Entered CNET Catalog: 06/13/2007
SKU: 100870601
Manufacturer: BMW of North America
Product summary
The good: The 2008 BMW 535i drives like a dream, getting power from its brilliantly engineered, twin-turbo, 6-cylinder engine. The integration of live traffic with the car's navigation system is the finest we've seen; its hands-free cell phone system is top notch; and the audio quality from its premium sound system is excellent.
The bad: The stereo doesn't show ID3 tag information from MP3 tracks. Destination entry on the navigation system isn't as easy as it could be, and it doesn't default to a map display.
The bottom line: The 2008 BMW 535i is a really exceptional car, offering a great driving experience and an impressive array of electronics in the cabin. From its shifter to its live traffic system, its innovative features should make any techie drool.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 08/03/2007
Photo gallery:
2008 BMW 535i
The 2008 BMW 535i was love at first drive. And while we do have to admit to a BMW bias, we always thought of the 5-series as a family car. But no more. Once behind the wheel of the new 535i, we felt its silky, smooth power and the strong kick from the twin-turbocharged, 3-liter, straight 6-cylinder engine. Although designed with a little understeer, the 535i handled hard corners well, with the rear end giving a satisfying kick out.
And unlike many other cars, the 535i didn't let us down in the electronics department--its beauty extends beyond the road. BMW is incorporating a new live traffic reporting system into its navigation, which, though not perfect, is the best we've ever seen in a car. Add to that excellent stereo sound and one of the best Bluetooth hands-free cell phone systems available, and the 535i starts to sound like a tech dream come true.
Although our love didn't fade during our time with the car, some of the 535i's idiosyncrasies became less than endearing. For example, we've learned how to use iDrive, and can make it do whatever we want, but it's not our favorite car interface. The navigation system's quirks made it less usable than it could be, and try as we did, we couldn't get our average fuel economy above 20mpg.
Test the tech: Rush hour
Generally, we stay as far away from traffic as we can. We don't commute to work by car, and we mostly do our test driving on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. But with the 535i's live traffic feature, we plunged right into the evening rush-hour traffic. There are currently only two live traffic systems available in cars: one delivered by XM satellite radio, and the other through Clear Channel's FM radio network, using RDS. We tested the former in the Acura TL.
The 535i uses live traffic delivered by Clear Channel, a standard feature with the navigation system. Clear Channel gathers traffic data from local traffic authorities, incidents reported by first responders, and a number of other sources. Traffic flow data is provided by a company called Inrix, which uses historic patterns, real-time data gathered from fleet vehicles, and local events, such as baseball games. The upshot is that this live traffic feature has traffic data for roads that aren't monitored by traffic authorities.
We set out from CNET headquarters at 4:30 p.m., driving south on Highway 280. We turned west on Highway 92, even though the navigation system showed slow traffic on the road. Sure enough, we slogged up the road behind a line of cars going about 25mph. Highway 92 is not monitored by CalTrans, the regional traffic authority, but it's frequently slow, so the navigation system was probably relying on historic data.
At Skyline, we turned south and got to speed along mountain roads for bit, until we hit Highway 84 and turned east. The navigation system showed no problems, so we drove down to El Camino Real. At this point, we set a destination in San Francisco. The navigation system calculated the route, then immediately told us there were traffic problems ahead, and dynamically changed our route from Highway 101 north to Highway 280 north.
On the approach to San Francisco on Highway 280, we hit traffic that wasn't reported by the navigation system. After a quarter mile we passed its cause--a minor accident--and saw the navigation system start to fill in slow traffic icons behind us. This particular traffic problem was too recent for our traffic service to register and report it. Once in San Francisco, we noticed one other flaw in the system. The map showed slow traffic on Van Ness Avenue running north through the city, but the route guidance still tried to put us on this road. With our local knowledge, we took Franklin Street, which runs north and parallel to Van Ness, and usually has less traffic.
In the cabin
Although the interior of the 535i is pleasant, it doesn't feel luxurious. Rather, it leans toward functionality. The steering wheel is nice and thick, making it easy to grip when pushing the car around turns. Wood accents in the dashboard clash with the futuristic-looking electronic shifter for the 6-speed automatic. And the incredible array of power adjustments on the seats seems more about getting into the right driving position than about comfort. We were impressed that we could even raise and tilt the headrests with a switch.
We were also impressed with the wide-screen LCD in the dashboard, which shows a main screen for whatever function you are using, and an auxiliary screen, which can be set to always show a map or trip computer. Of course, the whole system is operated through iDrive, which may cause some people to despair. But we've gotten pretty comfortable with the system, and were able to use it handily, making no mistakes and generally finding what we were looking for. We had some issues with the system, but these centered around how individual functions were programmed.
The two things that bothered us most were the map display and the audio settings. When you select navigation, you have to push down then turn the iDrive knob through three selections, and then push it down again to see the map. We think the map should come up as a default display under navigation. Likewise, you can't reach the audio settings from the entertainment menu. To change audio settings while selecting music, you have to push the menu button, then push the iDrive knob down, then down again to get to the audio settings. There should be a shortcut from the audio selection screens.
We tried the voice command system as an alternative to iDrive, but were initially frustrated when the system wouldn't recognize any of our commands. We eventually got it to work, however. It worked for changing CD tracks, but we could never enter a complete destination into the navigation system. Instead, it worked better if we gave it top-level commands to get to the function we wanted to use, and then used the iDrive knob to fine tune.
We talked extensively about the live traffic system above. We liked some things about this navigation system, but not everything. Its map resolution is great, and we like how it shows many street names. But we didn't think much of its route guidance graphics. Destination entry was also harder to use than on other systems; it only lets you enter destinations through an address, from the map, or with a point-of-interest location. Other systems we've seen have more options, such as finding a freeway entrance. Its point-of-interest database, while fairly complete, wasn't easy to use as it had too few top-level categories.
As for the stereo, we were very impressed with its audio quality--which isn't surprising as we had the optional Logic7 system, which uses 11 speakers and two subwoofers. This is sound that you can feel. The bass is strong and the overall quality is rich, with decent clarity. Among the audio settings is a 7-band graphic equalizer, along with basic treble, mid, and bass levels. There are also two digital sound processor settings. Concert Hall puts the music in front of you, while Theater enhances the surround effect.
BMW offers all the audio sources you could want, from an auxiliary audio input (strangely mounted behind the console), to satellite radio, to a 6-disc, in-dash changer which reads MP3 CDs. There is also an optional iPod connector and an HD radio tuner, which we had on our test car. We found that the HD radio enhances the audio quality a little bit, but it doesn't increase range or get rid of static. With this high-tech system, we were surprised that it didn't display ID3 tagging information from our MP3 CDs, but only showed folder and file names.
The Bluetooth hands-free cell phone system is top notch--and it's standard. We particularly like this system, because it displays your cell phone's phone book plus recent calls. Its call quality is also very good.
For some extra tech features, the 535i has park distance control, which displays front and aft obstructions in a graphic on the LCD. There is also an optional lane departure warning, which we haven't tested since it wasn't included with our review car.
Under the hood
The 535i's cabin electronics impressed us, but the tech under the hood got us excited. The 535i uses the twin-turbocharged, 3-liter, straight 6-cylinder introduced in the 3-series last year. This power plant is every bit as capable in the 5-series, putting out 300 horsepower at 5,800rpm and 300 feet per pound of torque at 1,400rpm. BMW's specs show that 535i, with an automatic transmission, can go from 0 to 60mph in 5.7 seconds. It felt a lot faster than that, but we didn't get a chance to do our own measurements. We found the car clocking close to 90mph on the freeway before we realized it. The 535i moves effortlessly, and when called on for a burst of speed, it doesn't let down. With this power train, we can't imagine why anyone would buy the 550i.
Using the 6-speed automatic transmission shifter requires a progressive mindset. You can't be stuck in the past to accept this weird, science fiction-styled hunk of metal as a shifter. And you really have to be able to give up your old ways to use it. The shifter has a button on top, which puts the car in park. Push the shifter up for reverse, or down for drive, and you're on your way. Slip it to the side for Sport mode, and you can also push it up and down to go through the gears sequentially (we appreciate that you do push forward to downshift). The shifter doesn't feel mechanical--BMW doesn't try to disguise that each movement activates an electronic gear shift.
Although we had a lot of fun pushing this car around hard corners on mountain roads, the steering has a somewhat suburban feel. It's not particularly tight, and there is noticeable understeer. But it kept its grip around the corners, at least until we pushed it hard enough to get the tail to kick out. At that point, traction control kicks in, and the whole driving experience becomes very satisfying, as the car lets you have fun without getting too dangerous.
We would have liked to get better fuel economy with this car. The EPA rates it at 17mpg in the city, and 26mpg on the highway. We had it stuck at 19.7mpg in our mixed city and freeway driving, even when we tried some easy freeway cruises to pump up the average. Emissions ratings aren't yet available for this car.
As for design, the 535i is a classically European-looking luxury sports sedan. BMW Designer Chris Bangle's influence is apparent in the car's liquid-smooth surfaces. The front of the car is particularly intriguing, with flattened fenders to either side of a hood bulge that contours up from the grille. The rear of the car is ugly, with a diagonal line that runs down the sides of the trunk lid then along the bottom of the tail lights. That line makes it look like the back was sliced off, then hastily reattached with superglue.
In sum
We found few strikes against the 535i, but price is one--the 2008 BMW 535i has a base price of $49,400. Our test car also came with the Cold Weather package ($750), the Premium package ($2,100), the Sport package ($2,800), a smart key ($1,000), Park Distance control ($700), navigation ($1,900), HD radio ($500), and the premium stereo ($1,200). With its $775 destination charge, the total came to a hefty $61,125.
It seems like a lot of money to pay, but this car drives like a dream. You can drive reasonably or you can drive hard, and the car responds well. Beyond some of the issues we found with the navigation system and the iDrive interface, the electronics in the 535i are excellent. For almost exactly the same money, however, you can get an Audi A6 powered by a 4.2-liter V-8. Although the A6 gets 50 more horsepower and has all-wheel drive, the 535i feels more agile and smooth.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27out of 27 user reviews
Actual owners of this car all give it almost 5 stars.
Pros: Once you have owned / driven a BMW you will know the difference between a re branded Toyota, Honda or Nissan. This car drives like a dream - and I went with the 2010 535i from a 750i - the new iDrive is such an improvement.
Cons: The rear styling is still a little different (even on the 2010). It will go to a 3 / 7 series look for the 2011 - I wish they would have just changed the rear a little rather than making another 3 / 7 look alike. Add soft close doors and vent seats
out of 27 user reviews
The PERFECT SEDAN! Economical yet tons of fun
Pros: Turbos!!! Easy to mod and power anywhere on the rev curve Easy to mod since it has turbos. CHip Chip Chip!!! The tech in this car is amazing as well. Nothing to disappoint.
Cons: It is very economical when it has to be, and fun when it has to be, but when you have a lead foot like mine, it can steep down to 17 mpg, but at the same time, for all the power this car gives you, it's not that bad. Better tha 8-10 you get with M3s
out of 27 user reviews
GREAT RIDE
Pros: DRIVE IS AWESOME. HANDLES LIKE A DREAM. WHEN YOU GET INTO THE DRIVERS SEAT, ITS LIKE A COCKPIT. ONCE YOUVE MADE YOUR PERSONAL SEAT/STEERING/ELECTRONIC ADJUSTMENTS, ITS YOUR CAR, YOUR FEEL, YOUR THE THE CAPTAIN. TOO BAD I WAITED 30 YEARS TO BUY ONE.
Cons: DONT CARE MUCH FOR THE VOICE COMMAND WHEN USING THE PHONE DIRECTORY. COMPUTERS VOICE IS GARBLED AT TIMES.
Updated on Oct 17, 2008OOPS, PAID 44750.00 NOT 47500.00 GREAT DEAL
out of 27 user reviews
Good Car! Can get pricey
Pros: Good car but could work on price.
Cons: Good car but expensive.
It's not as fast as say an M45 but its slick and has a good drive just I think it's a bit expensive compared to it's competitors.
out of 27 user reviews
Chris bangle is the devil
Pros: Engine, handling
Cons: The car is FUGLY
out of 27 user reviews
This is a nice car
Pros: Comfortable ride; smooth acccleration
Cons: None so far
I am able to get decent gas mileage at around 22 mpg. The car runs extremely smooth and the handling is great. I feel calm and less stressed in traffic when I drive this car. I actually like idrive. I have been able to program all of my stuff and use it regularly. The bluetooth system is top notch and didn't take long to set up. Overall this car is hot.
out of 27 user reviews
very good car
Pros: alot of power
Cons: anything over 65mph = 6 points + $300fine. so whats the point of the power
out of 27 user reviews
poor, and not worth the money - worth $30 when I test it
Pros: the performance is great
Cons: bad interior design, and not will built car,
out of 27 user reviews
Replaced Transmission @ 1300 miles!
Pros: Power, Handling, Comfort
Cons: Where is the Quality?
out of 27 user reviews
a tech-head's dream
Pros: Engine; audio; ride; bluetooth; everything
Cons: still looking for cons
It's i-drive would drive my friend George crazy -- as it would my dad -- but I've actually made friends with it.
I spent about a total of 5 hours learning every control and programming the various functions. Time well spent.
The Logic 7 stereo is incredible.
Buy this thing, and you will never know how you drove your prior vehicles. I love it.
out of 27 user reviews
Just Perfect!!!
Pros: 3.0 litres and 300 horses!!! yumm yumm engineering
Cons: cant find one
out of 27 user reviews
Unbelievably it's better than my 2004 530i
Pros: Great Power Plant
Cons: Fuel economy
out of 27 user reviews
BMW Best Car Ever Made
Pros: Engine, Body, The Drive, Handling
Cons: Speed Governer set at 155MPH, other than that NONE
There is no car in the entire world that can come even close to an M5, ( Own one ) and as to a 535i cant wait to drive it everyday.
Have a nice day, and study your subject matters before you write an opinion. Thank you.
out of 27 user reviews
The Proud Owner of BMW 535Xi
Pros: Power, Comfort and Luxury
Cons: I will Let you know when if find it.
out of 27 user reviews
Incredible car that I now own!!!
Pros: Engine, interior comfort, unbelievable stereo, paddle shifters/sport auto shifter, plenty of room, bluetooth for phone is superb
Cons: iDrive is a bit cumbersome but can be mastered. I like iPod integration but for the money they could have made it a bit more user friendly
out of 27 user reviews
The perfect 9.99
Pros: Nobody does it better
Cons: We all could do with a more logical iDrive
than any Lexus or Mercedes (except for the S-Class).
There's only one car which tops the 535i and
that is the BMW M6 Coupe.
out of 27 user reviews
The best sedan in it's class
Pros: Acceleration, Handling, Overall Comfort
Cons: Gas Milage, Rear Seat Space
out of 27 user reviews
Best in class... I shopped for 3 mo... glad I waited
Pros: Neck-snapping sophistication
Cons: Not cheap... but worth the price
I love driving this car every day... practical, but with the exhilerating feel of a small roadster. If you love acceleration that glues you to the back of your seat, get this car. The infinitely adjustable sport seats sealed the the deal... the bluetooth and mp3 stuff is great too.
out of 27 user reviews
2008-model of BMW535Ý
Pros: Everything seems to be O.K.
Cons: We can make a list of negative points.
out of 27 user reviews
The perfect 4-door sedan? Yes!
Pros: Comfort, handling, acceleration, USB port!!! Included Maintenance, fuel economy, MUST HAVE SPORT PACKAGE!
Cons: "soft" styling, Price, including Porsche-like cost of options
I cannot begin to list the cars that I have owned before this but let's just say that I just sold my 2006 M5 and replaced it with the 535i. And this car (with the sport package) is better than the M5 in almost every way but one.
Before settling on the 535i, I drove the Mercedes E-550, The Lexus 400ih (also wow! but some major flaws), The 550i, E63 (owned the E55), and the Audi A6 (owned the RS6 before). BMW has just hit the nail on the head in the 535i's combination of performance, options, "road feel," and overall driveability.
Pretty much everything that previous actual owners have written here is spot-on; I would give this car a 9.5 but had to pump up the rating to 10 in order to offset the poverty-stricken haters out there.
Facts:
1. The iDrive still may not be the best system out there but when you skip the SMG, ultrasound, nav, heads-up, and every other electronic option vying for the limited Windows CE- controlled CPU time, it works quite well.
2. The engine is wonderful. The twin turbos give this car power anywhere on the rev curve and the acceleration is nothing short of breathtaking. For $10K less and 30% better MPG, this absolutely stomps the sh#t out of the 550i. And yes, it's no M5 but $33,000 more, the SMG transmission, 12MPG, and an anemic iDrive speed hardly seems worth 1 second on a 0-60 time.
3. The steptronic transmission is, as they say "like butter." Whether in sport mode or normal drive the thing never misses a beat; no need for manual shifting here- it knows what you want to do before you do it.
4. THE USB PORT IS DA BOMB! I am currently running a 2GB key drive and it reads and categorizes everything perfectly. Radio? What radio? And I thought XM and Sirius were awesome.
5. Keyless entry. What an awesome invention. Forget digging for keys EVER.
6. Touch-sensitive memory short-cut keys which can control any function. Forget what is programmed on a button? Hold your finger over it! Program one button for calling home from the bluetooth-compatible speaker phone. Program another to enter the USB port mode. Program another for your favorite radio station. The only flaw here is that there are not enough of these buttons (only six); there should be a "shift" key which doubles or even triples these buttons.
A few issues:
1. As many have noted, the styling is a bit soft, especially when you look at the 550i or the M5 and see what is possible. There is no excuse for this; the 335 has twin wide-mounted exhausts- so should the 535i. The front spoiler could and should be more aggressive; Lord knows not one but two factory-produced versions exist and cost no more to intall as OEM equipment. Then why does BMW not include this? Simple- to make you want to spend the extra $10K that the 550i costs (sort of like a $10K "aero kit" option on the 911).
2. Price. $60,000 is what this car will cost you with the "necessary" options. While that's a bit steep, remember that for FOUR years you will NEVER pay for an oil change, tune-up, windshield wipers, brakes, ANYTHING except gas and (if you don't buy the wheel/tire warrantee) tires. The tire warrantee is a slam-dunk because the car has runflats which cannot be repaired if they eat a nail or screw and so they are replaced FREE, (no pro-rating) so long as they are above a minimum tread depth. When you compare the residual values and the actual cost of ownership to any similar car in its class, it's an economic no-brainer. Also, dealers are currently selling the cars at $2,000 - $3,000 off MSRP. Because of the exceptional maintenance and warrantee plan, a used 535i becomes an exceptional value. There are even many leasing programs available for 1-year old used cars.
Overall, I cannot remember being happier or having a bigger smile on my face after buying a car, [except perhaps my twin turbo 911 with the factory x50 package, but I think that had more to do with the G-forces involved with 3.6 second 0-60 times
] out of 27 user reviews
incredible car!!!
Pros: POWER, luxury and handling
Cons: too many options for the casual user
BMW made it again, the twin-turbo and all the accesories make me feel I got every peny i paid for.
Some people finds the i-drive annoying... well ... they may be technologically challenged.. to me, it gives me total control for everything.
At $58K nicelly equiped may seem like a lot but think about it, a VW Beetle equiped is almost $30K. money can't buy you what it used to.
out of 27 user reviews
Small market share
Pros: Looks OK if you like that sorta thing
Cons: Small market share so not many add ons available; not really upgradable.
I don't know if BMW is trying to be the Apple of cars but they have less than 5% market share so it's hard to get any after market accessories like a nice big spoiler on the trunk like your favorite Nascar Chevy or Ford. You can't really upgrade it on your own. Other than the fact that's it a beautiful automobile that has fantastic performance and will make you a hit with the ladies I really don't know why anybody would want one. For the money you could buy a Chevy Impala and a Ford Taurus.
out of 27 user reviews
What is your obsession with BMW?
Pros: Great status symbol for shallow, stupid people
Cons: too expensive, Honda & Toyota have better JD Power rankings
Could it be that all the fat cats in Silicon Valley drive BMW's and you little peons are in awe?
I think so, you people suffer from Apple and BMW envy.
What you need to do is ACTUALLY buy one of these overpriced ego cars and drive it around for 6 months or so. Then, after paying the note for 6 months, write a review of it.
out of 27 user reviews
I love this car
Pros: Rides like a dream, great engine, bells and whistles are amazing
Cons: Pricey, no XM Radio, some iDrive features in desperate need of a good User Interface designer
out of 27 user reviews
Close But No Cigar!
Pros: Silky Smooth
Cons: Infuriating iDrive & Extortion Option Pricing
On the German fore front the top car is, long in the tooth, Mercedes E-350 at 9.0, BMW 535i at 8.5, and Audi A6 at 8.0. Since I prefer the German driving feel and have no urgency to spring $60k for owning things at the end of a product cycle, short of something Italian, we are waiting for the Brand New 09 platforms where MB will do for the E-Class what they've just done with the 08 C-Class. Provide a world class leader hopefully without an iDrive type interface.
out of 27 user reviews
Amazing Car!
Pros: Drives like a dream, accelerates like a rocketship, easy to use electronics
Cons: tough to enter adress in navagation.
out of 27 user reviews
Best Sedan At Any Price?
Pros: Optional Seats, All electronics, BMW Handling You've Come to Expect, Oh that Engine!!
Cons: iDrive is getting better but....;
BMW continues to refine its iDrive system but Im afraid its still a little too cumbersome to some of its competitors systems. That being said, the Logic7 stereo, bluetooth and ipod integration option work really well.
We've had the car for just over a month and couldnt be more pleased with the latest addition to our BMW family.
