Hello,my car was in for service today,it was only going to take about 1 hour,so i asked my sales rep,if i could test drive there 550i sport with manual.He said go ahead and gave me the keys.I have an e90 325 manual with sport,and I love my car but i am thinking of a mid size car next time,so i was excited about driving the 5 series.This car also had the active steering.Here are my impressions of the drive.

1.Alot more room than my 325,with out being to big,i think it drove like it was a smaller car.

2.The power in the 550 is a blast.I spun the tires in second gear!.This car is a beast,but appears to still get ok gas milage for a v8.Typical bmw,smooth engine with good gas mileage.(for a sports sedan)

3.The sports suspension was good,not as stiff as my 325,but better than expected.Still drove like a sports sedan.Smother over the bumps,felt more refined than my car.My brother has a infiniti m35 sport,i don't understand the car magazines fasination with the infiniti m,that car isn't even close to the 5 series,as far as driving go's.He has more electronic gizmo's,but the infiniti doesn't have that, "solid to the ground"feeling the bmw has.Doesn't go around the twisties like bmw,and doesn't have the x factor like bmw,it simply isn't in the same league.I've driven my brothers car a few times,it is a nice car,but not a real true driving sports machine like the bmw 5 series.

4.I thought the active steering was ok,it was better than i expected,because of all the bad press about it.How ever i perfer the heavier steering,which you do have in the 5 series,once you speed up.I really only noticed it,when i was going slower,like in a parking lot.(which is what the active steering is for,more ease with the steering at lower speeds.I wouild not pay the premium for it,but it wasn't all that bad.

I came away from this driving experience excited about my future car.The 5 series was much better than i expected,it was very similar to my car,but with more room.You only give up a little sport,to get more room and refinement.The materials are better,the general feeling, is it is alot more car,than mine.I will say,it would be nice for a car in this price range,to offer a little more luxury in the inside cabin.I know it's a sport sedan,but i think considering the competition,bmw should try and figure out a way,to give a more luxurious look in the cabin.Other than that,this car is a true driving machine,i think the bench mark for it's class,i don't care what the magazines are saying,i think the 5 series is the true ultimate driving machine.