Auto Spies exclusive: One of our Spies sees the 2004 BMW 5-series in person
Direct from internal focus group studies
Direct from one of our spies who participated in the focus group.
Here are their first impressions of the 2004 BMW five series:
I went to a "Auto Evaluation" in Long Beach CA and actually got to sit in and compare the new BMW 5 (E60), MB E Class and Audi A6. While the interior of the 5 is better looking than that of the 7, I felt the front seat area was cramped, especially compared to the current 540. There is also a lack of storage space - the glove box is still small, the "storage" in the console is a joke it is so small, and the wonderful double compartment door pockets from the E39 are history. Now just one fairly shallow, smaller pocket. Unfortunately, the ergonomics of the 5 are a step backward: There are no audio controls on the dash, the iDrive controller is in a very poor location, the interior door release is poorly situated, the steering wheel stalks are too short, etc. pretty disappointing overall. The truth, of course, will be in how the car drives and how reliable it is.
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