2008 BMW 535xi Review

Specifications

Space is no longer the new ultimate luxury, RIP. It’s been usurped by control. What’s not to love about a car doing exactly what you want it to, at your command? It’s the reason that all wheel drive is starting to pop up as an option, if not a standard feature on so many new cars, particularly luxury cars. Yes, all wheel drive isn’t just for Audis and Subarus anymore. Their market advantage has been eroded by the likes of some bloody good all wheel drive systems from brands that don’t necessarily have it in their tradition. Take, for instance, Acura’s Super-Handling AWD, which first introduced the world to torque vectoring as a way to improve grip and handling. Most of the systems that are out on the market are good, a lot are great, and some are truly fantastic. BMW’s xDrive system in use on the 535xi might not torque vector (yet), but it’s up near the top.

Any xi 5-Series, like the X3 and the X5, uses xDrive all wheel drive. Power is sent from the gearbox to all four wheels, but is split up using a series of clutches that are under the guidance of on electronic brain, with feedback provided by the DSC stability control system. Under normal conditions, the torque is actually split 40-60 front to rear, but to ensure that the 535xi corners like a BMW rather than plough straight into tire-squealing understeer, torque is quickly sent to the rear wheels (up to 100-percent, actually). xDrive is constantly working to be two steps ahead of you, so it’s really rare to plant a wrong tire, even if the weather conditions are fowl. A solid set of winter tires will make the 535xi just about unstoppable in even the worst winter storm.

Bundled in with xDrive is Hill Descent Control, a feature normally found on SUVs. Although in no way was the 5-Series designed to be driven off-road, and I can’t for the life of me figure out when such a feature could be used (maybe on a really steep, icy grade), I suppose it’s nice to know that it’s available when you need it. Much more useful, however, is the Hill Start Assist, which holds the brake pedal and therefore the car in place for a couple of seconds after letting off, giving you time to switch over from brake to throttle when heading up steep inclines.

As for the engine, nothing new has changed; the 300-horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque strong 3.0-liter inline-six is as good as ever, silky smooth and always game. This is a nice step upwards from the non-turbo 530xi in terms of power; it’s progressive, quick, and has the guts to thrill. Due to its two small turbochargers smearing torque clear across the rev range, they literally eat the 170-pound weight gain caused by the differentials and gubbins that make the car all wheel drive; the 0-60 mph acceleration difference between the xi and the i has narrowed to 0.1 s, down from the 0.2 s gap in the previous car, with an overall improvement of 0.6 seconds between the 530 and 535. Power is always there when you need it.

In fact, there wasn’t a single moment that the 535xi lacked in power, not when passing, not up-hill, and not during up-hill passing. I’ve driven V8-powered 5-Series’ before, and although the turbo six doesn’t necessarily have the instant off-the-line grunt of the larger displacement engine (or the V8 wuffle), I struggle to see why anyone would want the eight over the six, especially with the vastly better fuel economy and the availability of all wheel drive. I wouldn’t. Coupled with a short-throw six-speed manual (making it unique in the luxury segment), this is a machine that even the most demanding drivers can enjoy, four seasons.

The icing on the cake, however, is the M-Sport package, which unfortunately we Americans here don’t get to have. Besides the tasteful wheels and sill extensions that give it the look of an M5, M-Sport tosses in a fat-rimmed, three-spoke steering wheel, a stubby, short-throw shifter and Comfort Seats with adjustable side bolsters that hug you in tight. But who needs the M-Sport anyway, as our Sport package ($1,300) includes the exact same multi-contour seats, shadowline trim around the windows and door sills and a sports steering wheel. In fact, if you opt for the $600 star spoke alloy wheels, you can get fat 275-width rear tires, which in other markets are 245’s all around. Going for an xi-model means that you won’t be able to select the conceptually brilliant Dynamic Drive active suspension or Active Steering, but without them the driving experience doesn’t seem to suffer. The pure 5-Series is balanced and tuned in such a way that it really doesn’t need them. The M Sport suspension, while firm, isn’t unruly or hard; it’s slightly firmer than an A6 S-Line on 19-inch wheels, although not as cushy as any of its Japanese rivals. But then again, the Sport suspension isn’t available with the xi Sport package here in America.

I’ve heard the 5-Series being described as a giant computer, but I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. Drive one of these and you’ll feel plugged right into the car; the steering, the brakes, the drive. You’ll feel just like your iPod or Blackberry, which too can be directly integrated into the car and controlled by the iDrive interface

The 535xi is a fantastic all-round sedan, verging on perfection. Comfortable, spacious, beautifully crafted, advanced and in perfect control 100-percent of the time, I really can’t think of a way of improving on it, except, perhaps by ordering it as a wagon. This car, then, is like Radiohead. It’s quirky and progressive, and with every passing generation it becomes a little more quirky and a little more progressive, always staying on the very forward front of cutting edge. But beyond the dividing styling and unique interior, there’s no hiding that this is one of the best sedans on the market. With each passing model, the 5’s following gets stronger and stronger, with cars like the 535xi proving why.