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Autoblog gets behind the wheel of the 2011 BMW 550i and gives us a very interesting review of the car. The verdict: still a very good selection for those who want sheer driving pleasure. See this excerpt of the review below:
At the launch of the 5 Series, we spent countless hours behind the wheel of the “entry-level” 535i model equipped with BMW’s single-turbo “N55” inline-6 and new eight-speed automatic. That car was fitted with the optional paddle shifters (Sport Automatic) and next- generation electric Integral Active Steering (IAS). Now we now have our hands on the range- topping 400- horsepower 550i with the standard automatic transmission and standard electric steering.
The base MSRP of the 2011 BMW 550i is $59,700 (plus $875 destination). Our test car, wearing Titanium Silver Metallic paint over Cinnamon Brown leather, is fitted with the Convenience Package (comfort access entry), Dynamic Handling Package, Premium Package 2 (rearview camera, rear sunshades, heated front seats, iPod and USB adapter, satellite radio and premium hi-fi audio), Sport Package (19-inch alloys, sport steering wheel and multi-contour seats) and split fold-down rear seats. The bold number at the bottom of our window sticker reads $70,450.
Interestingly enough, our car isn’t heavily optioned. In fact, we would have added the Sport Automatic with shift paddles (more on that later), four-zone climate control and Smartphone integration. While we don’t condone such behavior, you can further burden your 5 Series with night vision, side and top view cameras, a head-up display, radar cruise control and 20-inch factory alloy wheels. With a heavy hand on the options list, a non-M model 2011 5 Series can top $95,000. *Gulp.*
The cabin of our test car arrived loaded with premium Dakota leather (standard on the 550i) and dark Burl Ash wood with contrasting aluminum trim. A silver exterior over brown upholstery isn’t a color combination they teach at Art Center in Pasadena, but it looks sharp in the new sheet metal. Primary instrumentation is logically distributed and easy-to-read under nearly all conditions (kudos to BMW for giving us an oil temperature gauge). Satellite navigation, standard on the 550i, upgrades the center information screen to a razor-sharp 10.2-inch 1280 x 480 pixel “transreflective” display, meaning light from the sun actually enhances the images on the screen (the screen, and all other displays, are easily read through polarized sunglasses, too). The passenger compartment is beautifully trimmed, both inviting and functional, but the big news is under the hood.
In contrast to the 3.0-liter single-turbo “N55” inline-six found under the hood of the 535i (rated at 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque), the 550i is fitted with a direct-injected 4.4-liter twin-turbo “N63” V8 punching out 400 horsepower and a stump-pulling 450 pound-feet of torque. While a six-speed manual transmission is available (more kudos to BMW), our test car arrived fitted with the automaker’s new buttery-smooth eight-speed automatic (ZF 8HP70). The two turbochargers, nestled in the valley between the cylinders, do a fine job of boosting atmospheric pressure right off idle. Throttle lag is negligible, and power is strong and seamless. BMW says the 550i will hit 60 mph in five seconds flat on its way towards an artificial electronic wall at 150 mph. Until the next-gen M5 arrives, this is the quickest 5 Series on the market.
We had one week with the 550i. As most vehicles appear rather competent in 20-minute bursts around town, when speeds never exceed 50 mph and seats always feel fresh and comfortable, we had something a bit more challenging in mind for BMW’s new 5 Series – we took it to visit General Sherman. With four people on board and a decent amount of gear in the trunk, the one-day, 600-mile round-trip drive involved hundreds of miles of mind-numbing highways, capped by an invigorating 7,000-foot climb into the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range. The plan was to turn around and head back home that night.
The 5 Series sedan would prove to be a comfortable fit. Our six-foot two-inch frame drops into the 18-way multi-contour front seats and melts. With articulated upper backrests, and extendable lower cushions, the seats are more comfortable than your mother’s womb (and they heat up equally as warm). The rear seats are acceptable for adults, but the space would never be considered generous, as the backs of the front seats are not sculpted for rear passenger knees. (In truth, the 5 Series rear seating area only has about an inch in every dimension on the smaller 3 Series “E90” sedan.) We did find trouble installing a child booster in the back seat, as the thick outboard seat bolsters forced the plastic seat inward, covering the female end of the seatbelt buckle.
Nevertheless, nobody chooses a BMW 5 Series for interior room – they select it for the way it drives.
Last year’s 550i (E60) was fitted with a 4.8-liter normally-aspirated “N62” V8, rated at 360 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. It’s hard to believe, but the new 400 horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter makes the outgoing engine seem anemic. Around town, the 550i launches with serious authority. The accelerator goes down and all skulls are pressed back into the head restraints. Strangely enough, there isn’t a whole lot of noise to accompanying the thrust – it’s eerie, almost electric. The eight-speed gearbox (the 535i and 550i do not share the same transmission) shifts through the gears smoothly, but not as quickly as we would have expected.
Source: Autoblog
The base MSRP of the 2011 BMW 550i is $59,700 (plus $875 destination). Our test car, wearing Titanium Silver Metallic paint over Cinnamon Brown leather, is fitted with the Convenience Package (comfort access entry), Dynamic Handling Package, Premium Package 2 (rearview camera, rear sunshades, heated front seats, iPod and USB adapter, satellite radio and premium hi-fi audio), Sport Package (19-inch alloys, sport steering wheel and multi-contour seats) and split fold-down rear seats. The bold number at the bottom of our window sticker reads $70,450.
Interestingly enough, our car isn’t heavily optioned. In fact, we would have added the Sport Automatic with shift paddles (more on that later), four-zone climate control and Smartphone integration. While we don’t condone such behavior, you can further burden your 5 Series with night vision, side and top view cameras, a head-up display, radar cruise control and 20-inch factory alloy wheels. With a heavy hand on the options list, a non-M model 2011 5 Series can top $95,000. *Gulp.*
The cabin of our test car arrived loaded with premium Dakota leather (standard on the 550i) and dark Burl Ash wood with contrasting aluminum trim. A silver exterior over brown upholstery isn’t a color combination they teach at Art Center in Pasadena, but it looks sharp in the new sheet metal. Primary instrumentation is logically distributed and easy-to-read under nearly all conditions (kudos to BMW for giving us an oil temperature gauge). Satellite navigation, standard on the 550i, upgrades the center information screen to a razor-sharp 10.2-inch 1280 x 480 pixel “transreflective” display, meaning light from the sun actually enhances the images on the screen (the screen, and all other displays, are easily read through polarized sunglasses, too). The passenger compartment is beautifully trimmed, both inviting and functional, but the big news is under the hood.
In contrast to the 3.0-liter single-turbo “N55” inline-six found under the hood of the 535i (rated at 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque), the 550i is fitted with a direct-injected 4.4-liter twin-turbo “N63” V8 punching out 400 horsepower and a stump-pulling 450 pound-feet of torque. While a six-speed manual transmission is available (more kudos to BMW), our test car arrived fitted with the automaker’s new buttery-smooth eight-speed automatic (ZF 8HP70). The two turbochargers, nestled in the valley between the cylinders, do a fine job of boosting atmospheric pressure right off idle. Throttle lag is negligible, and power is strong and seamless. BMW says the 550i will hit 60 mph in five seconds flat on its way towards an artificial electronic wall at 150 mph. Until the next-gen M5 arrives, this is the quickest 5 Series on the market.
We had one week with the 550i. As most vehicles appear rather competent in 20-minute bursts around town, when speeds never exceed 50 mph and seats always feel fresh and comfortable, we had something a bit more challenging in mind for BMW’s new 5 Series – we took it to visit General Sherman. With four people on board and a decent amount of gear in the trunk, the one-day, 600-mile round-trip drive involved hundreds of miles of mind-numbing highways, capped by an invigorating 7,000-foot climb into the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range. The plan was to turn around and head back home that night.
The 5 Series sedan would prove to be a comfortable fit. Our six-foot two-inch frame drops into the 18-way multi-contour front seats and melts. With articulated upper backrests, and extendable lower cushions, the seats are more comfortable than your mother’s womb (and they heat up equally as warm). The rear seats are acceptable for adults, but the space would never be considered generous, as the backs of the front seats are not sculpted for rear passenger knees. (In truth, the 5 Series rear seating area only has about an inch in every dimension on the smaller 3 Series “E90” sedan.) We did find trouble installing a child booster in the back seat, as the thick outboard seat bolsters forced the plastic seat inward, covering the female end of the seatbelt buckle.
Nevertheless, nobody chooses a BMW 5 Series for interior room – they select it for the way it drives.
Last year’s 550i (E60) was fitted with a 4.8-liter normally-aspirated “N62” V8, rated at 360 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. It’s hard to believe, but the new 400 horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter makes the outgoing engine seem anemic. Around town, the 550i launches with serious authority. The accelerator goes down and all skulls are pressed back into the head restraints. Strangely enough, there isn’t a whole lot of noise to accompanying the thrust – it’s eerie, almost electric. The eight-speed gearbox (the 535i and 550i do not share the same transmission) shifts through the gears smoothly, but not as quickly as we would have expected.
