BMW E34 Five Series - Guide to Interiors

E34s set new standards in interior quality for the entire industry. It was a combination of driver focused ergonomic design, durable yet attractive materials and build quality. The controls were in the right places and felt good to operate. Everything was tactile and just felt "right" in the traditional BMW way. E28 owners felt immediately at home in the new model but could see the improvements. In particular the new cars were quieter.

 

The standard seats supported the occupant on metals springs with a padded base. They were firmer than on the E28 and more supportive, especially in the rear. Rear headrests were now a standard feature as was the centre arm rest with it's optional ski bag hole. A completely folding "through load" rear seat was available. Occupants had quite enough room and the space felt airy and refined. All front seats were height adjustable.

The sports seats were an almost direct carry over from the older cars and that was no bad thing. Possibly the best car seat ever made. The comfort seats had optional arm rests with adjustable height which were perfect for motorway cruising.

 

 

The standard cloth trim lasted well, slightly better than on E30s! In my opinion there were a few grades of leather. The normal leather was just fine but a "buffalo" leather was a common option on the 535i and was thicker, superb quality. Later facelift cars often had a white leather which seemed thinner and really didn't last well. BMW often fitted this white leather to later cars and it was never going to stay white for very long. Unlike the flat design in early cars the later leather was often rouched. Half leather wasn't uncommon in later 525i sports or M5s.

The driver's seat could have an optional fire extinguisher mounted in a carrier at the base. Electric seats with memory were available. Normally they were controlled from the outside lower panel but a super rare "in seat" option could be found on things like Alpina sports seats.

 

A solid metal sunroof was fitted to most cars and was always electric. Tourings had a complex double roof and whilst it was generally reliable it was a nightmare to repair. Air conditioning was a fairly rare option especially on early cars. Cruise control was extremely rare alas.

 

The standard steering wheel was a plastic four spoke affair with four horn buttons but a three spoke leather upgrade was commonly fitted, often the M-Tech 1. Later cars had airbag wheels in a variety of designs. An electrically adjustable steering column was available on the 540i.

 

There were two versions of the dashboard with the more advanced having a multicharachter LED version of the check control. This became standard and I think the basic dash was only seen on some M20 and M30 cars. A new design of OBC Onboard Computer could often be found next to the stereo with cheaper cars having an attractive analogue clock. Later cars sometimes had a six button digital clock and outside temperature sensor. The OBC mode could be changed by pushing the turn signal stalk.

 

E34s had an extremely large boot which was nicely trimmed. Rubber hold down straps were standard. If boot is damp a blocked drain under the spare wheel can be to blame. The boot lid held a generous tool kit.