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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum Review: 2011 BMW 535i 6MT
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      08-12-2010, 08:01 AM   #1
Autosavant
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Review: 2011 BMW 535i 6MT

Hi there. We just posted this review of the 535i 6MT on Autosavant. Please let me know what you think.

Here's the link: Review: 2011 BMW 535i 6MT

Here's the bottom line:
Quote:
The 535i is not the canyon-carving, technical-track-loving “ultimate driving machine” I had expected. It is more of a Q-ship, personal luxury express that brings an amount of satisfaction or “joy” to the drive. The car is thoughtfully designed and beautifully assembled, and features an amazing number of innovative features. I spent a week with a 2010 Jaguar XF several months ago - also a rear-wheel drive sport sedan, but with 385 HP and an as-tested sticker price $3300 less expensive than the 535i. While the Jaguar’s in-car technology might be a half-step behind the seamless systems in the BMW, I described the XF as “phenomenal fun to drive”; I didn’t feel the same way about driving the more-expensive 535i.
I hope you like our review, but please share your thoughts.
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      08-12-2010, 09:02 AM   #2
dada23
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I would really like to see the first reviews of the E60 5 Series with the manual transmission....how was it described?
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      08-12-2010, 12:26 PM   #3
bm323
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What's the engine for the Jaguar XF? Should it be compared with the 550i? Price would depend on the options.

Quote, "Earlier this year, BMW made a major change in their marketing- from the Ultimate Driving Machine to Joy. Though it wasn’t evident at the time, now that I’ve driven the new 535i it is clear why the change had to be made- it’s because the 5 Series simply is not an Ultimate Driving Machine." Question - Which car is for this class?

Last edited by bm323; 08-12-2010 at 07:00 PM..
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      08-12-2010, 12:43 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bm323 View Post
Should it be compared with the 550i?
IMO, yes, and has been. Results were different in that case.
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      08-13-2010, 08:27 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dada23 View Post
I would really like to see the first reviews of the E60 5 Series with the manual transmission....how was it described?
My website didn't exist at that time, so I can't comment on that, unfortunately.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bm323 View Post
What's the engine for the Jaguar XF? Should it be compared with the 550i? Price would depend on the options.

Quote, "Earlier this year, BMW made a major change in their marketing- from the Ultimate Driving Machine to Joy. Though it wasn’t evident at the time, now that I’ve driven the new 535i it is clear why the change had to be made- it’s because the 5 Series simply is not an Ultimate Driving Machine." Question - Which car is for this class?
The Jaguar XF that the author is referring to was a 2010 XF Premium with the 5.0 liter direct injection V8. The Jaguar, which of course is not available with a six in the US, has a significant power advantage, but also had an MSRP about $3,300 less than the tested 535i 6MT. The Jag's price was $62,875 vs. the 5's $66,175.

The cars are in a similar size class and cater to a similar slice of the mid-luxury market, so I'd argue that the 535i more closely competes with the XF Premium. You can feel free to evaluate the 550i against XF, but the value argument becomes even more pronounced in that situation. A 550i equipped similarly to the tested 535i would be about $75,000.

To answer your last question, I think the author is saying that he'd prefer driving the Jaguar XF.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tadtaggert View Post
IMO, yes, and has been. Results were different in that case.
Please see my comments above.

BTW, here is the link to his Jaguar XF Premium review: http://www.autosavant.com/2009/10/26...remium-review/
And to my XF Supercharged review from a year earlier: http://www.autosavant.com/2008/08/18...harged-review/

Thanks for the feedback, folks!
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      08-13-2010, 09:56 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Autosavant View Post
The Jaguar XF that the author is referring to was a 2010 XF Premium with the 5.0 liter direct injection V8. The Jaguar, which of course is not available with a six in the US, has a significant power advantage, but also had an MSRP about $3,300 less than the tested 535i 6MT. The Jag's price was $62,875 vs. the 5's $66,175.

The cars are in a similar size class and cater to a similar slice of the mid-luxury market, so I'd argue that the 535i more closely competes with the XF Premium. You can feel free to evaluate the 550i against XF, but the value argument becomes even more pronounced in that situation. A 550i equipped similarly to the tested 535i would be about $75,000.
What you say is correct, but still ignores the driving comparison of the 550i to the Jag.

I spent a considerable time before making a choice, a good bit of that time was waiting for the opportunity to drive the new F10's. I did drive the Jag's, also the 535i and the 550i as well as a good many other cars. If it was strictly a money issue and had to choose between the Jag and something comparably priced..... but that still doesn't answer the driving comparison of the 550i to the Jag.

I bought the 550i.
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      08-13-2010, 10:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Autosavant View Post
please share your thoughts.
You need to proofread it one more time. A couple of awkward sentences and some missing punctuation.

Otherwise, it seemed well written and easy to read.

Cute kid.
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      08-13-2010, 12:24 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tadtaggert View Post
What you say is correct, but still ignores the driving comparison of the 550i to the Jag.

I spent a considerable time before making a choice, a good bit of that time was waiting for the opportunity to drive the new F10's. I did drive the Jag's, also the 535i and the 550i as well as a good many other cars. If it was strictly a money issue and had to choose between the Jag and something comparably priced..... but that still doesn't answer the driving comparison of the 550i to the Jag.

I bought the 550i.
Congrats on the 550i. I'd love to have one of those, and you can't beat the V8.

With regard to the XF vs. 535i driving comparison, while we did not compare the cars back-to-back, Kevin did mention that the XF was "phenominally fun to drive" in his 535i review, and that the 535i, to him, wasn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LuvMyE92 View Post
You need to proofread it one more time. A couple of awkward sentences and some missing punctuation.

Otherwise, it seemed well written and easy to read.

Cute kid.
Thanks...you can read things a hundred times and still find a little glitch like that here and there, or something you'd prefer to say differently. I just went back into it again and tweaked a thing or two, but generally, I feel the punctuation is quite good in this piece.

About the child - I agree - she's not my daughter, but she is definitely cute in that pic.
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      08-13-2010, 01:57 PM   #9
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Quote "BMW’s Normal mode does seem well balanced, as does the suspension in Sport mode. Unfortunately, the throttle response in Sport mode is poorly calibrated for anything other than ultra-aggressive driving, with a surging turbo spool occurring with even mild throttle application, such that it is very difficult (bordering on impossible) to drive the 535i smoothly in Sport mode."

His view of the sport mode drive doesn't reflect the views I've read and what I've experienced. Whether the XF is a superior drive is subjective, but the above imo is definitely off the mark, by miles Since he can't handle the F10 in sport mode with a stick, I'm not surprised with his conclusion

The cars appear to have been compared 10 months apart based on the dates of review.

Lastly, if MSRP determines which cars are to be compared with, it can be rather way off in comparing different makes with totally different engines, and one would then also need to take into account maintenance costs, resale value and reliability.

Last edited by bm323; 08-13-2010 at 02:34 PM..
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      08-13-2010, 04:10 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bm323 View Post
Quote "BMW’s Normal mode does seem well balanced, as does the suspension in Sport mode. Unfortunately, the throttle response in Sport mode is poorly calibrated for anything other than ultra-aggressive driving, with a surging turbo spool occurring with even mild throttle application, such that it is very difficult (bordering on impossible) to drive the 535i smoothly in Sport mode."

His view of the sport mode drive doesn't reflect the views I've read and what I've experienced. Whether the XF is a superior drive is subjective, but the above imo is definitely off the mark, by miles Since he can't handle the F10 in sport mode with a stick, I'm not surprised with his conclusion

The cars appear to have been compared 10 months apart based on the dates of review.

Lastly, if MSRP determines which cars are to be compared with, it can be rather way off in comparing different makes with totally different engines, and one would then also need to take into account maintenance costs, resale value and reliability.
Yes, in no way were were implying that this was a comparison test between the XF and the 535i. I think it's pretty transparent when he says in the 535i review that he drove the Jaguar last year that it's not a back-to-back comparison. The reviewer did have the perspective of having driven both, and we can presume that he has the same likes and dislikes that he had 10 months ago. He liked the way the XF drove and didn't love the way the 535i drove.

As you said, it's subjective. I'd never let someone tell me how a car I was interested in drove. I'd just get in the car and drive it to see if it met my preferences.

Kevin is not a race car driver, but he knows his way around a car, and refuses to own a car with an automatic. I'd say he can handle a 5er with the sport package. He even autocrossed semi-successfully a few seasons ago, until their venue was closed to them.
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