Budget BMW Comparison - E39 540i M-Sport vs E46 330Ci ZHP 

The best 3 series, and the best 5 series that BMW ever made

The E39 really is a timeless design

The delayed throttle response could originate in a clogged up fuel filter. I had the same issue with my 330Ci and replacing the fuel filter fixed it for me.

I own both, 06 ZHP coupe supercharged & 03 540i M-Sport. Love them both to death.

The '03 540i M-sport is such a great car to drive! I encourage anyone who is interested to drive a 540i with the M-sport package if they ever get a chance! Kevin Reifert made good points about potential drivability problems your experiencing. Hope it serves you well!

The great thing about the ZHP is you don't have to love driving to enjoy it. One driver can see a track car and have a great time with it. Another person can see a comfortable commuter car and be perfectly happy with it. Few cars have that balance to be whatever you need it to be.

I honestly think the E39 was the best all around BMW ever made. BMW compromised nothing in it's design. Newer BMW's are obviously objectively much better. But the E39 is the perfect distillation of sport, luxury and understated design.

Thanks for making this, basically everything you say seems to be on point. I recently got a 330i ZHP manual sedan and my dad has a 540i M Sport and I agree with your assessment. Both are great driving cars and I really enjoy their subtle aesthetic modifications that let those in the know, know. I too much more enjoy the ZHP on back roads and highway cruising in the 540i. Nice video and thanks again for sharing!

it is so nice to see guys that really love and enjoy BMW, its a great video.....!

Also, if you're having issues with the car going side to side on the highway, I'd look into the alignment and the center link, as both can contribute to the car wandering around. There are plenty of bushings that wear out as well, and that can contribute to the issues. I redid the entire front and rear suspension on my 540it, got an alignment, and now at 200k miles it feels tighter than E39's with half the mileage. If I point the wheel straight, the car will go straight, no matter what the road conditions are.

That's so true! The part about other ppl not considering them old.

the e46's are also close to 50/50 weigth distribution

I been eyeing some 530i e39s for a while. Most beautiful cars ever built in my opinion.

As you say, the e39 is a classic design that just doesn't age at all. For me though I prefer the e46, the design is just beautiful, particularly the rear swage line going over the rear quarter panels to the back of the car, it just has the perfect stance.

Make sure those timing chain guides were done and that VANOs was looked at

As a Zhp owner I’ve also been wanting a 540i. The sound on those is amazing. But for overall the Zhp takes the cake. Better for fuel economy, nimble, agile in corners, and fun. Creature comforts are pretty good as well. I compre that to a 328i e46 which had the comfort side driveline and the leather seats it was more comfortable but the Zhp puts a smile in my face from time to time.

I just bought a 01 540i m tech sport 2 with 82k on the dash. When I first got the car it was hesitating on the throttle and throwing the check engine light for multiple codes. It would also occasionally stall at red lights but start right back up. The stalling and hesitating were caused by a faulty MAF sensor. Even before it was throwing lean bank left and right codes it was acting up and hesitating. I also noticed it was leaking coolant at the valley plan. When replacing that I also replaced every seal inside the intake, from the throttle body down to the head. This whole job cost $200 in parts for the intake and valley pan, and only 100 for the Bosch OEM MAF on amazon. Redoing all the seals on the intake, with the new maf, and a new set of upstream O2s, and a new fuel filter, I felt like i got a whole new car. The power is back! And damn it is awesome, now when I drive the car the acceleration puts a smile on my face and throws me back in the seat. If your 540i feels lacking, I would really start with checking your intake seals and making sure the engine isn't running lean. And at that mileage, I'd just replace the MAF even if I didn't get codes. Also are you sure its fly by wire? My 01 540i has electronic throttle, I thought they all did with the TU engine update in 01, getting rid of the ICV and the cable throttle, but I have the autotragic trans :( Also you could do a fuel pressure check and see if you are getting a strong enough pressure. Good luck with your car, and despite what some say, I think the e39 540i is a gem and I'm planning on holding on to mine.

The weight transfer he's talking about is easily corrected or stiffened up with coil overs and or upgraded sway bars. Pretty much a thing you can do with any car. When I had a 92 Mercedes 500sl it had serious roll in corners with the stock setup. After H&R sport springs, Bilstein struts/shocks and 18" rims it handled so much better.

Good comparison. I have the 540i. And it’s a monster.

if you can't afford an e46 then you shouldn't own a car. This is not an S-class. This is an entry level inline 6 with plenty of room in the engine bay with a huge community behind it with plenty of DIY's. People are scared to buy an E46 but won't hesitate to finance a brand new accord/civic to "save money" on repairs

Throttle response could just be the Drive-by-wire calibration. There are of course other things to consider, in older 540i's if you're having sluggish throttle response it could be the Idle Control Valve. Always troubleshoot the easiest/cheapest fixes first.

Exceptional review.

I'm not an expert on cars, but I am now obsessed with the E39 540i lol. I feel the same as yall with the styling being so classic interior and exterior. My take away is to have the vanos, timing chain guides and suspension before buying? is there a way to safely mod it for more torque/hp?

I don’t usually subscribe to channels but I’ve never seen a video of yours I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed, granted I’ve only watched 5 or 6 but still

As an BMW Inline 6 fan i choose the 2002 530i Facelift, one of the last E39´s in a good shape here in Switzerland in 2017...and every time i drive it, it´s just a joy....the best car ever made......

I really like driving my '04 330i ZHP 6spd. All I've done is a 3.38 rear diff swap and a Highline Tuning full SS cat-back exhaust. The exhaust note isn't overboard, and it gives a little 'burble' that's nice. Love the sound of the inline6, much like my first Datsun Z, so I got another one of those to build.

Great video. I also have an E 39, 540i M sport, six speed and a 330iZHP manual. I wonder if a couple of observations are inherent to the car or whether it’s specific to your car. For example, the throttle response on the 540 I is just as instantaneous as the straight six. I agree with you that rack and pinion is better than worm and roller but after I replaced bushings and ball joints in the five, the steering tightened up a great deal as far as handling goes. I agree the E46 is a little bit better, but I regularly take both cars to the track and they are both wonderful

I've got a 1997 e39 540i M-sport, 6sp manual...I love my car! Prior to my e39 I had an e38 740iL and 6 e30's. I've had the e39 for about 7 years and my repair costs have been minimal. I did upgrade the cooling system with Zionsville, have done 3 water pumps, a few hoses but part of the hose situation is that mine is pro-charged to make an even tighter engine bay and more restricted routing for the hoses. The Zionsville upgrade included an electric fan which I would HIGHLY suggest. In my e38 the fan broke apart and it also happened in my e39, both times taking out the radiator. I did just have my MAF go out, of course pixels are out in the console so I can't tell you my current mileage, was around 146k a few years ago. Other that that just fluid changes, I am due for lower control arm bushings I noticed on my last oil change. I hate the drive by wire but my throttle response is much better than they mention, although pro-charged and tuned I'm sure is the difference. And it is a HUGE difference. Also, my gas mileage is about 22 in city and 32 on hwy. Again, tuning obviously making a huge difference. I feel that the e39 is one of the best models ever, undervalued and due to be a classic. I've literally had someone think that it was a newer car and they were thrown when I told them it is 21yrs old. I wish I had the style 37 wheels but the 97 and 98 model M-sport came with the style 19's which have grown on me. Still have the M-tech bumpers which add a more aggressive look. Thanks for the videos, I will be following!

hey on the ZHP: did you manage to add a Aux ''extension'' to this main unit? I got the same on my ZHP too and looking to add one. Seems straightforward on a normal buiseness audio system

I’ve never experienced a delayed throttle response from my 540i. You might wanna get it checked out or it may need a tune up.

I have to agree with you on the best budget for performance value. I wanted to be different so I went wagon and zhp to form what I want. Plans for 540it 6speed next

We ain’t gunna ignore this mans jawline tho 👀

Komfortsitze indeed were a factory option on the E39. I had them on my '01 530i. Comfy but not hiphugging. About the clutch; maybe the CDV (clutch delay valve) has been removed on the ZHP? Finally; the M54 was introduced on the E39 and E46 for the 2000 model year as a successor to the M52tü.

I'm considering to buy one of these, or an Audi S6 C5 sedan, manual GB (approx. same value here), and this video helps A LOT. That's right these cars are under-valued, they "live" under the shadow of the mighty M3/M5, over-valued especially in europe, where a consequent numbers are modified to run in rally/drift competition. Big thanks from france!

I'm looking at the E36 M3 sedan or a 330 ZHP sedan as a daily here soon. The two aren't actually all that different in price at the moment. I've tried to find something comparing the two but I haven't really found anything. I've always loved the 540 M sport so this video was super helpful. I personally think the ZHP sedan is the best looking ZHP. My dream is still the E39 M5 though. That's my unicorn.

Regarding the comfort seats: I have a 98 540i "sport package" 6 speed and it did come with comfort seats from the factory. Its likely that with this car they were ordered specifically with them. Kind of ironic though.

Its soooo crazy how my budget bmw 330ci gets so many looks on the streets

An underrated daily is the E39 528 series. It has the rack and pinion steering, none of the V8 issues, and a better front and rear weight balance. The chassis and brakes can easily put down all the power so rev it out and enjoy the soundtrack. BMW moved a lot of them so there are many to choose from.

Dude, I also have a dark grey metallic on natural brown 330ci ZHP! There are very few around, only 5 in 2005 with a manual! (1 auto), so pretty sure less than 10 of these 2005 and newer with the updated LED tails, pretty cool

Actually a great review

Sparkling graphite metallic zhp? Beautiful

Very informative video. I was actually just cross shopping these cars alongside the E36 M3/4 and E39 M5, and thought about mostly the same things. I ended up going with a ZHP sedan as it strikes me as the ideal blend between sporty and daily driver, as the dynamics are definitely on point for a sporty car but it never felt impractical or as if you’re sacrificing anything in terms of that. Gas mileage is better than the V8s and the common faults aren’t as expensive as getting the chain guides fixed.

Is there another bmw from 2007 to 2014 that you think is comparable as the 5401 you tested in terms of sport & daily driver?

Would be cool to see a similar comparison of one generation ago, e30 vs e34.

Had to pause when your boy said the 540 has no throttle response... clearly something up with your 540 because my auto fucking flies when I kick it down.. You’d expect the manual to be even better.

Regarding the throttle response, it is indeed a drive-by-wire system. Which means that a good tune can really wake it up. BMW dulled the throttle response on the 540i and M5 for the North American market, which is why a lot of people get Euro throttle maps. I've driven a few Dinan-tuned cars and an M5 with a Euro throttle map and it really is a night-and-day difference. Also, check if your car still has the clutch delay valve (CDV), as that can contribute to a poor clutch feel. Again, BMW felt like the American market needed a dumbed-down clutch setup so they installed that valve on the 540i (the M5 didn't get a CDV, thankfully). It's super easy to remove and it costs pretty much nothing.

The 330ci is really good and also its the first car I drove

If you have a delay in your throttle response then I believe there's a fix for that.Have you signed up to a forum? I personally had 2 540's in automatic and I never had a delay especially if I was in sport mode.

I had my timing chain and vanos done. make sure u find a decent mechanic who has the tools to lock the timing and who knows what he is doing. Price arround 1500 i think. Mine has 121 000 miles. Still pulling strong like stock 0 60 time. No issues for the rest. Other thing in the future ive seen from other owners is the carter ventilation goes out, the whistle sound. Havent had that yet. Its a lovely cruiser

By looking at the vin number on the 540 and then de-code it you'll be able to figure out whether the seats in the 540 are standard or not. They are as I did that earlier. Are you fellas California based? If so I gotta ask why on earth you run all-season tyres on the e46 in this video. Get proper tyres and there will be one hell of a different driving experience. Good video and comparison none-the-less.

Great video for me to decide the right one(e39). Thank you so much.

is the black headliner factory?

I'm pretty happy with my e39 528i m sport

Ive driven e46 m3 and e39 m5 and loved both. The shock i had was how light on its feet the m5 felt considoring how long and heavy it is.

I know I’m super late but the throttle response problem most likely has something to do with ur mass airflow sensors there shouldn’t be any delay in throttle with the 540

I think the best handling E39 is the 530i Sport not the 540i. It is significantly lighter and has rack and pinion steering which is sharper. I have a regular 528i and have no complaints about the steering, it is actually pretty direct and sensitive without being nervous or snappy.

I was also cross-shopping both of these cars this spring. I chose the e39 540i in the end. I didn't care if it was an M-sport or not. I ended up finding a 1997 540i/6 with 50k miles for a decent price. I am super impressed with it so far. The non-vanos M62 is so F-ing strong. Good torque down low but a huge boost of thrust comes in at 3k RPM that last until redline. Freeway power and comfort is also amazing, as well as city driving characteristics. Anyways, thanks for the video.

4.4 V8 as a daily, how much do you pay for gas? That would be a weekend car at best in the U.K.

Between a 540i M-sport and 330i ZHP, I'd chose the ZHP. I drive one. :) Less maintenance, it's 30 mpg on the highway / 22 city and I average 25 mpg in the city never hitting the freeways (Seattle). The ZHP is a special car: whenever you see a random fellow ZHP driver, they always give you the thumbs up. It's sort of like a gang... or "mafia" some would say. The ZHP package did so many things as you both mentioned (small bump in horsepower, stiffer suspension, etc), but it also came with the blacked-out interior headliner, orange needles in the gauges, cube trim interior decorative strips, a more aggressive front and rear bumper/diffuser, aero side skirts, an optional alcantara interior, 6 spd transmission, high gloss shadow-line trim, a more aggressive performance exhaust, blacked-out liners for the headlights instead of silver (most people don't know this detail), m135 stype wheels - all proprietary to the ZHP package. It does of course come with the sport steering wheel but his is also shared with the sport package. All of the small details really do add up.

With low selling price on both models the best model to buy is buy both cars, you get best of both worlds just depends on your driving mood do you wanna do some canyon carving or cruise up down the coast.

@Zygrene-I wonder if there's something wrong with your 540. I've heard you complain about your throttle response in a couple videos and I've always thought the throttle response was one of the better aspects of the E39 540i. I've never had many issues with mine but maybe you have some Vanos issues. I know that is a common issue with these cars and it would cause poorer performance. I don't have a lot of experience with nice newer cars so maybe I don't have a lot to compare to but my 540's were both very responsive and they are both automatics!

I have a E39 540 I have the sport seats though my seats hold me in place just fine of sliding my steering is sharp and responsive and I know exactly what it's doing at all times maybe you just need to have yours maintenance no hesitation when hitting the gas

I spend $1,000 a year on maintenance on my 197,000 mile ZHP.

e36 and e46 engines are similar, but m54 was never fitted to the e36 from the factory. main difference is ECU, fly by wire and double vanos. internals are very similar.

I'm solidly on the E39 side, but I may be biased, as I've had almost a dozen E39's, as well as other V8 BMW's. Right now I'm rocking a 200k mile 540i touring as my daily driver, and I recently bought a 140k mile 2000 540i/6 for $1500 that I've been messing around with.

I own a 2000 540i"A" Sport Pkg E39 Silver Sedan (CDN), that I bought about 5 yrs ago and though I've enjoyed the Car at times (When it wasn't parked in my garage or driveway); with approx 255,000 km's when I bought it, the Car had a lot of issues and the km's now 269,000 km's!! So, even though I didn't pay a whole lot for the purchase of the Car $5,500 CDN, I have certainly put as much or more extra money now in parts/labor & Blood/Sweat/Tears...and skinned knuckles..lol!! I think I would have enjoyed the Car more, if I would have bought it with lower KM's & also if the previous Owner's would have kept-up the maintenance on the Car!! But, the reason I got "hooked" was that my Older Brother bought a 2008 325i (6-speed) a few yrs ago and when I drove it, I feel in love with the responsive handling and the sound of that Inline 6-cylinder..;-) Now that I have put so much money, time and effort into fixing most of the main issues; I will never make or get back the money I've invested; so I guess I will drive it t'll it "Dies"..:-)

what you may consider for a more responsive throttle response is to clean your throttle body.

The car is drive by wire so that's the main reason for the throttle response. There's an older chap here on yt that explains it in detail (rpm range, which gears the computer is actually limiting input).

Great video man. If you can get someone to let you drive their 2018 Mazda MX-5 RF Club edition (brembos+LSD) and compare it with a BRZ/86, that would be great. I have a feeling that a S2000 will still outshine the ND MX-5 even if its an 19 year old design...

this vid aged great

Go for a 98 540i, avoid that chattering M62TU at all costs. The M54s were pretty good, although the VANOS rattled some.. BMWs best motors since then have been M62B44 and M54

The 330ci looks cooler id just as fast uses a lot less gas, looks a bit better and of course is way more reliable. The 540i sounds better and is more comfy but you lose some of the sporty feel. Both have bunch of body roll brakes arent that good either tbh but theyre not track cars. Id def go with a 330ci over a 540i any day.

I love(d) both my E39 540's but MAN they can be expensive to maintain. You CAN get them for way less than $8k also, but beware! Timing chain guides, cooling systems, upper control arms or suspension in general. There's lots of known issues with E39's (just as with most BMWs) but if you know what you are getting into, they can be one of the best driving cars around. Only had one E46. Be careful which trans you get, they have some very common issues with the automatics. I've always wanted to try one of the bigger i6 variants. I bet the 330 would be a lot cheaper to maintain. The i6 motors seem a lot easier and cheaper to work on than the M62.

That’s why I went with a ‘98 540i 6 spd; it feels a lot more ‘raw’ than 1999-2003 540i sports

Great video man! Keep up the great video both of the cars are amazing. I prefer the 330i more than the 540i

Is it me or does the 540 m sport look awfully close to the m5? On the e46 the m3 has flared fenders but on the m5 they barely look noticeable....

E39 523i manual was the sweet spot for daily driving, or a diesel...

Can retune the auto gearbox?

Two fantastic cars👍👍👍👍

0:15 Is it the e39 sound?

Sorry, a man needs a v8.... 540i all the way.

My 540 has instant throttle response and I dust people in much faster cars left and right. I’m getting throttle body and tune and I’ll let you know what the throttle response is like after that!

After owning both of these cars I would choose the e39 540i any day but the ci is still pretty good just not as fast

Have fun with the 540is timing chains and VANOS problems

Budget?

Install cold air intake and enjoy the music of the inline six even more! The 330 is torquier than my boxster, even if not as torquey as your 540.

Ok, but what front bumper is that on the E46 tho?

Dam 5 yeats ago these cars were consider under vaule and ffwd in today market, the cost of buying one have risen dramatically for a good running condition . Not sure how muxh they cost 5 years ago but the 540 goea for 10 - 14 k if u can find one in ur own state / city here in canada . The e46 easier to find but an hood example are going for 10 k + with high milliage for both i must say. The crazy thing abt the 5 series , most of them are 5 - 6 speed manual, i think they were the last gen for 5 series manual transmission.

Nice vid. Thx.I've got a 540/6 e39 & an e46 325 auto....both are stage 2 dinan tuned.different but great cars.you are correctly saying if informed there are few suprises.the e46 e39 are the last of the true udm.the new lighted led grill junk is overpriced and ugly .....I've had e92 too and I keep going back too the 20 yr old stuff.but now I keep them as garage queen 👑during wintertime and dd a toyota...my 540 is fun and luxury with a stage3 clutch and 8 new coils it is smooth as silk it has 89 k and has had guides replaced ...I couldn't except the new bmws...I tried but I can't justify the cost of the new look..mine are 21and 20 yrs old and I think are much better looking.even the door skin's seem to be heavier. Thx again

do you mean I have to buy both now? :D

Also, I do love me a good La Honda run :)

540i a budget BMW lol :) Full tank of gas (70l) is more than 1/10 of my month salary (with overtime included) haha :P Ensurance would be more than a half of my salary, my 523i is consuming a lot of fuel in my point of view, and this guys says 540i is a budget car. Anyway I'm buying 528i soon, can't afford a V8 :)

I just want an E38 750il M sport to compliment my 135i

I own a 535i V8 and I love it.. BUT they are not reliable as they are old. If you get the cooling overhaul done and the vanos plus timing chain done. Then you have a good start. But even then you will have the check engine light popping up often for one of 1000 reasons. Yes your engine will leak oil and yes the car will need various parts replaced from time to time.... but damn it does drive great.

What about the e36 that's a pretty good budget bmw.

The E39 is an executive express not a sports car until you get to M5 and even then it is more Grand tourer than sports car.

vanos issue effect throttle response

reason your flying around is because seats are not oem they from a 7series, they fit but dont feel right.

Nice 540i

Watching this made me think you should review a g35/350z