540i experience anyone?

[richburley]

Does anyone have any experience of the E39 540i? How does it compare with say the E39 535iA, which I used to own? What mpg do people seem to get from it, when driving carefully? Is this a good value alternative to the E39 M5?

[eliot]

has been discussed at length in this forum - try a search.

18mpg around town - 25's on a run - you can get higher if you really baby it - but where's the fun in that. In my opinion the ones with the sport pack with the M5 style bumpers look the best. (see my profile for photo)

[peaktorque]

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=328243&f=72&h=0

Try this

[silverback mike]

Hello Rich,
I've had both the 535i E39 and 540i E39. The 540i has a lot more torque than the 535i, and feels like a much more powerful car.
The fuel consumption is very similar, but in my view the 540i is a much better car.

I would have another one.

[bmwdrivernigel]

I ran a 540 manual for a couple of years, must be the best car I have ever had, I had mine chipped and speed limiter taken off and would go off the clock in 4th!!! The torque of the 540 blows anything else away and once you have driven one you wont want anything else! But get a sport with the M body kit and put on a set of 19/20 alpinas, and a 518 badge on the back! Sleeper personnified....

[off_again]

Yep, 535i lacks mid and low-down torque in comparison to the 540i. So step off (with an auto) and rolling acceleration figures are much better. Headline figures such as 0-60 and vmax do not tell the story. From what I understand the 535i will struggle to is limited 155 while the 540i will head-butt it in style....

The 540i is the better car and only a little more thirsty than the 535i.....

Can I talk about fuel consumption on mine now?