More than Mid Range
If there is one thing that BMW offers, it’s choice - in each series there’s always plenty of choice. This week's tester is essentially the mid pack for all of its cars, 540i, the mid level 5 series. Middle of the pack doesn’t sound so good though, does it? But nothing about the 540i feels mid level.
The BMW 540i comes with the much loved inline-6 engine which can propel the car from 0 - 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. With 335 hp it’s around 90 hp between the M550i and the 530e either way, it truly sits in the middle power wise. It may not be the big v8 fun of the M550i but the 540i is no slouch, giving more than enough power. The 540i has the right amount of power, and for those who disagree, there’s the M550i, or for those who are working to be more green, there’s the 530e, all excellent options, and the 540i sits in the sweet spot.
That sweet spot starts at $73,000 (CAD), and our tester sits at $86,000. It’s not a small figure, but there’s plenty of luxuries within. On our tester is the Premium, and M Performance package, Traffic Jam Assist, and the incredible BMW Individual Paintwork. These packs add loads of features, most notably the comfort seats, part assist with surround view, BMW drive recorder, M Performance brakes, M aero, and the active stop-and-go cruise control.
The Traffic Jam Assist with active stop-and-go cruise control is excellent, able to completely deal with heavy traffic and not cancel out when coming to a complete stop, but continue once traffic resumes. You can completely relax, though you should still concentrate on the road. Normally, the driving assist would change lanes if you signal, but strangely, that feature is not available if you opt for BMW Individual paint. It’s almost as if the driving assist is distracted by how good the Tanzanite Blue Metallic looks. Really, just seems odd.
The pilot assist won’t always be active though, as the BMW 540i is a joy to take control of. It’s incredibly smooth, in both power delivery and how it handles the road, and when you want there’s always the sport modes to make it more lively. Handling is direct, immediately reacting to input put through the thick M Sport steering wheel. The 540i feels excellent at low and high speeds. A few driving modes are provided such as sport, comfort, eco and adaptive with adaptive being the sweet spot for us.
With the optioned comfort seats the 540i’s interior is luxurious, with ultra soft leather and one of our favourite seat features, adjustable, and soft, headrest support. These are seats you can spend time in. The rest of the interior is very typical BMW, with the LED ambient lighting throughout, but not overly done. The aluminum rhombicle smoke grey trim fits well into the theme and looks sharp in contrast with the ambient light strips. The white contrast stitch looks good with the black Dakota leather which is also paired with the M Sport seat belts. The split armrest is a bit odd at first but you quickly realize the benefits when there is a passenger. We still aren’t fans of the tablet style infotainment setup but BMW has a decent approach. The screen is excellent and you have the option of a touch screen or using the controller, having the choice makes this infotainment system a winner. The screen also provides enough space for surround view with the park assist which has both the 360 top view and a second view at the same time. The quality of the stitching on the 360 view is excellent and makes parking a breeze. Paired with the infotainment system are the lovely Harman/Kardon speakers, which are a solid premium offering.
The 540i is a real looker, coming across with a more subtle approach, even with the M Sport aero. We had the 530e a while back and that M aero seemed much more noticeable, we actually think it looked better with the carbon additions that are missing on the 540i, but it still looks great. The Tanzanite blue metallic paint is truly an excellent colour for this car, the light blue metallic flakes shimmering in the sunlight. That blue pairs nicely with the black grill which is book ended by the optioned Individual Shadowline Headlights. It’s classy, it’s grown up, it’s a proper looking car.
The 540i easily fits into the family car segment, with comfy rear seats, seats which fold though not completely flat, and has ample room in the trunk. With the seats folded down the 540i was able to handle several large loads and Ikea trips. For more regular trips the 540i offers up many extra luxuries like soft close doors, sunshades for the rear, automatic trunk and a remote engine starter.
The BMW 540i may be the middle of the pack for BMW, but really, it seems like the ideal starting point. It has everything you need and then some, and if you want more, there’s still the M550i before venturing into the full M cars. If you want to be greener then there is the 530e, otherwise the 540i sits in that sweet spot. More than enough power, excellent seats, stop and go cruise control, ultra smooth and much more.
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