LetsTalkCars : Message: Auto Page - BMW 535xi Sport Wagon.

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Subject: Auto Page - BMW 535xi Sport Wagon.
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-------------------------------1198700257
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Language: en

=20
THE AUTO PAGE
by
JOHN HEILIG

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: BMW 535xi Sports Wagon
Engine: 3.0-liter inline six
Horsepower/Torque: 230 hp @ 6500 rpm/200 lb.-ft. @ 2750 rpm=20=20
Transmission: 6-speed Steptronic automatic with manual mode
Wheelbase: 113.6 in.
Length x Width x Height: 191.2 x 72.7 x 58.7 in.
Tires: P245/40R18=20
Cargo volume: 17.6/58.3 cu. ft. (rear seat backs up/down)=20
Economy: 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway/18.2 mpg test=20
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal.
Price: $$71,370 (includes $775 destination charge and $16,595 in options)=
=20
The Bottom Line =E2=80=93 The 535xi has all the positives of the 5-Series s=
edans=20=20
with the added advantage of a cargo area that can carry all the family=E2=
=80=99s=20=20
presents to Grandma=E2=80=99s house for Christmas. It retains the annoying =
i-Drive, which=20
controls the audio, HVAC and navigation systems cleverly but poorly.=20
I=E2=80=99ve been a station wagon fan ever since we began shuttling our gir=
ls around=20
in a big Ford LTD many years ago. Even though that wagon eventually grew =
=20
into a full-size van, we never lost our love of the practicality of the wa=
gon.=20
After all, here was a vehicle with all the attributes of a sedan, but with=
=20
three to four times the cargo capacity=20
That=E2=80=99s what you get with the BMW 535xi Sport Wagon. It has all the =
great=20=20
features of the BMW 5-Series, arguably BMW=E2=80=99s best sedan, with tons =
of extra=20=20
cargo space in the back. For example, normal cargo area is 17.6 cubic feet.=
That=20=20
compares with 14.0 cubic feet in the 5-Series sedan. So you=E2=80=99re a wi=
nner=20
already. But that expands to 58.3 cubic feet with the rear seat backs fold=
ed, and=20
that=E2=80=99s enormous. We didn=E2=80=99t check to see if we could carry =
a 4x8 sheet of=20
plywood in the Beemer (we could in our Ford), but, in reality, how often d=
o you=20
need those dimensions?=20
The cargo area is covered when the seat backs are up. And the rear liftgat=
e=20
is powered. You push a button on the key fob to raise it and push a button=
on=20
the gate itself to lower it. It=E2=80=99s actually easier to load a couple =
of=20=20
grocery bags in the back than it is to push them onto the back seat of the =
sedan.=20
Meanwhile, you still have a 5-Series. Our Sport Wagon was powered by the =
=20
3.0-liteinline six that developed 230 horsepower and transmitted that power=
to=20=20
the rear wheels through a 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission that ha=
d a=20=20
manual mode. We never tried the manual, even though we made a couple of=20
passes at some serious winding roads, because the automatic was nearly fla=
wless.=20=20
We have driven this engine/transmission combination in 5-Series sedans ove=
r=20
some assorted roads, and have never found the need to use the manual mode=
=20
because the automatic is so smooth and there=E2=80=99s enough power to obvi=
ate the need=20
for a manual.=20
Seating in the front is comfortable, especially with the powered seat=20=20
extensions that support the thighs. I would have preferred better side supp=
ort. The=20
front seats were more like easy chairs with a flatter back rest than I like=
.=20=20
Oddly, side support in the rear was considerably better than in the front. =
=20
The driver feels like a 777 pilot with the number of controls at his or he=
r=20
command. There are the normal controls fro wipers and turn signals. But the=
=20=20
turn signal stalk has a button that controls some of the readouts on the =
=20
instrument panel, such as odometer, trip odometer, fuel economy, etc. There=
=E2=80=99s=20=20
another stalk on the left that manages cruise control.=20=20
The Sport Wagon has keyless entry and starting. All you need is the key fo=
b=20
in your pocket and the doors open (pull the handle twice quickly to unlock)=
.=20=20
Sit down and push the start/stop button and the engine springs to life. I=20
admit that I was dumb enough to put the fob into the slot where an ignitio=
n key=20=20
normally goes, but after I discovered that all you had to have was the key =
in=20=20
your possession, I got lazier.=20
The shifter takes getting uses to. There are essentially three positions =
=E2=80=93=20
D, N, and R. You move between these by pushing the button on the left of th=
e=20=20
shifter and moving the lever. To park, you push the =E2=80=9CP=E2=80=9D but=
ton on top of the=20=20
shifter.=20=20
The HVAC system is excellent, and brought the Sport Wagon up to a=20=20
comfortable temperature quickly. The sound system was another issue. It was=
controlled=20
through iDrive, which I thought I was learning, but discovered I wasn=E2=
=80=99t. It=20
was difficult to find the stations I wanted on the installed Sirius band. =
Once=20
I found the station, I was reluctant to change it.=20=20
You use iDrive to access navigation, and without the owners manual, this w=
as=20
a problem as well. iDrive is a useful tool, if your co-driver wants to play=
=20=20
with it. But it requires too much input and isn=E2=80=99t that intuitive to=
be a major=20
force, even if other manufacturers are copying it.=20
Above all passengers is a huge sunroof. The one over the front passengers =
is=20
large to begin with, but there=E2=80=99s an additional one for the rear pas=
sengers=20=20
that brings light back there, reducing the claustrophobic effect.=20
Without iDrive, the 535xi Sport Wagon is a dream. It has power, comfort an=
d=20
cargo capacity, with the added feature of all-wheel drive if necessary. Wit=
h=20=20
iDrive, it can be frustrating, but it=E2=80=99s still a great vehicle, sadl=
y at a=20
great price.=20

=C2=A9 2007 The Auto Page Syndicate=20

**************************************See AOL's top rated recipes=20
(http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=3Daoltop00030000000004)

-------------------------------1198700257
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Language: en

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns:o =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF-8">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.6000.16587" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=3Drole_body style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY:=
Arial"=20
bottomMargin=3D7 leftMargin=3D7 topMargin=3D7 rightMargin=3D7>
<DIV>
THE AUTO PAGE by JOHN HEILIG SPECIFICATIONS Model:=
BMW=20
535xi Sports Wagon Engine: 3.0-liter inline six Horsepower/Torque: 23=
0 hp=20
@ 6500 rpm/200 lb.-ft. @ 2750 rpm 
Transmission: 6-speed Steptronic automatic with manual mode Whe=
elbase:=20
113.6 in. Length x Width x Height: 191.2 x 72.7 x 58.7 in. Tires:=20
P245/40R18
Cargo volume: 17.6/58.3 cu. ft. (rear seat backs up/down)</=
P>
Economy: 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway/18.2 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal. Price: $$71,370 (includes $775 destina=
tion=20
charge and $16,595 in options)
<o:p> </o:p>
The Bottom Line =E2=80=93 The 535xi has all the positives of the 5=
-Series sedans=20
with the added advantage of a cargo area that can carry all the family=E2=
=80=99s=20
presents to Grandma=E2=80=99s house for Christmas. It retains the annoying =
i-Drive,=20
which controls the audio, HVAC and navigation systems cleverly but=20
poorly.
<o:p> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
I=E2=80=99ve been a station wagon fan ever since we began shuttling =
our girls=20
around in a big Ford LTD many years ago. Even though that wagon eventually =
grew=20
into a full-size van, we never lost our love of the practicality of the=20
wagon.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
After all, here was a vehicle with all the attributes of a sedan, bu=
t=20
with three to four times the cargo capacity
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
That=E2=80=99s what you get with the BMW 535xi Sport Wagon. It has a=
ll the great=20
features of the BMW 5-Series, arguably BMW=E2=80=99s best sedan, with tons =
of extra=20
cargo space in the back. For example, normal cargo area is 17.6 cubic feet.=
That=20
compares with 14.0 cubic feet in the 5-Series sedan. So you=E2=80=99re a wi=
nner already.=20
But that expands to 58.3 cubic feet with the rear seat backs folded, and th=
at=E2=80=99s=20
enormous. We didn=E2=80=99t check to see if we could carry a 4x8 sheet of p=
lywood in the=20
Beemer (we could in our Ford), but, in reality, how often do you need those=
=20
dimensions?
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
The cargo area is covered when the seat backs are up. And the rear=20
liftgate is powered. You push a button on the key fob to raise it and push =
a=20
button on the gate itself to lower it. It=E2=80=99s actually easier to load=
a couple of=20
grocery bags in the back than it is to push them onto the back seat of the=
=20
sedan.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
Meanwhile, you still have a 5-Series. Our Sport Wagon was powered by=
the=20
3.0-liteinline six that developed 230 horsepower and transmitted that power=
to=20
the rear wheels through a 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission that ha=
d a=20
manual mode. We never tried the manual, even though we made a couple of pas=
ses=20
at some serious winding roads, because the automatic was nearly flawless.=20

<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
We have driven this engine/transmission combination in 5-Series seda=
ns=20
over some assorted roads, and have never found the need to use the m=
anual=20
mode because the automatic is so smooth and there=E2=80=99s enough power to=
obviate the=20
need for a manual.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
Seating in the front is comfortable, especially with the powered sea=
t=20
extensions that support the thighs. I would have preferred better side supp=
ort.=20
The front seats were more like easy chairs with a flatter back rest than I =
like.=20
Oddly, side support in the rear was considerably better than in the front.=
=20

<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
The driver feels like a 777 pilot with the number of controls at his=
or=20
her command. There are the normal controls fro wipers and turn signals. But=
the=20
turn signal stalk has a button that controls some of the readouts on the=20
instrument panel, such as odometer, trip odometer, fuel economy, etc. There=
=E2=80=99s=20
another stalk on the left that manages cruise control. 
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
The Sport Wagon has keyless entry and starting. All you need is the =
key=20
fob in your pocket and the doors open (pull the handle twice quickly to unl=
ock).=20
Sit down and push the start/stop button and the engine springs to life. I a=
dmit=20
that I was dumb enough to put the fob into the slot where an ignition key=20
normally goes, but after I discovered that all you had to have was the key =
in=20
your possession, I got lazier.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
The shifter takes getting uses to. There are essentially three posit=
ions=20
=E2=80=93 D, N, and R. You move between these by pushing the button on the =
left of the=20
shifter and moving the lever. To park, you push the =E2=80=9CP=E2=80=9D but=
ton on top of the=20
shifter. 
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
The HVAC system is excellent, and brought the Sport Wagon up to a=20
comfortable temperature quickly. The sound system was another issue. It was=
=20
controlled through iDrive, which I thought I was learning, but discovered I=
=20
wasn=E2=80=99t. It was difficult to find the stations I wanted on the insta=
lled Sirius=20
band. Once I found the station, I was reluctant to change it. </FONT=
>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
You use iDrive to access navigation, and without the owners manual, =
this=20
was a problem as well. iDrive is a useful tool, if your co-driver wants to =
play=20
with it. But it requires too much input and isn=E2=80=99t that intuitive to=
be a major=20
force, even if other manufacturers are copying it.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
Above all passengers is a huge sunroof. The one over the front passe=
ngers=20
is large to begin with, but there=E2=80=99s an additional one for the rear =
passengers=20
that brings light back there, reducing the claustrophobic=20
effect.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">        =
   =20
Without iDrive, the 535xi Sport Wagon is a dream. It has power, comf=
ort=20
and cargo capacity, with the added feature of all-wheel drive if necessary.=
With=20
iDrive, it can be frustrating, but it=E2=80=99s still a great vehicle, sadl=
y at a great=20
price.
 =
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>=C2=A9 2007 The Auto Page Syndicate</FONT=
>
<o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV><HR style=3D"MARGIN-=
TOP: 10px">See AOL's <A title=3D"http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=
=3Daoltop00030000000004" href=3D"http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=
=3Daoltop00030000000004" target=3D"_blank">top rated recipes</A> and <A tit=
le=3D"http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=3Daoltop000300000000=
03" href=3D"http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=3Daoltop000300=
00000003" target=3D"_blank">easy ways to stay in shape</A> for winter.</FON=
T></DIV></BODY></HTML>

-------------------------------1198700257--

Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:17 pm

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