Interior

Drawing cues from the 7 Series, the 5 Series' climate-control readouts use BMW's Black Panel technology to appear out of dark panels without the brightened look of traditional electroluminescent displays. Traditional console-mounted cupholders replace the ones that flipped out of the dashboard. Get the optional navigation system, and the dash gets a massive 10.2-inch center display with PC-like 1280-by-480 pixel resolution. Without navigation, the display still sorts through various audio and setup menus, but it shrinks to a 7-inch display and 800-by-480 pixel resolution. Both setups incorporate BMW's iDrive system.

Standard features include 10-way power front seats and a power tilt/telescoping steering column. A 60/40-split folding rear seat is optional.

    See also:

    Warning stages
    Prewarning This warning is issued, for example, when there is the impending danger of a collision or the distance to the vehicle ahead is too small. Acute warning with braking function Warning ...

    System limits
    Be alert Due to system limitations, warnings may be not be issued at all, or may be issued late or improperly. Therefore, always be alert and ready to intervene; otherwise, there is the danger ...

    Compact Design
    Just as BMW's compact 3 Series ranks below the midsize 5 Series, the five-seat X3 sits in the shadow of the larger X5. The styling clearly says BMW, but it's the multi-paneled look of earlier mode ...