UH OH! Did BMW Foul Up The 2011 535i? C&D Ranks Infiniti M37 AND Audi A6 Ahead

I agree that the BMW should be last. It really only scores points with pretentious people. But I would've ranked Infiniti higher than Audi.

Allow me to post what C&D said:

"What, exactly, befell the new 535? Steering feel. Rather, the lack of steering feel. The new electric power assist has not only rendered the steering uncommunicative-particularly on-center-but, for some reason, it has also become heavier. When you can't determine road textures and slip angles and how hard those 19" Goodyear run-flats are working, you lose confidence if the roads are damp and as kinked as week-old spaghetti."

The order C&D picked makes some sense, however it is hard for me to believe the BMW came in last. I just can't understand how any car that cannot be driven on the Autobahn would be in a comparison with ones that can and beat them. I guess this is why an Infiniti would not have been picked to be tested if this were a German magazine like Autobild.

And no the "BMW 535i isn't coming in 1st place in a 100 other comparisons". They just test it against different cars.

I think it just boils down at times to the opinion of the person testing the car.

this outcome is no surprise at all. only to you, bmw biased agents

hmmm that comparo doesnt seem consistent with other reviews of the BMW. Sounds like the only thing they didn't like was the steering....

I agree if these test are going to be done be fair about it. yes I do like BMW's and their reputation but I am an car enthusiast at the same time and I am not biased towards BMW only. I like AUDI especially the A6, TT, and the A5 and I think this test needs to be done by someone other than car and driver

BMW's steering is the only thing BMW is ahead of others(maybe some engine as well). Hence if the steering is the same as that of Camry, it's going down. Simple.

In an older C&D comparo, I seem to recall the M45 sport beating the 5 series. Why should we be so shocked about this today?

Well than it was because of Price lol, they were saying if money was no issue than the BMW was the better car which is inconsistant with other reviews theyve done where the winner was thousands more yet it didnt lose points because of price but hey anything to give them something to say in their ads...

Yes, money, that is always an interesting argument. The question I have, is what could Infiniti deliver for the same price of a BMW?

Thats actually not a bad point Ive always felt like that Infinitis cars would be alot better if they weren't also looking to cost cut, I would say if they could charge as much as a BMW they probably would be their strongest competition except to those that are brand cache realistally Infiniti is closest to BMW as far as driving dynamis it just misses out in key areas mainly refinement.

What do we make of this, you ask? To each his own, but personally what I make of it is "oh well, you can't win 'em all, BMW will just have to make do with the new 5-Series coming in first place in about 100 other comparisons recently."

Correct me if I am wrong but did not the 5 sale out in its first month? Can't be to bad on the steering dept. I also don't think the infiniti or the audi doing the same.

Wrong.
It's precisely the steering that falters. BMW's elec steering is no different from that of TOYOTA or FORD. Try the Z4 and you know what I'm saying.

You are rite. Sales wise, BMW does not have much to worry about but these comparisons go a little deeper than monthly sales.

This is odd because we all read a comparison where the outgoing 5 series beat everything else in its class. Guess the magazines like to rotate the winners so they dont lose advertising money.

Actually, in a previous C&D comparison, the A6 3.0T also placed 1st ahead of the outgoing 535. Of course these results don't mean the 535 is a bad car. It says that these cars are all very compelling and it ultimately boils down to one's personal preferences for a certain make or a certain design aesthetic.
What is worth noting here is that C&D ranked the outgoing A6 higher than two brand new competitors. That says a lot about how good a car is.

Can't really say I am surprised as the Infiniti and Audi are both better cars than the BMW. Just glad to see car mags are beginning to have the balls to say so.

Did they foul it up? No, it's probably a great car. What's wrong with the Audi and Infiniti beating it? It is OK for the BMW not to win everytime.

BMW fans will always buy BMW, regardless of reviews. A person waffling between BMW/Audi/MB is not looking at value so much as why they are buying the car. Prestige? Performance? Interior comfort? Each concern will yield a different result depending on the priority of the buyer. The car review has a negligible affect at the end of the day.

How many commenters here have actually driven it?

I have and the new F10 is a snooooooozer. Puts me to sleep.

The E60 550i with sport pack- whole other story. Much more fun.
No worries, give Munich a year and they'll fix it.

AWW your beloved BEEMER isn't making cars other people love anymore! DARN for the "Ultimate Money Burning Machine" score infiniti and Audi...BMWSpies remorse....Deboost expected to reach at least -9549

how many BMWs have you owned? i've had 3 so far and they're wonderful cars.

They are all great cars! Not coming in with the expectation of any of the cars to be greater than the others, I am sure they all are great regardless of the rankings, and a special congrats to Audi!

strange. does anyone know if this test car was equipped with the optional $1750 integral active steering? i have been told to AVOID this option as it ruins the 535's ENGINEERING based handling/steering.

that aside, it's a spectacular car and i plan to trade in my current model 5-series for the new one.

it will continue to far outsell the competition because it's a wonderful sport sedan.

Car and Driver would be at least the third magazine complaining about the steering feel of all new 5 series. I haven't driven new 5 yet but is it that bad? Outgoing 5 series steering feel is very neutral so this is surprising. Also i am sure everybody will agree 'feel' is one of the things which was keeping BMWs ahead of competitors in magazines in all these years so BMW should not have messed that.

JUGNU

My $0.02. I don't buy my cars based on what magazines say about them. It's certainly nice when they rank them ahead of all the other cars, and BMW has had its fair share of those, but at the same time there isn't a "bad" car in this class.

Full disclosure: I have a loaded 2008 535 now. It's a great car, and I love it. I got to overnight a 2011 535i Sport and a 550i Sport, both of which were also loaded basically the way I'd get them (MSRP of the 535i was $65k and the 550i was $70k), and I'll tell you what -- they're incredible machines.

The two main complaints C&D had about the 535i they tested were lack of amenities (the one they tested didn't have navigation, for example) and "steering feel at the limit". Well, the first one can be fixed by choosing to get one with more options (C&D might not have had a choice in that, but as a consumer, I do), and the second one is frankly an almost useless benchmark, as neither I nor just about anyone else would be tracking a 535i, A6 3.0T, M37, E350, etc.

I don't expect (nor would I want) them to feel like an M5. That's why there IS an M5. It's SUPPOSED to feel different, an M5 isn't supposed to drive "like a 535i only faster". That's the biggest problem I have with reviews like this one -- they're judging the cars as if they are sports cars, holding them to a standard that makes no sense for how they're going to be used. The cars in this test are sporty luxury cars, not luxurious sports cars. They're upscale, sporty, family sedans for regular people (well, regular people who can afford them). And for aggressive street driving, which is all anyone looking at cars in this segment are really going to do anyway, the new 5's were excellent (as are all the others, I am sure). They did everything I'd want them to do -- they looked fantastic inside and out, they were quick (the 550i blazingly so), they handled great, the interiors were beautiful, they were loaded with cool (and useful) tech, they were whisper quiet on the highway, and they drove fantastically the way I'd be driving them. In fact the comment I had when I brought them back was "these aren't a 'grown up' 3-Series, they're a bargain 7-Series." And I meant that in a good way, they are that nice (when equipped properly).

Is that going to turn off someone looking for the same raucous demeanor they had in a 2010 550i M Sport? Maybe. But hey, there'll be an M Sport Package for the new one too soon, and my guess is it won't break your kidneys the way the last one did. And there's an M5 (or RS6 or E63 AMG, etc.) for someone who really wants ultimate performance from their luxury sedan. Because you don't get an A6 3.0T, 535i, M37, E350, etc. in the first place if that's what you're looking for. And reviewing them as if that's the most important characteristic of them is just nonsense.

Nicely put JRobUSC. The guys that review these cars are car enthusiasts with most of them having track experience. They are looking at a very different ideal (hard core sports car) compared to the say older couple looking for a comfortable high quality luxury car.

I would like the chance to drive all three and give my own report!

"BMW's steering is the only thing BMW is ahead of others(maybe some engine as well). Hence if the steering is the same as that of Camry, it's going down. Simple."

Agree with dlin. In almost all other categories like exterior design, interiors, comfort, smoothness...etc competitors are ahead of BMW. So if BMW have messed up the 'feel' than it is obviously very hard for new BMW models to win the comparison tests.

JUGNU