2021 BMW 540i xDrive 

The first thing I noticed about when I drove the latest BMW 5-series was that its turn signal stalk operates the way these simple devices have for decades. 

By Isaac Bouchard

When you push it all the way up or down, it stays there until you complete your turn, then returns to center. BMW had tried to reinvent this mode of operation; the stalk would return to center as soon as you had you let it go—yet the turn signal was still blinking away, until you completed your turn. This operational oddity was part and parcel of two generations of BMW vehicles, and it seemed a puzzling complication to a simple procedure. In all honesty, I was relieved when I saw that BMW had returned to the status quo. 

You might ask, What does this have to do with the car itself? And I would answer that it exemplifies how BMW is responding to consumers’ desires for interfaces that are easy to understand yet flexible in operation. BMW was the first company to install a true, computer-style interface in a car, way back in the 2001 7-series. That first generation of iDrive was very hard to fathom; you’d have to click through multiple layers of menus to get where you wanted to go, since there was a dearth of buttons to shortcut to commonly used functions. Over the years, BMW has honed iDrive to the point where it is a standard to which other companies aspire; the 540i has superb voice recognition and the new, larger 12.3in center screen responds to touch as well as the control knob and buttons. In the larger scheme of things, the turn signal saga represents how BMW has moved with the market, making its cars more approachable to a wider audience while striving to retain the core values that have made them paragons of driving pleasure for decades. 

The 540i represents a sweet spot in the company’s lineup; it is fast yet frugal, smooth riding yet competent in the corners, roomy yet responsive. This generation of 540i is conservative yet handsome; BMW is leaving it to their forthcoming electric vehicles to push the styling envelope. It has been updated with more angular lights and grill, freshened bumpers and wheels. Inside there’s the bigger screen with updated graphics and refinements to operating logic, along with wireless Android and Apple connectivity. The optional, 20-way adjustable front chairs are long-haul comfortable and the back bench is roomy and supportive. Visibility is great for all occupants and Surround and 3D View camera options make parking a synch. The 540i is very quiet, and rides superbly thanks to its low center of gravity and sophisticated suspension. In corners, optional active roll bars stiffen in corners to keep the BMW flat, yet soften when you’re going straight. Steering feel is still conspicuously absent, this is the one area where the company doesn’t seem able to recapture its former preeminence. 

The Bavarians certainly need little help to build great powertrains, and the 540i boasts one of their most refined. A virtually vibration-free, 335hp, inline six cylinder of 3-liters capacity combines with a 48-volt electrical architecture, comprised of a small lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator. This is sandwiched between the engine and smooth 8-speed, ZF-supplied transmission. The 540i leaps off the line and reaches for the redline with the silky howl that has typified BMW’s midsize machines for decades. This latest one is also faster than many of the haloed M5 super sedans of the past, with 0-60mph dispatched in 4.7-seconds—yet it routinely returns mid-20s mpg in normal use.  

Bracketing this model are a plugin hybrid 530e, and the M550i and M5, boasting 500-600hp-plus V8s. One of the more compelling attributes of the midrange 540i is that you don’t need to go into license-loosing territory to enjoy it, like the latter, nor do you need to measure all your throttle or brake inputs to maximize electric range, as when driving the former. You can just cruise along, enjoying the lovely (optional) leather and harmonious sound system. In this kind of use, the Driving Assistance Plus option is a nice asset; it has two basic modes: one is a really well calibrated adaptive cruise control that will follow those in front, keeping a safe distance and applying on the brakes as needed. The other, Extended Traffic Jam Assistant, is not quite as well calibrated yet—it wants to take semi-autonomous drive to the next level, but will sometimes stop following the lines on the road and veer into another lane—behavior that certainly doesn’t reduce driver stress! No doubt continuous software updates will make it better, but for now it’s not a confidence booster. Some purists will lament that these latest midrange 5-series aren’t the driver-focused cars that previous generations could be. But that ship has sailed; the 3-series is now as large as those older 5s, and it has the firm-riding, swift-steering responsiveness thing down. Meaning the 5-series, and 540i in particular, can serve as an executive’s express that focuses on swift, fatigue-free progress and soothing occupants’ road-induced stresses. 

EPA Ratings: 2331/26mpg 

0-60mph: 

Price as tested: $77,935 

Here is what BMW has to say. 

4 Stars 

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Contact Isaac Bouchard for help saving time, money and hassle when buying or leasing one at [email protected]

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