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Originally Posted by 530iDriver
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Originally Posted by ssquared
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Originally Posted by clee1982
Is your 530 quieter/louder than 540 or the same?
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Not the OP but when I test drove the 530 and 540 both m-sport 19" summer RFT, I found the 530i to be quieter. The engine in the 540i is louder but it does sound better and feels smoother. I didn't measure anything at it's subjective I could be wrong but that was my impression after driving both a few times. I ended up going with the 530i because I sit in traffic mostly |
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Originally Posted by tjohnson
When I test drive different cars, I always use my sound meter on my iPhone to see how it compares. The BMW sedans are definitely the quietest vehicles on the road. Even the X3/X5 platform is much louder (8-10db) because the rear wheels are inside the cab.
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530i is the car most people (99% to be exact) would ever need. Haven't regret it my decision to go with it vs 540i.
If you have mostly a short daily commute in heavy traffic gridlock, the B58 turbo in the 540i is simply wasted. The 2 liter in the 530i is pretty good in daily driving and the smoothest 4 pot I have ever owned.
I come from a e90 with the N52 6-cyl N/A engine which was sweet sounding but rather thirsty in dense city traffic. The B46 in the 530i is quicker off the line has has superior fuel efficiency over the old N52 sixer it replaces. |
I don't doubt you, in the true NY <20 mph fashion the 540 has pretty poor mpg (thinking I got 16 mpg). Though I still love this car and when I can get to highway I get to 30+ mpg without trying