2012 BMW 535 Review by Joe Wiesenfelder
I don't walk away from every new model with a single overriding impression, but sometimes a car grabs me by the collar and shakes me. While that wasn't exactly the case with the redesigned 2011 BMW 5 Series, that car did consistently whisper in my ear.
If the new 5 Series is anything, it's quiet and comfortable.
This new level of comfort broadens the sport sedan's appeal, but at the same time the newly redesigned car gives up even more of its old visceral experience, which has been abating generation by generation.
The 5 Series sedan comes in three levels: the 528i, 535i and 550i. (The bizarre 5 Series Gran Turismo is reviewed separately.) Though there was a time when those numbers represented engine sizes, BMW's recent embrace of turbocharging has cast off any semblance of meaning. Suffice it to say the 528i has a six-cylinder, the 535i has a turbocharged six-cylinder and the 550i has a turbocharged V-8. See them compared here.
I tested the 535i and 550i with rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is available for both of these levels, designated "xDrive."
See also:
General information
Front
Two different driver's seat, exterior mirror, and
steering wheel positions can be stored and retrieved
for each remote control. The adjustment
of the lumbar support is not stored.
Rear ...
Setting the voice dialog
You can set whether the system should use the
standard dialog or a shorter version.
In the shorter variant of the voice dialog, the announcements
from the system are issued in an
abbreviated fo ...
Engaging the transmission position
► Transmission position P can only be disengaged
if the engine is running and the brake
pedal is pressed.
► With the vehicle stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of ...