e38 vs e39 ride quality

[e30m3_78rus]

I still have a e38 740i non sport which I happen to drive in the city every once in a while. Truth to be told, this is my favourite car for city or highway driving. The ride is just magical. It eats up the road, yet I enjoy loading her up on the off ramp, I enjoy how much travel happens on decel and acceleration, and I think those non-sport e38 seats are the most comfortable seats. This car is old in the tooth and needs a lot of things taken care of, but driving it makes me want to build a very comfortable cruiser. I have driven almost every m car of any generation, and while more sporty nothing quiet compares to this ride overall for your daily.

Perhaps I would enjoy this type of driving experience but in manual form. So before deciding if I settle on e38 740i and do a manual conversion, perhaps a trying e39 540i manual would be very close in feel to the 7.

Does anyone have back to back comparisons in ride quality and overall feel between e38 740i non sport vs e39 540i non sport both riding on lets say 16 inch rims? Is anything in e38 especially designed towards more comfort than e39?

Any feedback on this is welcome. I know most people would prefer e39 m5 or e38 sport ride, but I really want to embrace the comfort feel.

[14W]

Well I never drove an e38 so i can't compare driving dynamics to the E39's but i was driven in e38 few times and i can still clearly remember it was absolutely the best possible experience i ever had luxury wise. And i have experiences with big cars.

The interior in e38 is off course bigger, but also much more detailed. Like the wood trim , the dash ,the stitches and the overall finish...For example on the e38 the door panel's arm rest has a nice cushion where your elbow goes , while the e39 has only the rubberized material there ,which is not soft enough in my opinion. Also the panels fabric/leather is thinner on E39. Seats are more comfortable in e38 i believe.

The e39 is quiet enough but i love how all the noises in the e38 are dampened down almost to 0. Overall the e38 is a superior car ,but i believe the e39 handles better and has more sporty note. Also the e39 is easier to navigate through the city, easier to park and more economic. Although the V8's are not that economical either. I personally would never have a manual e38 or e39 bcs both of them are not sport's cars but luxury cruisers ,where it's nice to have an auto. If I would wanna go crazy with gears i'd get a e46 coupe or 1 series. But that's just me.

I was really tempted to buy a base e38 528ia ,but then i figured that i don't really need and want a car of that size and i'll appreciate the e39's mix between the comfort and dynamics more. I also think that the e39 looks better but ,that's subjective off course.

[edjack]

The E38 in the USA was only offered with the V8.

[TheAngryBear]

Having gone from an e39 to an e38, I’ll share my thoughts (and some of my wife’s).
E39 (2003 540iA Sport, M62TU aka V8)- fun and exciting to drive. Handled excellently and had gobs of torque. Comfortable enough for the daily, good on long trips (3 hours in sport seats would need a stretch). Enough room for 4/5 adults but “tight” in the back. I have 2 kids (6&4 at the time) and they could/would kick the back of the seats regularly. Engine was easy enough to work on. Overall the vehicle is a performance sedan with luxury comforts, felt like it should driven sportily. MPG: 18.5 (daily), 25 (trips), 4-8 (fun runs).
E38 (2001 750iL, M73TU aka V12)- comfortable and fun to drive. Handles well and not only gobs of torque but always available at any rpm. Comfortable for daily use (often want to extend drives), amazing on long trips (5+ hrs before needing a stretch). Plenty of room for 4/5 adults with room in the back. The kids (7&5 now) have to stretch for the seat backs and have Uber-room. Engine is a little more tight but so far easily to work on (just have more steps to get room). Overall the vehicle is a luxury sedan with performance aspects, feels like it should be driven accordingly. MPG: 15 (daily), 25 (trips), 2-4 (fun runs).
Wife’s thoughts: E39 was more fun to drive but also encouraged more fun driving. E38 room is required with the kids and way more comfortable. Both make her “mad” with features on par (or better) than her 2012 Subaru. Both serve to keep me busy in the garage.
Overall, from my perspective, you can’t go “wrong” with either. I am in suburbia so both work (e39 slightly easier as smaller). The E38 “feels” like a 540iT: longer/bigger backend. If I was city life I would likely go with the e39 for size. Both bring smiles.


2001 750iL DD74441
E65 fan & clutch, E65 headrests, Front First Aid Kit, Ultimate Cup holder

RIP: 2003 540iA Sport GS56111
H&R front springs, Ultimate Cup Holder, Euro Dash & Armrest, Grom, BavSound Stage1

[RyansBMW]

The longer wheel base of the E38 is going to give you a smoother ride right off the bat. It was built to be more of a highway cruiser and its suspension and interior design reflect that.

Talk to RVAE34 about the manual 740. Granted he had an M5 engine in his car, he could probably offer you some insight.

[Nyc Dito]

I still have a e38 740i non sport which I happen to drive in the city every once in a while. Truth to be told, this is my favourite car for city or highway driving. The ride is just magical. It eats up the road, yet I enjoy loading her up on the off ramp, I enjoy how much travel happens on decel and acceleration, and I think those non-sport e38 seats are the most comfortable seats. This car is old in the tooth and needs a lot of things taken care of, but driving it makes me want to build a very comfortable cruiser. I have driven almost every m car of any generation, and while more sporty nothing quiet compares to this ride overall for your daily.

Perhaps I would enjoy this type of driving experience but in manual form. So before deciding if I settle on e38 740i and do a manual conversion, perhaps a trying e39 540i manual would be very close in feel to the 7.

Does anyone have back to back comparisons in ride quality and overall feel between e38 740i non sport vs e39 540i non sport both riding on lets say 16 inch rims? Is anything in e38 especially designed towards more comfort than e39?

Any feedback on this is welcome. I know most people would prefer e39 m5 or e38 sport ride, but I really want to embrace the comfort feel.

I had a '01 E38 Sport with Eibach/NON-sport struts, and a '00 528i/5 with Sport suspension. Both with factory rims, 18 and 17 inches respectively. Both rode great, but for more comfort E38 in factory form won for me. The E39 was still a great cruiser on the highway, but it felt as if the E38 was built FOR the highways. Granted 6 to 8 cylinder difference aids in that, but i'm talking about ride comfort. Both were daily driven.

I would probably choose the E38 if i were given a choice but both handle great are great platforms.

[jicaino]

I've driven both and I like the E39 better, especially if EDC equipped like my non sports 540i. I ride on stock(ish) suspension with stock 16" tires and the car feels like butter, yet you have a more precise feedback if you want to throw it around or need to do a weird maneuver out of the blue. I don't cre for the long E38, I kind of like the shorty if you de-comf it a little (a little bit stiffer suspension, or lower sidewalls, etc)

PS the best E39 ride quality IMHO is that of regular suspension cars with EDC and 17" or 18" rims with less sidewall. You get the best of both worlds.

[rbelton]

Have driven many models of both E38 and E39. The E38 is super comfortable, long wheel base, decent handling with sport package and maintained suspension/sport wheels. It is just a big, long, looonnggg car compared to the E39. The steering is better in a 530i with the steering rack, E39 will feel sportier and the size of the car is easier to navigate city and small parking areas.

The V8 models have the recirculating ball steering setup which is definitely more clunky and loose feeling (in my opinion) than the 6 cyl models. Overall the E38 rides great, perfect highway cruiser. The biggest downside as I remember with the 740i sport I drove is the 20 MPG fuel economy.