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Move Continued excellence from an old favorite |
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Cars can be many things to many people, but to those of us who like cars for true driving fun and excitement, there are only a handful of cars on the road that deliver true performance. Top among these is BMW. Long the benchmark, BMW’s sedans are in a class by themselves when it comes to driving performance. An exciting update of the popular 5-series sedan for 2004 carries on the tradition and raises the bar another notch. Joe Emerson, sales manager at Autohaus of Clayton summed up the BMW 5-series as "The perfect car; it has luxury, handling, performance and utility. For those who thought it couldn’t get any better, the ’04 is totally redesigned and improved." That redesign follows the BMW trend of sharper angles and lines, eschewing the softer, rounder edges of its predecessor. The front is handsomely aggressive, the profile sporty, and the rear has just a hint of the 7-series hump in the trunk. Thanks to extensive use of aluminum, the new 5-series weighs less than its predecessor despite being larger, and thus offering more interior room. Driving is what the 5-series is all about, and equipped with the 3.0 liter inline 6 cylinder engine generating 225 horsepower and 214 pound feet of torque, it gets up and goes. Tested with the 6- speed automatic, the 530 had plenty of power, especially when the accelerator was stomped. The available 6-speed manual gearbox would allow a driver to maximize the power band and make this a real hoot to drive, especially since BMW gearboxes are the best around. An available 6-speed sequential manual gearbox allows clutchless shifting via paddles for upshifts and downshifts on the steering wheel. Other available engines include a 2.5 liter inline 6 generating 184 horsepower and a 4.4 liter V-8 that churns out 330 horses. All transmissions are available with all engines. Handling is what really sets the BMW apart from the pack, and the 5-series offers superb handling from its rear-wheel-drive layout. Handling is neutral in corners and grip seems almost infinite. Steering with the active steering/speed sensitive variable assist is very responsive. If you get in over your head, ABS and Dynamic Stability Control combined with all-season traction control can help keep the car under control and in the desired direction. If you’re looking for a mid-sized sport sedan, the 5-series sets the standard for handling. Not content to be just a driver’s car, the 5-series also offers a level of luxury found in only the upper echelon of premium automobiles. Leather and wood abound throughout the cabin. A dual automatic climate control insures passenger comfort, and the stereo is excellent. Controlling the ventilation system and radio, along with the navigation system and an optional phone (unwelcome in a car this fun to drive), is BMW’s iDrive system. Designed to reduce dashboard clutter, the iDrive puts many of the controls otherwise found on the center console onto one video screen in the middle of the dash. Controlling the features is a rotating joystick located between the front seats that acts like a computer mouse to navigate through the video screens. Though the BMW salesmen assured me it was simple to use once you get used to it, it seemed overly complicated to me, and I consider myself fairly computer literate. When I wanted to adjust the airflow from the ventilation system, I had to pull over and start manipulating the iDrive until I figured out how to get some air to the dash vents. A simple button or rotary dial could do the same thing with one press or turn. Though the technology is impressive, I generally prefer simplicity in controls unless the added complexity really adds some benefit. I’m not sure the iDrive adds enough benefit to be worth the complication and expense, and lord help you if the thing ever breaks. It’s certainly not the kind of thing you could unscrew, fiddle with and fix in your driveway. Just pray you’re under warranty if something goes wrong. Otherwise, the interior is a model of a good, modern interior, with firm, comfortable seats, a fully adjustable steering wheel (that’s even heated for winter), and plenty of room, especially in the rear seat, where passengers get their own air vents and reading lights. The trunk is roomy and deep, though the opening is somewhat small due to the slope of the rear window. A fold down rear seat is an option. The turn signal was interesting in that you push it up or down just a little to give you three flashes for lane changes, and then push it all the way up or down for full turns, but instead of staying up or down, it goes back to its original position right away. Not quite as intuitive as feeling the stalk stay up or down, but interesting, and a little quirk that gives the car some character. Other clever ideas like a steering wheel with radio controls on it that raises to ease ingress and egress and a right side mirror that tilts down when you put it in reverse so you can see the curb are found throughout the car. Base price for the 530 is $45,000; with typical options it tops $50,000. Not cheap, but competitive for an unbeatable combination of luxury and performance in a premium German sedan. Robert W. Paster is also an attorney in private practice, concentrating in estate planning and probate. |
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