PETERS' GARAGE
BY ERIC PETERS
FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, JULY 4, 2017
2017 BMW 5 Series
There is a Moore's Law for cars. Like computers, they get faster — and cheaper — with each new generation.
BMW's new 5 Series is case in point. It is now almost as large as the 7 Series used to be, and it offers many of the goodies that are available in the current 7 Series.
People eyeballing the 7 Series may cast more than a passing a glance at the new 5 Series, as they should.
What It Is
The 5 Series sedan is BMW's midsize luxury-sport sedan, but it is almost a full-size car now. For several years, the emphasis has been on moving toward luxury and technology and away from sportiness. This all-new version is the most luxurious and technology-laden 5 Series BMW yet.
It's available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, with your choice of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a turbocharged in-line six-cylinder engine.
Prices start at $51,200 for a rear-wheel drive 530i powered by the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Adding xDrive all-wheel drive raises the suggested retail price to $53,500.
The more powerful 540i with the turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder and real-wheel drive stickers for $56,450. The AWD-equipped xDrive version sells for $58,750.
What's New
The 2017 5 Series is all new.
What's Good
It's almost a 7 Series, except for the price.
It's bigger but not beefier, and roomier. It actually weighs less than previous 5 Series due to extensive use of aluminum body panels.
There's more backseat legroom than the Mercedes-Benz E300 sedan.
What's Not So Good
The four-cylinder-powered 530i is a little underengined for the money.
They're shifting emphasis from it being the ultimate driving machine to a machine that drives itself.
Under the Hood
That cars like the 5 Series come standard with a four-cylinder engine is a measure of just how much pressure the car companies are under to squeeze out ever-higher miles per gallon. These used to be considered economy car engines, and in a way, they still are. Well, they are economical.
The 530i's 2.0-liter turbocharged engine carries an EPA rating of 24 mpg city and 34 highway. During a weeklong test drive, I never averaged less than 28 mpg. This is close to the mileage you'd get out of an economy car like a Toyota Corolla. But the Corolla's four-cylinder engine isn't turbocharged and doesn't have 248 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque. Nor is a Corolla capable of accelerating from rest to 60 mph in about six seconds flat.
You can upgrade to a 3.0-liter DOHC straight six-cylinder — BMW's hallmark engine — with two turbos, 335 horsepower and the capability to reach 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
Whether you go with the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder or the twin-turbo six-cylinder, the only available transmission is an eight-speed automatic. Drivetrain responsiveness (and suspension settings) can be fine-tuned for Comfort, Sport, Normal and Eco operation via buttons to the left of the gear selector on the center console.
On the Road
The autonomous cars are not coming — they're here. Engage Skynet — whoops, I mean the lane-keep assist and active cruise control. The car not only accelerates and brakes all by itself; it can also come to a complete stop and then resume speed without you even having to ask.
It can steer all by itself, too. And parallel park with you in the car. Really. Just push a button on the smart remote key fob.
At the Curb
The new 5 Series is 194.6 inches long overall and rides on a 117.1-inch wheelbase, making it about one Snickers bar-length less long overall than the previous 7 Series.
It has only slightly less rear seat legroom (36.8 inches versus 38.9 inches) and, like its slightly bigger (and much more expensive) brother, its exterior bodywork is made almost entirely of aluminum now. Only the rear quarter skins and underlying unibody are still made of steel, and it's lightweight carbon-core steel. This is how the 5 got bigger but not heavier.
Amenities such as dual 10.2-inch backseat DVD monitors; a 16-speaker 1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins audio rig; massaging seats; and BMW's twirl-your-finger Gesture Control, which lets you adjust the stereo and pick up or ignore calls without actually touching anything, all used to be 7 Series exclusives.
There's so much available, in fact, that there's very little missing. One of the few things the 7 still offers that the 5 does not is a rear seat Executive package with reclining/massaging/heated back seats.
The Rest
One thing that hasn't gotten bigger are the cup holders, and you only get two. They're located, not so conveniently, ahead of the gear shifter, making for delicate coffee cup maneuvering. They are also shallow and therefore more prone to spills.
The Bottom Line
It used to be that the 7 Series was so overwhelmingly "rich" and so far up above the rest of BMW's lineup that you almost needed binoculars to see it. The new 5 Series either takes the 7 Series down a notch or raises itself up two or three.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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