Stick or slushbox? more... (archive)

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I have a stick and I would not say the car is disappointing. I have had an opportunity to drive a friend's '94 E34 540iA. The power is nice, the sound is nice, I prefer the looks of it, inside and out, BUT, the character of my E39 - handling, feel, quiet, fit, finish - all superior. I'm not a power junky, prefer refinement and handling to raw power. The 528i offers all that and more, IMO. It could use a few more ponies to make it even more fun, but it is by no means inadequate.

With the stick the i6 has very nice pull. It'll cruise at 80-100 with minimal effort, sips fuel, and IMO, with the sport package and rack & pinion steering, handles better than a 540i Sport. I tested both, drove the 540i6 a couple of times, couldn't justify the extra $10k. I did not feel it was that much better than the 528i.

You can probably find some nice deals out there on CPO or lease returned 528i's. I suggest sport package, xenons and 5-speed as minimum options, sport seats are very nice especially when they're heated. I live in San Francisco and use the heat alot - nice for the back.

Coming from a Camry, you will be extremely impressed with the 5'er. Go drive a new one equipped the way you like, get a feel for it, then hunt down a nice cream puff of a deal for yourself. From what I've read on the board, probably you'll want to look for a '98 or '99. Can't remember when the sport pkg was introduced, but I don't think it was available in the first E39 model year.

: Hi,
: I've read through the archives and am really not interested in the E39 540i vs 528i debate.
: Facts:
: 1.Graduating and looking at a CPO-ed 528i.
: 2.Moving to NYC so not much chance of flooring it
: 3.Car nut (worked in garage for 6 months) so want power
: 4.Last car was a nice but BORING ol' '94 camry 4-cyl.

: Will there be enough power in the 528i for me not to worry or be grumpy at not having got an E34 540i? I hated the fact that my "floatmobile" had to be FLOOOREEDD all the way to get anywhere. The 3rd-rate power:weight ratio in the Camry was no help. I'm not interested in the 3-series - too small and barebones.
: Finally, I expect few chances to actually floor it in NYC. This is gonna be my daily driver car.
: Comments would be appreciated.
: Thanks!
: - J.

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