[Panchoa]

Hi All

Thinking about moving to a G30 540i. What are peoples experience of them and anyone done the move from f30 330d to 540i???

[Isow]

A great car.
The one I almost bought had adaptive suspension and Bowers and Wilkins
Speakers.
The ride and handling were good.
I chickened out from buying it because if it’s size and because of the x-drive,
it was hard to turn into parking spaces. I.e. the front wheels have limited
articulation.
I’ve no regrets not buying it.

[TodmordenLad]

I test drove one. Very smooth and refined. Okay looking. Quality cabin of course. To some degree the refinement was why I didn't go for one in the end, plus the size, which also put me off. There's a certain lack of drama/excitement in the B58 and exhaust implementation as compared with other models which use the same 3l 6cyl engine, although I doubt many 5 drivers were looking for that when they signed on the line, to be fair

PS I went from 330d MPPK to 440i MPPKS

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

I test drove one. Very smooth and refined. Okay looking. Quality cabin of course. To some degree the refinement was why I didn't go for one in the end, plus the size, which also put me off. There's a certain lack of drama/excitement in the B58 and exhaust implementation as compared with other models which use the same 3l 6cyl engine, although I doubt many 5 drivers were looking for that when they signed on the line, to be fair

PS I went from 330d MPPK to 440i MPPKS

I've read a few comments like this on the 540i, seems a little too understated perhaps.

[Tengocity]

I had a good test drive in one (540 tourer) and absolutely loved how it drove. Had a proper blast on Scottish B roads and it really hustled. Lovely turn in, steering, grip, body control.... way better than any standard F31.

It was very smooth, like a classic BMW 6 cylinder engine. The rorty exhaust thing hasn't really ever been a BMW 5 series characteristic, so it didn't bother me too much that it wasn't loud.

Spacious, comfortable, classy looking.

Problem for me is the wife isn't keen on the size.

[Abzynthe]

Originally Posted by Isow

A great car.
The one I almost bought had adaptive suspension and Bowers and Wilkins
Speakers.
The ride and handling were good.
I chickened out from buying it because if it’s size and because of the x-drive,
it was hard to turn into parking spaces. I.e. the front wheels have limited
articulation.
I’ve no regrets not buying it.

Couldnt it park itself?

[creepy coupe]

Not a 540 but we do have a G30 530e here at work. It's a very nicely screwed together thing. With modern tech. It feels a departure from previous model 5 series. But in a good way. I bet the 540i would be an epic cruiser.

The only thing I'm not sure of is. Would you take it for a drive just for the sake of it? Maybe not.

[Isow]

Originally Posted by Abzynthe

Couldnt it park itself?

It may have had park assist but it definitely didn’t have Park Assist Plus
I.e. the surround view.
It was difficult to turn into a parking bay at some shops near the dealer.
The turning circle was poor because of the xdrive.

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by creepy coupe

Not a 540 but we do have a G30 530e here at work. It's a very nicely screwed together thing. With modern tech. It feels a departure from previous model 5 series. But in a good way. I bet the 540i would be an epic cruiser.

The only thing I'm not sure of is. Would you take it for a drive just for the sake of it? Maybe not.

Nice cruiser, no B road weapon, IMO
Probably better with a diesel engine, dare I say it, for that very reason

[Abzynthe]

Originally Posted by Isow

It may have had park assist but it definitely didn’t have Park Assist Plus
I.e. the surround view.
It was difficult to turn into a parking bay at some shops near the dealer.
The turning circle was poor because of the xdrive.

Ah thats fair enough. If it had park assist plus then you had no excuse :P
When I had my F01, it was a huge car, but still seemed quite easy to park.
It did have surround view, rear wheel steering and no Xdrive though.

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

Nice cruiser, no B road weapon, IMO
Probably better with a diesel engine, dare I say it, for that very reason

Very possibly true. The car is so well sound insulated. I doubt the owner would benefit from the sound of a petrol exhaust note.

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by creepy coupe

Very possibly true. The car is so well sound insulated. I doubt the owner would benefit from the sound of a petrol exhaust note.

I can't claim originality with this view as Evo made the same point ages ago in their article, BMW 540i review - Petrol 'six plays second fiddle to the diesel
They're right though.

[Lorcan]

We're getting a steady stream of enquiries with 9/10 being for the 540i. Springs, 400hp upgrade and exhaust (on the pre-OPF versions) are all popular. We might get one as our next demonstrator.

[Panchoa]

Originally Posted by Lorcan

We're getting a steady stream of enquiries with 9/10 being for the 540i. Springs, 400hp upgrade and exhaust (on the pre-OPF versions) are all popular. We might get one as our next demonstrator.

Thanks for all the comments. Think i may test drive both the 530d and 540i to decide which better suited to us.

Interesting!!

How much is the exhaust with the diffuser Lorcan?

[Bibbles]

I've owned the 540i touring for 18 months and love it. The size takes some getting used to when parking but having the surround cameras and sensors makes it much easier than it would be otherwise. When you're driving the car seems to shrink around you so doesn't actually seem like the massive barge it is. It's an epic cruiser but as others have said it's so insulated inside I went for the MPPSK after 6 months to give it a little more drama as moving from a diesel I wanted to hear that I was in a petrol engine when giving it the beans. It's made a really good car into a great one. I do quite a few short journeys and occasional longer motorway journeys and mostly drive in Adaptive or Sports+ and get an overall MPG of 30. Not up there with the diesels or smaller engines but thoroughly acceptable and you don't buy a 6 cylinder petrol engine to pootle about in Eco-Poo mode.

[Lorcan]

Originally Posted by Panchoa

Thanks for all the comments. Think i may test drive both the 530d and 540i to decide which better suited to us.

Interesting!!

How much is the exhaust with the diffuser Lorcan?

About £4200 for the rorty one by the time you paint the diffuser.

https://shop.rossiters.co.uk/quad-sp...rom-7690-p.asp

It's looking like OPF cars can only have the relatively quiet homologated version though

[Edinburra]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

I had a good test drive in one (540 tourer) and absolutely loved how it drove. Had a proper blast on Scottish B roads and it really hustled. Lovely turn in, steering, grip, body control.... way better than any standard F31.

It was very smooth, like a classic BMW 6 cylinder engine. The rorty exhaust thing hasn't really ever been a BMW 5 series characteristic, so it didn't bother me too much that it wasn't loud.

Spacious, comfortable, classy looking.

Problem for me is the wife isn't keen on the size.

Think you are going to have to convince her that size isn't everything, again?

[TouringPleb]

Do the current 5s come with the suspension sorted as standard?

I remember on the previous model you had to tick a number of boxes to get it to handle as it should.

[fuzzybunny]

Very nice car but have to agree on the size. Bum sticks out too much in Sainsbury's car park spaces which is the decisive factor pour moi! Hey you have to watch out for those old ladies with shopping trolleys! Also its not a convertible which is my leading factor!

[Bibbles]

Originally Posted by TouringPleb

Do the current 5s come with the suspension sorted as standard?

I remember on the previous model you had to tick a number of boxes to get it to handle as it should.

Standard MSport is fine. However I went for Adaptive Drive which is expensive but adds all manner of wizardry to give you the biggest envelope to choose from between comfort and more sporty settings. The only reason I have been contemplating ACS springs is the look of the wheel arch gap which annoys me some of the time but not enough to have taken a trip to Norfolk yet.

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by Bibbles

I've owned the 540i touring for 18 months and love it. The size takes some getting used to when parking but having the surround cameras and sensors makes it much easier than it would be otherwise. When you're driving the car seems to shrink around you so doesn't actually seem like the massive barge it is. It's an epic cruiser but as others have said it's so insulated inside I went for the MPPSK after 6 months to give it a little more drama as moving from a diesel I wanted to hear that I was in a petrol engine when giving it the beans. It's made a really good car into a great one. I do quite a few short journeys and occasional longer motorway journeys and mostly drive in Adaptive or Sports+ and get an overall MPG of 30. Not up there with the diesels or smaller engines but thoroughly acceptable and you don't buy a 6 cylinder petrol engine to pootle about in Eco-Poo mode.

Nice one. I've had three 5 Tourings and if you've got kids and stuff to carry around, there's no better - and more stylish - way of doing it, IMO

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by Isow

The turning circle was poor because of the xdrive.

This is also an unwelcome characteristic of the F31 335d; I've just got mine back following the dreaded EGR recall and one of the first things I was reminded of was how unwieldy the car is in tight spaces!

The last Enterprise hire car I had before getting my own back was a Volvo V90 and, despite being more akin to a 5-series in terms of size, it was much easier to manoeuvre in car parks and the like than my F31. It was also AWD which suggests X-Drive in itself doesn't justify a poor turning circle!