[richpat69]

I got my G-60 540i X M-Sport about three weeks ago and thought I’d share a few thoughts. Previously I had a 2020 M550, a 2017 540i X (both G-30) and before that an F-10 535i X. I have had and still have some serious performance sports cars. I loved the 550 and tried to find a new one before buying the G-60 but then rationalized that two G-30’s were enough . I wanted something from the next generation but I was and remain disappointed that there is no V-8 similar to theG-30 M550.

The color of the new arrival is oxide grey which I very much like…it has tones of gray and gold depending on the lighting. The interior is the black/gray Merino leather upgrade. The car was ordered with a good number of available options including Driving Assistant Pro, Luxury Seating, and the Premium Package. The 540 has a 1,200-mile break-in period which I am observing so I have no clue how fast the car is beyond BMW’s statistics.

If I had to sum up my impression after a week, I believe I have gone from a fun-to-drive sports sedan to a luxury car with solid performance. I also think the car, particularly when viewed from the side, is very attractive. I feel both the front and the rear show a bit too much plastic although I’ve seen a few 540’s with a darker color and the dark plastic was less noticeable. I do find the hidden exhaust pipes more than a bit strange and feel the back would be much more interesting with exhaust pipes.

In my opinion, BMW’s decision to go with a single platform for its EV’s and ICE cars produced a significant compromise for those of us who prefer ICE vehicles.

Before getting the car, I thought that a single display for the instrument panel and smaller display would look hokey, but it looks fine due to significant demarcation between the instrument panel and the remainder of the display. The image quality of the display is very impressive. The HUD was much improved although I wish there were more opportunities to customize the data that is displayed on the HUD. I had the same gripe with the 550 and its predecessors.

Because I bought the car from an out of state dealer and had it shipped, I did not get the tutoring that one would get with a new car. I did enough video watching to get things up and going including getting me logged in to MyBMW, setting up digital keys, etc. I spent several hours playing with 8.5. It is powerful, but I didn't find it as logical as what was in my M550. I am a techy and got most of the things I needed done, but if one is not into technology, it would have been a daunting task. After almost seven years in G-30’s,I felt I knew the 550 well enough that it took at most a quick glance to push the desired button/switch. Since BMW has largely eliminated push buttons, it is a very different world. Even with voice commands, it seems a bit arduous getting to certain parts of the 8.5 menu. Even after a few weeks of driving, I still feel that the OS is quirky but manageable.

In the 540 an area in the front of the console now has the start button, and the shift lever is less than an inch high. Push buttons for media, navigation and phone are on the console as are several other functions but they are flush mounted and very different from any BMW I’ve owned before.

I think the interior has a sense of high-tech elegance. It is much cleaner than my previous car and seemed much more refined and that’s great if that is what you want. The car came with the luxury seating option, and I like the seats. What I don’t like is the elimination of the massaging feature which I had in all my past cars and found helpful on long trips. The aluminum trim I selected was much nicer and more refined than the similar Aluminum Rhombicle trim in the G-30. BMW eliminated the small front storage bin located at the bottom left of the steering wheel. Too bad, I had good uses for it. I also wish they had included USB-C ports in the console, but BMW placed two USB-C ports in front of the cup holders and two ports on the HVAC piece for the rear seats, The interior door handles seemed strange at first but after a few fumbling attempts,I have gotten to like them.What is different and seems to be a pain in the butt is the opener for the glove compartment which is to the left of the compartment itself and almost invisible. Another significant omission is the lack of a physical valet key. I do like the look of the nighttime interior lighting but there are no LED interior lighting strips along the rear doors.

I ordered the Bowers & Wilkins sound upgrade and I am very happy with it. I need to get the equalizer a bit more tuned in but it seems well worth the additional investment.

As I noted above, I like the exterior except for the lack of exhaust pipes which I think can make the rear of a car sportier. I suspect this is likely due to BMW designing a single platform for EV's and ICE cars. The G-60 is longer, wider and taller than the G-30 I’m OK with the larger kidney grills but my largest gripe about the exterior is that I wish it looked a bit more aggressive.

As for driving, the car has a very nice ride, and is ultra-quiet at all road speeds, much quieter than my three previous 5-Series cars. Some of this might be due to the elimination of runflat tires which were on all of my previous cars. The steering seems a bit light and steering force is less than the force required on the 550, The new car is relatively nimble although it drives “bigger” and not as tight as the 550 which I had anticipated due to the size and suspension differences. Although the G-30 was not a small car, it always felt somewhat nimble; that feeling is just not what I get from the new 540. FWIW, when I previously went from a 2017 540i X to the 2020 M550, I thought the differences were more than subtle. Having said that, and not having tried the more aggressive Sport Mode or whatever they call it in the new 540, the car accelerates well up to 4.500 RBM. I drove a new 530 a few months ago and that seemed a bit on the meh side of performance. The 540 is much better.

Should I have waited for the replacement 550? I think not. I didn’t want a plug-n hybrid with less HP and more weight. I’m not unhappy with my buying decision; the car is largely what I expected it to be and that is a very nice vehicle. It is not, however, close to how I would define a sport sedan, a name I thought fitting for the previous version’s M550.

[Nighthawks]

Your review is spot on!

I would have bought the 550e, but it’s not available yet. I was without a car since the end of October until my car was delivered two weeks ago.

I’m loving my G60 540iX. It’s heaven on earth.

[richpat69]

Very nice Nighthawks!

I think BMW along with much of the auto industry jumped on the EV train a bit too soon and seriously misread the US market. EV's will eventually prevail but the US needs a more robust charging network and more capacity on its grid.

The 540 with its 375 HP is indeed a very nice car for those of us who still want a spirited ICE vehicle.