Test Drive BMW 5 F10 Series since 2009 Sedan

Ticket to the Future

BMW 5th Series Car and Attraction
After examining the new 5th BMW series, you feel something like excitement bordering the fear. The future always excites the more so if it is so resolutely parting with the present. Is it easy to come down with similar sensations? We tried to answer this question during the three-day test of the BMW 530i.
The new five no longer causes the storm of emotions, which was observed at the time of entering the BMW of the 7th series. In this regard, the BMW Chef designer Chris Bangle can celebrate the victory of his peculiar style gradually coming off with reality. It seems that the Sampler successfully fulfilled its supermissure: he learned the world to the new design of cars of the Bavarian Concern.
The new BMW has one feature: Photos do not fully display the face of the Bavarian machines of the XXI century. For example, looking at the image of the new five, it is possible to identify it with the previous 5th series (E39 body) only according to formal signs: the proprietary emblems and the characteristic nostrils of the Radiator's false lattices. However, the live new five is quite recognizable, especially if you look at her front in the projection three quarters: this is definitely a car breed BMW.
The machine looks dynamically and aggressively, however, in the elegance and rigor, the bodies of the E60 is inferior to the top five of the previous generation. The appearance of the 530th has become more cosmopolitan. My personal glance, in the five are now lost the features of the nominal German modest design. The look stops on the details inherent more American cars: orange LED strips mounted into the corners of the diagonal eye headlights, and reflectors in the rear bumper. These parts are more decorative than the functional load that the Germans are not at all characteristic: usually in their products the style and practicality are recovered in an ideal 50 to 50 ratio.
The dynamics of the new five emphasizes its low, almost sports landing. When you look at the car on the side, it seems that such a small clearance is not for our roads. However, during the test, the problems with a low landing almost did not occur the car did not chirkal belly when moving through the lying police (though, only those of them that were made in accordance with GOST).
Low landing and as a result, the deep location of the seats in the new five make it difficult to land and exit the car, although, being driving, forget about the flexibility lost over the years. Planting the driver is truly sports. Adjusting the seat and steering wheel allow you to get enough, as if in a racing car: legs stretched, the hands are bent in the elbows, all controls are conveniently located and are ready for the execution of your teams.
However, these wonderful chairs will help conveniently get a job not only fans of the sports style driving, but also those who prefer to sit far to look far: the adjustment range is very large. Servo drives change (besides the standard settings of the chair) the lumbar sub-input at different levels (from the wax to almost the blades), the height of the head restraint, the length of the seat cushion. But the adjustment of lateral subsoges is especially impressive. By clicking on one of the buttons, the driver (like the front passenger) can force the chair to stronger clap body. Of these hugs, you will not break out even in the most intense turns. In addition, the front seats of the new five are the brightest and impressive detail of the interior performed in the geometrically correct style.
As for the rear passengers, the new five can hardly be recommended as a family car (however, it does not pretend to this role). In the second row, only two passengers can be comfortably accommodated, the third will interfere with the high tunnel, in which the cardan shaft is laid. It's a shame that in the basic version of the top five not equipped with the folding backs of the rear seat. Lovers of outdoor activities will have to order this option. No new five and abundance of spaces for accommodating various small things: at the disposal of the BMW crew small glove box, modest pockets in the doorway, and two niches in a torpedo for trifles and a mobile phone. True, pleases a large and comfortable trunk.
Claims for the ergonomics of a driver's seat two. My left foot rested in the sharp face of the door handle of the details of a beautiful, but little-functional (again some dissonance style and functionality). But most of all irritated the lever of the rotation pointer with the uncomplicable positions (the exact same algorithm of turn signals is used now, for example, on Opel Vectra). It is easy to turn on, but to return to the original, neutral, position (for example, when you make rebuilding from a number in a row) from the first time it turns out rarely. It was not possible to get used to the turn signal control algorithm for three days. As a result, in order not to be distracted from the road, I preferred at all not to use the indicators of turns at high speeds.
And the tops do not want to be distracted from the road. The car provokes an active driving style. Rigid suspension, sharp steering wheel, active stabilizers Dynamic Drive (the system is included in the list of additional equipment), Driver weaving along the axes 50 to 50 give true pleasure. The car prescribes turns like a circulation. The chartiness is amazing, rolls are minimal (for the latter it is necessary to thank the Dynamic Drive system). All these are the properties of real BMW. On direct high-speed sections, the car is inimitable: no transverse and longitudinal spares, no marine disease for passengers. However, at low speeds when driving small and large irregularities, the suspension for a business class sedan seemed too tight.
It strikes not only accuracy, with what new BMW is written by arcs, but also how its steering is running. Our car was equipped with AFS Active Steering System (Additional Option). At low speeds, the system increases the sharpness of the steering wheel (for example, when parking from stops, the steering wheel performs only 1.8 turns. On the top five practically do not have to steer with the interception. With increasing speed, the steering wheel becomes less sharp. Moreover, the system works so harmoniously that you forget about it. AFS also performs the role of an electronic assistant system of stabilization, independently blowing at the beginning of slip.
BMW 530i is equipped with a six-cylinder engine capacity of 231 hp The engine, with a six-speed automatic transmission, accelerates the car to 100 km / h for 7.1 seconds. The maximum speed of the five is limited by electronics at a mark of 245 km / h.
The car, who visited Ko's test, is now worth the Russian BMW dealers 75,000 euros. Before the appearance on the market five of the Kaliningrad assembly, such a price is unlikely to contribute to attack demand. However, premium car sellers argue that for their clients the price does not play a decisive role. Probably, a really 75,000 euros is quite inexpensive for a ticket to the future.

Igor Komarov
 

A source: Wheel (Company)