BMW’s 5 Series is the automaker’s next step up in size and price from BMW’s best-selling 3 Series. The top-level 550i is only available as a rear-wheel-drive sedan, unlike other 5 Series models that can be had in wagon and all-wheel-drive configurations. The 5 Series competes with luxury sedans like the Audi A6, Lexus GS and Acura RL.
For 2010, there is a new high-performance version called the 550i Gran Turismo.
(Skip to details on the: 5-Series Gran Turismo)
Other than the Gran Turismo model, there are no significant changes for 2010.
The BMW 550 doesn’t stray from the conventional BMW styling, as it has short overhangs (the distance between the end of the fender and the bumper) and a twin-kidney grille. The 550 has subtle door-sill and front and rear bodywork extensions.
- Xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights
- Adaptive headlights turn in the direction of the steering wheel
- LED turn signals
- Front and rear parking sensors with graphic display
- Metallic paint
- 17-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Optional 19-inch light-alloy wheels with performance run-flat tires
- Optional headlight washers
For 2010, BMW has upgraded the optional iDrive system, which controls the navigation system, to make it easier to use.
- Leather trim
- Power tilt/telescoping steering wheel
- MP3 jack
- Push-button start
- Available head-up display projects car’s speed and navigation directions on windshield
- Available heated front and rear seats
- Available HD radio
- Available active cruise control automatically slows car when approaching a slower-moving car
While other 5 Series models use six-cylinder engines, the 550i uses a 4.8-liter V-8 making 360 horsepower and 360 pounds-feet of torque.
- Six-speed manual transmission
- Available six-speed automatic
- Rear-wheel drive
Safety features include:
- Electronic stability system
- Antilock brakes
- Front, side-impact and side curtain airbags
- Rear side-impact airbags optional
- Optional lane departure warning system sends a vibration through the steering wheel when car drifts from lane
For 2010, BMW added a hatchback version of its rear-wheel-drive 5 Series, dubbed the 5 Series Gran Turismo. Upstream of the outgoing 5 Series sedan — itself due to be replaced soon — the Gran Turismo sports a restyled interior and a streamlined exterior, both with cues from BMW’s recently redesigned 7 Series flagship. With its steeply raked hatch ending in a short, sedan-like trunk, the Gran Turismo measures about 6 inches longer than the 5 Series sedan. The hatch opens in two sections: The entire hatch can lift, or a section below the rear window opens separately to reveal a sedan-like trunk behind the rear seats and below a cargo cover. The area offers 15.5 cubic feet of cargo volume, a bit more than the outgoing sedan’s 14.0 cubic feet. For additional storage capacity, the seats fold down in a 40/20/40 split.
The 550i Gran Turismo can accommodate four or five, depending on the backseat configuration. Interior features include the 7 Series’ Black Panel gauge and climate displays, which incorporate BMW’s traditional gauge themes into an electroluminescent display. A next-generation iDrive system, already used across various other BMW models, offers better screen resolution and more shortcut keys than its predecessor.
The Gran Turismo’s sole drivetrain — a twin-turbo V-8 that’s good for 400 horsepower — works through a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Back to top
