Exterior

Sharing its platform with the recently redesigned 7 Series, the 5 Series' wheelbase has been extended about 3 inches. It now leads its class, BMW says. Up front, the car's signature kidney grilles sit lower and lean more forward. The outgoing 5 Series' eyebrow-laced headlights have been toned down; the eyebrows are still there, but they don't extend as far back toward the front wheels. Adaptive xenon headlights are optional on the 528i and standard elsewhere. The taillights employ three rows of LED lights, and BMW's Adaptive Brake Lights illuminate a larger section under hard braking.

Seventeen-inch alloy wheels go on the 528i; the 535i and 550i get 18s. A Sport Package adds larger wheels and summer performance tires.

    See also:

    AUX-IN port
    At a glance For connecting audio devices, e.g., MP3 player. The sound is output on the vehicle loudspeakers. Recommendation: use medium tone and volume settings on the audio device. The ...

    Notes on Emergency Requests
    Do not use the voice activation system to initiate an Emergency Request. In stressful situations, the voice and vocal pitch can change. This can unnecessarily delay the establishment of a teleph ...

    The concept
    After the mobile phone is paired once with the vehicle, the mobile phone can be operated via iDrive, the steering wheel buttons and via voiceactivated command. A paired mobile phone is automati ...