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Capitol Hill is a joyless place. Anyone doubting that should attend a congressional hearing when there is something better to do.

I did. I went to the Hill to listen to talk about air bags on a day I was driving the 1997 BMW 540i sedan. The room was filled with dark suits and serious faces.

Congressional aides scurried about, feeding paper — and apparently ideas and questions — to their elected superiors. There was testimony, lots of it, on how to fix a safety device Congress and federal regulators once deemed perfect.

Clearly, nothing would be solved at that hearing. My mind wandered to the 540i sedan parked on a nearby lot. There was something better to do. I wanted to get in that car and drive.

Background: The 1997 BMW 540i sedan is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car for people who love cars, who celebrate the very idea of automobility.

It is a mid-size car, though its leather-wrapped cabin feels more commodious than that. Five adults can ride comfortably. But passengers are second-class citizens in the 540i’s seats, because the only way to really enjoy it is behind the wheel.

I drove two versions of the car — a plusher-than-thou edition equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission and BMW’s optional On-Board Navigation System (OBNS), and a sporty version outfitted with a six-speed manual transmission and 17-inch diameter wheels.

The navigation system employs Global Positioning System satellites and regional map software to help guide drivers to unfamiliar addresses. It also serves as an on-board computer to monitor a variety of automotive functions. When the car is parked, the dashboard screen converts to a color TV.

Interesting stuff, but not nearly as interesting, nor as enjoyable, as driving the sporty 540i, where I spent most of my road time. In truth, I was far more impressed by the sporty model’s super-smooth, six-speed manual shifter than I was by all of the technological gimcrackery in the plushed-up version.

And the sporty model, with its bigger tires, felt better in highway twists and turns than its richer sibling. But “better,” in this case, is more a term of art than it is a measure of significant difference.

Both 540i models are equipped with a 4.4-liter, double-overhead cam, 32-valve V-8 engine rated 282 horsepower at 5,700 rpm, with torque rated 310 pound-feet at 3,900 rpm.

The cars are tight, steel unibodies. And they are relatively light (3,748 pounds for the manual model and 3,803 pounds for the automatic version), because of the extensive use of aluminum in the engine and suspension systems.

The six-speed manual transmission is standard. The four-speed automatic with BMW’s Adaptive Transmission Control (which means it adapts to individual driving styles) is optional.

Standard brakes include four-wheel ventilated discs with anti-lock backup. Also standard is BMW’s All Season Traction Control, which uses sensors and computers to control engine speed and sele ctively apply brakes on slippery roads, thereby reducing wheel spin and its potentially attendant mishaps.

There are myriad other standard safety features, including BMW’s Cornering Brake Control (to compensate for the usually erroneous and frequently dangerous driver habit of braking at the apex of curves). And there are automatically tensioning seat belts and dual front air bags.

1997 BMW 540i

Complaints: The All Season Traction Control system has a mind of its own. It kicks in suddenly, making the car feel as though it’s losing power. But a dashboard warning light signals what’s happening. Pretty soon, you learn that the best way to avoid engaging the system is to use common sense and drive at slower speeds on slippery roads.

Praise: Excellent overall design, engineering and construction. A driver’s car.

Head-turning quotient: Unmistakably BMW, though it’s tad sharper in the face and sexier in the rear than predecessor BMW cars.

Ride, accelerati n and handling: Triple aces . An absolute delight on the road — a compliment that actually applies to both the automatic and manual models. Lordy, these cars can run! Excellent braking.

Mileage: In the manual model, based on a 600-mile run, about 21 miles per gallon (18.5-gallon tank, estimated 376-mile range on usable volume of recommended premium unleaded), running mostly highway and driver only with light cargo (11.1 cubic feet cargo capacity).

Sound system: Optional 14-speaker, 12-channel/440-watt AM/FM stereo radio and cassette, with trunk-mounted, six-disc CD changer. Big-time boogie!

Price: Base price on the manual 540i is $49,900. Dealer invoice is $43,255. Price as tested is $56,500, including $3,350 in options (premium sound system, premium power and heated seats), a $1,300 federal gas guzzler tax, an estimated $1,380 federal luxury tax and a $570 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: The car is an option. It’s also a BMW, which means there is no real comparison, except, perhaps, something in the E-Class or S-Class from Mercedes-Benz.