1998 BMW 5 Series 540i review from North America

When I got the car I replaced tires, windshield wiper rubber, bought new battery, and did an alignment (It's a 10 year old car after all).

Center brake light socket melted out ($10).

Upper radiator hose blew ($150).

Passenger side headrest stopped going up and down (don't care enough to fix it, the rest of the seat controls work fine).

Ignition coils and starter ($660).

For a 10 year old car, the 540i is impressive. When compared to most cars being sold today, the 540i doesn't feel anywhere lacking in power. If you hit some winding roads, the excellent handling and steering feel can't help but put a smile on your face.

The 540i has long highway gearing, so although it only does 0-60 in an average 5.7 seconds (for the auto) and 5.5 (for the manual), it has amazing passing power on the freeway, and the car pulls strongly and easily well into the triple digits.

At highway speeds, the 540i also displays an exceptional confidence and pose. 55 feels like 35, 65 feels like 45, and 90 feels like 70.

For the anyone interested in being engaged in the driving experience, the 540i provides the perfect feedback, at any speed, to put the driver in absolute control of the driving experience.

Strangely enough, some people expect a high performance V8 luxury sport sedan to be problem free, and I have to say for those delusioned enough to think so, Toyota makes a very reliable, poorly handling, overpriced, over-hyped, commuter sofa that will bore you to sleep every time you get behind the wheel. Or, there is the bus.

But if you are willing to pay a bit more in repair costs and maintenance to have to have a car that truly exemplifies the qualities of an "Ultimate Driving Machine", a drive in a BMW 5 series is waiting.