BMW 5-Series: On the winds of change

MANILA, Philippines—BMW’S 3-Series sedan is the Munich firm’s volume seller, whereas the BMW 7-Series is their profit maker. But it is the BMW 5-Series which is BMW’s most important sedan model because it represents the very core of what BMWs are: executive expresses with sports-sedan abilities. The 5-Series in fact gave birth to the entire sports-sedan segment as it is known today. It also accounts for up to as much as 20 percent of BMW’s profits worldwide so you can just imagine how crucial the success is of the new F10/F11 5-Series.

THE F10/F11 5-Series is a testament to BMW’s design philosophy as executive expresses with sports-sedan abilities.

My father used to own an E34 525i and it was indeed an amazing car, sure-footed, dynamic and light on its feet. It had much less than 200hp, and drove through a 4-speed automatic but it never felt like it lacked in power. It was generally considered the most elegant-looking sedan in its class during its heyday. The E39 BMW 5-series that followed was a very good design evolution of the E34. Critics say BMW somehow lost the plot with the E60 5-Series, with its Bangle-butt but surprisingly it became the best-selling ever 5-Series in BMW history.

It is ironic that the number 5 in certain cultures, philosophies and spiritual beliefs represents change, and a positive one at that. Let’s hope the new 5 is a positive advancement for BMW, and local distributor Asian Carmakers Corp. which, for the first time in 11 years of operation, has finally turned a healthy profit, and with a new boss, Maricar Parco, at the helm. Sure are a lot of positive changes!

The new F10/F11 5-Series has very big shoes indeed to fill. It still has the traditional BMW design cues such as very pronounced Hoffmeister kink on the rear door sill/c-pillar area, a large kidney grill up front and the design is very much a graceful evolution of the more polarizing E60 5-Series.

Underneath the skin, the new 5 is packed with advancements such as a new dual ball-joint short-long arm suspension meant to improve steering feel and response, as well as increased high-speed cornering stability and a redesigned multi-link rear suspension, which improves ride, comfort, refinement and traction, not to mention dynamic ability.

The most exciting bit of kit for me, however, is the presence of a new ZF 8-speed automatic transmission that really unlocks every last bit of German pferdestark (PS is short-hand for horse-strength, or power in German) to deliver a most exhilarating drive while delivering unmatched efficiency. I kept checking my mileage, and it seems like I got a solid 9km/liter of fuel consumption in equal doses of city and highway driving. And good that BMW has released their 8-speeder as rivals Audi and Lexus have also had 8-speed transmissions, whereas rival Mercedes-Benz has its 7G-Tronic 7-speed transmission.

The transmission has three modes of operation: normal automatic, sport automatic, where the transmission resists shifting up or down to ensure you are in the right gear that puts you smack in the middle of the powerband, and steptronic manual control via paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, and by tugging on the gearshift assembly up or down. Match it up to the Sport or Sport + driving modes and the steering, electronic suspension and engine response becomes quicker, firmer, more aggressive, more menacing. Despite only possessing a modest by today’s standards of 204hp and 250nm of torque, the somewhat heavy BMW 5-Series is still an exhilarating executive express on a twisty and winding b-road or on a super-smooth highway.

BMW’s infamous iDrive is now easier than ever to operate, and the Radio BMW Professional, which features Logic 7 surround sound system, played all my MP3 CD’s brilliantly.

Driving position, a BMW strong suit, is excellent as always, and the Servotronic active steering system decreases steering wheel lock at low speeds, such as parking, but increase steering lock at higher speeds so the 5-Series doesn’t feel as nervous, increasing driver’s confidence and comfort.

Of course as with any BMW, it’s got a slew of safety equipment such as eight airbags, ABS-EBD brakes with traction and stability control, and active headrests to help prevent whiplash in the event of an accident.

Grey Dakota leather fills the interior, and the chunky 3-spoke steering houses controls for the audio and cruise control, plus the aforementioned paddle shifters.

The drive is multi-faceted: it can be quite tense and exciting in Sport + mode with the transmission in manual mode; every gearshift is sometimes accompanied by a slight chirp from the tires as they scramble for grip on less than perfect surfaces. In normal mode, the ride is as you would expect from a luxury limousine: painless, smooth and highly refined. Wind noise, or probably tire noise, does become an issue past 120km/h, due perhaps to the extra stiff and heavy run-flat tires seized 245/45R18. The new 5 would look better indeed in 20’ wheels shod with lower profile rubber, but at the risk of ruining the smooth ride.

It has grown bigger, and rear legroom has finally improved significantly, and yet overhangs are still thankfully short, improving handling and responsiveness further. The downside is that parking it is a bit trickier due to the added length and girth.

So does it truly move the game forward? Is BMW’s F10/F11 5-Series poised for greater sales success? Does it retain all the core BMW values of dynamic driving and refined comfort? Indeed it does. Good job on this one, kudos to the men in white coats over at Munich.