2007 BMW 5 Series Review

Specifications

Well Connected

Its really hard to think of anything this car does wrong. Its not exactly my type, but it has won me over in a surprising number of ways, and it all came to a head with one question from my industrious colleague, Justin: “Would you pick it over an A6 4.2?”

At first I said, yes, the seats alone are almost worth the price, but that reminded me of the price, and for the near $60,000 (as tested) I would have to spend on this all-wheel drive German midsize sedan, I could have the superior styling (that being my personal choice), two extra cylinders, and gobs of power to unleash on unsuspecting fallen leaves and quiet neighborhoods. Ahhhh, but those BMW seats would make it a difficult choice. While Audi seats seem almost presciently tailored to my size and body type, right down to the curvature of my spine, the BMW seats are adjustable in so many ways that almost anyone can find that perfect position, and they have the over-the-top factor of a power-adjustable side bolsters and neck support with little wing flaps that cradle the body and neck in womb-like bliss.

I suppose there is more to this car than the seats, and only if they are truly spectacular or truly horrifying do they rise to the lead-in for a story, and the seats on the 530xi were beyond good. In fact, they were so good that I felt I should go to confession every time I got into and out of the car. Surely something that feels that good is a sin. Luckily, Im not Catholic so I just carried on with my daily routine, driving the short commute to work and occasionally blitzing the highways and parkways to ensure that Id given the car its fair shakes.

Then again, shaking is definitely one thing it did not do. The 530xi is rock solid, from the feeling of solidity upon opening and slamming the doors to every firmly planted knob and switch, and then to the complete stability on the road.

Yes, out on the road this cruiser is on permanent lockdown, with the x in its name signifying the all-wheel drive that normally apportions 70 percent of torque to the rear wheels and 30 to the front plus the ability to reroute 100 percent to either front or back, and even vary the split from side to side. However, the heavy standard bias towards the rear wheels means that this sedan still retains the unimpeded steering and balance you get from rear-wheel drive with added pull away from lights, through the corners and on loose surfaces. Chances are in your daily routine you wont be able to shake it, and even when the spirit takes you and you find yourself driving like your teenage son playing Gran Turismo, or if you have an honest-to-god emergency maneuver to perform, those four wheels will grip and speed you to safety with hardly a blip of the traction control.

This brings up two other issues that are also great contributors to the cars character: the traction/stability control and the tire and wheel package. The tires are Bridgestone Potenza Runflats (on 18-inch alloy rims in my testers case), which have been widely decried for delivering the ride comfort of an oxcart, but to which I am either grossly insensitive or Bridgestone has delivered a new generation of runflats to better cushion the hard edges and potholes frequent to city navigating. I thought the ride/handling compromise was just fine: sufficiently flat even in aggressive cornering and with plenty of give for urban commuting; but then again, I may have been unduly influenced by the indulgent seats and the fact that I love a rock hard suspension. Mated with BMWs fine suspension tuning, the large, stiff tires were the match of anything of my citys parched, cracked streets could heave at them. Thats not to say they never lost traction, because while individual tires may have been left spinning, the combination of xDrive and BMWs traction and stability control (DTC and DSC respectively) meant that another tire would pick up the slack; traction would brake the offending tire slightly and Id be on my way with naught but a flicker on the instrument panel to worry me.

As you might have been able to guess by now, I really didnt do much worrying at all in my week with the 530xi. My big concern going into the week was that I might be unable to master the labyrinth that is iDrive. I cant think of how many BMW reviews Ive read harping on the overly complex and unintuitive car-functions control system, but they now leave me with a lesser opinion of those reviewers, rather than any complaints about iDrive. I suppose to be fair to some of those reviewers, BMWs latest iDrive system is much easier to use than its first-generation system - but there are still complainers out there. Maybe having been raised on these fancy boxes with all the buttons that can make numbers and pictures and words appear and disappear makes me unnaturally inclined towards complex user interfaces, but I think its merely an aversion to any form of technology on the part of the reviewer rather than a mystically complex navigation that is keeping them from changing the radio station presets or the climate control settings. Figure it out. Then again, I couldnt figure out how to connect my Bluetooth phone to the car without calling my local BMW PR rep. Yeah, Im an idiot too. Does that mean I can join your club, guys? On the other hand, the process of pairing a phone is much easier on the BMW than on the Acura TL, which had me sweating in the parking lot just to change the voice-command language back from French to English. How do you say mérde in French?

That takes care of my obligatory rant (its in my contract), and there wasnt much else to really condemn or celebrate in this fine but unspectacular (you may remember that I use that term for the A6 as well) luxury ride. The 30 in 530xi refers to BMWs R6 magnesium masterpiece that delivers a smooth, turbine-like 255 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque to get all 3,660 lbs around town in fine fashion. A lesser 525 and greater 550i are both available with less and more power respectively, but the 530xi is the one Goldilocks would choose for our inclement weather and the rigors of my towns traffic. Why? Well, the new 3.0L inline six is perfect for this car, never overwhelming it in terms of excess power and rarely pushing into understeer because of the excellent balance brought about by its light weight, and with the exceedingly good brakes and speed-sensing Servotronic power steering, the car was great at managing the hectic stop, go and close quarters of downtown driving. The magnesium six and its Double Vanos and Valvetronic controlled variable valve timing was always up to the task of getting it into streaming traffic with the help of an equally worthy six-speed manual shifter.

On this point, I have to compliment BMW for making the manual available when most other companies would only offer up an automatic, especially on a midsize luxury sedan that you would not normally associate with a slick manual. Its inclusion really enabled me to focus on the engines sweet spot all week without regressing into automatic lethargy. I drove this car all week, and every drive was an event, a quality that cannot be discounted in a car; and while DIY shifting can occasionally be mimicked by a paddle-shifted auto boxes (or better yet Audis DSG - sorry SMG), there is something slightly spiritual about getting into a car and controlling it through a manual, wrapping your focus up in the car and connecting with it, being a driver and not just succumbing to wooden-legged automaton. The flip-side of this new-age connection to ones car is being stuck in rush hour traffic and cursing every time you have to wrestle that clutch into obedience, but of the many cars Ive driven, this one was cooperative, yet stiffly professional.

There is much more to the 530xi than just a sweet engine and the six-speed interface that straps you into it, but those two are what I would consider the spiritual center of this car, encompassing BMWs philosophy of creating drivers cars. However, to go along with it you get plenty of safety measures, the latest high-tech gadgetry (with options like Harman/Kardon sound, park distance control, nav, etc.), all-weather peace of mind (assuming you drive reasonably for the conditions), and the best seats this side of suspended animation. While the rest of the interior is decidedly uninspiring (kind of like suspended animation), it is perhaps the most appropriate environment, a black hole with little to distract you from the complete focus on driving, except maybe the neat little video game/car control interface called iDrive.

So did I answer my own question? Not really. Because the more I think about it, the more I know I would never regret choosing the 530xi, and while I still desperately want an A6 4.2 for the aesthetic and visceral experience it delivers at a comparable $53,770, its a strangely uninvolving car. Meanwhile, the 530xi, assuming its flashy modern styling works for you, will leave you with no regrets, an ineffable attachment to your car and, if you check off the comfort seats options, a happy, happy back and neck.