DRIVEN + VIDEO: Yet ANOTHER Take On The All-New, 2017 BMW 5-Series — The Verdict?

Nope. Sadly.

I'm sure it's a fine car. It's just not something that captures my interests.

The European Mid-size Luxury cars have always been a question mark with me - they really do not have enough added leg room to make the rear seats worthwhile - something that DOOMED the Last Generation Malibu in the USA. WIthout that - why buy another car that really can only carry two people in comfort? Especially when a Toyota Corolla - a class lower - has more legroom!

Should do well in preventing defection of current lease holders.

Leasees in this segment are incredibly fickle and are NOT that brand loyal. People who lease in the premium segment want to drive the new "thing" and with the new 5 Series looking old, I predict defection over the defecation BMW has done to the styling.

Is that the same weird gear shifter that was used before?

Look at the exterior that looks just like the current 5-Series. The cheapness of the interior is readily apparent in the video and photos. Remember people this is a 540i M-Sport, which is the highest-spec non-M5 you can buy. The car in the video will make up a very small portion of total 5-Series sales.

BMW has completely shot itself in the foot by the boring exterior styling, cheap interior, driving dynamics that are only marginally better than the current generation, which isn't saying much and a lack of useful technology.

BMW's U.S. sales are already collapsing and this horrible effort for the new 5-Series won't improve the sales anytime soon.

Let's address a few issues, I've read five reviews on the new 5. let's address a few of your errors.

1 The cheapness of the interior. No review has said the majority have mentioned the high quality of the interior, but of course your are right be you watched a video instead of actually drive the car like the reviewers.

2. "Remember people this is a 540i M-Sport". No it's not the M550i is ready for the 17 model year and faster than the current M5.

3. No Audi shill has the right to complain about bland exterior, Audi is the current master of boring and has the laziest design team on the planet (though some BMW almost rival). For years you have promised exciting new design for Audi, and every car is a let down.

4. As for the lower sales numbers, BMW line is on the older side with most model due to replace in the 32 months. BMW has also back of a lot of massive cash incentive that other luxury cars company are throwing at customers. Mostly it is a old line up and the fact that they stopped building 5 series in early summer.

The cheapness of the interior hasn't been mentioned because the new 5-Series hasn't been compared to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class yet. When it is compared, the cheapness of the interior will be clear. Remember, you must look at the 5-Series in relation to what its competitors offer.

Even if there is a higher-spec M550i, it doesn't matter. The most common 5-Series variant will be a 535i or maybe a 4-cylinder version due to the lower price and without M-Sport. If a higher-spec 5-series, in this case the 540i, with M-Sport package doesn't blow away reviewers in terms of driving dynamics, don't expect a lower model without M-Sport to do well driving wise.

As for Audi's design language, the only thing you need to know is: 2017 Audi A8. Don't forget that the 2017 A8 will be the first model designed 100% under new Audi design chief Marc Lichte. Lichte had 100% oversight of the new A8 from initial concept to production. Lichte has never had full control of any Audi model from start to production.

BMW's older model lineup is no excuse given the new BMW models are indistinguishable from the older ones. 99% of people won't be able to tell the difference between a new 5-Series and a current 5-Series. Look at the new 7-Series and how its sales are still terrible. Buyers have no reason to get the new version because it looks just like the older one. The older lineup excuse won't help BMW's sales numbers.

As expected, you're wrong on basically every point.

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2017-bmw-530d-xdrive-vs-2017-mercedes-benz-e350d/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t85zHJZRuE0

http://www.whatcar.com/news/2017-bmw-5-series-review/

There are plenty more where those came from, including ones that directly say "the new 5 is better than the new E".

As expected, JRob cherrypicks a review that is in favor of BMW by choosing a review that compares diesel variants of the 5-Series and E-Class.

Even if a review of the diesel variants chooses the BMW 5-Series as the winner, it won't matter because the 5-Series will not be winning the sales battle anytime soon.

How's that 18.2% U.S. sales decline last month feeling? What about the 10% YTD drop in U.S. sales? If that's not enough I'm sure the drop from 1st place to 3rd place in U.S. sales behind Mercedes-Benz and even Lexus as got to hurt. On top of it all, BMW has fallen far behind Mercedes-Benz for first place in global sales.

Sales are more important than reviews and despite the comparison test win, the BMW 5-Series won't win the sales battle due to its unchanged exterior and only slightly improved driving dynamics.

worldwide BMW is doing just fine, thank you. I don't give two shits whether their U.S. sales of vehicles they are replacing fall, I'd just as soon see them cut production of outgoing models rather than have to incentivize them to move extra units (case in point: Mercedes, whose typical lease on a C, E, GLC, or GLE is about $90/mo less than a comparable BMW 3, 5, X3, or X5). And if BMW simply had a 1-Series sedan here to compete against the A3 and CLA, and all three split the pot of existing buyers, they'd be in first place in anyway.

You can whine all you want and spread whatever false narratives Audi is paying you to, but Audi is in trouble. Their most successful global market is China, where they were basically untouchable for years. Well, this year BMW and Mercedes are growing 3x and 5x faster than Audi is there. Audi's own dealers are revolting against them. So as much as you'd like to focus on what other brands are doing, BMW and Benz are kicking Audi's ass worldwide. Maybe you should pay more attention to what's going on at your own employer, or at least remind your bosses to do so.

The Bimmer owners I have known are incredibly loyal, seems to be the "ultimate driving machine" or UI lock (like MAC vs PC).

FWIW, I've owned 4 BMWs in my life; One consistently for almost 2 decades and 3 others that came and went. I was crazy about BMWs. Then one day, when it was time to get a new car, I discovered BMW offered nothing that captured my eye, or my heart. I now drive an Audi SUV. I don't know if I'm all that rare.

Yeah, there are those BMW "loyalists" who sneer at anything else, but in my view, they're the small minority. I have no data to back that up, though.

Older owners tend to be loyal. One of my "grandfathers" was/is Mercedes S class fanatic. In fact, he still owns his 450SEL 6.9. While he has a fleet of cars in his collection, his home garage housed two S Class sedans. One would be new every 2-3 years. Once he got a wild hair and decided to lease a Jaguar XJ instead of getting a new S Class. That lasted 6 months. He tried a BMW 7 and he was not pleased with it either. He went back to dual S Classes. When I was driving a K900 as my company car, he drove it and was surprised by how good a Korean car could be. He wasn't keen on getting one, but he was intrigued. Recently, he got curious about the Continental I currently have in custody as well as the G90 he recently drove. He is about to replace his 2011 S Class with a Genesis G90 and if the G90 can please him, others will know it. PS he also has a 2016 S Class with every conceivable option.

I think @TheSteve's move to a Q5 is something BMW's been experiencing as of late. I don't think you're in the minority; however, the company is replacing old loyalists with folks that, perhaps, did not like the BMW driving experience previously.

Great story, Matt!

Personally, we love hearing about this type of stuff. Let us know if he bites on the G90!

@Agent00R He's already "bitten" on the G90. He is waiting for one that is optioned the way he wants it.

Porsche has been uniquelly succesful in having new models look like the old ones. The jury is out on whether BMW can now do the same.