►Follow us on Instagram @autogefuehl and @thomas.letsgo ►Subscribe here: ru-vid.com ►Compare the BMW 3-Series M340i review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S1aNZeoatmE.html ►Compare Mercedes C-Class vs Audi A4: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XSMi0Y1nEWE.html ►Compare BMW M540i vs M550i: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fstJ07Br8co.html ►Compare the Audi RS6:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-G2udg-0Jlco.html ►BMW M3 old vs new episode: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eTLEUHFQ74E.html 00:00 BMW 3 Series vs 5 Series! 00:11 BMW 330i M Sport facelift 00:37 BMW 540i facelift 01:24 Length comparison, wheels, suspension 03:02 Rear comparison 03:57 Turning indicators 04:13 Interior: BMW 3 Series facelift 04:49 Facelift changes 05:05 Seats 05:16 Seating comfort BMW 3 vs BMW 5 06:15 3 Series Interior cockpit overview 07:25 Infotainment system OS8 vs OS7 08:31 New digital instruments 09:20 Rear seating BMW 3 Series 10:26 Rear seating BMW 5 Series 11:42 Key fob comparison 11:55 Interior: 5 Series 12:20 Steering wheel 12:29 Seats and seating comfort 13:38 5 Series Interior cockpit overview 14:50 Digital instruments 15:08 OS7 infotainment 16:16 Trunk / boot comparison 330i vs 540i 17:53 Engines 19:26 BMW 3 Series 330i Autobahn acceleration 20:53 Adaptive M suspension and driver focus 22:18 Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class competitors 25:05 Rear-wheel drive as standard 25:50 Which suspension to pick? 26:25 More high speed driving 330i 27:22 Fuel economy 4-cyl vs 6-cyl 28:43 User interface while driving 30:18 Making use of that RWD 32:57 Agile driving BMW 330i 34:14 BMW 5 Series 540i Autobahn acceleration 35:20 Suspension and steering feeling 36:50 Sportiness vs comfort? 38:40 AWD with rear-wheel bias 38:59 Pricing policy 39:48 More high speed driving 540i 41:02 Agile driving BMW 540i 42:45 Which one would I take home? #BMW #BMW5Series #BMW3Series Transparency note: Autogefühl videos are independent and free from editorial influence on opinion and rating. But since manufacturers enable us to do the reviews in the first place, for legal reasons this video is marked as _advertisement_.
i prefer the 3 series, it's easier to fit in a standard garage, easier in town driving/parking, and better to look at too, as the 5 is BIG and more awkward/ less agile. perhaps the 5 is a better motorway car, but at that game you bring the comfortable and driving dynamic mercedes into the fray.
I must be getting old. I prefer the more buttoned look of the 5 series. Very good comparison 👏🏼. Not often do you see a comparison between different classes from the same brand. It 🤔 however makes sense.
Me too. Also the new I drive is dumb. It's just a large monitor without button it doesn't look classy and "full". But I have a 2020 z4 m40i so maybe I'm biased? Still though the I drive 7 systems look much better imo and the z4 has quirks and different designs that imo look much more sexier than standard bmw interiors. A good amount of things in the z4 are unique and only unique to it which they tried to port some of the z4s interior style to the new 240s and 3 series but it doesn't look as good as it does in the z4. Another thing is the center stack whwre the temp radio buttons and center screen is in the z4 is tilted significantly towards the driver which no other bmw has and it looks so good and sport
@@AC-yg9zf when did I mention suspension? I said the interior of the z4 was unique and a first which they clearly copied in the new rwd 2 series and 3 series I've driven the new 3 series and the z4 is 90-95% as close in terms of handling and being planted in corners as a new m3 or m4 whereas the new basic non M 3 series is NOWHERE NEAR THAT. Not even close. The Germans who designed the z4 clearly stated in an interview that with Toyota they were basically designing an m car or a car that could easily compete with a true m car without labeling it an M car. This is why the z4 and supra share a platform, and why the z4 was so unique and had the most powefful b58 in the US when it came out having more than 50hp and torque vs the other b58s and it's adaptive suspension is extremely comfortable and then suddenly more sporty than the last gen m3 and m4 and almost as good as the new m4 but with a shorter wheelbase and less weight it has less roll and it feels more planted
I drive a 2018 540i and love it. Never had any reliability issues with it (65k miles) and the performance is excellent in Sport mode. It will also get 35mpg in eco mode. Great looking car and probably one of the best all around cars that BMW has ever made.
I am looking around to get into a used 540i around 2018-2020 because I hate how the facelifted ones look after 2020. Maybe around 20K-30K miles. How's the maintenance?
I would go with the 5 series. I don't use the infotainment screen much, except for google maps (apple car play). Having to use a touch screen to set the climate or heated seats on OS8 is not something i prefer. I think the 5 series has the sweet spot between analog and touch screen controls. Together with the more comfortable ride, i'd definitely take the 5 series.
Dear Thomas, to each their own. I have had experience in the previous 3 Series, A4, and C Class; before current models and I can safely say 3 Series does it for me. But between these two, I would take the 5. Great review. You are the best at car reviews.
More BMW comparison ideas: - 3 Series (saloon and/or touring) versus 4 Series Gran Coupe. - When the new X2 is released, that versus the X1 and 2er Active Tourer.
I have 540i 2018 RWD and friend has 330i 2019 RWD. Base suspension and 18" both. So the comparison is quite fair and simple: 5 for more comfort, calm, quiet, space and better materials inside while 3 is more agile, light and fun in cornering. If I could choose, I think the best option would be 540i RWD with passive M-Sport suspension and 18" non-runflats, which shouldn't lost in comfort, but adds more fun and stability when cornering.
I have exactly this - G30 540i MSport non-adaptive suspension with 18 inch Michelin AS4 non-RFT. Can’t say I’ve compared it much to other setups, but I like it a lot. The car with 20 inch RFTs but I am so glad I swapped it out to 18s.
@@charliethesupebeagle How does it feel? Do You miss something in comfort or handling with 18" non-RFT and M Sport non-adaptive? To me that sounds like a perfect G30 setup - base suspension is very okay, but calm and sometimes lacks of stability in tight corners or on higher speed (>150 km/h) Adaptive suspension should be top notch, but I remember some technical materials from G30 launch, which describes that adaptive comfort mode is even more comfort then base - honestly, you don't really need more than base suspension provides. Maybe it is just to wear 20" RFTs? 🙂
@@6a6uHBHyK It feels great. This was not the setup I wanted initially but it worked out. I never would have specced 20” but the dealer took another $1.2k off and told me to use it on 18s, when I told them I would pass on the car. I still have the 20s in the garage and install them every few months for fun. If there’s any handling benefit, I can’t notice it. But it is so much harsher. Aside from looks I don’t think there is any reason to go with the big wheels.
@@NadirPlayz There is no an easy answer. I like both. Both serve same purpose - to move from A to B but in different manner. I think the best middle ground option is still to get G20 M340i. I had chance to drive it for couple of hours and love it :).
I have driven a 540i completely loaded for 3 years. Best car I have ever had. The new ones are up around $74,000 which is not what I want to pay. I lease (yes, stupid - don't care) and I am looking at the 33i and all the letter combos that go with it. Kids are gone. Smaller car would cheer me right up.
Still happy with my 540i xDrive from 2018. But i find the 3 series also very „sexy“ and would also be happy with it. But the 6 cylinder is a must for me. It was the reason to change from mercedes to bmw.
Great overview! It is astonishing that we don't have many intra brand comparison tests. These overviews are helpful to make hard decisions that are not always about choosing between the same-size models from the same brand.... Great job! fuenfer for me!
Thanks! We are doing a lot of these lately indeed! Also see here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eoTAmWpHhYo.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-V5Z1Q-2LDZk.html Feel free to vote for new ones
@@autogefuehl this is another great video! thank you! I would love to see your comparison of M3 G80 against F90! nobody has made any such detailed a video. As a long term-term fan of your channel I would even dare to suggest that you make a series of videos comparing M3s and M5s in each generation- sort of a tribute to a dying breed of ICE M cars... I really like your detailed and genuine approach to road tests.
Excellent insight, thank you!! Love that you speak to REAL WORLD issues, especially comfort. Comfort or discomfort is what you live with every second in the car, and should take prominence, so your input is enormously helpful.
Very nice, in-depth review here! My wife's currently got 330i and have thought about whether to keep it or possibly upgrade to a 5er since her mother is getting older and doesn't like getting in and out of the back seat. Or, the front seat, for that matter... as for me, I always like a bigger sedan for cruising, though the 330i is a fun car to drive - really comes into its own on a curvy road. It would be a tough choice for sure.
Your wife's mother will not enter the 5 series more easy compared to the 3 series. I have the 5 and believe me. You are sitting very deep. Think about a X3 or X5 if comfortable entrance and exit is important to you... 5 series isn't boring at all, as someone wrote here. 540i and also 530d is a lot of fun
@@wackawacka12345 530d is probably top3 most boring cars I ever have driven. I do agree on the 540i but that only because of its almost perfect engine.
Been daily driving a 3 Series for almost four years now and maybe it's my age (turning 40 soon) I just prefer the comfort and civility that the 5 Series bring. Thinking of upgrading to it.
What a great depth-review!I'm a 540i owner in Asia.I compared 540i and 330i at first.I chosen 540i finally.That a amazing car i have.With b58 engine also have rear-axle steering,adaptive suspension etc.I really really loved this car and enjoyed the driving performance everyday.
Great presentations and delivery. I enjoyed your videos a lot. Regarding the cars, I’d like to add that the shoulder line of the 5 has always been a beautiful feature. I hope BMW will retain it for all its future models.
Hi Thomas love and greetings from Toronto Canada I have only one heart how many times u gonna win it although everybody has one heart too bottom line u do ur job with full of energy enthusiasm ur chennel is the pinnacle of automotive industry Nothing comes even close thanks buddy for entertaining us
I love your videos, seriously. But it would have been so much nicer to compare them both configured with the m sport package or both just with the standard sport package. I understand that you can’t have accesses to all vehicles so some pictures, maybe just some screenshots of the configurations would be great
Great comparison. I chose the 2023 330e xDrive mostly for the $15K savings compared with the equivalent 530e xDrive. The front seat comfort is certainly a factor though, as my car is not quite as plush as my wife’s 2022 X5 45e.
@@CactusBravo42How is it? I’m debating between and would love the bigger car but I like being able to turn on tight corners with no issue. Does it have handle well?
@@Arteaga4K it feels fantastic to drive and handles extremely well for a big sedan. It doesn’t quite have that nimble sports car-like feel of the 3 series though. Its main strength is power and comfort.
I have already taken home the 330i :) I like the 5 series but simply the price difference is not worth the small benefits. Also where I live there are some small roads where driving a car the size of the 5 series would be stressful.
I find these screens obscene, i absolutely despise the looks of the 2 monitor setup. It looks like I'm in my office and not in my car. This trend is ruining car interior looks.
It’s not even bad. Y’all just like to hate on everything new. This has been going on forever. It’s always the same story. Hating on everything for the first few months and then years later it’s going to be your favorite.
There are some people who appreciate style a uniqueness in product. Slapping a screen in every new car is a sign of cost cutting and mainstreaming products. It is simply dull and unoriginal. If you like it than good for you.
- Boss, I have two screens, what should I do with these? - Stick them to the dashboard and we should be good. Conclusion: Everybody knows we need good looking and well functioning infotainment but how hard could it be to integrate the screen(s) into the dashboard in a way that doesn't look like an workaround!? I don't know... Maybe I am too conservative, this is why I still like physical buttons for the main functions of the car.
For these two cars I like 5er more. I especially like the separated gauge cluster/infotainment screen and real shit lever on the 5er. The 3er looks great too but the one piece big screen and tiny shift lever just make the interior look cheap IOM. Also really not a big fan of the OS 8; it’s like the UI/UX designer is from MSFT🤦🏻♂️
5 series. 5 series is bigger and looks more luxury in the inside and more performance orientated aswell. 3 series is amazing aswell but since I already owned a 3 series I really want a 5 series
I drive a 2020 750i xDrive. The 3 is too small. The 5 does not have the rear leg room my passengers appreciate. My friend, who drives an Audi A7, says my 750 is an old man's car. Being that I am 67 years old, I can live with that.
Well, here in Brazil I own a Civic sedan on 17" wheels with factory tires and suspension and my back already hurts 🤣, so I would get the more comfy 5-series.
I'd much rather have the 3 series to be honest. It used to be that the 5 had a significantly better ride, with a better quality interior etc but theres nothing between them now. It seems all you pay extra for with the 5 (like for like engine), is a slightly longer boot? The ride from my experience is the same, even the interior from the pre-LCI 3-series and current 5-series (iDrive 7) is the exact same. The 3 just makes so much more sense, easier to park, quicker, lighter, cheaper etc.
@@NessMeister I suppose comfort is subjective, I've driven a F48 X1 and W177 A-class both over 150 miles and had no issue, the 3 series was a big upgrade on them both comfortwise and never had an issue.
Tolles Video, ich kann vieles bestägigen. Wir fahren einen G31 LCI 540ix und einen G21PreLCI 330ix. Der 3er ist der Turnschuh und der 5er der Slipper. Ich mag beide sehr. Der 6 Zylinder ist jedoch unfassbar sparsam zu fahren und klingt noch mal besser.
Hi Thomas, thanks for the great review! Could you review the gaze underneath the rear view mirror? You are a tall guy, as me. I’m 202 cm and I sometimes struggle with spotting traffic coming from the right! Because I have to bow down my head to get a view underneath the mirror. Of you would start doing that, you will be the first journalist who reviews this …! And it’s super important for the vertically gifted;) Thx Thomas! Yours, Ron
haha vertically gifted is classic ;-) Oh so you mean how large the back mirror is and how the angle of the front wind shield effects the view so the back mirror blocks the view?
Hi! Thomas very good comparative. I totaly agree with you the driving position its very important. I never menaged to have a good driving position in my BMWs. The pedals are deviated to the left!!
The interior is so much better in the 5 series why don’t they do the massage seats on 3 series so much better the interior .. Thomas you are still number 1
I'd buy what I used to lease which was a 2017 540XI with low miles and a warranty which is basically the same car as a 2023. You're correct the 3 Series in the U.S. once they are used is the same price as a 530xi. The 540 is a little more. You can easily buy a 2017 540xi for $30,000k or under. The dealers can't sell them here
Hi thank you for the real life experience review and conclusion. I was also on the fence between these two cars, but I just rented a 2023 320i touring in germany and felt the car was not that comfy compared to my 2012 A4 I previously owned. I tried a 530i taxi in Dubai and it was very comfy sitting in the back. Although I haven't tried driving 5 series yet. But after watching this I am sure to choose the 5 over the 3. Thanks a lot!
Thomas, love your sense of humor and charm! Why are there no plant skins (wood) on the dash and door panels of the german cars you test! They make the interior much warmer and calm feeling in my opinion while the metal inlays look cold and sterile.
In this instance, the 540i has a B58 inline-6 engine which is an absolute masterpiece, both powerful and smooth and sounds good too. The 4 cyl of the 330i is good but not even comparable. Just for the engine it's a totally unfair comparison. 530i vs 330i would be more fair. The 5-series is both better and more expensive
As explained in the engine part, these are the frequent chosen engines for the vehicles. 530i would also have been possible yes though. You can never make it right for everyone in these comparison tests since there are so many factors to consider
Look closely at the depth of the Five’s rear bumper compared to the Three. That’s also where a lot of the extra length comes from. There’s a noticeable lip to carry stuff over in the Five Series. Five’s extra length is nothing to do with V8 engines. These are shorter than straight sixes… Takeaway from this film is that I need to order a Five before BMW release its replacement next year and ruin the interior…
It's the second refresh. Plus, the 540i doesn't have the m sport package, unlike the 3 series in the video. Both of their base models are pretty plain.
I have a 330i bought new and have been thinking of maybe low mileage used 540i or 530d next. My priorities are the same as yours. Many seats in 5 series are so comfortable. Have driven an M5 (not competition or CS) and even that is super comfortable and handles so well. I would say the only flaw with the M5 is too fast! So easy to travel at licence loosing speeds. A great review. A choice I am considering but not a comparison I expected to see. Thanks
No joke about the speed. I have a 2020 540i. I was driving in Texas to my son's college and I got pulled over. Sheriff said, "Do you know how fast you were going? I said, "No, but hopefully not too fast (big smile). He said I was going 127 MPH. Woah. He let me off with a warning. I couldn't believe it. I did slow down, on that trip at least.
