1989 - 1995 BMW 5-Series Sedan Pre-Owned

Model year 1996 brought with it the opportunity to experience M5-like acceleration by checking 6-speed manual on the 540i's order

Model year 1996 brought with it the opportunity to experience M5-like acceleration by checking 6-speed manual on the 540i's order form. (Photo: BMW Canada)

form. While both the 525 and 530 are wonderfully balanced cars eagerly achieving sporty performance, the 540i with its 6-speed manual is a monster - 100 km/h came in only 6.2 seconds. That's pretty amazing considering its 1,675 kg (3,693 lb) curb weight.

I remember when a black on black example rolled off the transport truck onto my local dealer's lot. Fortunately my friend just happened to be the sales manager, thus the keys were graciously handed over. I slid into the virgin leather driver's seat and tiptoed out of the driveway, protective coating still plastered over the paint and blocks still in the suspension. Once on the open road I opened it up, within reason being that it had zero miles on the odometer and needed a proper breaking in period, plus that suspension, well the entire car needed a proper pre-delivery inspection to say the least. Still, it didn't take long to realize that this was a very special car. The rest is history, as most 5-series currently sold in Canada are V8 equipped. Incidentally, the 6-speed 540i

The crème de la crème of the series was the 310-hp 3.6L inline-6 powered M5. (Photo: BMW Canada)

package also included 12-way power sport seats, a sport-tuned suspension and large diameter anti-roll bars.

A Touring or wagon version was introduced in 1992 and sold through to the end of this model's cycle in 1995. Also, the crème de la crème of the series was the 310-hp 3.6L inline-6 powered M5, still the best of the best today albeit with four additional cylinders and much more power - 507 compared to 315 to be exact. I won't go into any details regarding this 1990 to 1993 model as it deserves a solely dedicated article. No 1996 model year BMW 5-Series was offered, but rather an all-new 5 appeared earlier in the year as a 1997 model. While an impressive performer, its design still doesn't move me the way the 3rd generation car does. The 5's current flamed surface design language gets as much hate mail as it does love letters, so at the very least the car isn't boring to look at anymore.