1999 BMW 540i

First Drive
In Europe, a sport/utility vehicle is not a truck-based rig with towering ground clearance. Those on the Continent call them "estates" or "touring models." We call them station wagons. But banish all thought of '60s American versions replete with fake wood appliques, whitewalls, and screaming kids. A new roster of premium haulers has appeared, based on many of Germany's finest sport sedans: the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi's A4 and A6, and-appearing this fall-BMW's 5 Series. We traveled to Austria to sample the company's upcoming top-line wagon offering, a V-8-powered 540i touring with the new Steptronic five-speed automatic transmission.

The 540i's transformation from sedan to estate is straightforward but well done. There are extra electric defrosters plumbed into the side glass, and the rear seat folds down several different ways to accommodate various payloads. The "window shade" rear cargo area cover is especially sturdy, well designed, and easily removable. BMW also engineered an extendible loading panel for the touring variant, an optional pullout shelf that permits loading/unloading of heavy objects without having to balance them on the rear bumper.

Don't expect to see BMW tourings running around full with their rear bumpers dragging the ground either, as a self-leveling, pneumatic rear spring/strut system will be standard. The balance of the suspension also was redesigned for touring duty, to ensure an absolutely flat cargo floor. Finally, the tailgate features a power pulldown, much like that on the trunks of many luxury sedans. The net result? Visually, mechanically, and functionally, the new 540i touring has the makings of a winner.

BMW's Steptronic transmission makes a return for '99 on selected models, after its brief appearance on the now-defunct 840Ci. Able to function as a conventional automatic with standard or Sport shift programming, it can be easily switched to semi-manual operation via the gear selector. Once in this "M" mode, cog changing is as simple as flicking the lever forward for upshifts or backward for downshifts. It's very intuitive, and not unlike the sequential gearbox operation in many race cars. A digital dash readout confirms current gear selection.

The system does exhibit a few idiosyncracies that take a bit of getting used to. Example: Let's say you're driving in manual mode, cruising along in fourth gear. If you floor the accelerator, the transmission will smartly double downshift to second-but it will remain there until you upshift. Don't bother trying to upshift into what the car's computerized engine/transmission management system deems too high a gear for road conditions; it simply will not allow the change. So, while Steptronic does a good job of keeping you from making "improper" gear choices, it can't entirely substitute for a manual gearbox. However, it does add an element of flexibility and fun when tooling up and down mountain roads, such as we did on the snow-covered highways that slice through the Austrian Alps.

Everything else about the 540i touring remains true to the ultra-competent 540i sedan. The wagon is only about 100 pounds heavier than a comparably equipped four-door, ensuring that there's no noticeable decrease in performance, braking capability, or handling prowess. As a matter of fact, from the driver's seat, you'd never know you were in a wagon. BMW's 4.4-liter/282 horsepower DOHC all-alloy V-8 remains one of our absolute favorite powerplants these days, delivering plenty of torque down low, and autobahn-swallowing horsepower right up to redline. There aren't many sport/utes that cruise all day at 140 mph like this one will.