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Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2007 BMW 530i by Cordell Koland BMW has honed its reputation for building performance automobiles to a fine edge. But all of the dimensions of performance are not always immediately apparent. The 530i sedan won¹t win too many acceleration contests these days, yet it displays its BMW heritage in other ways. The 530i occupies the middle of the current 5-Series range. Other models include a lower priced 525i, the powerful 550i, and the way over-the-top M5. Our test model had a list price around $50,000, but it could run to $60,000 with options. Power is provided by BMW¹s legendary 3-liter inline six. The motor offers good performance for its relatively small size, able to zip the car to 60 miles per hour in 6.4 seconds, reach a top speed of 150 miles per hour and deliver a commendable 30 miles per gallon in highway driving. But in today's world, only the gas mileage would seem to stand out. What I was really impressed with this time around is the overall sophistication of the car and its body structure. The car is one of the most refined in its class. We recently drove a highly regarded direct competitor and commented on how quiet and solid the BMW felt in contrast. This has been achieved without making the body structure a porker. Its weight of 3,500 lbs. is modest in contemporary terms. The 530i is an absolute joy to drive, whether on a mountain switchback or a fast Interstate highway. The current 530i continues to represent the state of the automotive art in terms of handling, steering response, and ride quality for a sports sedan. The driving experience had me searching for a new vocabulary to express the sensations. Such concepts as perfect integration of a host of components and subtle reactions were some thoughts that came to mind. The car's poise and responsiveness is undoubtedly the result of the aluminum suspension components and near-perfect front-to-rear weight balance. One could write a book on how automobile physical dynamics are affected by these components, but it's more enlightening to talk about how it all feels on the road. First off, the car has a strong on-center feel. This means that it tracks straight and true down the center of the lane with little correction needed, yet it does not feel heavy or ponderous. When you do need to make a minor correction, very little effort is needed. The sensation is almost as if the car is reading you mind. When you come to a bend in the road or need to make a lane change, you seem to intuitively know exactly how many degrees to turn the steering wheel. The omnipresent bumps and imperfections that define our highway infrastructure these days have almost no effect on the car¹s composure. You can feel an impact via the seat of your pants, but the car stays straight and true with absolutely no deflection, even if you experience chopped-up road conditions going around a curve. While I love tackling a challenging road in the 530i, there are other aspects I find less than exemplary. First off, take the exterior styling- please take the exterior styling. The 530i looks ungainly. The extra crease that runs front-to-rear to develop a broad band essentially makes the body look boxy and top heavy. And then there¹s BMW's famous or infamous iDrive system, a highly engineered response to the fact that automotive electronics have grown more sophisticated‹and more complicated. The heart of the iDrive interface is a controller a center console-mounted joystick and display screen mounted on the dashboard, which manages a computer menu system that wraps up a number of functions and removes them from view. With the iDrive system, you select from scores of choices via a complex menu system that accesses the audio, climate controls and communications. Over the years, I¹ve pretty much mastered iDrive, but I think the system is just too hard to operate and requires that the driver divert too much attention to the small display screen, as opposed to keeping his or her attention riveted to the road ahead. All of the Japanese luxury brands deploy better user interfaces. Vehicle:
BMW 530i
Price as tested: $49,645 Engine: Type: Inline six-cylinder Horsepower: 255 @ 6,600 rpm Torque: 220 lbs.-ft. @ 2,750 rpm Fuel economy, manual transmission City 20 mpg Highway 30 mpg Curb Weight: 3,450 lbs. Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
