2011 BMW 550I Reviews

Twin turbos are on their way out at BMW, being replaced by more economical twin-scroll single turbos. The first with the new twin-scroll engine is the 535i, which is part of the new sixth-generation 5 Series models.BMW Australia spokesman Alex Brockhoff said the twin-charger engine has no more power than the model it replaces, but it hits maximum torque of 400Nm 100rpm earlier at 1200 revs and carries it all the way through to 5000rpm. Brockhoff says the twincharger is fed exhaust air through two inlets rather than one, producing a faster-spinning and more-efficient turbo.In the 535i three-litre in-line six-cylinder with Valvetronic, it achieves a 7 per cent fuel saving of 8.4L/100km over the 540i's 10.4L/100km. CO2 emissions are down to 195g/km from 250, yet power and torque remain at 225kW and 400Nm.BMW has also increased equipment levels in the 5 Series to be higher than their competitors. However, prices are up right across the range by as much as $8000. But BMW claims that if you consider the increased standard equipment levels, there is virtually no increase and even a price decrease on the 528i compared with the previous 530i.Increased standard equipment levels include an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, bigger wheels and heads-up display – previously a $2800 option except in high-spec models – which shows vital information on the windscreen in front of the driver so they don't have to take their eyes off the road.PRICING AND VARIANTSThe new 5 Series goes on sale here on June 3 - two weeks ahead of the US - with the petrol-engined naturally-aspirated 190kW inline-six 528i ($99,900), the 535i ($128,900) featuring the new 225kW twin-scroll turbo in-line six and the 300kW V8 550i ($178,900). They will be followed by the diesel-powered 380Nm four-cylinder 520d ($83,300) in September, and a six-cylinder diesel is expected to be added next year. The lean-burn engines available in Europe will not be imported because of the high sulphur level in Australian fuels. Touring 535i and 520d wagons are expected in October.BODY AND FIT-OUTThe sixth-generation 5 Series has been slightly stretched and has shorter overhangs front and rear giving it the longest wheelbase in its class. Cargo space remains 520 litres. A full-width front air dam, plus horizontal lines front and back provide a wider look.If the xenon headlight option is included there are LED daytime running lights included and a 'milky eyebrow' which is an attractive opaque LED lighting effect above the main headlights. Inside, there is little change except for a few extra aluminium accents while the dashboard has been tilted 7.2 degrees toward the driver.There is more aluminium in the construction, including the bonnet, doors and side panels, making its body 50kg lighter, as well as the all-aluminium suspension from the 7 Series and new 5 Series Gran Turismo. However, with all the new equipment, stiffer chassis and electronic driver aids, total weights are up between 40kg for the 1700kg 535i and 170kg for the 1830kg 550i.ENGINESThe three-litre 528i has 30kW more power and 60Nm more torque than the superseded 2.5-litre 525i but fuel economy is down from 9.4L/100km to 8 and CO2 emissions are down from 227g/km to 187. The new 535i features the three-litre in-line six-cylinder which combines Valvetronic and twin-scroll single turbocharging for a 7 per cent fuel consumption saving, while power and torque remain the same.The 550i gets TwinPower turbo in its 4.4-litre V8 to deliver 300kW (+30kW) and 600Nm, up a whopping 110Nm over the previous model. Fuel economy is down to 10.3L/10km from 10.4 and CO2 is 243g/km, previously 246.SAFETYElectronic technologies, driver aids, a stiffer chassis and pedestrian-friendly bonnet lift the crash rating from four to five stars. When impact is sensed in the front it electronically signals pyrotechnic actuators to lift the bonnet 5cm in the rear and 3cm in the front, creating a buffer from pedestrian impact with the engine block.DRIVINGThe wet roads of the twisting and bumpy Yarra Ranges of Victoria were the perfect test for the 535i models available at the national launch this week. We drove only 535i models, some fitted with four-wheel steering and the Adaptive Drive package of Dynamic Damper Control and Dynamic Drive and others without these fancy gizmos. If you can afford the $10,600 for them, go ahead and splurge as they are not gimmicks.Honda and Mazda gave up on their mechanical four-wheel steering technologies because they were expensive, complicated and heavy. Besides, no one really wanted them in sporty cars. In these long-wheelbase luxury saloons, it makes perfect sense. It is electronically controlled and adds only 10kg to the car's weight.The rear wheels move just 3 degrees, but it's visible if you are following one. It is also noticeable through the steering wheel. At slow speeds, such as hairpin corners, it pulls the nose in tight as it virtually shortens the wheelbase. At highway speed it has the eerie feeling of crabbing sideways as you change lanes. It may feel strange, but it's stable. Add in the flat-cornering and controllable ride of the Adaptive Drive package and it will handle any surface.On the wet surface, we chose normal and even comfort settings so the wheels had more time to react to quick irregularities and keep the tyres on the road for more grip. It also reduced the intervention of the stability control. However, over undulating surfaces, the comfort setting can make the car float and induce car sickness. If you can't afford the package, you will still have a saloon that handles nimbly with a more natural steering feel.Grip is still remarkable and brakes are sharp with plenty of feeling and no jerky ABS kickback, even on a wet Reefton Spur. Tyre noise is higher than you would expect in a car of this calibre, but the twin-scroll turbo engine is refined, powerful, responsive and quiet. At 'full noise' there is only the most polite muted induction and exhaust roar. The surround view takes some getting used to as does that overly complicated transmission knob.Seats are comfortable, if a little slippery with high lateral G forces. After a dash across the Spur, I had a raw back from sliding sideways and sore knees from bracing myself against the door skin and centre console.Strap in tight. It's a wild ride, yet tamed by innovative electronics.

If you ask BMW what sort of car its 5 Series GT is, it will tell you that it's something unique: a groundbreaking vehicle that combines the best bits of a sedan, SUV and grand tourer; BMW boldly going where no brand has gone before.  Of course, car-maker hyperbole should always be taken with a pinch of salt. In this case, it should be generously seasoned, baked in a salt crust, then served on a bed of salt crystals with a saline jus.The 5 Series GT is something new for BMW but, viewed objectively, it's a luxury four-door hatchback. Other luxury makers are already making these, as they diversify madly into smaller and smaller niches. Recent examples include the A5 Sportback, a hatchback variant of Audi's mid-size A4; the Panamera, Porsche's first sedan; and Aston Martin's Rapide.Of course, the idea itself is nothing new. Saab used to recruit loyal buyers with the unusual -- at the time -- hatchback styling on its four-door cars, until General Motors poured cold water on its Scandinavian-ness.The trick when expanding into niches is to use as many pre-prepared ingredients as possible. On price, the 5 Series GT fits between the 5 Series large sedan and the 7 Series extremely large sedan. However, its dimensions are closer to the latter and it has an identical wheelbase because it's built on the same underpinnings.That length helps the designers achieve the low roofline and shallow side glass.  From the rear it looks odd; too tall and a bit confusing. But from the front it's one of BMW's most attractive recent designs. It achieves some of the advantages of an SUV, such as an elevated ride height, without any of the environmental odium. At the same time, it looks more interesting than a straightforward sedan and less ostentatious than a limo.It has something in common, from a conceptual standpoint, with the multi-purpose vehicles so popular in Europe. The French, in particular, have made a huge success of these people-movers aimed at young families. But their MPVs have tiny engines and cabins constructed out of the plastic used for picnic plates.By comparison, the 5 GT and its ilk are business-people movers.  Their occupants need enough room, facilities and comfort to accommodate four high-fliers after a long lunch discussing the size of this year's bonus.The cabin, suitably up-specced with DVD screens and other goodies, is pitched somewhere between boardroom and loungeroom. The back seats are slightly raised off the floor in people-mover fashion but the comfort and refinement levels are much higher. Headroom in the rear isn't an issue, thanks to a sculpted ceiling, and leg space feels generous, especially in the four-seat configuration.Material quality is on a par with the 7 Series and the cabin is well sealed for quietness.  Some clever design isolates the load area from the occupant space, avoiding the boomy noises that wagons are prone to. Door sealing is also good, despite coupe-style frameless windows.Even on large wheels, ride quality is a standout, although with a slightly perched-on-suspension character in comfort mode.  Plenty of light enters the cabin, thanks in part to an oversize glass sunroof. In the regions of Europe where these cars are designed, watery sunshine is the best you can expect for much of the year and so large expanses of glass are becoming increasingly popular.In Australia, they should be delete-options rather than standard, as here. At least the fabric cover is reasonably opaque.  The load area is cavernous and the rear seats fold in a 40-20-40 pattern, just like a French MPV. The flexibility extends to the tailgate itself, which can be partially opened like a boot to stash smaller stuff. In this case the cabin remains isolated, so that the air-conditioning isn't working in vain.BMW claims its dual-action tailgate is unique, but luckily I had another barrel of salt in reserve. Skoda was the first with this idea in its Superb large car last year.  The difference is that BMW's system is automatic, and just as well. The full-size tailgate is so large and heavy you would not want to be lifting it yourself.It rises on telescopic struts that could have come from a cargo plane to open as wide as a yawning hippo, or to owner-preset heights to allow for the low ceilings in many garages.  There are plenty of gadgets for the driver, including BMW's excellent head-up display, cornering headlights, parking radar and a rear camera.The brand's interiors have been slowly returning to form after the wrong turn taken under former design chief Chris Bangle and this car continues the positive trend. So the layout and general ergonomics are good, although the lack of a cowl over the control screen can make it hard to read in some lights. BMW's unique (yes, really) gearshifter design feels more substantial than usual.Vision out the rear isn't bad, despite a letterbox quality to the rear glass, and while the wing mirrors are sedan-sized rather than the monsters on most SUVs, they seem big enough to do the job.  Dynamically, the 5 GT drives like a BMW despite weighing two tonnes. BMW always manages to engineer a similar behind-the-wheel feel into its cars, regardless how big they are, although as they get larger and more luxurious they tend to seem more remote from the driver.The test cars, driven on the sinuous roads of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, were fitted with many of BMW's dynamic options, including adaptive dampers and active anti-roll bars (collectively called Adaptive Drive) and active steering. A large car with all these can almost defy the laws of physics.Performance comes from the top end of BMW's engine range, with the 3.0-litre diesel or 4.4-litre V8 already offered in the 7 Series. This car also comes with the latest version of BMWs 3.0-litre turbocharged six, which gains direct injection -- a genuine first, so hold the salt.  The standard transmission is the eight-speed automatic offered -- so far -- only in the most expensive V12 version of the 7.Both the petrol six and V8 were available on the launch drive and both are every bit as good as you would expect. The tendency of turbochargers to lag throttle inputs has been virtually eliminated and power delivery is nicely linear in both, with little hesitation off the mark. The V8 has plenty of character and can hit 100km/h in 5.5 seconds, which is respectably quick. The six has to work a bit harder, but never feels like it's doing overtime. The transmission is so smooth it almost goes unnoticed.Whichever engine you choose, the 5 GT benefits from a selection of BMW's efficient dynamics technology, including brake regeneration, which harvests energy under deceleration, and low-rolling resistance tyres.  The V8 achieves an average of 11.2 litres per 100km, which is hardly punitive for the performance it can deliver, while the diesel returns 6.5, which is remarkable.So in this respect, as well as a few others, the 5 GT is the large car you have when you're not having a large car. Although less extreme than BMW's other recent niche success, the X6 SUV-coupe, the 5 GT is far from bland.  For those tired of plain meat-and-three-veg luxury sedans, the 5 GT has a bit more spice despite the need to add salt.

Spicy hatch needs plenty of saltSAT 06 MAR 2010, Page 012The hype is overdone, but the 5 GT adds flavour to a plain sedanIF you ask BMW what sort of car its 5 Series GT is, it will tell you that it's something unique: a groundbreaking vehicle that combines the best bits of a sedan, SUV and grand tourer; BMW boldly going where no brand has gone before.Of course, car-maker hyperbole should always be taken with a pinch of salt. In this case, it should be generously seasoned, baked in a salt crust, then served on a bed of salt crystals with a saline jus.The 5 Series GT is something new for BMW but, viewed objectively, it's a luxury four-door hatchback. Other luxury makers are already making these, as they diversify madly into smaller and smaller niches. Recent examples include the A5 Sportback, a hatchback variant of Audi's mid-size A4; the Panamera, Porsche's first sedan; and Aston Martin's Rapide.Of course, the idea itself is nothing new. Saab used to recruit loyal buyers with the unusual -- at the time -- hatchback styling on its four-door cars, until General Motors poured cold water on its Scandinavian-ness.The trick when expanding into niches is to use as many pre-prepared ingredients as possible. On price, the 5 Series GT fits between the 5 Series large sedan and the 7 Series extremely large sedan. However, its dimensions are closer to the latter and it has an identical wheelbase because it's built on the same underpinnings.That length helps the designers achieve the low roofline and shallow side glass.From the rear it looks odd; too tall and a bit confusing. But from the front it's one of BMW's most attractive recent designs. It achieves some of the advantages of an SUV, such as an elevated ride height, without any of the environmental odium. At the same time, it looks more interesting than a straightforward sedan and less ostentatious than a limo.It has something in common, from a conceptual standpoint, with the multi-purpose vehicles so popular in Europe. The French, in particular, have made a huge success of these people-movers aimed at young families. But their MPVs have tiny engines and cabins constructed out of the plastic used for picnic plates.By comparison, the 5 GT and its ilk are business-people movers.Their occupants need enough room, facilities and comfort to accommodate four high-fliers after a long lunch discussing the size of this year's bonus.The cabin, suitably up-specced with DVD screens and other goodies, is pitched somewhere between boardroom and loungeroom. The back seats are slightly raised off the floor in people-mover fashion but the comfort and refinement levels are much higher. Headroom in the rear isn't an issue, thanks to a sculpted ceiling, and leg space feels generous, especially in the four-seat configuration.Material quality is on a par with the 7 Series and the cabin is well sealed for quietness.Some clever design isolates the load area from the occupant space, avoiding the boomy noises that wagons are prone to. Door sealing is also good, despite coupe-style frameless windows.Even on large wheels, ride quality is a standout, although with a slightly perched-on-suspension character in comfort mode.Plenty of light enters the cabin, thanks in part to an oversize glass sunroof. In the regions of Europe where these cars are designed, watery sunshine is the best you can expect for much of the year and so large expanses of glass are becoming increasingly popular.In Australia, they should be delete-options rather than standard, as here. At least the fabric cover is reasonably opaque.The load area is cavernous and the rear seats fold in a 40-20-40 pattern, just like a French MPV. The flexibility extends to the tailgate itself, which can be partially opened like a boot to stash smaller stuff. In this case the cabin remains isolated, so that the air-conditioning isn't working in vain.BMW claims its dual-action tailgate is unique, but luckily I had another barrel of salt in reserve. Skoda was the first with this idea in its Superb large car last year.The difference is that BMW's system is automatic, and just as well. The full-size tailgate is so large and heavy you would not want to be lifting it yourself.It rises on telescopic struts that could have come from a cargo plane to open as wide as a yawning hippo, or to owner-preset heights to allow for the low ceilings in many garages.There are plenty of gadgets for the driver, including BMW's excellent head-up display, cornering headlights, parking radar and a rear camera.The brand's interiors have been slowly returning to form after the wrong turn taken under former design chief Chris Bangle and this car continues the positive trend. So the layout and general ergonomics are good, although the lack of a cowl over the control screen can make it hard to read in some lights. BMW's unique (yes, really) gearshifter design feels more substantial than usual.Vision out the rear isn't bad, despite a letterbox quality to the rear glass, and while the wing mirrors are sedan-sized rather than the monsters on most SUVs, they seem big enough to do the job.Dynamically, the 5 GT drives like a BMW despite weighing two tonnes. BMW always manages to engineer a similar behind-the-wheel feel into its cars, regardless how big they are, although as they get larger and more luxurious they tend to seem more remote from the driver.The test cars, driven on the sinuous roads of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, were fitted with many of BMW's dynamic options, including adaptive dampers and active anti-roll bars (collectively called Adaptive Drive) and active steering. A large car with all these can almost defy the laws of physics.Performance comes from the top end of BMW's engine range, with the 3.0-litre diesel or 4.4-litre V8 already offered in the 7 Series. This car also comes with the latest version of BMWs 3.0-litre turbocharged six, which gains direct injection -- a genuine first, so hold the salt.The standard transmission is the eight-speed automatic offered -- so far -- only in the most expensive V12 version of the 7.Both the petrol six and V8 were available on the launch drive and both are every bit as good as you would expect. The tendency of turbochargers to lag throttle inputs has been virtually eliminated and power delivery is nicely linear in both, with little hesitation off the mark.The V8 has plenty of character and can hit 100km/h in 5.5 seconds, which is respectably quick. The six has to work a bit harder, but never feels like it's doing overtime. The transmission is so smooth it almost goes unnoticed.Whichever engine you choose, the 5 GT benefits from a selection of BMW's efficient dynamics technology, including brake regeneration, which harvests energy under deceleration, and low-rolling resistance tyres.The V8 achieves an average of 11.2 litres per 100km, which is hardly punitive for the performance it can deliver, while the diesel returns 6.5, which is remarkable.So in this respect, as well as a few others, the 5 GT is the large car you have when you're not having a large car. Although less extreme than BMW's other recent niche success, the X6 SUV-coupe, the 5 GT is far from bland.For those tired of plain meat-and-three-veg luxury sedans, the 5 GT has a bit more spice despite the need to add salt.BMW 5 SERIES GTVEHICLE: Large luxury hatchbackENGINES: 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel or petrol six-cylinder; 4.4-litre turbocharged petrol V8OUTPUTS: 180kW at 4000rpm and 540Nm at 1750rpm (530d); 225kW at 5800rpm and400Nm at 1200rpm (535i); 300kW at 5500rpm and 600Nm at 1750rpm (550i)TRANSMISSION: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drivePRICE: From $143,400 (530d) to $192,900 (550i) plus on-road costsON SALE: March 27

The X6 was the answer to a question nobody asked.

Things have changed at BMW and nothing reflects it better than the all-new, mid-sized 5 Series car.  The design of the new Five is a massive departure from anything over the past 10 years and shows the German making is moving on from the radical work done under former design chief Chris Bangle.The sixth-generation Five will bring new and more-efficient engines, greater safety technology and better value to Australian buyers when the car launches Down Under in June. It shares much of the hidden stuff with the latest 7 Series flagship.  But it is the styling that sets the standard.It has been refined and defined by a new generation of visionaries across the seven years it took to bring the car codenamed F10 5 to fruition.  In a ruthless process of last-man-standing, 20 exterior and a similar number of interior designers drew, refined and presented their interpretations of a modern 5 Series to senior management at three-monthly elimination competitions.A large part of the challenge for any new BMW _  but especially a 5 Series _ is the demand that the car walk a thin line of being both dynamic and sporty yet refined enough to lay fair challenge to its key rivals, the Mercedes E-Class, Audi A6 and Lexus GS.Styling aside, the new generation 5 Series will bring new more efficient engines, greater safety technology and better value to Australian buyers when the car launches Down Under in June.  "We are actually getting the car ahead of the United States and just weeks after it launches in Europe," BMW Australia's Toni Andreevski said. "We will launch with three petrol engines initially and follow that within about three months with the diesel 520d."Engines and variantsInitially the June 3 launch choice for Australian buyers will start with the naturally-aspirated 190kW inline-six 528i ($99,900), move on to the 535i ($128,900) featuring the new 225kW twin-scroll turbo in-line six and top out at the 300kW V8 550i ($178,900). The only confirmed diesel for the Australian market is the 2-litre four-cylinder 520d which has yet to be priced for its expected launch in September. The manual 520d — not confirmed for Australia — will introduce stop/start technology to BMW at its European launch.The entry-level 3-litre 528i offers power gains of 30kW and 60Nm over the superceded 2.5-litre 525i and will also pick up a swag of equipment including heads-up display — standard issue on all new 5 Series models — 18-inch alloys, front and rear park assistance, bi-Xenon headlights, brake energy regeneration and an active bonnet to improve pedestrian safety.At the heart of the new 535i is the company's revised turbo strategy for its six-cylinder cars which sees an end to the twin turbocharging philosophy in favour of a twin-scroll single turbocharger which matches the twin turbo's 225kW and 400Nm output but does so while sipping 7 per cent less fuel.At the top of the power scale, at least until the arrival of the new M5 around the middle of next year, the 550i shares BMW's new TwinPower turbo philosophy putting out 300kW and 600Nm — that's a 30kW and 110Nm boost over the previous model.Dynamic equipmentRide and handling will be assisted by the Dynamic Driving Control and Dynamic Damper Control (DDC) programs. The former will be standard across the range for Australia while the latter is standard on the 535i and 550i and available as a $2650 option on the 528i.While the DDC varies steering, throttle, gear-change points and traction control settings across a driver-selected range of normal, sport and sport-plus options it is the damper control that lifts the car's comfort levels beyond the ordinary. The electronics continuously vary both compression and rebound settings with such rapidity that when a front wheel strikes a pothole the damping will have been adjusted to counter it by the time the rear wheels strike the same road imperfection.OptionsBMW Australia will offer a couple of new — at least to the brand — technologies as options. Parking Assistant ($1600) uses sonar to identify a suitably-sized parking space and then reverses the car into the park while the driver modulates the brake and throttle. Surround View ($1300) uses four external cameras to provide a virtual birds-eye view around the car to assist with manoeuvring through tight spaces or in crowded environments.DrivingOn the road there is plenty to like about the new 5 Series, a not entirely surprising thing considering it shares as much as 70 per cent of its componentry with the recently released 7 Series.  The first impression is that the emphasis inside the cabin is back on the driver. The design, while still recognisable as a luxury environment, has been subtly altered to move the focus back to the driver.At the launch drive, the only Australia-bound engine available was the 535i, but what a fine thing it is. The power delivery, while not quite as sharp at the bottom end as the twin-turbo unit currently in the 1 and 3 Series, is creamy smooth and coupled to the eight-speed gearbox is willing to find urge over a huge span of the rev range. And it is as quiet and refined as it is strong.The ride quality on the test drive cars — and it is difficult to image a more thorough testing environment than Portugal's mix of rutted minor roads and hotmix highways — was enhanced in no small part by the dynamic and damping control programs.The new electric power steering on the 5 Series has a pleasing amount of feedback and feel with a meaty weighting that has not been a feature of the model for some time. With a 50:50 weight balance, the 5 brings a dynamism back to the class that will have the marque's rivals looking to their merits.It also has to be said that the latest generation of the run-flat tyre technology so favoured by BMW has reached a standard where the vast majority of drivers will not easily notice any shortcomings.  Ride and road noise are excellent and while a wet track still found shortcomings with grip under more enthusiastic driving, performance at everyday road pace was more than acceptable.BMW 5 SERIESPrice: from $99,900Engine: 3-litre inline six to 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, 190kw/310Nm-300kw/600NmTransmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveEconomy, CO2: 187-243g/kmRIVALS:Audi A6: from $71,600Lexus GS: from $94,900Mercedes-Benz E-Class: from $93,900