Road Test: 2010 BMW 550i
Sports car in sedan clothing
John and Sandra Turley-Ewart, Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, October 02, 2009Heidelberg, Germany: What does $11,500 buy? We asked this question when we looked at the base price for the 2010 BMW 550i - $80,400 - versus that of the BMW 535i xDrive, which starts at $68,900. Sure, the 360 horses that come with the 550i's big V8 compared with the 300 generated by the 535i's twin-turbocharged V6 hint at better performance. And there is a host of standard amenities on the 550i, such as BMW's M Sport suspension and M Sport's sweet-sounding exhaust that you won't see on the 535i.
BMW 550i at Hirschhorn Castle overlooking the Neckar in Baden Wurttemberg, Germany.
Photograph by : Sandra Turley-Ewart
Yet, the only way to truly answer this question succinctly is to put the 550i through its paces over a week's worth of driving. And what better place to do that than in the south-western German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, where, near Heidelberg, the autobahn leads to narrow, winding country roads that reach down into the valleys surrounding the Neckar River and up into the hills where ancient castles, cloisters, cathedrals and wineries are ready to be explored?
This part of Germany is known for its old wealth and culture. Here, the BMW 5 Series sedan with its classic BMW grille and sweeping xenon headlights is at home. More precisely, the 550i is a four-door sedan with graceful lines that tone down the "Hey, look at me in my BMW" sentiment some other models project.
The interior, however, gives the first hint that the 550i may be a sports car in a sedan's clothing. Fine Dakota leather covers the seats. In front they are large, and the 10-way power adjust ensures that once in them you can tailor them to your liking and, just in case you have to make some tight turns, you can adjust the seats to ensure you are held firmly in place. In back there is room for two adults (three if all are friends) to sit comfortably.
Much has been written about BMW's iDrive, the electronic system that integrates the GPS, audio and other functions in a one large button control system. Without doubt it can be complicated, but with a little patience we learned to use it effectively and were repaid in saved time when the GPS system warned us about traffic jams and road work and directed us around them.
On the autobahn, the 550i proved to be a quiet ride. More importantly, it handled less like an 1,815-kilogram car and more like the lighter 3 Series,
giving excellent road feel through the steering wheel and the suspension, particularly in sport mode. On the country roads, where the turns were often tight and the lanes narrow, this car felt exceptionally stable. In the towns and small cities where we drove the 550i, parking proved a breeze largely because the steering did not stiffen up and, of course, the parking assist system made fitting into tiny European parking spots easy.
We were surprised that a car in this bracket did not come with xDrive, which is available on the 535i. On the dry roads we faced in our week of driving in Germany, the xDrive would have made little difference, but we wonder what difference it would have made in the snow.
Speed is the first thing many people think of on Germany's no-speed-limit autobahn; but we think first about braking. The 550i comes with huge front and rear vented disc brakes that have a mighty grip - a feature that is a must on a highway where at one moment you are clocking 180 kilometres an hour in the passing lane and the next rapidly decelerating to avoid a collision because someone doing 100 (typically driving a camper) has pulled into the lane without looking.
This car's power did shine on open stretches of the autobahn where it comfortably cruised at 160 km/h and easily transitioned to speeds of 200 km/h in the passing lane without effort. In Canada, that sort of speed will land one in serious trouble with the law, but one can take comfort knowing that when driving a 550i in Canada the want of power will never be a problem.
Where this car really impressed, however - let's be honest here, there are many sport sedans on the market that can exceed 200 klicks - was at lower speeds, in the country and on steep, narrow roads originally used by horses pulling buggies to the castles overlooking the Neckar. The 550i with all its amenities and comforts made for worry-free driving in tight spots and on the highway.
So, what do you get for the extra $11,500 tacked on to the base price of the 550i over the 535i xDrive? A completely decked-out luxury sedan with all the bells and whistles that handles like a smaller sports car, has enough power to stir the adrenalin when desired and makes driving a pleasure.
THE SPECS
Type of vehicle: Rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine: 4.8L DOHC V8
Power: 360 hp @ 6,300 rpm; 360 lb-ft of torque @ 3,400 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manumatic
Brakes: Four-wheel ventilated disc with ABS
Tires: P245/35R19 front, P275/30R19 rear
Price: base/as tested: $80,400/$83,700
Destination charge: $1,995
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 13.9 city, 9.1 hwy.
Standard features: Auto-dimming power exterior mirrors, auto-dimming interior mirror, BMW ambiance lighting, central lock switch, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, electrically adjustable seats with driver memory, power glass sunroof, power tilt and telescopic steering column, M Sport edition package (includes manual side sunshades, electric rear sunshade, comfort seats, rear heated seats, head-up display, Sirius satellite radio, USB audio integration, BMW Individual Audio System, piano black trim), M Sport suspension and exhaust, Dakota leather, xenon headlights
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