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Editors at TheCarConnection.com drove the new 2010 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo to bring you this hands-on road test of its capabilities. Editors assigned ratings to each of five areas-styling, performance, comfort, safety, and features-and use those ratings to compare the new BMW with other crossover vehicles. TheCarConnection.com has also compiled a full review that condenses opinions from around the Web into a comprehensive look at the 5-Series Gran Turismo.
High Gear Media accepted travel expenses to attend the first press drive of the 5-Series Gran Turismo.
Likes:
- Intriguing silhouette
- Classically BMW drivetrain performance
- Vastly improved interior and controls
- Flexible rear seat and cargo area
Dislikes:
- very specific vehicle for a very specific mission
- Drives "small," but can feel wide and large in traffic
- Lots of technology, some of it overload
- Not-quite-BMW handling
With the 2010 5-Series Gran Turismo, BMW slices the crossover-wagon-activity vehicle segment into even thinner segments. Technically, it's a wagon, and it's certainly a precursor to a whole new range of 5-Series models. For now, though, the Gran Turismo has more in common mechanically with the BMW X6 and 7-Series than with the current 2010 BMW 5-Series sedan, which is an older platform in its final year of production. Priced from about $45,000, the 5-Series Gran Turismo competes with BMW's own X5 and X6 utes, traditional wagons like the Audi A6 Avant, and the odd outlier or two, such as the 2010 Lincoln MKT.
The striking 5-Series Gran Turismo blends some station-wagon and SUV cues into a shape that's not quite sedan or crossover. In passing, the new GT shares some cues with recent Mazda hatchbacks and the Infiniti M sedans, and it's infused with traditional BMW cues like the twin-grille nose and the "Hoffmeister kink" that links its rear pillar to the car's rear quarters. Though its proportions lean toward those of the BMW X6 sport-ute, the GT sits lower to the ground, and its frameless doors emphasize the long descent of the roofline. Like the X6, it has a thick, tall tail, though here designers visually trim down the rear end's heft with downturned taillamps and chrome details. TheCarConnection.com's editors have warmed to the shape; other expert car reviewers have not. Inside, the 5-Series Gran Turismo's dash and door panels are a great leap ahead of the former 5-Series; it reads more cleanly, thanks to simple metallic trim that delineates control areas into logical groups, as well as plenty of lavish wood and leather that arc and curve to take visual mass out of the cockpit. The gauges are bright and readable, and information and navigation directions are well integrated into LCD readouts placed below the dials. Even with its punctuation mark of a shift lever, the 5-Series Gran Turismo's cabin feels mature, warm, and more upscale than ever.
