[stein_325i]

[COBodom]

One of my top three car channels.

Spot on review. These are exactly my thoughts on the 540. Including the comment on the BMW "cardboard" design language.

The car delivers 101% on being a refined, tech packed, luxury ride with some sporty attributes and that is the expectation general public should have from this car. Best bang for the money if you're leasing.

This is not a visceral, loud and nimble track machine which it is often confused with.

[JDUNITNOW]

Every other article, YouTube or Instagram people complain about reliability. Now they build a reliable car and now the complaint is its too cookie cutter or cardboard. I am not big on leasing and typically keep cars for a while. I have owned Honda and Nissan in the past and hate Toyota's. All these cars have cheap plastic interiors and outdated tech. 70k is a lot but when I go to my garage to drive or wash my BMW'S, it puts a smile on my face.

[Germanauto]

The G30 and F10 are great cars, arguably the best in segment. But something is really missing in them compared to 5-series of old and it's unfortunate. I've accepted it I guess and was at least happy the M3 could carry on the tradition of a reasonably priced sports sedan, however the G80 doesn't appear to be that car any longer....it weighs nearly as much as an E60 M5 and has ghastly looks to go with it.

[DNYC1919]

i think the car stands out and looks sporty and aggressive if you spec it right.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

The G30 and F10 are great cars, arguably the best in segment. But something is really missing in them compared to 5-series of old and it's unfortunate. I've accepted it I guess and was at least happy the M3 could carry on the tradition of a reasonably priced sports sedan, however the G80 doesn't appear to be that car any longer....it weighs nearly as much as an E60 M5 and has ghastly looks to go with it.

Definitely. The G30 and F10 are great luxury cars, but for me at least they are lacking in the sport department. I inherited my mother's G30 and while it was very comfy and soft, it didn't leave much of a lasting impression despite having every option.

My father was an avid 5er enthusiast. He's had multiple versions of each generation, even had BMW's before they were numbered 3,5 and 7. He loved the balance of luxury and sport they offered. I remember driving each and every of my father's 5er's. I loved his E28 535i and his E39 530i 6MT. Eventually he got to the E60, and has refused to go further. He has driven numerous F10's and G30's (mainly loaners, and my mother's/mine) and since he has not given up his E60 535i 6MT as none of them have offered him the enjoyment of his, no matter how many times it breaks!

[bimmer_335]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

The G30 and F10 are great cars, arguably the best in segment. But something is really missing in them compared to 5-series of old and it's unfortunate. I've accepted it I guess and was at least happy the M3 could carry on the tradition of a reasonably priced sports sedan, however the G80 doesn't appear to be that car any longer....it weighs nearly as much as an E60 M5 and has ghastly looks to go with it.

F10 is a tank that will go fast... owned it and was happy to get rid of it.

[LogicalApex]

I find reviews like this quite bland and lackluster I guess. I don't know if it is the time reviewers are given with cars or the bias toward track cars. Perhaps it is that I'm too young to yet know what a "true" BMW drives like and it isn't a review issue at all...

When every car is marketed as being "sporty" and everyone has a "sporty look" and they all have a "sport" mode I guess it all starts to lose its meaning. But I wouldn't call the 540i a cardboard car without a soul. It is meant to be an aggressive DD. You're not buying an M5 Competition to drive around daily unless you're looking for creative ways to set your money on fire. These trims are about giving you a reasonable balance between "luxury" and "sport" in a car you should be daily driving.

Would be nice if they did a bit more like Alex on Autos where he gives you a deep breakdown on the cars as a whole.

I almost feel like these reviewers are reviewing cars for other reviewers...

[crypto]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

I find reviews like this quite bland and lackluster I guess. I don't know if it is the time reviewers are given with cars or the bias toward track cars. Perhaps it is that I'm too young to yet know what a "true" BMW drives like and it isn't a review issue at all...

When every car is marketed as being "sporty" and everyone has a "sporty look" and they all have a "sport" mode I guess it all starts to lose its meaning. But I wouldn't call the 540i a cardboard car without a soul. It is meant to be an aggressive DD. You're not buying an M5 Competition to drive around daily unless you're looking for creative ways to set your money on fire. These trims are about giving you a reasonable balance between "luxury" and "sport" in a car you should be daily driving.

Would be nice if they did a bit more like Alex on Autos where he gives you a deep breakdown on the cars as a whole.

I almost feel like these reviewers are reviewing cars for other reviewers...

I think to some degree reviewers have to (or at least feel the need to) distinguish themselves from other reviews out there in two categories. Category 1 - their own reviews for other cars they have featured. Category 2 - the other reviews from other reviewers on the same car. I'm not saying these guys or others make stuff up per se, but they probably need to look for different angles and a slightly different story that doesn't make them love every vehicle they review or sound just like the other 25 reviews for the same car.

[Tk718]

They didn't mention a single alternative to the 540i. They say the car so no soul , no feedback , they said the same thing about the M5 in their review. But in the midsize luxury segment , nothing really gives you feedback anymore unless you step up to Panamera which is much more expensive than 5 series.

The problem is most car reviewers compare current generation 5 series to the older generations which were smaller and lighter and basically is the size of the current 3 series. BMW does make a good drivers car as long as it's within a certain size.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

I find reviews like this quite bland and lackluster I guess. I don't know if it is the time reviewers are given with cars or the bias toward track cars. Perhaps it is that I'm too young to yet know what a "true" BMW drives like and it isn't a review issue at all...

When every car is marketed as being "sporty" and everyone has a "sporty look" and they all have a "sport" mode I guess it all starts to lose its meaning. But I wouldn't call the 540i a cardboard car without a soul. It is meant to be an aggressive DD. You're not buying an M5 Competition to drive around daily unless you're looking for creative ways to set your money on fire. These trims are about giving you a reasonable balance between "luxury" and "sport" in a car you should be daily driving.

Would be nice if they did a bit more like Alex on Autos where he gives you a deep breakdown on the cars as a whole.

I almost feel like these reviewers are reviewing cars for other reviewers...

I'd disagree. The review was very fair and balanced, and they gave it many compliments, just not for feedback or engagement. Even if you do not agree with their opinion, they went into great depths on the interior, underbody/chassis as well as the driving dynamics and powertrain. They said the handling was good, but it lacks all feeling, to which I truthfully wouldn't disagree with having experience with almost every generation of 5er's.

As for their style of reviews, they care about the drive and the technical aspects (underbody). They don't need to do an Alex on Auto style roller bag test or give the exact dimensions of the seats. I don't think they are "reviewing for other reviewers," they are simply giving their unfiltered opinion on what they think of the car, especially from a dynamics standpoint, and their experience and technical levels of details are greatly appreciated in my opinion.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Tk718

BMW does make a good drivers car as long as it's within a certain size.

The current 5er is smaller and weighs similar to that of an E38 7er SWB (aka sporty shorty), a car that despite its size, was a fantastic driver's car in a segment of cars that were soft and boring. BMW can do it, they simply just chose to tune this car to be more luxury oriented. BMW has been able to do so in the past, as have other brands and their models such as the Jaguar XJ and Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

I find reviews like this quite bland and lackluster I guess. I don't know if it is the time reviewers are given with cars or the bias toward track cars. Perhaps it is that I'm too young to yet know what a "true" BMW drives like and it isn't a review issue at all...

Yes that's exactly it.

This car and frankly 90% of BMWs have become appliances.

[S4CH]

Great review, but it is an over-generalization of the 5 series. The character differences between the 530i, 540i and M550i are huge. Each buyer can pick the flavor they want, and then the dynamic driving modes further tailor the experience.

[Scotty B]

All 5s are heavy now. It's about how fast you want to accelerate. Get a M2, maybe m340 if you want a e39 replacement. The 7 competes with the S, 5 with the E, 3 with the C and the other 8, 6, 4 Audis.

edit: odd numbers and letters are just the stepchildren

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by stein_325i

I'd disagree. The review was very fair and balanced, and they gave it many compliments, just not for feedback or engagement. Even if you do not agree with their opinion, they went into great depths on the interior, underbody/chassis as well as the driving dynamics and powertrain. They said the handling was good, but it lacks all feeling, to which I truthfully wouldn't disagree with having experience with almost every generation of 5er's.

As for their style of reviews, they care about the drive and the technical aspects (underbody). They don't need to do an Alex on Auto style roller bag test or give the exact dimensions of the seats. I don't think they are "reviewing for other reviewers," they are simply giving their unfiltered opinion on what they think of the car, especially from a dynamics standpoint, and their experience and technical levels of details are greatly appreciated in my opinion.

The core of my critique I guess is that they focused on the car along a couple of fronts that I think are a bit click bait without enough cross line comparisons to current cars. My comparison to Alex on Autos wasn't so much the "there is x inches of headroom in the back passenger set" to more of his tables and direct comparison to straight line competitive cars in the segment. Calling a car "sporty" or "less sporty" in relation to the brands history is important, but it is also important to compare it that way relative to its peers. The peer comparison also helps us to understand the reviewer's definition of soft terms like "Sporty" as well. For instance, comparing a 540i to an E63 AMG is a bit disingenuous I think.

That comparison to direct competitors as well as across trims will help buyers make informed decisions. As BMW has a lot of competing realities to balance. For instance, the 530i/530e, 540i, M550i, and M5 are very different beasts. Although you can definitely track a 530i and have a lot of fun it won't feel as naturally suited to the track life as an M5 would and the inverse would be true daily driving an M5 in NYC traffic. Hypothetically speaking, the 530i could be a poor value compared to the 540i when looking at what they cut out of it compared to the cost and use case. Such as the 530i being a ton less sporty and etc than a 540i or the like or its E350 competition. This is the real value reviews like this should have for prospective buyers and not just drooling over the top tier trim only.

That has to then be overlaid with the modern realities around safety systems and environmental regulation (which is why comparing deeply to current competitors is important as they'll face the same regulations and safety requirements). For instance, my last car ('14 MB C300) had steering that felt better to me than the steering in my '20 BMW 530xe. The major difference though is my MB steering wasn't drive by wire and my BMW is. The MY15 or newer C300 steering felt much worse than the BMW and was drive by wire. Drive by wire systems are a necessary evil in a world where buyers expect stuff like automatic steering and etc. If BMW lacked those features to keep the superb steering feel of mechanical I would have skipped the car as I value safety features higher.

I guess I just don't agree with them that a 5-Series is so boring and forgettable that it is hard to understand why someone would buy it over a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry unless they just want to wave around the BMW badge as they proclaimed...

[spuntyb]

Love SG.

This is exactly what the 540 should be. I don't see anything wrong with the analysis. Great car, but lease, and release.

The whole thing with whether to buy it over a Japanese car is another story. I don't see them as being similar enough outside of a spreadsheet. As utilitarian as it might be, the G30 is still an aspirational car.

[scoale]

This car should be celebrated for what it is rather than criticized for not being an E39. The fact of the matter is, this car is far superior to the E39 in many ways. Many will view the E39 through a nostalgic lens, so try to imagine the G30 launching circa 2000 as a contemporary of the E39.

In terms of SG (and I like SG), these guys definitely gravitate towards analog, visceral cars. Mark has owned multiple S2000s and they refer to the 86 as "the car that started it all for them"

I have owned many of the celebrated E series cars, including several Ms, and currently own an F80 M3 and an F87 M2 comp, in addition to my 540. So I get that the 540 is not as edgy or sporty as cars like those. That said, I enjoy the 540s powertrain, refinement, and interior - and find it light on its feet for a car of its size (it weighs the same as the new G80 M3!). As others have said, if you want something a bit sportier, check out the M340. If you want something more analog, in a sedan format, probably better check out something else. But for many, the G30 is a car they are going to be very happy with.

[LuvMyE92]

I didn't watch the entire video (A.D.D. and I'm at work and have to pretend to, you know, work occasionally) but it seemed pretty positive to me.