MotorMouths

The 535i turbocharged six-cylinder with six-speed manual transmission, drove very well — expected from a BMW, but an attribute that shouldn’t be overlooked. The options list on the tester ran to $15,700 (enough to buy a Mazda2 subcompact).

The 2012 5 Series’ combination of capability with unprecedented comfort is bound to broaden its appeal overall. But I suspect the loss of that visceral feeling will disappoint the BMW faithful.

The BMW 5 Series is a solid car. It’s a very grown-up solution to going fast, with a chassis balance that can juggle bowie knives on a high wire, although you do need to dig expensively into the chassis-options list to get that feel.

If a manufacturer of high performance luxury vehicles can be said to have a bread and butter model, it would be the BMW 5-Series.

The 535i is not the canyon-carving, technical-track-loving “ultimate driving machine” I had expected. That said, the car is thoughtfully designed and beautifully assembled, and features an amazing number of innovative features.

Comfortable, refined and smooth, our 528i test car barely registered on our enthusiast-driven sportiness scale. A new era of BMW indeed.

The BMW engineers have hammered the torque curve so marvelously level, and poured tranquilizing syrup over every gear change, that the new 5 Series actually feels a little remote and unfamiliar.

The 2011 BMW 5 Series rides well and, driven with more spirit and firmer damper settings on open roads, it will still satisfy the vast majority of traditional 5 Series buyers.

The BMW 5-series hauls around up to four other passengers in comfort and has go fast capabilities while giving the option of sedate and comfortable. But they took a safe design approach and the price has gotten out of reach.

The styling is cleaner, the ergonomics are much improved, and the chassis is more refined. No great leap forward has been attempted this time around, and the car is better in virtually every way as a result. By nearly any objective measure, these are excellent cars.

The BMW 535i is a very agile sedan. It’s just a shame you can’t feel the road through the steering wheel. This xDrive system is an improvement over the old, but its steering deficiencies point us toward the Audi A6, whether we need all-wheel drive or not.

The official car of ballers on a budget, the 528i is back for 2011 delivering a BMW at a price low enough to finance – not lease. But its engine is a deal-breaker.