2011 BMW 5 Series: What's It Like to Live With?
Read the latest updates in our long-term road test of the 2011 BMW 5 Series as our editors live with this car for a year.
What do you want to know about?
- Introduction
- Check Engine Light Already
- ShakyCam Walkaround (Day and Night)
- First Reflections
- Still Don't Like Electronic Shifters
- Track Tested
- Check Engine Light Update
- Another Warning on the IP
- Delivering The Power
- The Best Seats in the Business?
- Adult Ride
- Engine Light Off...For Now
- Fool Proof Radar Protection
- Enough Room for Golf Clubs, Dead Bodies, Whatever
- Uh...Watch Your Head
- Welcome the BMW E-Class
- Poorly Aging iPod Interface
- iPod Still Waiting ...
- Ride Home With Me?
- Taking a Vacation
- Road Car
- Is 3 Feet of Legroom Enough for You?
- 5,000-mark Eclipsed
- Highway Manners
- More From Yosemite
- Oil Consumption Update
- Is it a 3, 5 or 7?
- Throttle Response via My Right Foot
- Go Ahead, Drive with Trunk Open
- Mediocre Vibrations
- Lights are More Interesting Looking Than the Car Itself
- Lexus Mode Standard
- Into the Hood
- A Word About Its Fuel Efficiency
- Would You Keep the Badges?
- Keyless Entry Not So Keyless
- Rides Just Fine in Sport Mode
- Road Trippin' to Vegas
- Fresh Body Damage
- Fun With iDrive
- Like Buttah
- Backup Camera
- Tobacco Holder
- Perfect for Airport Duty
- Our Favorite Caption
- Tip-in, Illustrated
- You Write the Caption
- Needs No Oil
- 600-Mile Road Trip
- Our Favorite Caption
- You Write the Caption
- Trunk Action
- Preset Preview
- Stupid Things People Do With Their 5 Series
- Is Tan Worth The Stains?
- Styling Growing On Me, Kind Of
- Twisted
- Two Steering Wheels
- Road Trip
- The 7 Series Experience
- Our Favorite Caption: Part 2
- Soft Closing Doors
- Your Write the Caption
- How Much Better Is It?
- Rain-Sensing Wipers
- The Eight-Speed Automatic
- The Contender
- On The Corner
- Blinded by the Light
- Instrument Panel
- BMW Got The Paddles Right
- Maybe It's Not So Boring After All
- Self Oil Check Good for Compulsive Hand Washers, Not for the Perpetually Impatient
- How Much Is Good Enough?
- Audio Review
- 10,000 Miles and Going
- Warning Light Revival
- 2011 BMW 528i vs. 2011 Infiniti M56: The Mirrors
- Spot The Differences
- March Madness
- Son of a ...
- Throttle Tip-In Insanity
- Comfort
- Max A/C
- Who Put the Germ in German?
- The Good And The Bad
- Where Luxury Makes Sense
- Still The Same Oil
- Thank Goodness for Sideview Cameras
- True Dual Climate Control
- Rough Shifts?
- Radio On
- Split Screen Radio/Navi
- Nice Looking, But Not Distinctive Enough
- My Have You Grown
- I Don't Like This Car, Either
- Not Enough
- I Like This Car More Than Most
- Pull to Pass
- Worn and Frayed
- Down to Details
- Which View Do You Prefer?
- Lock This Idea Away
- Ambient Lighting
- A More Sensible Alternative
- Personalization
- It's Not Just Me!
- 1,000 Miles to First Service
- Left Hangin' By Default
- Is BMW the new Cadillac?
- Enjoy the Inline-6 While You Can
- Road Trip Complaints
- We're Going to Montana
- We Went to Montana, Part 1
- We Went to Montana, Part 2
- We Went to Montana, Part 3
- We Went to Montana, Part 4
- We Went to Montana, Part 5
- First Oil Change
- Free Maintenance is Expensive
- The 'Nail' in Our Tire
- Skipping
- Shady
- Montana and Back with Escort's Passport IQ
- Sport+ > Normal
- Valet Love
- What To Do When the Buttons are Gone?
- The Orange Light Inside
- Almost to San Francisco
- The 900 Mile Weekend
- Five or Four?
- Image Problem?
- Cheese Steak Run
- Flipped My Lid
- Save Your Money
- I'd Buy This Instead
- What's it worth after 20,000 miles?
- Little Big Car
- A 5 Series Owner Weighs In
- The Paddles Help
- Happy 20K!
- Leaving Soon
- Station Preview
- Sunday Drivers
- Maintaining a Beige Interior
- Fix The Throttle Response In One Easy Step
- Wrap-Up
Introduction
BMW built the first 5 Series almost 40 years ago. Since its inception BMW has used the 5 to bridge the gap between the small, nimble 3 Series and the stately, luxurious 7 Series. For years the 5 did so gracefully, all the while maintaining its status as a true driver's car. Meanwhile, priorities were changing.
Over time the BMW brand and model lines evolved. In 1999 it entered the SUV market with the X5. In 2008 the 1 Series was launched in the U.S. as the 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series sedans gradually grew in proportion. But with increased dimensions comes increased weight. Weight puts a strain on maneuverability and acceleration. After five generations of this process BMW has arrived at the 2011 BMW 5 Series. Does its size now move it out of the niche it held for so long? Is this the year the 5 Series falls from its perch upon the luxury-sport fence and has to choose a side?
In the past we've tested a long-term 1 Series, 3 Series and 7 Series. We've yet to send a 5 Series through our 12-month test gauntlet. With the changes to the 2011 BMW 5 Series, it seems the time has come.
What We Got
Our decision to add a 5 Series to the long-term fleet was easy. It was more difficult to choose which variation of the sedan to test. Eight cylinders built a strong case for the 550i and under normal circumstances would seal the deal. But we were looking for something different. The turbocharged inline-6 of the 535i ranks among the best engines on the market. But again, that would be the obvious choice. We instead opted for the normally aspirated, direct-injected 240-horsepower inline-6 of the 2011 BMW 528i.
Base MSRP on the entry-level 528i was just over $45,000. We loaded it with every option under the sun, inflating the price to $60,050 and essentially equaling the starting MSRP of a 550i. Comfort is important to us. Our Deep Sea Blue Metallic 5 has it all: keyless entry, heated seats and steering wheel, rearview camera, side- and top-view cameras, split-fold rear seat, navigation, eight-speed automatic and Sport package, including 18-inch Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT tires.
For 2011 the 5 Series is significantly redesigned. This is our primary motivation for adding a 2011 BMW 528i to the fleet. But we question whether these updates are all for the better.
Why We Got It
BMW overhauled the 5 Series for this, its sixth generation. Over the years we watched the 5 grow like a healthy American waistline and there is no hiding it now. For 2011 it is longer, wider and heavier than those before it. It's large enough to be confused with a 7 Series, and for good reason. To support its new dimensions the 5 now sits atop a platform derived from the 7. At some point the added size is going to tip the previously held balance between luxury and performance. Is this the year? Does the luxury of the 5 outweigh its dynamic attributes? Or is it still a driver's car?
The eight-speed automatic transmission is also new for 2011. Our full test of the 535i only scratched the surface. Senior Editor Josh Jacquot noted, "That the 535i is available with an eight-speed automatic transmission — about three too many speeds in some situations — is emblematic of the newest generation of the company's core midsize sport-luxury sedan. This is an exponentially more complex thing than the car you first met as the 5 Series." To uncover the true character of the new 5, we are going to need more time.
BMW spends almost as much time fine-tuning the driving dynamics of each vehicle as it does inside the cabin. There is a reason we didn't skimp on the options for our 528i. We want to test all of the extras. In addition to offering an array of powertrain and chassis adjustments at the push of a button, BMW also tweaked the interior to accommodate the drive more comfortably. A slight reorientation of the controls toward the driver was thoughtful. Will we notice? And the fourth generation of iDrive promises more ease of use than prior iterations. Will the electronic gadgetry win us over or leave us wanting more? There is only one way to find out.
We ordered our 2011 BMW 528i and reserved a space for it in our long-term test garage. Next up, we drive it for 12 months and 20,000 miles.
Current Odometer: 1,035
Best Fuel Economy: 29.1 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 19.3 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 24.0 mpg
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Last week Kelly had you guessing as to why we were sitting at Long Beach BMW in the long-term Flex. Well, we were there for a check engine light on our new addition, the 2011 BMW 528i.
Our OBD code reader would not read the proprietary BMW code, though it did allow us to clear it. So we did. And later that day it returned. We made a 9am appointment and arrived early. "The check engine light is on," we explained to our advisor. She took some notes and left us with a, "We'll take a look and call you in a couple of hours with an update. Want a rental car?." We declined the rental because it was more hassle than benefit, and were on our way.
At 3pm that afternoon we called and left a voicemail. An hour later our advisor called, "The tech hasn't looked at your car yet. Something came up and he was too busy to look at it. I will call you tomorrow with an update. Want a rental car?" Again, we declined the rental. And again, there was not a peep from our advisor until we called back at 1pm the next day.
"The tech looked at your car," she began, "There is a minute leak in the emission system. But this is a new car. If we can locate the problem it will take time to order parts... blah, blah." Two hours later, another call, "We found it. There is a leak from the fuel filler neck. We would order the parts but they are on backorder. So we actually can't order them until the backorder is lifted. But when it is, we'll order the part. Your car is ready for pick up."
How would you feel if this was your new car experience?
As a bonus you get to see me trip in the nighttime footage.
I took our new long-term 2011 BMW 528 out last night for the first time. As I had recently driven a new 535, I knew I would like the 528 dynamically.
My first impression of the 528 was actually a reflection: the outer mirrors are tiny. I'm used to usable mirrors on most cars and big mirrors on SUVs. But these mirrors are like those on a Sportbike.
They don't look so small from the outside, but they're don't appear overly large either.
The reason must be Styling.
The whole shift-by-wire thing has been slowly making its way into luxury cars over the past several years and I still can't get used to it. I'm talking about automatic shifters that aren't really connected to the transmission. Instead, they're just oversized toggle switches that send signals to the transmission computer to shift up or down.
In the BMW, the shifter doesn't actually move, you just bump it forward for reverse and pull it back for drive. For park, you push the button. After several hundred miles behind the wheel, I'm starting to get used to it, sort of.
Still, it's one of those things that seems complicated for no apparent reason. Sure, it makes for slightly more efficient packaging, but just how much room did BMW save with this design? There are other reasons too, but shouldn't something that you touch every time you get in the car have some sway over other less prominent features? I think so.
The decision to get a 2011 BMW 5 Series was easy. Seriously, easy. The decision to get the base, 240-horsepower 3.0-liter 528i, however, was not. Sure, it's hugely popular, but we could've had a V8. Remember, we're the guys who opted for a V8 in our Infiniti FX.
And it's not just an available V8 (550i) we're missing out on, but there's the 535i, which has the 300-horsepower turbocharged 6. We love that motor. We know that motor. We know the 535i. Last time we tested one, the 535i went from zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds and returned a quarter-mile time of 14.3 seconds @ 95.1 mph.
Buuuut, that's not what we got. We got the 528i. It's down 60 horsepower on the 535i and we just returned from the test track.
Follow the jump for full Track Tested results on our Long-Term 2011 BMW 528i.
Vehicle: 2011 BMW 528i
Odometer: 1,498
Date: 10/05/10
Driver: Josh Jacquot
Base Price (with destination and tax): $45,425
Options: Deep Sea Blue Metallic Paint ($550), Convenience Package ($1,700), Cold Weather Package ($1,050), Premium Package ($4,500), Sport Package ($2,200), Sport Automatic Transmission ($500), Ski Bag ($150), Split-Folding Rear Seat ($475), Side- and Top-View Cameras ($800), Xenon Headlights ($900)
Price As tested: $60,050
Specifications:
Drive Type: Rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Eight-speed automatic
Engine Type: Direct-injection I6
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 2,996cc (183 cu-in)
Redline (rpm): 6,750
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 240 @ 6,600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 230 lb-ft @ 2,600 rpm
Brake Type (front): 13.7-inch ventilated discs with single-piston sliding calipers
Brake Type (rear): 13.6-inch ventilated discs with single-piston sliding calipers
Steering System: Electric speed-proportional power steering
Suspension Type (front): Independent multilink with two lower control arms and double ball joints, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Independent multilink, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 245/45R18 96Y
Tire Size (rear): 245/45R18 96Y
Tire Brand: Dunlop
Tire Model: SP Sport Maxx GT
Tire Type: Asymmetrical Summer Performance
Wheel Size: 18-by-8 inches front and rear
Wheel Material: Alloy
As Tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,910
Test Results:
0 - 30 (sec): 2.6
0 - 45 (sec): 4.5
0 - 60 (sec): 7.1
0 - 75 (sec): 10.3
1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 15.12 @ 91.56
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 6.7
30 - 0 (ft): 29
60 - 0 (ft): 113
Slalom (mph): 67.6 stability off (66.8 on)
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.84 stability off (0.84 trac on)
Db @ Idle: 44.4
Db @ Full Throttle: 66.3
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 60.0
Acceleration Comments: Like the 535i, the 528i feels soft off the line — even in Sport Plus. Eight-speed trans, however, shifts quickly and keeps the engine in its sweet spot. Some brake torque improves time.
Braking Comments: Solid, consistent pedal every stop. Very confident.
Handling Comments: Skid pad: More difficult to access off-throttle rotation than 535i, but the effect is minimal in both cars. Not nimble or quick to respond, but entirely controllable. Slalom: Feels fairly soft in rapid transitions — even in Sport Plus. Is well-mannered, however. Chassis isn't snappy like an Infiniti. BMW is showing a change of direction here.
Our phone rang this morning. It was Long Beach BMW calling to inform us that parts arrived to remedy the check engine light on our 2011 BMW 528i. This was a nice surprise. Last thing we knew, the parts were on backorder indefinitely. We'll schedule an appointment for next week.
Take a look at the warning our 2011 BMW 528i threw up on the instrument panel last night. Seems simple enough, right? I probably didn't have the key in the car when trying to start it. Or the key fob battery in our new 5 Series was going bad. Either was a logical answer. But there was more than logic involved here.
Here is the confusing part. When this warning displayed, the car was already on. It had been on for 15 to 20 minutes. And the key was in my pocket, the same place it had been all along. I hadn't left the car. I hadn't moved. I have no explanation.
I was able to duplicate the problem, sort of. This warning doesn't occur all of the time. But when it does, I can open a door (driver or passenger) and when I close it, the warning comes on. Strange, but repeatable. Whether it is deserved or not, I'll remain optimistic that the dealer has a solution when we take the 5 in next week.
It turns out a straight six sans turbo can move our longterm 2011 BMW 528i with ample conviction. All it requires is the willingness to exploit the rev range.
And that's where the 8-speed autobox comes in.
Eight speeds is apparently not too many, if they're managed well. This is the conclusion I reached with the 8-speeder in the Lexus IS-F as well, so the art is two for two in my book.
If you just plant your foot, the 'box's fairly-quick shifts and close ratios keep the BMW near its peak power production range as revs don't fall very far with each upchange. It's also cooperative with the downshifting during part-throttle driving, especially if you slot the electric razor — er, console shifter — over to 'S' mode. And the shifts are smooth. Nearly imperceptible.
Yup, this car has plenty of thrust if you just feed it some revs. Don't fear the revs. Exploit them.
Oddly enough, when you're leaving from a dead stop this normally aspirated powertrain exhibits an annoying pause similar to that of our estwhile twin-turbo 750i (and yet the X5 M didn't do this). The lack of turbos in the former suggest that it's some kind of drive-by-wire throttle delay/fussiness creeping into certain modern BMWs. Shame, that.
Yeah, they probably are.
I haven't sat in every car made (photographers are usually tased if they get too close to the really nice cars), but I've sat in enough to know these seats are damn good.
Without much adjustment, I was immediately comfortable. And with a little more adjustment, I was set. The key to these seats, besides the fact they match my proportions pretty well, is the adjustability of the upper back portion. It tilts forward and backward independent from the rest of the seat back. It doesn't seem like it would do much, but it gave me such a natural and relaxed posture I could hardly believe I put over 400 miles on the car this weekend.
Last night was my first time in our new long-term 2011 BMW 528i. And for once, the drive wasn't long enough.
I had almost forgotten how much I love the 5 Series. This morning it occured to me that this is the perfect car for a grown-up road trip. Think Napa, Lake Tahoe, not Disneyland or Sea World.
For a woman, it's like putting away that oversized purse full of crackers and crayons, and going back to a shiny black alligator clutch.
Don't get me wrong minivan, I still love you. But my heart truly belongs to a BMW sedan.
I was asked to take our new 5 Series to the dealership for service and gladly agreed since I rarely pass up a chance to drive a BMW. I've driven the 3 and 7 Series and even the Z, but never the 5. This was by far my favorite. I just kept thinking, "This is a spectacular car." It seemed more refined than earlier BMWs yet still retaining all that great German car feel. And the sense of security it delivers is amazing. On my way home, blasting along in the car pool lanes at 60 mph, passing traffic that was stopped dead, the 5 felt solid and ready to haul down the speed if anyone suddenly jumped the double yellow.
Meanwhile, back on planet Earth, I showed up for my appointment at Long Beach BMW this morning and waited 20 minutes before I met with my service advisor. It gave me a chance to catch up on headlines from CNN blasting in the waiting room and down a cup of above average coffee. After some confusion about what needed to be done, the part was located, the car disappeared into the shop and I left for home. Three hours later — all fixed.
There is a sense of emptiness which accompanies a returned car with no real explanation of what was wrong and what was fixed. I defaulted to trying to decipher the service report which said that "micro leaks" had been found in the evaporation system. A loose hose was discovered and a new filler neck was ordered. The bottom line: the engine light is off and we're back on the road.
As you can see, our 528i assumes that you have no parking skills whatsoever. In addition to its visual sonar display, which have been used in various BMWs for years, there's now an overheard camera setup similar to our old FX50.
And because of the sheer size of the display, both can be shown side-by-side. It is quite impressive, even useful at times.
With that level of warning technology, our car should never encounter a concrete pillar, or a concrete pillar or...a concrete pillar. Good ol' technology to the rescue, hope it works.
This is the trunk of our 528i. As you can see, it was designed by engineers who see value in things like a large opening, low liftover and covered hinges. Together they make for a very usable space that welcomes all manner of weekend trips.
It's clearly not a perfect setup though. Note the world's smallest cargo net there on the left and the always touted, but rarely used ski pass through. I also noticed one more curious design feature of this car's cargo area.
Note the unobstructed package shelf. Usually, these areas are crowded with speakers or amplifiers that poke down into the cargo area. Looks like BMW's engineers found somewhere else to put them.
Much like the over protective radar system, our BMW assumes that you're not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Hence this descriptive warning sticker found underneath the hood.
Who knew that when you prop a hood over your head it could come crashing back down on your noggin?
Just back from a 1,000-mile weekend in this 2011 BMW 528is and it can't be more different than the previous 5 Series.
The new car is self-consciously gorgeous, at least in this particular $60,500 form with full luxury trim as well as the package of sport options. You can't tell the interior apart from the 7 Series. In comparison, the interior of the previous 5 looks incredibly austere and even cheap.
It seems to me like this car is following the lead of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The E-Class has once again become the focus of the Mercedes lineup, incorporating almost all of the comfort and convenience options formerly associated only with the S-Class sedan. In fact it now seems to me to be intended as a low-priced S Class, as if Mercedes had recognized that the stratospheric price of the current S-Class has excluded all but the super wealthy and too many people were being tempted to leave the brand. The E-class is more like a pricing strategy than a car.
The BMW 5 Series is much the same. There's surely no question that the new 5 Series is a clone of the 7 Series, from the hardware to the assembly plant where it's produced. And it sure didn't feel any different than a 7 Series during my trip to Sacramento, a drive I made in our 2009 BMW 750i long-term test car.
This is very much a luxury car in the E-Class style, attractive and comfortable. It's perfect for shuttling around to the designer grocery place on the weekends, only with the BMW twin-kidney grille, which is far cooler than the overstated Mercedes three-pointed star.
Presuming of course that what you want is an E-Class with a BMW grille. Which I don't.
The above is a video explaining why I'm no longer a fan of BMW's iPod interface, which I used to like in our '08 X5. Back then, I was quite pleased that iDrive was actually good at something ... but times change.
Now for comparison purposes, after the jump is a video about another iPod interface (I just randomly selected a so-equipped car from our current batch of test cars). The Buick Regal's is similar to GM's other nav-based iPod interface, but it has a weird redundant knob system rather than a touchscreen. Either way, I like those knobs for the same reason I initially like the BMW's, but it has a more logical menu set-up to boot.
I talked yesterday about the imperfect operation of BMW's iDrive iPod iNterface.
However, the story does not end there. When I started the car up yesterday morning, finally figured out how to engage a podcast and hit Start Play, the iDrive screen just said "Please wait ..." It just kept playing the alphabetically first song on my iPod, which is customary when you first plug in a recently resynced iPod. But the podcast did not begin. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting. I tried going back and picking different things, but nothing I selected would play. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I gave up, but when I went back a few hours later to film the video, there was no waiting.
The exact thing happened this morning in a BMW 3 Series. I "waited" for 33 minutes before I remembered I was waiting. I went back, selected something else and it engaged immediately. Maybe it just needs to be warmed up? That's ridiculous, but it's the best I've got.
Ride Home With Me?
Disclaimer: This is just a video of me driving home and chilling in our BMW 5 Series. So if you need a break, tune in.
It was a rough day yesterday and traffic kinda sucked as usual. But the BMW is so quiet inside and smooth that it made me feel all better. I switched on my Flip and captured a minute of my commute listening to relaxing jazz. You can see how bumpy the connection is from the 10 to the 405 freeway but you can't really hear any distrubance in the cabin. Ahhh.
Oh, and I'm on Twitter now. Egads. And I've been on Facebook for a while. So, if you want to follow me, or befriend me, or like me, or whatever, here are my links:
http://www.facebook.com/donna.derosa
http://twitter.com/donnaderosa
And here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Our 2011 BMW 528i is hitting the road.
Last week I was sitting around wondering: Are the leaves still yellow in Tuolumne Meadows? I could have made a phone call, but instead decided to go find out myself. You only live once. So you aren't going to hear much from our BMW 528i over the next several days. We are headed to Yosemite.
Well, there's at least one good thing about the 528i's resemblance to the 7 Series. That is, it packs a lot of fuel, some 18.5 gallons.
When you match this much gas with the frugality of this 240-hp 3.0-liter inline-6, the result is incredible range. During optimal freeway cruising last weekend, I did one 465.7-mile leg and still didn't come close to bouncing the needle off the E, managing to get only 15.6 gallons into the tank for an average of 29.9 mpg. Did another 411.3-mile leg at 29.7 mpg. Even when you get into the gas pedal, the worst this car has served up at the pump so far has been 17.0 mpg.
When you're looking for a real road car, the ultimate performance attribute is the ability to drive past a lot of gas stations before you have to stop. If a big, comfortable highway car is what you want, the 528i sure seems like the right combination for El Camino (you know, the road).
That's the measurement listed for the legroom in the back seat of our 528i. Actually, it's 36.1 inches if you want to be precise, but what's a tenth of an inch anyway?
Looking at some of the competitors for the 5 Series, it appears as though 36 inches in the magic number. Both the Acura TL and Infiniti G37 best the BMW by a tenth at 36.2 inches while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class leaves you squished in with just 35.8 inches.
You might be surprised to learn that the Audi A6 is the big winner here with a backseat that affords up to 36.9 inches for the legs. Then again, these are all maximum measurements and they're all with about an inch or so of one another. My guess is, no one would notice the difference between any of them.
Less than 2 months passed since we introduced our 2011 BMW 528i. Over the weekend it broke the 5,000-mile mark. That was quick.
Our relationship hasn't been without the occasional (or frequent) dealer visit. But to date the 5 Series hasn't cost us any money to keep on the road. Free scheduled maintenance makes the BMWs look good over the first years of ownership.
Our 320-mile trip from Orange County up to Yosemite National Park afforded us plenty of seat time in the 2011 BMW 528i. The 5 Series left quite an impression.
Noise: This 528i was extremely quiet. Honestly, I thought the Dunlops would be loud but it was nothing a mild radio volume couldn't drown out. As for the engine, it was never short of breath and remained reasonably quite throughout the trip.
Ride quality: As expected, the 5 Series was perfectly stable at highway speeds. The steering is weighted just right, so as to minimize driver involvement and fatigue. Some summer tires tend to tug laterally at the car over freeway expansion joints. There was none of that with the 5 Series. I just dailed up the radio, set the cruise control and settled in.
Cruise control: I found this to be the most impressive aspect of the 528i as a road trip car. I've driven the 4,100-ft Tejon Pass in northern LA County many times, and in many different cars. The first thing I do is set the cruise to 70 mph. Most transmissions have at least a handful of dramatic shifts as the grade fluctuates and the proper gear is selected. Not so with the 8-speed in our 528i. It didn't shift once. Uphill or downhill, the needle remained pegged. In fact, it wasn't fazed by any grade on this trip. Pretty cool if you ask me.
More Yosemite road trip notes to come...
We left Yosemite in the 2011 BMW 528i determined to take the Tioga Pass out of the park. Our only obstacle was the weather, which was rolling in quickly from the east and threatened to close the pass before we made it. We crossed our fingers and hit the road.
The drive out and more pictures in Yosemite after the jump.
We left our hotel in Wawona around midday, leaving time for the Tunnel View turnout. This spot is just off of Highway 41 and offers the first glimpse of the park if you're coming in from the west. It's a must see. Weather was cooperating at this point.
As the elevation gained we encountered pockets of dark clouds and rain. At some locations we even saw snow on the ground, remnants of the prior weekend's storm. To our surprise we reached the pass and it was open. We made it.
Just hours after we reached the Lee Vining (and the lone Mobil station) at the base of Tioga, we learned that the pass was closed due to snowfall. And from what we heard at the time, it was not likely to open again this season. That made the adventure that much more rewarding.
What else can I add about the 528i as a road trip car? It's summer tires feel confident in the rain. We hit plenty of the wet stuff on the Yosemite-to-Vegas leg of our trip. We hit some small patches eastbound on Highway 168 and larger patches southbound on Highway 95 through Death Valley. There wasn't a hint of traction loss on the straight stuff and very little on the twisty sections.
I'll tell you what, though. The 5 Series is not immune to crosswinds. A handful of gusts through the desert were enough to keep a tired driver awake. All in all it was a great road trip. We even won in Vegas.
There has been none. Our long-term 2011 BMW 528i has yet to consume a drop of oil.
That is all.
Interesting couple of days in our long-term 2011 BMW 528i.
On Sunday at this gas station, a lady asked me if I was happy with new 3 Series.
Then...
...yesterday morning at this car wash a lady asked me if I've had any problems with my 7 Series.
Hmmmmmm.
I spent Thanksgiving Week in our long-term 2011 BMW 528i. That right there should be reason enough for feelings of grattitude, and certainly the overall experience was positive.
However, as with BMWs dating back to the first Z3, I found the need to repeatedly activate "Sport Mode" after every start-up annoying. The default mode is "Normal," and throttle response in that setting is, well, not responsive enough. As Jay noted, there's actually a slight pause/stumble when you first tip in, which only exacerbates the problem.
It makes me wonder why BMW even offers different throttle response programming. Maybe it helps eek out another MPG or two on the EPA test cycle. Plenty of other manufacturers are compromising their vehicles' driving characteristics for that reason.
In my mind offering different throttle programs is like offering different power window speeds or different volume knob turning ratios. Don't offer multiple versions of this. Just figure out the best one and be done with it. And yes, this holds true for variable steering too, as too many of those systems also do more harm than good.
You know what I use to vary throttle response in my older cars? It's a pretty exotic tool that can modulate the throttle to the perfect amount I need for any given situation. I call it my right foot.
I can see the value in different suspension settings, because those aren't something I can quickly change by simply altering my driving inputs. Otherwise, just give me a single, effective setting. I can do the rest myself.
The other day I pulled out of a parking lot only to have my wife yell, "Karl, you left the trunk open!"
I didn't believe her at first, as I'd checked my rearview mirror while pulling out of my parking space and didn't see a wall of dark blue in it. But she was correct, the trunk was wide open.
I'd opened the trunk to get my man-purse out, and I know I hit the power-close button as I walked away from it. But for whatever reason it didn't close, and when it's open it doesn't easily register in the rearview mirror (the photo above was taken with the trunk open).
Not sure if this is by design or just a fluke of the rear window/trunklid shape. And I'm not sure why you'd want to drive around with the trunk wide open, but if you own a new 5 Series you can do so without compromising rear visibility.
One man's "connected to the car" is another man's "intrusive buzzing," so I'm not sure how other people feel about the steering wheel vibration in our long-term 2011 BMW 528i.
I do know I've never had to question this trait in other Bavarian cars, but I find myself wondering if the straight six in our long-term car is running properly. It's not really apparent at driving speeds, but at idle the car's wheel has a thrum that feels like a bad fuel injection pulse or some other malady.
With our recent engine warning light because of a fuel filler neck leak I'm thinking the two are related.
Or maybe I'm just entering that age when every car has to be Lexus-smooth?
BMW's new tagline: "If it's too buzzy, you're too old!"
Couldn't help but notice the intricate design of our BMW's headlights, especially since the rest of the car is so plain looking. Although Xenon headlights are standard on the 535i and 550i they're a $900 option on the 528i. And yes, they are the adaptive type so they look around corners when you turn the steering wheel.
But would you look at all the detailing packed into that housing? It's like a separate person got the job of designing the headlights, so they took the time to craft every surface. Glad they did too, as the rest of this 5 Series still leaves me a bit cold.
There, I fixed the switch titles on our long term 2011 BMW 528i.
You'd think that with a bunch of cars, picking cars would be like picking berries. But really, there are a number of factors that combine to make some cars feel like asteroids, passing once a century or so. The BMW 528i is my Halley's Comet. It's never been available to me before. Not once. So when I saw a free brick of white space next to it, I snagged it without looking any further. I still have no idea what short term cars we have.
But the point: The 528i is remarkably soft. Seats, steering and ride are all plush and numb. Like a pillow coated in novacaine. Like a Lexus with the steering precision to stay in your lane / on the road. On my ride home it was per-fect. I didn't even care that I was in traffic. But then I got home and realized that, for maybe the first time ever, I'd taken a BMW straight home. I didn't hit a canyon and I wasn't planning to hit one later. Which, of course, forced me to hit one later.
Rocking that little rocker upwards puts the car in sport mode (and then Sport +) and the throttle's sharper and the steering is a little heavier, but its still a very soft ride. Each time you start 'er up, you're back to 'normal' mode — fuel economy regs and whatnot.
As noted by Jacquot in our Track Tested, "Feels fairly soft in rapid transitions — even in Sport Plus. Is well-mannered, however. Chassis isn't snappy like an Infiniti. BMW is showing a change of direction here."
And as it is on the track, it is in the real world. Even in Sport +, this rides like a comfortable non-sport BMW. Maybe the $1,000 adjustable dynamic dampers help that, but truth be told, I really like this ride. I won't take it through the canyons again, but if I ever get a change to drive it home, or up PCH, or back to Massachusetts for a vacation, I'll jump at the chance. I rarely said that about our old 1-Series.
I have a confession to make regarding our 2011 BMW 528i. I like the way it looks. It's overall lines are on the conservative side and I'm ok with that. But what really catches my eye is the hood.
To me, a good-looking hood makes or breaks a car. If I have to look across it for miles on end, it should be aesthetically pleasing. Sometimes sharp angles do it. Sometimes it's a big hood scoop. In the case of the 528i, the smooth curves are what work for me. I'm not sure why they have me so captivated, but I am. Am I the only one?
lf you're willing to spend this much money on a luxury sedan, you're probably not living paycheck to paycheck. Or maybe you are, which would make you stupid, but that's another subject.
We'll assume that the majority of 5 Series buyers have sufficient means to spend on what they want. So why buy the "small" engine in such a big sedan?
Most will assume it's to save money on the initial purchase, but some people might actually buy it to save gas over the long haul. And that's not a totally ridiculous idea. So far, our 528i has averaged 24.5 miles per gallon in its first 6,000 miles or so.
Not a huge number, but we've been wringing it out pretty hard to get a feel for the engine and its new eight-speed transmission. On some of the more highway-heavy tanks, we recorded as much as 31 mpg, which is right around its EPA rating.
Along the way, few have complained about a lack of power. It's not fast by any means, but it's not slow either. If you were at all interested in getting decent mileage, there would be little reason to complain about the overall performance of the "small" engine.
A couple days ago I wrote about getting the "small" engine in the 5 Series. There were plenty of opinions on both sides of the spectrum, and all that back and forth reminded me of another possible decision.
If you bought the 528i, would consider removing the trunklid badges?
Like the first question, this is a somewhat loaded one as there are dozens of reasons for leaning one way or the other. Some buyers like the clean look no matter which engine is under the hood, while others purposely try to conceal their less-than-top-of-the-line choice by deleting the offending numbers. I'd go with no numbers regardless of which engine I paid for, just looks cleaner to me.
Those ridges on the door handle of our 528i indicate that it has the "Comfort Access" option, a feature that allows you to lock and unlock the doors without using the key fob. Plenty of cars have this feature and they all work a bit differently.
I prefer to have a button, while BMW likes the idea of masking the feature with these subtle ridges. Great, except that it doesn't work all the time. To unlock the doors, the owner's manual says to just grasp the handle. Sounds easy enough, but I've done that numerous times and nothing has happened, after the second or third squeeze I just pull out the damn fob.
Don't remember our M3 being so touchy about unlocking the doors. And for the record, I generally like these systems, when they work right of course.
I was never a huge fan of the Sport mode in our BMW 7 Series. It never felt quite right when dialed up to its stiffest setting. It was like the car just didn't want to be there. Normal always felt like its natural state.
Our 528i feels different. I drove it around in Sport mode most of the weekend and it feels right at home. Not overly jumpy or stiff, just taut around corners and firm over dips. It's a fine line and I think this 5 Series straddles it nicely. I didn't notice that much of a difference between the "Sport" and "Sport+" modes, so I generally left it in the former.
As you can see, there's some variation to the Sport mode settings if you want to mess with things a little. Probably a good thing as the throttle response is pretty quick when you dial it up. As far as the chassis goes, I could leave that in Sport all the time and not get tired of it. if only it would stay there after I set it.
I haven't road tripped our long-term 2011 BMW 528i yet, so I've chosen the German sedan to take me to Las Vegas this afternoon. I'll be there until Friday evening attending the Consumer Electronics Show and then I'll drive back to the beach. Probably a 500 mile or so round trip.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Anything in particular you'd to know about our 5-Series?
Last night in Las Vegas I entrusted our long-term 2011 BMW 528i to a valet at a swanky well-known restaurant. Mistake. This morning I found this. And the worst part? I tipped the jerk.
Why the heck not. Setting the BMW's Speed Warning at anything but its highest setting of 160 mph just seems so whimpy.
When you get a phone call from the bossman, asking if you're willing to trade the car your driving for the BMW 528i, you say yes. I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to drive one of the marquee cars in the long term fleet.
It's ironic, because when I got into the office in the wee hours this morning, I read Oldhams post on how he liked the Outlanders seats, the car I traded with him. I thought the same thing about the Bimmers seats.
When I jumped into the seats to move the car into my driveway, I just melted into them. Wow, these things are some of the nicest seats I've experienced. Excellent cushion without being mushy. Great support for my thighs, the right amount of side bolstering without making me self-conscious of my love handles. I was really able to dial in the perfect driving position with the controls and really enjoyed driving this car around on Sunday.
Oldham just got back from Vegas and had an opportunity to really test out their comfort. Hopefully some time in the future I can get my hands on this car to really test them out.
Editor Ed Hellwig already covered the overhead camera of our 2011 BMW 528i, but check out its backup camera. Not only does it have those guidelines but it even puts up imaginary walls so you won't kiss the bumper of that car behind you or ram into that short garbage can that someone absentmindedly left on your driveway.
Prominent in the center console of our long-term BMW 528i is what appears to be an ashtray. I was slightly surprised by this, as ashtrays are being replaced in most vehicles destined for North America with small storage boxes. (The ashtray in our 528 does pop out.)
Although smoking is down in the U.S — with the exception of auto journalists (rimshot!) — smoking is still popular in Asia, Europe, and other parts of the world, like Las Vegas.
I was in an Asian country over the holidays and discovered one reason for smoking's popularity there: it's cheap. A pack of smokes goes for less than a buck!
I was tasked with running to the airport to fetch an editor returning from the Detroit auto show. With a quick scan of the long-term car board, I instantly knew which car to pick. Our 2011 BMW 528i.
I figured after the editor's 3am wakeup call, hours spent in coach, not to mention the fact that he just finished a five-day stint in snowy Detroit, he'd appreciate the luxury of the roomy 5 Series. I know if I were in his place, I'd love for someone to show up and chauffeur me in this car.
It has a smooth, quiet ride so he could leave behind memories of screaming babies in coach, seat heaters to soothe his aches from his travels and a really comfortable seat to sink into.
But when I pulled up to the curb and he dropped his rollaway into the trunk he said he wanted to drive. Oh well.
Thanks to zoomzoom22 for this week's favorite caption. Here are the others that made our stomachs burst:
These aren't the meats you're looking for. (ergsum)
Hmm, Chewie. Chewie? Chewie!!! (ergsum)
Do not order the "Spaceballs Special"! (ergsum)
The Day the Jerk Stood Still (ergsum)
HOW TO COOK for HUMANS (blackngold1000)
And the place across the road serves Manwich! (technetium99)
Right now we have the Facehugger special for just $3.99 (mrryte)
Area 528i (cjgt)
BMW is searching for delicious, ultra-low carbon based life forms (aleclance)
At Alien Fresh Jerky we're always pleased to meat you! (ergsum)
Jerk off roading (stpawyfrmdonut)
It's a trap! (ed124c)
Damn, this is better than Snow's! (teampenske3)
We deliver. Just look for the Ford Probe. (vt8919)
What was your favorite?
To the winner:
You can select one of these three prizes:
- Lamborghini wall calender
- Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell desk calendar
- Yokohama key ring
Send your choice and your address to dderosa (at) edmunds.com
Both Jay and Karl noted the throttle tip-in (the delay between the time you press the accelerator and when the car starts moving) in our long-term 528i. It's just like our 7 Series in that regard, so I brought out the handy-dandy Dynolicious iPhone app to show the BMW's lazy response.
Above is the graph generated by Dynolicious with the 528i in Comfort mode. It's just a short and conservative acceleration run from a red light. In the first half-second or so, the speed and horsepower lines remain almost horizontal. Then, it feels like the car recognizes that you actually want to move forward and it begins applying power as a normal car would.
Below, is the same car in Sport + mode with similar pressure on the accelerator. Note the shorter pause before real acceleration begins and the steeper angle of the horsepower line. I also tried a few runs with the gear selector set in sport mode, but found no appreciable difference between that and normal mode.
In any case, I find throttle tip-in annoying. I don't like when cars second-guess my inputs. Just do what I tell you to do, OK? Sure, we can just select one of the sport modes every time we start up the car, but the more aggressive throttle map makes it ill-suited to bumper-to-bumper traffic. So in my open letter to BMW: Please kill the tip-in, mmmkay? Alrighty then, buh-bye, now.
Chief Scott Oldham sent me this photo from his trip to CES in Las Vegas. Somewhere along the way he had a close encounter of the beef-loving kind.
What is your caption?
We'll post our favorite this afternoon.
Our long-term 2011 BMW 528i has used zero oil in its first four months and nearly 7,500 miles of driving. Not a drop. Oh, and no there's no mechanical dipstick under the hood to back up this electronic version. Get over it.
A couple of weeks ago I drove our long-term 2011 BMW 528i from L.A. to Vegas and back. It's about a 600 mile round trip through absolutely nothing. Before I left I asked you for questions you would like answered about the BMW. Things I might learn on the trip.
Well, here are the answers to some of your questions.
11:28 AM, 01/ 5/11
How are the seats? I have found that many modern cars have seats that are no designed for long distance travel. Its as if manufacturers are only building cars for commuters. My '02 Saab 9-5 Aero has spoiled me when it comes to supportive comfortable seats.
Throwback, I found the BMW's seats to be a B+ on the long drive. For me, (I'm 5' 11" 180 lbs.) they're comfortable for about 300 miles. When I arrived in Las Vegas I was happy to get out and stretch.
apinault says:
01:07 PM, 01/ 5/11
What do you think of the power of the vehicle? Is the 528 "enough" or is the 535 necessary?
On a drive like this the 528i had plenty of motor. No complaints, even up grades.
01:18 PM, 01/ 5/11
How's the car feel at very high speeds? Does the steering tire you after a few hours with twitchiness, or does it feel solid and stable?
Can you do a powerslide on pavement in the desert? Was it hard? :)
Joe, the 528i is solid and stable out on the highway. No twitchiness. No fatigue. And no, for powerslides on pavement you've got to pay up for the 535i or 550i. Better yet the upcoming M5.
Thanks to technetium99 for this week's favorite caption. I'm glad this photo panned out. Here are the others that made us shine:
All that bimmers is not gold. (ergsum)
The ride of choice for gold diggers. (teampenske3)
How are things panning out with the 528i? (ergsum)
Precious Metal (ergsum)
Gold rush hour (mrryte)
That panhandler just gave me the goldfinger!!!! (mrryte)
Turbo rush meets gold rush. (ms3omglol)
Au-Inspiring (ergsum)
Wow, so that's what happens if you eat the Alien Jerky.... (technetium99)
It's as good as gold, and that's no bullion! (ergsum)
Scott didn't think he'd strike it rich at the casino, but couldn't roulette out. (ergsum)
Objects in mirror are WAY Bigger than they appear. (wshuff)
Because everything else is fool's gold. (vt8919)
I went to Cash4Gold, and look at what I got!!! (rayray633)
Panhandles like it's on rails. (redwoodaggie)
horsepower ore fuel economy? (hugene)
The Au-ltimate Driving Machine (ergsum)
What was your favorite?
To the winner:
You can select one of these three prizes:
- Lamborghini wall calender
- GM Design Paperweight
- Yokohama key ring
Editor in Chief Scott Oldham sent me this picture of our BMW 528i from his trip to CES is Las Vegas. Looks like our BMW struck gold.
What is your caption?
We'll post our favorite this afternoon.
I was a little irked last night. As I've mentioned before, I like shuffling through songs on my iPhone. But the steering wheel in our 528i doesn't have a skip button. It has a scroll wheel, but the display still lists songs in alphabetical order — not by what song is next in the shuffle. That forces me to reach over to the skip buttons on the far-right side of the center stack (it's right there in the picture above the number 8 preset button). Oh, the horror, I know. But I found something in the process that I think is pretty cool.
If you brush your fingertip across the preset buttons, the preset information shows up in the main display. In the picture, it's showing "Lithium." I like that. It's especially nice in a Long-Term test car, when there are plenty of people using the same vehicle. Like a lot of other cars, those presets can be programmed for either FM, AM or satellite — regardless of what mode you might be using at the moment.
Now, if only I could work around this skip button for the iPhone...
Stupid Things People Do With Their 5 Series
OK, this doesn't have anything do do with our deluxe 2011 BMW 528i but couldn't help but notice how YouTube is populated with videos of people doing dumb stuff with their 5 Series. There's the guy who's videotaping himself at high-speed cruise, another doing burnouts on brick, and countless ones of those drifting in the snow.
You can bet we treat our 528i wayy better than any of these guys do their own rides.
High-speed cruise on video
BMW 528i burnout.
Drifting in the snow.
Drifting on brick.
This is why you don't buy a car with tan floormats. Ever. Just look at how much grime has accumulated onto the driver's floormat of our 2011 BMW 528i. And we haven't reached 8,000 miles yet.
I don't know why manufacturers even make tan floormats. Here's the thing: Although the interior is mostly tan, there's enough black within the cabin that black floormats would look just fine.
In fact, I think they'd look far better than tan, giving a contrasting color combo. For sure they'd hide the dirt better.
Here's how the front passenger floormat is looking. Not sure how those grease marks got there, but it'll take more than vacuuming to get those out, that's for sure.
The rear floormats are grimed up, too. No doubt a good shampooing will bring them back to looking almost new, but it pains me to think about how bad they'll all look after 25,000 miles. Or 100,000.
When I first saw the newest 5 Series, I thought, well...nothing. It literally left no impression at all. Its design was pretty much featureless, just the usual BMW trademarks and some soft sheetmetal.
Our 528i has changed my opinion a little, but not much. It still doesn't turn heads, but I've seen a few other 5s around and with the right wheels and it improves the overall look quite a bit. And there's something to be said for subtlety when it comes to luxury sedans like this. Sometimes you just want to drive a nice sedan instead of advertising it to everyone around you.
Then again, there are plenty of other sedans that accomplish that already. Not sure BMW needed to become one of them.
Touch screens, joysticks or twist knobs. Those are your basic choices in navi input these days. Normally I prefer to use touchscreens. I feel on average they're more precise and faster. Downside to that option is all the finger prints that build up on the screen. A handy microfiber rag in the glove box usually fixes that.
I've got to say though, the twist knob in our 528 makes a strong argument for me to change my preference. The positive feedback is pretty awesome. By feel you can tell what you're doing without looking. I do feel the inherit design isn't as precise for my tastes because you have to scroll through all the letters to select the letter you want. Granted it's predictive and will drop letters as you spell something out, but it usually doesn't satisfy my impatient taste.
Beyond the navigation, the feedback makes gives the driver a leg up on their touch screen brethren. If you know what you're doing, you can change the radio station or audio input all by feel without taking your eyes off the road. Yeah you can make an argument for steering wheel controls, but you can't fine tune with those. Typically only presets and volume.
As a whole, the 528 makes me debate my preference to touch screens. Without considering money, which system would you prefer? Touch, knob, or regular ol' buttons on the center stack?
On the left, the steering wheel from a 2009 BMW 550i we tested. On the right, the steering wheel from our long-term 2011 BMW 528i. It's a little tough to make out in these photos, but if you've been in the cockpit of both the E60 and F10 generations of the 5 Series, you know there's a difference. Save for the raised portions at 10 and 2, the steering wheel rim in our long-term 528i is slightly thinner.
Is this a big deal? Probably not. But I think it gets to the heart of the subtle shift in the 5 Series' personality over the last decade.
Mind you, the steering wheel in the previous-generation 5 Series was downright fat, almost a caricature of what a steering wheel should be, and a bit much for average-size human hands to hold. But it primed you for the actual driving experience, which was that of a bona fide sport sedan, maybe the best midsize sport sedan there was, save for the even more beloved E39 generation.
But as you take up the more slender rim in our 528i, you have a feeling it's going to be a bit different now. There's no manual transmission for starters — in fact, you can't get a three-pedal setup in the U.S.-spec 528i. You have to move up to the 535i or 550i to get that unpopular configuration.
Then, there's the throttle response and the suspension damping. Neither feels quite right to me in Normal (too soft and too soft, respectively), not even for a short drive home, so I switch to the Sport setting and that doesn't feel quite right, either (too agressive and still a little too gelatinous, respectively). So I switch back to Normal.
I'm sure I'll eventually sort things out with the 528i's settings like I did in our long-term 750i. But part of the appeal of the previous two generations of the 5 Series was that they felt pretty much perfect with no fiddling at all.
I had the 528i over the weekend, which was a fortuitous selection since I had a family road trip (me, wife, 3-year-old daughter) planned to visit my in-laws. No surprises: the 528i is a great vehicle to have for a 600-mile round trip. Attributes like the quiet and compliant ride, stable handling, comfortable seats, decent-sized trunk and large navigation screen were all appreciated. I also had some fun showing off some the car's luxury features (parking cameras and auto-closing doors, for instance) to my father-in-law.
The biggest drawback on this trip was the mediocre front cupholder design. The two for the center console aren't wide enough to hold larger bottles, and there aren't any bottle holders in the doors. So my wife's larger blue bottle didn't fit and was frequently falling over.
Average fuel economy for the trip was 29.0 mpg.
In many ways, our 528i reminds me of our 2009 BMW 750i. First, there's the exterior. We mentioned previously that it can be tricky at first glance to tell the difference between the latest 7 and 5. Sitting inside, it's the same thing, with a very similar dash layout and feel. This deja vu applies to the driving experience as well. I haven't driven our 528i on a curvy road yet, but around town at least the dominant feeling is that of a luxury sedan rather than a sport sedan. Our 528i just feels big and not something that'll inspire you to slice around corners.
Whether this is good or bad likely depends on your perspective. On one hand, we're getting 90 percent of the 7 Series IMAX 3D experience for just $60,050. Equip a 740i similarly to our 528i and it'd cost about $75,000. Fifteen grand discount? That's pretty cool. On the other hand, our 5 doesn't really seem to follow the same playbook as previous 5 Series cars. Rather than seeming like a bigger 3 Series or even its own distinct model, it's mostly a smaller 7.
My take? I'd say the shift is a win for the majority of luxury sedan buyers. (You know who they are.) Enthusiasts with fond memories of the 1997-2003 5 Series get the loss.
Thanks to mrryte for this week's favorite caption.
Here are the others that knocked us out:
Achtung! Headstanden on das hood ist verboten! (technetium99)
Head stands on edge of open trunk hood are verboten! (ergsum)
To prevent injury, avoid the use of jumpers! (ergsum)
WARNING! Trying to check your oil level in a BMW may result in tension headaches! (technetium99)
Never park your car under floating punctuation. (chirsch3)
Beware of falling ninja stars (noburgers)
Two heads are better than one... (lji1)
F%^&, Where's the dipstick? (pengwin)
Always curtsy when addressing der Bimmer. (actualsize)
See celebrities with your BMW. Bang head; see stars. (vt8919)
Warning! Reading this label may cause a WTF moment. (ergsum)
Tarot reading gone wrong: death by punctuation, falling stars, or hungry cars. (waynester76)
Dang, I coulda had a V8! (joemt)
Warning: If decapitating Ninja Stars shoot out of engine, start breakdancing on hood (cruiserhead1)
Hoods in photo are closer than they appear. (sherief)
Professional mechanic. In a closed garage. (altimadude05)
This car really knocks me out! (litewerk)
To the winner:
You can select one of these three prizes:
- The Story of Mercedes-Benz DVD
- Hyundai Veloster Victorinox Flash drive
- Set of mini cones (for your own autocross)
Soft Closing Doors
This is a pretty cool feature. Even if you give a weak-sauce push to close a door, our 528i will automatically cinch the door up for you. This feature is part of the optional $1,700 Convenience Package.
Editor Ed Hellwig took this photo of an overly concerned sticker in our BMW 528i. Funny how the dot of the exclamation point matches the disembodied head of the driver.
What is your caption?
We'll post our favorite this afternoon.
When I did that road trip a couple weeks ago I gave my father-in-law a ride in our 528i. He's kind of a curmudgeon, so I was curious to hear his take. Basically, he came away saying it was a nice car. But he also didn't think our $60,000 528i is, say, twice as good as the typical $30,000 front-drive family sedan.
He has a point. The law of diminishing returns applies to cars, too. Whether you're moving from an Accord to a 5 Series or an S-Class to a Bentley, what you're getting seems less the higher you go. That said, our 528i is a pretty sweet car and I've been thinking about what it offers versus a family sedan. Thoughts follow after the jump.
Aspects about 528i that might make it seem worth it:
Features. Our 528i is packed with features. Some, like the dual-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats, you could still get on a loaded family sedan. But there others you wouldn't typically get, like the big high-resolution navigation screen, multi-adjustable front seats, adaptive suspension dampers, rear sunshades and parking cameras.
Interior quality. In general the 528i's interior is just nicer. The materials used are more upscale and everything feels like it's put together more solidly.
Driving experience. This isn't really about performance, as a Sonata 2.0T will handily out-do our 528i in a straight line. But there is a premium feel to the car in the way it rides and steers that you just don't get from a family sedan.
Image. Not sure how you value this, but it's certainly something you don't get from a family sedan. Most people would say owning a BMW is just more prestigious.
Rarity. This would be tied to image. But it's just natural that the more expensive a car is, the less you see of it.
Does this all add up to being worth $60,000? I guess it depends on your perspective. In the case of my father-in-law, it doesn't. And in many ways I agree with him. But having spent the past week and a half with our 528i, I can understand the appeal. There are certain things in life that are better. If you have the money, why not get what you want?
It was raining this afternoon where I live. I was in the 528i, and at first I just had the wipers set to the first speed. But then I thought to myself: "Shouldn't this thing have automatic wipers?" Well, yes Brent, it does. In fact, they're standard.
As is the case with a lot of newer luxury convenience features, the value of having rain-sensing wipers is debatable. Is it really that much of a mental or physical challenge to adjust the wipers to the speed you want? But nonetheless, this is a luxury sedan, and having the wipers do their thing is kind of a neat feature. And yeah, it worked just fine for the 10 minutes or so I had the automatic mode on.
A description of how rain-sensing wipers work is here.
You might think that having eight speeds in a transmission is just a few too many. But the eight-speed automatic in our 528i (it's made by ZF; you can watch a nifty cutaway video here) does work exceptionally well. If you're just driving the car normally, you'll never notice that the car has so many gears. Each shift is smooth and quick. And as Jay noted before, it makes a big difference in helping the 3.0-liter engine (just 240 hp for a 3,910-pound curb weight) seem perfectly adequate.
A video of the tachometer in motion with each gear shift follows after the jump, along with more transmission observations.
You have to watch carefully to see each shift, but it does go into eighth gear right at the end of the video, which was about 50 mph. This was in the car's Normal drive setting with light throttle applied.
Ah yes, Normal mode, which Magrath described as the car's "Lexus Mode." True, that sluggish throttle is annoying. But I found that after driving our 528i for multiple days in a row, I got used to the soft response. I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that hopping into different cars each night as we do as editors makes us more sensitive to the issue than it'll likely be for the typical owner.
Interestingly, I'm not particularly fond of the alternative — setting the drive mode to Sport or just moving the transmission lever into the sport setting. (Near as I can tell, they have the same affect on throttle calibration and shift points.) True, the car's behavior is much snappier this way, but it also doesn't shift into top gear when cruising, instead staying in sixth or seventh. But if I'm cruising, I want maximum fuel economy.
I found the best workaround for me was to have the drive mode in either Normal or set to Sport, but only with the suspension selected. If the throttle was annoying at stoplights, I'd put the transmission lever into sport, but then go back into regular drive once I'd get up to speed.
Now, isn't this all a bit silly? Yes.
One final note: our car is equipped with the optional ($500) sport transmission. Other than shift paddles, I'm not sure what this gets you. But having the paddles is definitely worth paying $500. If you're in manual mode, using the paddles and taking full advantage of higher revs greatly enhances the 528i's sportiness. The shifts are shockingly quick when using the paddles — quick enough that you just might think it's a dual-clutch automated manual transmission — and driving around with the revs up does make the 528i seem more like a BMW sport sedan than a small 7 Series.
I'm a card-carrying member of the E-Class fan club. The sedan strikes an ideal luxury-car balance, shielding the driver from plebeian things like rough pavement without leaving him feeling like he's piloting the thing from North Siberia. And I have a soft spot for the 5.5-liter V8, with its flawlessly smooth power delivery.
I never thought I'd find myself switching allegiances, but our 5 Series has me giving it serious thought. For my tastes, it's a bit of a slug in "Normal" mode, but get it in "Sport" and it's ready to dance. True, its growth spurt has robbed it of some of its playfulness, but there's still ample fun to be had. And I love the way the car looks, both inside and out.
Its redesign has left the car feeling more luxury-focused — which makes it more appropriate for most shoppers in this segment — but the shift hasn't stripped it of its vitality. The 5 Series played bridesmaid to the E-Class last year in sales. It'll be interesting to see if this new Fiver finds the model a broader audience.
This is my favorite corner of the 528i. The leather is beautifully stitched, the wood is glossy, the metallic accents are tasteful and the plastic has a pleasing grain. Lots of textural interest, with all the different materials used. And I love the graceful sweep of the door handle and the way those swooping lines all coalesce.
Throughout most of the cabin, materials quality is superb and the design aesthetic is unfussy and modern. Get inside the 5 and you'll find yourself in a pretty deluxe environment, one that tells me BMW is serious about giving 5 Series drivers a true luxury-car experience.
In the past, BMWs weren't exactly known for having standout interior design but with this new 5, things might be starting to change. What do you think of the cabin's design?
This time of year the sun is at a really annoying angle in the sky, I can't wait until summer gets closer so the sun rises higher in the sky and gets out of my eyes.
The visor in our BMW 528i has a 2-3-inch gap on the left side and no way to adjust it. No extender. Nothing. Sun glare when driving can be really dangerous.
How are the visors in your car?
I like the look of the 528i's instrument panel and one touch that I particularly appreciate is how seamlessly the digital and non-digital elements are integrated.
The temperature, time and odometer information, for example, is digital, but the resolution is sharp as knives and the readout is designed to precisely mimic the look of the non-digital elements on the panel.
A big gold star for BMW, for having such a detail-oriented approach.
Are you happy with your car's instrument panel?
That's the upshift paddle on our 528i's steering wheel. It's placed well, turns with the wheel and stops with a deliberate but damped thud and at the end of its travel.
And there are more reasons why it's awesome.
Here's another feature that makes the paddles satisfying to use: When your fingertips wrap around the wheel and land on the paddle, they touch this rubber pad embedded in its backside.
I once spent a good 15 minutes explaining to a seatmate in coach on a international flight (he must have been a patient soul) why the E60 BMW 5 Series (2004-'10) was not an attractive car. He countered with, "Yes, it's vulgar, but at least it's not boring."
And wouldn't you know it, now that the F10 generation is out, I've begun to find the E60 cars attractive when I see them, whereas I find the new 5 Series, including our long-term BMW 528i, boring.
Then, last night, we had a particularly dramatic sunset here, and the contours of the our 528i's hood caught my eye. I had no idea they were so complex, because they usually get lost in the Deep Sea Blue metallic paint. Last night, though, the light hit them just right, and and I found our long-termer almost beautiful.
<rant> Yesterday, after the 2011 BMW 528i had been sitting at the car wash being hand-dried and fussed over for a good 20 minutes, I figured it would be a good time to check the oil, or rather to ask the car to run a self oil check. I sat in the cockpit for maybe 15-20 seconds, and when it still wasn't finished checking, I figured I couldn't wait any longer to head back to the office, what with afternoon traffic and all.
I drove for maybe 15 minutes. Still not done checking. I parked the car and waited a solid 60 seconds. Finally done with the check. Oil level OK. Yes, obviously, I should have remained parked in the first place.
Still, too much waiting, I say. I can do it faster on my own. Or even, if I actually can't do it faster, it feels faster because I'm doing something — getting out the car, lifting the hood open, removing the dipstick, wiping it with a napkin, etc. — rather than just sitting there waiting. </rant>
There's luxury and then there's luxury. I was cruising along, feeling pretty good about life and soaking up all the swanky goodness offered by the 528i. And then I saw this beauty cut in front of me. Suddenly the BMW's leather felt less supple and its wood trim looked less rich.
The Bentley was being driven by a certain rapper known for spending time "in da club" and at "the candy shop." Looked like he was on a test drive, with someone from the dealership riding shotgun. I was tempted to roll down the window and shout: "Hey Fifty, have you taken a look at gas prices lately? Get the 5 Series instead — it gets better mileage!" He'd have liked that.
I love the high-end look of cars like the 5 Series but obviously something rolling out of a Bentley dealership takes that kind of opulence to a whole new level. Luxury exotics cost a lot more than a run-of-the-mill premium sedan like our BMW. Even if I had enough money to ignite backyard bonfires, though, I'm not sure I'd make the leap from premium to luxury exotic.
How about you — do you think Bentleys and Aston Martins are worth their price difference relative to the BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes of the world?
BMW's 5 Series is a benchmark midsize sedan for most luxury automakers, and a vehicle to aspire to for performance-oriented drivers as well as certain image-conscious consumers. So it's surprising that BMW wouldn't offer a branded premium audio system, particularly when most competitors have aligned themselves with high-end audio imprints.
As with every current 5 Series model, the best we could get in our long-term 2011 528i is the "Premium hi-fi system" that's part of the pricey $4,500 Premium Package 2. And while an impressive logo doesn't guarantee great audio performance and in some cases only serves as interior eye candy, the generic system in our 528i also doesn't come close to setting a benchmark in sound.
The Setup
The Premium hi-fi system in our 2011 BMW 528i consists of 16 speakers powered by 600 watts directed into nine channels. BMW couldn’t provide exact speaker sizes, but the locations include a tweeter and midrange in the center of the dash, a tweeter in each "mirror triangle" in the front doors, a midrange in each front door, a tweeter and midrange in each rear door, another mid-tweet combo in the rear deck and two woofers underneath the front seats.
The Sound
As with every system I test, I listened to over a dozen musical tracks that I've heard in literally hundreds of vehicles to gauge clarity/lack of distortion, tonal balance, timbre, tonal accuracy, soundstaging, imaging and dynamics. I also used non-musical tracks to test soundstaging, imaging, linearity and absence of noise. For more details on this testing process and the tracks used, check out on the Edmunds.com article Sound Advice.
The 5 Series occupies the middle ground in the BMW lineup, above the traditional entry-level 3 Series (that's since been ceded to the 1 Series) but below the corner-office status of the 7 Series. Similarly, the performance of the 528i's Premium hi-fi system straddles the line between good and great — but never crossing into exceptional territory.
The system had sufficient clarity, with only a bit of the typical midbass distortion and thickness, which also skewed tonal balance. Timbre and tonal accuracy were above average, although I could clearly hear coloration on certain instruments. The system also lacked sufficient dynamics, so that drums, for example, didn't have the visceral impact that gives recorded music a lifelike quality. The woofers under the front seats couldn't muster butt-shaking low bass — but did induced a bit of annoying panel rattle on some of the deepest notes.
Soundstaging and imaging were a diffferent story. The stage extended beyond the 528i's sizeable dash, with left and right boundaries past the A pillars, and imaging was pinpoint accurate. The expansive soundstage and precise imaging worked in tandem to give the music a tangible sense of space and a layered quality.
In addition to music, I check soundstaging and imaging with two test tracks — one with voices mixed left, center and right and another with seven drum beats that are supposed to cross the dash at precise intervals. The BMW 528i's system easily passed both, and on my evaluation sheet next to the two checkboxes for the test I scribbled “Prefect.” Linearity, a measure of how well the sound holds together at low- and mid-volume levels, was also exceptional, with the system scoring good and excellent, respectively. It also nailed a zero-bits/absence-of-noise test.
One thing that sets this audio system apart from those of other automakers is it includes an old-school graphic equalizer, as opposed to only simple tone controls. The 7-band EQ can be used to tweak away some of the clarity issues and dial down the bass – or crank it up if that’s your preference, sound quality be damned. But such signal processing won’t do much to improve timbre and tonal accuracy if it doesn’t already exist with the controls set flat, and it becomes the equivalent of an audio Band-Aid. The system also includes Dolby Pro Logic and surround processing, which expands the soundstage but adds an artificial quality to the sound.
The Sources
The dash contains a CD/DVD player, and Sirius satellite radio and an AM/FM tuner with HD Radio capability are also onboard. iPod integration is via a USB port and aux-in jack and requires a two-pronged cable that plugs into both. Once an iPod is plugged in, the user has to wrangle with the vehicle's iDrive center-console controller to get to their tunes.
While overall the iDrive interface has improved, the process for getting to a specific track on an iPod is still frustrating. As you can see in this video from another post, it takes up to five clicks of the iDrive interface to simply play the track you want, requiring a lot of eyes-off-the-road time. Plus, the iPod menu doesn't contain top-line categories for podcasts and audiobooks, which is becoming more common. You can also use a USB drive instead of an iPod, as many of our commenter often suggest. But you still have to deal with the same overly complicated menu structure.
What We Say
Although most of BMW's competitors have now hooked up with name-brand high-end audio companies, it’s doubtful that most people will buy one car or the other in this class based solely on the stereo. But I would also bet that a large segment of BMW customers are hyper brand-aware and care about status if not sound. Too bad an exclusive with B&W is already taken.
But beyond audio branding, while BMW sets a benchmark in the luxury-sedan category with the 5 Series, the Premium hi-fi system in our long-term 528i simply doesn’t measure up.
The Scores
Sound: B-
Sources: B
iPod Integration: C-
Cost: C
We've reached the 10,000-mile mark in our 2011 BMW 528i. After a hiccup or two early on the 5 Series seems to be on track. It hasn't yet seen the dealer for scheduled service and, according to the warning at startup, isn't due for another 4,700 miles or 15 months.
Ok, so I kept something from you when I posted on our BMW 528i yesterday. When I started it up there was a warning light. Some of you caught it. It was the dreaded seat calibration warning. We've seen this before on our 7 Series. The solution is to slide the seat forward all the way, a little further and then reset your seat position. Really easy.
I enjoy the new technology in cars today. But there is a part of me that can't get past the more moving parts equals more problems idea. This is an example of a very easy fix. But what do you think? Are comfort features like this worth the hassle when they go bad?
I have a pet peeve. I can't stand it when I shift a car into reverse and the side mirrors tilt down so far that they become useless. In this example, our 2011 BMW 528i plays the role of most vehicles. Our 2011 Infiniti M56 shows how it should be done.
First, take a look at the BMW on the top/left. This is the mirror in park. The picture on the top/right is the mirror in reverse. See how far the line perpendicular to the car shifts? It moves from the very bottom of our view to the very top of our view. There is no in-between. That doesn't do me much good when I'm backing into a parking space.
Now the Infiniti takes a more conservative approach, which is actually useful. This time the bottom/left picture is the mirror in park. The bottom/right is in reverse. Again, watch the perpendicular line. See that the mirror only pivots half as far as the BMW? That is what I'm talking about. Unlike most other cars and trucks, this is helpful when backing into a parking space. Thank you, M56.
Am I alone on this?
I've been seeing a few more 2011 5 Series on the road now. Or at least I think I have. Maybe a couple of them were 7 Series. From a distance, it's pretty hard to tell. So to educate myself on the details, I collected some pictures of our departed 750i and compared them our 528i. I was actually a bit surprised on how similar the two cars look in photos. The pics follow after the jump.
2011 5 Series (above)
2009 7 Series (above)
2011 5 Series (above)
2011 7 Series (above)
2011 5 Series (above)
2011 7 Series (above)
2011 5 Series (above)
2011 7 Series (above)
BMW's marketing people must have slipped something in the water last month because it was a huge month for the brand. Worldwide, the BMW Group sold 165,842 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles in March, a figure that sets a monthly sales record.
The brand can thank the 5 Series for a lot of this — the model boasted the strongest sales growth within the lineup. BMW sold 30,954 5 Series last month, a figure that's more than double that of March 2010 (+114.5%). So I guess the strategy of making the car more luxury-focused (and more like the E Class) is working out okay for the brand.
Says Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: "2011 got off to an excellent start for the BMW Group with new sales records. This positive development is mainly thanks to our attractive model range and healthy auto markets in many parts of the world — in the established markets of Europe and the U.S., and in the emerging markets of South America and Asia. Sales volume of the year 2011 is expected to rise to well over 1.5 million units, a new all-time high, with the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands all achieving new sales volume records."
Last night, I slid into the BMW 5 Series to go home. We have a key card system that gets us in and out of our parking garage. I took my card out of my bag and it slipped out of my hand and right down the side of the driver seat next to the center console. The cards are the size of a credit card.
You can see in the picture above there is not much room there. Being a girl I have tiny hands, but I could not reach the card. If you look under the front of seat, there is a plastic trim piece that keeps you from seeing underneath. So, I got into the back seat and I could see all the mechanical scary bits that look like they will take off my hand if I reach under. They won't, of course, but I'm kind of a dramatic person.
The card is sitting sideways next to the cushion and I can't reach it. I just want to go home. So I move the seat all the way forward. The card doesn't budge and I still can't reach. I move the seat all the way back. Nothing. So I did this a few more times until the card finally tipped over. Then I held my breath and stuck my hand into the terminator-like machinery under the seat and kept at it until I managed to wiggle the card between my fingertips and slowly pulled it out.
Whew! Mischief managed.
I drove our long-term 2011 BMW 528i the other night for the first time in a while. I switched back and forth between the Normal, Sport, and Sport+ settings. We all agree here that Normal setting is too lethargic with regard to powertrain response, so we'll forget that altogether. However, many people here like the Sport setting. But for me, this too has the familiar combination of sluggish throttle tip-in, followed by wild acceleration.
So Sport+ must be the place, yes?
Nope.
The accelerator pedal feels stiffer in Sport+, as if the throttle return spring rate was increased. It's difficult to smoothly tip-in the throttle. And in Sport+ the throttle is jumpy, the transmission is jerky, and there is too much engine braking as the transmission tries to hold a low gear.
If I sound too fussy, I'll once again state that our long-term 2011 Hyundai Equus is just fine for me. The Equus' powertrain is much more refined, while still remaining adequately exciting (in Sport mode.)
Yeah, this isn't a straight up comparison as the Equus has a 4.6L V8, while the BMW has the normally aspirated 3.0L inline 6.
Whatever, they're both executive sedans that cost about $60K.
The bottom line is if you told me five years ago that one day I would prefer the powertrain of a Hyundai to any BMW, I would have called you insane!
You know how when you're sick and all you want is comfort. The other day I left the office feeling lousy. I had the keys to the BMW 528i. I'm sure it's no surprise that the luxury sedan is comfortable. But what I appreciated most on my long drive home was the driver headrest. It sits in the perfect position so I could drive and rest my head at the same time. I was still in a safe and proper driving position but I didn't have to hold up my heavy head myself.
I'm still coughing and sneezing but now I'm sitting on my couch. Perhaps I should go into my driveway, turn on the seat heaters and take a nap.
What are the headrests like in your car?
I'm one of those people who complain they are cold all the time. Then when the weather hits the 80s I complain that I'm hot. You know the type, we drive with the seat heaters and air conditioner on at the same time.
We've had beautiful weather in L.A. the past few days and I've had trouble setting the air conditioner in the BMW 528i to a comfortable temperature. It's always too subtle for this Chevy-raised girl.
I end up having to push the "Max A/C" button then dialing it back from there. Max sets the temperature to 60 degrees and puts the fan on full speed. It quickly cools a sunny cabin. When I dial the fan back, the BMW adjusts the temperature to match. Set it to 3 lines and the car warns you you're only going to get the temp to 68 degrees, for example.
Tell us about the A/C in your car.
Would you drive this car after I've had it and been sick for a week?
I took our BMW 528i to the car wash today to try to de-germify it. I hope it worked.
The Good: Our longterm 2011 BMW 528i's headlights are probably the best in our fleet. Bright, even light, color temperature is spot on (no blue to speak of), the cutoff has no murky rainbow nonsense. Just a wall of illumination. I wish all of our cars had headlights as good as these.
The Bad: The awful throttle response. Initial tip-in in particular is so irritatingly bad that it alone would prevent me from buying this car.
Nothing like toiling through rush-hour traffic in a car as luxurious as our 2011 BMW 528i. Just sit back and enjoy the quiet, the seat heaters, the plush ride and even its smell of its quality interior materials.
Then I saw this...thing. A Lincoln Blackwood! Talk about unicorns.
For those who don't know, the Blackwood was a luxury pickup truck, basically a done-up F-150, that "sold" in America in 2002. It's a pickup with a carpeted truck bed featuring LED lights. Needless to say it was a sales flop, only selling about 3,300 in the U.S. for prices below what it originally stickered for.
Couldn't help but wonder as I drove beside them if they felt as good in their luxurious pickup as I did in the Bimmer...and, more importantly, what they're hauling in their "cargo trunk."
Today we reported the cost of the first scheduled service (7,500 mile) on our long-term 2011 Infiniti M56. Oil and filter change and a tire rotation cost us time and $74.38.
The post made me wonder about the servicing of the other fancy sport sedan in our fleet, our 2011 BMW 528i. Well, the BMW has covered 11,500 miles and has yet to need a service. In fact, the car's computer says it won't need an oil change for another 2,500 miles.
And when it does need that oil change it will be at no cost to us because BMW covers scheduled servicing for the first 4 years or 50,000 miles.
Score one for BMW.
Every morning when I head to work, leaving my garage and driving down a narrowish alley to the main street, I always hold my breath and tense up before pulling out into the street. Cyclists and skateboarders sometimes just fly down the sidewalk. And of course the pedestrians here just step out onto the driveway without first checking for oncoming cars.
You see, I have to basically pull out onto the sidewalk/driveway to check and see if anyone is coming. Hit the jump for my POVs from the front seat. With the above vantage point afforded by the side cameras mounted to the front end of the car, I can actually see down to the end of the sidewalk! Pfew! Still cautious exiting the alley but now at least I don't hold my breath.
Anyone coming? I can't see! Aaaahhhhh!
Related posts: Backup camera and overhead camera
Now this is cool. Lots of cars have dual-zone climate control, but how many have dual fan speeds as well? Our long term 2011 Infiniti M56 doesn't. Sure, the Infiniti's got Forest Air mode (which I've got to admit is better than it sounds — humidity control is key), but if you want a strong, cold gale at your face and your passenger (usually a girl) wants to bask in weak, warm breath, well, you're out of luck. Not so in the $7-grand-cheaper BMW.
Any of us who've had long-term relations with a significant other who doesn't appreciate having the AC blasted full-steam all the time will find the dual fan speed clutch. I know I did.
Oh, and best of all? The "Automatic climate control with separate left/right temperature and air distribution controls, with automatic air recirculation" is standard.
In the past, I've griped about throttle tip-in on our long-term BMWs. It's been a while since I've driven it, but last night in our 528i, I noticed something else: poor shifts.
It was noticeably jerky, with a quick lurch forward just before it drops unceremoniously into second gear. "That's odd," I thought. It's not consistently repeatable, but it does happen quite often. The roughness of this shift is definitely something I would've noticed (and posted on) before.
Besides the one-two shift, I also found another lumpy transmission spot. After coasting a short while, I'd re-apply the throttle — not a good wallop on the pedal — just slight pressure to resume speed. Again, a rough shift.
In luxury cars, I often coast to a super smooth limo stop, but the BMW wouldn't let me. In the last 20 feet or so, the transmission awkwardly downshifts into first gear. It lurches forward enough to feel as though I had a leg spasm and gave a quick jab to the brake pedal. This leads me to believe that perhaps we need to have the car looked at, as it's very un-BMW-like. It's as annoying as our Cruze was when we first took delivery of it.
The radio is on. And it doesn't want to shut off in our long-term 2011 BMW 528i, even after you cut the ignition. The radio doesn't die til you lock the doors. And because of this, I can't even tell if the ignition is off unless I look at the tach.
Now I understand this feature may come in handy when you bring that superfox to Make-Out Point. But for me it's a bit annoying for everyday use, such as when you have to retrieve your gear from the backseat before you go inside.
At least I got to share JLo with my neighbors.
Re-enactment vid on the jump.
Our long-term 2011 BMW 528i has an available split Radio and Navi screen. This is the screen I prefer to use during everyday driving: radio as the primary display and the Navi heading my secondary display, even if I have not targeted a destination.
A few other companies have this type of display available, but BMW does it best with their 60/40 ratio of the split, clear graphics, and fairly easy to re-configure split portions of the display.
Can your vehicle present a split display, and what do you show on each side?
Friday bonus! Rare LA car sighting on the jump.
This rare bird is a Ferrari Testarossa Spyder. It's mid-to-late 80's MY, but it's tough to determine the exact year with the aftermarket wheels (factory wheels were originally center-lock, then migrated to 5-bolt).
Also, this version has the twin mirrors mounted at the base of the A-pillar instead of the "Flying" single or twin mirrors in the middle of the A-pillars.
A pretty car, and smaller in size than my recollection.
I've been on the fence about the 5 Series for awhile now. At first, I thought it was completely faceless and totally lacking in character (I actually liked the E60 more than most). Then I warmed up to some of its less obvious styling cues like the overall stance, the headlights and even the interior.
Yet to this day, whenever I see one on the road it's not immediately obvious whether it's a 5 Series or a 7 Series. And that's a problem for BMW.
Those 7 Series owners want something for all the extra money they paid and a distinctive look is usually part of the bargain. Even some 5 Series owners might take offense that their smaller, and supposedly sportier, sedan looks more like the big 7 Series cruiser. Not an easy thing to resolve, but here's hoping that the mid-cycle facelift adds a little extra something to the exterior of the 5.
You don't need to look at the specs to know that the latest BMW 5 Series has grown a lot. It looks bigger and it feels bigger from behind the wheel. Yet, these perceptions got me thinking: How does the new 5 Series compare to the 7 Series from the late 1990s?
Well, buckle yourself in for a little spreadsheet action ...
Yes, the new 5 weighs more than the late '90s regular wheelbase 740i. It also has a longer wheelbase and is almost as wide. It dwarfs the same era's 5 Series. There is nearly a 5-inch difference in wheelbase (and length) between 5's, yet interestingly, rear legroom has only grown by 1.9 inches. Wasn't rear legroom a big reason for all that growth?
Of course, then you look at the V8 engine specs and the new 5 starts to look a little rosier. Besides the rather ridiculous power difference, fuel economy has improved by 2 mpg as well.
But that's a superb engine — I'm not sold on the rest of the car for more reasons than just size. More on that tomorrow, though.
P.S. Seriously, is that 7 Series still a brilliant looking car?
"'This might be the perfect car,' exclaimed one of our road test editors after putting the BMW 550i through its paces at our test track. 'It's the perfect size, looks great, it's fast, it handles. Does everything well.' You could throw in supremely comfortable, quiet on the highway, luxuriously appointed and beautifully built. We would never go so far as to declare it 'the perfect car' — there are always going to be a few areas of contention — but the BMW 550i would most certainly be among the nominees with Vegas odds in its favor."
I wrote that back in 2008 about the previous-generation BMW 5 Series. While I always thought it looked silly and not like a proper BMW, I begrudgingly had to admit that it was sensational for all that stuff up there and that it still drove like a proper BMW.
This new 5 Series, however, does not get that same endorsement. It may look more like a proper BMW, but now it drives silly.
It starts the second I dip into the throttle and nothing happens. I have absolutely no idea why people supposedly like this lazy throttle response or why BMW thought it was a good idea, but it's infuriating. Alas, I am in "Normal" mode because the car defaults to that every time I start the car. Press "Sport" and now the throttle response still has a brief delay, but it's immediately followed by this manic, hyper sensitive reaction that makes you feel like you dumped a gallon of Monster Assault into the gas tank. Great on a canyon road I suppose, but nutty everywhere else.
Hey, I have an idea. What about a "BMW" mode that feels like, you know, what the 5 and all the old BMWs felt like. My Z3 may be old, flaccid and thrown together Frankenstein-style with parts from two different 3 Series, but at least it doesn't feel like it's A) Asleep or B) Controlled by a caffeinated squirrel.
Once I move beyond the throttle, the rest of the new 5 begins to sink in. Yes, it's very big now, but that's not my biggest beef. The last generation was pretty big, too. It just feels too soft and too isolating, almost (gulp) Volvo-like. The electric steering is a great approximation, but again, neither of the two driving modes successfully achieve the outgoing engineering artistry. It doesn't encourage you to drive; it feels like a limo now.
Now, I understand that typical midsize luxury sedan buyers aren't taking their cars to track days, probably don't live within 1,000 miles of a canyon and will rely on their car principally for commuting, errands and road trips. Yet the stereotypical BMW driver (and I've talked to a few about this very topic), want a car that makes them excited to drive regardless of where they're going. I count myself in that group. The old 5 Series begged me to drive it, the new car doesn't and I think that's sad.
Frankly, I think BMW is losing the plot and risks losing its core clientele while attempting to suck in Lexus drivers or whoever will supposedly benefit from "Normal" modes and all that isolation. One 5 Series owner I talked to said the new car doesn't interest him, coming to a similar conclusion I did after a test drive. I can't be certain, but I'd wager that could be a common response.
One thing I am certain about, however: BMW 5 Series is no longer in my running for perfect car.
I've gotten to drive our 5 Series a few times and I gotta admit something: it's kinda boring.
I say that because now that I've driven our Porsche a few times, it reminds me that driving isn't just going from A to B, it's about having fun too. Sure our Porsche rattles squeaks and smells of gas from time to time, but I feel happy and alive when driving it. I don't need to be going fast or reckless to have fun, just hearing the engine and having the window open is reward enough.
Our 528i has soothing alert chimes, coddles you in comfortable seats and is so refined and quiet that it's just numb. Now I'm not saying the 528i is a bad car, it is a very nice car. But for me it's missing that spark that makes a car a joy to drive. Life is too short not to experience it even on the short trips to the supermarket.
Our 528i has caught plenty of flack over the last few months. It's throttle is too touchy, it's not sporty enough, it's boring looking (that was me). I have my issues with it, but after a weekend behind the wheel, I still find this one of the most satisfying sedans in our fleet.
For one, the whole throttle thing doesn't bother me all that much. I think I just adapted to the point where it no longer feels out of the ordinary. It's not an overly powerful car anyway, so I'm generally not expecting a huge rush of immediate power.
I also like the solid feel of our 528i. From its doors to the movement of the shifter to the suspension tuning, it's all very precise and mechanical. And no other car in our fleet feels as planted at 70mph, even the cars with better steering and/or firmer spring setups. No, it's not really sporty in the traditional sense, but this 5 Series doesn't get flustered by much either. It does fine if you throw it into a corner at tire squealing speed, just don't expect to muscle it out of the turn with the throttle.
If it were my choice, I would find a way to get the 535i for the extra power alone, but for the majority of buyers in this category, the smaller engine and tamer tuning would feel just fine.
Sitting in bumper-to-bumper congestion last night and watching the driver-side mirror, I saw a long gap developing in the next lane. One of those times when your lane is inexplicably stopped, while everyone else is moving around you.
I let off the brake and pointed the nose in one motion, then applied throttle. Nothing happened. Then, not really giving the computer a chance to catch up, I asked for more and got plenty - quickly. Enough to have to lift, straighten the wheels and get back on the gas before the car behind started bearing down, Of course, within a matter of seconds, it was back to the brakes.
Metropolitan traffic. What are you gonna do? But it was a nervous moment that got me thinking.
The car was in Normal dynamic mode. I started in Sport, but as traffic thickened, that mode's shifting and engine braking felt too aggressive and I resorted to the workaround: roll out slightly, flick the downshift paddle, apply throttle. Dropping a gear tightens up response appreciably, and makes it easy to leap from a standstill or swiftly cut through a lazy merge stream.
Not revolutionary, I know. Then it dawned on me that the Outlander Sport needs to be driven the same way (although with far more attention and engagement). The TSX wagon also livens up with this approach.
Yikes. The new normal. No more day-dreaming in auto-pilot or simply leaning into the pedal for instant bursts. Nope. You can still get around the computer committee, but you'll need to start putting your hands into it. As a traffic-breaker or long-range commuter, an automatic 528i with paddles isn't a bad option. Let it shift for you most of the time, then grab a paddle to pass.
Otherwise, viva la manual.
Well, the 528i's seats may be holding up better than the Equus's, but I got some real crack for the IL Haters, the Clean Police who say we don't care about our cars. We care so little in fact that they get a bath, vac and shine only once a week. Shouldn't be a surprise that our rear passenger compartment - the mats particularly - are starting to look like this.
You can't blame us, really. Automotive editorial work draws some pretty filthy degenerates.
I think it's fair to consider 10-15 people cycling through a car once a month "heavy use." Sensitive motoring types might actually consider it abuse. Add in a handful of trips out to test, where dirt, asphalt and Jacquot-sourced clag gets tracked inside and you've got a real mess.
That said, I'd wager this is the kind of use and deterioration you could expect over a few years if you were regularly shuttling a couple of young kids around to activities. Likewise if you were regularly driving a dog around. Regardless of how vigilant you think you'd be, I think this is an accurate time-lapse of how well the BMW's tan interior - maybe any tan interior - will hold up under heavy wear.
A little disappointing, I think. But that's largely my own projection. I've naively sort of held up 5 Series and above BMWs as a little more immortal than the rest. I've always wanted an E28 and recklessly lowball eBay sellers now and then. Michael Jordan has kindly tried to talk me out of it, citing that my kid may want to go to college someday.
Skip the tan interior. Get the manual. Take the canoli.
There's plenty to moan about with our 528i, but there's also plenty to praise. Here are a few details worth noting:
The 7-band EQ: You have better odds of finding typewriter ribbon at an Apple Store than seeing anything more than a three-band equalizer in most of today's cars, even sport-lux models like the 528. But only a few screens deep within the iDrive menu is a seven-band EQ control.
It's a little cumbersome.
Twist the iDrive knob to hover over the frequency band you want to change, push the button to select, twist the knob again for increase/decrease, the press again to exit.
The iDrive's twist-push-press makes you miss tactile faders or knobs from something like an old AudioControl unit, where you can reach out and make snap adjustments. But I imagine it becomes a pretty seamless sequence with practice, and really applicable for those with audio OCD. As Doug Newcomb noted though, all the EQ in the world can't save crummy tone at the source, and the 528 stock audio set flat does sound a little fuzzy and ill-defined.
The Handshake: Ed mentioned that both the M56 and the 528i's door handles felt somewhat hollow and plastic. Can't disagree on the 528 observation; you expect something with more mass. Every ounce counts I guess, but the 528 handles are at least thick enough not to feel fragile and they have a nice, damped pull. I can't believe I've spent this much thought on a door handle, but I'll give it up to the product planners who probably end up at the dinner table across from their wives, talking about Susie's day at school, all the while lost in thought about the proper damping rate for the rear passenger door handles.
The Recessed Buckle: stays out of your rear-seat passengers way, but easy to grab when you have the occasional rider in the middle. Small detail, but maybe one of those things that reaffirms the purchase and the price.
When I took over the BMW 528i for the weekend, the rear-view camera was defaulting to the overhead view you see above. I found this less helpful than the more traditional view behind the car seen in this second photo:
In both photos I am backing into a parking space in our garage with a wall to my right and a red car to the left.
Which view do you prefer?
I can't possibly be the only one who thinks this is a stupid idea. Maybe it's even been addressed before on this car, possibly by me, I didn't really check. Either way, it annoyed me again last night so I'll take this chance to whine about again.
Putting the door lock button in the middle of the dash makes no sense at all. Not even in German. Where do you naturally look when you want to unlock the doors? To the doors of course, never to the vents in the middle of the dash. But that's when the button is on the 5 Series, and a bunch of other cars these days. Can't wait to hear the explanations why.
BMW, like most luxury automakers, has thoughtfully provided ambient interior lighting on our long-term 2011 528i. The lighting is orange in color, matching the meters, instead of the usual white light.
And the ambient lighting extends down to the map pocket, but not into the footwell on either side, like on many luxury cars.
I suppose BMW figures you can't see down into the footwell anyway, and that you already know what your shoes look like.
There are many people who buy cars and never think about the price of gas. I'm not one of them. I'm always looking for a car that is fuel efficient, fun to drive and — more importantly — less expensive. In my last "Sensible Alternative" blog post, I found a good alternate for the Infiniti M56. Now, I've found a great alternative for someone looking to spend $45K on a BMW and who had considered a BMW 528i.
The BMW 335d (Base MSRP: $45,025) costs $900 less than a 528i (Base MSRP: $45,925). Both cars can easily top $50K with packages, but let's just keep the discussion focused on the base price. The True Market Value (TMV) for the 335d is $2,962 less than the 528i, plus there is an additional $3,500 available in customer cash for the month of June. So you can potentially get a 335d for $8,600 under sticker price. That can buy a lot of diesel fuel. The 335d becomes an even better deal when you look at the costs over a five year period of time. Our TCO figure for the 335d is $62,838 versus $69,769 for the 528i.
Since the 335d is slightly smaller, there are a few sacrifices you'll have to make in terms of space, but it makes up for those in other areas. The 335d offers better fuel economy from its diesel engine, and is more fun to drive thanks to its 425 pound feet of torque. The 335d also comes with a few more standard features than the 528i, such as HID lights, anti-theft system, and Rear A/C.
Here are a few interesting stats to compare. Let us know which one you would pick.
BMW 335d BMW 528i
MSRP: $44,150 $45,050
TMV: $39,917 $42,879
TCO: $62,838 $69,769
Horsepower: 265 240
Torque: 425 230
Transmission: 6-speed 8-speed
Combined MPG: 27 25
Curb Weight: 3,825 3,814
Max Cargo Capacity: 12 cu ft 14 cu ft
I know you'll all be shocked to hear this from me, but I'm a slightly finicky consumer. I like things to be EXACTLY how I want them or I'm simply not interested. I don't adapt well and I don't get used to things. I get grumpy and upset and then stop using it completely (see: my Nintendo Wii — wouldn't stop asking me to reposition the remotes) or I yell every time I use it (See: my TV which makes a ding every time I turn it on / off) until I eventually sell/destroy it.
Things don't get any better with cars. I simply don't like to adapt to things that don't work the way I want them to. Thankfully, the BMW 528i wants to make me happy.
One of my biggest gripes — and this is going to sound petty, and it might be, but my god I hate it — is when cars automatically lock the doors when the vehicle is in motion. I don't find this helpful nor do I feel safer. I've never met anyone who does, but that doesn't mean it's not a valid feature. But I don't want it to be mandatory and if it is, well, that's close to a deal breaker. Honestly.
BMW lets you configure that setting.
Next on this screen is the "Unlock Button" setting. Some cars only unlock the driver door when you push the button or, in the case of the 5er, grab the handle letting the system realize you have a key and are allowed access. This drives me nuts. I don't know why you wouldn't want your passengers to have access to the car, or to unlock the rear (don't you people have groceries or a briefcase?) or to simply open all of the doors all the time. Maybe there's some paranoid delusion that you'll be running from a baddie when you get to the car, escaping only by sliding into the unlocked driver door while he paws helplessly at the passenger handle. But that's crazy. Again, not paranoid enough to require this and I don't know anyone who is. Again, that doesn't mean it isn't valid.
Thankfully, BMW lets you configure that setting, too.
And then there's this: The triple turn signal. Jacquot hates them. I think it's the best thing in the world. I can turn it off, he can turn it off. Surely we've done this to one another during the 528's time in the fleet.
All of these things are computerized settings on new cars, there's no reason we shouldn't give the driver control of the functionality. Hats off to BMW (who also lets you use nav while the vehicle is in motion) for realizing people are still smart enough to think for themselves.
I was just sent a bit of information in regards to J.D. Powers' Initial Quality Study which spotlights one of my biggest peeves with some new cars. Throttle tip-in.
According to the study, "The problem lies in glitches with engine and transmission and in-car telematics technology. J.D. Power's report says that in the case of engines, "with high fuel prices and more stringent government regulations, automakers are designing engine and transmission software to make their models as economical as possible. However, this sometimes leads to the engine or transmission hesitating when accelerating or changing gears." Thus, consumers this year are reporting this as a problem more often than in past years."
Now, knowing about a problem doesn't necessarily mean that anything will be done about it, but at least I know I'm not alone.
Look fast. The service due warning on our 2011 BMW 528i only lights up the IP when you first start the car. If you aren't paying attention you'll miss it. If you are paying attention, you can also track this information through the iDrive menu.
The freeway on-ramp I use nearly every day starting out for the office is a fun, straight two-lane strip that climbs about 25 feet to reach the highway. If you stay right, the same lane becomes an exit run for the avenue up ahead. Merge left, and you're quickly sucked into a long sweeping left-hander that feeds into the northbound 405 melee.
If I catch a couple of green lights before the on-ramp, the whole thing becomes a fun left/right combo, then a mash for the uphill sprint, merge, then set up the car and see how well it holds the lane through the descending ribbon. The other morning I caught the signals just right, and gave the 528 some throttle leading into the on-ramp.
And nothing happened.
For literally what seemed like three seconds. Nothing. I carried the speed I had into the turn and made it about a quarter of the way up the ramp before the car leaped forward and surged through its gears. We were up to merge speed in no time, but the moment had passed. So unromantic.
I'll cop to some driver error here. I hadn't engaged either Sport mode before setting out. Sorry to beat this horse again, but it's disappointing that BMW set the 528's bar this low for its default dynamic setting.
Hopefully the new M5 responds better than this test driver.
Classic postscript:
Him: "BMW should have friendlier test drivers, don't you think?"
Her: (pause) "No" (the fanboy bro-love is suffocating, can you take me home now?)
The other day I had a meeting with a guy who was a Cadillac guy. A serious Cadillac guy. When I asked him the process he uses for buying a new car he said, "Well, when I see a new Cadillac I like, I have to buy it." And that was it. That was how he shops for a car. His latest purchase, though, he regrets, "It just rides so poorly. It's uncomfortable and bumpy and just sits in the garage. I only drive the DTS. I'll probably sell it."
The car in question is a 2010 Cadillac CTS. And, honestly, from a Caddy-buyer POV, that car is probably terrible. It's not floaty, it changes direction, there's feel--- all curse words to old-school Caddy owners.
So we're talking and I say, "Hey, have you driven the new BMW 5 Series?" He says that because it's not a Cadillac, and because the last BMW he drove — in the 80s — he hated, he has not. I tell him the new car is softer, floatier and less responsive than the CTS even and this might be just the car he's looking for. He said he'd give it a shot, but has since stopped returning my calls. Still, I think he'd dig the 528i.
The point, however, is valid: Cadillac is making real cars these days (so is Buick to think of it) and the upcoming ATS and XTS look to follow in the vein of the CTS by also being real, driveable cars. That leaves guys like our friend up there without a natural home. At the same time, BMW's are getting easier and easier on the driver and have a plush factor that there seems to be a market for.
Is BWM right to follow the rich old guys (and their money) into retirement or is Cadillac on the right path, attracting young buyers who still want style and speed? Or both? Is this just a natural shift in market segments? Keeping vs attracting buyers.
Turns out, our long-term 528i is the last of its breed. For 2012, its 3.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-6 will be replaced by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and stop/start technology. Like our car, it'll produce 240 horses, but torque goes up to 260 pound-feet from 230. Fuel economy is already pretty strong with the six-cylinder at 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined, but it should go up by 15 percent says BMW.
Full story over on Straightline.
After a Canada Day weekend road trip to Las Vegas, I have the following complaints about our long-term BMW 528i ...
That is it. I have none. No complaints about its abilities on the highway, which is in stark contrast to how it drives me up the flippin' wall everywhere else. The 800-way power seats are superb. The ride is excellent. The damned annoying throttle isn't damned annoying. I get along with current-gen iDrive. Power is plentiful and I actually got 30.8 mpg averaging about 77 mph on the up-and-down hilly LA-Vegas route on I-15. That's pretty damned good for an engine about to be replaced by something even thriftier.
So as an Autobahn cruiser, the BMW 5 Series does its job exceptionally well. However, the old car did as well and it didn't drive me up the flippin' wall.
As you all continually remind us, it's important that we drive our long-term cars the way they're meant to be driven. As such, an F-150 SVT Raptor needs to romp around on fire roads, while a Sienna or Odyssey should be packed full of preschoolers. And what do you do with a midsize luxury sedan like our 2011 BMW 528i?
You take it on a hero's road trip.
Historically, that's the whole point of the BMW 5 Series. It's a driver's car — and one with enough room and creature comforts that you can and should drive it for considerable distances.
Of course, we've complained variously that this F10 generation of the 5 Series doesn't live up to its forbears, that it's not a pure sport sedan anymore, that it has overbearing electronics that get between the driver and the road.
Well, now I'll see if a 1,236-mile drive to Greenough, Montana — and back — changes my mind. Right now, I'm digging the fact that we have a 528i with the soon-to-be extinct normally-aspirated inline-6, as this promises to be a quintessential 5 Series experience. We'll see if I feel the same way once I hit some serious elevation.
I have a long time to get to know this car. If you have any questions, post them here and I'll do my best to field them.
About a year ago, I told you I was headed to Montana with our long-term 2011 BMW 528i. I'd planned to blog in semi-real-time, but except for some scattered Facebook updates, I've been on radio silence since leaving town last Sunday. Turns out I had to spend pretty much all my waking hours at the wheel, stopping only to sleep, eat and refuel.
Well, I'm back now and I feel kind of rejuvenated in spite of the near-nonstop driving. That means you can expect a bunch more posts with various thoughts (some interesting, some boring) I had during all those hours alone in the car.
Of course, you can't help but grow attached to a car on a trip like this, and as a couple of you predicted, I never thought about our 528i's jerky throttle response, except when pulling out of my motel in the mornings.
Meanwhile, I became an even bigger, even more annoying fan of BMW's normally aspirated inline six-cylinder engine. (Just how annoying? Well, I attended a media event for a rival automaker, and I took over the dinnertable conversation talking about this engine, until finally an employee of said rival automaker leaned over and said, "OK, we get it. Can we please talk about [X vehicle] that you've come here to drive?!" "Sure," I replied, "as soon as you acknowledge that this inline-6 is better than any of the comparable Vee engines your company builds." Wow, I'm kind of a jerk.)
Note the elevation posted on the sign, which appeared 997 miles into the trip. On this whole drive, we never saw anything higher than 8,000 feet, and most of the driving was at 4,000-5,000 feet. By about 6,000 feet, the N52N engine showed subtle altitude-related fatigue, so merging and passing required a few more revs — a situation I actually enjoyed, because this engine makes some great sounds when it's working.
Before I left town, I was wondering how I was going to keep track of trip mileage since like all other BMWs, the 528i doesn't have the conventional Trip A/B counter — there's just one trip counter in the cluster. Then, I found this page within the iDrive menus. Turns out we've always had the "automatic reset" box checked, so the data on this page is zeroed out whenever we clear the trip counter.
I unchecked the box and soon I had a nice trip log going. Here's how it looked when I pulled up at my destination in Greenough, Montana, after using I-15 (and on to I-90 and Montana Hwy 200) the whole way. As several of you noted, traveling through Utah brought both permissive speed limits (at least half a dozen stretches limited to 80 mph) and brief but frequent road construction delays... which pushed down my average speed. I figured I'd take the "fast" route north to Montana and try an alternate route for the return trip.
As for average mpg, well, in-car trip computers tend to be incurably optimistic, but this one really wasn't far off reality. Indeed. Who needs a four-cylinder when you can do this well with an inline-6? Oh, wait, N52N is about to lose its job to a four-cylinder.
I'll have the mpg totals for you shortly. Also, 1,273 miles should have been the halfway point of my trip, but I couldn't resist the call of Glacier National Park, and then, Craters of the Moon National Monument... eh, what's another 350 miles? Oh, right, that's the reason nobody goes on road trips with me.
Somewhere around Ogden, Utah, I had to exit Interstate 15 to watch our long-term 2011 BMW 528i's hit the 15,000-mile mark*. We didn't linger long, because there were still another 500 miles between us and Missoula, Montana, our destination for the night.
While I was photographing the occasion, an E46 3 Series coupe rolled by and reminded me just how large BMW's family of sedans has gotten over the last decade. Throughout this trip, I had moments where I'd forget which car I was driving... was I in the 528i or was I back in our 2009 750i (which I also took on a long road trip)?
*The warning triangle in the cluster is a low wiper fluid warning. However, despite mass windshield-based killings of bugs in Utah and later Idaho, I never ran out during the trip.
Partly, I think this is due to the superficial similarities between the cars (similar styling, similar cabin design, almost the same paint mix), and partly, I think it's because the 5 Series has such a cushy, isolated ride now... although on certain, snow/ice/salt/truck-ravaged roads in Montana, our 528i's 245/45R18 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT run-flat tires delivered more of a pounding than I'd have liked. But it goes further than that: I'm just not excited about being in this 5 Series like I was in the previous two generations of the 5. Unless, I'm letting the inline-6 rev, I could be in any other sedan — there's just not a strong sense of identity.
Yet, in spite of the 528i's big boring car feel, I've had no trouble maneuvering it in tight spots. It's easy to park (parallel or otherwise), and even without using its optional top view and rearview cameras, I got a good feel for its corners and overall footprint.
Photo session completed, I located our next coffee stop in the nav system's POIs and we pressed on, crossing the Idaho stateline 60 miles later.
Early in the trip, in a slightly seedy section of North Las Vegas, this happened.
Our long-term 2011 BMW 528i came due for its first oil change... and then 900 miles later, I took a picture. By the time, we were back in L.A., the car was 2,600 miles past due. Needless to say, a service visit is first on the to-do list this week and I'll of course tell you how it went.
I actually tried to get it in for an oil change during my trip, but it turns out there's no BMW dealership in Missoula, Montana (the nearest major city to my destination), and the next closest dealers — Boise, ID; Idaho Falls, ID and Calgary, Alberta — just weren't convenient. Actually, a side trip to Calgary sounded like a fun detour, but my passport was one of the things I forgot when packing for this trip.
I carefully monitored the oil level during the trip, and I even had a quart of BMW-approved Euro formula Mobil 1 0W40 that my significant other picked up on his most recent run to America's favorite big box retailer. (Yup, so thoughtful. That's why he's a keeper.) But I never needed to add any the whole trip, though the electronically monitored oil level did drop from well over the halfway mark (between max and min) to right at the halfway mark.
Here is the obligatory fuel economy post from my road trip from L.A. to Montana (and back) in our long-term 2011 BMW 528i. Tomorrow I'll fill you on the back-roads driving I did on the way to Glacier National Park (that little detour pushed my total trip distance right up near 3,000 miles) and regale you all (well, all of you who are still reading after my relevation of car-related negligence... "I would have just changed oil and filter myself on the side of the road," wrote vvk. "The next owner is in for a world of hurt," tjpark01 predicted.) with the rest of my photos.
For now, here's a photo of our 528i taken around 10 p.m. (high latitude = long summer days) just off Interstate 90 next to the Blackfoot River. This river of River Runs Through It fame meanders along the interstate (or rather, the interstate meanders along the river), and there are countless scenic places to pull off along the way. This area is also pretty remote, though, and it got even more remote as I turned south on I-15 toward Idaho Falls, my destination for the night.
And that's why I was so pleased by our 528i's respectable rate of fuel consumption (29.3 mpg for the whole trip, with a best tank of 30.8 mpg. I didn't do a fuel economy run on this trip, because I didn't have time. Speed limits were posted at 70-80 mph for almost the whole trip, and I stayed with the flow. I also dug the car's extremely long cruising range — my best run lasted 531.1 miles. Yep, I'm about to explain myself on that...
I made this trip alone. I like traveling alone, but when you're alone, you have to exercise some extra caution. On many occasions, on my nighttime drive south on I-15, I'd go 20 minutes without seeing another vehicle. After one of these dry spells, I passed a Mazda RX-8. Way back in the day, we had an RX-8 in our long-term fleet and I remember stopping for fuel after just 200 miles. In this moment, I felt really glad to be in the 528i.
With an easy 400-500 miles of cruising range, I could really choose my fuel stops, so I didn't have to stop just anywhere, didn't have to pull into unfamiliar towns than didn't feel quite safe, didn't have to automatically canvas the area for a gas station if I was stopping for food or coffee. Had I been traveling with someone (or been more familiar with the area), I probably wouldn't have cared as much about range or fuel stops, but as a solo traveler in completely unfamiliar surrounds, this was a good deal and it really endeared the 528i to me.
See, I think a BMW 5 Series should be an excellent road trip car above all else. And when you look at engine performance/personality, ride quality and fuel consumption/range, the 528i ticks all the boxes. Is it as engaging and fun as older 5 Series sedans I've driven? No. But it's still a sedan that you can get in and drive for hundreds, even thousands of miles, and the car feels positively in its element.
Below, a fuel stop on U.S. 93 south of Kalispell, Montana, just before a torrential thunderstorm.
Below, storm clouds over northbound Interstate 15. The skies opened every afternoon I was in Montana. I haven't experienced that since I lived in Memphis during my college years.
Below, typical western Montana scenery. It never gets old. This state is just stunning.
My tight schedule for the Montana trip didn't leave nearly enough time to try out fun back roads.
When I got back to Missoula after my detour to Glacier National Park, I was dying to hop on U.S. 93 (which gets pretty twisty when you cross into Idaho), and then I'd maybe cut over to state highway 75... But it was getting late (already 7 or 8 p.m.), and U.S. 93 looked kind of remote and I didn't have a plan in place for where to stay that night, and so with considerable disappointment, I continued on I-90 to I-15 and pulled into Idaho Falls sometime after midnight. I still have regrets over making the safe choice, and I'm trying to talk my significant other into making another trip up to the far north next summer (or maybe even this fall). I did use U.S. 93 through Nevada, and I found it blissfully serene and light on traffic. Beautiful, too, as seen in the above photo.
So I had to settle for the occasional series of sweeping turns on Montana highways 200 and 83 — a couple of the roads I used to get to Glacier. Actually, the road that goes through Glacier, Glacier Route 1 or Going to the Sun Road, is very curvy with a lot of elevation gain (and then a steep descent going back down), and could be a lot of fun, but it's posted between 25-40 mph and jammed with tourists who are in absolute awe over the enormous scale of the mountains and the glaciers... which is to say, people like me. However, that translated to a traffic jam worthy of an L.A. freeway, and after two hours of crawling along and stopping to take photos, I had to turn back. That was frustrating, but the scenery is stunning, and if you haven't been here, you should go here... just reserve 2-3 days to get through the traffic. Many photos await after the jump.
And the 528i? Well, it will come as little surprise to you that this isn't a car I'd take out on a "just because" drive. It is, however, a good companion for adventures on unfamiliar roads.
Although the suspension calibration is a little too isolating, car feels balanced and capable through turns. Even without Active Roll Stabilization magic, the body stays pretty flat, and the car's P245/45R18 Dunlop summer tires offer plenty of grip for public roads driving. The steering isn't as talkative as in past generations, but effort levels are good off-center. Of the midsize luxury sedans I've driven, I can see the Jaguar XF(R) being more enjoyable on these roads, maybe even the 2012 Audi A6. I still like the 5 Series, but I'm not as smitten with it as in years past... which is to say that 7-10 years from now, I can't see myself searching for used 2011 528i sedans.
And now for the photos. I had to take a mile-long gravel road to my residence in Montana. That coupled with daily afternoon thunderstorms necessitated a mid-trip self-serve wash in Seeley Lake.
And now we're headed to Glacier National Park.
I stopped here way too many times.
I stopped in Pocatello, Idaho, on the trip north. The Hotel Yellowstone is cool looking and literally about 100 years old. I think it's a Holiday Inn now.
Idaho has many instances of subtle beauty.
Oh, here's my other detour. Against anyone's better judgment, I left my motel in Idaho Falls and hopped on U.S. 20, which eventually takes you to Craters of the Moon National Monument. I spent 45 minutes looking at the lava fields. Then, it was back to L.A. in one shot.
Apparently nobody likes ethanol in Montana and Idaho. I saw this labeling at nearly every gas station. Which suited me and the 528i just fine.
Although I mostly used the iDrive display's split-screen layout, I really enjoyed following along on the full-screen map in unfamiliar parts of Montana. It's like looking at real road atlas.
And we're home.
And here's a chance to hear the 528i's normally aspirated, 3.0-liter inline-6 as I accelerate into the home stretch — I-15 south into Vegas. You might need to turn your speakers up. Also I didn't do a great job mounting the camera, so there's a lot of distracting shake/noise.
Since our long-term 2011 BMW 528i was more than ready for an oil change by the time I returned from Montana, I called a dealership the morning after my return to schedule an appointment. So this was a Friday morning.
After a couple rounds of phone tag with Santa Monica BMW's switchboard and service department, I finally got in touch with Robert, who was friendly and professional, and quickly took down a lot information in detail (the car's VIN, the car's paint color, my address) so that it would all be in the computer when I arrived. He told me the service department had a slot available at 7:45 a.m. Monday and that I would have an "open appointment," meaning the first available service advisor would help when I arrived with the car. He also asked if I'd want to take the shuttle back to work, and I said yes.
When Monday morning rolled around, the appointment went smoothly... mostly.
When I arrived and pulled into the "Reservation Lane" at the dealership, a porter immediately approached and asked if I had an appointment. I said yes. Then, he asked which service advisor the appointment was with, and I said, oh, I was told it was an open appointment and that any service advisor could help me. He looked doubtful and went over to talk to one of the service advisors. That advisor looked up and asked why I was there, but didn't immediately offer to assist me. They continued to talk.
Meanwhile, I started taking some pictures (the ones you see here), and after a minute or two, another service advisor asked why I was there and then cheerfully beckoned me over to his desk. And we were in business.
Even though I'd given all that information over the phone, there was evidently still a lot of information for him to type in to make sure the oil service was covered under warranty so that the dealership can get paid by BMW. He asked me a question here and there to make sure that was all I wanted done today, and I said, yes, the car's doing fine, though I wouldn't mind if you topped off the windshield wiper fluid.
At one point, though, he turned serious, looked right at me, and asked, "Why were you taking photos of your car?"
"Because I'm writing about it."
"For BMW or for a magazine?"
This was a joyless exchange that put the customer on the spot, and it shouldn't have happened.
Then, the service advisor told me the car would be ready by 10 a.m. and that I could wait in the showroom for the shuttle. I had hoped to get the 528i washed, but all the service advisors had pieces of paper taped to their desks that read something like "Our car wash machine is out of order until August 15." I pointed to the sign and asked the advisor if that meant my car wouldn't be washed, and the answer was yes.
I went and put my name down for the shuttle and was told it would be back in 10-15 minutes. Almost 25 minutes later, I was ushered into a Chevrolet Uplander with two other owners. The van was perfectly tidy, but the level of NVH from the engine compartment as the driver accelerated up to 35 mph was pretty unpleasant. This is too many steps down the vehicle food chain for a BMW dealership; they should be using X5s or at the very least Honda Odysseys as their shuttle vehicles.
Around 10, I noticed a voicemail from my service advisor: "This is [xxx] from Santa Monica BMW. I need to talk to you about your car."
I called back and it turned out the service technician had found a nail in the left front tire and had written that "the rear tires are unsafe."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"I'm just reading what he wrote," said the service advisor. "Also, your vehicle is way out of alignment."
"Thanks," I said, "I'll take care of it."
I went and picked up the still dirty 528i, paid nothing and proceeded directly to Stokes (as in, Stokes our usual tire/alignment shop that just so happens to be right next to the BMW dealership). Stay tuned for a full report on the tires.
Overall, this service experience was just OK. It's great that it was free, but the level of professionalism from the service advisor was no better than what I've experienced at the Ford, Mazda and Nissan dealers on the same street. And it boggles the mind that a BMW dealership is not washing its customers' cars.
See how smooth the rear tires are on our 2011 BMW 528i? Like a baby's butt. And as anyone who has been around a baby's butt knows, those things aren't safe. We needed new tires...
Take a note of the tread. I can't explain the pattern. Sometimes we do fun things with cars. But the abnormal wear itself led me to an epiphany. Routine oil changes every 15,000 miles can be bad news for the average consumer. Let me explain.
Synthetic oils allow us to drive amazing distances on the same few quarts that we used to refresh at (arguably) 5,000-mile intervals. Our 528i didn't request an oil change for over 15,000 miles. Awesome, right? Sort of. Those 5,000-mile intervals of old didn't just schedule an appointment on our mental calendars to change oil, but to address other maintenance items as well. This brings me to the problem, reliance on the onboard computer. And I bet more people do it than we realize.
Onboard maintenance reminders don't monitor everything. That is up to the human. Have you checked your tire pressures regularly? Is your alignment to spec? These are rhetorical under the old-school rules. When you wait so long between dealer visits these questions become very relevant. Tires under or over-inflated for 15,000 miles? Alignment out of whack for 15,000 miles? If you waited to see the dealer until your computer said to, bring your wallet.
BMW is one of the few OEMs to offer the benefit of free scheduled maintenance. It's a great program but it doesn't cover everything. If you rely on your car to dictate its service needs, as I'd wager most folks do, it can be expensive. What do we mean by expensive? Let's just say it cost $903.74 to replace two P245/45R18 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT runflats, each of which had just over 17,000 miles beneath them. Ouch.
Here's an addendum to Mr. Dover's Saturday post on our 2011 BMW 528i's new rear tires. You'll recall that Santa Monica BMW went to yellow alert when a service technician reportedly found a nail in our long-term car's left front tire.
Well, this is the "nail" — the stem of a screw maybe 1/8 of an inch in diameter.
Thirty seconds after the team at Stokes had the 528i up on a lift, one of their techs yanked out the screw and handed it to me. (By the way, the staff at Stokes understand our need for photo documentation, and they never bristle when we wander into their workspace with a camera. Thanks, guys.)
And the damage is all cosmetic. No actual puncture. No need for a patch. Good to go.
To me, this begs the question: Why didn't the BMW service technician pull the screw out of the tire? It's not like this was the first time he'd seen a Bimmer with run-flat tires. If he was really looking at tire condition, he had to have known there wasn't an actual problem here.
Our long-term 2011 BMW 528 got new rear tires on Friday, just before I took it for the weekend. Mike Schmidt warned me to take it easy for a bit to break them in. I told him, sure, I know. I related to him a story of a friend of mine in Detroit who had never fallen from his motorbike. Until he got a new rear tire and rode fast just after mounting it. That big, greasy donut spun up and spat him off in a corner. "I don't know about those Dunlops," he said. The rest of us in the riding group asked him if he forgot about wearing off the tire mold release...
By coincidence, we also got Dunlops on our 528 — 18-inch runflat SP Sport Maxx GTs. After driving 100 miles (more than enough to scrub the tires), I decided to drive quickly on a freeway on-ramp. The pavement turned out to be bumpy, and the rear of the car noticeably skipped a few times going around the bend. Nothing to get worried about, though.
I hadn't notice this before in the 528, but I will try it when I get it the next time I get the car. Because those tires should have been scrubbed in by then.
Our 528i comes standard with a power rear sunshade and manual rear side window shades.
The manual shades initially caused me to fumble around a bit when I was setting them up, since the hooks are smallish and tricky to engage.
Once I got them set up, though, the shades worked great to reduce glare and cool things down on this warm summer day.
Of course, I'm still replaying the events of 2,900 Montana-and-back road trip in my head, remembering little details here and there. And I remember that the car's orange ambient lighting made the cabin more inviting when driving on empty stretches of Interstate 15 at night. I also remember that I missed being able to stream All Things Considered in remote areas, because unlike our TSX wagon, the 5 Series doesn't have Bluetooth streaming audio capability.
Finally, I want to say something about the radar detector I used. (If you don't believe in radar detectors, best to stop reading here.) We have a staff Escort Passport iQ right now. It looks like a portable navigation unit, and in fact, is a portable navigation unit. But it also sniffs out radar and laser with rather deadly effectiveness.
I'm not a regular user of radar detectors, but when you're driving a few thousand miles in less than a week (and don't have a front passenger to yell at you), your right foot can get complacent every now and again. So it's peace of mind. With that context, I found our Passport iQ quite easy to use, and if I had more opportunities to drive to Montana, I might just splurge on one of my own.
After the jump, I offer a short video review, so enjoy the sound of my road-trip-weary narration.
Other editors, like Al Austria already covered the difference in the Normal, Sport and Sport+ settings of our 2011 BMW 528i so I decided to play around with them to feel the difference for myself. Running through them I felt like Goldilocks. OK, actually I skipped over just the Sport mode, which apparently you can customize to suit your tastes. I wanted to feel the drastic difference from Sport+ to Normal.
Sport+ felt just right. I loved the engine braking and thought it perfect during rush hour traffic since I didn't have to hit the brakes so often to slow down. The car felt tight, easier to control. I didn't have as much of an issue with the throttle tip-in as others had simply because I'm not as aggressive while driving in stop-and-go traffic, in terms of switching lanes a lot.
I loved how the car rev-matched my shifts, too. Felt so luxurious compared to the tester of another make I had driven the night before. Since the short-termer might be for an upcoming test, I can't really say what it was except that it had a Hemi, paddle shifters and was automatic. Upshifting and downshifting were herky-jerky while in the BMW, the shifts were imperceptible and smooth. They may not be cars that are usually cross-shopped but it's hard not to compare the two when driven back to back.
Anyway, back to the BMW, while in Normal mode, the Bimmer felt comparatively loosy goosey and floaty. I hated this mode so much that I kept the car in Sport+ most of the time.
On the right is the valet and the main entrance to very swanky The Langham, Huntington Hotel and Spa in equally swanky Pasadena, CA. And on the left is our long-term 2011 BMW 528i, which was lovingly kept up front by the aforementioned valet.
Yep, that's how I roll. I even tipped him a buck.
It occurred to me while driving the 528i this weekend how little I used the dashboard controls. The iDrive more or less controls all the radio functions and the only climate controls I used was the temperature knobs since it's all automatic from there.
Looking at the dashboard, the only other major chunk of real estate was being taken up by the CD slot and some preset buttons — two other features I don't use much.
Got me thinking about what would I want there if BMW decided to get rid of everything? You know, just clear the whole deck except for the main screen and few choice buttons/knobs. Would it look odd if there was nothing there at all? Would it look cool if there was one giant plank of wood across the whole dash?
I'm not really sure, but something tells me it'll never happen. They'll probably come up with some new feature that will need the space and it'll be back to wishing for a simpler setup all over again.
If you read about my trip to Montana in a our long-term 2011 BMW 528i, you might remember that I did a lot of night driving on this trip. I also mentioned that the ambient lighting in this car made those nights on the open road a bit less lonely. In Montana, Idaho and Utah, I'd sometimes drive for 20 minutes at a time without passing another car on Interstate 15.
Usually, I don't care for non-essential lighting. The color-changeable lighting in our long-term Mustang and every recent Mini I've driven is just silly. And the cool-white ambient lighting I've encountered in the Hyundai Genesis and recent Chrysler minivans has all the warmth of a 24-hour convenience store.
But the lighting in the F10-generation 5 Series is well executed. Here I'll offer you a taste of what it's like... when shot with my camera on "auto" and no tripod.
To start, the lighting in our 528i is orange. And you can't change it. It matches the gauges and center stack illumination, and that's that. No worries about getting into the car to find another driver has changed it to lime green.
In the front, you have lighting elements in three locations on each door panel — one along the wood/metallic trim, one in the door release cutout and one in the door bin (ignore the yellow "door open" light in the top photo). When it's really and truly dark out, this is just enough accent lighting to give you a sense of the space around you. It makes you feel like you're sitting in a room, as opposed to just speeding along in a spaceless void.
In the backseat, you have lighting elements in the same locations, plus two additional small overhead lights that cast a soft glow over the seats — not that this would make a difference to me while I'm driving of course.
I've been itching for a road trip. A real road trip. Multiple days. Multiple states. This weekend I'm driving our long-term 2011 BMW 528i from L.A. to San Jose and back. Those 800 miles aren't exactly going to scratch that itch, but it'll feel good to hit the road. Harris Ranch here I come.
I leave today. Please tune in next week for a full report.
If you've come here looking for the new highway fuel economy numbers on our long-term 528i then you're going to be disappointed.
"How can this be?" you say. "You drove it from L.A. to San Jose and back on the interstate. Why wouldn't you calculate the sedan's fuel economy. God, you editors are so lazy. Give me the keys to that 5 Series and the Edmunds gas card and I'll calculate some mpg for you. Automotive journalists are all idiots. Is it really that hard? What's next? Are you going to track test a car and not tell us its 0-60 time? I've had it with you morons. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL."
Easy there turbo. I have a very good reason for not reporting the 528i's highway fuel economy from this trip.
Traffic.
A big rig went of over the side of I5 just north of Cataic Lake. We hardly moved for more than an hour. It was 100 degrees outside. I wasn't going to shut the car and kill the air conditioning. So we sat there. After that I go word there were further delays further north due to repaving. So I jumped on the 46 West to cut over to the 101. Not a good move. More paving. We sat there for another 30 minutes.
Once we finally reached San Jose, the 5 Series ended up doing enless errands and airport runs for relatives. Nearly 100 miles of city type driving.
Then, on the way home last night, more traffic. This time in San Barbara. My bad. I thought I'd would out smart fate and avoid I5 all together, so I took 101 South the entire trip. No good. Stop and go for nearly 70 miles.
Otherwise this was a great trip. And I now have new found respect and appeciation for the our 528i. This is a great road trip machine. My entire family found it to be very comfortable, and I had very little fatigue, even after 5 or 6 hours behind the wheel without a break.
And I appreciate its range. As Erin Riches reported after her trip to Montana in the BMW, it can cover 500+ mile on a tank if you're not a Leadfoot Larry.
We only have another month with this sedan before it heads back to BMW HQ. I think I'll start looking for more excuses to drive it.
Last night the 528i served as a rather luxurious mule for me and four friends, three of whom were consigned to the back seat. The person in the middle wasn't happy about it, saying that the "hump on the floor and that air-conditioning thing" impeded her legroom and left her feeling cramped and uncomfortable during the 15-minute drive.
She thinks this is a notable shortcoming and says she'd never pay that much money for a sedan that can't comfortably seat three in back.
I responded that people who buy the 5 Series probably do so for reasons that don't include comfortable 5-passenger seating. But now that I've had a chance to think about it, maybe I'm wrong. People choose sedans expecting a certain amount of utility, after all, and maybe there are a fair number of luxury-sedan shoppers in this segment who want a premium car that's an easy fit for five passengers.
What do you think? Is 5-passenger seating an important trait for a sedan in this segment?
And yes, beige is clearly a bad, bad idea when you're talking floor mats.
A friend of a friend bought an Audi A4 a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about the reasons behind his purchase. At some point in the discussion, the BMW brand was mentioned — I asked if he'd considered a 3 Series as a possible candidate.
This guy's response was emphatic: He said he'd never buy a BMW, because BMW drivers are known to be "insert profane insult here" and he didn't want people making those assumptions about him. I tried to gently suggest that maybe he was generalizing just a tad but he wasn't having any of it; no BMWs for him, not ever.
I was aware of the negative stereotypes that some people have regarding BMW drivers, but this was the first time I'd come across someone who takes those stereotypes so seriously, they'd steer clear of buying one of the brand's models.
Me, I'd buy whichever car I like best, regardless of what other people think. But I guess I can understand where this guy's coming from. Luxury cars are mostly about image, after all, and if a brand's image doesn't sit well with you, that's certainly one reason to go looking in another direction.
What do you think? Would you avoid buying a BMW for the reasons that this guy mentioned?
You all know by now I'm from Philly, born and bred. And my father owned the best cheese steak shop in world. Pat's and Geno's couldn't compare. But my store is long gone and now I live in L.A., so we must make do with what we can get.
Today, Michelle mentioned french fries, which made everyone hungry. Then that conversation morphed into cheese steaks. Next thing you know, Michelle and I are in the BMW 528i on a cheese steak run. If you're in the Santa Monica area, The Shack on 26th street has pretty good cheese steaks. The fries aren't bad either.
Now, we all need naps.
I usually don't put cups in cupholders. I use them for keys, access cards, tissues, miscellaneous stuff. I like that the BMW has a cover than you can close over when you don't want to see the cupholders.
But this time I actually had a cup. And when I put it in the cupholder, I noticed the lid sits exactly on the top of the cover. If I wasn't careful it could have flipped the lid right off my cup.
This design would be fine if I had a bottle of water but could be dangerous with a hot cup of coffee. My cup was only filled with water so there was no danger of me reaching for my hot drink and burning myself. But I know a lot of people who stop for a latte on their way to work. This design would be awkward.
I've been hogging the BMW 528i for more than a week but I don't think I'd buy one.
Unless I was filthy rich I can't see spending $60,050 on a car. Yes, it is sumptuous and a joy to drive. But do I really need a luxury sedan to get me back and forth to work? Do I really need an automatic trunk opener when I go grocery shopping? Do I really need a power-adjustable steering wheel? Do I really need all of the packages that make this car cost $15,000 more than its base price?
Have you ever read Rich Dad, Poor Dad? The author, Robert Kiyosaki, advises you to buy your big ticket items with your wealth, not your income. So, unless I had an extra $60K lying around or some lucrative stock to sell off, I shouldn't put myself into that much debt for a car. Most Americans don't follow this simple rule, however, and it is part of the reason our economy is in such sad shape. We're a nation that lives on credit and we're wage slaves. They when we lose our jobs or get our hours reduced, we can no longer afford to keep up the payments on our cars and homes. And then we're screwed.
If you waited until you could really afford a BMW, saved up for one, planned for one, it wouldn't hurt so much if you were out of work for several months.
There is my financial
preaching
advice for the day.
This doesn’t mean I won’t be factoring a BMW into my retirement savings.
Let's say I had the $60,500 needed to purchase our long-term BMW 528i. If you've been following any of my posts regarding this car, you'd know there's no way in hell I'd use that money in such a manner. But let's get really hypothetical for a moment and say that I would still NEED to spend that money on a BMW. What would I do?
Well, I'd buy an E39 M5. And let's be really specific and say that I'd buy this 2003 BMW M5 with only 13,797 miles on the clock, Titanium Silver on the outside and LeMans Blue interior. I could easily be swayed by this one as well. Either one would be about $40,000.
So, that's a difference of $20,000. I'd use that remainder to pay off the extra $1,550 extra bucks per year it would cost to fill up, along with any scary BMW maintenance and repair costs that may arrise (though the good boys at Summit Automotive should help with those somewhat). I still think I'd have a lot left over, so maybe I'd plant a few trees to offset the CO2 and maybe a snazzy keychain. Sure, I'd have to deal with ye olde navigation system that drove me nuts in our M3, but then that's nothing like the aggrivation I feel every time I drive the 528i. Nor is enough to counteract the fun I'd have in the M5.
I rest my case.
Our long-term BMW 528i has nearly 20,000 miles on the odometer, so I figured I'd run its specs through the Edmunds TMV (True Market Value) calculator to see what it would cost to buy it now in its current condition.
Here's what I found pricing it out in "clean" condition:
Trade-in: $45,029
Private Party: $47,450
Dealer Retail: $50,363
Original MSRP was $60K.
After all these miles, you'd think that I'd have gotten over the new size of the 5 Series.
It's now a little big car instead of a big little car, more like a 7 Series than a 3 Series.
And I like the 7 Series. It's far more of a driver's car than you'd expect from something so hefty, and I've put in lots of miles in various iterations of this car over the years. And not just around the block, either.
Drove the first V12-powered 7 Series E32 from Dallas to Big Bend National Park and back. Drove the controversial Bangle-designed 7 Series E65 from San Antonio to L.A. Drove the Alpina B7 F01 around Sonoma County and then burned the tires off it at Infineon Raceway.
So I should be fine with the big car personality of the new 5 series. Only I'm not. In a way that I still cannot quite pin down even after 20,000 miles, this car has captured all the clumsiness of an even larger car and no amount of fiddling with the electronic chassis set up will make it go away. The bigness is always noticeable, from the slightly obscured sightlines from the driver seat to the delayed response from the control inputs.
This car still seems like a pricing strategy to me, a way to make 7 Series attributes more affordable. The trouble is, the big car attributes it displays are the very ones that remind me that smaller and lighter better suit the way I drive.
If it were my money, I'd be spending it on the world's most expensive 3 Series. I still want a big little car, not a little big car.
I‘m a guest blogger, and while I’m known as one who is knowledgeable about cars, my real qualifying credential for this particular blog post on our long-term 2011 BMW 528i is that I am a dyed-in-the–wool BMW guy who is driving my 10th in an unbroken string of BMWs (1987 325ic, 1989 325ic, 1991 325i, 1992 325i, 2000 330ic, 2000 528i, 2002 X5, 2004 525i, 2007 525i, 2010 528i).
Currently, I own a silver 2010 528i with the sport package, and it is the 4th consecutive 5-series I have owned since my model year 2000 528i with the sport package. So while I may not have the broad expertise of my editorial colleagues – I do know the contemporary 5-series really well.
What I’ve appreciated most about my 2010 5 Series, and those before it, is its size – just big enough but not too big - and the balance it strikes between offering both sporty and luxury characteristics.
By sporty, I mean that the 2010 and previous model cars feel light, nimble and powerful, but handle precisely with balance and poise, always controlled and confidence inspiring.
By luxury, I mean the styling (I was on board with Bangle-inspired flame surfacing from the get go), materials quality, build quality, and the technology and telematics (I like iDrive, too). Once I became accustomed to it, it became second nature to control all vehicle functions through the knob and screen.
Much has been said in this long-term blog to address the specific qualities of the 2011 528i, so I won’t belabor the details, but I will focus on what I found to be different, and how I feel about these differences after two days behind the wheel.
It has grown to a size and scale that prevents it from achieving the simple qualities that were so attractive to me: lightness and nimbleness. Don’t get me wrong, the car is still spry and it accelerates well – though this requires use of the Sport transmission setting – but it has lost the nimbleness that really defined the dynamics of the previous model. In non-sport mode, the car feels like it was given a sedative.
In “sport” mode, and especially in “sport+”, acceleration is swift and gearing is optimized to deliver satisfying performance. However, there is the throttle tip-in issue, which is real, and despite my wanting to master it and have the throttle submit to my familiar foot, I was unsuccessful. Power delivery notwithstanding, this 5 series is just too big to feel nimble. This characteristic has apparently been relegated to the 3-series. Much has been said about this new 5 series approximating the size of 7-series of yore. If I wanted a 7-series, I’d get a 7-series.
The hope on my horizon is that the pending redesigned 3-series will also grow to fill the void left by the 5-series in terms of scale and size. Michael Jordan hit the nail on the head with his assessment – this is a little big car when it had previously, and so attractively, been a big little car.
The luxury aspects, on the other hand, have been positively amplified. The seats feel more thickly bolstered and yielding, and surfaces like the dashboard, door panels, and armrests are more luxuriously pliable soft to the touch. Though my 2010 528 is expectably quiet inside, in this 2011 528i, road, wind and tire noise are all but banished from the interior, however, you can still enjoy the wonderful sounds of the high-revving inline 6. As with the rest of the car, the construction of the cabin is first-rate, setting a new standard for elegant, austere, driving-focused luxury.
Simple interior aspects were particularly impressive – the enhanced iDrive functionality and resolution and clarity of the iDrive display screen, the matte aluminum trim underscoring the wood across the dash and on the doors, the flush surface of the center stack with the digital information display illuminated beneath it, the ambient interior lighting. All of these design elements, and many more, signify the newfound emphasis on luxury vs. sport, which was the hallmark of the 5-series previously.
Not sure what my next car will be. Odds makers would have me in a 2013 5-series, maybe with a turbocharged 4 that makes lots of torque (and with revised and corrected throttle response). BMW seems to want to appeal to the masses in a quest to achieve sales volume leadership. In this quest, they have clearly put emphasis on size and luxury. While I like the results, I am not bought in entirely. In 10 months, you can be sure I will be test driving the competition in earnest - for the first time in a long time.
It's a bit unusual to find paddles shifters in mid-sized luxury car, but our long-term BMW 528i has them. And they help.
It's been noted in these blogs several time before that the drivability of our 528 isn't great, with slow tip-in followed by abrupt acceleration.
So I've been trying the paddles as workaround and it seems to work. I'll put the transmission setting in Sport, and with the paddles I can choose my own gear and zing the engine all the way to top.
Which is good because this engine doesn't have a lot of bottom end.
And you? Do you use the paddle shifters in your everyday driving?
Our long-term 2011 BMW 528i celebrated its 20,000 mile anniversary over the Labor Day weekend. And this milestone means that it is near the end of its service at InsideLine.
Which is a shame, because I'm starting to warm up to it after I drove 350 miles over the long weekend. You can eliminate most of the drivability hesistation and surge problem with the paddle shifters. I'll put it in Sport mode and flick the paddles up and down through the ZF 8-speed auto gearbox. That's fun.
And although many people deride the new 5-series chassis as a creampuff, to me it still has a superb ride/handling balance and is superior to both our long-term Hyundai Equus and Infiniti M56.
The sun will be setting on our BMW 528i very soon. Every time a long-term car leaves the fleet I get a little sad. We'll be posting a wrap-up in a couple of weeks.
By the way, this photo was taken about 5 minutes before this area lost electrical power. I sat waiting for my bento box by candlelight.
When I got into our BMW 5 Series last night, somebody had already set this view on the display. I liked the partial audio info/map so I left it that way. I usually put on the detailed view of whatever channel I am listening to.
In this view, you can preview what is on the other nearby stations. I never noticed this before. So, when the Broadway station plays something I don't like, I can see who is singing on the Sinatra station. Yes, I'm old. I listen to this type of stuff.
I spent last weekend driving our 2011 BMW 528i. Sunday morning we went for a drive up the coast. We weren't alone...
There are some cars I see on the road that make me feel like a kid. They make me want to slow down or speed up just to pace them and bask in their awesomeness. See exhibits A and B below:
I wanted to gawk. This was the first Veyron I've seen on the road. But this guy was on it, weaving in and out of traffic. It wasn't long before he was out of sight.
About 20 miles up the road traffic slowed. We drove beside R8-guy for miles. His arm hung out of the window like this the whole time. Those fingers must've been numb by the time we finally parted ways.
It was a good day for sightseeing.
The floor mats in our 2011 BMW 528i were filthy. So I took care of them...
After a little shampoo and elbow grease the mats were looking as-new again. A light colored interior looks sharp, but it requires extra time and sometimes sweat to maintain. We should have cleaned these a long time ago.
Step One: Buy a 2012 BMW 528i.
Hey, I said it was easy, not inexpensive. This is, however, a sure-fire, 100% effective solution to the crummy throttle response in our longterm 2011 BMW 528i. Hit the jump to learn why.
A 2012 BMW 528i recently showed up at Edmunds Global HQ for a few days, so I — being the most vocal critic of our longtermer's driveability — saw fit to spend some time with it. And I'm pleased to report that with the 2012 5er, BMW has exorcised all trace of our longtermer's throttle hesitation. Dip the throttle from a standstill in the 2012 model and the car immediately picks up. It's seamless and responsive, just as you'd expect from a normally aspirated straight six.
Except that you're not driving a normally aspirated straight six. The 2012 528i has a new, turbocharged (gasp!) four cylinder engine.
That's right, the new turbo four has better throttle response than the erstwhile inline six. To be clear, the '11 528i's hesitation seemed to be electronic in nature, perhaps some monkey motion associated with the drive-by-wire throttle/Valvetronic system. You'd dip into the throttle and for a brief, maddening moment, nothing would happen. At all. This to me is the telltale of something electron-fed and not a purely mechanical characteristic.
Whatever the case, the newfound alertness to throttle inputs is a welcome change.
There's more - the new turbo four has a (selectable) start/stop system that shuts off the engine when you reach a halt. You'd think this would defeat all the response-y goodness. You'd be wrong. Even with the start/stop system activated, the new car still manages to out-respond the old one.
Plus, this four cylinder is smooth and torquey and is said to provide better fuel economy than the six cylinder. The four cylinder engine could sound better, sure. But I'll trade that for the wholesale improvement in throttle response the 2012 model brings.
Wrap-Up
Fully redesigned for 2011, BMW's 5 Series sedan got a new look, larger dimensions, a new eight-speed automatic transmission and even more in-car technology.
Having already tested a turbocharged, 300-horsepower 535i, for this long-term test we ordered the volume model, a naturally aspirated 528i with all the electronic gadgetry and comfort options BMW offers.
And we mean all of it. The 2011 BMW 528i carries a base MSRP of $45,000. Then we added $4,500 for the options package that included rear sunshades, heated front seats, satellite radio, premium hi-fi radio and a navigation system. Another $2,200 got us the bliss-inducing multicontour seats. The heated steering wheel and heated rear seats cost $1,050. Xenon headlights were $900. Heck, we ordered $15,000 in options overall, which put our test car's price above $60,000. Too much dough for a car with 240 horses?
That was one of the questions we set out to answer when we took delivery of this very blue 528i on September 7, 2010. Day One of its 12-month test.
Good and Bad
Our initial impressions of the 2011 BMW 528i were over-the-top positive. Power was not a problem with the normally aspirated six. The new eight-speed automatic was fast making friends and cabin materials quality was top-notch.
The optional multicontour front seats feature a two-piece, independently adjustable seatback, which maximizes comfort and puts these among the best seats in the business. The sedan's smooth highway ride made it that much more inviting. Fourth-generation iDrive and multidirectional cameras secured its technological qualifications.
But we weren't sold on everything out of the gate. The 528i had one undeniable drivability quirk, an inconsistent and odd throttle calibration that most, but not all staffers, could not make peace with. It was never a problem on the open road, or at speed, just from a dead stop or at low city speeds. And for some staffers, it was a serious, even unforgivable issue.
Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh wrote, "It turns out a straight-6 sans turbo can move our long-term 528i with ample conviction. All it requires is the willingness to exploit the rev range…. Oddly enough, when you're leaving from a dead stop this normally aspirated engine exhibits an annoying pause similar to that of our erstwhile twin-turbo 750i. The lack of turbos in the former suggests that it's some kind of drive-by-wire throttle delay/fussiness creeping into certain modern BMWs."
For Kavanagh the throttle tip-in issue was a deal breaker, but not for IL Editor Ed Hellwig, who just didn't find it bothersome at all or Editor in Chief Scott Oldham, who said, "While I do wish the throttle response was more natural, I get used to it within a few miles every time I drive the 528i. It's not a big deal for me. I would own this car happily, odd throttle and all."
After a proper break-in we sent the 2011 BMW 528i to the test track. Numbers were strong (zero to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds [6.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip]), cementing the 528i's sport sedan status and reinforcing the fact that its 240-hp 3.0-liter is more than strong enough. In fact, there was not a single staff member all year who complained of a lack of power.
Meanwhile, BMW is ditching the 3.0-liter six for 2012. Next year an all-new more fuel-efficient 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at the same 240 hp will power the 528i.
Our instrumented track testing did also reveal a softer side of the new 5 Series. Senior Editor Josh Jacquot commented on the sedan's athleticism. "Feels fairly soft in rapid transitions — even in Sport Plus. It's well-mannered, however. Chassis isn't snappy like an Infiniti. BMW is showing a change of direction here."
Free and Sometimes Frustrating Maintenance
Our early reactions were still coming in when the first engine light illuminated.
With just 1,100 miles on the ticker we charted a course to Long Beach BMW. After an extended and particularly awful experience with an incompetent service advisor, parts were ordered to repair a leak from the emissions system. Two weeks later they arrived and the fuel filler neck was replaced. Before those two weeks passed, however, another engine light interrupted our test. This alert suggested a key fob issue, which turned out to be a false alarm.
Just beyond the 10K milestone the BMW warned us of another problem. This time it was the driver seat. A look at the onboard owner's manual instructed us how to recalibrate the seat and restore its memory function. This failure would repeat itself once more before our test was complete.
Still, our maintenance costs up to this point were zero. Which was, of course, a good thing. In fact, our 2011 BMW 528i didn't even request its first oil change until 17,000 miles appeared on the odometer. Shortly thereafter we delivered the 528i to Santa Monica BMW for its first service, an experience that was nearly as awkward as our Long Beach BMW treatment. BMW's free scheduled maintenance program paid the bill. But there was more. The dealer explained that our car's suspension was way out of alignment, its rear tires were dangerously worn and we had a nail in one tire.
The nail turned out to be a 1/8-inch finishing nail, no harm done. But the rear Dunlop run-flats were indeed due for a change. We swapped two of them out for a pricey $900.
Honestly, we found it disappointing that the 528i's rear tires did not last longer, especially since they cost so damn much. Sure, they are soft summer tires, but this isn't exactly a muscle car with tire-smoking power, and we weren't hitting the canyons every weekend.
Still, they were our only out-of-pocket expense throughout the test.
Our other durability issue with our test car was its beige carpeting, which soiled easily and proved hard to keep clean. We weren't exactly anal about it, but we did make an effort to keep it from looking too bad. In the end our advice is to get the black interior with the darker carpet.
On the Open Road
Some of our long-term cars never reach our test goal of 20,000 miles during their 12 months with us. Our 2011 BMW 528i, however, made that mileage milestone with ease. This is one of those cars you just want to get in and drive. And we did.
If there was a road to be tripped, rest assured, the 5 was on it. Its popularity with the Edmunds staff was largely due to its personalization features and highway comforts.
We pointed the 528i toward the open road and sent it on trips of varying distance. One of several weekends to Las Vegas garnered, "The 800-way power seats are superb. The ride is excellent. Power is plentiful and I actually got 30.8 mpg."
The 5 Series accompanied another editor to Yosemite National Park for a fall wedding. He wrote, "The eight-speed transmission was awesome down Tioga Pass. No constant search for the proper gear. No obnoxiously loud engine braking. Just a safe, steady descent." One national park wasn't enough. So we turned the 5 around and sent it to Yellowstone National Park as a final hurrah with just days remaining in our 1-year test.
After a weekend trip to San Francisco, Oldham wrote, "I now have newfound respect and appreciation for our 528i. This is a great road trip machine. My entire family found it to be very comfortable, and I had very little fatigue, even after 5 or 6 hours behind the wheel without a break."
But it was the car's trip to Montana and back to Los Angeles that cemented its Road Trip King status. After the trip, IL Senior Editor Erin Riches praised the BMW's comfort and fuel economy. She wrote, "I think a BMW 5 Series should be an excellent road trip car above all else. And when you look at engine performance/personality, ride quality and fuel consumption/range, the 528i ticks all the boxes. Is it as engaging and fun as older 5 Series sedans I've driven? No. But it's still a sedan that you can get in and drive for hundreds, even thousands of miles, and the car feels positively in its element. I was also very pleased by our 528i's respectable rate of fuel consumption (29.3 mpg for the whole trip, with a best tank of 30.8 mpg. I also dug the car's extremely long cruising range — my best run lasted 531.1 miles."
Not Perfect, but...
The 2011 BMW 528i performed well overall. Time allowed us the opportunity to dive deep into its vast electronic and personalization features. This car was packed with every bell and whistle BMW had to offer and it took awhile to get in sync with all of it. Once dialed in, however, we really enjoyed the gadgetry. Time also gave us perspective on the 5 Series.
We intentionally asked for the base engine to see if it detracted from the driving experience. In terms of usable power it was more than strong enough, but around town, delivery of that power was too unpredictable to enjoy for some. The throttle calibration issue was constantly getting in the way of our enjoying what was essentially a very capable drivetrain and one of the best sedans in the world. Was it a deal-breaker? Only to a few. For the rest, this was outweighed by the sedan's many other merits.
Furthermore, those throttle response complaints are rendered moot by the introduction of the 2012 model of this car. The new turbocharged four-cylinder in the 2012 528i exhibits none of the fussiness of our long-term car.
As a road trip car, however, our 528i was superb. It delivered up to 30 miles per gallon on long stretches, was whisper-quiet inside and felt rock solid on the road. The excellent seats, spacious interior and improved iDrive controls were also appreciated.
Our 528i also proved to be very durable and very reliable. BMW picked up the tab for all scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance, although the $900 tire bill was more than a little disappointing. Then there was the below-average treatment we received from the Long Beach and Santa Monica BMW dealerships, which is just inexcusable, especially at this price point. And it was surprising because we've received excellent service at both of these dealers in years past.
Despite those dealer issues, the 2011 BMW 528i is a sedan we highly recommend. This new larger/softer 5 Series isn't quite at sporty as its predecessors, but after living with it for 12 months and driving it more than 20,000 miles we found little that should keep it from remaining a dominant force in the luxury sedan segment.
| Total Body Repair Costs: | None |
| Total Routine Maintenance Costs: | None (over 12 months) |
| Additional Maintenance Costs: | $903.74 |
| Warranty Repairs: | Replace fuel filler neck |
| Non-Warranty Repairs: | None |
| Scheduled Dealer Visits: | 1 |
| Unscheduled Dealer Visits: | 2 |
| Days Out of Service: | 1 |
| Breakdowns Stranding Driver: | None |
| Best Fuel Economy: | 30.9 mpg |
| Worst Fuel Economy: | 14.7 mpg |
| Average Fuel Economy: | 23.1 mpg |
| True Market Value at service end: | $46,870 (private party) |
| Depreciation: | $13,180 or 22% of original MSRP |
| Final Odometer Reading: | 20,518 miles |
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.