[BimmerGuyFL]

Highs: Powertrain, fuel economy, acceleration, ride, quietness, fit and finish, front-seat comfort.

Lows: Disappointing handling, frustrating controls.

Road Test 535i 6-cyl On first look, the redesigned 535i gets a lot right. The interior is luxurious, beautifully finished, and quiet. The surprisingly fuel-efficient powertrain is smooth and responsive. However, the total driving experience, which favors a refined, quiet ride over handling prowess and finesse, isn't what you'd expect from a BMW. And like other modern BMWs, the controls tend to be overcomplicated.

The Driving Experience Ride comfort and noise: The 535i rides very well, and the suspension soaks up bumps with no fuss. But some sharp bumps can reverberate throughout its structure. On the highway, the BMW is smooth, calm, and steady. It's impressively quiet inside. Wind and traffic noise is effectively muted. The silky smooth engine hum fades away in typical cruising, and all other sounds are kept to a minimum with virtually no wind noise.

Handling: On the surface, the 535i feels taut and agile. But the new electric steering doesn't transmit feedback well. The car is impressively planted on bumpy corners. At the track, it adhered to the chosen line well enough and proved secure. However, when pushed to its limits, understeer was pronounced and its compromised front grip robbed capability and driver confidence. This reduced the car's speed through our avoidance maneuver.

Powertrain: The 300-hp, 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine is smooth and responsive. The new eight-speed automatic transmission shifts imperceptibly. The car returned an impressive 23 mpg overall, but like most in this class it requires premium fuel.

The electronic console-mounted shifter is not intuitive to use. It requires the driver to press one button to shift into gear and another to park. In addition, you must push the shifter forward from park to engage reverse, counter to almost every other car.

Braking: Very good performance overall. The BMW stopped in fairly short distances from 60 mph in both wet and dry conditions. The brake pedal is responsive, but can feel a bit grabby at low speeds, making it more difficult to stop smoothly.

Headlights: The bi-xenon low beams provided good illumination and the high beams also reached out a very good distance.


Inside The Cabin Driving position: The wide center console can take up right knee room for some drivers. But there's plenty of head, foot, and shoulder room. The power tilt-and-telescope steering wheel has a broad adjustment range, but there's no shoulder-belt height adjustment, a problem for taller drivers.

Visibility is very good with narrow windshield pillars. There is a good-sized glass greenhouse. The backup camera works well, and is particularly helpful given the 535i's high rear deck. The rear window sunshade does not automatically retract when reversing.

Seat comfort and access: The front seats have excellent back and good lateral support, despite their modest side bolsters. More aggressively-bolstered sports seats are available. As expected, there's a full range of power adjustments and their controls are easy to access.

The rear seat is roomy enough for two adults, but would be too cramped for three. Leg room and head room is sufficient for six-footers. The seat is low, but is tipped up to provide some thigh support.

Access to the front seats is fairly good, but tall sills and limited foot space behind the front seats make rear access more difficult. There are assist grips above all four doors.

Controls and gauges: The BMW's primary gauges are straightforward, but lens glare and the steering-wheel rim can obscure parts of them. The iDrive multipurpose controller has improved, with menus that are more logical and supplemental hard keys for some basic functions, but it's still distracting. Even simple tasks require multiple steps. The electronic windshield wiper and turn signal stalks lack a physical detent and take some getting used to. At least the rain sensing wipers work well so there is no need to fiddle with the stalk much. The push-button ignition leaves the radio on when turned off unless pressed twice.

Interior fit and finish: The 535i's cabin is well finished. The dashboard and door panels are fully covered in soft-touch materials, with an especially thick and soft dashboard top pad. A wide swath of wood crosses the dashboard and there are many metallic-look accents and stitching details. All storage compartments are lined with soft flocking. The low-pile carpet is very soft. The leather seats are well finished.

Cabin storage and cargo room: Cabin storage is modest. There are few open bins near to the driver. The glove compartment is moderately sized, but the center console compartment and map pockets are small. Beverages in the cup holders can also block the climate controls.


Safety Notes Safety belts: The front safety belts have pretensioners. Belts in all positions have force limiters.

Air bags: : Front-, side-, and head-protecting curtain air bags are standard.

Head restraints: Power-adjustable active head restraints in front are tall enough to offer protection for most people, even in their lowest position. Rear outboard restraints are adjustable and tall enough to protect in lowest position. Rear center restraint must be raised to protect adults.

Crash-avoidance systems: Stability and traction control, and antilock brakes are standard.

Driving with kids: LATCH anchors can be difficult to access but provide a secure fit. Child seats can be difficult to secure using safety belts.

Tested model: 2011 535i sedan, 3.0-liter Six twin-turbo, 8-speed automatic
Major options: Rear camera, heated seats, iPod control, navigation system, metallic paint, leather,wood trim.

0 to 30 mph, sec. 2.5
0 to 60 mph, sec. 6.1
45 to 65 mph, sec. 4.2
Quarter-mile, sec 14.5
Quarter-mile, mph 100.5

Avoidance maneuver, max speed 51.5

Length, in. 193

Width, in.
Dimensions are as specified by the manufacturer.

Width, in. 73

Height, in.
Dimensions are as specified by the manufacturer.

Height, in. 57

Wheelbase, in.
Dimensions are as specified by the manufacturer.

Wheelbase, in. 117

Turning circle, ft.
Turning circle is the bumper clearance needed to make a U-turn; a 35- to 40-foot diameter lets you turn around in a two-lane road.

Turning circle, ft. 40

Road clearance, in.
Ground clearance, measured to the nearest half-inch, is based on a fully loaded car.

Road clearance, in. 4.5

Curb weight, lb.
Curb weight is our measurement without people or cargo.

Curb weight, lb. 4,035

Percent weight, front/rear
Percent front/rear shows the vehicle's weight distribution.

Percent weight, front/rear 51 / 49

Max. load, lb.
Maximum load includes occupants and luggage, and is as specified by the manufacturer or calculated from the difference between the manufacturer's specified gross vehicle weight and our test vehicle weight.

Max. load, lb. 1,060