New to Board need help.

[THUCK]

I have owned several Bimmers over the years but 5 series in the 90s body style. I just drove a 530 and it seemed slow off the line. What can you do about it? A chip? I had a 533i and it was fast a hell with plenty of power. This is the first one I have driven could it just be the car? What car should I buy? 525 530 540? or do they all lag off the line. Help! Also is the wagon slower because of added weight. Also what is the difference in i and no i.

[G Feller]

The i stands for "fuel injected."

These are all heavy cars; the E34 530 weighs 3700 lbs and the touring 200 more. Was the car you were in an automatic? It does 0-60 in about 8.8, while the manual will do 7.5 (the wagon 9.1). So that is slow by today's standards but these cars are 10 years old and not made for raw power - where they really shine is on the interstate, or really anywhere between 30-??? mph. They are made to cruise the autobahn in comfort and style!

It could very well have been the particular car you drove. You can certainly chip a 530; the difference is noticeable but not eye-popping.

The overwhelming preference of the purists on this board is actually the 535, which the 530 was made to replace. They have about the same hp and speed, but the 535 is a 3.5L 6 while the 530 is a 3.0L 8. And all pre-1994 5 series cars have a narrower grill than the last two years of E34 production.

What car you buy depends on your needs - if you "need" speed, the 540 is the fastest (short of the M5), but probably the most expensive to maintain (and the hardest to work on yourself, along with the 530, because the engine fills the entire bay, leaving little room to work). However, none of these cars are inexpensive to maintain properly. I have $2k a year budgeted to keep my 540 in good shape, but that will probably not quite cover it, certainly not the year I have to do the clutch. Or the cats/exhaust.

What's important to you? We'll certainly help you choose, as we would all buy a 5-series all over again if we weren't so consumed with the one(s) we have.

Don't ask Brian C. though, he has 5-series envy/bitter wallet syndrome.


I have owned several Bimmers over the years but 5 series in the 90s body style. I just drove a 530 and it seemed slow off the line. What can you do about it? A chip? I had a 533i and it was fast a hell with plenty of power. This is the first one I have driven could it just be the car? What car should I buy? 525 530 540? or do they all lag off the line. Help! Also is the wagon slower because of added weight. Also what is the difference in i and no i.