BMW 5 Series 2003-2012 550i Touring

5 Series 2003-2012 550i Touring Review

BMW is a German car-manufacturer and is known for its luxury cars. BMW India is a fully owned subsidiary of BMW Group and has maintained its position very nicely in the Indian market for past several years. At present, it stands second after Audi in the luxury car segment in the country. BMW, currently, has 11 car models available in India, including BMW X1, BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW X3, BMW X5, BMW Z4, BMW Gran Turismo, BMW M Series, BMW X6, BMW 6 Series and BMW 7 Series. With these 11 models, it has been able to maintain its reputation since its entry and has now become one of the most trusted brands in the luxury car market. BMW 5 Series is a member of the sedan segment and has 5 variants. The top end variant, which is also the only petrol variant, of the series is BMW 5 series 535i. It is powered by a 6-cylinder petrol engine with a twin scroll turbocharger, Valvetronic and direct injection fuel supply system. It generates a maximum of 306bhp at the rate of 5800rpm and a peak torque of 400Nm for a range of 1200-5000rpm. It delivers a mileage of 11.36kmpl and has a fuel tank capacity of 70 litres, thereby, allowing you to drive around 812kms once you get a full tank, without refuelling. The engine comes mated with eight-speed automatic transmission Steptronic that not only ensures incredibly soft shifts in gear but also reduces background noises at high speed. This 8-speed automatic transmission gearbox also significantly reduces the fuel consumption. This transmission is supported by the newly developed and more efficient converter clutch to further enhance the efficiency of the car. The exterior appearance of this car is quite aggressive, mainly, due to its high belt-line. The plush interiors compliment the overall aura of the car. Apart from the looks, there are also a number of safety and comfort features in it to provide a safe and comfortable ride. The main attracting features in this sedan would be the multi-function leather-jacketed steering wheel, the 10.2-inch LCD display, the 18-inch alloy wheels and the chrome furnish at a number of places .

Exteriors

As already said, exterior appearance of this sedan has an aggressive feel about it and that is mainly due to the presence of the high belt line on the front bonnet. The BMW-characteristic kidney grille with vertical chrome bars, on the front, is enclosed between the two curvy rectangular Xenon headlamps , which give more light compared to the normal headlamps. The lower black honeycomb grille is integrated with clear lens fog lamps to provide better visibility at night. The side profile is exclusively designed so as to give it a luxurious appeal. The beauty at the sides is basically because of the design of the C pillar, which produces a sweeping curve. The presence of sleek turn indicators right next to the wheel arches further enhances the beauty of the luxurious ride. At the rear end, we have LED tail lights extending to the trunk lid, besides twin chrome exhaust pipes placed on the rear left and rear right side. The car is available in the market in 8 gorgeous colours covering Deep Sea Blue, Alpine White, Space Grey, Cashmere Silver, Havana, Milano Beige, Imperial Blue Brilliant Effect and Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect. BMW 5 Series has an overall length of 4841mm, width of 1846mm, height of 1,468mm and a wheelbase of 2888mm. The front tread, which is the distance between the front left and the front right wheel, is 1484mm. Similarly, the rear tread of the car is 1496mm. The kerb weight that the car bears is around 1705kg while its gross weight is 2315kg .

Interiors

The interiors of this sedan are done with beige colour to create a soothing and relaxing ambiance within the cabin. There are a number of places where we can see wooden furnishing, which adds to its class and beauty. A brilliantly polished gear-knob in the centre and beige coloured floor mats, spread throughout the seating chamber, go excellently with the interior design of the car. The centre console includes an LCD touch display, AC vents, music system and air conditioner controls . The standard features in the 5 series model is a sunroof with tilt/slide function, and sun blinds, mounted on the rear side window.

Comfort Features

In the comfort zone, there are various exciting and essential features like power steering wheel, power windows, air quality control, remote trunk and fuel lid openers, trunk light, vanity mirror, cruise control and parking sensor . Other than these, some of the more advanced traits that can be found in the sedan are seat lumbar support and a multi-function steering wheel. BMW has also incorporated their opulent off-spring with ultramodern gadgetries like iDrive to give you full control over all of the functions that have made their way into this 5 Series member, starting from the entertainment system, and going up to the integrated user guide. Apart from all these, there are also some of the basic features, which we can find in any of the cars running on the Indian roads.

Engine and Performance

BMW 535i, under its hood, carries a 3.0-litre In-Line petrol engine consisting of 6 cylinders with 4 valves per cylinder and direct injection fuel supply system . It produces a top 306bhp at the rate of 5800rpm and a peak torque of 400Nm for a range of 1200-5000rpm. With the power and torque numbers churned out here, we can readily accelerate the car from 0 to 100kmph in just 5.9 seconds and can attain a top speed of 236kmph . The drag coefficient, that defines the air resistance on the forward movement, of the car is 0.28 seconds, which is quite low and lower the drag coefficient, smoother is the movement of the car at high speeds.

Braking and Handling

In the brake mechanism, the car gets ventilated disc brakes both at the front and the rear to provide effective braking by reducing the braking distance. These brakes are equipped with ABS and Brake Assist to prevent the car from skidding in case of instant application of brakes. For handling, it gets a power steering wheel with collapsible steering column , which provides a turning radius of 11.4 meters. In the suspension, the car comes with a Double Joint Spring Strut Axle in the front and an Aluminium Integral Axle at the rear. The suspension system in the sedan makes sure that the occupants remain far from any kind of inconvenience resulting from the holes and bumps on the roads, thereby, delivering an absolutely pleasant and comfortable ride.

Safety Features

On the safety front, the lavish sedan offers dual airbags for the front and sides for superior cushioning effect in case of a collision, diminishing the possibility of injuries, Xenon headlamps, which generate more light as compared to the normal headlamps, crash sensor and key-less entry to lock and unlock the vehicle door and trunk without using a key. Other standard ones are central locking, power door locks, child safety locks, day and night rear view mirror, passenger side rear view mirror, rear seat belts, seat belt warning, front and side impact beams, traction control, adjustable seats, vehicle stability control, centrally mounted fuel tank and engine check warning.

Pros

Exquisite body design, lavish interior comforts and brilliantly-engineered steering wheel.

Cons

High maintenance cost.