2011 BMW 5 Series

I don't walk away from every new model with a single overriding impression, but sometimes a car grabs me by the collar and shakes me. While that wasn't exactly the case with the redesigned 2011 BMW 5 Series, that car did consistently whisper in my ear.

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If the new 5 Series is anything, it's quiet and comfortable.

This new level of comfort broadens the sport sedan's appeal, but at the same time the newly redesigned car gives up even more of its old visceral experience, which has been abating generation by generation.

The 5 Series sedan comes in three levels: the 528i, 535i and 550i. Though there was a time when those numbers represented engine sizes, BMW's recent embrace of turbocharging has cast off any semblance of meaning. Suffice it to say the 528i has a six-cylinder, the 535i has a turbocharged six-cylinder and the 550i has a turbocharged V-8.

I tested the 535i and 550i with rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is available for both of these levels, designated "xDrive."

Exterior & Styling

The 2011 5 Series is further proof that BMW is pulling itself out of an awkward design era. Recently, the only element that had seemed to tie one model to another was an ill-conceived — and poorly received — rear-end design nicknamed the "Bangle butt," after former chief designer Chris Bangle. Though the previous-generation 5 Series' trunklid was better integrated than the one on the earlier 7 Series, its too-small grille and raised-eyebrow headlights were an aesthetic failure. With a design inspired by the headlights, the taillights looked like they were trying to escape the car altogether. Blech.

Refreshes weren't enough to cure the 5's ills, so 2011's complete redesign is a godsend. The grille is stronger than ever, the taillights look like they want to be there and the headlights are more aggressive than fey. They aren't perfect, though: There's a translucent white stripe along the top of the headlight clusters, also seen on other BMWs. It looks like something that was supposed to be removed after shipping.

The hood is sculpted in the fashion of other recent BMW redesigns, including the Z4 and 7 Series. In lieu of faux vents on the front fenders, chrome surrounds the side marker lights — relatively subtle by today's standards. The 528i has 17-inch alloy wheels, and the 535i and 550i have 18-inchers. Larger wheels are optional.

Compared with the 2010 model, the 2011 is 2 inches longer and a half-inch wider, with 3.2 more inches of wheelbase. The car is easily mistaken for the redesigned 7 Series, though the flagship is almost 7 inches longer and nearly 2 inches wider.

In the Cabin

Because each was equipped with the optional Sport Package, both of our test cars had "multi-contoured" power sport seats, which we found comfortable. An additional seat adjustment, which tilts the upper section of the backrest forward independently, is a cherished feature. Likewise for the power-extending bottom cushion, though the gap it forms collects enough crud to clog a Dustbuster. We were satisfied with the front seats' overall comfort and dimensions, but we wouldn't have minded a little more front-seat legroom.