BMW's 5 Series usually figures in any discussion about which is the world's best sedan, so the new model has a big reputation to uphold. Its radical styling, inside and out, suggests a very different car to its predecessors, but on the road the new 530i delivers the performance and poise for which the 5 Series has always been renowned.
Value for money
Pricing
The 530i costs $103,400. Two other 5 Series variants, the 525i, priced at $87,400 and the 4.4 litre V8 powered 545i, priced at $149,000, will shortly be available.
Warranty
Two years/unlimited kilometres. Three years is average.
Standard features
The 530i includes full leather, automatic air, a six stack CD in the glovebox, plus a single in-dash unit, anti-glare rear view mirror, heat reflective glass, cruise control, optical/audible parking warnings at both ends, remote central locking and rain sensing wipers.
The options list is lengthy and expensive. It includes Dynamic Drive ($4,950); adaptive Xenon headlights ($2,970); Bluetooth compatibility ($700); metallic paint ($1,700); sports suspension ($1,020); active cruise control ($4,500); sat nav/voice recognition/TV ($6,500) and a folding rear seat back ($1,100).
Retained value
The 530i retains 62 per cent of its purchase price after three years, which is average and comparable with an E Class Benz
Design and function
Ergonomics
The new 5's cabin, like its sheetmetal, is very different to previous models - and anything else.
It features an engineer's austere aesthetic - especially with the grey trim option - and a mass of curves around the driver, designed to create the impression that you are enveloped by the car. This is accentuated by high sills, an elevated centre console and door handles that fall almost at the vertical.
The spartan instruments - two plain dials with fake aluminium bezels - sit in a dark grey housing, and there are fewer buttons than a Camry.
The simplified i Drive system, which replaces all the buttons, is easier to operate than the almost incomprehensible first version on the 7 Series. However you still need a long session with the owner's manual to work everything out.
It has a clearer, high mounted screen, four instead of eight menus (colour coded) and a logical top down sequence for selecting functions in each.
The "controller" knob has more tactile detents; a button gets you straight back to the main menu if you get lost. Frequently used audio controls (and/or telephone controls) are also duplicated with buttons on the wheel. Basic airconditioning functions are provided on the dash; trip computer essentials (range, average consumption and speed) are displayed between the instruments.
There's a shortage of oddment storage space. What few bins there are are too small to hold much more than a wallet; the driver's cupholder is located far away on the passenger's side of the dash.
The power adjustable driver's seat is proportioned for big German blokes, so less well fed people may find upper body support in corners is lacking. There's no shortage of travel or head room, though.
Tall drivers will push the seat well back and extend the wheel to its full reach (it's also height adjustable) to gain sufficient leg room.
Innovation
How long have you got? BMW has kept weight down - the latest model is up to 70 kg lighter than its predecessor - and retained an ideal 50:50 front/rear balance by using a two piece body.
The front end - from the A pillars forward, including panels - is lightweight aluminium, riveted to a steel main section.
Nearly all of the suspension components, including the mounting subframes, are also aluminium, as are the opposed piston brake calipers and driveshaft.
The new 5's hero feature is Active Steering, which retains a conventional mechanical wheel/rack connection, and hydraulic assistance, but also uses an electric motor, driving a second input shaft, to vary the actual steering ratio.
At up to 120 km/h, the electric assistance exaggerates the action of the main steering shaft, so it is very direct and lock to lock takes only 1.7 turns - about half of a normal fixed ratio system.
You can drive straight into a shopping centre parking spot with half a turn of the wheel; only a twitch of the wrist is required to change lanes.
Above 120 km/h - about the minimum speed on Germany's unrestricted autobahns - the electric motor counters the movement of the steering shaft, making the steering ratio less direct to compensate for increased high speed sensitivity. This enhances stability on centre feel and avoids nervousness.
The new 5 also gets optional Xenon headlights which turn with the wheel and point into a corner, a great idea which really makes night driving on country roads safer.
Run flat Bridgestone tyres - 225/50s on 17 inch alloys - are standard, together with pressure monitoring. BMW claims that you can drive on a flat for up to 150 km, at up to 80 km/h. A space saver spare is provided as backup.
Safety
The new 5 Series has not yet been independently crash tested. However it would be surprising if it did not score five stars out of five.
Security
The BMW is very well protected against theft. Data Dot identification is a major disincentive to professional thieves.
Comfort
The 530i's driver’s seat is luxuriously comfortable on long drives. It is softer, and more generously padded, than the usual German seat. However it's a bit rich of BMW to ask an extra $1,225 for adjustable lumbar support.
Space and practicality
BMW has tried to maximise rear seat leg room by deep cutaways in the front seat backs. Most people will be comfortable.
Taller adults - those over 180 cm or so - will still find the 5 slightly restrictive, and sit with their legs splayed. There's not much foot room under the front seats, either. The seat itself is well padded and supportive, with a high backrest.
The boot is spacious and easy to load. You have to pay extra to extend its capacity - another impost which stretches credulity.
Build and finish quality
Outstanding. The 5 Series is superior to the Benz E Class in this respect.
On the road
Fuel efficiency
Light weight - the 530i tips the scales at only 1.5 tonnes - a high tech 3.0 litre six-cylinder engine and a new six-speed automatic produce excellent economy.
The 530i will do 7-8 litres/100 km on the open road, and 12-15 litres/100 km in town. Premium is recommended for peak performance and efficiency, but it will run on regular unleaded without risk of engine damage.
Performance
The 530i's 3.0 litre straight six is still one of the world's finest engines, particularly in its exceptional smoothness and, given the relatively small capacity, the breadth and tractability of its power delivery.
The latest version features a drive by wire throttle butterfly and variable valve timing on the inlet and exhaust. New intake ducting improves performance and reduces emissions.
Peak power is 170 kW at 6000 rpm; 300 Nm of torque is produced at 3500 rpm, with 90 per cent of this available from only 1500 rpm.
The harder you rev it the better it goes, but the six will pull with purpose from about 2000 rpm to the 6500 rpm redline.
Performance, especially at the bottom end, is enhanced by the 530i's light weight and the equally refined, six-speed-sequential automatic.
Drive, sport and shift gear yourself are the choices. The last is preferable on a tight, twisty road, where the 3.0 litre needs a few revs to give its best. Sport mode doesn't hold the lower gear through a corner as it should.
Ride
The previous model was criticised on release for an overly firm ride. This no longer applies. In fact the new 5 moves closer to E Class Benz in the way it effortlessly absorbs bumps, with no harshness reaching the body.
Handling and steering
The test car was fitted with the optional Dynamic Drive system, which employs automatically variable hydraulic resistance, in proportion to cornering forces, to the two piece stabiliser bars at both ends to counter body roll.
The 5 stays flat and true in bends, where its lack of flab and first class rigidity give it a graceful yet taut character.
On rough country roads it remains completely composed, though the front end's damping can take a moment to rein in body movement on undulations.
The active steering's assistance occasionally intrudes to detract from feel. It is extremely light, but precision and controllability are superb. You steer the new 5 with your hands, not your arms.
Braking
The full suite of stability and traction aids, packaged as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), is standard. The brakes are excellent in power, progression and fade resistance.
Smoothness and quietness
The 3.0 litre is as smooth as they come, and the 530i's overall refinement is, as you would expect, at the high end of the luxury car scale. Some tyre noise is apparent on coarse bitumen.
Summary
One hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money, but the 530i is worth every one of them - plus the other $3,400.
Technology is often confused with gimmickry in the automotive business, but the new 5 Series BMW applies it to improve the car, and the way it drives. Which is still, in sedan territory, better than anything else.
The writer of this report does not necessarily represent the views of the NRMA and this report is provided for you as an alternative to our own NRMA car reviews.
