e34 535 vs. 530 vs. 540

The 535 big 6-cylinder gave way to the 530 and 540 v8's. Does it compare more to the 530 ? Is the 540 a new monster as with theacceleraction times I've seen? And is the V8 much heavier than the 6 that weight distribution is affected. I'm trying to compare the 535 handling to the 540 acceleration.

the 530i was meant to replace the 535. it was meant to have similar performance numbers with better fuel economy. the 540i just kills them both in terms of acceleration, but also eats up a lot more fuel. its heavier too, so probably won't handle as well.

The 530i wasn't meant to replace the 535i. The big-six has always been the bread and butter of the 5-series.

Anyway, the 530i is a piece of garbage. It has all the problems of the V8 E34s without the handling or acceleration of the 540i. It has massive suspension problems, none of them came in a manual, it is nose heavy yet without decent acceleration, it has the awful nikasil block, etc. etc.

The 535i is the best balanced E34 with the best handling. Its L6 has the fat and smooth torque curve that has made BMW's inline-6s so famous.

I have an E34 540i 6 speed. It has good acceleration and sounds great. It also handles pretty well with its aluminum thrust rods to lighten it up, but it has inherent suspension problems that cause for unending suspension problems, which manifests itself in a maddening shimmy at around 45-60 mph. It's also a bitch to work on.

I'm selling mine soon, although I do love the looks and pretty much everything except the suspension problems, I need to get a tow vehicle for my toys.

I have a 535i, and yes, BMW felt increasing pressure in the early 90's from the Mercedes 400E, the Lexus LS 400 and Infiniti Q45, and decided in 1994 to put a pair of V-8's in the 5-Series one year after they put the 4.0L V-8 in the 7-Series. I think the 540i continued the 535i's market segment as the top drawer non-M 5-Series, while the 530i was just an attempt to broaden the series' appeal for the two years it ran.

I average 17.4 mpg in driving weighted toward the "city" end of the spectrum--and I think that's poor for a 6-cylinder. Let me put it this way--the window sticker from my car lists EPA figures as 15/21, while those for a 1994 540i are 16/22. So at least on paper, the 540i should get similar or slightly better fuel economy than the 535i's "big-six", which is admittedly lauded as being very dependable. Keep in mind part of this may be due to the 540i (and 530i) having a 5-speed automatic transmission, compared to the 535i's 4-speed automatic.

In terms of performance, I'd skip the 530 and go straight for the 540--both V-8's should have similar vices and there is not much that separates them besides a fuel economy difference (favoring the 530i slightly) and a performance difference (favoring the 540i in a big way). The 530i V-8 makes 215 hp, only a few more than the 535i's 208 hp, and it actually makes 11 FEWER units of torque than the older 6-cylinder car. By contrast, the 540i makes 282 hp and 295 lb/ft. of torque. Plus, 1995 only (for E34), you can get a 6-speed manual in the 540i.

Handling-wise, I don't think that the average person will notice a weight-distribution issue comparing the 535i to the 530i or 540i.

In summary, I would not let fuel economy make my decision, as none of these are very efficient cars. I would choose between performance and reliability, going to the 540i for performance and leaning toward the 535i for dependability.