hatchet63

Anybody here drive or ride in one...Big strong v8 !Foater or handle pretty well/say to a g35 or TL.....Thanks!

Chris_Bangle

iTrader: (2)

Never drove a G35, but wanted to get a 540i with the M package, before getting the 8 (the bimmer was more expensive to lease).
From what I remember it handled pretty well, had a smooth shifter, great interior and tons of power. For me the E39 is one of the last real BMWs.
Subjectively I wouldn't put it in the same sentence as the G35 or TL.

Ike

My boss owns one with the M package and I've driven it a few times. Nice car but compared to newer cars on the market the interior looks a little dated. Handles well, good engine, and classic BMW styling. I wouldn't compare it to the G35 or TL, it's certainly a step up, and the 3 series is the one you should be comparing to those.

Sephiroth

Gotta love the classic looks! I think they are the best looking bmws around.

RX-Hachi

Which 540i are you talking about? The last gen E39 or the one before it, the E34?

I've owned both. The E39 drove better, but I prefer the looks of the E34 model. In fact, the E34 5 series is still my favorite out of all the BMW sedans.

Chris_Bangle

iTrader: (2)

^

The E34 looks wicked with the twin spoke rims. I drove it on a couple of occasions. (I remember the huge steering wheel)
How does it compare to the E39 dynamically?

RX-Hachi

The E39 was the better drivers car IMO. I recall jumping into the E39 for a test drive and was very impressed with the sporty driving dynamics compared to the E34. But for just cruising around, the feel was similar to me. I don't recall the E34's steering wheel being any bigger than the E39. But both steering wheels are big compared to the RX-8's.

The E34 was traded for the E39, but we no longer have the E39 either. The one I miss more is the E34.

CarAndDriver

This thread=priceless.

Chris_Bangle

iTrader: (2)

It wouldn’t be without your insightful input.

CarAndDriver

Or your butt ugly designs.

Design1stCode2nd

For the size of the sedan I've heard it drives pretty well. I've driven an e60 545 and really liked it. Of course the cheapest you can find those is around 35k depending on the mileage.

PUR NRG

My daily driver is a moderately modified E39. Dinan suspension and engine mods, Quaiffe rear diff, Stoptech front brakes and a 1000 watt sound system. Comparing a 540i to a G35 or TL is like comparing a Camry to a Yugo.
________
EASY HOMEMADE VAPORIZER

KoHC

E39's interior sure looks a bit dated. But it's still way better than G35's interior (IMO anyway). Test drive my friend's E39 before I buy the 8 (was tempted to buy that car from him) and the overall performance/driving comfort is better than G35.

G35 sedan has very soft suspension. And not much feedback from steeling wheel. Great car for daily driving/cruising. But overall a very boring car.

G35's coupe version has slightly stiffer suspension and slightly better feedback from steeling wheel. Seat (at least for the front, never sit in the back) has better support than sedan version. Exhaust is also louder, which is both blessing and cursing. It sounds good, but gets extremely annoying on the road.

Go with BMW, way better car than G35. Can't tell you anything about TL, never drive one before.

SlowLude

My daily driver is a 1990 E34 535i... great car. Even after 17 years the engine is still strong. Unbreakable car.

Im_DANomite

iTrader: (1)

E39 540i is a very good car, but you cannot compare it to a G35. Totally different class of vehicles. Only thing I have against BMW is the high cost of maintenance. Most common stuff I've seen are window regulators, belt tensioners, valley pans, radiators, rear ball joints, light bulbs/sockets/housings, pixels missing from intrument cluster or MID display, and tires. Oh, and the infamous front cup holder.

other than the cost, the E39 is probably BMWs best production series (IMO).

the E34 is nothing compared to the E39.

termigni

one word about TL is FrontWheelDrive!

termigni

another is TorqueSteer!

playdoh43

funny youd say that considering the G35 suspension for the sedan and coupe are the same, and they are both much stiffer than both the rx8 and bmw 3 and 5 series.

never drove the old 5 series, but the new 5 series handles very well for its size.

KoHC

Maybe they use the same suspension for 06 model.... Not too sure about that. When my sister's G35 coupe needed some warranty work the loaner car is a 03 (or maybe 04) G35 sedan. And the suspension sure feel soft for me. Then again, my 8 is Shinka and has slightly stiffer suspension than the regular one.

playdoh43

03 and early 04 had softer suspension, 04.5 and later had stiffer suspension. but even the 03 has stiffer spring rate than the rx8 and the 3 series...

Romancer

E39 is nice. I test drove an M5 this past fall and was impressed with how it performed for its size. I must admit that the driving experience was a little isolated compared to the 8..but it was much faster. The M5 is actually deceptively fast...the driver is very tight while back seat passengers feel the g's.