While I’ve typically made fun of BMW buyers who buy the base-model 5 Series just for the badge, it’s actually hard to do so these days. The new BMW 530i, the base engine in America, is actually a fantastic all-around car. The B46 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is a peach and its driving dynamics are damn good for such a big car. We had a 530i tester for a little while and really enjoyed it. Motor Trend recently took in a long-term BMW 530i tester and have been giving semi-regular updates. Their second update on the car just released and it’s all about safety and tech.
MT did some safety testing for the new BMW 530i, such as trying out its autonomous braking, self-parking and surround-view parking systems. All of which worked flawlessly for them and also scored the highest marks possible with the IIHS. In fact, the new 2017 5 Series has scored “Good” marks in every IIHS category, making it one of the safest cars on the road. Those safety ratings gave MT a lot of reassurance when testing it and its systems.
Having used these systems myself, I can also attest to how well they work. Typically, I hate most of these sorts of systems. They’re usually too intrusive and never stop beeping for seemingly no reason. They’re always overly cautious and can become tiresome. So I typically turn them off immediately. However, they work so well in the 5er, they’re actually helpful. And that’s really what MT says. “Yes, a lot of cars have this technology. But the BMW executes this task very, very well.” said MT when talking about some of its tech.
The next update, MT will be testing its handling and dynamic capabilities during real-world driving situations to see if it’s a proper Ultimate Driving Machine.
[Source: Motor Trend]
