Re: 4-banger to 528i. Will power be enuff? (more) (archive)

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I agree, every one is different. the participants on this board must be considered the equivilents of audiophiles when it comes to cars. Therefore, I find that many of the issues on downsides i do not agree or have not even noticed. I have had a 528i for three years and I have been happy. Power, handling etc will be FAR better than a 4-banger. I have found over time that my dirving characteristics have changed to a more aggressive driving style. I tend to manually shift, downshift, accelerate off the line more (very fun!!! always done safely). Over the years I have found the car does not have alot of power for the weight of the car at low rpm's although in sports manual there is some improvement. Accelleration maxes out around 70-80 (downshifting not very effective). One piece of advice...DO NOT TEST DRIVE A 540I UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO BUY (read the archives on this topic). There is alot of information and opinions on this board about both cars. Good luck in your decision and keep us posted on your decision.

: 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.

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