[hinckley]

I drove a 540i xDrive this morning for about 30 minutes. Combo backroads and highway. The car was well equipped with a $72.5k MSRP, but it had neither the MSport or Dynamic Handling Package. Black over Black Dakota.

I liked the car a lot. The most noticeable thing for me was reduced weight. Now I'm comparing the car to my current S6 and my former F10 M5. Those cars are in the 4400 - 4500 pound range. I'm guessing the 540 is closer to 4000 pounds. It makes a difference. I drove entirely in Sport Plus mode and found the steering to be heavy, but precise. Flicking the wheel back and forth on the highway was almost fun. It's a definite upgrade from the F10. The ride was comfortable, not floaty at all and not harsh, even in Sport Plus (although I don't think there's any adjustability of the damping without Dynamic Handling). The car was pretty quiet, but there's more wind noise around the windows and rear view mirror than I would have liked.

Taking a very long, sweeping exit ramp was very telling to me. The ramp is part of every test drive that I do. The speed limit is 45 mph, and with slowly increasing acceleration, the 540 got up to 84 before my butt-meter told me the nannies were about to cut in. That's pretty good. However, there was considerable body roll. I was hanging on a bit, planting my left leg to keep my body pressed into the right side bolster. It was the only truly negative thing about the drive, and I think would be mitigated or eliminated with the Active Roll Stability part of the Dynamic Handling Package.

I felt that the power was fine - absolutely adequate, but not prodigious. If I buy this car, I will seriously consider the M Performance Power upgrade.

Everyone has talked about the car's aesthetics, so I purposely left it to last. I was very surprised by how much I liked the look of the car. To my eye, the dimensions look tidier than the F10's. I thought I'd absolutely hate the new grille, but found it's not that offensive. I may even grow to like it. The interior dimensions do not feel very different from the F10's. The cowl seems lower and the dash feels closer to the windshield. I liked that. the front comfort seats are the usually BMW awesome. There may be a smidge more rear seat room, but the rear seat itself is definitely set lower than the F10's. You kind of fall into the seat. I didn't like that.

Interior design is BMW evolutionary and "handsome". There are no great design risks or "wow" factors. I like the E-class's design more, but tactilely, the BMW's interior quality feels much better. I was surprised by how much better the Dakota leather looks and feels. It's not Nappa or Marino, but for some reason, it feels more acceptable than before. The sensatec dash is an upgrade and its texture matches the Dakota leather, but I think it would really stand out (in a negative way) with Nappa leather seats. BMW really needs a true smooth leather dash option for this car.

Overall, I really like the new 540. It's a definite step forward and has no serious flaws - except maybe the price. I always end up with over-spec'ed cars, but even so, I build a well equipped 540i xDrive at almost $80k. I'd be knocking $85k if I go with the M Performance Power kit. That's a lot of bread for a 540 . . .