Hey everyone,

I am debating the idea of selling my R, and getting a 2001 BMW 540i 6 Speed.
What would you do? the 540i has a 4.4l 8cyl in it.

Help?

 

Type R and the 540 are two completely different modes of transportation. Not to mention the price difference...

 

if you're going to get rid of an R for a BMW, it should at least have an M badge...whether it be a 3 5 or roadster, no matter...

the 3 is probably the closest...I drove my buddies 2k1 M3 when I went to visit him...came home and drove the R and it felt like a Yugo...sooo fast.

 

true different cars, however close in perfomance standards. the 540i stock runs a 14.4 quarter, and a 0-60 in a mere 5.8. pulls .88g's through the twisties. however the price difference is quite a jump. but this is BMW we are talking about. there arent many cars that a as well built, and as well designed as a BMW.
however, for acura's sake. the b18c5 is one hell of a motor. and the type r is quite a performance machine. but there is no class to it. it is still on a civic platform. and i really wouldn't call its "fit and finish" a spectacular thing.


The M3 is a very fast car. however, there are still all those ricers that will go and challenge you. you get a 540i, and no one will mess with you. they wont expect a 21 year old driving it. plus you become a little less ticket prone.

the thing that is making me think about selling it is, all of those damn ricers think they have something fast and they always race and ride your ***.

 

sounds like you already made your mind up. I love BMWs, but i'll be damned if a 540 is as fun to drive as a Type R

 

true. very good point.

 

You cant compare a 4 door family grocery getter to a Type R. The fit and finish on the Type R is a lot better than either of my Mustangs or of my friends BMWs. One friend had a 2000 328i Convertible and the things had tons of squeaks and rattles.

Type R is also almost 3X cheaper, 540i Sport is about $60k. Plus in a few years (2003) it will be replaced with the new 5 series.

 

get an M3, and if u dont do that, then get the 540i

 

M3...unfortunately they're +$6g's over list

 

im not sure if you would quite call this a grocery getter?




[Modified by 2K1_ITR, 10:22 AM 8/19/2001]

 

my buddy got his for 1K over sticker...plus he got it in M3-only Laguna Seca Blue!

He wasn't even on the list, it fell into his lap...lucky bastard!

 

that is true, but for less money you can get the M3 (roughly 53K) and run the quarter in low 13's...and w/ all of the luxuries you could ever think of...

the 540 is a little big, but that's preference.

It wasn't designed to be, nor is any integra (my argument exactly as to why it was even badged an acura to begin w/, should have been a honda from the start. An acura shouldn't start at 14K

But it was designed to be race ready, not w/ all the luxuries...But that IS what the M series BMW's are supposed to be. Luxury, power, and looks...it's got it all, but at double the price, it doesn't come without sacrifice!

 

I got to drive a 540i (a/t) at a motortrend event recently. Nice car, but not worth the 55k+ price they were asking. When it comes doen to it, I would rather have a modded 30-40k car than a 540 that is just as stock as evreyone elses bimmer. The 540 had nice leather, climate control, nav system, etc, but to me these features are all BS. You can have practically the same stuff on a 3 series anyday with mega bucks left over for mods. Sure it had all the features of a high dollar lux sedan, but for almost 60k I would want to be getting something more special than just a garden variety 540. After I drove it, my impression was that it was a nice car, and fast, but for nearly 60k (as tested) I would be wanting a special engine or some other features that wont be on every stock broker's 540. It still looked stock, drove stock, etc. One of the guys at the event said that dealers are letting go of the 7series at deep discounts to make room for the new model, so you might want to check those out. But either go with a lower priced M model and mod it or step up to the M5, because while it was a nice car, the 540 just isnt worth it IMO.

 

I currently drive a integra LS. If there was something to happen to my car right now i would get a used M3. THe bmw's come with some bad *** suspension and you don't have to worry about people wanting to steal it. My next car would be a M3 but i would drop a M5 engine in it.

 

well a 3 series is nice, yet i kinda want the stealth look to the cops. a four door boat is almost as good as a minivan. however its performance is quite exhilarating. beside a 3 series bmw isnt as classy as a 5. i know a whole bunch of kids that own 3 series bm's. i just dont want the immaturity factor of one.

Besides, those damn glowing headlights are hot.....



[Modified by 2K1_ITR, 11:34 AM 8/19/2001]

 

Another thing you should note about 540i is that they have nasty depreciation. You can find 1998 ones with ~36k miles for $35kish. Given an initial cost of $65k ($60k plus tax and fees), you are talking about an annual cost of $10k on depriciation alone (forgetting financing costs). Compare that to the annual $2k depreciation for a Type-R.

 

M3M3M3M3M3M3M3M3M3M3M3

cmon, how can u give up a chance to own this car.

THat, or get a 99' M5.

 

i love ITR's but get the BMW. in the future. you will regret not doing it.

 

Yum M5

 

Do you want a luxury car, or do you want a track-ready sports car?

If you want a luxury car, the 540i or the M5 are very nice. (The M5 is not a sports car. Yes, it has 400 hp, but it also weighs 4000 pounds.)

If you want a sports car, keep the ITR.

There are lots of other nice cars on the market, too. First decide what you're looking for, then decide which car best meets your needs.

 

My OPINION: Get the BMW 5 series! Hey, go with a M if you can! But sell me your R, please! I will gladly take it off your hands! If you are going to sell the car, sell it to someone that will take care of it, LIKE ME!


[Modified by 2001 Integra GSR, 7:20 AM 8/20/2001]

 

are you crazy? if the M5 isn't a sports car...damn...i wouldn't know what is! of course it has 4 doors...but i think a sports car can have 4 doors! that thing can tear an itr a new exhaust pipe!!!

as for what car to get...get the M3! if i were gonna buy a bimmer...that's what i'd get. as far as fit and finish, i'd have to say that acuras are on par in the fit and finish category compared with bimmers. every bimmer i've come across had rattles and squeaks. the interior is plasticy. the paint doesn't seem to be so great either....mercedes, i think, has the best paint! bottom line...get the M3...

 

do whatever you feel is right; you're getting biased (some dumb) opinions.
If you want mine, email me.

BTW: https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=60485

Great car.

 

.88g's for such a heavy car?! Not bad! I thought the .90 G of an ITR was superior!

 

If you want to go from the Type R to a more redined, sports sedan vehicle, the 540 is a great choice! The M5 is better, but, if that's what you want, go for it!