Hi, I'm looking to purchase a 1997 540i in the near future and I'm planning on test driving several over the coming weekend. I currently own a 1992 325i, 5-speed, and need to upgrade to a larger vehicle (I'm 6'4", 250 on a good day). I've been reading and researching the pros and cons of the 1997 model year, so I kinda know what to look for and what issues to beware of.
My biggest quandry is actually whether to opt for the 6-speed or the auto. I've heard rave reviews about the auto on this model in particular but I've always considered buying an automatic BMW close to sacrilege (sp?), and also I understand that mileage can be noticeably better with the newer autos than the manuals, with better fuel usage technology incorporated in transmission "brains." Of course, driving habits are the greatest determining factor for mpg regardless of what transmission is used.
I'll have a better idea when I get behind the wheel on some 540s this weekend, but my question is to those of you who have the 6-speed version. How reliable has it been? Any unusually fast clutch wear on "normal" driving? Most particularly, how does the 6-speed "behave" in stop-go traffic? How quick will it engage in shifting on steep hills (there's always the a-hole three inches off your rear bumper in those cases)? I'm a very experienced driver of manuals in several different vehicles and I know that there are huge variances in how a manual reacts on a given vehicle. I figure that many of you have had some long experience with the 6-speeds and can help me out.
My 325 has been the best in recent memory, especially in slow or stop-go traffic. You can tick along, fully in gear, very slowly without needing to work the clutch too much in those cases. That can be a blessing as some of you surely know (your feet sure do!). My old 93Jeep Cherokee 5-speed was probably the worst in this regard--VERY rigid clutch, with a deep throw: a very bad combination. Too damn much work; I dreaded getting stuck in traffic. I'm thinking and hoping that the 6-speed in the 540 is much like my 325--deep but easy clutch throw, tight-shifting tranny, quick-engaging on hills, and geared to creep in slow traffic if necessary. Am I right? Or should I pay more attention to the auto, but it wouldn't be as much fun, I'd imagine.... Any opinions from those In The Know would be greatly appreciated!
My biggest quandry is actually whether to opt for the 6-speed or the auto. I've heard rave reviews about the auto on this model in particular but I've always considered buying an automatic BMW close to sacrilege (sp?), and also I understand that mileage can be noticeably better with the newer autos than the manuals, with better fuel usage technology incorporated in transmission "brains." Of course, driving habits are the greatest determining factor for mpg regardless of what transmission is used.
I'll have a better idea when I get behind the wheel on some 540s this weekend, but my question is to those of you who have the 6-speed version. How reliable has it been? Any unusually fast clutch wear on "normal" driving? Most particularly, how does the 6-speed "behave" in stop-go traffic? How quick will it engage in shifting on steep hills (there's always the a-hole three inches off your rear bumper in those cases)? I'm a very experienced driver of manuals in several different vehicles and I know that there are huge variances in how a manual reacts on a given vehicle. I figure that many of you have had some long experience with the 6-speeds and can help me out.
My 325 has been the best in recent memory, especially in slow or stop-go traffic. You can tick along, fully in gear, very slowly without needing to work the clutch too much in those cases. That can be a blessing as some of you surely know (your feet sure do!). My old 93Jeep Cherokee 5-speed was probably the worst in this regard--VERY rigid clutch, with a deep throw: a very bad combination. Too damn much work; I dreaded getting stuck in traffic. I'm thinking and hoping that the 6-speed in the 540 is much like my 325--deep but easy clutch throw, tight-shifting tranny, quick-engaging on hills, and geared to creep in slow traffic if necessary. Am I right? Or should I pay more attention to the auto, but it wouldn't be as much fun, I'd imagine.... Any opinions from those In The Know would be greatly appreciated!