MotorMouths

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

The new 5 Series feels damned near ideal and not boatlike in the least. The combination of BMW’s new four-wheel-steer tech with electric-assist steering felt superb.

The 2011 BMW 535i is vastly improved and more than ever a threat to other luxury sports sedans. No longer soft(ish), as some purists used to lament, it fully capitalizes on its heritage and brings the fun back to a segment

The 2011 535i is comfortable for commuting and competent on the track. For that range of capability, the 5-series is a standout in its class and in the entire automotive market.

When you line it up against the Mercedes-Benz E-class, the Audi A6, the Jaguar XF and the Cadillac CTS, the new 535i looks to have the edge in some, if not all, areas.

The 2011 BMW 535i provides luxurious and comfortable commuting quality with confident handling and a firm but compliant suspension. BMW again has succeeded in improving an already good model without compromising driving fun.

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.

The 2011 5 Series is easier to use, easier on the eyes and far easier to find the magic in than its immediate predecessor. That might just be enough to move the Roundel to the head of the pack all over again.

How does the new 535i shape up? Does the new electric steering compromise the 5’s legendary steering feel? Does the new double-wishbone front suspension improve this sedan’s relationship with the road? No and yes. In other words, good news all round.

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.

If your pocket is deep enough and you want a true sports sedan, you can’t really go wrong with this latest edition of the BMW 550i. It combines good looks and outstanding performance.

With the new 5-series, BMW has found and channeled the authenticity and finesse of earlier cars. Cars that we once called the world’s best-driving sedans.