driving is not really what a 540 Touring is all about. If you want to drive from Venice to Calais in 12 hours and still feel fresh it's perfect.
Edited by Denis O on Tuesday 9th October 10:44
Denis O said:
y2blade said:
This recirculating ball steering thing always interests me. Unless you're his Stiginess and on a track would a normal driver really notice the difference. Hard competitive driving is not really what a 540 Touring is all about. If you want to drive from Venice to Calais in 12 hours and still feel fresh it's perfect.
But a good Six will feel sharper and is just as capable of doing Venice to Calais in 12 hours. Even the diesel.
Had mine since April, done 6,500 miles (bought it at 126k, 2000/X model). I spotted that black Sport for sale on AT, looks nice, though for true value there are some 100k+ milers on AT for nearer £5k and they'll drive the same.
Get one in the spec you want because although you can fit a Sport steering wheel, for instance, it's not that cheap.
After having an E34 Touring for a year I thought it was a bit dull at first. Now I've had it a while I reckon that's unfair - it's so competent that it's not as characterful as an E34 but it's bloody excellent to drive and feels far more modern than an E34.
Various things to be aware of (and I reckon they'll all need these done, so either find one with lots of receipts or buy cheap and spend some money on it immediately):
- rear subframe bushes wear out on all E39 Tourings - the rear never quite settles so the ride feels odd
- very sensitive to front suspension bush/wheel bearing wear, which leads to vibrations
- MAF sensors fail, as do lambda sensors (haven't done the latter on mine yet)
- lots of other things which I forget... actually, here's an e-mail I did to a friend a while ago about them:
____________________
There are some things which affect all E39s - pixels go dead in the dash display and the computer display in the centre console. That's expensive to fix, and doesn't stop them functioning but is unsightly. They also rust on the tailgate. Electrical problems occur - often warning of blown bulbs when they're OK, but they all do that sir
Rear wiper can seize on the spindle so check that. Make sure the remote locking works, and that the red light under the rear view mirror flashes once it's locked. If it's got rain sensitive wipers, make sure they work because the sensors go.
Under the bonnet, check the radiator because they are prone to expand and bulge, which means they require replacement. The expansion chamber for the coolant often cracks, requiring replacement. Lambda and MAF sensors go; check the dash display lights up all the warning lights when you turn the ignition on, just in case one of the lights should be on but has had the bulb removed...
Also, airbags for the rear suspension can fail, and the cupholders front and rear break easily.
Get one in the spec you want because although you can fit a Sport steering wheel, for instance, it's not that cheap.
After having an E34 Touring for a year I thought it was a bit dull at first. Now I've had it a while I reckon that's unfair - it's so competent that it's not as characterful as an E34 but it's bloody excellent to drive and feels far more modern than an E34.
Various things to be aware of (and I reckon they'll all need these done, so either find one with lots of receipts or buy cheap and spend some money on it immediately):
- rear subframe bushes wear out on all E39 Tourings - the rear never quite settles so the ride feels odd
- very sensitive to front suspension bush/wheel bearing wear, which leads to vibrations
- MAF sensors fail, as do lambda sensors (haven't done the latter on mine yet)
- lots of other things which I forget... actually, here's an e-mail I did to a friend a while ago about them:
____________________
There are some things which affect all E39s - pixels go dead in the dash display and the computer display in the centre console. That's expensive to fix, and doesn't stop them functioning but is unsightly. They also rust on the tailgate. Electrical problems occur - often warning of blown bulbs when they're OK, but they all do that sir
Rear wiper can seize on the spindle so check that. Make sure the remote locking works, and that the red light under the rear view mirror flashes once it's locked. If it's got rain sensitive wipers, make sure they work because the sensors go.Under the bonnet, check the radiator because they are prone to expand and bulge, which means they require replacement. The expansion chamber for the coolant often cracks, requiring replacement. Lambda and MAF sensors go; check the dash display lights up all the warning lights when you turn the ignition on, just in case one of the lights should be on but has had the bulb removed...
Also, airbags for the rear suspension can fail, and the cupholders front and rear break easily.
Denis O said:
[TW]Fox said:
Yup, it was great. Althought it was only a 535i.
So you haven't driven a 540 and yet you feel qualified to compare it's steering and handling with a 6 cylinder model
And if that isn't enough for you, the handling differences between rack and pinnion and recirculating ball equipped E39's are well documented, and when you compare 50/50 weight distrubution with 60/40 its hardly going to improve the handling, is it?
Now, take your rolleyes somewhere else.
Unless of course you've driven both the V8 and 6 Cylinder Sport models and can offer us a valuable insight into their handling differences, perhaps?
The V8's aluminium, and weighs less than the iron-block diesel. The 3.0i isn't sufficiently torquey to feel effortless. The Tourings have a different weight distribution to the saloons due to the extra bodywork at the rear. Extrapolating from driving a 535i saloon doesn't provide much of an insight as a result.
Silly me. I thought this thread was about opinions on a 540 Touring. The pictures and title gave me the clue. As far as I'm aware they only made the Sport in the saloon version so not much of a comparison.
Of course, non of this is life threatning so I'll move on with my life and my rolleyes.
Of course, non of this is life threatning so I'll move on with my life and my rolleyes.
Got a '97 540 Touring with Sport alloys and have driven a 540 Sport saloon and the performance from the V8 is addictive with both handling extremely well for a big car. (The sport handling a touch better, not sure if it's being a sport or saloon or bit of both!)
As for 60/40 weight distribution, surely once you've got a decent load hanging over the tourings self levelling back axle it should bring it back to 50/50 again anyway.... .....probably best to have a luggage net! :-)
What is a bit of a pain though on my model is you can't fold the back seat forward and the front passenger seat back at the same time which makes long loads a little tricky. We can actually get longer loads in our old Mondeo hatch.
As for 60/40 weight distribution, surely once you've got a decent load hanging over the tourings self levelling back axle it should bring it back to 50/50 again anyway.... .....probably best to have a luggage net! :-)
What is a bit of a pain though on my model is you can't fold the back seat forward and the front passenger seat back at the same time which makes long loads a little tricky. We can actually get longer loads in our old Mondeo hatch.
[TW]Fox said:
Comparing a 535i and a 540i Sport and we can see that the engine weighs exactly the same, and they have exactly the same suspension and steering setup, and there is no reason why they won't handle.. exactly the same. The only appreciable difference between the two is the performance advantage the 540i has (Which makes the 535i a fairly pointless model I'll agree, offering 530i performance but with 540i running costs and fuel economy).
Oi! The 535i is not pointless. 530i with a V8 sound track? It has more torque than a 530i and is a tad quicker. I don't believe in most circumstaces is any worse on fuel economy either.
BTW I think all 540i's came with sports/lower suspension as standard where as 535i rides a bit higher, so there is a difference between the two. (unless the 535i is a sport of course).
I would not hesitate to get a 540i sport touring as my next ride though
peaktorque said:
Oi! The 535i is not pointless. 530i with a V8 sound track?
It has more torque than a 530i and is a tad quicker. I don't believe in most circumstaces is any worse on fuel economy either.
The fuel economy of the 535i is not dissimilar to that of the 540i. It is considerably more thirsty than the 530i and herein lies its problem - you get the performance (or a tad more, I agree) of a 530i but you get the running costs of a 540i. So, you may as well simply get the 540i, because beyond initial purchase price, keeping one on the road will cost you the same it would a 535i.It has more torque than a 530i and is a tad quicker. I don't believe in most circumstaces is any worse on fuel economy either.
BMW's quoted figures show the 535i within 1mpg of the 540i, yet 7mpg down on the 530i (Which, itself, is within 1.5mpg of the 520i - it seems BMW engine efficiency in terms of fuel consumption is more dependant on cylinder configuration than displacement).
[quote]BTW I think all 540i's came with sports/lower suspension as standard where as 535i rides a bit higher, so there is a difference between the two. (unless the 535i is a sport of course).
But we are splitting hairs - I'd rather a 'pointless' 535i than the best of the A6 or Mercedes E Class range
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