BMW has long marketed itself as the ultimate driving machine. And their sedans are known for having great power, impressive handling and luxurious interiors. Does this 5-series really stay true to that tradition? The interior of the 5-series is impressive, rivaling the best luxury sedans. Wood and leather are bound and there’s high quality soft touch materials at key touch points. Most people will find it easy to get a comfortable driving position behind the power adjustable steering wheel. The foot well is also wide but the wide center console makes it feel cramped for some drivers. Another annoyance is the fixed position of the seat belt, which pulls on the shoulder of some taller drivers. One thing BMW really paid attention to is visibility. The roof pillars are thin in the front and the rear. And the view out is great whether it’s the front, the side, or out to the back. In addition, the backup camera really helps when reversing. The front seats offer excellent support for a variety of body types, particularly lumbar and shoulder support. Even though the seats lack aggressive bolsters, they do provide plenty of lateral support. The rear seat is roomy enough for two adults but adding in a third means it’s going to be a bit crowded. Even though the seat cushion is low it’s tilted to give good thigh support. And there’s plenty of headroom and legroom for six footers. Unfortunately, the positives end when it comes to the controls. The gauges are clear and straightforward but the steering wheel rim can block them. Complicated controls have sort of become a new BMW tradition. While significantly improved from previous generations, idrive is still a major distraction. There is a better menu system and more hard keys on the dash. Still, it takes far too many steps to perform simple tasks like tuning the radio. And the controller is mounted closer to the passenger rather than the driver. And that controller, it lacks a tactile feel we really liked in previous generations.

Lots of minor controls cause annoyances too. For example, the turn signal and wiper control stalks return to their center position rather than stay where you left them. The gear shift lever is also unintuitive. You have to push forward from park to engage reverse. And even turning the car off has been made more complicated. It makes you wonder why you have to re-learn simple controls if they haven’t been made better. So, even though BMW really hasn’t improved the controls, at least the 5-series retains the sportiness of the previous generation, right? Well, not really. While the 5-series is taut and agile it just isn’t as fun anymore. It stays planted in corners and body roll is well-contained, but the steering lacks on-center feel and feedback. This is particularly evident at its limits where the steering response is slow and vague and the car wants to under-steer. The 5-series is an impressive cruiser. On the road, the car is extremely quiet with well-suppressed wind and road noise. The 5-series normally rides really well with impressive body control and isolation. But there’s one weak point. If you hit a big pothole the entire body structure shutters. That’s unexpected in this price point. However, the turbocharged 6-cylinder engine really is a pleasure. It delivers strong, smooth performance and returns pretty good fuel economy. Although it does require premium fuel. The 8-speed transmission shifts smoothly and seamlessly. So what we have here is an entirely different BMW 5-series. It’s a fast, efficient, and comfortable highway cruiser but no longer a back-road burner. It seems like BMW has been targeting Mercedes-Benz and Lexus with this 5-series and not the ultimate driving machine.