There's a new BMW 5 Series coming out, in case you didn't know. We've got pricing, photos and a full review. Now the thundering powerhouse of the automotive blogosphere, WT3, is weighing in with the best new features found on the new 5. To come up with these features, WT3 exhaustively surveyed 1,728 sedan-driving executives from Fortune 500 companies. Or, ahem, we just went with the ones we thought were coolest after a recent drive in a 2011 550i. Either way, read on. You know you want to.
1. The Dynamic Handling Package
Going with this package equips the 5 Series with adjustable shock absorbers, adjustable stabilizer bars and Driving Dynamic Control. The previous 5 Series also had the adjustable shocks and stabilizers but the new car has the next generation that reacts more quickly and effectively. Driving Dynamics Control, as first seen on the 7 Series, lets you prime the car's automatic suspension by pre-selecting one of four modes: Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+. The different modes also affect engine throttle response, transmission shift patterns, steering effort and stability control settings (Sport+). The upshot is it gives the 5 Series even greater flexibility in being both a luxury sedan and sport sedan.
2. Automated parking assist with parking cameras
The 5 Series is the first BMW to be equipped with a new parallel parking assist system. In operation it's similar to the system that Ford uses for a variety of its vehicles. Sensors mounted on the side of the car measure the length and width of available parking spaces as you drive by them (up to 22 mph). As the driver, you're only responsible for the throttle and brake; the BMW handles the steering (which is possible now since the 5 Series has electric-assist steering).
In action, it works pretty well and takes about approximately 30 seconds from start to completed park. Basically, parallel parking just got a lot easier for drivers who normally dread it. The 5 Series also comes with a new top-view camera and the side-view cameras as first introduced on the 7 Series.
3. Eight-speed automatic transmission
Heck, if six speeds is good then eight is even better, right? Well, in the case of the 5 Series, yes. As we found with the 550i GT, BMW's new eight-speed automatic is quite impressive in the way it shifts quickly and unobtrusively. Unless you're really paying attention, you probably won't even notice it's got eight gears to pick from. The biggest advantage though is that BMW has used the extra gears to give the 5 Series a taller top gear, thereby helping to improve fuel economy. The 535i, for instance, now has a 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined EPA fuel economy estimate, the best in the midsize luxury sedan segment.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor
By moparbad
on May 28, 2010
06:50 AM
#1 Best Feature = Diesel Engine
By yellowbal
on May 28, 2010
11:47 AM
Wow, the 335i with 300+hp gets the same fuel economy as my I4 with only 197hp.
By blueguydotcom
on May 28, 2010
01:07 PM
yellowbai, it gets better gas mileage than my 2010 Mazda with an I4 sporting ~170 HP. I used to get 21-22 MPG with my 07 335i (constant WOT) and I struggle to see north of 20.5 MPG in my 2010 Mazda3. My 2007 Cooper S with about the same HP and nothing but jack rabbit and WOT netted me 30 mpgs consistently with far more city driving.
By andersendl
on May 28, 2010
02:31 PM
Looks much better than its Bangle-ized predecessor. Unfortunately, BMW's weight and price bloat continues upward.... +400 lbs and +$4K over the 2010 5.
No thanks.
By blueguydotcom
on May 28, 2010
02:55 PM
andersend, um, the 535 is cheaper for the 2011 than 2010 with more standard equipment.
It went from 51k to 50k.