The BMW 540i xDrive Touring at a glance
Can a car be too perfect?
Imagine if your boss lets a new company car pop up. Business is going well, the matter of the leasing rate has also been resolved and you also have a free choice of the three major German premium brands. You are looking for something with space for the family, but also for your personal driving demands. 20 years ago I would have written that you should most likely go into internal negotiations with a 5 Series Touring.
Today, in the year 2021, I’m not so sure anymore. The 5-series BMW G30 (G31 for the touring) has been on the market since the beginning of 2017, received its half-time facelift last year and drives pretty perfectly. Too perfect? Under the hood of the 540i lies the only real (and somewhat affordable) drive for BMW fans – a 3.0-liter straight six-cylinder mild hybrid with 245 kW / 333 hp and a torque of 450 Newton meters (combined fuel consumption: 8 , 5-7.8 l / 100 km²; combined CO2 emissions: 195-177 g / km²).
Strong, but arbitrarily acting in-line six-cylinder
These values can be read on paper as if the engine could arouse real enthusiasm. In everyday life, on the other hand, a four-cylinder could also work under the bonnet – hardly anyone will notice the difference. Of course, it is worth mentioning that the interior is wonderfully quiet even without the option of insulating glass, and you can barely hear the engine at the front.
But don’t get me wrong: why do I buy a BMW with a six-cylinder in-line engine? Turned upwards and pushing towards 7,000 tours sounds a bit like the song of the old days, but somehow not as pithy as it was a few years ago. There is no question that the 540i is fast, yes, fast. 5.2 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h are an announcement, the top 250 km / h remain befitting.
Thanks to xDrive there are no traction problems
There is no begging for traction here either, because the 540i Touring is only available with xDrive all-wheel drive. This ensures that the roughly two-ton business combination can be pushed through the tightest of turns even when the driving aids are deactivated. Neutral in every situation is the best way to describe driving behavior, which unfortunately also applies to steering.
It is difficult to criticize for its handling in daily traffic, it is easy to navigate in the city and ensures a stable lane when driving fast on the motorway. There are no longer any drive influences, of course, but from this point of view the resistance always has a constant effect and communication between the driver and the road has been lost.
Steering does not convey much driving pleasure
That doesn’t bother those with a company car in the 520i, but here I ask the question again: Why should I then buy a “driving” 540i Touring for at least 67,500 euros? One possible answer is an extended stretch of the motorway. The focus here is on the adaptive chassis, which shines with a lot of comfort and excellent road holding.
The perfectly coordinated ZF 8-speed automatic keeps the spontaneously appealing straight six in the lower touring range, which in conjunction with the 48V mild hybrid system means that you can press the 540i to under eight liters if necessary (according to the on-board computer) . On the other hand, over two weeks on average, we achieved a brisk average consumption of 11 liters per 100 kilometers.
One step ahead when it comes to operation
The 5 Series Touring, on the other hand, can really shine in the interior. The materials are of high quality, the workmanship is clean, the seating position is top and when it comes to iDrive operation, BMW continues to outpace the competition. Even the trunk with a capacity of 430 to 1,560 liters is elegantly lined with fabric, but is smaller than that of the Audi A6 Avant and Mercedes E-Class T-Model. Meanwhile, the 540i xDrive can hook up to 2,000 kilograms.
Conclusion
The BMW 540i xDrive Touring is a convincing long-haul car with plenty of space to sit and plenty of storage space for luggage. Its 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder is powerful, but does not arouse any emotional desire. Those who don’t necessarily need 333 horsepower are also well served with the smaller (and at least 8,100 euros cheaper) 530i (combined fuel consumption: 7.3-6.5 l / 100 km²; combined CO2 emissions: 167-148 g / km² ). The high level of driving comfort is pleasing, the callous steering, which prevents sporty high-altitude flights, is less. In terms of operating quality, the BMW 5 Series continues to be clearly ahead of the competition. (Text and image: Thomas Vogelhuber)