Guys, as much as I'm loving my Mini I need to get something else to compliment. I want to get back into a 5 estate, as I loved my F11 and it was the perfect family car.
I'm thinking of the G31. Petrol this time, diesel just doesn't suit me.
I'm looking at a 540i, but have a couple queries.
- Are they only xDrive?
Yes. The most powerful RWD G30 5 Series in the UK is the 530d pre LCI (The LCI is basically 300bhp but xDrive only now).
- Did they provide the 4 wheel steering option?
Yes, but good luck.
- Any new gadgets I should look out for, or are a must have?
on the pre LCI car, Icon Adaptive LED are a must - the stock headlights look crap and have halogen indicator bulbs, like a Mk3 Ford Fiesta.
- Does the LCI offer anything worth the extra cash?
LCI guarantees iDrive 7 and Live Cockpit Professional but in reality the last 9 months or so of pre LCI also have this. Personally, I think the sweet spot for a G30 is a 2020 pre LCI with Icon Adaptive LED and iDrive 7 but you'll soon discover that you don't get much choice in the market so can't be fussy. The Driving Assistant Pro function on the LCI is marginally better than that on the pre LCI but you'll likely not find it fitted anyway so hardly relevant. The iDrive screen is a bit bigger, the styling has changed but I'd struggle to say its changed for the better. You also now can't get an M Sport with anything other than black wheels. Great.
The 540i is an interesting car - I've driven several including on long road trips. It's quick and smooth and refined and in theory absolutely wonderful - everything you'd want in a 5 Series. But it's thirsty - really thirsty. Around town it was way under 20mpg and only on a long and steady journey did it start to deliver sensible efficiency. But once on that journey it was indistinguishable from the 530d in most respects - except for how often I needed to fill it up. If you don't do many miles the 540i is the clear choice, if you do I'd question its value. Having done various trips in every model of G30 except the V8's I'd say that overall I've found that the 6 cylinder diesels are as much as 50% more efficient. Perhaps if the 540i was an M540i which brought with it more of a sense of occasion, more noise, etc, then it might be worth it, but..
..here is the controversial statement. They both drive basically the same. The autobox/engine combination is such that you don't really spend any time revving out the 540i, it isn't really that sort of car, so they both end up being cars that simply propel you smoothly and quickly to your chosen speed without any real fuss or much noise (The 540i is very muted and does not sound like a 440i!). If you don't like the way a big diesel BMW drives then its unlikely you'll be that much of a fan of the 540i either, they are incredibly similar. It is not a sports car.
So, actually, what I'd do is either:
a) Buy the diesel*
b) Buy an M340i.
* This isn't as straightforward as it seems. I'd share your nervousness over the future of diesel and it's difficult to decide whether its still a prudent purchase. This has stopped me a number of times replacing my F10 530d with a G30 530d which really basically my ideal car...
The M340i is different enough to be worth the compromise in terms of efficiency - it sounds better, it drives better, its more 'sporting', etc. It's more special and therefore worth the fuel penalty.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
'just getting up to motorway speed dear', obviously preceded by slowing as much as possible before you hit the slip road?