The latest version of BMW's flagship 5 Series sedan offers the same good looks as the bulkier 7 Series but serves them up in a smaller package with a smaller price tag to match.
The seventh-generation 5 Series is being offered as the 530i, base price $51,200, and the 540i, base price $56,450.
You would be forgiven for wondering if the models are actually new, as the cars don't look dramatically different from those that came before. But look closer. The hood is smoother, and the grille is larger. On the side, there's a crease that runs the length of the body. Subtle stuff? Perhaps. But in Germany, this constitutes a redesign.
As you'd expect, BMW's midsize sedan is once again offered with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel xDrive _ as the automaker calls its patented system _ for an extra $2,300. While the new 5 Series has dropped 137 pounds through increased use of aluminum, magnesium and high-strength steel, it lacks the 7-Series' exotic carbon core structure. Still, the models share many other commonalities.
Before we get to that, though, a little background is in order.
The 530i comes with a 248-horsepower turbocharged 2-liter inline four-cylinder engine used in lesser BMWs, while the 540i has a more potent 335-horsepower 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine. Other variants are scheduled to follow, including the M550i xDrive with a fire-breathing 456-horsepower turbocharged V-8, as well as its Bizarro World opposite, the 530e plug-in hybrid with an estimated 248 horsepower emanating from its turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor.
While none of that seems too different from the 2016 5 Series, notable changes have been made.
Consider the optional Integral Active Steering, which steers the rear wheels for added agility and stability at speed. Less delightful is the Active Driver Assistant Plus option, which adds semi-autonomous driving assistance at highway speeds. It's not that bad, I suppose, as it does take the pain out of rush hour stop-and-go crawl by maintaining the vehicle's speed for you. The system also regulates the car's speed for highway exits and traffic circles. The car's Active Lane Keeping Assistant, however, proved truly devilish, steering the car forcefully back into the lane as you try to clip an apex through a corner. The "ultimate driving machine?" Only if you don't order the Active Lane Keeping Assistant.
Of course, once behind the wheel, you might be surprised to find the driving experience prioritizes comfort as much as driving enthusiasm. The steering is light and numb, spoiling an otherwise capable car that, when pushed, performs like a BMW 5 Series should. Tackle the twisties and the car rewards you as you'd expect, displaying an athleticism that its steering feel doesn't suggest. The same can be said of the car's compliant ride, which doesn't telegraph its abilities, yet has them, as the car corners with the control and ease expected from a 5 Series.
Enhancing its quiet, comfortable, yet incredibly competent attitude is a quietly opulent cabin that spoils its occupants with iDrive 6.0 on a standard high-resolution 10.25-inch screen. BMW's infotainment interface will provide hours of entertainment as you work through all of the adjustments offered, as well as optional gesture control, which was cribbed from the all-new BMW 7 Series. Wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, multicolor head-up display, ambient lighting and a Wi-Fi hotspot are standard. See? I told you; it's enough to indulge your inner techie.
Well equipped, the 530i sedan will cost somewhere north of 60 grand, with a personality not unlike that of a shrunken 7 Series. While still very much a driver's car, the 2017 BMW 5 Series indulges its occupants as well. And isn't that what a great luxury sedan should do?
