Review: two thousand seventeen BMW five Series, WIRED
Review: two thousand seventeen BMW five Series
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Review: two thousand seventeen BMW five Series
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As I cruise down Silicon Valley’s Bayshore Freeway, I twirl my right index finger in puny clockwise circles. Tho’ the gesture recognition system needs several attempts to pick up the directive and crank up the 16-speaker stereo, the twenty air chambers massaging my backside keep my frustration at bay.
All the while, the two thousand seventeen BMW five Series is doing the driving, maintaining a safe speed and staying inbetween the lane lines. And here, surrounded by an armada of lil’ sensors and whiz-bang gizmos, I wonder: Has the Ultimate Driving Machine yielded to the Ultimate Autonomy, Luxury, and Technology Machine?
Come back to Roots–Sort Of
In a former life, the five Series was the sports sedan, the car Audi and Mercedes-Benz engineers witnessed in their sleep. A flawless stew of tossable treating, slick power, a full-size trunk, and room for the kiddies, it suggested speed-thirsty parents salvation. Then came the sixth generation five Series (2010-2016), which abandoned the driver-centric mantra for a softer, stronger, and cushier drive.
The seventh gen five Series is here to reclaim its reputation, or at least some of it. It’s still packed with high-end tech, and it’s a touch thicker than the outgoing car, but it’s also one hundred thirty seven pounds lighter, thanks to helpings of aluminum, high-strength steel, and magnesium.
2017 BMW five Series
Wired
A mini 7-Series, for all intents and purposes; posh but punchy; spectacle for future M models to build on.
Tired
Automation overkill; options get pricey quick; for all intents and purposes, a mini 7-Series.
How We Rate
- 1/Ten A finish failure in every way
- Two/Ten Sad, indeed
- Three/Ten Serious flaws; proceed with caution
- Four/Ten Downsides outweigh upsides
- Five/Ten Recommended with reservations
- 6/Ten Solid with some issues
- 7/Ten Very good, but not fairly excellent
- 8/Ten Excellent, with room to kvetch
- 9/Ten Almost flawless
- Ten/Ten Metaphysical perfection
Gone for good, it seems, is the Teutonic minimalism of past five Series. Taking its place are diamond-quilted hides, rich forest, and tasteful streaks of matte aluminum. Traditionalists who pine for ergonomic minimalism will find it too large, unless they happen to be hauling around four passengers. Those who choose a more imposing presence might think the 5-Series is right-sized for solo driving.
The spectacle, true to BMW tradition, comes in too many varieties to keep straight. The 530i ($51,200) has fresh turbocharged Two.0-liter 4-cylinder that can hit sixty mph in Five.8 seconds; the 540i ($56,450) packs a fresh turbocharged Trio.0-liter inline-6 that churns thirty five more horsepower (for a total of three hundred thirty five hp), sweeping to sixty mph in as little as Four.7 seconds. Rounding out the initial crop of models are the 530e plug-in hybrid ($51,400) and a higher spectacle M550i xDrive ($72,100), both coming this spring. Expect more to go after.
Yes, the 530i and even the grunt-happy 540i still lean toward luxury over sports car purity. But cutting through the curvy roads of the Marin Headlands north of San Francisco, I get the feeling the chassis engineers have embarked providing a damn again. Aluminum suspension components help reduce unsprung mass and slick out the 5’s rail over the bumpy bits. Both cars produce excellent roadholding, satisfying acceleration, and an intuitive sense of chassis dynamics and weight transfer.
Cutting through the curvy roads, I get the feeling the chassis engineers have embarked providing a damn again.
In other words, the 5-Series is joy to drive again. The electromechanical steering system feels organic enough, while an available four-wheel steer package offers enhanced low speed agility and high-speed stability. (Just make sure to click into Sport mode instead of the abate, sluggish Eco or Convenience.)
Enthusiasts will note a familiar interior design feature: The center stack is canted 7.8 degrees toward the driver. This subtle touch affirms that yes, the human is still master, even as the robot elbows in.
But pound-for-pound, the car’s abundance of electronic aids and gizmos suggest it’s a luxo-cocoon very first and a sports sedan 2nd. Can’t be bothered to maneuver into or out of a taut spot? Use the key fob touchscreen and see curbside while your five Series does the parking. Want an outside view of your vehicle without the labor of turning your neck? Use 3D Surround View for a live perspective on your instant surroundings, finish with easy-to-spin pan views through gesture control or the touch sensitive nav screen. If you’re away from your rail, you can do the viewing remotely via your cell phone’s BMW Connected App.
The five Series even drives itself, at least in slow-moving traffic. Attempt to cruise hands-free on curvy roads at forty or fifty mph and the car pinballs within the lane, bouncing inbetween the dual yellow and the side of the road.
Best to leave the driving to the driver. And in this car, the driver still matters.
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