When the BMW 535xi arrived in my driveway, the first thing I noticed was it slyly glancing my way with its long-lashed cat-eye headlights. Admiring her understated feminine lines, I definitively decided she’s a gal. After driving her, I can attest that this car is bursting with sleek, sexy she-power.
Inside this all-wheel-drive sedan, I lazily lounged back in the lovely leather driver’s seat, which I had adjusted to an absolutely perfect setting. Luckily, the seat has a couple of programmable pre-sets, otherwise I would have had to waste all my spare while-baby’s-sleeping moments finding the ideal setting again. Unlike the BMW 750i, which I wrote about a few months back, this 5 Series lacked a delightful seat massage feature, but I still had toasty hands from the steering-wheel heat, great thigh support from the knee extension and a cradling headrest to pamper me.
My lipstick and a few other small trinkets fit in the center console, but there’s not room there for much else. Luckily for me, baby wipes and diapers are a thing of the past, otherwise this car would have had me scolding its lack of space. Speaking of space, bulky water bottles are out in the BMW 535xi. Each time I exposed one of the two suspended cupholders up front – quirkily labeled with a not-for-wineglasses symbol – I was reminded of leisurely cocktails at outdoor European cafes. That’s not a surprise, given the automaker is headquartered in Munich, which bursts with European charm. I made do with a Starbucks latte and felt it was just refined enough for a BMW.
BMW is also known for power, and this car has plenty of it. I was literally unable to accelerate slowly in it. Whether coming off a red light or heading onto the highway, I just had to “let her go.” It was invigorating to go from juggling kid paraphernalia to sauntering out the front door and into this posh car, dashing along on the highway. Even on snowy roads, the all-wheel drive handled beautifully.
Keyless entry and start enabled me to briskly walk up to the car, tug on the handle of its just-unlocked door, plop into the driver’s seat, depress the brake while pushing the start button and go. Graceful efficiency at its best! Somehow, a day laden with a string of errands became much more pleasant just because getting in and out of the car was such a cinch. This has quickly become one of my favorite fluff features on any car.
As much as this little number sizzles, I couldn’t help but feel like I, too, was sizzling at times. The driver temperature controls, both in the dash and accessed through iDrive, are a pain to tweak correctly; there are just too many different settings to adjust in a hurry. As moms, we all know how counterproductive that is when kids are being kids. Instead of trying to fiddle with the cumbersome iDrive system to find the right setting, I was forced to use the A/C max button to cool down the sweltering cabin in a jiffy.
I also felt some heat when I needed extra cargo space. A folding backseat isn’t standard on this car; it costs extra. Consider me dumbfounded.
Furthermore, I was peeved to find that the silver trunk-release button on the key fob is also the panic button, if you hold it down long enough. As much as I love the stainless steel look, I’d like to see a panic button that’s colored with its purpose in mind. It’s for a PANIC situation, during which time I’d rather not have to remember which silly button (is it the lock, the unlock or the trunk release?) also happens to double as the panic button. Let’s get a bit more user-friendly, shall we?
I felt safe while driving the 535xi, until I noticed its three-star driver’s side front-impact crash-test result. Still, that didn’t subtract from the hint of adventure it offers; it’s risqué with just the right amount of elegance and powerful with just the right amount of control. Go ahead and celebrate your she-power in this batting-her-lashes mademoiselle!
*For more information on the BMW 535xi and its safety features, visit Cars.com. With questions or comments regarding this review, write to editor@motherproof.com.
LET’S TALK NUMBERS
Latch Connectors: 2
Seating Capacity (includes driver): 5
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair
SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Fair
Fun Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove On): Good Times
Specs
Base price: $51,600
Price as tested: $61,825
Engine: 300-hp, 3.0-liter I-6
Fuel: 16/25 mpg
Length: 191.1″
Width: 72.7″
Ground Clearance: 5.1″
Turning Radius: 19.5′
Cargo space: 18.4 cu. ft.
NHTSA Crash-Test Ratings
Frontal Impact
Driver’s side: 3 Stars
Passenger’s side: 5 Stars
Side Impact
Front occupant: 5 Stars
Rear occupant: 5 Stars
Rollover resistance: 4 Stars
