I have a 323is with the M package and just got nailed by a lday that ran a light tues, and im lookin at getting a 540i/6. Ive read here and reviews say how theyre a beast on the highway, but how good is the acceleration off the line, like in day to day driving around town?

A little stronger than your 3, but nothing really impressive until after 30 or so...

only a little stronger than my 168hp six? i thought it was pretty close with the e36 m3s off the line and faster at higher speeds?

it starts of slow and then it really builds up and it sounds Fucking menacing inside the cabin...:P it's so much fun...
If you start off in Sport Mode, it Pulls harder everypassing second.... omg Im gona go do it now infact :P

Please. The man needs a reference point. Define slow.

540i w/ 6 speed is geared beautifully. Pulls hard off the line. No starting off slow here. I posted this before, but now I am editing my post becuase I simply cannot believe the eariler posts! I have to laugh at the suggestion that the 540 is "a little stronger" than the 323. I also cannot help but notice that our friend owns a 525 and 528. What I notice re the 540 is that it is so solid and smooth that you do not realize you are taking off. The best reference point for speed in a 540/6 is the rearview mirror.

Yeah, the 6 speed is a beast. I came from a modded 328is, and this car would mutilate it in every gear. I just drove it to the shop (getting a new clutch :buttrock ) and rowed through 1st through 4th gear and it amazed me. It is SO much fun to drive, and the torque is addicting.

A little stronger than your 3, but nothing really impressive until after 30 or so...


This is not accurate, I would say it pulls a lot harder than a 323is in all conditions, drive it and you'll be extremely pleased.

i drove a 97 or 98 540i/6 and raced a 98 lexus GS400 and beat the hell outta the thing.

the 540 pulls the crap out of a 323. Its not even a race. The 323 would probably need a 75 shot of nitrous to get close to the 540. A buddy of mine test drove a 2000 323 and my 540 pissed all over that car from any speed.

You will be happy with the 540. I can promise you that.

i cant understand how a 323 was even compared to a 540... utterly ridiculous

The 540 is very fast. One thing you will notice is, it is a much heavier and better "insulated" car. Because of this, the car "feels" slower, deceptively slow. Only because you are inside a luxury sedan with very little noise from street/engine. I often think this is why some of us 540 owners "think" our cars are slow. We feel them behave differently on different gas, in different temperatures and don't realize how quick the car we daily drive is.

I wish I had a 540i6 :(

I wish I had a 540i6 :(
+1

:confused 170 hp 6 vs. 286 hp. 8...
a little stronger?
slow start off?
540i? How can you even compare it to 323i?

ya i didnt think my car would compare in any gear, i was just makin sure its plenty quick off the line too, cant be takin it to 3 digits everyday

Im talking about the auto...
the 6 speed from a start is a LOT faster.

Out of allll the auto's ive driven (and thats a LOT) none of them are amazing off the line. Better than my 528 for sure.... but not by a whole lot.

i totally didnt even pay attention to the fact that he was looking for a 6speed.

The 6 speed 540i is almost a full second faster from 0-60 and in the 1/4 mile - it makes that big of a difference. I couldn't imagine this car in automatic, it simply is too much fun with a 6 speed (especially when you get a new clutch :devillook ).

How about this...

How would you rate a '98 528 Auto vs a '98 323 5 speed?

I had a 328IS 5speed... pretty fast....

Mine's not an e39 or anything, But I can tell you that Mine is very quick off the line and gets 25mpg on the highway! In town I only get about 13 because its so powerful and fun to drive. you don't notice how fast you are accelerating because it is SOO smooth, so keep your eye on the speedometer! I catch myself looking away for too long and going way to fast. She's got a lot of torque.

thanks, do you guys have any preference as far as years/mileage? id like to get a 99/00, cant afford a 2002 or 2003, and preferably under 100k miles

I just got a 99 540i/6 with 87K miles. The real keys are how well the previous owner maintained and drove the car. I test drove several with over 100K and they felt brand new. Mine was meticulously maintained and the prev owner agreed to put a new clutch in it prior to sale. He had all receipts from the car. Additionally, I would highly suggest a Pre-Sale inspection from a BMW-certified mechanic. These cars have a few things that commonly wear out after certain mileage (radiators/ waterpumps/ O2 sensors, etc.) and they are not always evident when driving the car. For the best handling - I would suggest the sports package on any 5. My cousin has an 02 530i/5 and it is also deceptively fast and fun to drive (though maybe not as much as the 540). I have driven a 528i/auto with the sports package and it handled extremely well but felt a bit underpowered. There are several posts on what to look for when purchasing. Good luck on your search. This forum was very useful to me when I was looking. A lot of good info.

Does the 540i/6 automatically have the sport package? I thought the sport package was an option for the auto's, am I wrong? I appreciate all the help.

Does the 540i/6 automatically have the sport package? I thought the sport package was an option for the auto's, am I wrong? I appreciate all the help.
Yes - the 6-speed is always a sport in the E39 540 and I believe it is also for the 5-speed 6 cylinder cars (525, 528, 530) but someone may correct me on that. It is an option with the autos. Check out the E39 FAQ thread parked at the top of the 5-series forum. Good info in there.

New here...I'm also looking to buy a 99 540ia Sport.

Those of you who have driven the e34 & e39, is there a noticeable difference in sport mode in the e39? I had a 95 540ia that screamed in S but was sluggish in D. The 99 I drove today had little difference and it seemed that my e34 would have kicked its ass. The e34 was not a sport but the e39 is. Everything else about the e39 is impressive. TIA.

New here...I'm also looking to buy a 99 540ia Sport.

Those of you who have driven the e34 & e39, is there a noticeable difference in sport mode in the e39? I had a 95 540ia that screamed in S but was sluggish in D. The 99 I drove today had little difference and it seemed that my e34 would have kicked its ass. The e34 was not a sport but the e39 is. Everything else about the e39 is impressive. TIA.

See if you can get one with the tiptronic auto. I have heard that they are a little less sluggish than the standard auto. I don't know if it was available in 99 though. As far as the modes on the regular auto - I have no idea. A friend of mine has a 99 528ia sport and he notices a difference between the two modes, though.

it's got 6 gears... one more then the rest thus offering it more... "fine tuning" in the gear ratios.

I had a 328IS 5speed... pretty fast....
no it's not... don't lie. :D

i raced a very well moddified (only missin' a turbo kit) M3 and we were neck to neck.... in my STOCK 540.