2011 BMW 5 Series 535i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
I have owned at least one BMW since 1974, when I bought my first - a 2002tii sedan. A 528, 530, a 330i, and a 325xi later. I considered myself a devotee. This 535xi wagon is the single-most unreliable car of any make that I have ever owned (and I've owned Jaguars and MG's). The drive-by-wire-electronically-controlled everything just doesn't work. Furthermore, the word is out on this defective car line and the resale value has PLUMMETED. And, unlike the old days, BMW Customer Service could care less. I will never buy another. I feel like a scorned lover.
The 3.0 twin turbo, and the automatic transmission in this car may be the best I have ever driven - when it's not in the shop. Brakes are STUNNING in their competence. If they were controlled by something even close to mechanical linkage or input they would probably be a part of my favorite automobile. Unfortunately, they are not.
Putting aside the awful styling of the new cars, BMW should return to what they do best, mechanical devices. Get rid of all the video-game electronics, the numb-nuts steering the I-Drive system (it's simpler to run my business than it is to turn the damned heater on in this car), and be willing to fix a car when it is problematic. Sad thing is, the "new" BMW doesn't really care if I never buy another one of their cars. They are obviously courting a new kind of buyer more interested in status than what made a once-great marque.