By Kevin Miller

Earlier this year, BMW made a major change in their marketing – from the Ultimate Driving Machine to Joy. Though it wasn’t evident at the time, now that I’ve driven the new 535i it is clear why the change had to be made.  It’s because the 5 Series simply is not an Ultimate Driving Machine.

The sixth-generation of BMW’s 5 series is all-new for 2011. Historically, the design hallmarks of the German manufacturer’s mid-range sedan have included featured a tall greenhouse and great visibility, both of which are downplayed in the sixth-generation car. The new car has been developed based on BMW’s large 7 Series sedan, which is one of the reasons the 5 series car is not the Ultimate Driving Machine.  The car is simply too heavy. BMW did a similar downsizing when they created the 1 Series from their mainstream 3 series, with the resulting 1 Series weighing too much. Unfortunately, history has repeated itself with the new 5 Series. Continue Reading →