europrince
03-14-2008, 03:10 PM
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=373365
David Booth, Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, March 14, 2008
Usually, tests of BMW's top-of-the-line mid-sized sedan-- the V8-powered 550 -- draw comparison to lithe, little sports cars. We autojournalists will ramble on (rightly, I might add) about the (relatively) big Bimmer being the equal of all but the best roadsters when it comes to scything down a country back road.
I, on the other hand, am going to compare said magnificent sedan to a sport-brute or, more specifically, BMW's version of the sport-utility (actually activity in BMW parlance) vehicle. You see, I returned the X5 on yet another snowy night and picked up the 550. I was worried it would be a little tougher to navigate the slippery roads home. After all, was I not the one who chastised the misguided who tried to ride through the winter wearing all-season tires?
I needn't have worried as BMW Canada fitted some sticky Dunlop Winter sport tires to the 550. What was most interesting was that, so fitted, the rear-drive-only 550 was just as adept at navigating the slipperiness as the X5 (also fitted with appropriate footwear). In other words, the tire choice made much more of a difference than the drive system. The only exception was taking off while on an incline, but, nonetheless, there's a lesson in there somewhere.
The second obvious point regarding the 550 is that the big 4.8-litre Valvetronic V8 is a gem. Never mind that its 360 horsepower turns the 1,800-kilogram 550 into a five-second zero-to-100-kilo-metres-an-hour rocket or that the big V8 has so much low-end torque that it really doesn't need the smooth-shifting, six-speed automatic. It's just so darned smooth. Buttery doesn't even begin to describe it; preternatural comes closest in capturing the absolute silkiness with which those eight 93-millimetre pistons go about their job.
It was, of course, impossible to evaluate the aforementioned handling on dry pavement at this time of year, but we'll take it as a given that BMW hasn't forgotten what made it into the expert in sedan handling. Forced to not focus on the speed of the 550, one notices that, for all its abilities in that arena, it rides awfully well. Those aluminum suspension bits -- to lower unsprung weight -- really must help, not to mention some high-quality dampers and perfectly chosen springs.
The 5 Series is also an attractive car. It's not as gorgeous as the new 3, thanks to its more pronounced Bangle Butt. However, it is not the 7 Series, which, even after more than five years trying to wrangle its way into our psyches, still jangles the eyeballs a bit. Credit time passing for letting us appreciate the 5's once revolutionary design even while we hope that BMW will apply the same styling wand to the soon-to-be-revised 7.
Inside, the car pretty much coddles you from the time you start it when the front seat's adjustable side bolsters move in to hug you. The seats are Teutonically firm, but, what seems a little hard at first turns out to be supremely supportive over the long haul. There is also plenty of room inside the cabin, particularly in the rear where previous generations of the 5 Series were more than a little tight.
Even the iDrive isn't as bad as before. I'm still not a fan, but it is sort of livable in this guise, thanks largely to the spate of conventional HVAC knobs that bypass its inner twiddlings and the option to turn its LED screen into a radio faceplate so that I might manually choose a radio station. It is still the answer to the question nobody asked, but, at least, the answer is no longer being yelled directly into your ear.
The 550's biggest issue is that its smaller-displacement, lower-cost sibling -- the 535 -- is so competent. That car's twin-turbocharged, in-line 3.0L six is only marginally less powerful than the 550's V8, it's almost as smooth and it handles like a dream. There are a few options on the 550 not available on the 535, but then one does save about $14,000. Nonetheless, for those independently foolish enough that $14,000 is simply burning through their pockets, there are worse ways to waste your money than on a V8.
dbooth@nationalpost.com---------
THE SPECS:
Type of vehicle: Rear-drive, mid-sized sports sedan
Engine: 4.8L DOHC V8
Power: 360 hp @ 6,300 rpm; 360 lb-ft of torque @ 3,400 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires: P245/35R19 front, P275/30R19 rear
Price: base/as tested: $82,900/$90,790
Destination charge: $1,995
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 13.3 city, 8.4 hwy.
Standard features: Power door locks, windows and mirrors, climate control air conditioning with micron air filter, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, iDrive onboard communications system, cruise control, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, leather seats, front sport seats, power-adjustable headrest and heated front seats, auto headlights, dual front air bags, side curtain air bags, active front headrests, seat-mounted side air bags, Dynamic Stability Control, traction control, adaptive headlights, front seat belt tensioners and belt force limiters
David Booth, Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, March 14, 2008
Usually, tests of BMW's top-of-the-line mid-sized sedan-- the V8-powered 550 -- draw comparison to lithe, little sports cars. We autojournalists will ramble on (rightly, I might add) about the (relatively) big Bimmer being the equal of all but the best roadsters when it comes to scything down a country back road.
I, on the other hand, am going to compare said magnificent sedan to a sport-brute or, more specifically, BMW's version of the sport-utility (actually activity in BMW parlance) vehicle. You see, I returned the X5 on yet another snowy night and picked up the 550. I was worried it would be a little tougher to navigate the slippery roads home. After all, was I not the one who chastised the misguided who tried to ride through the winter wearing all-season tires?
I needn't have worried as BMW Canada fitted some sticky Dunlop Winter sport tires to the 550. What was most interesting was that, so fitted, the rear-drive-only 550 was just as adept at navigating the slipperiness as the X5 (also fitted with appropriate footwear). In other words, the tire choice made much more of a difference than the drive system. The only exception was taking off while on an incline, but, nonetheless, there's a lesson in there somewhere.
The second obvious point regarding the 550 is that the big 4.8-litre Valvetronic V8 is a gem. Never mind that its 360 horsepower turns the 1,800-kilogram 550 into a five-second zero-to-100-kilo-metres-an-hour rocket or that the big V8 has so much low-end torque that it really doesn't need the smooth-shifting, six-speed automatic. It's just so darned smooth. Buttery doesn't even begin to describe it; preternatural comes closest in capturing the absolute silkiness with which those eight 93-millimetre pistons go about their job.
It was, of course, impossible to evaluate the aforementioned handling on dry pavement at this time of year, but we'll take it as a given that BMW hasn't forgotten what made it into the expert in sedan handling. Forced to not focus on the speed of the 550, one notices that, for all its abilities in that arena, it rides awfully well. Those aluminum suspension bits -- to lower unsprung weight -- really must help, not to mention some high-quality dampers and perfectly chosen springs.
The 5 Series is also an attractive car. It's not as gorgeous as the new 3, thanks to its more pronounced Bangle Butt. However, it is not the 7 Series, which, even after more than five years trying to wrangle its way into our psyches, still jangles the eyeballs a bit. Credit time passing for letting us appreciate the 5's once revolutionary design even while we hope that BMW will apply the same styling wand to the soon-to-be-revised 7.
Inside, the car pretty much coddles you from the time you start it when the front seat's adjustable side bolsters move in to hug you. The seats are Teutonically firm, but, what seems a little hard at first turns out to be supremely supportive over the long haul. There is also plenty of room inside the cabin, particularly in the rear where previous generations of the 5 Series were more than a little tight.
Even the iDrive isn't as bad as before. I'm still not a fan, but it is sort of livable in this guise, thanks largely to the spate of conventional HVAC knobs that bypass its inner twiddlings and the option to turn its LED screen into a radio faceplate so that I might manually choose a radio station. It is still the answer to the question nobody asked, but, at least, the answer is no longer being yelled directly into your ear.
The 550's biggest issue is that its smaller-displacement, lower-cost sibling -- the 535 -- is so competent. That car's twin-turbocharged, in-line 3.0L six is only marginally less powerful than the 550's V8, it's almost as smooth and it handles like a dream. There are a few options on the 550 not available on the 535, but then one does save about $14,000. Nonetheless, for those independently foolish enough that $14,000 is simply burning through their pockets, there are worse ways to waste your money than on a V8.
dbooth@nationalpost.com---------
THE SPECS:
Type of vehicle: Rear-drive, mid-sized sports sedan
Engine: 4.8L DOHC V8
Power: 360 hp @ 6,300 rpm; 360 lb-ft of torque @ 3,400 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires: P245/35R19 front, P275/30R19 rear
Price: base/as tested: $82,900/$90,790
Destination charge: $1,995
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 13.3 city, 8.4 hwy.
Standard features: Power door locks, windows and mirrors, climate control air conditioning with micron air filter, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, iDrive onboard communications system, cruise control, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, leather seats, front sport seats, power-adjustable headrest and heated front seats, auto headlights, dual front air bags, side curtain air bags, active front headrests, seat-mounted side air bags, Dynamic Stability Control, traction control, adaptive headlights, front seat belt tensioners and belt force limiters