This review was the most on point perfect review capturing the essence of the car absolutely perfectly. Having owned multiple E34 5ers, Doug got it 100%. Especially the turn signal stalk. I thought I was the only one who felt they were special / unbeaten by any other car! The vent in the centre stack … some say it’s for fresh cool air in the cabin for the driver to keep him/her awake on long nighttime drives!
@DougDeMuro yes thats rare *BUT* a even rarer 5 series turned up on a UK YT channel called: the late brake show... with old ex top gear and 5th gear host johnny wilkinson. its the 5 series Hartage edtion. how many? well you can count the number on 1 hand. and yes hartage is still around modifying bmws (& bmw minis) it was the other tuner when you didnt want a alpina modified bmw
Fun fact 1: The seatbelt design in the back was supposed to avoid passengers to bump their heads together in case of side impact. Fun fact 2: You can almost take the whole car apart with the tools in the trunk. Nice review, thanks from a former E34 B10 Alpina owner, Germany
I've used wrench for spark plugs from the tool kit to change the rear window struts on my touring, if you know, you know what that is😉 great first fun fact
@@bavariancarenthusiast2722 Sure :) - the notchy shift action from BMWs late 90s is often caused by the so called "CRV - clutch reduction valve", if you remove that little sucker, located directly at the gearbox / clutch line, the shifting will greatly improve, this costs almost nothing and makes shifting a lot smoother !
I have an E34. "Airmix" in the center console is wonderful. Point of this feature is: You can adjust the teperature via climate controls-this Temperature is for your legs and for Windshield, but if you don't want cold air blowing in your face because it's too hot, you can adjust the middle airvents and the ones on the door to blow colder air than adjistet in the middle. In my owner's manual it is called: "warm legs-cold head; in order to prevent getting tired on long trips one can adjust middle airvents to blow fresh air". I really think this is a great feature especially in winter when you have warm jacket on and you don't want to sweat because of 22°C warm air blowing at you. BRING AIRMIXES BACK
@@jeffcicale under "bring Airmixes vack" I meant not only BMWs but other manufacturers, Volvo had same feature in the 90's, in 850 I think. And to be honest if its hidden in the menu-nobody uses it. But if it's right next to your vent-you are using it frequently. Another thing that car's in the 90's did better.
My OG M2 (‘18) has it and I use it every single time I get in the car. Often a few times while driving too. It is the best thing ever and I’ll miss the heck out of it whenever I get another car. It’s hard to explain how great it is to fine tune the air temp that is blowing in your face while the rest of the car gets brought to the standard 69 degrees.
My mother's 1989 Opel Kadett also had a "cold head warm feet" feature. The middle vents blew cold air no matter the setting on the temp control. Nice feature.
Doug, I can’t believe a (car guy) doesn’t know way the UDM had the center air control wheel. I will explain, on a cold night in the northeast, heat blasting to keep warm and your getting tired. Spin the center wheel to allow cold (outside air) to blow on your face to keep you awake while warm air goes to the right, left and floor vent. One of BMWs best ideas!!!!
Doug is really ignorant about old school BMW's! Exactly, you may have warm air throughout all vents except from the center vents that can blow cool air on your face to avoid fatigue. BMW used this feature certainly up to newer models, not sure for the latest cars (after 2018) with touch buttons on the climate control. Moreover, the big vent on the dash that he mentions is not for defogging the front windscreen, there are openings on the dash under the windscreen for this work. The big air duct guides air towards the cabin to maintain the desired temperature, avoiding direct flow to passengers face. I can not understand how someone reviews a car and says inaccuracies or that he hasn't any idea on how something works instead of checking the owners manual or google it first. A review is supposed to teach us stuff!
@@sophoclesdanassis4749 i am pretty sure Doug does it intentionally to raise a comment activity. About those rear seatbelts - he already said same mistake in older videos, and there were comments with like hundreds of likes saying there is an old BMW sales training video that says that those seatbelts are like that for the side collision protection...but Doug still mistakes? He knows those things, i am pretty sure.
Does that include the first 7-series designed by Chris Bangle - that came out in 2002 (7.35 and 7.45 both V8 gasoline) never read any positive review about them (about the maintenance costs, the highly error-prone electrical systems, etc.). The design is of course a matter of taste (especially the back was not well received by many people). Also the (new/first?) infotainment system got a lot of criticism because of the lack of user-friendliness. And hear is a quote from an owner, (car not very old low mileage): "An airbag malfunction even once led to the temporary failure of all functions (this made the car stop)". I did have a ride in a 7.45 on two occasions (purely by coincidence), of course it was a very comfortable (but I was not in a position to compare it with the competing Mercedes/Audi/Lexus etc. model). Oh, wait you're saying "looking" but doesn't a great looking car that costs a fortune not be a bit reliable also?
No, no, no, no, Noooouu, it´s Aunt Fräulen Rottenmyer, who beat him up badly with her basebal bat, because he was after her skirt, so she smacked him in the face...poor fella, this is why he looks like a toddler who felll oute his Bettchen (german for cot)
@@UltimateCARNUT I thought not many people knew this small detail regarding their latest designs. It`s sad when Hyundai/Kia actually look so much better than most BMW`s today. It`s even more obvious regarding former designers moving to the korean brands when you check their interiors. Pity BMW, you were the one besides Porsche, who made cars for enthusiasts.
@@rebeltvr6046 Unfortunately this is also true, they cater to their tastes in terms of design which it seems in the Western world doesn`t translate to better sales. I mean XM as a tribute to their M division, what were they thinking? everyone wanted an M1 successor not that gigantic land yacht.
the early e38's were kind of wack with styling. I think they realized later around 1999 that square headlights didn't do justice. also clear front and real turn signals look much nicer.
12:30 the temperature dial between the vents in the middle of the dash was not annoying, it was pure genius. You could keep the car comfortable for your passengers and as the driver blow cool air on your face to stay sharp during a long drive. Without it, we are back to winding down the window and sticking our heads out for blast of wake-up air.
This just made me cry. I owned this vehicle in black. I was 29 years old, bought it used and thought it was weird, so I traded it!!!!!! Punch me now. Bought this off some no name lot here in AZ. EXPENSIVE to maintain.
I absolutely love the e34. Here in Australia, we got our own version of this car called the 540i Limited Edition. It was the only 540i manual we got. It had m5 throwing star wheels, m5 suspension and a full m5 interior as well as other stuff. They only made 72 Limited Edition 540i specifically for the Australian market because the later m5 3.8 didn’t meet the emissions regulations back then so bmw instead made the beautiful 540i LE which is today a collectors car
I am pretty sure it's same issue here in North America with the 3.8L not meeting emissions regs. The rest of the world's M5s transitioned from the 3.6L to 3.8L in 1993 model but US models continued with 3.6L for one last year.
13:00 BMW didn’t abandon the cool/hot air dial, they still have it in the menu even on the 2024 models. Since the “digitalization” dating back in the E6X era, it’s been within the display menu, and is still there on today’s models
And it’s great! During the winter when your feet are cold you can heat them but still have fresh air in the higher level of the car. Doug probably never got cold in California so to him it’s useless.
I still miss the mechanical wheel. So much easier than going into a menu. About the reversed seat belts in the back. This was also used to help passengers to put the seat belts on. Much easier when you actually see the spot to put them in. Wish this also would come back.
I find it so funny how he talks wanting to use the turn signals, when BMW drivers are specifically known for not using them haha but he is right. They are very satisfying to feel
This center vent wheel is very useful in cold climate. You set hot for whole car and this vent can still pump cold air into your face which keeps you from falling asleep at long winter night drives. I one of the best feature in old bmws
@@aarongrattafiori617 Because inside, he isn’t dependent on weather, and he doesn’t have to worry about passersby coming and chatting him up (meaning he may have to reshoot a portion).
Doug, mate, the climate wheel is the single GREATEST invention. It allows the cabin temperature to be warm or cold without having to have hot/cold air blowing on your face. Warm cabin and cold on the face was a feature to keep the driver alert. Also BMW hasn't done away with it, its only recently they have put it in a menu in the infotainment system, but it's still there.
Hi guys, here are some explanations for things Doug didn't point out or forgot: - the rear seat belts arrangement is mainly because in case of a rollover scenario, as it minimizes that both rear passengers heads collide when thrown about in the car. Of course also that the first responders can reach the buckle easier. - the middle seat belt is obviously not retractable, so the rear shelf above has a rectangular clip for the buckle as a holder. The real M5 has a retractable seat belt! - the temperature-adjustable middle vent became standard in all E34s in 04/91 but was standard ln every e34 with AC. The idea of it was the concept of "warm feet, cool head" (translated bmw terms from German), cause people complained about exactly the opposite happening in previous models when the AC was blowing cold to the upper body/head (=freezing feet)... Greetings from Berlin, Dele
I had a 1988 320i (E20) and although it wasn't a 5 series, it was a seriously fun car to drive. Like a huge go kart. And it had a manual transmission. The BMWs from the 80's were amazing.
Minor correction; BMW did not remove the upper temp control. In idrive 8.5, it is in CLIMATE>SETTINGS but is set to balanced by default for people that don't want to use it. I personally love it and always use it as I like my face cold regardless of the season!
The temp control roller nob is AWESOME!! 65 in Winter or 65 in Summer are very different. PLUS you can make slight changes in temp without changing the temp number (main temp selector). Changing the temp number may change the air flow (high to low or low to high). So just turn that wheel and you get slight changes in temp without affecting airflow! It’s perfect. They did not abandon it, they just changed how to access it. My 540i (G30)does have this in the rear, but it’s in the menu in the front. When I upgraded my BMW This feature was one of the biggest things I missed.
15:41 BMW drivers agreed with you so much about the turn signal stalk that they decided that it should only ever be used on rare occasions from this point onwards
That top dash vent with its own knob, is Not for defrost. Those defrost vents are the thin ones at the bottom of the glass. That large center one is for fresh air flow into the cabin, Mercedes had this too on a few vehicles including the big Sprinter van. Was an asset to have to help mix air. Also the dial between the center vents has a great purpose as indicated by others in the comments already. So I won't repeat it. But, again, Merc had that too, and it was awesome to have. More cold climate markets Need these types of controls for passengers. It is a great feature!
12:25 that dials purpose is literally to override the temperature set in the actual temperature dial. for example: it is the middle of winter, its freezing outside, you get in your car, start driving but after a while air gets too hot and you start to sweat in your jacket. you turn that upper dial to a colder setting, so that way your upper body will get colder air and you wont sweat, but your frozen feet can still get warmed up because you have hot air blowing on them. obviously this works the other way too, or you can just set it in the middle and it works like the other vents. once you learn how to use it and get used to it you really start to miss it, i personally love it in my own bmw and i wish they still had this in their current models.
I also loved it in my E39 when driving in winter or on a along drives when you just want a fresh air in your face. I`m surprised that Doug don't know this feature.
This is exactly the answer. Fun fact, it still does exist in the new cars except it’s digital now! Look for the air stratification setting in the climate menu and you’ll be able to adjust it
@@doingyamom Yes! I came here to say this exact same thing! I enjoyed this in my X5 twenty years ago and it’s still in my 2019 X3. It’s just integrated into the infotainment screen now. Still there though!
They still have it in their current models. My 2023 330i would NOT have been ordered without it! It's located under CLIMATE>SETTINGS>UPPER TEMP CONTROL
When talking about those vents I thought imagine you're tired driving at cold night so you make yourself comfortable by having warm air coming out of every vent but also you blow cold air only on your face to make yourself stay alert and sharp
Happy to see this car reviewed, I have a 94 530i touring wagon and I hope to make some improvements to it over this next year. 225k miles and 25k of that was from me. Very reliable and durable engine and chassis. I don't know if my tiny V8 had an engine block replacement due to nikasil issues but it seems solid to me. I recently did a tune up (this early m60 loves to burn up the front intake manifold gasket) and I did a little other stuff simultaneously. I'd like to 4.0 swap it but the 3.0 has earned it's keep so well, removing it would be a crying shame!
I had an E34 525i. Best car I ever had. Loved the heavy quality sound the doors made when I closed them, loved the way the hood opened, loved the way this car drove. I was so sad when a guy crashed on me and totaled the car Thank for the awesome trip down memory lane.
That BMW climate dial is the best thing they idiotically abandoned. It was a nice way to quickly make the upper air cooler or hotter while still keeping the lower main air temperature the same. Perfect for peak winter days where you feel the hot air to be too dry, you can then fine tune the top vents to be ever so slightly cooler.
As a E39 fanatic, the E34 is definitely a beauty. A VERY different era of BMW compared to todays oddly sculpted cars with stuck-on screens to the dash.
I love that Doug has 2 videos now on e34s. I miss my E34 530i and wish I never got rid of it. Just love seeing them get love. Now I hope they stay sort of cheap after these reviews😂
Thanks Doug for the wonderful content, there's more fun facts of e34: 1: tons of options : (Rear passenger section) You can have heated rear passenger seats, manual or electric rear window sunshade Optional manual rear passenger windows sunshade curtain, hiding inside door trim and even for quarter window! Electric lifting rear headrest, refrigerator behind rear center armrest (ultra rare) Rear passenger center armrest has 3 types of option, normal one like video, one with storage box and complete divide rear seats which only early M5s have, like today's full independent seats (Front passenger section) The normal non M front seat has it's own armrest With memory seats, the co-driver side mirror automatically roll down for curb checking when shift to reverse Standard electric seat is 10 ways, forward-backward, up-down, seat back tilting, seat base rotation and headrest up-down, And you can have plus power thigh support, power lumbar support to make it 14 ways all been powered Auto dimming center backmirror (I think it is available after 93') (Other) World's first parking distance sensor World's first 2 zone A/C World's first massive production 5AT (I think they're available with e32 together) Touring (estate) models have optional double sunroof 2: interesting features and facts The sunvisor is even over-engineered, you can have the mirror door open and fold sunvisor back, the light will turn off or leave mirror door opened and pull visor out, the light will turn off either, because the electric contact is designed on the visor hook Adjustable interval wiper ( see my video : ruclips.net/video/bWP_XJYtTgI/видео.html) Double lock function : if you use key to lock the car, it will not be able to be unlocked by door central lock, this prevents theifts try breaking your window and get on the car Power maintaining : after switch off ignition, the power window is still operatable for like 15min, unless you open then close door or lock the car, the control module will consider you've get out of car and cut the power Controlling logic of windows: quick tap for auto rolling down, and long press is jog motion, it seems confused at first try but it's actually more reasonable because if you're on a situation no time to operate the window, quick tap it and it goes fully down for you, no longer need to hold for 1-2s or finding the 2nd button stage From petrol inline4, inline6 to V8, there's also 6cy diesel models and even gas powered 518g! making e34 platform has a very wide range of engine equipped (Even more is there are full electric and hybrid protypes) In my opinion, the technology advancing on the e32/e34 era is more impressive than our current vehicles no matter what brands offer. Aside from all these features, e34s give nice lookingm, very good riding quality and sportness, good safety even for today's standard, the legendary M50 engine and been relaible for 30 years till now and go on, they are trully ultimate driving machines
I believe I owned 1 of 2 M540is equipped with a factory LSD for the U.S. market. By far the best car I've driven and my biggest case of sellers remorse.
Well Doug, if you read your comments you would know what this hot/cold wheels in the middle vent is for, as I’ve mentioned it before when you had another e34. The point of this is to regulate the temperature of that vent specifically. Why? So, when you are cold and want the heat on but don’t really want to be falling a sleep or not being able to breathe. You can simply adjust this wheel so the middle vent blows cooler air on your face while the rest pump out hot air to keep you warm. It makes perfect sense and a pretty genius idea that is still used in BMWs now a days, as well. I got it in my 640 and love it
@DougDeMuro, 12:25 - Incorrect, the middle temp control wheel affects only middle vent temperature, and the reason is that you can point it towards your face, so you can breath cold air, when the rest of the car is warm, same on E39, because breathing warm air is not pleasant.
For the freaky ones... 1. The central vent adjustment wheel is the "warm legs, cool head" system which was brilliant and helped a lot with drowsiness... 2. BMW made coloured steering wheel logos since a lot before the E34. Only the "M" stering wheels had them in black, to distract you less... 3. I didn't know about the safety reason for the rear seat belt. But what I know for sure is that it's a LOT easier to secure the baby seat having the buckle accessible without diving over the baby... Gosh I miss my 540... and it's turn signal switch, but the E39 had a nice one too Rgds from Poland
Unmatched in terms of performance perhaps, but the build quality of Mercedes of the same year was miles ahead. Even the Audi 100 of the same year was comparable to BMW quality despite being considerably less expensive at the time. Obviously during the joint venture with Chrysler, Mercedes build quality suffered greatly, so BMW was ahead in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but in the late 1980s when this car came out, BMW was nowhere near Mercedes in terms of interior build quality.
I feel sad that you sold your RS2, this was 3-series territory. It’s a very rare E34 you shared with us-off course they sold M540i in Europe but they ended up in Export. Well done dude
@@hunterrrdrives the original M-car (other than the E26 M1, obv) was the E12 M535i. They've been playing around with letters and numbers for a long time...
Doug, the center Control dial for the air override, is the MAIN reason, I continue to own a e46 330i today. A Feature that only those of us with Allergies absolutely LOVE!!!! you can turn on your heat and have your feet warm, you can turn on your heated seats to keep your body warm, but on those long cold nights, especially in allergy season, you can have cool fresh air that helps you breath and stay awake. BMW was VERY much ahead of the time here and this feature is a MAJOR Blessing. I wish more manufactures of cars would actually THINK about their customers the way BMW did. Sadly, there new stuff, is the same same as all new cars rushing to market and with the cost of the complicated electronics, these cars don't have a quality lifespan any longer, they have a TIME EXPERIATION Date built right into them. In an era were young men drove with their dads and looked forward to owning their dads car.... well that is now gone from our society with modern, designed to break cars.
90s era Acura Legends also had a similar center dial for the climate controls, and I found it quite useful, especially in cooler weather. You get into the car, after walking around with cold feet, and then you can crank the heat up to max in order to warm the feet, but also dial up cool air to hit your face/chest to keep the rest of "you" from getting too warm. I used that feature quite frequently in my old Legend coupe and really missed it in other cars ... until I bought my 2007 M6, which also has that feature. I find it quite useful here in the Midwest. Hope that helps clarify the purpose of that dial! I wish more cars still had that option/feature, frankly.
This review made my day! I have a US Spec M540i, for 10 years now. Ive driven the hell out of it and its at 280k miles now. Still running strong on the original engine. Seeing this beautiful example being appreciated is the best. I can't remember how many times I've had to explain the M badge lol, but only when people ask, cause if you know, you know. I've done all the work on it myself too. keeping it alive, and i will a test to the build quality. To notch, solid, and designed with the mechanic in mind. This car drove my family and i around, it drove me too work everyday, and ripping around the city in these is a blast. The engine sounds very good with a proper exhaust on it. My car has sat for a while until recently, still runs great, and is now getting turned into a race car. Don't hate! It's going to run in 24 hours of Lemons, and I'm going to f'ing love it.
Yeah you're right that's what they called it. Silly sounding name lol. Same badge though, and the only functional difference that mattered were the US spec brakes vs euro brakes.
I own #16 in Daytona Violet with low miles. These are wonderful cars. The EDC suspension gives a perfect mix of ride and handling. A few more unique features include rear seat headrests and daytime running lights. The brakes with the separate hub were cutting edge in 1995 and are very strong. The temperature mix wheel does not override the rest of the system but allows you to instantly micro adjust the air temperature coming from the center vents. Very useful in both winter and summer. I use it daily. The large upper dash vent is not for the windshield defrost as there are normal defrost vents close to the glass. It’s just an extra vent . The AC on these is capable of putting out ice cold air and the simple controls are easy to adjust without looking. The on board computer has a setting to let out a single tone at 59 minute past the hour and also includes a setting so you can immobilize the car with a four digit code. Useful to this day.
@@My_Old_YT_Account I have owned it now for about 25 years. I purchased it for $30,000 from a dealer in Burlington. It has never been used in the winter and has 59,000 miles on it. All original with working EDC
My dad almost bought one of these back in 99 when I was 4 lol he ended up buying a red 88 635csi manual but he always talked about the power and rarity of this one
I have a similar sun visor light situation in my MkVII GTI, and the engineering is truly mind-boggling. The lights are mounted in the ceiling, but they still know whether the visor is up or down, whether the mirror cover has been slid open, and whether the visor has been extended or not. The perfect three criteria must be met (visor down, cover open, visor not extended) for the light to come on.
Next time you're in your car, take note of the un-clippable (not sure how else to describe it) visor hinge - you know, the one that pops out so you can turn the visor sideways. Anyway, take a good look - the electrical contacts are integrated into the clip, and are shaped so that they only make contact for the portion of rotation where the mirror will be facing your face. Hard to describe quickly, but when you see it, you'll get what I mean.
The vent on the dashboard isn’t for the windshield, that’s the slits on the bottom. The vent on the dashboard points towards the cabin and is designed to circulate the air sufficiently in the cabin and cool it down.
The air temp wheel is the greatest feature ever, cool air for your face when the heat is on instead of unpleasant heated air blowing on you…warm toasty feet and refreshing crisp breeze in your face
In my view the E34 is at least the best looking 5 series ever made. I still remember when I first saw one of these cars in 1989. It was love at first sight.
My fav turn signal was in my '81 Honda Civic. It made this sound like a spring loading up before it started clicking - really cool and no other car I've ever been in had that. The worst turn signal was in my '90 Pontiac 6000. It made a sickening crunch sound like you'd just broken it.
The center cooling dial is literally one of the most goated features of all time. You get hot air coming on the windshield and hot air coming to your feet and cooler air coming to your face. That way you're comfortable in the car when it's cold and not suffocating from the heat.
Doug you didn’t show the other quirk in the back seat - if you sit in the back and put on the seatbelt…after a couple seconds the rear headrest automatically raised electrically. It would then stay up…but if the rear passenger got out, and you engage reverse, it would automatically electrically lower the headrest again.
Fun fact, the center cubby in the E34 center console is actually a pretty good cupholder, I've gotten 3 fountain drinks in there without too many issues. People are just unimaginative.
Turn signal stalk is absolutely perfect. Was also used in McLaren F1, and o if you push it further and harder it clicks one more time and turns on the low beams on corresponding side as a parking light.
This center knob is for being able to open 2nd intake of cold fresh air, for example if you're driving long distance at night, and don't want to go asleep, but also don't want to open the windows
13:08 - that vent on the dashboard is not for defogging the windshield. The defogging job is handled by the typical slender vents out of focus at the base of the windshield. The vent on top of the dashboard was simply a secondary vent to diffuse air at the passengers faces and above.
You missed a quirk Doug. The sun visor lights will only come on IF the cars lights are on (so it knows it's dark) and if the mirror is at an angle where you could see yourself. It turns off even with the slide open if the visor is all the way up or down.
The timer on the computer in the center is to vent the cabin (thus the "vent" when you press it). I used to set it to get fresh air into the cabin about 10 minutes before I finished work, was a good way to cool the car off before a drive.
Super cool video Doug. We owned one and to this day I remember how fantastically built and designed it was. Mercedes and BMW was on top of the world back then!
It was not that unusual at the time. The BMW E30 M3 also had "just" a four cylinder engine while the largest regular engine (325i) was a six cylinder, but of course with lower power than the M3. Same story on the Mercedes W201, the coveted 190E 2.5 16V Evolution was a four cylinder but you could get a six cylinder in the regular 190E 2.6. On the Mercedes W124 it was even weirder: there were AMG models available with six cylinder engines (300E 24V 3.4 AMG and E 36 AMG), but the largest regularly available engine were V8s in the 400E and 500E, which had more power than the AMG models.
This car was a dud... Very boring car... I test drove both 530i and 540i back then, traded my M3 and took an M5 instead. M5 had 6 cylinders but a lot more powerful than this 540i.
Nikasil. Thats what changed their thoughts of offering the V8 in the US. The US had sulfur in the gas that was eating the Nikasil linings out of the cylinders in their V8's at an alarmingly fast rate. Dealers were replacing entire engines constantly and it was a frantic time. BMW decided on the non-Nikasil 6cyl for the US while things got sorted out. Just search for "The Great Nikasil BMW problem" if you want a good read.
-The inline 6 was a highly strung performance engine, with ITBs, and ligher than a V8, which should deffienetly help the handling -V8 5 series from that time had steering box, if I remember correctly, and the inline 6 car had steering racks, which should be better for the steering feel and precision.
I agree -- this era of BMW, and this particular car, is one of the best-looking BMWs made. This was the heyday of BMW. When they got rid of the dipsticks, they took a major turn downhill.
Check out THIS ultra rare M540i auction HERE- crsnbds.com/bmw-m540i
This review was the most on point perfect review capturing the essence of the car absolutely perfectly. Having owned multiple E34 5ers, Doug got it 100%. Especially the turn signal stalk. I thought I was the only one who felt they were special / unbeaten by any other car! The vent in the centre stack … some say it’s for fresh cool air in the cabin for the driver to keep him/her awake on long nighttime drives!
BMW’s now look like Generic Chinese knock off version of themselves, something out of Grand Theft Auto.
@DougDeMuro yes thats rare *BUT* a even rarer 5 series turned up on a UK YT channel called: the late brake show... with old ex top gear and 5th gear host johnny wilkinson.
its the 5 series Hartage edtion. how many? well you can count the number on 1 hand. and yes hartage is still around modifying bmws (& bmw minis) it was the other tuner when you didnt want a alpina modified bmw
@@y2kazan868 nah
This M34 looked quite nimble to handle.
those wheels are timeless
Dinan and Lorenzo made the best 90’s rims
Got them on my 34 and 39 love them
One of the best OEM BMW wheel designs no doubt.
"MPars" - truly special and yes - absolutely timeless!
Seriously the best OEM wheels ever!
Fun fact 1: The seatbelt design in the back was supposed to avoid passengers to bump their heads together in case of side impact.
Fun fact 2: You can almost take the whole car apart with the tools in the trunk.
Nice review, thanks from a former E34 B10 Alpina owner, Germany
That’s cool!
Great fun fact - I didn´t know - please give me more :)
I've used wrench for spark plugs from the tool kit to change the rear window struts on my touring, if you know, you know what that is😉 great first fun fact
@@bavariancarenthusiast2722 Sure :) - the notchy shift action from BMWs late 90s is often caused by the so called "CRV - clutch reduction valve", if you remove that little sucker, located directly at the gearbox / clutch line, the shifting will greatly improve, this costs almost nothing and makes shifting a lot smoother !
@@Vexlargewhat was the valve there for, to reduce clutch ware?
I have an E34. "Airmix" in the center console is wonderful. Point of this feature is: You can adjust the teperature via climate controls-this Temperature is for your legs and for Windshield, but if you don't want cold air blowing in your face because it's too hot, you can adjust the middle airvents and the ones on the door to blow colder air than adjistet in the middle. In my owner's manual it is called: "warm legs-cold head; in order to prevent getting tired on long trips one can adjust middle airvents to blow fresh air".
I really think this is a great feature especially in winter when you have warm jacket on and you don't want to sweat because of 22°C warm air blowing at you. BRING AIRMIXES BACK
I agree. Current BMWs still have a similar temperature adjustment for the center air vents - independant from the A/C controls.
My current BMW still has it (2023) but is a few "presses" away under CLIMATE>SETTINGS>UPPER TEMP CONTROL
@@jeffcicale under "bring Airmixes vack" I meant not only BMWs but other manufacturers, Volvo had same feature in the 90's, in 850 I think. And to be honest if its hidden in the menu-nobody uses it. But if it's right next to your vent-you are using it frequently. Another thing that car's in the 90's did better.
My OG M2 (‘18) has it and I use it every single time I get in the car. Often a few times while driving too. It is the best thing ever and I’ll miss the heck out of it whenever I get another car. It’s hard to explain how great it is to fine tune the air temp that is blowing in your face while the rest of the car gets brought to the standard 69 degrees.
My mother's 1989 Opel Kadett also had a "cold head warm feet" feature. The middle vents blew cold air no matter the setting on the temp control. Nice feature.
Doug, I can’t believe a (car guy) doesn’t know way the UDM had the center air control wheel. I will explain, on a cold night in the northeast, heat blasting to keep warm and your getting tired. Spin the center wheel to allow cold (outside air) to blow on your face to keep you awake while warm air goes to the right, left and floor vent. One of BMWs best ideas!!!!
Doug is really ignorant about old school BMW's!
Exactly, you may have warm air throughout all vents except from the center vents that can blow cool air on your face to avoid fatigue. BMW used this feature certainly up to newer models, not sure for the latest cars (after 2018) with touch buttons on the climate control.
Moreover, the big vent on the dash that he mentions is not for defogging the front windscreen, there are openings on the dash under the windscreen for this work. The big air duct guides air towards the cabin to maintain the desired temperature, avoiding direct flow to passengers face.
I can not understand how someone reviews a car and says inaccuracies or that he hasn't any idea on how something works instead of checking the owners manual or google it first. A review is supposed to teach us stuff!
Exactly right! I had a 1994 Volvo 850 with the same feature 🙂
This feature is still present in modern BMWs. Very useful.
It is more for when you are defrosting the windshield with hot air to not receive the hot air in your face
@@sophoclesdanassis4749 i am pretty sure Doug does it intentionally to raise a comment activity. About those rear seatbelts - he already said same mistake in older videos, and there were comments with like hundreds of likes saying there is an old BMW sales training video that says that those seatbelts are like that for the side collision protection...but Doug still mistakes? He knows those things, i am pretty sure.
No matter how rare this car is, to the unknown bystander you will always look like you slapped an M badge on your 540i and think you got an M5
6:37 its an “if you really know you know” car
If you are a car guy and see those calipers you are gonna know something is up.
Who cares what other people think
This the og M5⁴⁰i
It was a hint of things to come. A preview of a future when BMW slaps M badges on everything.
The mid 90s - early 2000s are some of the best looking BMWs every made!
Does that include the first 7-series designed by Chris Bangle - that came out in 2002 (7.35 and 7.45 both V8 gasoline) never read any positive review about them (about the maintenance costs, the highly error-prone electrical systems, etc.). The design is of course a matter of taste (especially the back was not well received by many people). Also the (new/first?) infotainment system got a lot of criticism because of the lack of user-friendliness. And hear is a quote from an owner, (car not very old low mileage): "An airbag malfunction even once led to the temporary failure of all functions (this made the car stop)". I did have a ride in a 7.45 on two occasions (purely by coincidence), of course it was a very comfortable (but I was not in a position to compare it with the competing Mercedes/Audi/Lexus etc. model). Oh, wait you're saying "looking" but doesn't a great looking car that costs a fortune not be a bit reliable also?
The E34 was designed in 1987-1988, just fyi
I'd say 80's and 90's BMW's are my personal favorites.
E36 is absolute for me.
@@hdcamara but e36's are made out of recycled toothbrushes and scotch tape
lol Doug's hair and clothes always look like you just woke up a toddler from a nap and had them film a video
Exactly this! :D
Underrated comment
He often has bed head.
😂 so on point
No, no, no, no, Noooouu, it´s Aunt Fräulen Rottenmyer, who beat him up badly with her basebal bat, because he was after her skirt, so she smacked him in the face...poor fella, this is why he looks like a toddler who felll oute his Bettchen (german for cot)
BMW designers then : 🗿
BMW designers now : 🤡
Thats because the BMW designers now used to work for Hyundai
@@ThruDaLenz And the new Kia/Hyundai designers used to work for BMW
@@UltimateCARNUT I thought not many people knew this small detail regarding their latest designs. It`s sad when Hyundai/Kia actually look so much better than most BMW`s today. It`s even more obvious regarding former designers moving to the korean brands when you check their interiors. Pity BMW, you were the one besides Porsche, who made cars for enthusiasts.
Now they design for Chinese market, which is the largest, and they have weird tastes by N. American standards.
@@rebeltvr6046 Unfortunately this is also true, they cater to their tastes in terms of design which it seems in the Western world doesn`t translate to better sales. I mean XM as a tribute to their M division, what were they thinking? everyone wanted an M1 successor not that gigantic land yacht.
The styling of this car is why I love my E38. The proportions are so perfect. Not just peak BMW, it's peak sedan styling.
E38 is a classic, I miss mine.
the early e38's were kind of wack with styling. I think they realized later around 1999 that square headlights didn't do justice. also clear front and real turn signals look much nicer.
@@amero3577 I put the later tail lights on my early E38 and they looked much better.
yeah. but e38 is still better, especially if e34 is on stock bumpers.
@@amero3577 mine's an 01 shorty sport, the paint matched lowers are also better than black across the board
Back when BMW was the ultimate driving machine. Now is “the ultimate subscription machine”
More like the ultimate plastic machine.
More like the ultimate 'big nosed' machine 😁
And ugly too. They now look like cars out of GTA. More like a Chinese knock off version of themselves.
More like the ultimate ugly machine
What subscriptions are there? I’d like to look for them!!!
12:30 the temperature dial between the vents in the middle of the dash was not annoying, it was pure genius. You could keep the car comfortable for your passengers and as the driver blow cool air on your face to stay sharp during a long drive.
Without it, we are back to winding down the window and sticking our heads out for blast of wake-up air.
That middle temp control is to not receive extremely hot air in the face if you are defrosting the windshield in extreme cold with hot air
Nothing beats the smell of a 90s BMW
It's a very good smell, but it does remind me of a tote of coloring crayons being opened up on a hot day
Yep, the crayons smell! Miss that
This just made me cry. I owned this vehicle in black. I was 29 years old, bought it used and thought it was weird, so I traded it!!!!!! Punch me now.
Bought this off some no name lot here in AZ. EXPENSIVE to maintain.
Mmmkay. An M540i? One of the 30-something made? Orrrr…..
I absolutely love the e34. Here in Australia, we got our own version of this car called the 540i Limited Edition. It was the only 540i manual we got. It had m5 throwing star wheels, m5 suspension and a full m5 interior as well as other stuff. They only made 72 Limited Edition 540i specifically for the Australian market because the later m5 3.8 didn’t meet the emissions regulations back then so bmw instead made the beautiful 540i LE which is today a collectors car
I am pretty sure it's same issue here in North America with the 3.8L not meeting emissions regs. The rest of the world's M5s transitioned from the 3.6L to 3.8L in 1993 model but US models continued with 3.6L for one last year.
Seeing this makes me weep for what BMW has become now. This is class and elegance defined.
13:00 BMW didn’t abandon the cool/hot air dial, they still have it in the menu even on the 2024 models. Since the “digitalization” dating back in the E6X era, it’s been within the display menu, and is still there on today’s models
Yep. and My 2018 3 series sportwagon has a mechanical dial - don't want hot air always hitting your fase
And it’s great! During the winter when your feet are cold you can heat them but still have fresh air in the higher level of the car. Doug probably never got cold in California so to him it’s useless.
Yea my BMW M2 from 2017 still has it
My F10 has a physical adjustment for it
I still miss the mechanical wheel. So much easier than going into a menu. About the reversed seat belts in the back. This was also used to help passengers to put the seat belts on. Much easier when you actually see the spot to put them in. Wish this also would come back.
I find it so funny how he talks wanting to use the turn signals, when BMW drivers are specifically known for not using them haha but he is right. They are very satisfying to feel
That's why it still feels like new! 😂
You fell for the bait lol but yes of course we all had the same thought
This center vent wheel is very useful in cold climate. You set hot for whole car and this vent can still pump cold air into your face which keeps you from falling asleep at long winter night drives. I one of the best feature in old bmws
I hope Doug returns to filming cars outside. The garage isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as the outdoor videos.
Yeah... Why is he always in the garage now.
@@aarongrattafiori617 Because inside, he isn’t dependent on weather, and he doesn’t have to worry about passersby coming and chatting him up (meaning he may have to reshoot a portion).
‘Cause da boss and his associates are wanting to have a li’l chat wit dis guy…
Not to mention the terrible acoustics
And the audio is trash
Doug, mate, the climate wheel is the single GREATEST invention. It allows the cabin temperature to be warm or cold without having to have hot/cold air blowing on your face. Warm cabin and cold on the face was a feature to keep the driver alert. Also BMW hasn't done away with it, its only recently they have put it in a menu in the infotainment system, but it's still there.
Hi guys, here are some explanations for things Doug didn't point out or forgot:
- the rear seat belts arrangement is mainly because in case of a rollover scenario, as it minimizes that both rear passengers heads collide when thrown about in the car. Of course also that the first responders can reach the buckle easier.
- the middle seat belt is obviously not retractable, so the rear shelf above has a rectangular clip for the buckle as a holder. The real M5 has a retractable seat belt!
- the temperature-adjustable middle vent became standard in all E34s in 04/91 but was standard ln every e34 with AC.
The idea of it was the concept of "warm feet, cool head" (translated bmw terms from German), cause people complained about exactly the opposite happening in previous models when the AC was blowing cold to the upper body/head (=freezing feet)...
Greetings from Berlin,
Dele
I had a 1988 320i (E20) and although it wasn't a 5 series, it was a seriously fun car to drive. Like a huge go kart. And it had a manual transmission. The BMWs from the 80's were amazing.
This is cooler than an entire current M lineup combined
True.
BMW's now are a joke and designs are terrible.
Minor correction; BMW did not remove the upper temp control. In idrive 8.5, it is in CLIMATE>SETTINGS but is set to balanced by default for people that don't want to use it. I personally love it and always use it as I like my face cold regardless of the season!
The E34 and E39 5 Series will always be my favorite BMWs. Aged gracefully and drive awesome. Money pits for sure but worth it.
e39 is ugly.
The temp control roller nob is AWESOME!! 65 in Winter or 65 in Summer are very different. PLUS you can make slight changes in temp without changing the temp number (main temp selector). Changing the temp number may change the air flow (high to low or low to high). So just turn that wheel and you get slight changes in temp without affecting airflow! It’s perfect. They did not abandon it, they just changed how to access it. My 540i (G30)does have this in the rear, but it’s in the menu in the front. When I upgraded my BMW This feature was one of the biggest things I missed.
15:41 BMW drivers agreed with you so much about the turn signal stalk that they decided that it should only ever be used on rare occasions from this point onwards
beat me to it 😂
21:40 "Very fall-y apart-y" is the most Doug-description of a car ever 😂
But very accurate description, though 😂
I see this Ultra-special, Ultra-Rare E34 BMW M540i didnt come with a rear spoiler, but Doug did
Front caliper was the first thing I noticed. I agree with Doug-best looking 5 series there ever has been. And I love them all.
That top dash vent with its own knob, is Not for defrost. Those defrost vents are the thin ones at the bottom of the glass. That large center one is for fresh air flow into the cabin, Mercedes had this too on a few vehicles including the big Sprinter van. Was an asset to have to help mix air. Also the dial between the center vents has a great purpose as indicated by others in the comments already. So I won't repeat it. But, again, Merc had that too, and it was awesome to have. More cold climate markets Need these types of controls for passengers. It is a great feature!
Doug the type of guy to have a rear spoiler of a cowlick on the back of his head reviewing a 1 of 32 car
That’s what I noticed 😂
That’s how Doug came from the factory. It’s part of the rare Sport Appearance package.
Not the rear spoiler☠️☠️☠️
Lol
12:25 that dials purpose is literally to override the temperature set in the actual temperature dial. for example: it is the middle of winter, its freezing outside, you get in your car, start driving but after a while air gets too hot and you start to sweat in your jacket. you turn that upper dial to a colder setting, so that way your upper body will get colder air and you wont sweat, but your frozen feet can still get warmed up because you have hot air blowing on them. obviously this works the other way too, or you can just set it in the middle and it works like the other vents. once you learn how to use it and get used to it you really start to miss it, i personally love it in my own bmw and i wish they still had this in their current models.
I also loved it in my E39 when driving in winter or on a along drives when you just want a fresh air in your face. I`m surprised that Doug don't know this feature.
I have this feature in my F30 335 and had in my E90 330.
This is exactly the answer. Fun fact, it still does exist in the new cars except it’s digital now! Look for the air stratification setting in the climate menu and you’ll be able to adjust it
@@doingyamom Yes! I came here to say this exact same thing! I enjoyed this in my X5 twenty years ago and it’s still in my 2019 X3. It’s just integrated into the infotainment screen now. Still there though!
They still have it in their current models. My 2023 330i would NOT have been ordered without it! It's located under CLIMATE>SETTINGS>UPPER TEMP CONTROL
When talking about those vents I thought imagine you're tired driving at cold night so you make yourself comfortable by having warm air coming out of every vent but also you blow cold air only on your face to make yourself stay alert and sharp
BMW guys know how desirable those "M parallels" wheels are
not in USA where they are too common. And sells for like 500 USD. Europe is another story.
Happy to see this car reviewed, I have a 94 530i touring wagon and I hope to make some improvements to it over this next year. 225k miles and 25k of that was from me. Very reliable and durable engine and chassis. I don't know if my tiny V8 had an engine block replacement due to nikasil issues but it seems solid to me. I recently did a tune up (this early m60 loves to burn up the front intake manifold gasket) and I did a little other stuff simultaneously. I'd like to 4.0 swap it but the 3.0 has earned it's keep so well, removing it would be a crying shame!
The M5 of that gen was the last hand build BMW M
I had an E34 525i. Best car I ever had.
Loved the heavy quality sound the doors made when I closed them, loved the way the hood opened, loved the way this car drove.
I was so sad when a guy crashed on me and totaled the car
Thank for the awesome trip down memory lane.
I gotta say this was the best built beemer ever built
Before watching this, if I had seen one of these on the road I would have 100% thought some shmuck just stuck an ///M badge on their 540i 😂
South Africa had these and they were six speed manual.
There were plenty of 540i "sport" sedans that had a 6 speed manual. This was Canada market only.
Australia too. The "540i LE" filled the gap as we never got the 'facelift' 3.8L M5, they are worth so much more than the regular 540i
Yip. My best mates grandfather had one.
That BMW climate dial is the best thing they idiotically abandoned. It was a nice way to quickly make the upper air cooler or hotter while still keeping the lower main air temperature the same. Perfect for peak winter days where you feel the hot air to be too dry, you can then fine tune the top vents to be ever so slightly cooler.
They still have it in my experience?
It's in the idrive system now
@@alexlewis2570 yeah within a menu
air cools when it rises , seems useless
As a E39 fanatic, the E34 is definitely a beauty. A VERY different era of BMW compared to todays oddly sculpted cars with stuck-on screens to the dash.
I love that Doug has 2 videos now on e34s. I miss my E34 530i and wish I never got rid of it. Just love seeing them get love.
Now I hope they stay sort of cheap after these reviews😂
Thanks Doug for the wonderful content, there's more fun facts of e34:
1: tons of options :
(Rear passenger section)
You can have heated rear passenger seats, manual or electric rear window sunshade
Optional manual rear passenger windows sunshade curtain, hiding inside door trim and even for quarter window!
Electric lifting rear headrest, refrigerator behind rear center armrest (ultra rare)
Rear passenger center armrest has 3 types of option, normal one like video, one with storage box and complete divide rear seats which only early M5s have, like today's full independent seats
(Front passenger section)
The normal non M front seat has it's own armrest
With memory seats, the co-driver side mirror automatically roll down for curb checking when shift to reverse
Standard electric seat is 10 ways, forward-backward, up-down, seat back tilting, seat base rotation and headrest up-down,
And you can have plus power thigh support, power lumbar support to make it 14 ways all been powered
Auto dimming center backmirror (I think it is available after 93')
(Other)
World's first parking distance sensor
World's first 2 zone A/C
World's first massive production 5AT
(I think they're available with e32 together)
Touring (estate) models have optional double sunroof
2: interesting features and facts
The sunvisor is even over-engineered, you can have the mirror door open and fold sunvisor back, the light will turn off
or leave mirror door opened and pull visor out, the light will turn off either, because the electric contact is designed on the visor hook
Adjustable interval wiper ( see my video : ruclips.net/video/bWP_XJYtTgI/видео.html)
Double lock function : if you use key to lock the car, it will not be able to be unlocked by door central lock, this prevents theifts try breaking your window and get on the car
Power maintaining : after switch off ignition, the power window is still operatable for like 15min, unless you open then close door or lock the car, the control module will consider you've get out of car and cut the power
Controlling logic of windows: quick tap for auto rolling down, and long press is jog motion, it seems confused at first try but it's actually more reasonable because if you're on a situation no time to operate the window, quick tap it and it goes fully down for you, no longer need to hold for 1-2s or finding the 2nd button stage
From petrol inline4, inline6 to V8, there's also 6cy diesel models and even gas powered 518g! making e34 platform has a very wide range of engine equipped
(Even more is there are full electric and hybrid protypes)
In my opinion, the technology advancing on the e32/e34 era is more impressive than our current vehicles no matter what brands offer.
Aside from all these features, e34s give nice lookingm, very good riding quality and sportness, good safety even for today's standard, the legendary M50 engine and been relaible for 30 years till now and go on, they are trully ultimate driving machines
Before i even watch the vid, its on cars and bids isn't it?
My same thoughts exactly
Hey, it gets him access to some pretty sweet rides…but yes…the “big news” isn’t really anymore! Lol
Of course it is. I think 99,99% are cars on sale on Cars and Bids lol.
Does he review anything that's not anymore? Buddy will review the same car 10 times but doesn't review cars he's never done.
He never reviews anything until it's up for sale he owns carsandbids
I believe I owned 1 of 2 M540is equipped with a factory LSD for the U.S. market. By far the best car I've driven and my biggest case of sellers remorse.
These 90s bmws were so good looking. Not only the body’s but the wheels, interiors, and colors, perfect in every way
Well Doug, if you read your comments you would know what this hot/cold wheels in the middle vent is for, as I’ve mentioned it before when you had another e34. The point of this is to regulate the temperature of that vent specifically. Why? So, when you are cold and want the heat on but don’t really want to be falling a sleep or not being able to breathe. You can simply adjust this wheel so the middle vent blows cooler air on your face while the rest pump out hot air to keep you warm. It makes perfect sense and a pretty genius idea that is still used in BMWs now a days, as well. I got it in my 640 and love it
@DougDeMuro,
12:25 - Incorrect, the middle temp control wheel affects only middle vent temperature, and the reason is that you can point it towards your face, so you can breath cold air, when the rest of the car is warm, same on E39, because breathing warm air is not pleasant.
For the freaky ones...
1. The central vent adjustment wheel is the "warm legs, cool head" system which was brilliant and helped a lot with drowsiness...
2. BMW made coloured steering wheel logos since a lot before the E34. Only the "M" stering wheels had them in black, to distract you less...
3. I didn't know about the safety reason for the rear seat belt. But what I know for sure is that it's a LOT easier to secure the baby seat having the buckle accessible without diving over the baby...
Gosh I miss my 540... and it's turn signal switch, but the E39 had a nice one too
Rgds from Poland
Back when bmw cared about built quality,there were truly unmatched.
Unmatched in terms of performance perhaps, but the build quality of Mercedes of the same year was miles ahead. Even the Audi 100 of the same year was comparable to BMW quality despite being considerably less expensive at the time. Obviously during the joint venture with Chrysler, Mercedes build quality suffered greatly, so BMW was ahead in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but in the late 1980s when this car came out, BMW was nowhere near Mercedes in terms of interior build quality.
@@wowdogeful In the 90s?Bmw had the edge,I will agree merc was better in the 80s.
@@wowdogeful I don’t really see any 90s Mercs driving around. See a ton of 90s BMWs tho. Have a e34 on 275000 miles still going great
TF? BMW gets better fit and finish every generation. You're trippin
@@dealincat933 e34 and e39 e38 e32 were the most reliable luxury performance vehicles ever built
I feel sad that you sold your RS2, this was 3-series territory.
It’s a very rare E34 you shared with us-off course they sold M540i in Europe but they ended up in Export.
Well done dude
i had absolutely no idea bmw did the M sport thing way back then!! i thought the m340, m550 etc was a new thing
@@TheFlyingClutchmanDid you even watch the video?
@@TheFlyingClutchmanit was sold in Canada, wrong
@@hunterrrdrives the original M-car (other than the E26 M1, obv) was the E12 M535i. They've been playing around with letters and numbers for a long time...
Doug, the center Control dial for the air override, is the MAIN reason, I continue to own a e46 330i today. A Feature that only those of us with Allergies absolutely LOVE!!!! you can turn on your heat and have your feet warm, you can turn on your heated seats to keep your body warm, but on those long cold nights, especially in allergy season, you can have cool fresh air that helps you breath and stay awake. BMW was VERY much ahead of the time here and this feature is a MAJOR Blessing. I wish more manufactures of cars would actually THINK about their customers the way BMW did. Sadly, there new stuff, is the same same as all new cars rushing to market and with the cost of the complicated electronics, these cars don't have a quality lifespan any longer, they have a TIME EXPERIATION Date built right into them. In an era were young men drove with their dads and looked forward to owning their dads car.... well that is now gone from our society with modern, designed to break cars.
Doug looks like cousin eddy
90s era Acura Legends also had a similar center dial for the climate controls, and I found it quite useful, especially in cooler weather. You get into the car, after walking around with cold feet, and then you can crank the heat up to max in order to warm the feet, but also dial up cool air to hit your face/chest to keep the rest of "you" from getting too warm. I used that feature quite frequently in my old Legend coupe and really missed it in other cars ... until I bought my 2007 M6, which also has that feature. I find it quite useful here in the Midwest.
Hope that helps clarify the purpose of that dial! I wish more cars still had that option/feature, frankly.
I didn't know there was a precursor to the current M Lite cars until Kennan reviewed this. My M340i has a great uncle, neat.
Gosh, I'm a proper BMW enthusiast and I've never heard of this car. 1 of 32 and who knows how many still exist today. A seriously rare car, this.
The oldest M lite car to my knowledge is the 5 series prior to this, namely the E28 chassis. M535i
@@howardjennings1166 probably exist less in America as yall drive Toyotas and Hondas
@@Hartge34 allow me to introduce you to the original M-car (other than the E26 M1, of course) - the E12 M535i
This review made my day! I have a US Spec M540i, for 10 years now. Ive driven the hell out of it and its at 280k miles now. Still running strong on the original engine. Seeing this beautiful example being appreciated is the best. I can't remember how many times I've had to explain the M badge lol, but only when people ask, cause if you know, you know. I've done all the work on it myself too. keeping it alive, and i will a test to the build quality. To notch, solid, and designed with the mechanic in mind.
This car drove my family and i around, it drove me too work everyday, and ripping around the city in these is a blast. The engine sounds very good with a proper exhaust on it.
My car has sat for a while until recently, still runs great, and is now getting turned into a race car. Don't hate! It's going to run in 24 hours of Lemons, and I'm going to f'ing love it.
There’s no such thing as a US spec M540 but there were 204-205 “sports” now commonly called MSports ;)
Yeah you're right that's what they called it. Silly sounding name lol. Same badge though, and the only functional difference that mattered were the US spec brakes vs euro brakes.
I own #16 in Daytona Violet with low miles. These are wonderful cars. The EDC suspension gives a perfect mix of ride and handling.
A few more unique features include rear seat headrests and daytime running lights. The brakes with the separate hub were cutting edge in 1995 and are very strong.
The temperature mix wheel does not override the rest of the system but allows you to instantly micro adjust the air temperature coming from the
center vents. Very useful in both winter and summer. I use it daily. The large upper dash vent is not for the windshield defrost as there are normal defrost vents close to the glass. It’s just an extra vent . The AC on these is capable of putting out ice cold air and the simple controls are easy to adjust without looking.
The on board computer has a setting to let out a single tone at 59 minute past the hour and also includes a setting so you can immobilize the car with a four digit code. Useful to this day.
Which province is it from and how much did you pay?
This is a dream car to me here in Québec but I have never seen one for sale
@@My_Old_YT_Account
I have owned it now for about 25 years. I purchased it for $30,000 from a dealer in Burlington.
It has never been used in the winter and has 59,000 miles on it.
All original with working EDC
Would love to see a video on your car , such an awesome color .
My dad almost bought one of these back in 99 when I was 4 lol he ended up buying a red 88 635csi manual but he always talked about the power and rarity of this one
You missed to talk about the sunroof
I have a similar sun visor light situation in my MkVII GTI, and the engineering is truly mind-boggling. The lights are mounted in the ceiling, but they still know whether the visor is up or down, whether the mirror cover has been slid open, and whether the visor has been extended or not. The perfect three criteria must be met (visor down, cover open, visor not extended) for the light to come on.
Next time you're in your car, take note of the un-clippable (not sure how else to describe it) visor hinge - you know, the one that pops out so you can turn the visor sideways. Anyway, take a good look - the electrical contacts are integrated into the clip, and are shaped so that they only make contact for the portion of rotation where the mirror will be facing your face. Hard to describe quickly, but when you see it, you'll get what I mean.
I used to stick my hand in the air coming through the mirror in my e36 m3 while driving. It definitely works to pass air
I agree the E34 was the height of BMW styling - it looked like a well-fitted suit. I loved the BMW 5-series in the Ronin car chase.
The vent on the dashboard isn’t for the windshield, that’s the slits on the bottom. The vent on the dashboard points towards the cabin and is designed to circulate the air sufficiently in the cabin and cool it down.
My dad owns a satin blue bmw e34 525i, he bought it in 2018.
The air temp wheel is the greatest feature ever, cool air for your face when the heat is on instead of unpleasant heated air blowing on you…warm toasty feet and refreshing crisp breeze in your face
The E34 isn't the best looking 5 series. It's the best looking BMW. Ever.
If you like rolling in a box that is. No thanks.
The 3 series tops it
In my view the E34 is at least the best looking 5 series ever made. I still remember when I first saw one of these cars in 1989. It was love at first sight.
The 6 series of the 80s
Spot on about the turn signal. Has a nice sort of heavy feel to it. Great review Doug.
My fav turn signal was in my '81 Honda Civic. It made this sound like a spring loading up before it started clicking - really cool and no other car I've ever been in had that. The worst turn signal was in my '90 Pontiac 6000. It made a sickening crunch sound like you'd just broken it.
Wow what a great pick
The center cooling dial is literally one of the most goated features of all time. You get hot air coming on the windshield and hot air coming to your feet and cooler air coming to your face. That way you're comfortable in the car when it's cold and not suffocating from the heat.
"Fally aparty" LMAO
Doug you didn’t show the other quirk in the back seat - if you sit in the back and put on the seatbelt…after a couple seconds the rear headrest automatically raised electrically.
It would then stay up…but if the rear passenger got out, and you engage reverse, it would automatically electrically lower the headrest again.
Doug is the kind of guy who says ”Geez Louise” when he reads all the hair roasting RUclips comments
This car in Europe was sold also with a 5 speed automatic gearbox. I had it and i still dream of driving it. What a car!
Doug got the Alfalfa hair 😅
Timeless look, not bangleized thank goodness. BMW has never recovered from the Bangle era.
Yep, you breathe trough your mouth.
@@hexagonosaurus5848 Those Bangle cars were atrocious. Flame front and BangleButt, YUCK.
Gorgeous car
Fun fact, the center cubby in the E34 center console is actually a pretty good cupholder, I've gotten 3 fountain drinks in there without too many issues. People are just unimaginative.
Beautiful car
Turn signal stalk is absolutely perfect. Was also used in McLaren F1, and o if you push it further and harder it clicks one more time and turns on the low beams on corresponding side as a parking light.
I have exact same car here in Ukraine, but black color. Unfortunately it got a few holes from a russian missile. But still driveable.
Those will buff right out. 🤣
Dude upload a vid of it
ur lucky pal. Biden won't even let people of Gaza own a car
BMW's biggest sin was not replacing the E24 635CSi with a two door E34. I had a 635CSi, 535i Sport and Alpina B10 3.5.
Doug's the type of guy to say "fally aparty" unironically.
This center knob is for being able to open 2nd intake of cold fresh air, for example if you're driving long distance at night, and don't want to go asleep, but also don't want to open the windows
The name reminds me of the newer ones where they do m and then the 3 numbers
I know. I hate it
@@floyd27860 How about the 1980-81 M535i? Feel the same way?
13:08 - that vent on the dashboard is not for defogging the windshield. The defogging job is handled by the typical slender vents out of focus at the base of the windshield. The vent on top of the dashboard was simply a secondary vent to diffuse air at the passengers faces and above.
Very nice spec!
“Do your smoking” and a favorite turn signal stalk. You won’t find that on any other channel. This is why we love you Doug.
I'd take this over a new one. Not even kidding.
But you'd have to mount your own iPad on the dash though. 😂
@@cbotten106 you dont need tech on a driver's car. Get a new tesla if u like ipads
@@cbotten106 I'm sorry for you if you think that's what cars need lol
@@Hendoneesia lmao. he's on the wrong page.
Once upon a time BMW had respect.
You missed a quirk Doug. The sun visor lights will only come on IF the cars lights are on (so it knows it's dark) and if the mirror is at an angle where you could see yourself. It turns off even with the slide open if the visor is all the way up or down.
The timer on the computer in the center is to vent the cabin (thus the "vent" when you press it). I used to set it to get fresh air into the cabin about 10 minutes before I finished work, was a good way to cool the car off before a drive.
My Favorite Car
and not a sole cares, this isn't the "what is ChinaP's fav car" channel
@@slowery43Ao why do you care so much? PS it’s also my favorite car and I have two e34s so I hope this irritates you also lol
The styling of that E34 is so sharp and cool. BMW hasn't made a better looking car since
Kenan you better buy this... this is once in a lifetime opportunity
Super cool video Doug. We owned one and to this day I remember how fantastically built and designed it was. Mercedes and BMW was on top of the world back then!
That’s crazy that this had a V8 and the M5 didn’t
It was not that unusual at the time. The BMW E30 M3 also had "just" a four cylinder engine while the largest regular engine (325i) was a six cylinder, but of course with lower power than the M3. Same story on the Mercedes W201, the coveted 190E 2.5 16V Evolution was a four cylinder but you could get a six cylinder in the regular 190E 2.6. On the Mercedes W124 it was even weirder: there were AMG models available with six cylinder engines (300E 24V 3.4 AMG and E 36 AMG), but the largest regularly available engine were V8s in the 400E and 500E, which had more power than the AMG models.
@@wowdogefulWow thank you for the interesting response! I appreciate it.
This car was a dud... Very boring car... I test drove both 530i and 540i back then, traded my M3 and took an M5 instead. M5 had 6 cylinders but a lot more powerful than this 540i.
Nikasil. Thats what changed their thoughts of offering the V8 in the US. The US had sulfur in the gas that was eating the Nikasil linings out of the cylinders in their V8's at an alarmingly fast rate. Dealers were replacing entire engines constantly and it was a frantic time. BMW decided on the non-Nikasil 6cyl for the US while things got sorted out. Just search for "The Great Nikasil BMW problem" if you want a good read.
-The inline 6 was a highly strung performance engine, with ITBs, and ligher than a V8, which should deffienetly help the handling
-V8 5 series from that time had steering box, if I remember correctly, and the inline 6 car had steering racks, which should be better for the steering feel and precision.
I agree -- this era of BMW, and this particular car, is one of the best-looking BMWs made. This was the heyday of BMW. When they got rid of the dipsticks, they took a major turn downhill.