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In Reply to: 4-banger to 528i. Will power be enuff? (more) posted by Jay S. on February 27, 2000 at 21:36:17:
Jay,
I'm in a similar dilemma. I've never owned anything but a 4-banger, and now I'm going to decide between the 528 and the 540. I figure I could be happy with the 528, but didn't want to feel buyer's regret in not having the more powerful engine. Let me make a recommendatiomn to you - go on a test drive - which is exactly what I did this weekend.
For reference, my current cars are a '94 Integra GS-R (quite peppy yet not much torque) and a '97 Z3 1.9 (great little car that wants a 6-cylinder).
I got the chance to drive two 528 5-speeds this weekend. One was a '99 pre-owned (premium only) with 5K miles on it, and the other was a brand new '00 528 (sport-premium). During the drives, all I could say was WOW! I couldn't believe the power that the inline-6 delivers. I was worried from reading the board that I would feel the 528 engine to be anemic, as many have said. Needless to say, I did not have that feeling at all. For me, the power was more than adequate, and the handling was superb. I thought the sport package definitely added to the tighter feel of the car, but did detract a little bit from ride quality (stiffer, more tire noise).
My dealar did not have any 540s in stock, new or used, but they are getting a '00 540 6-speed in two weeks. I'm planning on test driving it as well, but after this weekend's testing, I am strongly leaning toward the 528 now.
Do yourself a favor. Go take a test drive. Everyone on this board has a different driver profile and different expectations from a vehicle. In my case, the 528 delivers more than adequate power with remarkable handling and understated luxury. I'm planning on buying used, so unless a knockout deal comes my way on a 540, I'll more than likely end up with the 528.
Good luck and have fun,
Mike
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