Automotive | All About Automotive

Full disclosure: I do not now, nor have I ever -- since its introduction -- liked the current-generation BMW 5 Series. While it was a tour de force in technological boundary-pushing, in this humble scribe's opinion, that car represented a retrograde move where driving pleasure is concerned.

It may have generated great numbers, but I always felt uncomfortably aware that my hands and feet were ordering a lot of electrons around when they spun the wheel or worked the pedals. It generally went where it was pointed, but I never felt like I could take full credit for getting it there. Early Active Steering was a mess, although it was improved markedly during the production run of the E60/E61 5er.

2011 BMW 535I Front 1

The first-generation iDrive was, shall we just say, arguably suboptimal in some ergonomic respects. And perhaps worst of all, the styling was a bit jarring. Well, like-minded friends-of-the-old-5, rejoice: So revised is this sixth-generation car that its model series actually starts with an F (F10/F11, building on the new 7, which is coded F01/F02). Trust me, this is one F that's worth working hard to earn.

To begin with, the electrons are no longer noticeable, in large part because they have less work to do. That's because the fundamental, natural powertrain and chassis performance characteristics have all been greatly improved. Two cases in point:

1. The all-new engine features identical displacement, power, and torque specs, but ditches the old throttle valves and twin-turbos for Valvetronic throttling and a twin-scroll single turbo. The result is improved responsiveness and efficiency (U.S. EPA figures are pending, but Euro consumption is reduced several percent). Bolt that motor to a new eight-speed automatic with hockey-goalie reflexes, and together they generate improved performance and fuel economy.

2011 BMW 535I Front 3

2. The suspension kinematics have been radically altered so that the car inherently corners flatter and with better grip (more about which follows). Of course, there have also been lessons learned in teaching electrons to do their job less noticeably.

At a recent BMW technical day, for example, some of the engineers confided they now prefer working with electric power steering (now standard on the 5), because they know exactly how to program the desired steering feel they want into EPS, while tuning the feel of hydraulic steering assist requires more work. The result: The new 5 (which goes on sale in 535i and 550i flavors in June, with the 528i coming later), at least when fitted with EPS and optional Active Steering, and practically every other chassis trick in the book as our test car was, is far more rewarding to drive on a twisty coastal road than its predecessor.