Test Drive: 2024 BMW 540i is Neither Here Nor There

BMW hit the reboot button on its 5 Series in 2023 when it brought out the latest version of its midsize luxury sedan.  The reboot came with new styling, new technology, and new electric propulsion for the 5 Series EV, the I5.  Internal combustion fans will be relieved that gas engines are still available.  In fact, my test drive today is in super-unleaded sipping 540i xDrive. 

Now, I’ve long respected the 5 Series but never lusted after one.  (I consider the M5 a separate model.) The closest I’ve come is the previous generation G30 540i.  My brother purchased a 540i with an M Sport performance package last year; it was a great sleeper sports sedan with iconic BMW handling and I6 power.  It was also easy on the eyes, inside and out. 

The updated 5 Series is known to Bimmer insiders and geeks as the G80.  The G80 replaced the G30’s smooth sleekness with butcher, blockier shapes, creasing the previously smooth edges and enlarging the grill.  The new 540i now hails from the same futuristic urban landscape as the iX and XM SUVs. (The G80 even gets an embossed 5 on the c pillar like the iX.)  If there is ever a RoboCop reboot, BMW should partner with the movie.

The new 5 Series interior has been reworked.  In place of independent instrument clusters and navigation screens, a single pane of glass spans from the steering wheel to the center console.  Two embedded LCD screens present the virtual gauges and infotainment display.

BMW has further minimized the number of physical buttons in the cabin.  There are still physical iDrive controls, a gear selector, a button for My Modes, and a physical volume knob.

The My Modes button is a shortcut to the iDrive screen for drive mode selection.  Now that BMW’s drive modes have proliferated beyond the traditional Eco, Comfort, and Sport and added modes like Effusive, it makes sense to ditch physical buttons and use an onscreen menu.  In addition to the suspension, steering, transmission, and drivetrain settings that we expect to change between drive modes, BMW also controls the lighting, moonroof, sound, and HVAC!

Speaking of the HVAC, BMW has hidden its controls in the ambient lighting strip for the cabin. This inch-wide strip runs the dash and doors and contains capacitive touch buttons for the climate control and door locks.  When the car is off, these buttons go dark and disappear from sight; when it is on, they glow white. 

The ambient lighting strip is patterned with geometric shapes, as is BMW’s current obsession.  (See the XM’s ceiling, for example.)  The lighting has different colors depending on the drive modes. In Sport mode, it lights up with the M tri-color theme. 

My 2024 BMW 540i tester is equipped with the $3,000 M Sport package, and its steering wheel is in keeping with recent chunky M wheels. Modest-sized shifter paddles sprout off the wheel’s back, and they are covered with a soft rubber backing that should keep fingertips warm in the winter. 

The front sports seats are comfortable, with cushy padding.  Although the 5 Series looks large from the curb, it feels mid-sized from the cabin. 

Over the years, the 5 Series has always had different demeanors depending on its trim level and suspension choices.  With the base suspension, the 5 Series was a wafting cruiser.  Equip the M Sport suspension like my tester has, and the midsize sedan should hold its own in the canyons and step like a sports sedan.

But once I get the G80 540i onto the road, I wonder if M Sport means the same thing today.  The balance between luxury and sport has been tipped more towards luxury.  The steering is light and aloof, making it a better fit for a Buick than a BMW.  The steering would be well-matched to a wafting suspension like the Mercedes EQE SUV’s, but the 540i’s suspension has a touch of M stiffness to it that reports (without discomfort) all the bumps on the roughly paved road.  I say the steering should either be made sportier or the suspension softer.

The 3.0L I6 turbocharged engine feels familiar because it’s the latest iteration of BMW’s B58.  It makes the I6 sounds that we expect out of BMWs.  Mild hybrid assistance fills in the torque at slow speeds when the turbocharger is below its boost threshold.  As a result, the throttle response is more immediate than I expect from a turbocharged BMW.

Like the G30 540i that came before it, the G80 540i is modestly quick from a roll.  BMW boasts a 4.4 second 0-60 mph for the 375 hp sedan. Those numbers must be clocked with the help of launch control because the 540i feels less sprightly from a slow-speed roll.  No doubt its 4,365 lbs are holding it back.

When flat-footed through a sweeping corner to highway speeds, the 540i’s body lists sideways under the lateral loads, but the AWD grips well, and the car faithfully follows steering inputs.  I have no doubt that this car will be able to sprint onto the highway ahead of an approaching semi.  The 540i should be a commendable long-distance cruiser, with a 33 mpg economy and advanced cruise control to make highway slogs easy.

BMW let me try a few autocross laps in the 540i xDrive.  When whipped through the cones, the 540i is more like waltzing with a rhino than dancing with a gazelle.  Its significant weight and softish suspension are always on my mind, but the front axle faithfully follows the quick steering.  The stability control and all-wheel drive work together to give the 540i a neutral cornering balance that is benign and easily controlled. 

I also had a few laps in the all-electric i5 eDrive40, and to my surprise, this EV was much more agile and rewarding in autocross.  Being rear-wheel drive and using the rear motor for regenerative braking meant that the accelerator pedal became a keen tool for controlling the i5’s cornering attitude.  The i5’s nose felt quicker in the corners, and I could pivot the car using the go-pedal to squirt it out of the turns.  I swear the i5 eDrive40 was faster around the course, even though it was down 40 hp and 100 lb-ft torque on the 540i.

Thanks to my test drive and autocross laps, I now have a taste for the G80 5 Series’ flavor. Sadly, I prefer the older G30’s look, feel, and balance.

Yes, the 2024 540i with M Sport package is a flawed concept. My niggles could be solved if the $70k 540i picked a side and doubled down on sport or comfort.  If the goal is to be a class-leading sports sedan, then I’d like much better steering feedback and improved body control.  Or if the 540i should be a pure luxury experience, then the M Sport suspension can be binned and a softer riding suspension substituted. If you are in the market for a G80 5 Series, consider the options carefully and try before you buy!