BMW 5-SERIES SPORT RANGE
With Tauter Springs And A More Aggressive Stance, The 5-Series Sport Is Exactly What Many People Look For From A
BMW. Steve Walker Reports
Where other executive cars trade on their cosseting ride quality and hushed refinement, BMWs 5-Series makes greater play of its sporting prowess. Even in the standard Five, the suspension is firmer than some world-weary execs would like and the unorthodox styling has raised the odd bushy eyebrow. Then theres the 5-Series Sport, which takes the lively ride and the imposing styling to the next level. Inevitably, characteristics like these will jar with some in what has been a staunchly unadventurous market sector but they should also attract people who had previously viewed executive saloons as being a bit stuffy.
The executive saloon sector is full of cars that will float you up the motorway in eerie silence, encircle you with swathes of leather and astound you with an arsenal of cutting-edge gadgetry. The 5-Series is certainly one of these. When a twisty B-road beckons, however, few of the current executive crop can perform with the agility and sharpness of a Five and none can match the added dynamic dimension that the Sport trim level brings to the party. It might seem expensive to some, priced around £2,000 to £3,500 more (depending on the model) than an equivalent SE, but the 5-Series Sport is a substantial package.
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The biggest chunk of that additional cost is accounted for by the M Sports suspension that all the Sport derivatives benefit from. Its a set-up thats not a million miles away from that found in the 507bhp M5 super saloon and it lowers the car by 15mm. Suspension links and bushes are shared with the M5 and they serve to bolster the cars already well-honed handling. Its claimed that ride comfort doesnt suffer as a result of the Sport packs implementation but while this may be the case on good road surfaces, any imperfections in tarmac are definitely transmitted more strongly to the driver in a Sport compared to an SE.
"the 5-Series is a superbly engineered, dynamically excellent car thats a better drive than any other in its class."
The rest of the Sport models accoutrements serve a largely cosmetic purpose, although there are, were told, certain aerodynamic benefits to be gleaned from the restyled front bumper with its wider air-intake. Side sills running the cars length flare out from those flame-surfaced door panels and the window surrounds are divested of their chrome edging. At the back, the rear-bumper takes on a different shape from that on the standard car and includes rear-parking sensors, while the crowning glory is the set of 18-inch M Light alloy wheels that do a good job of packing the 5-Series arches. Under the skin, all 5-Series Sport buyers, except those displaying the wherewithal to afford the range-topping 545i Sport, perch themselves on cloth and Nappa leather seats.
The 545i comes with up-spec Dakota leather throughout and features fully electric front seats where lesser models only benefit from partial power. Aluminium inserts are prominent on the dashboard, the centre console and the doors, theres anthracite headlining and an M Sports steering wheel to complete the effect. The Sport package is available with all of the 5-Series Saloon and Touring engine options although the price premium required increases as you descend the range because fewer of the Sport features are already included as standard. The 5-Series engines are amongst its strongest suits and they are all capable of living up to the Sport models high-performance billing.
Buyers who can only just about scrape together the requisite funds to get into a 5-Series will be looking at a 523i Sport for £29,825. In the past, entry-level Fives have been seriously truncated affairs, designed to tempt the badge snobs whod rather drive a bargain basement
BMW than a fully-loaded
Ford but the 523i Sport is a far more rounded package. 0-60mph takes 8.5 seconds and fuel consumption of over 30mpg is fair for a car of this size.
From here on up, we get into the more powerful six cylinder units. The 525i has 7.9s acceleration and the 530i knocks a full second off that. This kind of performance married to the upgraded Sport suspension is a failsafe recipe for fun.
The 545i Sport takes just 5.8s to reach 60mph, returns 26mpg average economy and costs £44,595. Its a seriously quick executive saloon with that right-hand pedal unleashing wave upon wave of brute power to fire you up the road. Driving it, you have to wonder with some trepidation what the V10 M5 is like.
The most rounded, sensible and, possibly, desirable engines in the 5-Series Sport range have got to be the diesels. BMWs 3.0-litre oil-burner was widely touted as the worlds finest engine and its easy to see why. 7.
1s is the interval the 530d takes to reach 60mph but thats not the whole story given the vast (500Nm) reserves of torque on offer. Then theres the average fuel economy of 40mpg yes 40mpg. Of course, this star performer has recently been trumped by the 3.5-litre diesel in the 535d.
Here, theres 560Nm of torque to play with resulting in a 6.6s 0-60mph time and scarcely credible in-gear acceleration. Historically, the Sport models have accounted for over 60% of 5-Series sales, so theres little doubt that the current car will be a popular proposition in Sport guise. What may be of more concern to BMW is the general appeal of the 5-Series itself they shouldnt worry.
After initially receiving a mixed reception for its groundbreaking styling, the car is rapidly being subsumed into the mainstream. What fuss there was should soon die down. Then theres the i-Drive control system designed to eliminate the clutter of controls that was spreading across the dashboards of increasingly complex executive cars. Theres no doubt that the joystick system is initially daunting but the version in the 5-Series is simpler to master than that in the 7 and with the right amount of perseverance, youll be whizzing through those menus.
The key thing to remember is that beneath the styling and behind the control interface, the 5-Series is a superbly engineered, dynamically excellent car thats a better drive than any other in its class. That will be enough to swing plenty of buying decisions. The Sport trim level does much to sharpen-up the 5-Series, emphasising the sporting element that continues to set BMW products apart from executive competitors that take a more laid-back comfort-orientated approach. With the M5 apparently destined to assume near-mythical status, a 5-Series Sport looks an affordable way of accessing some of its style and flavour something many buyers will want to do.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: BMW 5-Series Sport range
PRICES: £29,825-£46,620 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 15-18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 184-274g/km
PERFORMANCE: [530i] 0-60mph 6.7s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [530d] (combined) 40.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and window airbags / ABS / DSC
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4841/2035/1468mm
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