2001 BMW 5 SERIES: A Discreet Design Freshening, New 6-Cylinder Engines And Expanded Market Reach
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BMW 525i Sedan

Photo: BMW

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey - The BMW 5 Series remains the widely accepted leader among luxury sport sedans and sport wagons. In January 2000, Car and Driver named this midsize BMW Series to its 10Best list for the fourth year in a row and explained why: "If a luxury sports sedan seems a contradiction in terms, the BMW 5 Series demonstrates how to properly execute the concept...BMW even provides this blend of luxury and performance in 5 Series wagons."

 Automobile Magazine singled out the 528i sedan for its All-Stars awards in May 2000: "This combination of impeccable luxury and driving pleasure makes the 528i not only the best sedan you can have for less than $40,000 but one of the best sedans you can buy, period." In a November '99 Motor Trend 3-car comparison test, the 528i sedan "drew thumbs-up as the best balance between sportiness and luxury." And in December '99, Road & Track declared the 540i sedan the winner over four of its competitors.  

These examples of the extensive critical praise garnered by the current 5 Series capture its essence: a masterful blend of luxury and sporting performance. Now, for2001, BMW heightens the 528i sedan's sportiness by giving it a new 3.0-liter engine and evolving it into the 530i. At the same time, two new 525i models join the line to expand the Series' market reach. And a discreet stylistic update freshens the 5 Series' unique look. 

The Series for 2001 thus consists of five models: 

1. 525i sedan - new, more accessible 5 Series model.

2. 525i sport wagon - moving the 5 Series wagon into new price territory.

3. 530i sedan - upgraded, higher-performance model, successor to the previous 528i sedan.

4. 540i sedan - V-8 model, available in two forms: Automatic and 6-Speed.

5. 540i sport wagon - the ultimate in performance and cargo versatility.

What's New For 2001: An Overview 

The 5 Series look perfectly expresses these vehicles' character of luxurious driving machines: trim, dynamic, beautiful. While maintaining this unique character, BMW has discreetly freshened the exterior with: 

• Newly shaped frames for the traditional "kidneys" grille, first seen on the 2000 M5

• New front lighting units, with lighted rings around the headlights and round parking lights/turn signals

• New front spoiler, with "clear-look" round foglights replacing oblong ones

• New rear lighting clusters, also in clear look, with four red LEDs forming each taillight. LEDs have longer service life than conventional bulbs, and four of them provide not only very even distribution of light, but functional redundancy in case one does burn out.

• Body-color side moldings (except with Sport Packages, where they remain black). V-8 (540i) models add slender chrome accents here. 

• High-gloss Shadowline exterior trim on 540i sport models, replacing the former matte-black type (which continues in the 530i Sport Package)

• Body-color protective strips in front and rear bumpers

• Body-color loading lip on sport wagons' rear bumper

• Three new metallic colors: Steel Blue, Topaz Blue and Slate Green. 

Other functional and esthetic upgrades freshen the 2001 5 Series as well: 

• All models are now equipped with wheels of at least 16-inch diameter; previously 6-cylinder models came standard with 15-in. equipment. Wheel designs are new on most models.

• The optional Park Distance Control - an ultrasonic parking aid - now operates at both ends of the vehicle, vs. rear only in previous 5 Series models. The driver is alerted to unseen obstacles by beeping at the corresponding end of the interior, growing more frequent as the vehicle approaches the obstacle.

• The available BMW Onboard Navigation System, which introduced many Americans to GPS Navigation and provides a wide range of functions besides GPS, has been updated with a new, wider16- x 9-cm (6.3- x 3.5-in.) color monitor. The monitor's level of contrast has been improved to make it easier to read when ambient light is strong.

• Audio-system control panels have been updated, and an in-dash single-disc CD player is now available. (6-disc CD changers remain available for either glove-compartment or trunk/cargo-area installation.)

• Both steering wheels - standard and sport - appear in new, more attractive designs.

• A solar sensor has been added to the automatic climate control to make it more responsive to changing sunlight conditions.

• The sedans' optional rear-compartment side-impact airbags are now augmented by inflatable head protection, in the form of airbags that emerge from the C-pillars.

• Premium and Sport-Premium Packages now include a 2-way power moonroof, a $1,050 value, at no increase in price over comparable Packages in 2000. 

(October 11, 2000)