Although I do have to admit to a BMW bias, the BMW 5 Series was love at first drive. Once behind the wheel of the 523i, we felt its silky, smooth power and the aural pleasure the engine delivered. Although primarily designed with the busy executive in mind, the 523i handles like a sports car when pushed.
Knowing the 5 Series is a fast becoming a modern classic; BMW didn’t mess with the design. In fact, it’s actually hard to tell the refreshed 5 Series apart from the old one. If you look hard enough though, you’ll see several minor changes. Upfront, the characteristic headlamp features clear-glass technology with chrome surrounds. The grille has been flushed with the surface of the front air dam and the lower bumper’s now smiling with a touch of aluminum to highlight the wide stance. An additional contour line’s been added to the side to stretch the look. At the back, the rear lamps now feature BMW’s trademark horizontal brake lamps. The changes, though minor in scale, all contribute to make cohesively update the 5 Series. That said, the rear part of the car’s probably its weakest point especially with the diagonal line that runs down the sides of the trunk lid then along the bottom of the tail lights.
Despite being called a “523i”, a 2.5-liter straight-6 is actually nestled underneath the aluminum hood. The 190 horsepower and 235 Nm figures aren’t exactly class-leading, but they do represent a healthy improvement from the previous engine of with a similar displacement. However, the engine is still highly capable. A short jab of the throttle (the pedal travel’s actually quite long) can send the tachometer needle spiraling upward and before you know it, you’ll be hitting illegal speeds. And equally surprising is now eerily effortless this power is delivered—there’s a burst of speed when needed, and it rarely shortchanges you during overtaking maneuvers. And jab the throttle all you want, and the 523i still manages to return 6.8 km/L in city traffic.
While the engine sticks to being traditional BMW, using the 6-speed automatic requires a much more progressive mindset. Upon inspection, you have to accept this science-fiction styled hunk of metal as your shifter. Seemingly lifted from a concept car, the new shifter’s easy to use once you get used to it. It has a button on the top, which puts the car in park. Push the small button on the side and toggle the shifter up for reverse, or down for drive (lightly for neutral) and you’re on your way. Slip it to the left for Sport and you can also push it up and down to go through the gears sequentially. There are no attempts to mechanize the electronic gear shift system, which is just as well. The new shifter system is linked to an engine management software that delivers 40 percent quicker shifts than before.
The 523i’s a fun car to drive, despite its hefty size. The responsive steering makes the car feel smaller, especially on twisty mountain roads. There’s a lot of grip from the 225/50 R 17 tires, but when things let loose though, you can be assured that the standard traction control brings everything back into order. This is one car that lets you have fun without being too dangerous.
The combination of classic sports sedan handling and high-tech gadgetry is echoed in the 523i’s cabin. The execution’s nice, solid and leaning towards functionality rather than opulence. The 3-spoke steering wheel is nice and thick; a perfect ally when pushing the car around turns and bends. There are wood accents too, but subtlety placed and not too overbearing. There’s an incredible array of seating adjustment from the power seats, but it was more of a case of trying to find the perfect driving position rather than of comfort. The headrests, though power adjustable as well, is set far too back for long-distance driving comfort.
The biggest highlight of the 5 Series’s cabin is still the wide-screen LCD screen on the dashboard that serves as the main screen for the iDrive system. Some people may immediately balk at the mention of iDrive, but the latest version is, by far, the easiest to use. Major functions are handily found, and generally you’ll not make mistakes in trying to find what you’re looking for. There are still some minor issues though, but they are mostly centered on how individual functions were programmed (i.e. changing audio settings while selecting music requires you to push the iDrive button knob down then down again to get to the audio settings). There are 8 programmable shortcut buttons on the 5 Series now, but I didn’t get to personally fiddle with them.
More on the subject of audio, though solid, the 523i tested had a lackluster system, especially for the premium asking price. Though having a multitude of speakers, the bass was rather weak and the overall quality, though clear was just bearable. There is little in the way of audio personalization—with just adjustment for bass and treble present. Oh, and it just runs on a single in-dash CD system too. On the plus side, the 523i does have an auxiliary audio input, but alas, there’s no aux signal boost—a feature standard on the much cheaper 320i. It’s suggested that audiophiles tick the BMW Business or Professional audio system.
My love for the 523i didn’t fade during my time with the car. Despite its idiosyncrasies, this car still drives like a dream. You can drive it reasonably or hard, and it will respond well. Beyond the issues on the audio system and some iDrive quirks, the BMW 523i is one excellent luxury sports sedan. The P4.68-million price tag may be a bit much, but no other car manages to be such a well balanced operator as the BMW 5 Series.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos by Ulysses Ang
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