So what's the verdict?
I should perhaps address the driving dynamics and the 248-horsepower turbo four-banger right up front. It was fine. Would I have preferred an inline six, making 335 horses — the type of motor I'd find in the 540i? I'm not sure, to be honest. The 530i's four-pot was punchy enough and never felt lacking in oomph, and I'd definitely savor the commendable fuel-economy: 24 mpg city/34 city/27 combined. And I could still get from 0-60 mph in around six seconds.
You can noodle with the steering feel, suspension reaction, and power delivery by playing with the drive modes, consisting of Eco Pro, Comfort, and Sport. I tried all of them and ended up perfectly happy with Comfort most of the time, largely because I didn't think it demanded more than the turbo four and the eight-speed wanted to deliver.
That said, Sport was sporty, although it's clear that if you want an old-school bimmer driving experience, you need to think about stepping up to an M-Sport vehicle. It's been pointed out by others who've driven the seventh-generation 5-Series: this isn't your father's BMW. I add my voice to the sad chorus. My colleague Ben Zhang complained that the new 5-Series just lacks soul, and while I don't 100% agree, he has a point. There's just no in-between with BMW anymore. The regular 5-Series is about luxury and technology, while the juicy driving fun has been turned over to the M cars.
Ultimately, this makes sense, and it does represent BMW dealing with reality. Most contemporary BMW sedan buyers are looking at bimmers as luxury machines. The cadre of folks who bought back in the 1980s and 1990s were enthusiasts, often enough, and unfortunately, their values are being forced out of the market. BMW makes cars for them, but they just aren't the core of the brand anymore.
Apart from that lamentable yet understandable situation, the new 5-Series is, simply put, excellent. The 530i is a great car, from stem to stern, side to side, on the road and under the hood. It's a lovely freeway cruiser, but it can go all BMW and stiffen up, rewarding a driver who wants to tuck into some corners. The steering could be crisper, but that's nitpicking.
What we have here is a literally perfectly boring car. BMW has had decades to set the bar, and it has gotten very good at that responsibility to the legacy of the 5-Series. It cannot disappoint, and it doesn't. Nor does it thrill.
But what's BMW to do? Walking up the 530i in my driveway one dusky evening, moon rising, I was drawn in by the bimmer's quiet beauty and I had to ask myself, "Can BMW make a better car?"
They can't. And if that upsets us in some way, well ... then it's our problem.
The BMW Bavarian-flag badge is all the iconography this car needs.
By the way, BMW might not need much in the way of badging, but the company clearly thinks owners need a lot in the way of options. If you're wondering how our test car wound up costing $20,000 more than its $51,000 base, look no farther than a host of driver-assist features that added almost $5,000 to the price tag.
To BMW's credit, you don't have to choose these options.
Source: Business Insider India