Interior
reviewed by
BMW never loses sight of its sporting roots, but where does it say sport
and luxury are incompatible? Not here.
Interior trim is sumptuous, whether leatherette with brushed-aluminum
accents (528i) or soft leather with burl walnut panels discreetly applied
to center console, dashboard and door panels (540i). Power front seats
with 10-way adjustments are standard, as are power tilt-and-telescope steering
column and power windows, mirrors and locks.
The automatic climate control has separate temperature settings for
driver and front-seat passenger, and the standard audio system has ten
speakers (528i) or 12 (540i). About all one might want to add are a power
moonroof--on the 528i only; it's standard for the 540i--or heating elements
for front seats and even the steering wheel.
Leather upholstery can be ordered to replace the 528i's leatherette
(and wood can replace the aluminum trim). Power-operated rear window sunshades
and manual pull-up rear side window shades can be added to any 5-Series.
Deeply bolstered manually adjustable sport front seats are available at
no cost for the 540i.
A recent addition to the 5-Series options list is an onboard navigation
system. Using a transmitter/receiver that communicates with GPS (Global
Positioning) satellites, the system can pinpoint the car's precise map
location and display it on a screen mounted in the center console. By following
a series of steps--and inputting information via touch-pads on the screen--a
driver can have his or her route plotted out automatically. Other features
too numerous to list increase the system's versatility.
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