2023 BMW 520i Review: Five For Fighting

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2023 BMW 520i Review: Five For Fighting 2023 BMW 520i Review:...

Ben Chia

06/12/2023

Interior and Features

The cabin of the new 5 Series aims to mimic that of its larger 7 Series sibling, and the first thing you notice is the brightly-illuminated Interaction Bar that runs across the length of the dashboard, and bleed into the doors. Like the Iconic Glow grille, it’s mostly just a fancy show, although The Bar is also where BMW chose to house some touch-sensitive controls for the lights and ventilation functions.

Other than that, the rest of the interior should be pretty familiar to anyone who’s been acquainted with the newer BMW models of late, with the large double-screen setup present here as well. The car runs on the updated BMW Operating System 8.5, which has been revamped with a new layout, and while it takes a while to get used to, it is supposedly quicker to select functions without having to dive deep into sub-menus.

That said, it feels as though BMW has cut a few corners here and there with this latest generation 5 Series. For instance, the car comes with what BMW calls the Driving Assistant, which is a suite of driving assistance features that includes lane change warning, rear crossing traffic warning with brake intervention, and rear collision prevention.

However, notably absent is adaptive cruise control, which comes under Driving Assistant Plus, and can apparently be added on as an over-the-air update for a fee. In a world where even a Toyota Yaris Cross comes with such a feature as standard, its omission in a near-S$400,000 BMW does seem somewhat disappointing.

The cabin materials are a bit of a mixed bag too. The interior is supposedly fully vegan, from the seat upholstery to the various surfaces on the dashboard. And while some of it, like the subtle dark wood trim, does look quite classy, other details, like the hard plastic on the back of the front seats, feels a bit of a letdown in terms of ambience and sense of quality.

Page 4: Driving Experience and Conclusion

About the Author

Ben Chia

CarBuyer's print editor went out to explore the Great Big World, including a stint working in China (despite his limited Mandarin). Now he's back, ready to foist upon you his takes on everything good and wonderful about the automotive world. Follow Ben on Instagram @carbuyer.ben

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