2019 BMW 530i Reviews

The good old family carry-all has been largely supplanted in recent years by the popular 4WD or Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) as they have come to be known.The majority of wagons still sold are used for commercial purposes and Mitsubishi has even dropped a wagon from its new 380 lineup.But none of this has not stopped BMW from offering the 530i Touring wagon.The 530i Touring boasts Beemer's new- generation, 3.0-litre straight-six VALVETRONIC engine that produces 190kW of power at 6600rpm and 300Nm of torque between 2500 and 4000rpm. It's a beautiful, refined piece of work with sufficient power to push the wagon from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 250km/h. Fuel consumption, so important these days, is a claimed 9.5 litres per 100km. Our test car returned 10.6L/100km which is still an excel- lent result. Dynamic Drive and Active Steering take ride and handling to a new level. Hydraulically controlled anti-roll bars counter body roll and eliminate vibration generated by poor surfaces while active steering reduces the number of turns of the wheel required at slow speeds and when parking. The downside of this tecnology is that it makes the car rather twitchy and sensitive to sudden movements at lower speeds. The brakes tend to grab too. A six-speed, sequential automatic trans- mission is fitted designed to maximise per- formance and economy. Eight airbags and a host of electronic aids are fitted to bolster safety. Like other BMWs this one is fitted with "iDrive" which employs a large, console mounted control knob to operate the computer display. Try as we may, some functions are still difficult to access. Our test vehicle was also fitted with the optional, look good M Sport package, which adds $4000 to the already hefty $114,800 price tag. It comprises a body kit, 15mm lower sport suspension (including self-levelling rear), 18-inch light alloys, run flat 245/40 tyres, plus M Sport steering wheel, door sills, sport seats and aluminium interior trim. Black chrome replaces exterior window trim. One of the really nice features of this wagon is the standard power operated tailgate. Easily dismissed as just another toy, you wouldn't swap it for the world after hitting the button a few times. Our test vehicle was optioned to the hilt, with a giant "Panorama" glass sunroof, comprising two glass sections whose trailing edges can be raised. Rear side blinds were also fitted. Heads-up display was also optioned which projects an holographic image of the car's speed in the lower area of the windscreen. It is an interesting and practical addition, but the result is dimmed by polarised sunglasses.VERDICT: Nice car. But we're left wondering why you'd buy the wagon, given the avail- ability of the excellent X5, which offers the the same utility but greater versatility – and it's cheaper.

Maybe the makers are worried the vehicle will be viewed as a sexless family transporter — an image that has killed off a lot of the people mover segment.Station wagons are now Avant, Estate, Sportwagon or Touring.To be fair, Peugeot and BMW have been calling their wagons Touring for some time.But BMW need not be worried that the 530i Touring could be viewed as a sexless family utility.I actually think it is much sexier than the frumpy 5 Series sedan with its rear boot hump that resembles a taxi advertising sign.The wagon, or Touring, has a gentle swoop around the rear, tidy tail lights and a sleek side-on view.This is no hearse. And neither does it handle like a hearse.The $4950 dynamic driving option and the standard electronic active steering and self-levelling pneumatic rear suspension made this test car handle like a sedan.There is no feeling of the back being out of phase with the front as you guide it through the urban obstacle course.However, the intervention of so much electronics and computerisation tends to have a disembodying effect on the driver.Input doesn't really seem to match car behaviour the way we are used to.Steering is instant, without any "play" in the wheel, the whole car just simply going where it is pointed without the usual intervention of physics.Importantly, for a wagon, this has a functional rear cargo area with a flat floor, low loading rear sill and the tailgate automatically opens and closes at the touch of a button on the key fob and the tailgate, just like the Lexus RX330. If you are doing the grocery shopping, this is an absolute must.Despite having the Touring for a week I did little touring because of other commitments, but it was quickly evident there were a few options on this car that also are absolute musts.The $4500 adaptive cruise control option actually works. I drove from the Gold Coast to the Royal Brisbane Hospital with the cruise set on 110km/h, never broke the speed limit and never touched the accelerator or brake once.Head-up display, with the speed, cruise controls and a few other vital functions shone on the windscreen in front of the driver, is important in these days of prolific speed cameras. It works in daylight and dark.And those $3100 "comfort" leather seats? You could screw them out of the floor, place them in your living room and set up a coffee table beside them.There is one option I could live without: the $4000 iDrive with voice recognition, plus satellite navigation and TV.I can't see the point of a dashboard-mounted TV with poor reception that only plays when the handbrake is on. Now maybe if it was in the rear . . .As for iDrive, it turns simple button-pushing into a major chore that distracts your attention from the road. However, this one comes with voice recognition so you can perform commands by talking to the system, but it takes a lot of setting up and patience.I threw up my hands in frustration and gave up. But then I only had it for a week.If you persist and get it to work with every driver who uses the car, then it would be the perfect complement to the safety of the head-up display.

This time it's the 5-Series, the car at the heart of the German maker's showroom contenders, that has been given the wheels-up makeover on style and substance.The result is a car that shares the dramatic new design work already seen on the flagship 7-Series and sporty Z4, as well as taking a more refined drive into 21st-century luxury motoring.This new Five is intended to be more youthful, more stylish and a much tougher challenger to the pace-setter E-Class from the rival Mercedes-Benz stable. It's a tough job, but BMW has decided it's a job that has to be done now.The new Five 2 its official label in BMW-speak is E60 2 obviously has a new look, but the mechanical package includes everything from a new six-speed automatic gearbox and a second-generation iDrive computer controller to a world-first "Active Steering'' system that provides variable assistance to keep the steering lock down to 1.7 turns at any speed up to 120km/h.All Australian cars will come with leather trim and a colour monitor in the dash, a reflection of the car's luxury position.Not that it's really needed, because price tags from $87,400 will definitely set the tone.There will be a full family of Fives in coming years, from the "baby'' 525i up to the "master blaster'' M5 with a grand prix-inspired V10 engine.But BMW Australia has just begun its delivery program with the emphasis on the mid-level 530i, priced from $103,400. The 525i (from $87,400) and V8-powered 545i (from $149,000) will be added over coming months, but the M5 is still at least 18 months away.Opening the action with the 530i gets customers into a car that has the best of the new Five without the exotic price tag of the 545i. It should be swift enough with a hi-tech, six-cylinder engine and there are plenty of options for people with fat wallets and a yen for toys, but it doesn't give uncommitted shoppers the impression the car is out of their reach.The whole Five line-up benefits from a new-look body that is one of the most dramatic shapes on the road, as well as a cabin that's a minimalist-design delight.There is still plenty of space for four adults 2 five will be a bit of a squeeze 2 and a second-generation take on some of the electronics previewed in the big new Seven.The Five still has a conventional ignition key, gearlever and handbrake, while the iDrive system has been simplified and a "heads-up'' display added to the options list.The mechanical package is much as you'd expect, with 141 to 245kW available from the various six-cylinder and V8 engines, and 245 to 450Nm of torque.The standard luxury gear runs from alloy wheels to electric seats, windows, mirrors and steering column. And as you'd expect in any new BMW, airbags are set front, side and roof.But BMW owners are expected to have the cash or credit for high-octane fuel.The new Five is more refined than the cars that have worn the badge in the past.It's not just the body. People make their own choices on what's attractive or ugly, and we prefer to concentrate on stuff we can touch, feel and measure.Driving the new Five is much like before, apart from the Active Steering. The first 90-degree corner comes as a big shock, because the first time you turn the wheel at more than walking pace you think you're going into an unplanned U-turn. It's that dramatic.But a few kilometres gets you adjusted, then the variable-assistance package 2 perfect for tight parking, light and easy at speed 2 is a revelation.We think it's a big breakthrough and will provide the link to the days of "steer-by-wire'' systems similar to the commonplace "drive-by-wire'' electronic throttles used on many cars today, and the "brake-by-wire'' electronic stoppers on some Mercs.We'll concentrate on the 530i because that's the car we drove, and because it sets the tone for the new Five.It is very comfy and fully equipped, but doesn't flaunt it. The cabin is a masterpiece of restrained design and shows that car cockpits don't have to be loaded with buttons and gadgets to do the job. We definitely prefer it to the electronic trickery of the Seven and the overly plastic look and feel of the E-Class Benz.But we still don't love iDrive, even if this one is smarter and simpler, though the sound system is great.The new 530i gets along well with 170kW of power and 300Nm of torque, but it's so quiet, smooth and refined that it feels a bit slow. And it can take a while to get a response if you push the accelerator to the floor in a tall gear.The new six-speed is a smooth shift with well-spaced ratios, we like the BMW touch-change shifter, and the brakes are great. The headlamps 2 our car had the xenon brights 2 are brilliant, the boot is big and well shaped, and the back seat is comfy with plenty of room.But BMWs are designed to be driven, and the new Five shows its strengths everywhere from arrow-straight freeway to city backstreets and twisting country roads.The suspension is plush and well controlled, and the car turns well and has great grip.It is quiet and relaxing to drive.Compared with the E-Class from Benz, it's a new type of challenger. It actually looks and feels more substantial for the first time.There is plenty to celebrate in the new Five. It has moved on without losing its roots, it makes a new type of challenge to Mercedes, and it leaves plenty of space for coming improvements with the V8.The M5, complete with a Formula One-inspired V10 engine, will be a cracker.

This time it's the 5-Series, the car at the heart of the German maker's showroom contenders, that has been given the wheels-up makeover on style and substance.The result is a car that shares the dramatic new design work already seen on the flagship 7-Series and sporty Z4, as well as taking a more refined drive into 21st-century luxury motoring.This new Five is intended to be more youthful, more stylish and a much tougher challenger to the pace-setter E-Class from the rival Mercedes-Benz stable. It's a tough job, but BMW has decided it's a job that has to be done now.The new Five – its official label in BMW-speak is E60 – obviously has a new look, but the mechanical package includes everything from a new six-speed automatic gearbox and a second-generation iDrive computer controller to a world-first Active Steering system that provides variable assistance to keep the steering lock down to 1.7 turns at any speed up to 120km/h.All Australian cars will come with leather trim and a colour monitor in the dash, a reflection of the car's luxury position.Not that it's really needed, because price tags from $87,400 will definitely set the tone.There will be a full family of Fives in coming years, from the baby 525i up to the master blaster M5 with a grand prix-inspired V10 engine.But BMW Australia has just begun its delivery program with the emphasis on the mid-level 530i, priced from $103,400. The 525i (from $87,400) and V8-powered 545i (from $149,000) will be added over coming months, but the M5 is still at least 18 months away.Opening the action with the 530i gets customers into a car that has the best of the new Five without the exotic price tag of the 545i. It should be swift enough with a hi-tech, six-cylinder engine and there are plenty of options for people with fat wallets and a yen for toys, but it doesn't give uncommitted shoppers the impression the car is out of their reach.The whole Five line-up benefits from a new-look body that is one of the most dramatic shapes on the road, as well as a cabin that's a minimalist-design delight.There is still plenty of space for four adults – five will be a bit of a squeeze – and a second-generation take on some of the electronics previewed in the big new Seven.The Five still has a conventional ignition key, gearlever and handbrake, while the iDrive system has been simplified and a ¿heads-up¿ display added to the options list.The mechanical package is much as you'd expect, with 141 to 245kW available from the various six-cylinder and V8 engines, and 245 to 450Nm of torque.The standard luxury gear runs from alloy wheels to electric seats, windows, mirrors and steering column. And as you'd expect in any new BMW, airbags are set front, side and roof.But BMW owners are expected to have the cash or credit for high-octane fuel. On the roadThe new Five is more refined than the cars that have worn the badge in the past.It's not just the body. People make their own choices on what's attractive or ugly, and we prefer to concentrate on stuff we can touch, feel and measure.Driving the new Five is much like before, apart from the Active Steering. The first 90-degree corner comes as a big shock, because the first time you turn the wheel at more than walking pace you think you're going into an unplanned U-turn. It's that dramatic.But a few kilometres gets you adjusted, then the variable-assistance package – perfect for tight parking, light and easy at speed – is a revelation.We think it's a big breakthrough and will provide the link to the days of steer-by-wire systems similar to the commonplace "drive-by-wire" electronic throttles used on many cars today, and the "brake-by-wire" electronic stoppers on some Mercs.We'll concentrate on the 530i because that's the car we drove, and because it sets the tone for the new Five.It is very comfy and fully equipped, but doesn't flaunt it. The cabin is a masterpiece of restrained design and shows that car cockpits don't have to be loaded with buttons and gadgets to do the job. We definitely prefer it to the electronic trickery of the Seven and the overly plastic look and feel of the E-Class Benz.But we still don't love iDrive, even if this one is smarter and simpler, though the sound system is great.The new 530i gets along well with 170kW of power and 300Nm of torque, but it's so quiet, smooth and refined that it feels a bit slow. And it can take a while to get a response if you push the accelerator to the floor in a tall gear.The new six-speed is a smooth shift with well-spaced ratios, we like the BMW touch-change shifter, and the brakes are great. The headlamps – our car had the xenon brights – are brilliant, the boot is big and well shaped, and the back seat is comfy with plenty of room.But BMWs are designed to be driven, and the new Five shows its strengths everywhere from arrow-straight freeway to city backstreets and twisting country roads.The suspension is plush and well controlled, and the car turns well and has great grip.It is quiet and relaxing to drive.Compared with the E-Class from Benz, it's a new type of challenger. It actually looks and feels more substantial for the first time.There is plenty to celebrate in the new Five. It has moved on without losing its roots, it makes a new type of challenge to Mercedes, and it leaves plenty of space for coming improvements with the V8.The M5, complete with a Formula One-inspired V10 engine, will be a cracker.