E60; Best of the 5 Series
This is my third 5-series. Recently I had to take my car to a stealership to have a recall installed and they loaned me a nearly brand new 2019 540 xdrive with all the toys. Getting back into my 13 year-older model allowed for an immediate and clear assessment; I prefer the passive chassis dynamics of my humble 2006 530xi. My car is from the era when BMW still made ‘Ultimate Driving Machines’. Newer cars are watered down, trying to appeal to a broader market more interested in smartphone connectivity than the driving experience. Don’t get me wrong, BMW still makes great cars; they just don’t always make great BMWs anymore.
And pardon me but authentic BMWs have in-line sixes, not turbo-charged 4-bangers. The N52 engine was the most powerful naturally aspirated non-M engine BMW ever put in a sedan. It’s plenty gutsy enough for daily driving and sewing-machine smooth, just the way real BMWs are supposed to be. But it truly is the chassis composure of these cars that inspired someone to first describe BMWs as being well ‘planted’ in terms of roadholding. They offer a combination of athletic handling and supple ride quality that is unmatched today even by newer cars. I’ve driven every imaginable comparable car and nothing matches it, although a couple of E-class Benz’s with sports suspensions would have been acceptable, although certainly not equal. Infiniti’s?..not even close. Audi’s?.....have gotten a LOT better in recent years but still haven’t gotten all the way there. Maybe a Panamera or Tesla could turn my head but I haven’t driven those. Besides, I only paid $10k for my 71k mile 530xi two years ago and I’m certain there’s nothing else out there in used car La-la land for that price that could match it.
IDrive complaints?...not from me. Sure there’s a slight learning curve, but once acclimated it’s a great system. It’s older tech with slower processors so you have to be patient sometimes waiting for the Voice control prompts, but it works flawlessly. I do wish I had either the sports or comfort seats, although a recent round trip to Va was a no pain event. And the ultimate would be if the car had a manual trans, but that notwithstanding, it’s still the best overall car I’ve ever owned.
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