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Post by johnc on Sept 5, 2017 10:58:33 GMT
I have this car for today and maybe tomorrow. I can't seem to upload any photos anymore except as thumbnails!
I like the look of the car and at first site it is very impressive. It has acres of space in both the front and the back and appears very well appointed. This car has the head-up display and I found it very impressive and effective especially with the satnav directions: it is not intrusive at all and is very clear and helpful. However the quality of some of the materials isn't great and I would say it doesn't feel as special as the previous 5 Series when you start pressing the buttons.
On my car, the steering wheel buttons get pressed all the time for radio volume, cruise control and phone and they are all quite tactile and feel well engineered. On the 5 series, there is a cheap leather centre boss and all the buttons feel as though they have come from something considerably down the pecking order in price terms. The "resume" button for cruise control on my car is metal and feels great. The one on the 5 is just a small square calculator type button which doesn't feel anything like as substantial.
There is also an opening cubby down at the drivers right knee which feels like Fisher Price toy plastic - the one on my car is soft feel and is felt lined whereas the one in the 5 is just hard but slightly bendy plastic - a 99p made in China type of product.
The steering is a bit heavier than my car even in comfort but I can't say that there is any more feel. I also noticed on the exit of one roundabout that there was a bit of understeer as I applied the power - perhaps a product of my time with 4WD and how early I can apply the power in my car.
The way it goes though is very impressive. I reckon this engine is set up to give really good pickup from low speeds and to have more power and torque at low to moderate revs that at the top end. In Sport it pulls really strongly from 1500rpm and will rev happily to the red line with real vigour and a great soundtrack - not as fast as mine but closer than you might think. The gearbox is silky smooth and the adaptive suspension deals comfortably with everything thrown at it. Everything is also very hushed and subdued whilst still being evident enough to keep the driver involved.
I really like the car to drive and I like the way it looks but it is a shame that some of the sense of occasion you can get from having a really high quality interior, is lost with this car. I am sure the difference in quality perhaps saved BMW £10 a car but in my opinion it has lost much more than that in its appeal. I am sure it will still be a great success but it will never be special.
Here are some other thumbnails and I'll put more in another post:
 
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Post by johnc on Sept 5, 2017 10:59:56 GMT
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Post by PetrolEd on Sept 5, 2017 11:06:41 GMT
Reflects my initial thoughts when I sat in one in the showroom at launch. The minor switchgear really is cheap and wouldn't look out of place in a Kia. Of course once discounts are applied the costs of these cars has come down over the last few years so I guess quality has to suffer somewhere.
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Post by Tim on Sept 5, 2017 11:52:25 GMT
I'm sure the steering wheel buttons on my 320 are plastic!
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Post by Martin on Sept 5, 2017 11:54:24 GMT
Really interesting John. I'm with you both on the interior quality, it's definitely a step down from my car. It's disappointing because it looks similar to the 7 Series, but really isn't. The steering wheel centre and dash are fake leather, so upgrading to Nappa on the seats and dashboard will help, as will ceramic controls, but that won't change anything on the steering wheel. I'm sure all the buttons on our wheel are black and silver plastic though....
I don't agree that net costs have come down, a RWD 530d estate in the same spec as mine is pretty much the same price after discount (discount is about £800 less).
A 7 Series with a better spec is less per month, so without driving one that's where my money would go if I was buying a BMW right now.
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Post by Big Blue on Sept 5, 2017 12:02:26 GMT
I like the new seat stitching layout. I keep meaning to take a look at one to see the interior but haven't made it yet. Liking the black panel display a lot
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Post by johnc on Sept 5, 2017 12:55:04 GMT
The full digital dash is great. It changes colour depending on the mode the car is in and displays much more information than a conventional dash. I started to have a look at different settings and could have been there for several hours. The average mpg it is showing is 29.8 but that is with an average speed of 23.6mph so I presume this car has spent a lot of its life around town.
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Post by johnc on Sept 5, 2017 12:58:56 GMT
I'm sure all the buttons on our wheel are black and silver plastic though.... Certainly the majority are plastic but they feel a good bit better engineered than those on the new 5. The resume button on my cruise control is always cold like metal and certainly feels like metal but I could be wrong. However they all feel better than the new 5 when you use them. |
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Post by racingteatray on Sept 5, 2017 13:32:00 GMT
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Post by PG on Sept 5, 2017 16:56:24 GMT
So he liked it then...... But that photo of the knee level cubby is shocking. It looks like something from our Peugeot van based horse lorry. |
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Post by LandieMark on Sept 5, 2017 18:37:35 GMT
You are adding the photo as an attachment rather than using the photo upload button, hence the thumbnail.
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Post by michael on Sept 5, 2017 19:09:41 GMT
I like the overall shape of the new 5 but the details let it down. The front is a mess and the rear diffuser look and wonky exhausts look crap. The drop in interior quality is a real shame across much of the mass market.
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Post by johnc on Sept 6, 2017 7:03:03 GMT
You are adding the photo as an attachment rather than using the photo upload button, hence the thumbnail. I tried to add an image and it said it was blocked. However I have just tried again and it would appear to work! |
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Post by Big Blue on Sept 6, 2017 9:08:38 GMT
I like the overall shape of the new 5 but the details let it down. The front is a mess and the rear diffuser look and wonky exhausts look crap. The drop in interior quality is a real shame across much of the mass market. Keeps a market segment for Alpina, I guess. |
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Post by Martin on Sept 6, 2017 9:54:05 GMT
So he liked it then...... But that photo of the knee level cubby is shocking. It looks like something from our Peugeot van based horse lorry. He did, but he really liked the old one as well. I don't always agree with Clarkson, but in this case I do, great car the 5 Series Estate! Interesting that he thinks the quality is better than before. |
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Post by johnc on Sept 6, 2017 12:10:39 GMT
The key is nice too:
I have just returned the car and have to say that there is a tinge of regret. In Comfort mode, I find it a bit too woolly, it doesn't pull away quickly enough and throttle reaction is muted to some extent. In Sport though it is exactly as it should be: quick to respond to changes in throttle, immediate acceleration and accurate steering. However the biggest difference from my car is that in Sport, it does all these things with no additional noise or harder ride. It is exactly how it should be as standard. Eco Pro should only be accessed by octogenarians.
This car had the Harman Karman system and the full LED voodoo lights which I tested last night: they are a bit brighter than mine on dipped and the adaptive function appears to react more quickly.
My daughter has already told me I need to get one but my wife has told me she needs a new car first.
It is a very good car but BMW had better be a bit careful on the quality front because the interior quality is unlikely to impress greatly to a Mercedes or in particular, an Audi driver. It isn't that the quality is poor (apart from the small cubby) it is just that it doesn't leave you with any Wow feeling which you get if you climb into a 6 or 7 series or something like an S Class. It is adequate but not impressive and potentially a step down from the current 5. The seats were very comfortable and had significantly more padding than mine whilst still holding you in place making it a great place to sit when on the motorway with near silent, smooth and quick progress being very easy.
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Post by Big Blue on Sept 6, 2017 12:41:38 GMT
It isn't that the quality is poor (apart from the small cubby) it is just that it doesn't leave you with any Wow feeling which you get if you climb into a 6 or 7 series or something like an S Class. ...........The seats were very comfortable and had significantly more padding than mine whilst still holding you in place making it a great place to sit when on the motorway with near silent, smooth and quick progress being very easy.
Bit unfair to say it's not a match for a 7-er or an S-class: it's supposed to be that way. Yes: 5-series seats are significantly better than 3/4 series seats, but again that's the point. I agree that in Sport mode the 5 (including the F10/11) feels and behaves like a BMW as known to BMW owners of yore but the market has changed so the standard and comfort modes ensure the car appeals to a wider audience. My biggest gripe is that if I put the car into Comfort then it stays there even after journey end and car lock, as it does in Normal. If I leave it in Sport it always reverts to Normal. |
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Post by johnc on Sept 6, 2017 12:47:30 GMT
Bit unfair to say it's not a match for a 7-er or an S-class: it's supposed to be that way. I agree but I think it should be a step up from the current 5 which I am not sure it is |
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Post by Tim on Sept 6, 2017 13:15:40 GMT
The key looks slightly scruffy and chipped already!
I'm happy with the seats in the 3 series, or at least the current one which has the sports seats.
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Post by Martin on Sept 6, 2017 16:43:20 GMT
Bit unfair to say it's not a match for a 7-er or an S-class: it's supposed to be that way. I agree but I think it should be a step up from the current 5 which I am not sure it is Perhaps it isn't supposed to be that way, but in the last couple of generations, the 5 & 7 Series have been pretty close, in much the same was the 1 & 3 Series are. When I was looking last time, there was no benefit in terms of interior quality or comfort (up front) in going for a 7 over a 5. I remember someone posting a comparison picture and most struggled to see any difference. It's different now, the 7 Series is significantly better imo. I don't think there's a big difference between the current E and S Class, but there is between an A6 and A8, even before the new model is launched. I don't like the key. |
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Post by racingteatray on Sept 6, 2017 17:04:44 GMT
The key looks slightly scruffy and chipped already! I was thinking the same! |
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Post by Martin on Sept 6, 2017 19:54:39 GMT
I like the overall shape of the new 5 but the details let it down. The front is a mess and the rear diffuser look and wonky exhausts look crap. The drop in interior quality is a real shame across much of the mass market. Keeps a market segment for Alpina, I guess. The new D5 S has been launched, interestingly it only has pretty much the same power and torque as the new 540d. Alpina D5 S
I like the exhausts and rear bumper/valance better than the standard car but it needs to lose the additional chrome around the front and sides. 
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Post by michael on Sept 6, 2017 20:09:43 GMT
Looks better but it's still no looker. The headlamps are far too big for the nose for example.
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Post by Big Blue on Sept 6, 2017 20:21:45 GMT
The Alpina front end looks worlds better; the two side pod inlet details don't look anything like as gopping.
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Post by Martin on Sept 6, 2017 20:52:57 GMT
It's closer to the B5 in spec than the old model (Nappa, Comfort seats, Dynamic Drive, Active Steering), but is 60hp and 74lb down on the Euro spec car, which uses the 50d triple Turbo engine, the UK car has the 40d twin turbo.
Bloody Brexit.......
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Post by Martin on Sept 8, 2017 12:24:31 GMT
I'm in my local BMW emporium at the moment, tucking into a nice (complementary) sandwich while my car is in for service. Anyway....had my first proper good look at the new 5 Series, the last time I was here it had other people looking at it. They have a couple in the showroom, so I can confirm that Nappa with Comfort seats makes a big difference, I'd go that way this time even though the comfort seats still reduce rear legroom. Agree with John on the steering wheel, the buttons feel cheap and I'd add the buttons around the idrive controller to the list. Plastics lower down the dash aren't as good and the drivers storage is indeed a joke...plus it's half the size of the old one as well. If you have a good poke around, there are all sorts of areas that have been downgraded, most you can't see or don't touch to be fair, like the area that covers the gap required for the steering column to adjust which has changed from felt to a hard plastic flap.
The estate is as good as before and still better looking than the saloon, lots of nice touches and having a separate compartment for the load cover / net is an improvement.
I'm warming a little to the interior styling and comparing it side by side with a 3 Series confirms it's still a decent step up, but I wish it had more 7 Series bits.
Oh and whoever thinks a white with black wheels is a good look for a 5 Series estate (or saloon, there is one but it has M Performance wheels and side skirts as well) needs to have a really strong word with themselves!!
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Post by johnc on Sept 11, 2017 9:00:39 GMT
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