BMW’s new 5 Series has been getting some mixed reviews as of late. Right out of the gate, it got rave reviews, especially from European journalists. While it might not be the most exciting looking car in the segment or even the most exciting looking 5 Series, it’s a superb all-around car that’s really hard to fault. Lately, however, some American publications have been starting to rag on the 5er for not being as dynamic as its rivals. So it’s nice to hear an American publication give the new 5 Series a good review, especially for the entry level BMW 530i that doesn’t even have the M Sport package.
Nathan Adlen is the presenter in this TFLC (The Fast Lane Car) review, testing the 530i in Colorado, where they’re a mile above sea level. So not only are they testing the base model car but they’re testing it in difficult conditions. The 530i still performed well.
Its 240 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, from its 2.0 liter turbocharged engine, allow it to get from 0-60 mph in 6.69 seconds at high elevation, in Drive, without shifting gears manually and on all-season tires. That’s pretty impressive. Even though modern turbocharged engines aren’t nearly as affected by high elevation air, they do still lose a bit of power. So that’s not bad.
Adlen also noted that the more time he spent driving the new 5er, the more he liked it. He claims that driving it for longer allows you to really get in tune with the car and appreciate it. I can personally attest to this. When I first drove it at its press launch in Napa Valley, I liked it and was technically impressed but wasn’t wowed. When I got it back home to Jersey to drive it for a week, I really fell in love with the car.
While it doesn’t have the most communicative steering in the world, it’s certainly a great driving and handling sedan that allows you to really hustle it through some twisty stuff. It also just does everything so well that it’s the most well-rounded car in its class. It’s only drawback might be cost. Adlen even notes that the test model he drove was quite expensive, pushing over $70,000 for a four-cylinder car. However, its base price is very reasonable and, if you’re frugal with options, you can get a very well-priced car.
If there’s complaining about the 5 Series, it’s nitpicking. Seriously.
What’s BMW’s steering, since they went to the fully electronic system in every single review they say it sucks. Maybe someone needs to get fired ?
Yes. Its a BMW specific problem.
Jags and Porsches have managed to make EPS tillers that are bristling with feedback.
The thing with BMW nowadays is that if the sales aren’t affected negatively then it means that customers are liking what they are getting. So why bother working on those last minute fine tuning and calibration that actually sets a great car apart from herd of good cars.
Thats modern BMW for you. They are happy being merely good. Rest all be damned.
Pity for people like us who actually loved Bimmers of yesteryears majorly for the superlative driving experience and distinct designs. It was all about automotive excellence and raising the bar further even when nobody asked.
The reviewers are talking crap. I had a 328i and then an M2 with 2 different iterations of EPS. The 3 series was good and had lots of feel, I didn’t like the dead spot on centre (better than all the old hydraulic systems though) but it loaded up nicely and you could feel the weight of the wheels and feedback from the road. The M2 has no dead spot, perfect weighting and enough feedback that you can’t roll it down my slightly bumpy driveway at low speed without the wheel wriggling in your hands. In fact I’d say that outside of Porsche, the next best EPS is in the M2. Steering is subjective, and it’s also become this horseshit car hipsters use to make themselves seem discerning. A car whose wheel is constantly chattering and moving around might have lots of feedback but if you’re not a journalist driving it for a few hours, it quickly gets tiresome to live with. Typically I ignore all commentary about steering and decide for myself.
True if it feels great in your hands there is no issue, but i wouldn’t go as far as saying they’re “talking crap”. These guys have driven pretty much every single car there is on the market, so their judgment has more depth than ours. Also don’t forget that their job is to be critical about those cars, it’s not unusual that they exaggerate an issue since their standards are usually super high.
You also have to consider that since BMW has been a benchmark in terms of driving dynamics for decades, they’ll have even higher expectations than for other brands. They want BMW to be the best of the best, so that’ll make them extra picky.
Stood fourth out of five positions in recent C&D review. That too with the latest (albeit oldest looking) model.
Losing to E class for World luxury car of the year 2017 award.
Mere nitpickings surely can’t give us these results. There has to be something more than just nitpicking behind it.
bmw is the only idiotic car company in the world, and so are their crappy models. Like this foolish 5 series, which already falls behind even the current A6, let alone the undisputed leader of this segment – E-Class.
A pathetic car, especially when put next to the king E-Class!